Vistara: Italian woman 'punched and spat' on India flight

The crew of an Indian airline tied an Italian woman to her seat during a flight after she allegedly punched one member of staff and spat on another.

The woman, who was travelling on a Vistara flight from Abu Dhabi, was arrested in Mumbai on Monday and later released on police bail.

Her lawyer has denied the allegations, saying it is a "false story".

But Vistara said its staff had to restrain the woman for "continued unruly conduct and violent behaviour".

The Times of India newspaper reported that a Vistara staff member alleged in a police complaint that the passenger punched them and spat on their colleague.

According to the complaint, the crew member had objected after the woman left her economy class seat to sit in business class.

The complaint also accuses the woman of "stripping and littering the plane".

Vistara said in a statement that the flight's captain "issued a warning card and made a decision to restrain the customer" because of her behaviour.

The woman's lawyer, Prabhakar Tripathi, told the BBC that she was "uncomfortable" in her allotted seat and "requested to be moved to a vacant seat" and that caused a "disagreement" with the crew. He said she was also allegedly not allowed to use the bathroom due to turbulence.

"She was later allowed to go to the washroom but was tied up on return," Mr Tripathi said. He also denied media reports which quoted police officers as saying that the woman was drunk.

A senior Mumbai police official told reporters that the woman was "booked for misbehaving".

"We served her a notice and produced her before the court, following which she was allowed to go," said Dikshit Gedam, a deputy commissioner of police.

01/02/23 Meryl Sebastian/BBC News

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Flights from Indian metros to London gain in popularity, airlines add frequency

Mumbai: Air travel demand has gone up on routes from Indian metros to London which has had competing airlines add frequency to Heathrow, plan flights from India to London-Gatwick and also use the fifth freedom right to land into London.

Last month, British Airways increased its flight frequency on the Mumbai-London route from two to three daily flights. The airline operates the new route (BA134) with its brand new A350 aircraft, said a British Airways (BA) spokesperson. With the latest addition, BA operates 56 flights per week from five cities – a double daily from Delhi, now thrice a week from Mumbai, and a daily flight from Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru.

“The additional flight has a convenient departure time of 08:50 in the morning arriving at 13:10 in London Heathrow giving customers ample options to connect on our vast trans-Atlantic network,” said the British Airways spokesperson. Moran Birger, British Airways’ head of sales for South Asia, Middle East and Africa said: “The additional flight will feature our new Club Suite in business class. Each seat has been designed to offer privacy, comfort and space.”

Two weeks ago, the Tata-Group owned Air India announced plans to clear up its slots in London-Heathrow to allow more flights from Delhi and Mumbai. From summer 2023, Air India’s thrice-a-week flights to London from Goa, Cochin, Ahmedabad and Amritsar will land in Gatwick and not Heathrow. The airline also announced the launch of five additional weekly frequencies to London Heathrow. Subject to regulatory approvals, Air India will add three flights from Delhi to London-Heathrow, increasing the frequency from 14 to 17 times per week and two from Mumbai, to take it up from 12 to 14 times per week.

27/01/23 Manju V/Times of India

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Air India ties up with UK-based software company

Air India has announced that it has partnered with a UK-based software company Ideagen to ‘enhance’ end-to-end safety management across operations. As part of the collaboration, the airline will deploy Coruson, Ideagen’s enterprise cloud software application.

The Coruson software will help Air India monitor in-flight incidents in real-time. The key features of the software include real-time intelligence, reporting, and status of in-flight incidents. The software rollout is expected to start from May 1, 2023.

Coruson aims to eliminate most of the paperwork involved in sharing critical information with key personnel and authorities. Ideagen’s safety data software application transfers such information automatically, aimed at saving crucial time and resulting in shorter turnaround time.

“Air India has always been according top priority to safety of its passengers and crew, and this tie-up with Coruson is another step in that direction,” said the company in a statement. Reflecting on its latest tool, the airlines said, “Ideagen software covers all aspects of risk, giving the airline full visibility of safety data from maintenance of the aircraft through to cabin crew checks on board. It will provide Air India complete visibility across the airline’s entire organisation, allowing it to access the latest data and use this to spot and mitigate potential risks, thereby enhancing safety of operations.”

31/01/23 Times of India

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Why Singapore Airlines is investing in Air India

When the Singapore Airlines Group (SIA) released its operating statistics for December 2022, it revealed that it carried almost 12 per cent more passengers compared with a month ago and four times more than a year ago. Its two carriers, SIA and Scoot, carried a total of 2.7 million passengers in December. For the entire year, it carried a total of 20.7 million passengers, a jump of 900 per cent from 2021.

The airline cited the relaxation of travel restrictions in Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan for boosting the demand for air travel and supporting a recovery in those markets.

Though impressive, the passenger numbers are still 76 per cent of December 2019's figure of 3.54 million passengers carried.

SIA's passenger load factor (PLF) in December 2022 came in at 89.7 per cent during the month -- 3.8 percentage points more compared with a month ago and 43.2 per centage points more year-on-year. The airline noted that this is the highest monthly PLF in the SIA's history, full-service carrier, SIA, and low-cost airline, Scoot posted record monthly PLFs of 89.1 per cent and 91.6 per cent respectively. PLF for December 2019 was 87.6 per cent.

However, it should be noted that PLF is a function of the number of planes an airline has in service. During this period where there's a global shortage of capacity, some airlines under utilise their planes either to keep airfares high or because they do not have enough resources to maximize the use of their fleet.

According to fleet data from ch-aviation.com, at the moment, SIA has 36 inactive aircraft between its two main airline brands. Among the aircraft sitting on the ground are 15 Boeing 777ERs, two Airbus A350s, two A380s, and two 787-8s.

30/01/23 ANI/Economic Times

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Air India Express from Sharjah makes emergency landing at Cochin International Airport

Kochi: The passengers of an Air India Express flight from Sharjah to Kochi and their relatives faced tense moments on Sunday evening after the flight reported a suspected hydraulic failure. An emergency was alerted at the Cochin International Airport at 8:04 pm after the Air India Express flight with 193 passengers and six crew detected a suspected hydraulic failure.

“Full emergency was declared at 2004 hours (8:04 pm),” said a communication from the Kochi airport. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief after the aircraft landed safely at 8:26 pm. “Aircraft landed safely at 2036 hours,” it said. The CIAL statement said there was no diversion of flights or runway blockage due to the incident.

This is the second emergency landing at Kochi airport in recent times. Last month, a SpiceJet flight from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) bound for Kozhikode with 197 passengers, including six crew, onboard had an emergency landing at the Cochin International Airport on December 2 following hydraulic failure. 

An emergency was declared in the airport at 6:29 pm after the SpiceJet-SG 036 flight, which was scheduled to land at Kozhikode airport, was diverted to Kochi. The Spicejet flight landed safely at 7.19 pm on the runway after an emergency landing situation.

30/01/23 New Indian Express

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India starts exporting fuel for small planes, enters $3bn global market

In a first, the country's largest oil refiner and marketer, IndianOil Corporation has exported a consignment of AVGAS 100 LL, a special aviation fuel meant for piston engine aircrafts and unmanned ariel vehicles, to Papua New Guinea on Saturday.

The consignment consisted of 16 KL of AVGAS packed in 80 barrels. This is the first ever instance of India exporting AVGAS.

“The global aviation gasoline market is projected to grow at 5% CAGR. The Aviation traffic in India is also likely to grow by 7%. The indigenous production of AVGAS 100 LL in India will not only help in saving foreign exchange on imports but will make pilot training in domestic flying institutes economical for budding pilots,” said S M Vaidya, Chairman, IndiaOil Corporation.

In India, until very recently, AVGAS 100 LL fuel primarily used by Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) and Defence forces was imported at a huge cost from European countries for decades.

IndiaOil launched the indigenous production of aviation fuel AVGAS 100 LL on September 26, 2022 at Air Force Station, Hindan and the same is now being extensively used in the domestic market. The present production of AVGAS 100 LL is being done from IndiaOil’s Gujarat Refinery which has a capacity of 5TMT per annum.

The domestic production of AVGAS 100 LL produced by IndiaOil at its Gujarat Refinery will make flying training more affordable in India and abroad, the company said in a statement.

There is a significant consumption of AVGAS in countries in South America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Europe. Therefore, there is a great opportunity to export AVGAS beyond the shores of India, the company said.

29/01/23 Economic Times

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Arrested passenger apologises over ‘hijack’ tweet on Dubai-Jaipur flight

A software engineer who was arrested at an Indian airport after tweeting that his plane had been hijacked has apologised and said he used the term in error.

Delhi Police said Moti Singh Rathore, who works for a technology company in Dubai, faces at least three charges, including intent to cause alarm and fear.

Mr Rathore was travelling on a Spice Jet flight from Dubai to Jaipur on Wednesday that was diverted to Delhi owing to bad weather.

The flight was grounded at New Delhi airport for several hours on Wednesday morning and given clearance to depart in the afternoon.

Police arrested Mr Rathore after he tweeted “SG 58 Dubai to Jaipur high jacked” and tagged India’s federal minister for civil aviation.

“This is a very serious offence and exemplary action needs to be taken so this does not happen again,” a Delhi police officer told The National.

“He was on the plane when he sent out the tweet. The plane had been grounded for four to five hours because of bad weather.

“He said he tweeted this out of frustration.

“We have registered a case and arrested the man. An investigation is on.”

29/01/23 National

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Dozen more cheetahs to be flown to India from South Africa in February

South Africa and India have signed an agreement, under which 12 cheetahs will get flown into India annually for the next eight to 10 years. This comes after last year’s translocation of eight cheetahs from Namibia. Both the countries call the reintroduction of cheetahs in India an “ecological objective”.

If reports are to go by, come February, and the first batch of 12 cheetahs will be relocated to India.

It is imperative to keep in mind that cheetahs are not a completely new species to the Indian biodiversity. They roamed the Indian wilderness till they became extinct in India in 1952 due to over-hunting and loss of habitat.

The African cheetahs are a subspecies and if the reports are to go by, the ones that were relocated last year, are in the process of adjusting to the environment of the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

Reintroduction of the cheetahs in India is expected to add to the livelihood options of the local communities as it would help in eco-tourism.

28/01/23 Times Travel

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Indian national kidnapped at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport Jan. 20 rescued by security services on Jan. 23

On Jan. 23, South African police rescued an Indian businessman who had been kidnapped at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport (JNB). The victim was abducted upon his arrival at JNB on Jan. 20 with the kidnappers demanding a ransom from his family. Investigators believe the individual had been lured to the country by an alleged crime syndicate. Police forces traced the suspects to Johannesburg's Fordsburg suburb where the rescue operation took place; four men were arrested in connection with the kidnapping. This is the first reported kidnapping at OR Tambo International since 2020.

Kidnapping for ransom and extortion is an increasing concern in South Africa, particularly in Gauteng Province. Between July and September 2022, over 3,600 kidnappings were reported nationwide; of these, approximately 2,000 were in Gauteng. The number of kidnappings has risen in all provinces, except Limpopo, during that period. Due to ongoing socio-economic issues, crime rates will likely escalate in the medium term.

Kidnappings in South Africa are mostly related to robberies, hijackings, or rapes; kidnapping for ransom accounted for around 5 percent of the cases nationwide in 2022. The threat is higher for foreigners - especially those of Indian, Chinese, or Bangladeshi origin - or persons who publicly display wealth. Security forces are generally under-resourced and have been unable to stem rising crime rates.

27/01/23 Crisis24

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Flights from Indian metros to London gain in popularity, airlines add frequency

Mumbai: Air travel demand has gone up on routes from Indian metros to London which has had competing airlines add frequency to Heathrow, plan flights from India to London-Gatwick and also use the fifth freedom right to land into London.

Last month, British Airways increased its flight frequency on the Mumbai-London route from two to three daily flights. The airline operates the new route (BA134) with its brand new A350 aircraft, said a British Airways (BA) spokesperson. With the latest addition, BA operates 56 flights per week from five cities – a double daily from Delhi, now thrice a week from Mumbai, and a daily flight from Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru.

“The additional flight has a convenient departure time of 08:50 in the morning arriving at 13:10 in London Heathrow giving customers ample options to connect on our vast trans-Atlantic network,” said the British Airways spokesperson. Moran Birger, British Airways’ head of sales for South Asia, Middle East and Africa said: “The additional flight will feature our new Club Suite in business class. Each seat has been designed to offer privacy, comfort and space.”

Two weeks ago, the Tata-Group owned Air India announced plans to clear up its slots in London-Heathrow to allow more flights from Delhi and Mumbai. From summer 2023, Air India’s thrice-a-week flights to London from Goa, Cochin, Ahmedabad and Amritsar will land in Gatwick and not Heathrow. The airline also announced the launch of five additional weekly frequencies to London Heathrow. Subject to regulatory approvals, Air India will add three flights from Delhi to London-Heathrow, increasing the frequency from 14 to 17 times per week and two from Mumbai, to take it up from 12 to 14 times per week.

27/01/23 Manju V/Times of India

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Russian man enters terminal 3 with cancelled ticket to drop wife, FIR lodged

A man first purchased his ticket in order to drop off his wife, who was travelling to Russia, before the plane reached the airport. The ticket was later cancelled. However, the IGI Airport Delhi's vigilant security staff discovered his ruse and turned over the accused Russian national to the authorities. 

The suspect’s name was Alexander Timofeev, according to the information obtained from airport sources. His wife was travelling to Moscow. His wife was to fly to Moscow by Aeroflot plane. 

Alexander and his wife arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport's Terminal 3. The airport authorities suspected this through their gestures. 

He arrived at Terminal 3 and proceeded through the main gate's forecourt. He then showed the security guards all the travel-related paperwork. The security guard allowed it in after spotting the document. 

The security personnel became suspicious when it reached inside. The security personnel questioned the Aeroflot flight staff about the accused's travel information when they were in the check-in area.

Alexander had purchased the ticket but had it cancelled, according to the airline. The security personnel later caught it. He admitted during questioning that he intended to leave his wife on the plane. His wife appeared to be in danger on her own at this location.

26/01/23 DNA

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Russian woman held for entering Dabolim airport with fake tkt

Vasco: Dabolim airport police arrested a Russian woman for allegedly gaining access into the terminal building of the Dabolim airport by showing a forged ticket in her name for an Azur airlines flight.

Police said that the arrest was made after CISF official Shashi Kumar lodged a complaint against the Russian national who is identified as Marina Ekataria.

In his complaint, Kumar stated that Ekataria gained illegal access into the terminal building of the Dabolim airport around 3.45am on January 24 by showing an edited soft copy of an air ticket in her name for Azur airlines flight no-ZF2437.

The CISF handed Ekataria over to the Dabolim airport police. Ekataria was produced before the judicial magistrate first class Vasco and has been remanded in 14-day judicial custody. Dabolim airport PI Vinayak Patil is investigating the case.

26/01/23 Times of India

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British Airways sees strong India demand, adds third flight from Mumbai

British Airways is getting strong demand from India, its second-largest market after the US, said Moran Birger, the airline's head of sales for South Asia, Middle East and Africa.

"India is an incredibly important market for us. Last month, we launched a third daily service between London Heathrow and Mumbai. The flight is operated with Airbus A350 aircraft, which has a new business class product. We are seeing demand from the leisure segment. Business travel demand has recovered too," Birger said in Mumbai.

British Airways weekly operates 56 flights between London and India. Other than Mumbai, it flies to Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, and Hyderabad.

British Airways is adding capacity as it sees increased competition in the India-UK market. Air India has announced seventeen additional weekly flights to London: five to Heathrow and twelve to Gatwick from Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Goa, and Kochi.

26/01/23 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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Pilot Plans To Draw Huge Map Of India In The Sky On Thursday

 

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Pilot and vlogger Gaurav Taneja - owner of the YouTube channel 'Flying Beast' - is set to draw a map of India in the sky to commemorate the country's 74th Republic Day. The ‘Aasman Mein Bharat’ mission will launch from Tampa Airport, Florida on January 26th and involve around three hours of flying. Let's take a closer look below.

Captain Taneja, who boasts over 12 years and 6,000 hours of flying experience is attempting to break the record for the largest-ever map of India drawn in the sky. As reported by Business Wire India, the Aasman Mein Bharat mission can be tracked on Taneja's social media channels

The stunt will originate from Tampa Airport, Florida on India's Republic Day this Thursday - while details of the mission are still scarce, it will reportedly cover around 350km of distance during a three-hour flight.

"As we are approaching the 74th year of the Constitution of India on the occasion of the Republic Day, Captain Gaurav Taneja aka Flying Beast will be drawing the Largest map of the Largest Democracy in the World in a nation-binding patriotic initiative named ‘AASMAN MEIN BHARAT’."

Gaurav Taneja, otherwise known as the Flying Beast, has around 17 million followers across his social media handles - having initially made his name with aviation-related content, Taneja now posts wide-ranging videos, including vlogs of his daily life and workout regimen. Taneja reportedly gave up his aviation career for good in 2020 and transitioned to a full-time content creator.

24/01/23 Luke Bodell/Simple Flying

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Black box of crashed Nepal aircraft to be sent to Singapore for examination: Official

Kathmandu: Nepal will send to Singapore for examination the black box of Yeti Airlines that crashed in Pokhara, killing all 72 people, including five Indians, on board, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane, who is a joint secretary at Nepal's Tourism Ministry and also a member of the probe committee of the air crash, said that three members of the investigation panel would be flying soon to hand over the black box to Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau.

"Our team is heading towards Singapore in a couple of days carrying the black box," Lamichhane said, amid reports that the team would leave on Friday.

Nepal decided to take the black box to Singapore as the two countries have a memorandum of understanding to assist in the field of aviation.

"The examination of the black box in Singapore is free of cost," Lamichhane was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post newspaper.

All 72 people-- 53 Nepalese passengers, 15 foreign nationals, including 5 Indians, and four crew members -- were on board the ATR-72 aircraft when it crashed in a river gorge in Pokhara on January 15.

25/01/23 PTI/New Indian Express

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In a first in India, Amazon launches cargo service in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: E-commerce behemoth Amazon India on Monday launched its dedicated air cargo fleet, Amazon Air, in the city, a first for India with the goal of enhancing its transportation network and enabling speedier delivery.  Amazon has a similar service only in the US and European markets.

Industries minister K.T. Rama Rao unveiled the service at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad in the presence of Amazon officials. Amazon India and Quickjet Cargo Airline Private Ltd., based in Bengaluru, have teamed up to offer the nation's first air freight service, making Amazon the first e-commerce company in India to partner with a third-party carrier to provide a dedicated air network for deliveries.

The company would use a Boeing 737-800 to transport shipments to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai.

“Amazon’s love story with Hyderabad has grown strength-to-strength. Today, Hyderabad holds Amazon’s largest campus in the world, which is a great matter of pride for us. Telangana has been working towards strengthening air cargo infrastructure and Amazon’s arrival will further assist in making Hyderabad an air cargo hub in the country,” Rama Rao stated after launching the services.

In 2016, Amazon Air made its US debut; as of now, it operates over 110 aircraft to provide service to 70 cities worldwide. Each Boeing 737-800 aircraft can carry about 20,000 shipments, which will significantly reduce the delivery time, said Akhil Saxena, vice-president of Customer Fulfillment at Amazon.

24/01/23 Indrajeet Devulapally/Deccan Chronicle

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IndiGo launches Super 6E fare system on 14 international routes

IndiGo has launched Super 6E flights to Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, Dammam, Jeddah, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Doha, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, Male, Kathmandu, and Riyadh.

With these additions, IndiGo now offers Super 6E fares on flights to 23 international destinations. The airline launched this service on flights to Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Singapore, Istanbul, Dhaka, Muscat, and Bahrain last year.

A Super 6E fare for international routes includes an extra 10kg of baggage allowance, the option to select a seat, including an XL seat, a meal/snack combo of your choice, priority check-in and luggage collection on arrival, anytime boarding, baggage protection against delays and losses, a reduced change fee and cancellation fee, and no convenience fee.

"IndiGo is constantly looking to innovate and offer a seamless and hassle-free travel experience for customers. We decided to introduce these exclusive Super 6E benefits under a single fare to offer maximum flexibility to our customers travelling to these popular international destinations for business or leisure. We do hope our customers will benefit from Super 6E while travelling with friends and family," Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales at IndiGo, said.

24/01/23 Moneycontrol

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Coimbatore Airport officials nab Bangladeshi man with fake passport after he fails to sing National anthem

Airport authorities at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu nabbed a foreign national who had been staying in India with a fake passport after he failed to sing the national anthem. The incident took place on Monday and the accused was identified as a Bangladeshi national.

After he was detained, the man was asked to produce his birth certificate and his Passport issued by the Government of India. After he did so, the immigration officer, who was still suspicious of him, asked him to sing the Indian National Anthem.

The man was unable to do so, after which the Immigration officer filed a complaint with Peelamedu Police.

Upon investigation, the accused was identified as 28-year-old Anwar Hussain from Bangladesh. Police have initiated an investigation to find out how he faked the documents.

24/01/23 Pramod Madhav/India Today

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Bodies Of 4 Indian Victims Of Nepal Plane Crash Brought To UP's Ghazipur

Ghazipur: Bodies of four men killed in a Nepal plane crash were brought back to the Uttar Pradesh district of Ghazipur from Kathmandu on Tuesday. The family members of the victims brought the bodies by road.

Sonu Jaishwal, Anil Rajbhar, Abhishek Kushwaha, and Vishal Sharma were among five Indians who were killed in the incident. District administration and police forces are present on the spot.

The doctors in Nepal on Sunday identified the bodies of Anil Kumar Rajbhar and Abhisekh Kushwaha on the basis of evidence provided by the families of the victims.

At least 70 people were killed when a Yeti Airlines passenger plane with 72 people on board, including five Indians, crashed into a river gorge while landing at the newly opened airport in central Nepal's resort city of Pokhara on January 15.

Kathmandu Post earlier quoted Sudarshan Bartaula, a spokesperson of Yeti Airlines, as saying that the ATR 72 Yeti airlines aircraft crashed between the old airport and the Pokhara International Airport.

The black box of the Yeti Airlines aircraft was handed over by the Nepal Army to Civil Aviation Authority officials.

The Nepal Army also handed over the flight data recorder following the crash. The twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft from Kathmandu crashed in Pokhara minutes before touch-down. A total of 70 bodies have been recovered so far from the site of the crash.

24/01/23 NDTV

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Pratt & Whitney expands Bengaluru operations

Pratt & Whitney announced it has officially opened the doors to its new India Engineering Center (IEC) in Bengaluru. The facility is co-located with Pratt & Whitney’s India Capabilities Center (ICC), which opened in 2022 to provide integrated global supply chain support, and the recently inaugurated Collins Aerospace engineering and global operations centers. The IEC, which was designed to meet the LEED Platinum certification, further enhances Raytheon Technologies’ combined presence in India of over 5,000 employees and facilitates collaboration across the company’s businesses.

“The Indian aviation market is growing at a rapid pace and Bengaluru is a hub for that growth,” said Geoff Hunt, senior vice president, Engineering, Pratt & Whitney. “The work conducted at the IEC – by some of India’s best and brightest minds – will support cutting edge technology that will drive the future of flight.”

More than 50 employees are now based in the state-of-the-art facility, with an additional 450 jobs to be filled over the next four years. Work performed at the IEC will encompass elements such as aero and mechanical and control systems for various products in Pratt & Whitney’s broad portfolio of large and small commercial engines. It will also extend across the entire product lifecycle from development to field support and sustainment.

“The IEC will fully integrate with our existing global engineering footprint across Canada, Puerto Rico and Poland to advance world-class technology such as the geared turbofan and other sustainable propulsion solutions,” said Paul Weedon, vice president, Engine Development, Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. “The IEC team will be key to improving commercial engine performance, extending time on wing, reducing airline operating costs, and decreasing fuel consumption.”

The opening of the IEC further illustrates Raytheon Technologies’ long history of investing in India. “I am truly excited about the future of Pratt & Whitney in India, and the significant investments we are making towards building a stronger aerospace ecosystem in-country,” said Ashmita Sethi, Managing Director of UTCIPL. “Beyond the $40 million-plus in financial investment in both the IEC and co-located India Capability Center, we are collaborating with local universities and investing in emerging technology companies to further enhance India’s homegrown capabilities.”

23/01/23 Asian Aviation

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Australian airline Qantas adds 8 Indian cities with IndiGo Codeshare Agreement

Australian airline, Qantas stated on Friday that it is increasing its codeshare agreements with IndiGo, the biggest airline in India. In August of last year, Qantas travellers flying to Bengaluru and Delhi could seamlessly connect to other well-liked spots, including large cities like Mumbai and Chennai or iconic locations like Pune and Goa.

The Lockheed Constellation made seven stops when Qantas introduced its version of the Kangaroo Route to London in 1947. Two of those stops were on the subcontinent, passing through Karachi in Pakistan and Calcutta (Kolkata) in India. Direct flights between the two cricket-loving countries have occasionally been hard to come by despite the sizable Indian diaspora in Australia. However, it now appears that Qantas has recovered its zest for these routes.

Eight more cities are now accessible to Qantas travellers under the second phase of the deal. This means that Qantas passengers can connect to 21 Indian cities from Bengaluru and Delhi. Customers of Qantas have access to the domestic IndiGo network more freely, and more than 250 new flights are now available for booking.

It can often be challenging to change from an international to a domestic flight, but Qantas and IndiGo have planned for that and made it straightforward. Customers of Qantas flying on IndiGo can bring the same amount of luggage as they did on their flight from Australia and enjoy complimentary food and beverages while on the flight.

On connecting IndiGo flights operated with a QF code, Qantas Frequent Flyers can earn and use points. Additionally, IndiGo will take into account any applicable tier-based perks, such as priority check-in and priority baggage, that are provided to Qantas Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Platinum One frequent traveller.

According to Qantas Chief Customer Officer Markus Svensson, passengers have shown the new routes to India to be highly popular. The codeshare agreement with IndiGo, Svensson continued, had enhanced the travel experience for Qantas customers between Australia and India, and the new destinations will provide them with even more choices.

Eight round-trip flights by Qantas are offered each week to connect passengers from Australia to IndiGo aircraft in India. It operates four round-trip flights per week from Melbourne International (MEL) to Delhi Indira Gandhi International (DEL), and four round-trip flights per week from Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) to Bengaluru Kempegowda International (BLR).

23/01/23 NRI Affairs

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After bomb call turns out hoax, Azur Air flight lands at Dabolim

Panaj: The Azur Air chartered plane from Russia to Goa that was forced to do an emergency landing in Uzbekistan due to a bomb call in Goa, landed at the Dabolim airport on Sunday (shortly after midnight) after the call turned out to be a hoax.

Sources said that authorities in Uzbekistan conducted a detailed search of the aircraft and after they were satisfied, granted clearance to take off from the airport.

The flight had 240 passengers, including two infants and seven crew members.

This was the second hoax call pertaining to an Azur Air flight to Goa in two weeks.

The Goa airport received the threat email at around 12.30am on Saturday, and it was immediately shared for necessary action.

“Bomb threat calls are sent as Goa is a tourist state, but people should avoid making such hoax threats unnecessarily,”CM Pramod Sawant had said. “The disaster management team and intelligence are working to keep watch on the situation.”

“Hi, I am Zoe Lurking Spychologist Hamilton. A bomb disguised as a HP laptop battery have been put at Azur Air AZV2463. It’s going to be like the Metrojet over Egypt sometime soon (sic),” the email to the Dabolim airport director stated.

23/01/23 Times of India

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Nepal plane crash: Bodies of all Indians onboard identified, taken back to home country

The bodies of all five Indians, who were killed in the Yeti Airlines plane crash in Nepal's resort city of Pokhara, have been identified and handed over to their respective family members, sources said on Monday. The five Indians - identified as Abhisekh Kushwaha (25), Bishal Sharma (22), Anil Kumar Rajbhar (27), Sonu Jaiswal (35) and Sanjaya Jaiswal (26) - were among 72 people on board when the Yeti Airlines plane crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport in Pokhara, minutes before landing on January 15.

On Monday, the body belonging to Sonu Jaiswal was identified. The doctors on Sunday identified the bodies of Anil Kumar Rajbhar and Abhisekh Kushwaha on the basis of evidence provided by the families of the victims. On Saturday, the body of Bishal Sharma was identified. The hospital on Monday handed over the bodies of Sonu Jaiswal, Anil Kumar Rajbhar, Abhisekh Kushwaha and Bishal Sharma to their respective family members, according to sources at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

The relatives left for India after receiving the bodies, one of the family members told PTI over the phone. The body of Sanjaya Jaiswal was handed over to his family and taken back to India last week.

23/01/23 PTI/India TV

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Nepal plane crash: 2 more dead bodies of Indian nationals identified

Nepal’s health officials on Sunday identified two more bodies of the Indian nationals who died in a plane crash in Pokhara and assured the victims’ relatives that they will be handed over all four bodies on Monday.

Nepalese authorities on Tuesday started handing over to family members the bodies of those killed in the January 14 crash of a Yeti Airlines passenger plane with 72 people on board.

Fifty-three Nepalese passengers and 15 foreign nationals, including 5 Indians, and four crew members were on board the aircraft when it crashed in a river gorge in the resort city of Pokhara.

The five Indians, all reportedly from Uttar Pradesh, have been identified as Abhisekh Kushwaha, 25, Bishal Sharma, 22, Anil Kumar Rajbhar, 27, Sonu Jaiswal, 35, and Sanjaya Jaiswal.

The doctors at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital have completed postmortem of all the bodies they received. Barring 12 bodies, the rest have been identified by the doctors.

The doctors on Sunday identified two more dead bodies of the Indian nationals.

They identified the bodies of Anil Kumar Rajbhar and Abhisehk Kushwaha on the basis of evidence provided by the kins of the victims, according to hospital sources.

Earlier, on Saturday the body of Sharma was identified. On Friday, the body of Sanjaya Jaiswal was handed over to his family who took it back to India.

The only remaining body yet to be identified is that of Sonu.

Vijaya Jaishwal, elder brother of Sonu, and Rajendra Prasad Jaiswal, Sonu’s father, waited at the hospital on Sunday to receive the body.

The doctors at the hospital on Sunday assured the kins of the Indian victims that they were trying to verify the body of Sonu with the signs provided by the family and will most probably hand over all four bodies to relatives on Monday, one of the relatives told PTI.

22/01/23 PTI/India Today

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Nepal plane crash: Focus on request to change runway

The black box and voice recorder of the Yeti Airlines aircraft that crashed near Pokhara on Sunday have been recovered, with officials hoping the devices would explain the reason for the tragedy and the captain’s last-minute request for a change of runway.   

Officials said 69 bodies had been found while a search was on for the three others who were on board. The plane from Kathmandu, which crashed into a gorge while trying to land at the newly opened Pokhara airport, carried 68 passengers — including 5 Indians — and a 4-member crew.

Both the black box — the flight data recorder (FDR) — and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) were found at the crash site on Monday as search and rescue teams rappelled down the 300-metre gorge, officials said.

The CVR records radio transmissions and other sounds in the cockpit, such as conversations between the pilots and engine noises. The FDR records more than 80 types of information such as speed, altitude and direction, as well as pilot actions and the performance of important systems.

“The weather was clear. We allocated Runway 30 which is the eastern end. Everything was fine,” Pokhara airport spokesperson Anup Joshi was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post newspaper.

Captain Kamal KC, an instructor pilot who was in command, later asked for permission to switch to Runway 12, which is the western end. “We were not sure why. Permission was granted, and accordingly, the aircraft started its descent,” Joshi, a senior air traffic controller, said.

18/01/23 Telegraph

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Snapdeal co-founder Kunal Bahl reveals shocking reason behind vow to never fly Yeti Airlines to Pokhara

On January 14, a tragic aviation accident occurred involving a Yeti Airlines flight. The ill-fated flight, which was en route from Kathmandu to Pokhara, crashed during its descent into Pokhara airport, resulting in the loss of 68 lives. Although the exact reason behind the crash has not been ascertained yet, Snapdeal co-founder Kunal Bahl has shared a shocking anecdote behind his vow to never travel to Pokhara again by flight. Bahl says in a series of tweets that he saw it coming.

The Snapdeal co-founder Bahl reposted the news about Yeti Airlines crash in Pokhara, Nepal on his Twitter handle and shared his scary flight experience. He wrote, “ This is really really sad.Few yrs ago on my flight to Pokhara, when I told the stewardess that airflow was coming from the corner of a window while airborne, she brought a tissue paper & stuffed the crevice.Decided to never fly to Pokhara again expecting the worst one day.

18/01/23 Ankita Chakravarti/India Today

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Nepal plane crash: One flier still missing

Kathmandu: Rescuers used drones and abseiled down a deep gorge on Tuesday looking for the last missing person from Nepal’s worst air disaster in 30 years, in which at least 71 people died, including small children.

Difficult terrain around the 650ft gorge and poor weather were hampering rescue efforts near Pokhara, where the Yeti Airlines’ 9N-ANC ATR72 aircraft carrying 72 people crashed on Sunday just before landing.

The search was called off after darkness descended, and will resume on Wednesday, said Tek Bahadur K.C., a top district official.

Rescue teams were struggling to identify bodies, Ajay K.C, a police officer in Pokhara who is part of the rescue efforts, told Reuters.

“There is thick fog here now. We are sending search and rescue personnel using ropes into the gorge where parts of the plane fell and were in flames,” he said before the search was suspended for the night.

Rescuers had collected what appeared to be human remains and sent them for a DNA test, he said, but search efforts would continue until all 72 passengers and crew were accounted for.

“There were small children among the passengers,” K.C. said. Search teams found 68 bodies on the day of the crash, while two bodies were recovered on Monday before the search was called off.

One more body had been recovered as of late Tuesday afternoon, said Prakash Pokhrel, an official coordinating rescue operation at Kathmandu airport.

18/01/23 Reuters/Telegraph

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Pilot couple killed in Nepal plane crash nearly 16 years apart

In 2010, Anju Khatiwada joined Nepal's Yeti Airlines, following in the footsteps of her husband, a pilot who had died in a crash four years earlier when a small passenger plane he was flying for the domestic carrier went down minutes before landing.

On Sunday, Khatiwada, 44, was the co-pilot on a Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu that crashed as it approached the city of Pokhara, killing at least 68 people in the Himalayan nation's deadliest plane accident in three decades.

No survivors have been found so far among the 72 people on board.

"Her husband, Dipak Pokhrel, died in 2006 in a crash of a Twin Otter plane of Yeti Airlines in Jumla,” airline spokesman Sudarshan Bartaula told Reuters, referring to Khatiwada.“She got her pilot training with the money she got from the insurance after her husband's death.”

A pilot with more than 6,400 hours of flying time, Khatiwada had previously flown the popular tourist route from the capital, Kathmandu, to the country's second-largest city, Pokhara, Bartaula said.

The body of Kamal K.C., the captain of the flight, who had more than 21,900 hours of flight time, has been recovered and identified.

Kathiwada's remains have not been identified but she is feared dead, Bartaula said.

"On Sunday, she was flying the plane with an instructor pilot, which is the standard procedure of the airline,” said an Yeti Airlines official, who knew Khatiwada personally.

"She was always ready to take up any duty and had flown to Pokhara earlier,” said the official, who asked not to be named because he isn't authorised to speak to media.

Reuters was unable to immediately reach any of her family members. The ATR-72 aircraft that Khatiwada was co-piloting rolled from side to side before crashing in a gorge near Pokhara airport and catching fire, according to eyewitness accounts and a video of the crash posted on the social media.

18/01/23 Telegraph

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Nepal plane crash: Career and tragedy follow same path

Anju Khatiwada, co-pilot of the crashed Yeti Airlines aircraft, had learnt to fly after her husband was killed while flying a small passenger plane of the same domestic airline in 2006.

Nearly 16 years later, the ATR-72 aircraft co-piloted by Anju crashed on the gorge of the Seti river near Pokhara’s new airport on Sunday. She is believed to be among the dead.

When Anju married Deepak Pokharel, he flew Nepal Army helicopters. A few years later, Deepak, who had by then joined Yeti Airlines, died in a Twin-Otter crash in Jumla district.

After Deepak’s death, Anju’s father wanted to send her to India to study but she did not agree. Grieving the loss of her husband, she decided to become a pilot herself. She used the insurance money from Deepak’s death to do a pilot’s course in the US, according to Sudarsan Bartaula, Yeti Airlines spokesperson.

Anju joined Yeti Airlines in 2010 and became a captain. According to airline sources, Anju had completed 6,396 hours of flying between Kathmandu, Bhadrapur, Biratnagar, Dhangadhi and other places.

Deepak’s Yeti Airlines plane had in 2006 crashed in remote mountains, killing all nine on board — six passengers, two pilots and a flight attendant. According to Nepal’s civil aviation body, 914 people have died in air crashes in the country since August 1955. Sunday’s crash was the 104th in Nepal and the third biggest in terms of casualties.

17/01/23 PTI/Telegraph

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Nepal plane crash: Pilot didn’t report anything untoward, official says

Pokhara: The pilot of the flight that crashed in Nepal did not report "anything untoward" as the plane approached the airport, a spokesman said.

Anup Joshi said that the "mountains were clear and visibility was good", adding there was a light wind and "no issue with weather".

There were 72 passengers and crew aboard the Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara which crashed on Sunday.

No one is believed to have survived.

It is the country's deadliest plane crash in 30 years.

On Monday, fragments of the Yeti Airlines plane were scattered across the riverbank, on both sides, like pieces of a broken toy.

One portion of the aircraft lay on its side, the windows still intact. A few metres away, blue airline seats, now mangled.

The thick stench of smoke hung in the air, the scorched grass on the bank a reminder of the fireball that engulfed the aircraft after it crash landed.

Mobile phone footage showed the plane rolling sharply as it approached the runway. It then hit the ground in the gorge of the Seti River, just over a kilometre from the airport.

The pilot asked for a change from the assigned runway 30 to runway 12, which was granted by the airport, Mr Joshi said.

"We could operate from both runways. The plane was cleared for landing."

It was "very unfortunate" that the incident happened just 15 days after the airport had opened for business, he added.

s members of Nepal's police scoured through the wreckage, they told us they had found the black box flight recorder. The voice recorder has also been recovered.

They have given up hope of finding any survivors. Now the focus was on finding any clues as to how this tragedy happened.

The government has set up a panel to investigate the cause of the disaster and the prime minister declared Monday a national day of mourning.

On both sides of the vast gorge where the plane crashed, hundreds of people who live nearby watched on.

Indra Prasad Saptoka said he saw the plane turn to its side before it crashed. He was thankful it landed away from the houses close by.

Another local resident, Divya Dhakal, told the BBC how she rushed to the crash site after seeing the aircraft plunge from the sky shortly after 11:00 local time (05:15 GMT).

"By the time I was there, the crash site was already crowded. There was huge smoke coming from the flames of the plane. And then helicopters came over in no time," she said.

"The pilot tried his best to not hit civilisation or any home," she added. "There was a small space right beside the Seti River and the flight hit the ground in that small space."

17/01/23 Rajini Vaidyanathan/BBC

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UP man killed in Nepal plane crash had gone to pay obeisance to Lord Pashupatinath after son's birth

New Delhi: A man from Uttar Pradesh, who was among the five Indians killed in a plane crash in Nepal on Sunday, had gone to pay obeisance at the famous Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu after his wish for a son was fulfilled. 

32-year-old Sonu Jaiswal, a liquor store owner in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district, has two daughters and had taken a vow to visit the Pashupatinath Temple if he had a son, his relative and Chak Jainab village head Vijay Jaiswal told news agency PTI.

"Sonu, along with his three friends, had gone to Nepal on January 10. His main purpose was to pay obeisance to Lord Pashupatinath as his wish to have a son, now six months old, has been fulfilled. But fate had something else in store for him," Vijay Jaiswal said.

His friends were identified as Abhishek Kushwaha, 26, Vishal Sharma, 27, and Anil Kumar Rajbhar, 25.

According to villagers, the four friends killed in the Nepal plane crash were to return to Ghazipur on Tuesday after paragliding in the popular tourist hub of Pokhara.

While Abhishek Kushwaha belonged to Dharwa in the Nonhara area, Vishal Sharma was from Alawalpur Chatti village in the Badesar area, and Anil Kumar Rajbhar was a resident of Chak Jainab.

According to locals, Sharma worked as a computer operator in a two-wheeler showroom, Kushwaha was in the computer business and Rajbhar operated a "Jan Sewa Kendra" (public service centre).

Meanwhile, rescue workers have retrieved 69 bodies from the accident site in Nepal's Pokhara.

Officials said 41 bodies out of 69 recovered so far have been identified, while three missing persons are believed to be dead and rescuers will resume their operation on Tuesday to retrieve the bodies.

17/01/23 ZeeNews

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Nepal plane crash: French team reaches Pokhara to assist in investigation

A nine-member team of experts from France arrived here on Tuesday to help the Nepal government investigate a plane crash in which 71 people lost their lives.

Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft with 72 people on board, including five Indians, crashed minutes before landing on the bank of the Seti River in the resort city of Pokhara on Sunday. A total of 68 passengers and four crew members were on board the aircraft.

The Nepal government has formed a five-member probe committee to investigate the crash. The probe panel headed by former aviation secretary Nagendra Ghimire has been asked to investigate the accident and submit its report within 45 days.

A senior official at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, said that the expert team from the company that manufactures the ATR aircraft reached Kathmandu on Tuesday.

“The team has already reached Pokhara," Joint Secretary Lamichhane told PTI.

The French team will assist the probe committee to investigate the matter. The committee has already started its investigation into the incident, he said.

The ATR-72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR, which is a joint venture between French aerospace company Aerospatiale and Italian aviation conglomerate Aeritalia.

The number “72” in its name is derived from the aircraft’s typical standard seating capacity of 72 passengers.

The crashed ATR-72 Nepalese passenger plane was previously used by the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, according to Cirium Fleets data.

17/01/23 PTI/Telegraph

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Nepal to send data recorder from crash to France

Nepalese authorities on Tuesday began returning to families the bodies of victims of a flight that crashed Sunday, and said they were sending the aircraft's data recorder to France for analysis as they try to determine what caused the country's deadliest plane accident in 30 years.

The flight plummeted into a gorge on Sunday while on approach to land at the newly opened Pokhara International Airport in the foothills of the Himalayas, killing at least 70 of the 72 people aboard. Searchers found the plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder on Monday, and combed through debris scattered down the 300-meter-deep (984-foot-deep) gorge in search of the people who remain missing, but are presumed dead.

One body was found Tuesday, and two remain missing.

Jagannath Niraula, spokesperson for Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority said the cockpit voice recorder would be analyzed locally, but that the flight data recorder would be sent to France. The aircraft's manufacturer, ATR, is headquartered in Toulouse. The French air accident investigations agency confirmed it is taking part in the investigation, and its investigators are on site today.

The twin-engine ATR 72-500 aircraft, operated by Nepal's Yeti Airlines, was completing the 27-minute flight from the capital, Kathmandu, to the resort town of Pokhara, 200 kilometers (125 miles) west.

It's still not clear what caused the crash, which took place less than a minute's flight from the airport in light wind and clear skies.

Aviation experts say it appears that the turboprop went into a stall at low altitude on approach to the airport, but it is not clear why.

From a smartphone video shot from the ground seconds before the aircraft crashed, one can see the ATR 72 "nose high, high angle of attack, with wings at a very high bank angle, close to the ground," said Bob Mann, an aviation analyst and consultant.

"Whether that was due to loss of power, or misjudging aircraft's energy, direction or the approach profile, and attempting to modify energy or approach, that aircraft attitude would likely have resulted in an aerodynamic stall and rapid loss of altitude, when already close to the ground," he said in an email.

The aircraft was carrying 68 passengers, including 15 foreign nationals and four crew members. The foreigners included five Indians, four Russians, two South Koreans, and one each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and France. Pokhara is the gateway to the Annapurna Circuit, a popular hiking trail in the Himalayas.

Authorities began handing over bodies to relatives on Tuesday morning, but the bodies of foreigners and those unidentified will be sent to Kathmandu for further investigation, officials said.

17/01/23 AP/Economic Times

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Thiruvananthapuram airport likely to be Haj embarkation point

Thiruvananthapuram: In the wake of persistent demands raised by the Haj pilgrims of South Kerala and South Tamil Nadu, the Thiruvananthapuram airport is likely to become a new Haj embarkation point in the state. As part of it, the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Limited (TIAL) wrote to the Haj Committee of India two weeks ago. 

The TIAL is optimistic about including the airport as the new embarkation point in the state, as the Kerala State Haj Committee has also recommended to the Haj Committee of India that it include Thiruvananthapuram airport as the new embarkation point. 

At the moment, the only departure point is Kochi airport.Karipur airport, which was previously a key embarkation point for pilgrims from North Kerala, was recently removed from the list of embarkation points due to the 2020 accident and the pandemic. However, in addition to Karipur airport, the Hajj Committee of India is expected to incorporate Kannur airport as a new embarkation location this year. 

“We have sent a request to the Haj Committee of India to include Thiruvananthapuram airport as the new embarkation point as many pilgrims, especially senior citizens, could not travel to Kochi for boarding flights to Jeddah. There are many pilgrims from southern Tamil Nadu demanding an embarkation point here. So we are expecting a positive reply from the Hajj committee so that we can add more flights from here to Jeddah and Riyadh, “ said a source close to TIAL. 

16/01/23 K Krishnachand/New Indian Express

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Narrow escape for settlements near aircraft crash site in Pokhara: Eyewitnesses

Eyewitnesses of the Nepalese passenger plane crash have said that they had a close shave as the Yeti Airlines plane, with 72 onboard, including five Indians, crashed near their settlement and a bomb-like blast was heard.

At least 68 people were killed as the plane crashed into a river gorge while landing at the newly-opened airport in the resort city of Pokhara on Sunday in the Himalayan nation's deadliest aviation accident in over 30 years.

Kalpana Sunar was washing clothes in the front yard of her house when she saw an aircraft falling from the sky and coming in her direction, The Kathmandu Post newspaper quoted her as saying on Monday.

“The aircraft was tilted at an unusual angle and moments later, I heard a bomb-like explosion,” she was quoted as saying.

“Then I saw a plume of black smoke billowing from the Seti gorge,” she added.

One of the plane’s wings hit the ground about 12 metres from the house of local resident Geeta Sunar.

Sunar, who had a miraculous escape said, "Had the aircraft fallen just a bit closer to our home, the settlements would have been destroyed,” the newspaper reported.

“There was so much damage at the incident site, but since it happened away from the settlement, there were no casualties or any damage to the settlements,” she said, adding that there was a fire on both sides of the Seti gorge and the bodies were scattered everywhere.

Children who witnessed the incident said that they could hear passengers screaming from inside the aircraft as it plummeted from the sky spiralling.

Two 11-year-olds, Samir and Prajwal Pariyar initially thought that the aircraft was a toy, but when it came close, they ran away.

“Suddenly, there was darkness all around due to the smoke,” said Samir, adding, "It looked like the aircraft’s tyre would touch us as it fell.” Another eyewitness, Bainsha Bahadur BK, said that if the aircraft had come straight, it would have crash landed into the settlements and caused more damage.

“Around seven or eight windows of the aircraft were still intact and we thought that the passengers might still be alive,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.

“But the fire spread across the other half of the plane in an instant, as we watched in horror,” he added.

Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am and crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport, minutes before landing, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

A total of 68 passengers and four crew members were on board the aircraft.

16/01/23 PTI/Telegraph

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‘Mara mara’: Last words of 4 Indians onboard Nepal plane moments before crash

A video of the final moments before the Yeti Airlines plane crash in Nepal's Pokhara has emerged on social media. The video was being shot by an Indian passenger from Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur, who was on board the ill-fated aircraft when disaster struck. Later, the only thing visible in the video was a burst of flames.

In the video, the man, along with his three friends, was streaming on Facebook Live and recording the moments. The four were identified as Vishal Sharma (22), Sonu Jaiswal (35), Anil Rajbhar(27) and Abhishek Kushwaha(25). The video was reportedly being shot by Sonu. He could be seen panic-stricken as his friends started shouting "mara mara".

The four were planning to participate in paragliding in the popular tourist hub of Pokhara, according to a local resident, who had come with them from India in the same vehicle.

A passenger plane, ATR-72, carrying 72 people onboard, crashed in Nepal's Pokhara on Sunday. Nepal’s Yeti Airlines confirmed there were 68 passengers, including five Indians, on the aircraft.

According to Kathmandu Post, rescuers have so far retrieved 68 bodies from the debris of the crash, while the search for the remaining four is underway. However, army personnel said rescue efforts have been hampered by the treacherous terrain, and had to be eventually called off at night on Sunday.

Bodies of those who died have been retrieved and taken to Gandaki Hospital for post-mortem examination, an official from the district administration office said. Most of the bodies were so badly burnt that they are beyond identification, the official added.

16/01/23  India Today

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Nepal Crash: Told Her Not To Go To Work, Says Father Of Flight Attendant

 Kathmandu: Oshin Ale Magar, a flight attendant who studied in India and died in a plane crash in Nepal, left home on Sunday with a promise that she would return from Pokhara after work to celebrate the Maghe Sankranti festival with her family. 

Oshin, 24, was among 69 people who died after Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft with 72 people on board, including five Indians, crashed on the bank of the Seti River in central Nepal's resort city of Pokhara on Sunday.

Her family was preparing to celebrate the festival at home when the news of the plane crash reached them.

Her tearful father Mohan Ale Magar, a retired Indian Army personnel, recalls that he had told her early in the morning not to go to work on a special day.

She insisted on celebrating the festival after completing two flights on that fateful day, Mohan told Republica newspaper over the phone.

Oshin had been working with Yeti Airlines for two years. Originally from Madi in Chitwan, she was living in Kathmandu after starting her job and had also invited her parents to stay with her in the capital for the last six months, the report said.

Oshin has two sisters and one brother. She is the eldest daughter among four siblings. Her brother is just four years old. She took her brother and sisters to Kathmandu for their education, it said.

She studied at Oxford College in Gaindakot and in India and graduated as an air hostess from Sahara Air Hostess Academy in Kathmandu.

Oshin got married two years ago in Pokhara and her husband is currently in the UK.

Her father Mohan and mother Sabnam Ale Magar have reached Pokhara to identify the dead body of their daughter, the report said.

16/01/23 PTI/NDTV

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Air France flight from Bengaluru to Paris makes emergency landing at Vienna, flyers stranded

Bengaluru: Over 100 flyers on board an Air France flight from Bengaluru to Paris on Sunday morning, had to make an emergency landing at Vienna in Austria, due to a technical glitch. Most of the passengers on board the AF203 are on the way to US or Canada, and opted to fly via Paris. 

They are now stranded at Vienna airport for over ten hours (as of 9.30pm IST) without food, water or information from Air France, they said. They could be sent to Paris soon.  Their travel appears to be jinxed. They were to take a Vistara flight (UK-866) from Bengaluru to Mumbai at 9.40pm Saturday, and switch to an Air France flight to Paris. Hari Krishnan, an IT product manager in Bengaluru, whose brother’s family is on board the flight, told TNIE, “They were given the option to directly board an Air France flight from Bengaluru to Paris (AF 203). Unfortunately, now they are stranded and in bad shape in Austria,” he said. 

He has been reaching out to the Ministry of External Affairs, Air France, and Directorate General of Civil Aviation, requesting for help. His brother Prabhu Seeba and sister-in-law Priti Kustagi are struggling to manage their 10-month-old girl and 6-year-old boy. Kustagi, a project manager in Dallas, said, “Our flight departed at 2.15am Sunday from KIA, and we would have reached Paris in 1.5 hrs, when the Captain made an announcement that due to a technical glitch, an emergency landing was being made at Vienna.” 

On reaching the airport, the passengers were asked to remain seated and engineers came on board to set right the issue.  “After 90 minutes, we were told to deplane and then taken to the terminal,” she said. “There was no information from anyone at Air France or any support forthcoming,” she charged. Inside the terminal, the passengers had an issue with immigration staff as they did not have a Schengen visa. 

"We have not been given food, water or information. I am terribly worried as baby food for my infant is running out,” Kustagi added.

16/01/23 S Lalitha/New Indian Express

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Government Nudging Airbus, Boeing To Set Up Final Assembly Lines In India

The Indian government is reportedly in talks with aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus, to set up their Final Assembly Lines (FAL) in India, with expectations of 2,000 aircraft orders from the country in the coming decade.

India is currently the seventh largest aviation market in the world and is expected to become the third largest, within the next 10 years. Its fast-growing middle class is increasingly taking to the skies, with passenger traffic rising by more than 50 per cent in 2022 itself.

India will therefore, buy more than 2,000 aircraft in the next fifteen years to fulfill the growing demand, and importing all these planes may prove to be expensive.

Last month, the Ministry of Commerce had raised flags over a sharp rise in imports of unladen aircraft of over 15,000 kg into the country, with the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The Ministry mentioned that for April-September 2022, there has been over a 56 per cent rise in imports, which rose to $2 billion in FY-22.

The acquisition of Air India by the Tata Group has further increased expectations for mega orders, for aircraft coming from Indian carriers, in the coming weeks. The government is therefore, nudging manufacturers to not just source their parts and components from India, but to set up the entire assembly ecosystem in the country.

A Final Assembly Line requires having the entire supply chain ecosystem in its vicinity — right from aircraft body, wings, and assembled engines to seats.

This would not only create direct and indirect job opportunities in semi-skilled to high-skilled jobs, like design and engineering, it would also boost the country’s export earnings, and develop an entirely new manufacturing ecosystem from scratch.

India has so far failed to leverage its domestic markets and purchasing power to get manufacturing lines in the country. While companies like Boeing, source nearly $1 billion worth of supplies from India, with over 60 per cent in manufacturing, others like Lockheed Martin have Joint Ventures with Tata Advanced Systems Limited in Hyderabad.

16/01/23 Swarajya

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Nepal plane crash: A victim had not told family about trip

Anil Kumar Rajbhar, 27, one of the Indians on the plane that crashed near Pokhara’s new airport on Sunday, had left for Nepal without telling his family, a friend in his native Ghazipur district in Uttar Pradesh said on Monday.

“Anil went to Nepal without informing his family or friends. I too was scheduled to go with Anil but, somehow, could not make it,” the friend said.

“I would have gone with him had he taken the road route to Nepal, and opted for a four-wheeler. One of his (other) friends too was to accompany him but could not make it.”

Anil’s mother was crying inconsolably.

Anil had gone to Nepal with four others from Ghazipur — Abhisekh Kushwaha, 25, Bishal Sharma, 22, and Sonu Jaiswal, 35. They planned to take part in paragliding in Pokhara. The fifth Indian on the plane, Sanjaya Jaiswal, too is believed to be from Uttar Pradesh. All five are feared dead.

Abhishek ran a Jan Seva Kendra — centres that help citizens access government e-services — that he had opened three years ago.

“He was a practical person and registered a good growth in a short time,” said the owner of the shop from where Abhishek ran the centre in Ghazipur.

A video apparently shot by one of the five Indians on the aircraft suggests the group was upbeat moments before the crash.

A man is heard expressing his enjoyment, saying: “Wah beta, wah, mauj kar dee.”

Seconds later, there is commotion, followed by blurred footage, including that of a fire. The camera seems to have kept rolling briefly even after the crash.

The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.

A family in Kerala, already mourning the death of an elderly member, is also grieving for three Nepali friends who died in the crash two days after visiting their home in Anicadu, Pathanamthitta, to attend the funeral.

Raju, Rabin and Anil had arrived to pay their respects to Mathew Philip, an evangelical Christian missionary with whom they were emotionally connected since his missionary days in Nepal.

16/01/23  Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh)/Telegraph

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Both "black boxes" found from plane that crashed in deep gorge in Nepal, killing scores

Pokhara: A spokesman for Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority says a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder have been retrieved from the site of the crash of a passenger plane that went down on approach to a newly opened airport in the tourist town of Pokhara.

Jagannath Niraula said the boxes were found on Monday, a day after the ATR-72 aircraft crashed, killing at least 69 of the 72 people aboard. He said they will be handed over to investigators.

Pemba Sherpa, spokesperson for Yeti Airlines, also confirmed that both the flight data and the cockpit voice recorders have been found.

The recorders are commonly referred to as "black boxes" even though they're not usually black.  

Rescuers rappelled down to search through debris, which is scattered down a 984-foot gorge, for the three missing people. All are believed to be dead. A senior local official, Tek Bahadur KC, told Agence France-Presse, "We pray for a miracle. But, the hope of finding anyone alive is nil."

Nepal began a national day of mourning Monday.

It remains unclear what caused the crash, the Himalayan country's deadliest airplane accident in three decades. The weather was mild and wasn't windy on the day of the crash.

A witness who recorded footage of the plane's descent from his balcony said he saw the plane flying low before it suddenly veered to its left. "I saw that and I was shocked. ... I thought that today everything will be finished here after it crashes, I will also be dead," said Diwas Bohora. After it crashed, red flames erupted and the ground shook violently, like an earthquake, Bohora said. "I was scared. Seeing that scene, I was scared."

Amit Singh, an experienced pilot and founder of India's Flight Safety Foundation, said the video appears to show a stall, a situation in which a plane loses lift, especially likely at low airspeeds.

16/01/23 AP/CBS News

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Initial rescue efforts hampered because airplane crashed onto treacherous terrain: Eyewitness

Kathmandu: The treacherous terrain on the banks of the Seti River hampered the initial rescue efforts by local villagers who rushed to save the 72 passengers on the crashed Nepalese passenger plane, an eyewitness said on Sunday.

At least 68 people were killed when a Yeti Airlines passenger plane with 72 people onboard, including five Indians, crashed into a river gorge while landing at the newly-opened airport in central Nepal's resort city of Pokhara on Sunday, officials said.

Arun Tamu, a local, whose house was situated near the site of the plane crash, recounts the chain of events following the latest aviation disaster that hit Nepal.

15/01/23 PTI

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Nepali authorities to conduct technical inspection for all domestic flights

Kathmandu: The Nepal government has instructed concerned authorities to conduct a technical inspection of all domestic flights after a Nepalese passenger plane with 72 people on board, including five Indians, crashed into a river gorge while landing at the newly-opened Pokhara airport on Sunday, killing at least 68 people.

The Cabinet meeting held in Baluwatar to assess the situation after Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft crash also formed a five-member investigation commission under the leadership of former aviation secretary Nagendra Ghimire to probe the accident.

The aircraft that took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am crash-landed at the airport in Pokhara -- a major tourist destination in the Himalayan nation

15/01/23 PTI

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Nepal plane crash: Names of 5 Indians on ill-fated Yeti airline flight revealed

A 72-seater passenger aircraft crashed on the runway at Pokhara International Airport in Nepal. Rescue operations are underway, and the airport is closed for the time being. According to reports, around 10 out of the 68 passengers on flight were foreign nationals. Five of them were Indians.

The deceased Indians have been identified as Abhishek Kushwaha, Bishal Sharma, Anil Kumar Rajbhar, Sonu Jaiswal, and Sanjaya Jaiswal., according to reports.

A total of 42 dead bodies were recovered from the crash site until now. Six children are said to have died in the crash. However, the identification and exact count of injured and deceased passengers is yet not known.

Pictures and videos posted on social media platforms showed smoke billowing from the crash site.

15/01/23 FreePressJournal

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At least 68 killed in Nepal’s worst airplane crash in 30 years

Kathmandu: At least 68 people were killed Sunday when an aircraft went down near the city of Pokhara in central Nepal, a government official said, the country’s deadliest plane crash in more than 30 years.

Seventy-two people – four crew members and 68 passengers – were on board the ATR-72 plane operated by Nepal’s Yeti Airlines when it crashed, Yeti Airlines spokesman Sudarshan Bartaula said. Thirty-seven were men, 25 were women, three were children and three were infants, Nepal’s civil aviation authority reported.

First responders were still working to locate the last eight passengers, but they were “losing hope” of finding them alive, Fanindra Mani Pokharel, the joint secretary of Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs, told CNN. A local official had previously expressed hope that some survivors might be found.

Among the dead is at least one infant, according to the Nepal’s civil aviation authority.

Sunday’s incident was the third-deadliest crash in Himalayan nation’s history, according to data from the Aviation Safety Network. The only incidents in which more people were killed took place in July and September 1992. Those crashes involved aircraft run by Thai Airways and Pakistan International airlines and left 113 and 167 people dead, respectively.

The civil aviation authority said that 53 of the passengers and all four crew members were Nepali. Fifteen foreign nationals were on the plane as well: five were Indian, four were Russian and two were Korean. The rest were individual citizens of Australia, Argentina, France and Ireland.

The aircraft had been flying from the capital of Kathmandu to Pokhara, the country’s second-most populous city, the country’s state media The Rising Nepal reported. Pokahara is located some 129 kilometers (80 miles) west of Kathmandu.

The plane was last in contact with Pokhara airport at about 10:50 a.m. local time, about 18 minutes after takeoff. It then went down in the nearby Seti River Gorge. First responders from the Nepal Army and various police departments have been deployed to the crash site and are carrying out a rescue operation, the civil aviation authorities said in a statement.

15/01/23 Asha Thapa and Kathleen Magramo/CNN

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Fire, River, Bushes: Local On What Hampered Nepal Plane Crash Rescue Op

Kathmandu: The treacherous terrain on the banks of the Seti River hampered the initial rescue efforts by local villagers who rushed to save the 72 passengers on the crashed Nepalese passenger plane, a witness said on Sunday.

At least 68 people were killed when a Yeti Airlines passenger plane with 72 people onboard, including five Indians, crashed into a river gorge while landing at the newly-opened airport in central Nepal's resort city of Pokhara on Sunday, officials said.

Arun Tamu, a local, whose house was situated near the site of the plane crash, recounts the chain of events following the latest aviation disaster that hit Nepal.

“We heard a loud sound, and when we rushed to the scene (of the crash), we were the only people from the village. It took some time for the police to arrive at the scene, even as we began our rescue efforts,” Tamu was quoted as saying by MyRepublica newspaper.

Tamu said he and the rest of the villagers initially tried to douse the fire from the wreckage by bringing buckets of water.

“We also took out 10-12 people, two of them seemed to be short of breath,” the report quoted him as saying.

The rescue efforts were hampered because the airplane had crashed on treacherous terrain on the banks of Seti River, making it difficult for the villagers to go near the site of the crash, Tamu recounted.

15/01/23 PTI/NDTV

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Air India starts direct flights from Amritsar to London: Raghav Chadha

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha on Sunday informed that Air India has started additional direct flights between Amritsar to London and one to Birmingham.

Taking to Twitter, the Rajya Sabha MP said that he consistently raised Punjab's demand for international air connectivity over the last two parliamentary sessions.

"Good news, Punjabis. Air India has started additional direct flights btw Amritsar-London and one to Birmingham. I've tried to consistently raise Punjab's demand for international air connectivity over the last two parliamentary sessions. Will work to improve connectivity further," Chadha said in a tweet.

He raised the issue in the winter session of Parliament on December 19 last year as well.

Earlier in August 2022, the AAP MP from Punjab also raised the issue in the form of an unstarred question to the Minister of Civil Aviation.

In his question, Chadha asked about the details of new international flights added to Mohali and Amritsar airports during the last five years.

Chadha also asked the reasons for flight services from Amritsar airport to Canada not being added despite a massive number of passengers travelling to the said destination from said source every year.

15/01/23 ANI/Business Standard

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India’s Jet Airways wins second chance to takeoff as UAE-based owner given 6-month grace period

UAE-based Indian businessman Murari Lal Jalan-led Jalan Kalrock Consortium (JKC) won a second chance to relaunch the grounded Indian airline Jet Airways, with India’s insolvency court giving it six more months to make payment and take effective control of the carrier.

Earlier, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which approved the consortium’s proposal to take over Jet Airways, had set November 16, 2022 as the effective date to pay dues to various creditors.

The court on Friday allowed the Jalan-Kalrock consortium another six months to pay the grounded airline’s creditors – mostly a clutch of Indian banks.

The insolvency court allowed the extension despite opposition by lender banks, led by the State Bank of India (SBI).

The consortium, which got the NCLT green signal in June 2021, was originally planning to commence operations last September.

Jet Airways in July last year also announced starting the process for hiring pilots for various aircraft types, ahead of its proposed re-launch plan.

The fleet acquisition of the airline, which reportedly received an air operator certificate from the Indian aviation regulator DGCA on May 20, is still not clear, though the new management has announced its launch plans.

“Jet Airways 2.0 aims at restarting short-haul international operations by the third-fourth quarter of 2022,” Jalan, the proposed non-executive chairman of Jet Airways, Jalan said in late 2021.

13/01/23 James Mathew/Arabian Business

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'Air India doesn't care for customers': French Passenger narrates harrowing experience with airline

The series of 'world-class travel experience' continues onboard Air India flights. The latest is a cancelled flight from Paris to New Delhi with the aircraft lacking maintenance and a non-functional lavatory.

One of the passengers who flew from Paris to Mumbai via New Delhi described the harrowing time he underwent on his social media account.

French national Loic Sanlaville had booked an Air India ticket for January 5 to fly from Paris to New Delhi and a connection from the national capital to Mumbai for January 6.

On his social media account, Mr Loic wrote, "Last Thursday, I find out my flight to Delhi was cancelled while reaching Paris airport. You made everyone wait for 1hr 30 min before finally sending a bus to drive us to a hotel. Finally left the day after in an aircraft without a screen, without reading light, without water in the toilet (when I flushed, the button fell down!!!)."

"Of course, I miss my connection to Bombay and spent a second night in Delhi airport, no food, no bed, no 'good night on your chair'. Ok, I'm slightly overreacting here, I received a mail from Air India after waiting for 6 hours near my boarding gate, and finally, get informed: change of gate, cross the entire airport again (from gate 27 to 52)," reads the post.

While talking to The Free Press Journal, he said that he had to spend the night at the airport as no alternate arrangements were made and left for Mumbai on January 7.

"Cherry on the cake, the staff in Paris told me to collect my bags directly in Bombay, that was a wrong statement. I reached Bombay without bags. So after 48 hours of travelling (eating the worst food in the history of aeronautics), I spent the day trying to call the baggage department. They promise me that I'll get my bag in the evening. Finally got a call at 11pm to say half of my luggage reached Bombay, I should come to collect it tomorrow," added Mr Loic.

For 24 hours after landing in Mumbai, he was left without his belongings.

On making them understand his situation, the Air India staff agreed to deliver to him instead of making him visit the airport.

"Air India was a good company, but without the maintenance of the aircraft, without any care for your customers, you quickly become the company to avoid," Mr Loic has come to a conclusion.

12/10/23 Ateeq Shaikh/Free Press Journal

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Global Investors Summit: Air India to operate three flights a week from Indore to Sharjah, announces Jyotiraditya Scindia

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Air India will operate three flights a week from Indore to Sharjah from April this year, union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced on Thursday. Scindia was speaking at the valedictory session of the two day Global Investors Summit (GIS) being held in Indore, organised by the MP government.

The 7th edition of the Global Investors Summit ‘Invest Madhya Pradesh’ came to an end on Thursday, with external affairs minister S Jaishankar virtually attending the closing ceremony. Apart from Jaishankar, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, union minister of agriculture and farmers welfare Narendra Singh Tomar and minister of social justice and empowerment Virendra Singh Khatik were also present at the event.

More details about the operation of flights is awaited.

12/01/23 Free Press Journal

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Air India launches several new routes to London, Gatwick

 New Delhi: Air India on Thursday announced the launch of 12 weekly flights to London's Gatwick Airport and five additional services to Heathrow Airport.

To Gatwick, Air India will operate a thrice-a-week service from cities such as Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Goa, and Kochi, and is the only scheduled airline to offer direct services to the UK's second-largest airport.

To Heathrow, Air India will add five additional weekly frequencies with Delhi increasing from 14 to 17 times a week and Mumbai from 12 to 14 times a week.

Just like Heathrow airport, Gatwick also provides passengers with direct access to the UK's road network which will facilitate the convenience of travel to London and South-East England.

Moreover, with round-the-clock direct rail access from the South Terminal, passengers can reach Central London in less than half an hour.

The addition of new routes is part of the airline's ongoing endeavor to spread its wings on the international aviation map, hence, increasing its market share on international routes.

12/01/23 Times of India

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Air India Keeping An Eye As All Flights Across US Grounded Due To A Glitch

Air India on Wednesday said that it is in touch with the relevant authority after flights across the US were grounded due to a technical glitch in the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) computer system.

"We are aware of the snag in the US and we are in touch with the relevant authority," an AI official told ANI.

"Air India around six-seven flights operates in a day to the US in a week," it added.

Air India, India's largest wide-body airline, is the only airline that can operate the maximum number of flights to the US.

Over 400 flights across the United States have been stranded due to a major outage in the computer system of the US regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday.

According to media reports, the flights that were severely impacted were within, into, and out of the United States.

Operations are normal at all the airports in India and as of now there is no impact on flights from India to the US amid a glitch in US Federal Aviation Administration's system, said a senior DGCA official.

However, as of now, India-US flights do not have any impact due to a glitch in the computer system of the US regulatory body, FAA.

FAA has tweeted, "The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and reloading the system now. Operations across the National Airspace System are affected. We will provide frequent updates as we make progress."

The Federal Aviation Administration stated that it is 'experiencing an outage that is impeding the update of Notice to Air Missions (NOTAMs)' and that 'all flights are unable to be released at this time' due to the enormous glitch that caused flight delays.

11/01/23 NDTV

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Heathrow: British Airways flight to India turns around 3 hours into journey

A British Airways flight returned back the way it came around three hours after it took off from Heathrow Airport on Tuesday morning (January 10). A spokesperson for the airline said it decided to return the plane to London as a precaution due to a minor technical issue.

The flight to Delhi, India, departed at 11.10am and was due to arrive at 1.42am, local time. However, around three hours into the journey, flight BA143 appears to be turning around while over Romania.

It began turning at around 3.10pm while over the Black Sea, off the coast of Bulgaria and Turkey.

A BA spokesperson said: "Our pilots decided to return to London as a precaution due to a minor technical issue.

"We have apologised to our customers for the disruption to their journey and our teams have arranged a replacement aircraft to get everyone on their way as quickly as possible once they land."

The plane safely landed back at Heathrow.

11/01/23 Alya Zayed & Josh Bolton/MyLondon

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Legal bid against Etihad's stake in India's Jet Airways ends

A ten-year-old legal challenge to a now-defunct alliance involving Jet Airways selling a 24% stake in the airline to Etihad Airways ended quietly in an Indian court last week when the petitioner withdrew the application

In April 2013, Jet Airways flagged selling the stake to Etihad Airways for around INR26.7 billion rupees (USD325 million), and in the process create a strategic alliance which would expand the networks and reach of both airlines. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy commenced legal action to try to prevent the deal, finalised in November 2013, from happening. He argued it was against the public interest and would benefit Etihad at the expense of local carriers. The politician also called on India's Criminal Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to look at the approvals process behind the plan.

At the time, Etihad was busy acquiring strategic stakes in airlines which would funnel traffic through Abu Dhabi. This equity alliance strategy would ultimately come back to haunt Etihad, with investments made in many airlines going bad, including Jet Airways. The Indian carrier ceased operations in April 2019 and was sold during a restructuring process, with Etihad losing its stake and the USD325 million it paid for it.

“I wish to withdraw this," Swamy told Justices M R Shah and C T Ravikumar during a January 7, 2023, Supreme Court hearing, adding that the equity alliance was now over.

“The petitioner seeks permission to withdraw given subsequent developments. The petitioner stands dismissed as withdrawn," the court said before noting that Swamy could refile if there was ever any new cause for action.

11/01/23 ch-aviation

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Day Late, Missed Flights, No Screen Or Water In Toilet; French Passenger Shares Air India Ordeal

Air India is currently on the news for all the wrong reasons. With the pee-gate scandal of a drunk man peeing on an elderly woman mid-air on an Air India flight taking over headlines, passengers are having second thoughts about boarding the airline. And now, a French passenger took to Facebook to share his sheer ordeal flying on Air India. 

Here’s more about it >>

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Amazon signs contract with Quikjet for freighter ops in India

Bengaluru: Amazon has expanded its cargo freighter operations in India by signing a contract with Quikjet Airlines, a Bengaluru-based freighter operator that received the air operator certificate (AOC) a few months ago. Quikjet runs daily freighter operations, and the AOC is valid through 2027, sources told TOI.

The company completed trial runs over the last two months. A Boeing 737 freighter dedicated to Amazon's

cargo touched down in Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) first on Thursday, and then again on Friday. “Friday's landing of Quikjet past 6 am in the morning was welcomed into Bengaluru by a team at KIA with welcome banners. The cargo plane later took off to Hyderabad,” the sources said. Quikjet’s B737 freighter carries up to 23 tonnes and is configured to take 11 pallets of cargo.

The sources said Quikjet will soon fly planes with Amazon's Prime Air branding in India.

QuikJet is part of the ASL Aviation Group, an aircraft services provider and leasing company based out of Ireland. ASL operates under its own branding in several European countries, and has joint ventures in a number of other countries. Quikjet was founded in 2007 as a neutral cargo airline. The company was promoted by AFL, under the aegis of Aviation Consultancy Services, and a few other strategic investors like IDFC, and Tata Capital. The airline is led by CEO Pritham Philip, who was part of the founding team of the erstwhile Air Deccan.

09/01/23 Shilpa Phadnis and Petlee Peter/msn

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Air India Paris-New Delhi Flight Incidents: DGCA Issues Show Cause Notice To Airline

Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday said it has issued a show cause notice to Air India regarding two incidents of passenger misbehaviour onboard a flight from Paris to New Delhi last month.

     In one incident, a drunk passenger was caught smoking in the lavatory and was not listening to the crew. In the second incident, another passenger allegedly relieved himself on a vacant seat and blanket of fellow female passenger when she went to lavatory, according to DGCA.

     Both incidents happened on the Paris-New Delhi flight on December 6, 2022.

     "Air India didn't report the incident until DGCA sought the incident report from them on 05.01.2023. After perusal of the reply submitted by Air India through email dated 06.01.2023, prima facie it emerges that provisions related to handling of an unruly passenger... have not been complied with. It has been noted that the response of the airline has been lackadaisical and delayed," the regulator said in a statement.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show cause notice to the accountable manager of Air India as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations.

09/01/23 PTI/Outlook

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More trouble for Air India: DGCA raps airline over drunk man smoking in toilet on Paris flight

Amid outrage over a man urinating on an elderly woman on a flight, another incident had just days ago been reported where a man relieved himself on a woman’s blanket when she had gone to the lavatory. Today, the DGCA in a statement said that another man on the same flight in an inebriated condition smoked in the toilet of the Paris-Delhi flight.

Both incidents happened on flight AI-142 on December 6. The Air India plane was flying from Paris to New Delhi, when an unruly, drunk passenger was caught smoking in the toilet. He didn’t listen to the crew either, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.

“Another passenger allegedly relieved himself on a vacant seat and blanket of fellow female passenger when she went to lavatory,” the statement read.

The DGCA then went on to slam the airline saying that these incidents were not reported until the regulator body asked for a report.

After the airline's response, DGCA said that several provisions were not complied with when it comes to dealing with unruly passengers and said: "It has been noted that the response of the airline has been lackadaisical and delayed."

Air India said that the man who urinated on the woman's blanket was isolated and later taken into custody upon arrival at the Delhi airport.

He was later allowed to leave after he and the woman pasenger worked out a "mutual compromise following a

 "written apology" tendered by the accused.

"As the victim and the accused reached an understanding, CISF allowed the accused to leave after he tendered a written apology. In deference to the victim’s wishes, Air India did not lodge a police report," a spokesperson for the airline said in a statement.

The woman, who had initially made a written complaint, refused to file a police case.

It is not clear whether the man who smoked on the flight was reprimanded or not as the airline's statement states only one incident.

09/01/23 Stella Dev/Moneycontrol

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DGCA issues show cause notice to Air India after Paris-New Delhi flight incidents Mumbai: Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday said it has issued a show cause notice to Air India regarding two incidents of passenger misbehaviour onboard a flight from Paris to New Delhi last month. 

In one incident, a drunk passenger was caught smoking in the lavatory and was not listening to the crew. In the second incident, another passenger allegedly relieved himself on a vacant seat and blanket of a fellow female passenger when she went to the lavatory, according to DGCA. Both incidents happened on the Paris-New Delhi flight on December 6, 2022. 

"Air India didn't report the incident until DGCA sought the incident report from them on 05.01.2023. After perusal of the reply submitted by Air India through email dated 06.01.2023, prima facie it emerges that provisions related to the handling of an unruly passenger... have not been complied with. It has been noted that the response of the airline has been lackadaisical and delayed," the regulator said in a statement. 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show cause notice to the accountable manager of Air India as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for the dereliction of their regulatory obligations. "However, to follow the principles of natural justice, they have been given two weeks time to submit their reply to DGCA and based on that further action will be taken," the statement said. 

Under DGCA rules, the airline concerned is responsible for informing the regulator within 12 hours of landing in case of any incident of unruly passengers/ passenger rage/passenger misconduct reported in their flight, the statement added. Besides, the airline concerned has to set up a three-member internal committee. It will have a retired District & Session Judge as Chairman, a representative from a different scheduled airline as a member and a representative from a passengers association or consumer association or retired officer of the Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum as the third member.
09/01/23 PTI/Manorama

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Amazon Air to use local carrier Quikjet to boost freighter services in India

E-commerce giant Amazon has set up a dedicated freighter service arrangement with Bangalore-based all-cargo airline Quikjet to scale-up its network reach and delivery speed in India.

Quikjet secured its air operator certificate (AOC) a few months ago and has a fleet of two converted 737-800Fs, according to Planespotters.

The cargo airline will provide a dedicated 737 freighter, with a payload of 23 tons, for Amazon’s India deliveries, and industry sources said it would fly under Amazon’s Prime Air brand.

Quikjet, founded in 2007 as a neutral cargo airline, is part of Irish airline and leasing group ASL Aviation and is also backed by a few strategic Indian investors, including Tata Capital.

According to Vineet Malhotra, co-founder and director at Kale Logistics Solutions, India’s dedicated freighter fleet  has expanded dramatically – from just five to 28 aircraft – in about four years.

“This number is set to rise further as airlines are looking to add capacity for cargo operations. They fared better on that front than the passenger segment during the pandemic,” Mr Malhotra told The Loadstar. 

“E-commerce growth has largely contributed to this trend and, according to estimates, tier-2 cities will contribute as much as 88% of new online shoppers and $150bn in cumulative incremental online sales in India over the next five years,” he added.

Kale operates air cargo community systems at Bangalore Airport, home to Quikjet’s operations.

As the emerging economy expands with its burgeoning middle-class population, India’s increasing e-commerce volumes have presented a lucrative opportunity for the airfreight industry to grow. And, as a result, the Indian air cargo market has seen a string of new freighter entrants hoping to capitalise on the momentum, including Delhi-based Pradhaan Air Express and Chennai-based Afcom Holdings.

09/01/23 Angelo Mathais/Load Star

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After Hyderabad, SpiceJet To Resume Direct Flights From Jharsuguda To Mumbai

Bhubaneswar: Here’s another piece of good news for regional connectivity in Odisha. SpiceJet airline will resume direct flight services between Jharsuguda and Mumbai from January 12.

According to the official website of the airline, the direct flight will take off from Mumbai Airport at 2 pm and arrive at Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda, at 4.05 pm. The departure time for the flight from Jharsuguda Airport is 4.40 pm and it will land at Mumbai Airport at 7 pm.

SpiceJet will also resume flight services between Hyderabad and Jharsuguda from January 20. The flight service between Jharsuguda and Hyderabad will be available during day time from January 20 to March 15. From March 16, it will start operations during evening hours, sources said.

Notably, SpiceJet was previously providing air connectivity from Jharsuguda to Delhi while Alliance Air operated flights from Jharsuguda to Bhubaneswar and Kolkata.

08/01/23 Odisha Bytes

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Bangladeshi who flew from Kuwait held at Jaipur airport

Jaipur: A Bangladesh national who had illegally entered India and then left for Kuwait in 2017 has been arrested after he landed at Jaipur International Airport by travelling on fraudulently obtained documents.

Officials at Airport police station said Shohel Molla, whose real name is Abdul Shaheed Ghazi, was intercepted by the immigration department at the airport on December 22. He had flown from Kuwait.

Police said Molla claimed to be a resident of West Bengal but failed to answer some crucial questions during interrogation. He was suspected of travelling from Kuwait on an emergency certificate that was obtained fraudulently.

The agencies found that Molla was a Bangladeshi national and his real name was Abdul Shaheed Ghazi. He had illegally entered India and worked at a biscuit factory in Kolkata, where he had met one Jahangir, who had arranged an Indian passport for him through illegal means, said officials.

“In 2017, Ghazi alias Molla travelled to Kuwait on a work visa and worked as a caretaker for cattle for two years. He soon got stranded there after his employer took away his passport. He then worked as a freelance worker in Kuwait before being caught by police there. He was detained for a month but, after due process from the Indian embassy, his emergency certificate was made, and he was sent back to India by flight,” said an immigration official. He added, “The case has been handed over to Jaipur Police.”

08/01/23 Times of India

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2 years later, Turkish Airlines asked to refund ticket cost, pay damages to Chandigarh resident

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission of Chandigarh has directed an airlines and its ticket reservation unit to refund Euros (€) 600.46, and pay Rs 17,000 as compensation and cost of litigation for not refunding the amount of cancelled tickets.

Uday Vir Garg of Chandigarh alleged that he had booked online tickets for travel from Berlin to New Delhi via Istanbul on March 1, 2021, and for travelling back from New Delhi to Berlin via Istanbul on March 30, 2021, on payment of the requisite cost of tickets. The complainant was, however, informed through email on February 15, 2021, that the tickets have been cancelled and that he would be entitled to a refund of €606.46.

Garg alleged that thereafter he has been trying helpline numbers of the Turkish Airlines unit and senior reservation/ticketing & customer relations North/East India unit to get the requisite amount refunded. However, there has neither been any positive response nor any credit of the amount to his account. The complainant said that he received an email from the ticketing and customer relations North/East India Unit, asking for sharing the Turkish Airlines e-ticket number, which the complainant promptly shared the same day, but to date there has been no refund or update of any kind.

08/01/23 Indian Express

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2 foreign tourists deboarded from Go First flight for misbehaving with crew

Poulomi Saha: Two foreign tourists were deboarded for misbehaving verbally abusing the cabin crew, sources in Go First told India Today on Saturday. The incident took place on January 5 on a Go First flight from Goa to Mumbai and the two were made to deboard in Goa before takeoff.

One of the two passengers allegedly asked a cabin crew member to sit next to him during the security briefing. The matter has now been reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

This incident comes amid the recent uproar over Air India flyers peeing on their female co-passengers.

This incident comes amid the recent uproar over Air India flyers peeing on their female co-passengers.

Two back-to-back incidents that happened on Air India flights have been making the headlines recently. In the first case, a drunk passenger on an Air India flight from New York to Delhi urinated on a female passenger.

The inebriated man walked over to the victim's seat just after lunch when the lights were turned off. He then unzipped his pants and flashed his private parts to her. He reportedly stood there even after urinating, until one of his co-passengers asked him to leave.

The man, identified as Shankar Mishra was arrested from Bengaluru by Delhi Police and has been sent to judicial custody till January 21. He was also fired from his company, Wells Fargo, following the incident. Air India also imposed a 30-day travel ban on Mishra and an internal probe has been initiated to investigate if there were lapses in handling the situation by the crew.

A few days later after the first incident surfaced, a drunk man allegedly urinated on the blanket of a female passenger on a Paris-Delhi Air India flight. The man was apprehended by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as soon as he deboarded the plane but was later allowed to leave after the two passengers had a "mutual compromise" and the accused tendered a "written apology".

07/01/23 Poulomi Saha/India Today

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