Boeing 787’s Debris-Spewing GE Engine to Be Dismantled in Probe

Boeing Co. is pulling an engine off a new 787 Dreamliner and trucking it this week to General Electric Co.’s facility in Cincinnati, where it will be dismantled to find out why it spewed debris over the weekend.
A visual inspection yesterday showed that damage was limited to the back end of the engine and doesn’t indicate a fleet-wide problem, said Rick Kennedy, a spokesman for GE. The cause is “far from being determined” because a team will have to tear the engine apart and examine it piece by piece, he said.
Debris blew out of the engine during a July 28 high-speed taxi test of an Air India Ltd. 787 at the Charleston, South Carolina, airport near Boeing’s new factory there, igniting a fire in the grass along the runway and temporarily diverting and delaying flights.
31/07/12 Susanna Ray/Bloomberg News/SF Gate

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Engine Failure in Boeing 787 for Air India Sparks Fire at Charleston Airport

Another Boeing 787 engine problem—this time involving a General Electric GEnx turbofan in an airplane destined for Air India—sparked a grass fire at Charleston International Airport during a pre-flight test on Saturday, forcing the airport to close its main runway for more than an hour. The engine failure has prompted an investigation by the NTSB, Boeing and GE, maker of the engine now in service with Japan Airlines on four 787s.
The incident involved the second of three 787s that have rolled off Boeing’s new assembly line in Charleston, South Carolina.
30/07/12 Gregory Polek/AIN Online

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Tiruchi-bound flights from Singapore take new ATS route

Tiruchi: Flights from Singapore to Tiruchi and Kuala Lumpur to Tiruchi have begun using the new ATS (Air Traffic Services) route with effect from July 26. This has cut down flying time and enabled airline operators to save aviation turbine fuel.
With international operator Tiger Airways proposing to operate additional services to Tiruchi from Singapore, the number of flights taking the new route ‘V 30’ will soon increase to 23 per week.
The ‘V 30’ route introduced by the Air Traffic Management Directorate of Airports Authority of India (AAI) has facilitated the Singapore-Tiruchi and Kuala Lumpur-Tiruchi aircrafts to make a “straight in” approach for Instrument Landing System at Tiruchi airport runway 27, instead of making an ‘arc’ approach.
31/07/12 R. Rajaram/The Hindu

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South African Airways to fly daily on Mumbai-Johannesburg route from October

Mumbai: The South African Airways today announced daily services between Mumbai and Johannesburg from the current five flights a week, effective October.
The non-stop daily flight from Mumbai to Johannesburg, to be effective from October 3, comes on the heels of the fifth weekly frequency the airline launched from June 16 this year and the sixth, due to start from August 21, the airline said in a statement.
The seventh flight is subject to government approvals. South African Airlines is the only carrier that offers non-stop services between South Africa and India now, following the decision of Jet Airways to discontinue its operations on this sector last month.
29/07/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Mystery man stranded at IGI, has no ‘ID’

New Delhi: How he reached India remains a mystery but the Delhi Airport will be his home for the next few days. The mystery man, who claimed his name was Mohammad Khalil and later Ahmed Khalil, arrived at the airport on July 21 either by Air India from Riyadh or Saudi Airlines from Abu Dhabi. He was intercepted at the immigration counter after he failed to produce a boarding card or any identification.
Airport officials say the man is mentally unstable and has been unable to provide any information so far. According to Air India, he can be deported only after the Information Bureau is able to determine his nationality. Till then, IGI's interrogation room will be his abode.
29/07/12 Times of India

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Sex racket: Girls taken to Gulf on forged passports

Kochi: The Crime Branch team investigating a sex racket in Kochi, whereby young girls were taken to the Gulf, received information on Saturday that about 12 girls were transported with the assistance of Kochi airport officials by forging the passports.
The Crime Branch investigation was held on the basis of the complaint from a girl who escaped the clutches of the racket and reached Mumbai. The sex racket operating in the Gulf has links across the country and also has agents operating in the state's major cities, the team said.
The investigating team took statements from the girl who had escaped the racketeers after she was taken to Dubai via Muscat. A passport belonging to a woman in Kattapana was forged for the purpose.
29/07/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

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Over 2,400 shark teeth recovered from passenger

New Delhi: Over 2,400 shark teeth have been recovered from a passenger by Custom officials at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi.
Acting on intelligence inputs, Aditya Surendra Gupta was intercepted at the green channel and found carrying 2,445 shark teeth, the import of which is prohibited under Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, a customs official said in a statement.
He said the shark teeth have been seized and "their samples have been referred to the Wild Crime Control Bureau, which said that the same may be referred to the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata".
The value of the seized teeth, which is used in jewellery among others, is about Rs 3-5 lakh in the international market, the official said.
29/07/12 PTI/IBN Live

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Thai Airways flight makes emergency landing

A Thai Airways flight from Hyderabad to Bangkok made an emergency landing minutes after it took off due to technical problem in one if its engines in the early hours of Saturday in Hyderabad. The Airbus-330 with 257 passengers landed at 1.10 am. The pilots informed the airport control about the problem and sought permission to land immediately.
28/07/12 The Hindu

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IBS Air Cargo conference brings together global Airlines

Trivandrum: Representatives of leading freighter airlines of the world assembled in Singapore last week to share insights and discuss key issues shaping the global air cargo industry. The conference, titled ‘CONVENTUS’, was organized by the Technopark based IBS Software Services, a leading IT solution provider to the global Travel, Transportation and Logistics industry.
Over 40 senior executives, including global head of logistics, from Qantas, Lufthansa, South African Airways, British Airways, All Nippon Airways, Nippon Cargo Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Indigo, IACT, Malaysia Airlines, Turkish Airways and Bangkok Airways participated in the three day event.
27/07/12 Kerala IT News

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CCEA likely to take up FDI in aviation sector on Friday

New Delhi: Seeking to push through the reforms agenda that has been stalled due to Presidential elections, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs is likely to take up 49 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the aviation sector.
The meeting of the Cabinet has been tentatively scheduled for Friday and FDI in the sector has been made as late addition to the agenda. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has already given its approval to the proposal. However, it is not clear if the government has been able to get its ally Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, which had earlier opposed the move, on board with the decision.
The Trinamool Congress has also strongly opposed allowing 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail, another important reform that has been held up due to strong opposition from within the UPA and from the opposition parties.
26/07/12 Sujay Mehdudia/The Hindu

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Did Air India risk 250 lives with damaged aircraft?

Mumbai: What do you expect an airline’s priority to be after discovering that one of its recent flights experienced turbulence, leading to damage to the plane and injuries to passengers, and that the pilot allegedly did not inform the company or aviation regulator and instead ordered crewmembers to stay mum? Find out who leaked the information to the media. After MiD DAY’s exposé on July 24 (‘Maharaja of cover-ups’), national carrier Air India, rather than investigating the events that occurred on its Delhi-Shanghai flight earlier this month and taking action where needed, is calling crewmembers to find out who actually disclosed the episode to this newspaper.
But a far graver issue remains. The Airbus aircraft, which was operating as flight AI 348 Delhi-Shanghai on July 5 was impaired during the turbulence. Top Air India sources told this newspaper that the aircraft must have been decommissioned at Shanghai. But in reality, as the matter was not reported, the plane landed at Shanghai around 7 pm (IST) and was prepared to operate as flight AI 349 after four hours on the same day at around 11 pm. The ground engineer cleared the aircraft for take-off. The aircraft was later decommissioned after landing at Delhi on July 6. In the process, the airline potentially endangered the lives of 250 travellers.
25/07/12 MiD DAY/IBN Live

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Indian aviation sector 'in crisis': International Air Transport Association

New Delhi: India's highly competitive aviation sector is in "crisis," crippled by high costs and exorbitant taxes, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Wednesday.
India's major carriers, including state-owned Air India, lost around $2 billion in the last fiscal year to March and are carrying debts of some $20 billion.
"India's aviation is in a multi-faceted crisis. Before the aviation sector can deliver greater benefits to the Indian economy, this crisis must be resolved," IATA director general Tony Tyler said.
The global aviation industry is watching the Indian sector with concern, Tyler told a business audience in New Delhi, noting that of India's six main carriers only privately owned Indigo is making money.
"The financial situation of Kingfisher (owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya) is dire and (state-run) Air India is on government life support," Tyler said.
25/07/12 AFP/Economic Times

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India asked to cut tax, ensure capacity to help aviation sector

New Delhi: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has asked India for action on reducing tax, ensuring capacity and keeping costs in check for the aviation industry.
In his keynote address to the Confederation of Indian Industry, IATA’s Director General and CEO, Mr Tony Tyler, said, “A bright future is at hand for Indian aviation if we can find common purpose among all stakeholders. India must not settle for a bronze medal in global aviation. If we can take deliberate action on a handful of critical issues – reducing taxes, ensuring capacity and keeping costs in check – a gold is entirely possible,” he said.
Mr Tyler said if critical problems were not comprehensively addressed, investors – foreign, domestic, aviation or otherwise – would be few. Turning his attention to Air India, he said that the airline was on “Government-provided life support of financial bailouts and other forms of protection”.
25/07/12 Business Line

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Panel okays Dreamliner delay claim

New Delhi: A group of ministers (GoM) today approved the compensation demanded by Air India from US aircraft maker Boeing for a four-year delay in the delivery of Dreamliners.
“The GoM considered it and now we will send it to the CCEA (cabinet committee on economic affairs). It will be taken up whenever the next CCEA meeting is held,” civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said after a meeting of the GoM headed by home minister P. Chidambaram.
A meeting of the CCEA is likely to be held tomorrow.
Singh, however, refused to divulge the compensation amount on the grounds of confidentiality of the agreement between the aircraft manufacturer and the national carrier.
Last year, the airline’s previous chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav had spoken of an over $700-million claim.
Sources said the figure could now have been raised to $1 billion.
25/07/12 The Telegraph

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Jet backs FDI in domestic aviation

New Delhi: The Chairman of Jet Airways, Mr Naresh Goyal, has said he supports the Government’s move to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in the domestic airline sector.
“We support all Government policies,” Mr Goyal said on Wednesday on the sidelines of a seminar being addressed by the visiting Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Mr Tony Tyler.
The domestic airline promoter was of the opinion that airfares in India were lower as compared to what is charged in other countries.
25/07/12 Business Line

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India concerned over carbon tax on airlines by EU

New Delhi: India on Tuesday expressed concern over the decision of European Union to impose carbon tax on airlines, saying the initiative will have implications on the developing countries.
A Finance Ministry paper on Climate Change noted that nations, which had imposed the carbon tax, have yet to fulfil their financial commitments to the developing nations to deal with the issue of climate change.
Recently, European Union took a "unilateral" decision to levy charges on international flights to deal with greenhouse gas emissions.
According the Finance Ministry paper: "While the Cancun decisions have recognised the need of having a separate Fund and reaffirmed that funding for adaptation will be prioritised for the most vulnerable developing countries... And the Durban meeting finalising the design of the fund, the work relating to climate finance is far from complete".
24/07/12 ZeeNews

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Indian envoy seeks direct flights to Cambodia

Phnom Penh : India's Ambassador Dinesh K. Patnaik pledged Tuesday to urge Indian airlines to operate direct flights to Cambodia in order to boost bilateral relations in trade, investment and tourism.
The ambassador made the remarks during a meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, reported Xinhua.
He said in his diplomatic term he would do all his best to encourage Indian investors to do business here in rice mills, tourism and mining.
24/07/12 IANS/Two Circles.net

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Jazeera Airways to pay Rs 50K to woman for losing her luggage

New Delhi: Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways has been ordered by a consumer forum here to pay Rs 50,000 to one of its passengers as compensation for losing her luggage in transit from Dubai to Delhi. The New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum asked the Kuwait's low-cost airline to pay damages to city resident Poonam Gupta, rejecting the airline's offer of Rs 19,200 as compensation saying it did not cover the trauma and harassment caused to her. "We are of the opinion that offer given by the opposite party (airline) to compensate against the lost baggage, though based on applicable rates of USD 20 per kg, as per terms and conditions of travel, does not cover compensation for trauma, harassment, anxiety on not getting the bag. Non-delivery of baggage is a serious deficiency.
25/07/12 PTI/IBN Live

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GoM to take up Boeing compensation issue Wednesday

New Delhi: A Group of Ministers, headed by Home Minister P Chidambaram, would take up on Wednesday the issue of compensation to be paid by US aircraft maker Boeing to Air India for a four-year delay in delivery of Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes, official sources said.
The GoM would look at the terms of compensation and the amount to be paid by Boeing, as per an agreement with Air India that was approved by the airline's Board on May 28, they said.
24/07/12 PTI/ZeeNews

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Eid holiday plans ruined by rolling effects of Air India strike

Dubai: Passengers in the UAE are still feeling the effects of an Air India pilots' strike that ended two weeks ago.
Hundreds of would-be travellers have been told by low-cost carrier Air India Express that their flights between August 16 and 22 - just as worshippers ready to celebrate Eid Al Fitr - are either cancelled or rescheduled.
"We are trying to transfer passengers from Air India Express to Air India flights," said Abhay Pathak, Air India's regional manager of Gulf, Middle East and Africa, who added that officials from Air India are working to ensure no traveller was inconvenienced.
Mr Pathak said flights had been rescheduled as a result of the pilots' strike that ended earlier this month.
"The number of flights to the UAE has gone down from 48 to 28 per week due to the strike.
23/07/12 Fareed Rahman/The National

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Lufthansa to offer new first class seating from Mumbai

Mumbai: Come September, Lufthansa’s first class passengers on the Munich-Mumbai sector can travel in better comfort as the airline has revamped the seating.
From September 2, the Munich-Mumbai route will be served by refurbished A330-300 aircraft fitted with the new Business Class seat, which will have a 6.5-feet long bed, the German government-owned airline said in a statement.
“The horizontal sleeping surface is a crucial factor for our passengers. This request was the focus for all our other considerations,” Lufthansa South Asia director Mr Axel Hilgers said.
23/07/12 PTI/Business Line

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India, China help push up passenger numbers at Changi airport

Singapore: Helped by increasing traffic from India and China, Singapore's Changi Airport handled 25 million passengers in the first half of this year, up 11.6 per cent compared to the first six months last year.
With links to 25 Chinese cities and 11 destinations in India, Changi Airport has become the most connected point from Southeast Asia to these two emerging economies, said the Changi Airport Group.
The six month passenger traffic between Singapore and China and India grew more than 20 per cent and more than 15 per cent, respectively, compared with the same period in 2011. it said. Reflecting Changi's increasing connectivity to China and India, traffic to the two countries grew strongest among markets with at least a million passengers, it said.
23/07/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Total chaos as Air India Express goes from 'cancel' to 'reschedule'

Total chaos is ensuing in the wake of reports that Air India Express has cancelled several key flights scheduled to fly during the Eid holidays from the UAE.
Air India issued a statement this morning saying it has not cancelled flights during the Eid holidays, but is only rescheduling them.
“Passengers are being informed through SMS and email. We will get a clear picture about the reschedule within the next two days,” said Abhay Pathak, Air India's Regional Manager of Gulf, Middle East and Africa.
However, when asked if passengers will all be accommodated on the dates they have booked on following the reschedule, Pathak failed to give a clear answer.
“We are still waiting for the slots. In two days we will get to know the exact schedule,” he added.
Emirates 24|7 had reported that passengers who had booked their tickets to fly on Air India Express between August 16 to 22 are being informed that their flights have been cancelled and they need to make alternate arrangements.
22/07/12 Joseph George/Emirates24|7

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'Australia-India air route needs 3.45 lakh more seats by 2020'

New Delhi: With airlines like Air India planning to launch non-stop flights to Australia in a few months, a study has estimated that the growth in air traffic between the two countries would require an additional 3,45,000 seats by 2020.
Currently, there are no direct flights between the two countries and most Indian travellers pass through Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur to visit Australia.
"It is estimated that an extra 345,000 seats will be required by 2020 to meet the expected demand from India," the study by Tourism Australia said, adding that its aviation development strategy would focus on developing air traffic from Delhi and Mumbai.
Indian and Australian airlines, at present, serve the route through code-share arrangement, though "sufficient capacity is available for airlines of both sides to commence services should they choose to," the report said.
22/07/12 ZeeNews

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Mid-air scare for AI flight to Sharjah, snag forces flight to land in Mumbai

Mumbai: An Air India (AI) flight to Sharjah made an emergency landing at Mumbai airport late on Thursday night. The flight took off from Thiruvananthapuram airport with more than 130 passengers on board.
It was on its way to Sharjah. While mid-air, the pilot suspected 'hydraulic failure'. According to airport officials, the pilot decided to divert the flight to Mumbai instead of going ahead.
21/07/12 Times of India

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Unfazed by India, Dubai Airports feels it retains competitive edge

Mumbai: Dubai airport faces no immediate challenge from Indian airports, and its expansion plans would enable it to retain competitive edge over other airports, the company managing the Gulf Emirate’s airport had said.
The assertion comes at a time when Indian government had announced plans to develop Delhi and Chennai as aviation hubs.
Dubai’s popularity among Indian travellers could be gauged from the fact that it served as a transit point for 2.68 million Indians in 2010-11, according to civil aviation ministry data. A total of 37 million Indians flew abroad that year, including 11.4 million who travelled via hubs abroad. Doha served as a transit point for 0.85 million Indians, and Frankfurt and Singapore catered to 0.77 million and 0.74 million transit passengers in same year, respectively.
21/07/12 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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Air tickets on Mumbai-London route dearer by 20 per cent

Mumbai: Prices for air tickets to London from Mumbai have increased by 20 per cent due to lesser availability of seats, as per The Asian Age report. Travel agents say that pre-planned travellers had already booked more than half of the seats in April and May this year, leading to few seats remaining for other passengers. "Mumbai-London is a major aviation corridor and the Olympics have considerably reduced the seat factor. Airfares on this sector have already risen by 20 per cent. Moreover, no airline, including British Airways, has added additional flights on the route to cater to the increasing demand. Apart from England's national carrier British Airways, Jet Airways, Air India and Kingfisher Airlines are the only Indian carriers to have direct flights to London," said a travel agent.
21/07/12 TravelBizMonitor

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Immigration breach at IGIA; two Indians detained at Helsinki

New Delhi: Two Indians have been detained at the Helsinki airport in Finland after they were allgedly found to have travelled on fake immigration authorisation from the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here. An inquiry has been initiated by security agencies after an immigration seal stamp bearing number 'A-42' was found lying unclaimed in the washroom of the IGIA's T3 on July 19. After a CISF surveillance and intelligence team was alerted about the unclaimed seal, the force quickly logged on to the airport database to check the antecedents of all those air travellers who have been stamped with the said immigration stamp to check possible fraud travellers.
21/07/12 PTI/IBN Live

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Seized toy aircraft piling up at airport warehouse

Mumbai: Radio-controlled toy aircraft seized by Customs officials over the years are now fast filling up the warehouse at the Mumbai airport. Till last year, Customs officials had seized more than 1,000 toy aircraft brought by passengers into the country. Though Customs officials say no new aircraft have been seized this year, the old ones are still to be disposed of. Customs officials are mandated to confiscate these aircraft as they violate the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933.
Customs officials said passengers bring these toys from Bangkok, Hong Kong and places in China.
These Chinese aircraft fly on frequencies which are also also allotted to the police and other security agencies for radio communication. "They can interrupt wireless communication among security agencies. Also, there has been constant warning from intelligence agencies that these devices can be used for terrorist activities," a Customs official said.
21/07/12 Times of India

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Govt to clear Dreamliner compensation in 10 days

Chennai: The keenly awaited compensation package for delayed deliveries of the new fleet of Dreamliner aircraft by Boeing to the state-owned Air India is likely to be announced by the United Progressive Alliance government in the next five to ten days.
The Union Cabinet will take up this matter soon, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said on Saturday while speaking to reporters at Arakkonam, about 80 km from Chennai, after reviewing the passing-out parade of the first batch of assistant sub-inspectors for the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
21/07/12 Deccan Herald

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Air India bomber loses perjury appeal, faces record 9-year term

Vancouver: British Columbia’s highest court upheld a perjury conviction Thursday for Air India bomber Inderjit Singh Reyat, who repeatedly lied at the trial of two men who were acquitted in the worst case of aviation terrorism before 9-11.
Three judges of the B.C. Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed the man’s bid for a new trial, cementing his nine-year sentence, which is believed to be the longest perjury sentence in Canadian history.
Reyat, 59, was a Crown witness at the 2003 trial of Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri, who were acquitted of mass murder and conspiracy in the bombing of Air India Flight 182. The plane was targeted on June 23, 1985, killing 329 people, mostly Canadian citizens.
Reyat’s testimony was part of a deal that saw him plead guilty to manslaughter in the bombing of the plane and receive a controversial five-year sentence. He also served an earlier 10-year sentence for manslaughter for the deaths of two airport baggage handlers in Tokyo that happened on the same day.
20/07/12 Herald News

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United passengers wait 24 hours for flight to Mumbai after weather and maintenance problems

More than 250 passengers traveling to India were stranded at Newark Liberty International Airport for nearly 24 hours after severe thunderstorms and maintenance problems forced United Airlines to cancel their flight early yesterday morning.
One passenger said Flight 48 to Mumbai remained on the tarmac for nearly three hours before United returned the plane to the gate in the middle of the night, forcing customers to camp out in Terminal C.
“It was really uncomfortable, spending three hours on a flight that went nowhere and then spending the whole night on the floor,” said 23-year-old Nishank Kshirsagar, who was returning to Singapore via India after a six-day vacation in New York City. “It’s not what you expect from an international airline.”
For United, it was a second reputation-bruising predicament in a week.
20/07/12 Susan Todd/The Star-Ledger/nj.com

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2 Luxembourg women give fake Indian currency for visa

New Delhi: Two women nationals of Luxembourg allegedly paid their 'visa-on-arrival' fee at the airport here with fake Indian currency notes, police said today.
The two women, along with a child, arrived at the IGI airport here on the interventing night of July 14 and 15 and got their 'Visa-on-Arrival' after paying the fee to the immigration officer, a complaint filed by the official with police said.
The matter came to light when the official deposited the cash at the SBI branch in the MEA account on July 16. The bank staff, after scrutiny, found that nine of the Rs 1,000 denomination currency notes were fake.
20/07/12 PTI/Business Standard

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Govt approves subsidy for Haj pilgrims

New Delhi: The Centre has approved Haj subsidy for 1.25 lakh Indian Muslims for annual pilgrimage to the holy town of Mecca in Saudi Arabia this year.
The decision was taken at a Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Thursday. The pilgrims will have to pay Rs 20,000 this year, which is Rs 4,000 more than last year. The balance cost of air travel arrangements would be borne by the government.
On an average, the government pays Rs 38,000 per pilgrim by subsidising airfares. The Haj subsidy, operational since 1973, has come under attack over the years. The Supreme Court on May 8, 2012, directed the government to do away with the subsidy over a period of 10 years.
20/07/12 Deccan Herald

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Asean airlines may be allowed to operate unlimited flights to Delhi, other metros

New Delhi: The Indian Government could allow airlines from the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) to initially operate unlimited flights between their capitals and New Delhi.
Eventually, the exemption could be extended to flights to cities including Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
The acceptance of this proposal by the Indian Government will update the 2003 India-Asean open sky agreement that allows carriers to operate daily flights to various metros, including New Delhi. They are also allowed to operate unlimited flights to 18 tourist destinations including Kochi, Thiruvanathapuram, Kozhikode, Tiruchi, Port Blair and Visakhapatnam. Now, India is likely to follow China’s example in liberalising its air services agreement with the Asean, officials indicated.
19/07/12 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line

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The focus on carbon emissions from aviation is misplaced

The concerted opposition to the EU push towards forcing foreign airlines landing in Europe to become a part of its emissions trading scheme has led to an unexpected development, whose implications extend to setting the global climate agenda.
The US, which had so far rejected the scheme, now wants to resolve the trade dispute by suggesting a global cap and trade regime. It is included among the options being considered by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which last month also dropped consideration of an emissions trading system.
The US and EU policy shift comes immediately after the Rio+20 conference where the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities was reaffirmed, whereas the fundamental principle underpinning ICAO is that all aircraft operators are treated equally regardless of their country of origin.
19/07/12 Mukul Sanwal/Economic Times

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B.C. court upholds perjury conviction for Air India bomber

The B.C. Court of Appeal has upheld a perjury conviction for Inderjit Singh Reyat, the only person convicted in the Air India bombings.
Mr. Reyat was convicted in November 2010 after testifying at the September 2003 trial of Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudaman Singh Malik, who were acquitted of mass murder and conspiracy in the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182. Mr. Reyat said he knew nothing of it.
A judge found Mr. Reyat had lied 19 times and handed him a nine-year sentence for perjury. Until then, the longest perjury sentence ever handed down in Canada was six years for a case in Alberta.
19/07/12 Andrea Woo/The Globe and Mail

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Indian aircraft carrier heads for second sea trials

The Indian Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the Vikramaditya, has headed into the Barents Sea for second-stage sea trials, as part of its refit by Russia's Sevmash shipyard, Captain Vadim Serga of Russia's Northern Fleet information service said on Monday.
The Vikramaditya, formerly the Soviet Union's Admiral Gorshkov, has finished a long-delayed refit for the Indian Navy at Sevmash on the Kola peninsula. The ship was extensively modified to undertake STOBAR (short takeoff but assisted recovery) operations with MiG-29K naval fighter aircraft, as well as receiving new air defense, communications and navigations systems.
19/07/12 RIA Novosti/Russia & India Report

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Govt cancels tender seeking bids to carry out Haj operations

New Delhi: The government has cancelled a tender seeking bids from Indian and Saudi Arabian airlines to carry out Haj operations after objections of irregularity were raised by some carriers, official sources said today.
The tender issued in April was cancelled after some airlines raised objections to the non-fulfilment of all criteria by competing carriers, the sources said, adding a fresh tender was issued on Monday asking airlines to submit their bids by July 24.
A total of 1,25,000 Indian pilgrims would be flown to and from Mecca and Medina from 21 cities this year.
The sources said Saudi Arabian Airlines, another Saudi carrier National Air Services (NAS), Air India, SpiceJet and Religare Aviation had submitted their bids in response to Civil Aviation Ministry's tender for 2012 Haj operations, which was issued in April.
18/07/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

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Teen dies of cardiac arrest on flight

Hyderabad: An Emirates flight, EK 374, flying from Dubai to Bangkok, made an emergency landing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Shamshabad, on Tuesday morning after a passenger suffered a cardiac arrest. The 19-year-old passenger, Ali Ibrahim Parwish Sangoor Al Balooshi, was attended to by airport doctors in the aircraft and was declared dead following which his body was shifted to the RGIA Apollo Hospital. The patient was a resident of Dubai.
The Emirates aircraft from Dubai landed at the Shamshabad airport at around 5.04am. Doctors at Apollo said the teenager suffered a cardiac arrest while on the flight. He was declared dead at 5.36am.
18/07/12 Times of India

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Russia shows interest in joining India to manufacture aircraft

New Delhi: Russia today evinced interest in joining hands with India to manufacture passenger and cargo aircraft.
During his talks with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin expressed interest in establishing joint ventures for the purpose.
In its attempt at taking cooperation beyond military aviation, Russia had earlier offered co-production of passenger aircraft in India, including its 90-seater Sukhoi 100 Superjet.
India has also launched a project to design and manufacture its first indigenous 90-seater passenger aircraft.
17/07/12 PTI/Economic Times

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'Govt looking at FDI by foreign airlines in Indian carriers'

Bangalore: The government is looking at allowing foreign airlines to invest in domestic carriers but there would be no change in FDI cap of 49%, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said today.
"FDI is already allowed in airlines up to 49%. We are not changing that 49%," Singh told a press conference after a meeting of the consultative committee of his ministry, and a separate interaction with players of aerospace industry here.
"But what we are trying to do....right now other (foreign) airlines are not supposed to participate in the FDI (foreign airlines can't invest in Indian carriers)...We are trying to see if other airlines are also allowed to participate (in the FDI)," he said.
Singh argued the airlines business is a complicated one and only airlines would be interested in investing in other carriers.
17/07/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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3 months on, AI passenger seeks help as luggage remains untraced

Mysore: Vinay Vishwanath a resident of Mysore and a PhD holder from BOKU university, Vienna, travelled in Air India operated flight (Airline code: J8175) from Vienna-Frankfurt-Delhi-Bangalore on April 28.
He arrived in Bangalore on April 29 but to his dismay one of his bags, which contained valuable documents -- his original academic certificates from high school to PhD, driving license and bank cards - went missing.
The missing baggage bears tag no: OS633704, said Vishwanath. Even after registering many complaints with the Air India officials, he claimed, his efforts have proved futile and the bag remains untraced.
17/07/12 Kevin Mendonsa/Times of India

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Air Astana named Best Airline in Central Asia-India

Air Astana was named the Best Airline in Central Asia / India at the 2012 World Airline Awards held at Farnborough Air Show in the UK last week.
The World Airline Awards are the primary benchmarking tool for Passenger Satisfaction levels of airlines throughout the world, delivering a unique survey format based on analysis of business and leisure travellers, across all cabin travel types (First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy class).
16/07/12 eTurboNews

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BASIC nations call for rollback of EU carbon tax on aviation

New Delhi: The meeting of BASIC countries - Brazil, South Africa, China and India — in Pretoria, South Africa, made a strong statement against EU's carbon tax on aviation at the end of two-day talks.
A joint statement of the four countries stated, "Ministers were deeply concerned at the continued unilateral action by the EU to include international aviation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), including intentions for similar unilateral measures, and called for immediate withdrawal of such actions that violate the multilateral rules-based system and adversely affect trust among parties."
The statement came days ahead of a meeting called by the US in Washington on the same issue against the backdrop of its own stand of disagreeing with the BASIC countries' views towards setting up an international regime for carbon tax on aviation under the International Civil Aviation Organization and outside the ambit of UN climate convention.
15/07/12 Nitin Sethi/Times of India

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International honour for Indian woman pilot

Mumbai: She began flying way back in the 1960s, but it was her attire that attracted much attention then and makes for an interesting anecdote now. Rabia Futehally, one of India's first woman pilots, used to fly in a sari. Last month, she was honored as a 2012 inductee into the International Forest of Friendship (IFF), in Atchison, Kansas during ceremonies in June.
The Forest is a living, growing memorial to the world history of aviation and aerospace. Futehally was recognized for her contributions to international women's aviation and civil aviation in India. She began her flying lessons in 1962 and when her first daughter was nine months old, Futehally received her Private Pilot License (PPL), number 13, perhaps the first woman in India to do so, said a release issued by IFF.
14/07/12 Manju V/Times of India

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SpiceJet to launch New Delhi-Kabul flight from Aug 14

New Delhi: Expanding its network on international routes, no-frills carrier SpiceJet will launch its direct flight to Kabul from New Delhi starting from August 14.
"The launch of Kabul services is a milestone for the airline as SpiceJet would be the sole private Indian carrier to operate services to this country," an airline spokesperson said.
13/07/12 PTI

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Indian bid to manage Nepal Airport handling is to strike China: Reports

There are reports that the Indian Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) of India had forwarded a LOI (Letter of Intent) to the government of Nepal to take over the management of some 15 domestic airports and the Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. All the Nepali airports are taken as strategically important because of its “location”.
In the LoI received from India, the Indian company had shown its keen interest to take over the management of airports at Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Surkhet, Lumka, Jumla, Chandragadi, Pokhara, Jomsom, Tumlingtar, Bhairawaha, Simra, Lamidanda, Dhangadi, Janakpur and Bharatpur.
The Jana Disha Daily-the Maoists’ Party mouth piece dated December 7, 2009, had reported that at the consultative meeting held between the representatives of the Government of India and Nepal, December 4-7, 2009 in Kathmandu, the Nepali side had provided a clear go-ahead signal to India to construct an Air-Strip for the Indian Air Force in Surket.
Later the government of Nepal retracted from its earlier stand after formally scolded by China as it considered that the decision would pose grave security threat to China, it had been reported then.
13/07/12 Telegraph Nepal

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SpiceJet flies to Afghanistan; to connect Delhi and Kabul

SpiceJet, India's preferred low fare airline, today announces further expansion of its network on international route by starting flights between New Delhi and the Afghan capital city of Kabul.
The launch of Kabul services is a milestone for the airline as SpiceJet would be the sole private Indian carrier to operate services to this country.
The opening of ticket sale is effective from today and commercial flights would start from August 14, 2012. Being a low-cost carrier, SpiceJet would be offering affordable air connectivity between the capital cities of India and Afghanistan.
Kabul is the fourth international destination for SpiceJet and the announcement comes within a fortnight of launch of Dubai flights.
13/07/12 Amit Shanbaug/Economic Times

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Boeing's Indian guru: Air India will survive and take all its Dreamliners; aviation on the turn on the subcontinent

Dinesh Keskar has just returned to live in Seattle after a three-year stint as Boeing's president in India. At the Farnborough Air Show, his take on India's aviation sector, currently drowning in red ink and stalled by political paralysis, was surprisingly upbeat.
A pilot strike crippled Air India for 59 days, finally ending just this week. Three Air India 787 Dreamliners (two of them built in Everett) are sitting ready in North Charleston, S.C., awaiting only approval from the Indian government for delivery.
Air India has been bleeding money, losing $3.8 billion in the last three years. Indian carriers this year are projected to have combined losses of $2 billion.
Yet Keskar, now Boeing Commercial Airplanes senior vice president of sales for India and Asia Pacific, has no doubt that Air India will survive and thrive, and that the Indian aviation sector will recover.
"Air India will always be there," said Keskar. "The Dreamliners will be delivered. They are a vital part of the airline's turnaround plan."
His confidence in Air India is based on a $6 billion government cash infusion and the lift its Dreamliners will give it.
13/07/12 Dominic Gates/Seattle Times

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Indonesia to build new world-class airport in Bali with GVK

Indonesia's state-run airport administrator Angkasa Pura I (AP I) planned to construct a new international class airport in Bali's northern coastal regency of Buleleng next year, in anticipation of the growing number of tourists to the resort island, local media reported on Wednesday.
AP I spokesman Miduk Situmorang said the firm was set to start drafting the master plan for the airport with the Indian investor GVK Power and Infrastructure at the end of this year.
"We will start construction of the Buleleng airport in the second half of 2013, after we have finished the Ngurah Rai International Airport expansion project in May (of 2013)," Miduk said earlier.
The new airport in Buleleng is designed to accommodate 25 million passengers annually.
"As one of the world's favorite tourist destinations, Bali should be able to accommodate at least 50 million air passengers annually. We are ready to provide important infrastructure to the government to support tourism and boost the economy," he said, quoted by the Jakarta Post.
The planned new airport would gradually overtake Ngurah Rai International Airport since the latter faces land constraint problems that prevents the operator from extending the runway.
11/07/12 Xinhua/Global Times

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South African MP tries to open India-bound plane's door in air

Johannesburg: A drunk South African lawmaker tried to open an aircraft's emergency door while on a flight to India and may now face criminal charges, his party said.
Dirk Feldman, who was part of a group of parliamentarians headed for Mumbai, allegedly tried to open the emergency exit of the plane in a drunken state during the flight on Saturday.
Feldman, a National Council of Provinces MP with the opposition Congress of the People (Cope) party, was detained for a few hours by Indian security authorities in Mumbai before the Speaker of Parliament Max Sisulu arranged for his return to South Africa.
Besides disciplinary investigations, which have been initiated by both Parliament and Cope, Feldman may also be charged for what is considered a very serious offence in that he interfered with the duties of the staff on the plane.
12/07/12 Financial Express

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Air India landing: Pak dailies laud lack of stuffy protocol

Islamabad: The emergency landing of an Air India plane in Nawabshah was handed professionally by India and Pakistan and indicated progress in the relations between the neighbours, prominent Pakistani newspapers said on Thursday.
The emergency landing of an Air India plane in Nawabshah was "accomplished with a minimum of fuss and stuffy protocol", said The News International while Dawn said the incident pointed to "some progress" in the ties between the two countries.
The News International on Thursday said in an editorial that the incident has generated a positive response on both sides of the border. "Problems with an aircraft in midflight require fast decisions rather than protracted diplomacy.
"Pakistan air traffic controllers gave immediate permission to land, the foreign and interior ministries were roused from their beds, the Indian High Commission was alerted and permission was equally swiftly given for a relief flight and Indian engineers to come in and fix the problem. All this was accomplished with a minimum of fuss and stuffy protocol," it said.
It observed that there was "an air of faint surprise that Pakistan and India could cooperate when circumstances demanded it. Such circumstances are covered by international protocols regarding air safety, and we followed them to the letter".
"The speedy and satisfactory resolution to the incident lay in good person-to-person communication, professionalism on both sides and a 'can-do' attitude that smoothed the path throughout. An object lesson in how to do it right," said the daily.
12/07/12 IANS/IBN Live

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Dassault Falcon adds authorized service center in India

Farnborough: Dassault Falcon today signed an agreement with Indian charter operator Taj Air to establish a Dassault Falcon Authorized Line Service Station at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (VIDP) in Mumbai.
The facility, which is already operational, will provide scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and inspections for all Falcon 2000 models. Initially, the facility will serve Indian registered Falcons but EASA approval is expected early 2013.
"This agreement emphasizes our philosophy of enhancing the service experience by expanding our footprint of service," said Jacques Chauvet, Senior Vice President for Worldwide Customer Service for Dassault Falcon. "Asia and India are rapidly expanding as they realize the benefits of business aviation. Additionally, transient traffic in Mumbai continues to increase, so this agreement is of vital importance to all of our customers."
11/07/12 eTurboNews

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India needs more airlines

Singapore’s prime minister on Wednesday urged India to press ahead with economic reforms and added that foreign investors need a “predictable” environment in which to invest their money.
Visiting Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s comments in New Delhi come as foreign investors have expressed growing concern about India’s paralysed reform process, policy flip-flops and erratic taxation moves.
Lee also pressed for a swift conclusion of talks to update a free trade agreement with India, signed in 2005, as well as to allow more airline flights between the two countries.
“One quick win is to improve air connectivity,” Lee said.
He noted Singapore and China already enjoy an “open skies” arrangement, allowing unlimited flights, and said liberalisation of aviation between India and Singapore “will promote the exchange of business, ideas, art and culture.”
12/07/12 AFP/TRweekly

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Man acquitted in Air India case won't get $9.2 million in costs reimbursed:judge

Vancouver: A man acquitted in the Air India terrorist bombing trial won't be getting back $9.2 million in legal fees after a British Columbia judge rejected his claims for compensation.
Ripudaman Singh Malik said the length and complexity of the trial, the number of lawyers he had to hire and weak evidence from a Crown witness warranted a judicial review of his case.
He claimed the Crown knew, or ought to have known, that a central witness against him was not credible and that perhaps due to severe public pressure, prosecutors turned a blind eye to the obvious frailties of the woman's evidence.
Malik's lawyer, Bruce McLeod, argued before B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ian Josephson in May that the case fell markedly short of the criminal standard.
12/07/12 Camille Bains/The Canadian Press/Vancouver Sun

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Krishna Thanks Pak for Helping AI Passengers

India today thanked Pakistan for going "out of their way" in providing all possible assistance to passengers of the Air India flight that made an emergency landing in the neighbouring country's southern Sindh province.
"I would like to convey my sincere appreciation and my thanks to the helpful attitude and cooperation that we received when an Air India flight had to land in Pakistan," External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said here.
He added, "I think the Government of Pakistan went out of their way to make things easy for all those who were inside the aircraft and they provided every possible assistance including feeding the passengers who were on board the aircraft," he said.
10/07/12 Manash Pratim Bhuyan/PTI/Outlook

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SpiceJet to start 6 new international flights

Chandigarh: Unveiling its plans to expand fleet size to 50 aircraft by year-end, low-cost airline SpiceJet today said it will start flights to six new foreign destinations, including Afghanistan, China and Hong Kong, by October-end.
"We will launch flights to Kabul (Afghanistan), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), China, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Male in Maldives. The services to these countries will start by October-end," company's CEO Neil Mills told reporters here.
The company is operating its international flight services to Dubai, Kathmandu and Colombo at present.
SpiceJet also announced expansion of its services in northern region by connecting Chandigarh, Amritsar and Srinagar to Delhi.
The carrier will also connect the cities of Dehradun and Indore to Delhi on its network in the coming days, he said, adding with this launch, SpiceJet would have presence at 37 domestic airports.
11/07/12 PTI/Business Standard

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Cabinet to back airlines' no to EU carbon tax

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet is likely to soon pass a resolution endorsing the fact that Indian airliners would not share their specific carbon emission data with European Union (EU) authorities. This will be the first time since the imbroglio began over the buzz that government was going to officially communicate to the EU that it would not adhere to the latter’s changed emission trading system (ETS) laws.
While around 35 countries have refused to follow the EU’s new directives on carbon emission, only India and China have even refused to share their carbon emission data with Brussels. The government is also likely to indicate it is open to the idea of reviewing all the separate bilateral agreements on civil aviation that India has with each of the 27 member-states of the EU, a senior official involved with the issue told Business Standard.
11/07/12 Nayanima Basu/Business Standard

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Air India selects Rockwell Collin's dispatch program

Air India has selected Rockwell Collins to service and support its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft through the company’s DispatchSM Program. The program is scheduled to begin upon delivery of the first Boeing 787 to Air India.
Under the agreement, Rockwell Collins will provide Air India with guaranteed spares availability, systems configuration updates, technical repairs, and performance monitoring on Rockwell Collins’ comprehensive suite of communications, surveillance, displays and pilot controls systems onboard the 787. The total life cycle solution is coordinated by a dedicated program manager.
“Air India’s selection of Rockwell Collins’ Dispatch Program provides the airline with the most proven, cost-effective global service and support solution for our avionics and pilot controls,” said Scott Gunnufson, vice president and general manager, Service Solutions for Rockwell Collins.
10/07/12 Rockwell Collins/Aviation.ca

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‘State guests’ on Zardari turf

New Delhi: Whether Manmohan Singh can accept Asif Ali Zardari’s long-standing invite is uncertain but 128 Indians were today treated as “state guests” when chance brought them unannounced to the Pakistan President’s hometown early this morning.

Recent Indo-Pak recriminations over 26/11 suspect Abu Jundal’s alleged revelations didn’t come in the way of Pakistani authorities going “out of their way” to help an Air India plane’s 122 passengers and six-member crew after it made an emergency landing at Nawabshah, Sindh.

The passengers, however, spent some 12 hours cooped up inside the plane after the pilot declined the offers of transit visa for them to use the airport lounge.

But Indian officials were full of praise for the way the Pakistanis went beyond what is expected in such situations to make the Indians comfortable, even before foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai or Indian high commission officials in Islamabad could officially request help.

Sources in New Delhi said the incident was an example of the warmth in people-to-people relations between the two countries.

“The passengers were very well treated by the Pakistani authorities. They were very helpful and cooperative in providing emergency landing facilities, speedy clearance to the relief plane, and water and refreshments to the stranded passengers and in offering transit visas, if needed,” a South Block official said.

Pakistan’s national carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), later provided the money for refuelling the Indian relief plane with the Indian high commission serving as guarantor.

10/07/12 The Telegraph

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Be prepared for anything, Air India passengers were told

New Delhi: It was a "scary" experience for 122 passengers on board an Air India plane from Abu Dhabi when it landed at a Pakistani airport early this morning following a "false alarm" about hydraulic failure, and relief was writ large on their faces as they returned home this evening.

15-year-old Muskan Sharma, who was travelling alone from Toronto to Delhi via Abu Dhabi, said, "I was scared as to what may happen when we were told that our aircraft has developed some problem."

Sharma had a confirmed ticket from Toronto to Delhi on a direct Air India flight, which was cancelled, after which she was accommodated in this flight.

Narrating his experience, V Radhakrishnan (65) said they were told "not to move around, to fasten the seat belt and be prepared for anything" as the plane was making a landing in emergency conditions.

"Fortunately, nothing happened," he said. Stranded for around 12 hours at Nawabshah airport in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh, the passengers and crew faced a hard time as they almost ran out of water and food.

09/07/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Pak hospitality leaves Indians awestruck

New Delhi: The relief aircraft which travelled to Nawabshah airport in Sindh, Pakistan was supposed to refuel itself for the return journey as well as the stranded plane. But in their haste, Indian officials forgot to carry something called the 'Shell' card with which they would have paid for the fuel.

Pakistan came to the rescue. PIA officials spoke to DGCA and Air India here and it was PIA that forked out the cost of the fuel that was needed for both planes. "They did everything," said an Indian official. "We couldn't have asked for more."

The Air India plane AI-940 had landed in deserted Nawabshah airport around 3 am after emergency procedures were set in motion. Air India authorities instantly alerted the foreign office in New Delhi and the Indian high commission in Islamabad.

Foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai spoke to Sharat Sabharwal, India's high commissioner in Islamabad, while senior officials here spoke to Salman Bashir, Pakistan's high commissioner-designate in Delhi. The foreign office in Islamabad was roused as well.

Indian officials involved in the rescue operation said the Pakistani system worked at lightning speed. The DGCA was given speedy flight clearances from Pakistani civil aviation authorities. Their interior ministry even offered to give all 126 passengers and six crew members interim visas for Pakistan if they needed to stay for an extra day while the plane was repaired.

10/07/12 Indrani Bagchi/Times of India

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'False alarm' led AI plane to land in Pakistan: Officials

New Delhi: Air India engineers, who were flown to Nawabshah airport in Pakistan to attend to an Airbus A-319 that had landed under emergency conditions today, have found that the cockpit panel had emitted a "false alarm" about a technical problem.
"There was nothing wrong with the hydraulic system of the aircraft and, apparently the cockpit panel emitted false alarm making red lights to blip," airline officials said here.
"However, even such a technical glitch has to be corrected and that is being done," they said. The officials said the relief Airbus A-320 plane, carrying the 130 stranded passengers and crew of the A-319, had left for Delhi from Nawabshah.
09/07/12 One India

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Air India plane lands in Delhi

Islamabad/Lahore/New Delhi: An Air India relief plane has landed at New Delhi airport with 122 passengers of another flight that made an emergency landing in Pakistan's southern Sindh province early on Monday morning after its alarm light started blipping.
The Air India Airbus A320 sent to pick up the stranded passengers took off from Nawabshah airport in Sindh shortly after 3pm, Pakistani officials said.
A team of engineers flew in on the relief aircraft to repair the Air India plane that made the emergency landing at Nawabshah airport at 3.37am. A team of technical experts from Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority assisting its Indian counterparts.
Earlier in the day, the captain of the Air India flight going from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi sought permission for an emergency landing after emergency light showed a problem with the hydraulic system while in Pakistani airspace.
09/07/12 PTI/Times of India

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Air India plane makes emergency landing in Pakistan

Lahore: A New Delhi-bound Air India airplane made an emergency landing at Nawabshah in southern Sindh on Monday after developing a technical problem with its hydraulic system, an official spokesman said.
All 122 passengers and crew members on board the plane are safe.
The captain of the Airbus aircraft, going from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi, contacted Pakistani authorities and sought permission for an emergency landing after detecting the problem with the hydraulic system, Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Pervez George told PTI.
The plane landed at Nawabshah airport in southern Sindh province at 3. 37 a.m.
In New Delhi, an Air India spokesperson said: “The aircraft was flying over Pakistan air space when the pilot saw a warning light in the cockpit and sought permission to land at the nearest airport which was Nawabshah.”
The captain preferred to have the passengers remain on board the aircraft though Pakistani authorities had offered to allow them to disembark, Mr. George said.
09/07/12 PTI/THe Hindu

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Air India's three Dreamliner aircraft lying idle in US

Uncertainty hangs over when Air India will take delivery of the first of the 27 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft it has ordered, even as three of them are ready and parked in the manufacturer’s plants in the US.
The national carrier is expected to take delivery of the aircraft only after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approves an agreement on the compensation package for Air India from Boeing for a four-year delay in delivery of Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Though a Cabinet note on the issue was moved by the Civil Aviation Ministry several weeks ago, official sources could not confirm by when the matter would be taken up.
The Air India Board had on May 28 approved an agreement with Boeing on the compensation package and forwarded it to the government for approval. Industry sources said any delay in taking delivery of the aircraft could also cost the airline. Globally, the final sale price of an aircraft is decided on the first of every month, after taking into account escalation in terms of depreciation and other factors.
09/07/12 PTI/Business Standard

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Malaysian Airlines to increase frequency in India

Mumbai: Malaysian flag carrier Malaysia Airlines is all set to increase frequency on its India route by offering day time service connecting its India hubs of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad to the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The airline will start these day time flights beginning September 1, it said.
To promote these flights Malysian Airlines is offering special rates for purchase of tickets from its website at discounted rates with an economy seat return fare of Rs 20,611 - Rs 25,816 from India to Malaysia.
The airline currently operates daily flights from Mumbai and other Indian cities. For the benefit of consumers, the new frequencies are timed to offer further improved connectivity options to Australia and New Zealand as well as destinations in the ASEAN countries, the airline said.
09/07/12 Manisha Singhal/Economic Times

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Pratt & Whitney to supply engines for IndiGo aircraft

New Delhi: Engine maker Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp, and IndiGo signed an agreement for PurePower PW1100G-JM engines for the low-cost airline's 150 Airbus A320neo family aircraft. The agreement includes 300 firm PurePower PW1100G-JM engines with additional options and a long-term PureSolution(SM) maintenance agreement, according to a statement. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2015.
As part of this agreement, each IndiGo Airbus A320neo family aircraft will be powered by two PurePower PW1100G-JM engines with benefits including double-digit reductions in fuel burn, environmental emissions, engine noise and operating costs when compared with today's engines, said the statement.
09/07/12 Binoy Prabhakar/Economic Times

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Jet signs agreement with GE on aircraft engine repair

New Delhi: Jet Airways has signed a $150 million agreement with GE Aviation to cover maintenance, repair and overhaul for new engines to be fitted in nine Airbus A-330 aircraft which it would start inducting later this year.
The 10-year ‘OnPointSM solution agreement’ would cover the new CF6-80E engines that would power the nine A-330s, the airline said in a statement on Monday, adding that the agreement was valued at $150 million.
The private carrier already has a similar agreement to maintain, repair and overhaul same engines fitted in ten A 330-200 planes Jet already operates, it said.
09/07/12 PTI/Business Line

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Lufthansa to operate latest Boeing 747-8 aircraft from India

New Delhi: German carrier Lufthansa would operate the latest Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet between Delhi and Frankfurt from next month and from Bengaluru later this year, the airline said today.
Fitted with new Business Class product, the new aircraft would be the second being inducted by the Lufthansa in its fleet, after it deployed the first one on the Frankfurt- Washington route only last month, an airline spokesperson said.
The Boeing 747-8 aircraft, which would start flying on the Frankfurt-Delhi sector from August six, would replace the B 747-400s currently operating on this route.
"Since the beginning of June, Lufthansa's first B 747-8 has been deployed on the Frankfurt-Washington route. The aircraft which will serve the Frankfurt–Delhi route is the second B 747-8 to join our fleet and its delivery was taken a few days ago," she said.
09/07/12 PTI/Business Standard

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Global 6000 flies to India for demo tour

Canada-based Bombardier Aerospace said that its Global 6000 jet world tour has reached India as the aircraft with its new Vision Flight Deck made its South Asia debut. The aircraft landed in Delhi on July 1 and will continue to tour across the country until July 7, 2012.
India is among a number of countries considered by the firm to be key emerging markets for business aviation. The Bombardier Business Aircraft Market Forecast, published in June 2012, predicts business aviation industry deliveries of 1,345 aircraft in India for the 20-year period covering 2012-2031.
09/07/12 Menafn.com

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Air India's three Dreamliner aircraft lying idle in US

New Delhi: Uncertainty hangs over when Air India will take delivery of the first of the 27 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft it has ordered, even as three of them are ready and parked in the manufacturer's plants in the US.
The national carrier is expected to take delivery of the aircraft only after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approves an agreement on the compensation package for Air India from Boeing for a four-year delay in delivery of Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Though a Cabinet note on the issue was moved by the Civil Aviation Ministry several weeks ago, official sources could not confirm by when the matter would be taken up.
The Air India Board had on May 28 approved an agreement with Boeing on the compensation package and forwarded it to the government for approval.
08/07/12 Press Trust of India /Business Standard

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Pilots' Dreamliner dream sours

The Air India-Boeing 787 Dreamliner issue has turned messier. After running into labour problems with its pilots and compensation issues with the aircraft manufacturer for delayed deliveries, the national carrier has now taken a decision that has angered pilots and also raised flight safety questions.
"Air India has asked its pilots, both from the erstwhile Indian Airlines (IC) and Air India (AI), trained to fly the B787, to go back and do a refresher course to fly (old) aircraft," said an airline source. It is a stop-gap arrangement as Air India and Boeing need to sort out the quantum of compensation payable for delayed deliveries. The problem with the decision comes when applied to IC pilots. Unlike AI pilots, who used to fly Boeing aircraft, IC pilots flew Airbus before they underwent B787 training. Unlike AI pilots, IC pilots have refused to go back to flying Airbus, citing flight safety reasons. So, Air India cannot utilize these 32 IC pilots till the Dreamliner joins its fleet, but will have to pay them salaries. The airline did not respond to a questionnaire sent by TOI.
06/07/12 Manju V/Times of India

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Bombardier bets big on Indian skies

India's commercial airlines are in the doldrums and the king of good times on the mat, but if there is one segment in this aviation space that is looking up - it is the private jet space. The worlds third largest private jet maker Bombardier is bullish on India's prospects and feels that Indian billionaires will continue to spend on the good things in life, reports Nayantara Rai of CNBC-TV18.

The Global 6000, is Bombardier's newest business jet. And its trappings are the very best look around and get a feel of a plane that comes with a price tag of USD 62 million. The Montreal-based firm feels that India is just the right market for this expensive ride.

Nilesh Pattanayak, managing director - South Asia, Bombardier Business Aircrafts, says that there are currently 90-100 Bombardier business jets in India, which accounts for 30-40% of the market share.
06/07/12 CNBC-TV18/moneycontrol.com

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India, China will be among core buyers of jet engines at a whopping $ 1,700 bn: Rolls Royce

New Delhi: India and China would be among countries which would constitute the largest market for aircraft engines and their after-sale services, totalling a whopping $ 1,700 billion, over the next two decades, a major manufacturer of jet engines has said.
Delivery of 1,49,000 engines have been forecast over the next 20 years to power 68,000 new aircraft and business jets, London-based airplane engine maker Rolls Royce said in its latest market outlook.
While the engines themselves would be worth $ 975 billion, another $ 700 billion has been estimated as the cost of after-market services, it said.
Noting that fastest growing economies would be in Asia and Middle East, the study said domestic aviation markets in India and China would see a 9.8 per cent and 7.9 per cent per annum growth respectively. Compared to this, mature markets of Europe and North America would grow by 2.5 per cent per year.
06/07/12 PTI/Economic Times

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AISATS to provide ground handling services to Tajik Air

New Delhi: Air India SATS Airport Services (AISATS), a 50:50 joint venture of the national carrier and SATS Limited, has started providing ground handling services to Tajik Air's flights to India from Dushanbe.
Tajik Air, the national carrier of Tajikistan, recently appointed AISATS as its official ground handler at Delhi International Airport. It had launched last week a passenger flight every Friday using a Boeing 737 aircraft.
"We congratulate Tajik Air for commencing their operations in India. We are pleased to provide ground handling services to Tajik Air at Delhi International Airport. We look forward to contributing to the growth of Tajik Air in India and also to the growth of trade and relations between both countries," AISATS CEO Willy Ko said in a statement.
06/07/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

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M&M in talks to acquire stake in Beechcraft: reports

India's biggest utility vehicles maker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd is considering placing a bid for bankrupt aircraft maker Hawker Beechcraft Corporation, in an attempt to further strengthen its aerospace business.
M&M, which had been looking to expand its aerospace business, could explore the possibilities of acquiring the American company, according to various media reports.
Beechcraft, which makes both civilian and military aircraft, and was acquired by investment firms Goldman Sachs and Onex Corp in a leveraged buyout in 2007 for $3.3 billion, had filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 on 3 May.
05/07/12 Domain-B

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Air France eyes more code-share pacts in India

Air France-KLM says India is an important future market for the airline. Pieter De Man, its general manager, Indian Sub Continent, spoke to DNA Money on the carrier’s plans in India, the current turmoil in the sector and the way ahead. Excerpts from the interview:
Tell us more about your presence and outlook about India.
India is a very important future market for us. Thus, we are looking at not only our operations but also partnering with other airlines. We are in discussions for these partnerships, and yes code-share agreements would be the ideal way for this partnership.
04/07/12 Daily News & Analysis

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Posturing, negotiations affecting Boeing S.C.’s first delivery

Negotiations and posturing are affecting the delivery date of the first Lowcountry-built 787 as Air India tries to capitalize from the 787 program’s delays.
Jack Jones, vice president and general manager of Boeing South Carolina, said in April the aerospace giant planned to deliver the first 787 to Air India sometime in June. The Boeing Co. rolled the airplane from its final assembly factory in North Charleston to the flight line on April 27, and since then, Boeing has readied the 787 for delivery.
But Boeing has not announced when it will deliver the plane, and Adam Pilarski attributes the delay to Air India. Pilarski is the senior vice president of Avitas, an aviation consulting firm.
“The airline is kind of notorious for being mismanaged for decades,” Pilarski said, adding Air India is government-owned and “heavily influenced” by politics.
The airline is trying to use 787 program’s delay in deliveries as leverage, he said. Boeing’s 787 program is about three years behind.
“I am not privy to the details of the contract and the negotiation, but India or the government of India is trying to get as much out of Boeing as possible,” Pilarski said.
Some of Air India’s demands — like reports of a $1 billion payment from Boeing — are childish, he said.
“And I think that it’s action by government bureaucrats (who) do not realize how the real world works,” Pilarski said.
The Indian government wants cash, while Boeing may be willing to pay them in discounts for future airplanes, Pilarski said, reiterating he is not involved in the discussions.
02/07/12 Matt Tomsic/Charleston Regional Business Journal

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Global air traffic shows downward trend: IATA

Mumbai: Global air traffic showed a general downward trend in May in tow with the deteriorating global economic condition, with Indian domestic traffic recording a meagre year-on-year rise of 0.1 per cent, indicating a slowing demand.
According to May results of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Indian domestic traffic rose just 0.1 per cent year-over-year but fell 2.7 per cent compared to April.
Besides, the average passenger load factor for Indian airlines stood at 76.8 per cent.
"The airline industry is fragile. Relief in oil prices provides some good news. Unfortunately, the softness in oil markets comes on the back of fears of deterioration in the European economy," said Tony Tyler, IATA's Director General and CEO.
03/07/12 One India

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Boeing hikes 20-year market forecast

US planemaker Boeing hiked its 20-year market forecast, predicting demand for 34,000 new aircraft worth $4.5 trillion, on growth in emerging regions and as airlines seek efficient new planes to counter high fuel costs.
Many airlines are facing tough conditions as consumers and businesses in austerity-hit regions cut back on travel, while high fuel prices are taking their toll on profit.
Boeing said on Tuesday the market for new planes would become more geographically balanced over the next two decades, with the Asia-Pacific region leading the way in deliveries, as markets like China and India continued to grow.
The company had last year forecast demand for 33,500 new passenger aircraft and freighters worth $4 trillion by 2030.
“Robust growth in China, India and other emerging markets is a major factor in the increased deliveries over the next 20 years,” Boeing said.
03/07/12 Reuters/Khaleej Times

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India, China to drive growth in new airplanes delivery: Boeing

New Delhi: Robust growth in India and China along with other emerging markets will be the major factor behind the increased delivery of new airplanes over the next 20 years. In addition to this, low cost carriers, with their ability to stimulate traffic with low fares, are growing faster than the market as a whole, leading to a strong demand to replace older, less fuel-efficient airplanes.
The Boeing 2012 Current Market Outlook released on Tuesday projects a $4.5 trillion market for 34,000 new airplanes over the next 20 years as the current world fleet doubles in size. The market for new airplanes is set to become more geographically balanced in the next two decades. Asia-Pacific, including India and China, will continue to lead the way in total airplane deliveries.
“It’s incredible to see just how much air travel has changed since I took my first flight back in 1977, says Randy Tinseth, Vice-President, Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
03/07/12 The Hindu

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Mihin Lanka’s direct flight to Madurai in Sept

Madurai: Mihin Lanka Airlines will be commencing its flight service in the Madurai-Colombo sector in the first week of September.
Mr Jegatheesan, President, Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Mr S. Rethinavelu, senior President of the chamber, in a statement said that while the operation is subject to availability of aircraft, the same will not be delayedin any case, not later than November this year. The service will be thrice a week — Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
03/07/12 Business Line

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Two teenagers accuse airline of ill-treatment

Mumbai: Imagine being stranded at an overseas airport with little or no money in the dead of the night. Two city-based teenagers, who were returning from Germany after an 11-month youth exchange programme, had to go through this ordeal recently. Aavrutti Sharma and Divya Garg (both 17), have accused Lufthansa of being inconsiderate toward them, despite the two being minors.
Aavrutti and Divya had booked their tickets for Mumbai on Austrian Airlines but since the airliner had suspended its operations to India, they were transferred to Lufthansa.
According to the two girls, their trouble began when they arrived at Frankfurt airport around 1.10 pm on June 22 to board flight (LH-756) departing at 1.30 pm. "They told us we were late but we saw a man go through the boarding gate after us. They were extremely rude to us," alleged Aavrutti. "They were asked to buy tickets worth 400 euros each. The airline staff should have had the courtesy to speak to their guardians over the phone," said Aavrutti's mother Vidyottama.
03/07/12 Mumbai Mirror

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'Live, pregnant cargo' puts airport authorities to test

Chandigarh: An unusual cargo had the authorities at the Amritsar international airport on their toes, which was to be put on a specially chartered flight. Ten buffaloes from Punjab, all pregnant, were delicately lifted into specially-made crates, to be transported to United Arab Emirates on behalf of a Dubai-based importer, H H Sheikh.
Visitors at the airport were treated to a rare sight as the jet-black buffaloes, with a red band around their necks, slogged from one counter to another, on their one-way journey to the foreign land.
The buffaloes, all of high-yielding variety, were handpicked by an expert group sent by the Sheikh, reportedly for the presidential house in UAE.
Transporting such a bulky cargo, each weighing about 500 kg, yet delicate on account of pregnancy, had the airport officials in a tizzy.
A specially-chartered plane of Air Shagun transported the buffaloes from Guru Ramdass International Airport, Amritsar.
03/07/12 Priya yadav/Times of India

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Scorpion stings man, delays flight

Chennai: A scorpion sting made the travel plans of a Bahrain-bound passenger go awry, and delayed a Gulf Air flight for more than 30 minutes at the Chennai airport on Sunday.
As D Vidyasagar, 47, buckled his seat belt and settled down for the four-hour flight, he did not know what was in store. The plane, with 216 passengers, started to taxi at 9.30pm when he felt a searing pain on his right hand and was shocked to see a scorpion crawl out of his shirt. It stung once again, this time on his thumb.
This triggered a commotion on board as passengers detected the scorpion and killed it. As Vidyasagar felt uneasy, the airline crew did not want to take a chance. The pilot was informed, the plane was stopped and pushed back and the passenger deplaned and moved to the airport's medical centre.
03/07/12 Times of India

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Tiger Airways to start Singapore-Hyderabad flights from Sept28

Hyderabad: Singapore-based carrier Tiger Airways Monday said it would start operations to Hyderabad from September 28.
According to a release issued by the airline, it would operate flights between Hyderabad and Singapore five times a week.
This addition marks the sixth Indian destination for the airline after Bangalore, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Tiruchirapalli, the release said.
02/07/12 PTI/ZeeNews

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