Jet Airways-Etihad set to miss deal closure deadline

Mumbai: The Jet Airways-Etihad deal is likely  to miss its transaction closure deadline in the absence of  various regulatory approvals. In April the two airlines signed the deal under which Abu Dhabi based Etihad agreed to pick up 24% stake in Jet Airways.
 The agreement has a clause called the 'long stop date'  which stipulates that all regulatory approvals will be secured by July 31. The approvals are necessary for the conclusion of the transaction. While both the sides can extend the deadline,  the agreement also allows for termination of the deal if the conditions precedent (regulatory approvals) are not met.
 The Rs 2060 crore deal and the allotment of additional traffic rights to Abu Dhabi  has turned controversial.  Opposition MPs and politicians including Janata Party chief  Subramanian Swamy has demanded that additional traffic rights be scrapped and  regulators are seeking a revision in the agreement  as it confers too many powers to Etihad.
 The agreement requires approval from Securities and Exchange Board of India, Competition Commission of India, Foreign Investment Promotion Board and finally Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs. So far the airlines have not secured approval from any of them.
15/07/13 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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Low-cost carrier AirAsia to start India operations later this year

Chennai: Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia today said its Indian operations should begin later this year with three aircraft for the southern region and it would also look at setting up some ancillary businesses in the country.
"I have always said we will start in the fourth quarter. People said September, October whatever. I hope we start this year. It is not about when we start. It is about we start it right. I mean no rush," AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes told reporters on his maiden visit to Chennai.
AirAsia has formed a joint venture with Tata Sons and Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace with 49:30:21 holding to start its India operations.
Stating that his dream was to offer flight connectivity to every individual, Fernandes said: "I want to make sure everyone can fly. I want make sure someone who has taken a train for nine hours, can now fly for 45 minutes, for some one who took four days to come to Chennai, to do it in three hours. Thats my dream."
30/06/13 PTI/Economic Times

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AirAsia to start India ops with 3 aircraft later this year

Chennai: Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia on Saturday said its Indian operations should begin later this year with three aircraft for the southern region and it would also look at setting up some ancillary businesses in the country.
"I have always said we will start in the fourth quarter. People said September, October whatever. I hope we start this year. It is not about when we start. It is about we start it right. I mean no rush," AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes told reporters on his maiden visit to Chennai.
AirAsia has formed a joint venture with Tata Sons and Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace with 49:30:21 holding to start its India operations.
"We haven't got the approvals yet and I still believe we can start this year. May be September is a bit ambitious. I do not want to commit a date. Really, it is on the hands of the regulators to give us all the approvals. We are at the NOC stage. The key one is NOC. No, we have not get the NOC. It is with the Union Home Ministry."
AirAsia is expected to bring in competitive pricing in the Indian aviation market with its "nano" airfares. To a particular query, Fernandes said Air Asia India will be the "Chennai SuperKings of cost" in offering airline services.
29/06/13 ZeeNews

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AirAsia bets on getting cost structure right in India

Chennai:  Tony Fernandes, the CEO of Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia, has faulted poor cost management for India's aviation industry failures and said it's something his airline would get right.
AirAsia, in a tie-up with the Tatas and Telestra Tradeplace, is getting ready to launch its Indian operations. "We hope to start this year," said Fernandes, addressing mediapersons in Chennai on Saturday. It is awaiting the no-objection certificate as well as the air operator's certificate.
AirAsia, which has made the low-cost model a success in South East Asia, is coming to India at a time when the industry here has been incurring heavy losses. "If you cannot make an airline work with 1.2 billion people, there is something really wrong," he said.
29/06/13 Economic Times

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Tier-II cities to be linked to Asia

Chennai: "We will offer discretionary pricing for every extra bag one carries, seat he chooses or food he wants and that will take care of the cheap pricing of the ticket," Tony Fernandes, CEO of Air Asia claims.
The man with over 9,000 employees claims to have managed his people without any union by keeping it open. "We saw closed cabins brewing groups between pilots, engineers, cabin crews etc. So we broke them down to have an single open office with the liberty to walk into my cabin at their will," he says.
 The man, who switched career from music record sales to aviation, believes in doing things differently - be it choosing an Indian CEO from a non-aviation background or from desisting to fly to top traffic destinations in India such as Mumbai or Delhi.
 Air Asia's Indian venture, set to go live from Chennai by the end of this year, plans to fly short-haul flights to all tier-II cities across Tamil Nadu and others, initially starting with three flights from Chennai.
30/06/13 Asian Age

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PMO seeks clarification on Jet-Etihad deal

New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office has sought clarifications from ministries concerned, including Commerce and Industry, on the proposed Rs 2,058 crore Jet- Etihad deal.
The deal, largest foreign investment proposal in the aviation sector, is facing regulatory hurdles with various ministries raising major concerns over the ultimate control of Jet Airways post transaction.
Government sources said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has sought clarifications on the Jet Airways selling stake to Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways from ministries and departments concerned including Commerce and Industry, Civil Aviation and Corporate Affairs.
However, nature of the clarifications sought could not be immediately ascertained.
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), which clears FDI proposals, on June 14 had deferred a decision on the deal citing control and ownership issues.
30/06/13 PTI/ZeeNews

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Flyers spend 2 hours inside AI plane

Mumbai: The passengers of Air India AI 330 to Bangkok were left seething when their 2am flight was delayed on Saturday and no reasonable explanation was offered. An alternative plane was later provided and it took off three hours later.
"Minutes after we boarded, we were told that the plane had developed a snag and the flight would be delayed," said a passenger requesting anonymity. "We were assured that the snag would be rectified in 15 minutes," he added. However, the passengers ended up spending two hours inside the aircraft.
They were then informed that another aircraft had been arranged and they would be shifted to it.
30/06/13 Times of India

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Aussies to fly direct to Delhi

Australians will be able to fly direct to India's second largest city as part of a new route that's also aimed at boosting local tourism.
The new route will see Air India fly a daily triangulated service from New Delhi to Australia via Sydney and Melbourne alternately.
Services are expected to start on August 29.
NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says India is an important market for NSW.
Since 2008, visitor numbers from India to NSW have increased by over a third.
"Visitors from India are choosing Sydney and NSW as their holiday destination for many reasons," the premier said.
30/06/13 AAP/The Australian

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Aircraft tyres burst after landing at IGIA, all passengers safe

New Delhi: Emergency services were put in place at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday evening, after a pilot flying a SriLankan Airlines flight informed the air traffic controller (ATC) that the flight could not land due to a suspected a rear tyre burst.
With 170 passengers on board, all of whom escaped unhurt, the flight finally landed an hour behind schedule. Passengers were made to deboard on the taxiway itself.
A team of engineers was examining the aircraft, which was to be towed to the parking bay. An inquiry into the incident has been ordered.
Airport sources said the flight UL 195 from Colombo to New Delhi was scheduled to land at 5.50 pm. Sources said the pilot informed the ATC, minutes before landing, that he suspected that the tyre had burst and that it wasn't possible to land the aircraft.
30/06/13 Indian Express

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AirAsia to start India operations later this year

Chennai: Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia today said its Indian operations should begin later this year with flights for southern region and the company would also look at setting up some ancillary businesses in the country.
"We are hopeful of starting Indian operations later this year with three aircraft serving Southern region," AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes told reporters here.
The airline would expand its services to other parts of the country in the second stage, he said.
AirAsia would also look at setting up ancillary services like air travel insurance and duty free shops in the country, said Fernandes who came to Chennai this morning.
AirAsia has already put in place a strong leadership team for its India operations, which is a joint venture with Tatas and Telestra Tradeplace.
29/06/13 PTI/Business Standard

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There are no true low cost airlines in India: AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandez

AirAsia's group CEO Tony Fernandez is on a mission to India to sensitise and educate Indian policy makers about the airline's low cost model and ways to stimulate the Indian aviation sector. But India has a fair share of low cost airlines. Ask him this and he vehemently disagrees.
"There are no true low cost airlines in India," he says. Deccan Airways came closest to having the right model. It got its pricing right but failed in having the right cost structure.
"The aviation sector in India has not changed over the years. It has either remained stagnant or slid backwards. Look at how vibrant Indian economy is but the aviation sector has not grown," he points out.
He plans to share AirAsia's experience with the various state governments to stimulate the market in India.
29/06/13 N Madhavan/India Today

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Close shave for passengers of Sri Lankan Airline flight

New Delhi: Passengers onboard a Sri Lankan Airline plane had a miraculous escape today when two tyres of the aircraft burst after landing at the IGI airport here.
The incident took place at around 6.55 PM when Sri Lankan Airline flight (UL 195), with over 70 passengers and crew onboard from Colombo, landed after second attempt, airport sources said.
The pilots had aborted their first attempt of landing due to turbulence caused by the crosswinds at the airport and the air traffic control tower asked them to take a go-around for the second attempt, they said.
As soon as the flight landed and was on taxiway, the pilots messaged the ATC tower about some technical problem saying the brakes of the aircraft had failed.
29/06/13 PTI/Business Standard

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On the same plane: Jet Airways and Etihad working on standard interiors

Even as Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways waits for government and regulatory approvals to purchase 24% in Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways, the two airlines have begun work on cementing the alliance and accruing value from it. The two airlines are working towards offering a standard interior product for their long-haul flights.  The process of standardising the interiors for long-haul operations is likely to begin with the Boeing 787s, which Jet Airways will start getting from next year. As part of the plan, Jet's 787 Dreamliners will have interiors fitted by B/E Aerospace, which is supplying the same interiors to Etihad's incoming fleet of 787s and its European partner airberlin.
"Further collaboration will include sharing the 787 simulator in Abu Dhabi and sharing maintenance facilities over there," said a person in the know. "These facilities will be in addition to the network and planning office that Jet plans to have in Abu Dhabi."  Sharing the simulator for the Boeing 787 in Abu Dhabi would mean that Jet Airways would need to send its pilots to the UAE for training to fly the Dreamliners.
29/06/13 Debabrata Das/Indian Express

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Air India signs OnPoint solutions overhaul engine agreement with GE for 96 CFM56 engines

Mumbai: Air India has signed an OnPoint solutions overhaul engine services agreement with GE Aviation for material related to the maintenance, repair and overhaul of its 96 CFM56-5B engines that power its Airbus A320 aircraft fleet, as per a release. “GE and Air India have a strong relationship that spans over 30 years. We are honoured by the confidence that Air India has reposed in us and we look forward to bringing high quality Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) work scoping, parts and component repair to its CFM56 5B engine fleet,” said Nalin Jain, CEO GE Aviation, South Asia. OnPoint solutions are customised service agreements tailored to the operational and financial needs of each customer for the fleet size. These agreements are designed to help lower the customers’ cost of ownership and maximise the use of their assets.
29/06/13 TravelBizMonitor

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AirAsia revises Kolkata-Bangkok flight schedule

Chennai: Budget airline AirAsia Thursday revised the schedule of its daily Kolkata-Bangkok flight that will come into effect from July 15.
A statement issued by the airline said its daily Kolkata-Bangkok flight (FD 2672) has been rescheduled to depart Kolkata at 1:45 a.m. and arrive in Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport at 5.55 a.m. from July 15.
"Meanwhile, daily flights from Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport to Kolkata (FD 2671) will depart at 12:05 a.m. and arrive in Kolkata at 1:15 a.m., allowing passengers to enjoy a full day in Bangkok before catching their flight back to India," the statement said.
27/06/13 NY Daily News

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AirAsia reschedules Kolkata-Bangkok flights

Kolkata: AirAsia has rescheduled its Kolkata-Bangkok daily flight with effect from July 15.
While the Bangkok-bound flight will depart Kolkata at 1.45 a.m. to reach Don Mueang International Airport at 5.55 a.m. (Bangkok time), the Kolkata-bound flight will leave Bangkok at 00.05 a.m. and arrive here at 1.15 a.m. (Indian time), according to a release.
Previously, it was an afternoon flight from Kolkata at 12.45 p.m. The return flight from Bangkok was at 11 a.m.
27/06/13 Business Line

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Foreign national held for bid to smuggle gold ornaments

Chennai: A Malaysian national was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle over two kg of gold ornaments, worth Rs 56 lakh, from the international airport here, airport sources said today. The accused, identified as Kutti Appan, was arrested by the customs officials after it was found that he had concealed the ornaments in his suitcase, the sources said.
27/06/13 PTI/Business Standard

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Accelya Kale to manage financial processes for Air Seychelles

Mumbai:  Accelya Kale Solutions Ltd today said it has bagged a contract to manage critical financial processes for Air Seychelles.
The company (formerly Kale Consultants) is part of the Accelya Group, a leading solutions provider to the airline and travel industry.
The national carrier of Seychelles has outsourced its passenger revenue accounting, cargo revenue accounting, airmail revenue accounting and miscellaneous (non-transport) billing to Accelya Kale, the company said in a release here.
26/06/13 PTI/Economic Times

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Aviation ministry not keen on 74% FDI in domestic airlines

New Delhi: Reluctance on the part of the civil aviation ministry is likely to scuttle the finance ministry's plans to raise the FDI cap in domestic airlines to 74% from 49% at present.
While a panel headed by department of economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram has recommended that the sectoral FDI cap for domestic airlines be raised to 74%, the civil aviation ministry is not keen on the proposal as it has not received any such request from the industry and also because a number of changes in the regulations and policies would be required to implement such a proposal.
"Apart from changes in the civil aviation regulations, to raise the cap to 74%, we would also need to shift towards an 'open skies' policy and that would take a lot of time," said a senior aviation ministry official. "We have not yet received any request from the industry to raise the cap, so we are not sure how this would help the industry. We are not keen on raising the FDI cap immediately."
26/06/13 Arup Roychoudhury/Debabrata Das/Indian Express

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Air pockets in bilateral agreements

The civil aviation ministry's policy on bilateral seat-sharing agreements with other governments flies in the face of logic and consistency. Here's why.
In May, it granted Abu Dhabi a four-fold increase in seat capacity over three years ostensibly to help Indian consumers and teach Indian carriers to compete.
In June, ministry officials said similar requests by other countries and their carriers, notably Dubai and Qatar (for Doha), to expand their capacity into India would be on hold till at least November or next year. The reason? To protect domestic Indian carriers!
The fact that the civil aviation ministry can use the same logic to expand seat-sharing agreements in one case and decline to do so in another acquires a different perspective if we consider a parallel development. The same days as India generously granted Abu Dhabi almost 40,000 additional seats, India's largest private airline Jet Airways announced that it had sold a 24 per cent stake to that emirates' national carrier, Etihad.
Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh was transparent in admitting that the expansion in seat capacity to Abu Dhabi was allowed to help an Indian carrier, Jet Airways, which wanted to expand capacity and use Abu Dhabi as a hub to fly to the US and Europe. At the same time, he admonished state-owned Air India, for whom West Asia is a big market, for complaining. He argued that Air India has very limited operations today on this route, so passengers would suffer if more seats were not available.
25/06/13 Surajeet Das Gupta/Business Standard

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Overload of foreign nationals on boards may ground Jet-Etihad deal

New Delhi: The civil aviation ministry has objected to the large presence of foreign nationals or nominees of Etihad on the key boards and committees of Jet Airways, adding another bit of complication to the largest foreign investment by an airline in India.
The ministry headed by Ajit Singh, which had lobbied hard for foreign direct investment for Indian carriers, has objected to the structure of the revised shareholders agreement submitted by Jet and Etihad recently and fears that Etihad will have control of operations, which is not in keeping with the country's civil aviation rules and regulations.
The objections could end up complicating matters for Jet-Etihad as the ministry has been one of the few vocal supporters of the $379-million (Rs 2,190-crore) deal announced in April this year.
26/06/13 Anindya Upadhyay/Economic Times

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Saudi Arabian Airlines fires 43 employees from Mumbai airport

Mumbai: Saudi Arabian Airlines has told 43 permanent employees at the Mumbai airport that June 30 will be their last day at work.
"On May 1, out of the 65 employees that Saudi Arabian Airlines employs in Mumbai airport, 43 were asked to take Voluntary Severance Scheme. We were initially given a deadline of 15 May to quit, but only three applied for the scheme and so the deadline was extended to 23 May, but the response was again poor. Now if by June 30 we do not apply for the scheme, the airline has said, we will be thrown out," said Umesh Parulekar, who works as a security controller with Saudi Airlines.
"Under this scheme, we have been offered 45 days' salary. It is unfair as these are permanent employees employed with the airline for the last 18-20 years," he added.
The employees have taken the matter to the labour commissioner. The airline's defense is that the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, India's aviation security regulator has asked them to hand over security job functions to an Indian carrier.
26/06/13 Manju V/Times of India

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Rs 17 lakh worth memory cards seized at Hyderabad airport

Hyderabad: Customs sleuths arrested a Chennai-based passenger who landed at the RGI Airport from Dubai for trying to smuggle Rs 17 lakh worth memory cards and rhodium liquid on Monday night.
Acting on specific alert, officials of Air Intelligence Unit intercepted Abdul Haleeth, a resident of Villupuram in Tamil Nadu, who arrived here from Dubai in an Emirates flight (EK 528) at the exit gate of the customs area on Monday night.
Haleeth opted for the 'Green Channel', which is meant for passengers not in possession of any dutiable goods. When questioned by the customs officers, Haleeth denied carrying any dutiable goods.
26/06/13 Times of India

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Dubai foils bid to smuggle 2kg of narcotics bound for India

Customs officers at Dubai international airport detected 2 kgs of crystal methamphetamine hidden in secret pockets in a bag belonging to an African passenger on a multi-transit destinations flight starting from Nigeria and ending in India via Ethiopia and Dubai, Dubai Customs has said in a statement.
The move came as part of Dubai Customs' consistent efforts to counter international smuggling operations of narcotic drugs.
Ali Al Maqhawi, Director of Airport Operations at Dubai Customs, said that customs officers at Terminal 1 of Dubai International Airport were suspicious of a bag passing over inspection belts coming from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa without being collected by a passenger.
26/06/13 Indian Express

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Gulf carriers look east for new alliances

Everyone knew that when the Indian aviation sector opened up, there would be a rush of airlines willing to invest in the country. Despite all the red tape and bureaucracy, India represents a potential passenger market of 1.2 billion people. Many of them increasingly spending on travelling due to the higher amounts of disposable incomes. And the Gulf carriers are no different.
Indian carriers are also increasingly vying for investments from foreign entitites as they seek to break out of a rut they have been stuck in for a while. That of not making large profits and being bogged down by limited bilateral relations that restrict the number of flights they can operate outside the country. And if Jet Airways can sell a stake, one cannot disregard the smaller fish in the sea.
How all this will play out eventually is difficult to determine. The Indian market has increasingly been opening up for foreign investors and despite the demonstrations and protests from the small-scale industries, the government is letting in big retailers set up shop in the country. Some argue that the Indian market is big enough for everyone to make a profit and that traditional models of shopping will ensure that the smaller retailers are protected in the long run.
25/06/13  Ruchi Shroff/Arabain Business.com

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Sebi to have final say in Jet-Etihad deal: Arvind Mayaram

New Delhi:  The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) will go by market regulator Sebi's verdict on whether effective control and management was being passed on to Etihad post its buyout of 24% in Jet airways. This will ensure that there is no further debate on the issue once Sebi takes a stand. "We would be writing to Sebi in a day or two. We are asking them to clarify if they are seized of the matter concerning effective control and management. Rather than asking the investor to justify its point to two agencies, it's better that only one agency takes the call," said Arvind Mayaram, secretary, department of economic affairs, who also chairs the inter-ministerial body that clears foreign investment proposals. Mayaram said Sebi's response on the issue would then be put up before the FIPB which will meet after four weeks. The FIPB had on June 14 deferred a decision on the Jet-Etihad proposal due to lack of clarity over the level of control exercised by the Gulf investor and the ownership structure of the company post the transaction. The decision was based on a specific provision laid down in the FDI policy. The FDI policy, specified in Press Note 6, says that a scheduled operator's permit can be granted only to a company that is registered and has its principal place of business within India and whose chairman and at least two-thirds of directors are citizens of India.
25/06/13 Deepshikha Sikarwar/Economic Times

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Jet to submit revised deal with Etihad for FIPB nod

Mumbai: Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways, which is awaiting regulatory approvals to offload 24 per cent stake to the Gulf carrier Etihad Airways, is likely to submit a revised deal to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board shortly, sources said.
"The airline has already submitted the amended deal with Etihad to market regulator Sebi and competition watchdog CCI. It is expected to submit the same to the FIPB shortly," sources close to the development said here today.
Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) which comes under the finance ministry had deferred a decision on the Jet proposal at its meeting last week and reportedly sought more clarity on the ownership structure and the level of control to be exercised by the Gulf carrier.
24/06/13 PTI/Times of India

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AirAsia chief likely to meet Aviation Minister next week

Mumbai: With his proposed budget airline still awaiting nod from the Civil Aviation Ministry, AirAsia group chief executive Tony Fernandes may call on Union Minister Ajit Singh next week when he visits the country.  
AirAsia India can seek flying licence only after it gets the go-ahead from the Union Home and Aviation Ministries.
     "I am coming to India next week-end," Mr Fernandes told PTI in a text message.    
This will be Mr Fernandes's first visit after his company joined hands with the Tata Group and Arun Bhatia of Telestra TradePlace to launch a low-cost airline in a 49:30:21 partnership.
24/06/13 PTI/NDTV.com

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Family members gather to remember Air India victims

Vancouver: As she stood in front of the memorial wall Sunday that bears her husband Sam’s name, Perviz Madon tried to explain what it is like to mark yet another anniversary of the 1985 Air India bombing.
“Days before it, months before it, you just kind of think of June 23rd,” she said after a memorial service in Stanley Park. “I have lived more without Sam than I lived with him.”
She is still frustrated that only one man, Inderjit Singh Reyat, has been convicted in the bombing that left 329 dead and Madon a young widow with two small children.
Others at the gathering also expressed frustration at the fact that other suspects linked to the bombing have never been convicted.
Former MLA Dave Hayer, whose father Tara was on the Air India witness list when he was shot to death in 1998, said “we must make sure other people get convicted. It is not acceptable that just one person got convicted.”
NDP leader Adrian Dix also addressed the crowd, saying he has drawn inspiration from the courage of victim’s families, including his wife Renee Saklikar, who lost her aunt Zeb and uncle Umar Jethwa in the bombing.
The service was organized by Major Sidhu, who lost his sister Sukhwinder and her two children, 10-year-old daughter Parminder and son Kuldip, 9, in the bombing.
Khalsa Diwan Society leader Sohan Deo said the community gathered at the society’s south Vancouver temple earlier Sunday to mark the anniversary and remember the victims.
Air India flight 182, en route from Canada to India, exploded off the coast of Ireland after a suitcase bomb that was made in B.C. detonated aboard.
23/06/13 Kim Bolan/Vancouver Sun

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ACC defends report on airport privatisation deal as Sheikh Imran insinuates bribery from GMR

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has issued a press statement defending its investigative report of the airport privatisation deal signed by the previous government, harshly condemning “false and misleading” remarks by politicians of government-aligned parties.
On June 17, the ACC released a 61-page investigative report concluding that there was no corruption in the awarding of a concession agreement to a consortium of Indian infrastructure giant GMR and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) to develop and manage the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).
The report was met with strong criticism and bribery allegations from parties in the government coalition.
Insisting that the government’s stand would not change as a result of the ACC findings, President’s Office Spokesperson Masood Imad told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that “if there is a reasonable cause of doubt, this report can be contested by some parties.’’
24/06/13 Ahmed Naish/Minivan News

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Rafales to touch Indian sky in 2016

Bangalore: With the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Dassault Aviation ironing out differences over the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), the supply of the Rafale aircraft is expected to begin in 2016-17.
According to a report in US-based Defense Update — a portal on military technology and defence news — French defence minister Jean-Yves Drain will visit India soon to conclude the MMRCA contract so that the supply of the first batch of aircraft can begin in 2016-17.
During the on-going Paris Air Show, HAL brass met with the top executives of Dassault Aviation to review the progress of the ongoing projects. “Both the teams expressed satisfaction on the work already achieved by the integrated teams and renewed their commitment towards successful completion of the various projects,” said a recent statement from HAL.
24/06/13 Daily News & Analysis

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The high-fliers

Toulouse: A bunch of bright young people have put their own spin on innovations and technologies that can offer solutions to deal with challenges in the aerospace sector. The ideas came up as part of Fly Your Ideas, a contest floated by Airbus, one of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers. Fly Your Ideas is Airbus' way of giving the younger generation a chance to come up with out-of-the-box ideas that could revolutionize the way the aviation industry works. "With the contest we look to create sustainable solutions for the future," says Vicky Runchie, project leader for the contest. "We have multiple objectives which include focused research and development, new business models, better traffic management, meeting tough emission targets, protecting nature and nurturing future talent. The main idea being to reach out and connect with young talent," she adds. The teams selected this year include: India (Team Avas from SRM University, Chennai ), Italy (Team Flybrid, Technical University of Milan), Brazil (Team Levar, University of Sao Paulo), Australia (Team CLiMA, Royal Melbourne Institute of Milan Italy) and Malaysia (Team Embarker, Universiti Putra Malaysia), who headed to Toulouse in France for the finals where they presented their ideas before a jury of six at the Airbus A380 final assembly line.
24/06/13 Sangeetha Nambiar/Times of India

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Jet starts seven flights a week between Kochi and Kuwait

Dubai:  Seven flights in a week from Kochi to Kuwait have been started by Jet Airways via the Abu Dhabi International Airport, officials said.
The airline currently operates 11 direct flights in a week between Mumbai and Abu Dhabi and another seven direct flights a week between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi.
According to officials the new route will operate Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) aircraft with 170 seats.
"We are delighted to see that our airline partners are expanding their services to meet growing demand from passengers. This new route provides a vital connection between two markets that are important for Abu Dhabi-- India and Kuwait," said Ahmad Al Haddabi, Chief Operations Officer at - Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC).
24/06/13 Economic Times

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Indigo's former COO appointed eJet CEO

Maryland, USA-based aircraft maintenance services firm eJet Aviation Holdings Inc said it appointed Steven Harfstas as director, president and chief executive officer of both eJet Aviation Holdings and its eJet Services Inc subsidiary.
Harfst was most recently president & chief operating officer of Velos Aviation an aircraft leasing and brokerage company.
A former United States Naval Aviator, he previously has served as COO of North American Airlines, CEO of USA3000 Airlines and COO of IndiGo Airlines.
24/06/13 financial news.co.uk

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Hindu Prayer Room urged for Frankfurt Airport

Nevada: A US based Hindu group has urged for a “Hindu Prayer Room” at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in Germany, which is one of the world’s ten largest airports.
FRA already has Christian chapel as well as Jewish, Muslim, and Orthodox prayer rooms. “The prayer and worship rooms at the airport let you escape all the hustle and bustle and find peace and quiet for praying or meditating,” FRA website says.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) on Monday, said that lot of Hindu passengers daily used FRA and it would be nice if they had a quiet facility at the airport where they could pray/meditate/worship and perform religious services.
24/06/13 India Blooms

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Bomb hoax forces KL flight to land in Mumbai

Mumbai: Exactly a month after it was forced to return after taking off for Muscat International Airport following a bomb threat, Oman Air flight WY823, which was on its way to Kuala Lumpur from Muscat on Saturday had to make an emergency landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) following a similar bomb threat.
One of the airline’s officials in Oman received a call stating that the aircraft had bombs in it and would explode midair. Since the nearest airport was CSIA, after getting the requisite nod from ATC officials, the aircraft made an emergency landing here at 1.47pm.
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), fire brigade vehicles, medical and security agencies were already waiting on the runway. After an intensive six hour search by the BDDS, no explosive was found and security officials declared the call a hoax. Since it was a specific threat call, passengers who had been deplaned were also put through checks, including their hand and checked-in baggage. The aircraft was carrying 215 passengers and 11 crew members.
23/06/13 Daily News & Analysis   

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Jet Airways offers new route via Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Airports Company announced on Sunday that Jet Airways has commenced seven new flights a week between Kochi and Kuwait, via Abu Dhabi International Airport.
The airline currently operates 11 direct flights a week between Mumbai and Abu Dhabi and another seven direct flights a week between Delhi and Abu Dhabi. The new route operates a Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft with 170 seats.
23/06/13 Gulf News

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C-130J makes Herculean task easy

New Delhi:  In an innovative step, the IAF on Saturday established an aviation fuel supply bridge at Dharasu in Uttarakhand to give greater impetus to the rescue operations, which were being severely restricted because of unavailability of aviation fuel.
The first C-130J Super Hercules from the Hindon airbase landed at Dharasu, an advanced landing ground with an airstrip only 1300 feet long, early on Saturday for the first time despite inclement weather.
"On landing, the aircraft defuelled 8,000 litres of fuel into an empty bowser (a tanker containing fuel for aircraft) which had been airlifted on Friday from Sarsawa by a Mi-26 heavy-lift helicopter. With the availability of additional fuel now at Dharasu, rescue operations have picked up pace and helicopters are now able to make more sorties," said IAF spokesperson Squadron Leader Priya Joshi. Apart from carrying fuel to Dharasu, the first C-130J on its return trip carried about 40 and the second aircraft about 100 injured and stranded pilgrims to the Hindon airbase. An emergency medical centre has been set up at Hindon to tend to people arriving on board the aircraft.
23/06/13 Times of India

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Air India to link Delhi-Birmingham from Aug 1

New Delhi: Air India has announced that it will start its return flights from Delhi to Birmingham from August 1.The flight, which will be operated with the Boeing 787 aircraft will operate on Monday,Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
23/06/13 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line

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Eurocopter and Ramco sign partnership agreement

Chennai:  Helicopter maker Eurocopter has announced its global partnership with Ramco Systems, an aviation software provider on cloud, mobile and tablets. Both companies will join to offer helicopter maintenance software which will ease the life of operators and maintenance centers.
This partnership agreement, formally signed at the 2013 Paris Air Show, enables Eurocopter and Ramco Systems to offer additional mobility and functionality for the collection and treatment of MRO-related data, thereby providing highly effective and cost-efficient fleet management services that are affordable and user friendly for all operators - including those with smaller numbers of helicopters.
"Ramco's cloud-based maintenance software solution is an outstanding addition to our service offering," said Matthieu Louvot, Senior Vice President of support and services at Euroopter. "The partnership will bring us closer to our customers' maintenance operations, enabling us to offer them the best quality of service."
23/06/13 Ishan Srivastava/Times of India

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AirAsia India urged to start operations from Surat

Surat: When Tata Nano arrived in Sanand, the first lot of the cheapest car was delivered in the hometown of the Tatas in Navsari.
With the Tata Group chairman emeritus, Ratan Tata taking over as the chief advisor to the board of AirAsia India, a joint venture between the group, the Malaysian low cost carrier, and Telstra Tradeplace, members of We Want A Working Airport at Surat (WWWAS) have urged leaders of the Parsi community to approach him to commence operations from Surat.
WWWAS members said AirAsia India is expected to be launched in the coming months with aviation minister Ajit Singh recently saying that the final nod will be given as soon as the home ministry gives its security clearance. The company has already begun the recruitment process of the employees on its fleet of aircraft.
23/06/13 Melvyn Reggie Thomas/Times of India

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Man jailed after 'boxed' travel to US

If you ask US deportee Dinesh Patel, Kevi Rite Jaish, he will tell you Avi Rite — from Mehsana to Mumbai to Mexico and then to the United States, the land of dreams, by a container.
After working for a few years, an accident forced him to lose his job and shatter his dreams. And, Patel was back to square one. He was detained by the intelligence bureau (IB) of airport immigration at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday night.
With the help of an agent in Mumbai and on a fake passport, Patel was able to reach the US via Mexico. Then he managed an original passport with the help of the same agent but could not muster the courage to come to India. Finally, Patel approached immigration officials at the Indian in embassy in the US and managed to return home. But he was arrested by IB officials and handed over to Sardarnagar police station.
“We have arrested Dinesh Patel when he arrived last night as his passport had only one entry of departure from USA. It did not have any entry seal. During interrogation, he narrated the entire episode on illegal immigration. So, we have arrested him and handed him over to the local police,” said Deepak Kumar, an IB officer at the airport.
22/06/13 Ritesh Shah/Daily News & Analysis

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Govt mulls tax on flights out of the country

New Delhi: Flying out of the country could get more expensive. The government is mulling introducing a tax on travelers in a retaliatory measure against countries that have levied a similar tax on long haul flights. About 1.5 crore Indians travel overseas every year and India along with China is one of the fastest growing source markets for tourism. While this will mean bigger bucks for the government, the move could leave Indian travelers with a bitter taste.
"There have been discussions in the government on introducing a tax on long haul flights. Initially, we propose to introduce it on those countries that make it prohibitively expensive for their citizens to travel to India. We are losing out on tourism because of that," a senior tourism official said.
22/06/13 Himanshi Dhawan/Times of India

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Govt divided over hiking FDI cap in aviation sector

New Delhi: A proposal to increase the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in the civil aviation sector is unlikely to find favour with sections in the Government.
On Wednesday, the Arvind Mayaram Committee recommended that FDI limit may be raised for joint ventures in defence, broadcasting, telecom, private banks and aviation. Mayaram is Secretary Economic Affairs and heads the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, the nodal agency to attract foreign investments into the country.
While the Committee has suggested hiking the FDI limit in civil aviation, there is no clarity on which sector in civil aviation is to be considered under the proposal.
Civil aviation has a number of sectors including ground handling, domestic airlines, Non-Scheduled Operators Permit (NSOP) and setting up new airports. Each of these sectors has different FDI limits.
21/06/13 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line

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GMR seeks USD 1.4 billion in damages from Maldives

Singapore: Indian infrastructure major GMR today sought a compensation of USD 1.4 billion from Maldives for the "wrongful termination" of its 25-year contract to develop and operate the Male International Airport.
The claim was today filed before an Arbitration Court here and a final order in the matter is likely to come out by end of March next year.
According to sources, the papers for the claim runs into 75 pages besides various annexures and attachments.
The figure of USD 1.4 billion was reached after taking into account loss of profit, payments made to subcontractors besides others.
Sources said the arbitration process will go on and the Maldivian government along with the Maldivian Airport Company Limited, both parties in the suit, will give their responses.
21/06/13 Economic Times

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Oman Air flight lands safely in India after bomb scare, airport official says

New Delhi: An airport official says an Oman Air plane made an emergency landing in Mumbai because of a bomb scare during the flight.
The plane landed without incident Saturday, and the passengers disembarked safely.
The official said the flight was headed to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from Muscat. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
22/06/13 AP/FoxNews

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Asia-Pacific aviation association initiated

Yogyakarta: A two-day meeting of Asia-Pacific members of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), held in Yogyakarta on Thursday and Friday, has proposed the establishment of an Asia-Pacific grouping.
“Indonesia has the chance of making history because this meeting was initiated by Indonesia,” Transportation Deputy Minister Bambang Susantono said on the sidelines of the Special Meeting of the Members of the Montreal Group.
He said that Asia Pacific was the biggest flight market in the world, accounting for about a third of global flight passengers.
“Some two thirds of the world’s population are also in the Asia-Pacific region and this is an extraordinary market,” he added.
Participating countries included Australia, China, Japan, India, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan and Indonesia.
22/06/13 Slamet Susanto/The Jakarta Post

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Weak rupee to push bleeding airlines towards rougher patch

For airline operators, the rupee's slide comes as another blow at a time when the industry is grappling with high operating cost which has already compressed margins.
The rupee has declined over 11 percent since May and this will adversely impact airlines which incur 60 percent of their expense in dollar denomination.
Expat staff salary payments, aircraft lease rentals and purchase of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) will now get dearer as rupee is consistently weakening against the greenback. Interest on foreign currency loans will also get costlier.
Full service carriers like Jet Airways and Air India are ascertaining how much impact a weak currency will have on their financials. According to rough estimates, a Re 1 movement on fuel (ATF) purchases  pushes their expenses by Rs 100 crore. Money market experts said the chances of rupee bouncing back soon are bleak and it could be a nightmare for capital intensive sectors like airlines.
21/06/13 Moneycontrol.com

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Etihad to have a say in selection of independent board members

Mumbai: The revamped Jet Airways board will have seven independent members who will be selected upon a consensus between two sides, said sources familiar  with the deal. This means Etihad Airways which is picking up 24 % stake for about Rs 2,060 crore in Naresh Goyal-owned airline will have a say in the selection of independent directors.
The government's foreign direct investment (FDI) rules in aviation require 2/3rd of board members to be Indian citizens and the revamped board will have three members from Etihad, four members from Jet and seven independent members.
Etihad is being regarded as an ordinary public shareholder under the agreement it signed with Jet Airways and such a classification does not require it to make an open offer. However the deal is facing hurdles with share holders and even Securities and Exchange Board of India and Foreign Investment Promotion Board of India raising concerns over "substantial rights'' being accorded to Etihad Airways.
20/06/13 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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Etihad CEO believes there’s lots of equity in the airline’s strategy

Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan never mentioned Emirates or Qatar Airways by name, but he spoke about how he believes Etihad’s business model and strategy provide a benefit in its battle with the airline’s “two nearest competitors.”
Speaking at SITA’s 2013 Air Transport IT Summit today outside Brussels, Hogan noted that people representing 138 nationalities work for the airline, that it has 45 codeshares, eschews the big three airline alliances (as does Emirates), and can fly passengers to some 475 destinations, “more than my nearest competitors.”
But, the largest differentiation may be in Etihad’s investment and collaboration strategy as it has taken equity stakes in four other airlines, including airberlin (29%), Air Seychelles (40%), Aer Lingus (nearly 3%), and Virgin Australia (10%), while a deal to take a 24% stake in India’s Jet Airways is pending regulatory approval.
The partnership with Jet Airways, if approved, will “take me to secondary cities [in India] that I will never serve,” Hogan said.
20/06/13 Dennis Schaal/Skift

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HAL to make flight control systems in Hyderabad

Bangalore: Indian state-run defence behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Thursday said it has tied up with French aerospace firm Sagem to manufacture automatic flight control systems and sensors at Hyderabad.
"HAL has entered into a contract with Sagem of Safran group at the Paris air show for technology transfer to set up the production facility for flight control systems and sensors at our Hyderabad division," the company said in a statement here.
The new set-up will also have a maintenance facility for the avionics of the company's advanced light helicopter (ALH) and intermediate jet trainer (IJT) platforms.
The company hopes to use the facility for fitting the avionic systems on the light combat helicopter (LCH) and light utility helicopter (LUH), whose prototypes are under design and development.
The new facility is expected to be commissioned by 2015.
20/06/13 IANS/News Track India

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HAL has tie up with French aerospace firm Sagem

Bangalore: Manufacturing of automatic flight control system is going to start in Hyderabad by HAL. Product will come into the market by 2015.
Indian state-run defence behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Thursday said it has tied up with French aerospace firm Sagem to manufacture automatic flight control systems and sensors at Hyderabad.
“HAL has entered into a contract with Sagem of Safran group at the Paris air show for technology transfer to set up the production facility for flight control systems and sensors at our Hyderabad division,” the company said in a statement here.
The new set-up will also have a maintenance facility for the avionics of the company’s advanced light helicopter (ALH) and intermediate jet trainer (IJT) platforms.
The company hopes to use the facility for fitting the avionic systems on the light combat helicopter (LCH) and light utility helicopter (LUH), whose prototypes are under design and development.
20/06/13 Aeg India

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UAE airline slashes India, Pakistan and Bangladesh fare

RAK Airways has launched two-day special summer fare, slashing rates substantially.
Now you can fly to Doha for just Dh200 one-way and Dh300 return.
The sale begins midnight today. Tickets are valid for travel from June 21 to July 31.
The carrier flies to Cairo, Chittagong, Dhaka, Doha, Jeddah, Kozhikode, Kathmandu, Lahore and Peshawar.
The booking must be made through the airline’s call center number 072075000 or the airline’s website.
20/06/13 Emirates 24|7

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Global airlines to up IT spend to $11 b

Brussels: IT budgets of global airlines are seen increasing by about a tenth this year, as passenger carriers step up investments in business intelligence (BI) and mobile applications that will help them know their customers better and offer personalised services.
The IT spends of airlines for 2013 are expected to grow to $10.8 billion in 2013, up from $9.9 billion spent in 2012, according the Annual IT Trends Survey of SITA, a technology solutions provider for the aviation industry.
This increased spending could augur well for the Indian IT companies such as TCS, Infosys, NIIT and MindTree that develop and help airlines deploy various technology solutions.
All airlines surveyed by SITA this year plan to invest in BI solutions, which is expected to help them have better information for decision making in their operations. This is a huge jump from last year, when one in five airlines, had no plans at all, the survey said.
The Airline IT Trends Survey is an independent poll of senior IT executives working with top 200 passenger carriers, and airlines representing half the global traffic participated in the poll.
20/06/13 Vishwanath Kulkarni/Business Line

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L-3 Aviation Products grows presence, dedication to emerging Indian aerospace sector

Paris: L-3 Aviation Products (AP) has established a presence in India to provide technical support for its customers, engineering oversight for programs and expanded business development coverage.
The local presence advances L-3’s long-term business growth in the emerging Indian aerospace sector, as well as the region. L-3 AP officials announced their intent to go forward with this plan at the Aero India show in Feb. 2013.
“L-3 AP is proud to offer our Indian customers superior quality, top-level service and ease of access to local support,” says Denise Millard, vice president of international business development for L-3 AP.
20/06/13  Courtney Howard/Avionics Intelligence

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AirAsia India all set to meet fourth quarter launch target, says Fernandes

Kuala Lumpur: With all the crucial executive appointments already announced for AirAsia India, the much-touted Indian low-cost airline is all set for a fourth quarter launch. AirAsia co-founder and group chief executive Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the only remaining barrier prior to the launch, is several regulatory approvals from the Indian authorities.
“The whole process is almost done. I am going to India somewhere next month for some meetings and discussions. I do not think September would be a more realistic date. Maybe after that. But we would prefer if we can do it before the Diwali,” he told Bernama.
Hindus, worldwide, would celebrate Diwali (or Deepavali as it is known in Malaysia) on November 3. However, Fernandes said it still depended on regulatory approvals from the Indian authorities.
21/06/13 Borneo Post

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HC bench orders notice to Aviation ministry, AAI

Madurai: The Madras High Court today ordered notice to the Civil Aviation Ministry and Airports Authority of India (AAI) on a PIL, seeking clearance for air connectivity to Dubai and Singapore from here.Petitioner S Vijayakumar said the ministry after inaugurating the Rs 130 crore upgraded new terminus on November 2010, had said flights would be operated to Sri Lanka.
20/06/13 Press Trust of India

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Gulf Air to pay Rs 5.32 lakh to businessman for deficient service

New Delhi: Gulf Air has been directed by the state consumer commission here to pay a compensation of Rs 5.32 lakh to a businessman for its "deficient" service, as it did not provide him accommodation when his flight from Tehran to Delhi was postponed by a day.
The Delhi State Consumer Commission held the airline liable to pay the amount to the flier for also making him and his assistant deboard at Bahrain and putting them on a flight to Bombay instead of Delhi, due to which he had to pay extra to travel to the national capital.
"It is crystal clear that accommodation at Tehran was not provided by the airline when the flight was cancelled on January 7, 2008 and had to be operated on the next day. The complainant had to incur expenses and also loss of business on account of inordinate delay on the part of airline.
20/06/13 PTI/IBN Live

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India's Air Costa acquires three E-Jets

Paris: Embraer S.A. announced during the 50th International Paris Air Show, at Le Bourget, France, that Air Costa of Vijayawada, India, has acquired three E-Jets for launch of its scheduled regional airline service in India. Two EMBRAER 170s have been arranged from ECC Leasing, Embraer's wholly-owned subsidiary. The new carrier has also purchased one new EMBRAER 190 from Embraer. The firm order is already included in Embraer's backlog as an "undisclosed" customer.
"We are delighted that Air Costa has chosen the E-Jets for their operations. The aircraft are sure to promote greater regional connectivity in India," said John Slattery, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Embraer Commercial Aviation. "Embraer has always maintained that the regional aviation market in India has tremendous potential. Our E-Jets are the right sized aircraft for service between secondary and tertiary markets which are underserved and, in fact, growing faster than metro markets."
"Air Costa has chosen E-Jets for their efficiency and reliability. Our plan is to link underserved markets in India with more direct flights," said Captain Babu, CEO of Air Costa.
20/06/13 Theodore Koumelis/Travel Daily News

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Aviation journo rates airlines

Qantas, Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines rank among the world's safest 'seven-star' airlines, but you take your life into your hands when you fly with Indonesia's Lion Air, Air India Express and Nepal's oddly-named Yeti Airlines.
Those were among the findings of a new website which rated the safety of airlines around the world.
AirlineRatings.com, headed by highly-regarded West Australian aviation journalist Geoffrey Thomas, claims to deliver "forensically researched" safety ratings based on a variety of official sources, including audits by government agencies and aviation bodies.
"We view safety holistically and objectively using only internationally recognised audits from the most respected bodies," said Mr Thomas, adding that "while air travel has never been safer and we found a record number of airlines —137 — with a seven-star ranking, 43 have just three stars or less".
Major airlines in Australia and New Zealand scored high ratings for both safety and product quality, he said.
Mr Thomas told Australian Business Traveller many airlines from Africa and Indonesia rated very poorly — for example, Indonesia's Lion Air managed only two stars. Some of the seven-star safety rated airlines operating locally included Air New Zealand, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Southern, Emirates, Etihad, EVA Air, Korean Air, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia.
20/06/13 Australian Business Traveller/Fiji Times Online

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Jet-Etihad deal: Many clauses changed in pact, but Mideast carrier retains edge

Mumbai: Jet Airways has amended its shareholders agreement with Etihad, the Abu Dhabi-based carrier, with the aim of assuaging concerns expressed by various authorities such as Sebi and the Foreign Investment Promotion Board. Significant changes in the new agreement include the removal of a clause that stipulated the promoter (Jet Airways) and the investor (Etihad) could vote together as persons acting in concert.
Further, the latest version of the shareholders agreement stipulates that Etihad has to maintain a minimum 15% shareholding at all times. This change is intended to align Etihad's power to appoint three directors with its shareholding. The original agreement contained no stipulation of a minimum shareholding.
20/06/13 Economic Times

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US court upholds Exim Bank loan for Air India

Washington: A US court has rejected a plea by the Delta Airlines to vacate the US Export-Import Bank's support for the sale of 30 Boeing wide-body jets to Air India.
At the same time, the US Court of Appeals in Washington DC asked the Exim Bank to further explain its financing decision for the Air India transactions.
However, it chose to leave undisturbed the Bank's financing of the Air India transaction and did not question the Bank's flexibility in carrying out its statutory mandate.
The decision comes following the appeal by the Delta Airlines, Inc and the Airline Pilots Association of a lower court decision in July 2012 that determined that the Exim Bank improperly approved financing for purchases of certain Boeing aircraft by Air India.
19/06/13 PTI/Economic Times

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Singapore Airlines may increase capacity

Kolkata:  Singapore Airlines is open to adding more capacity out of Kolkata, airline general manager (India) GM Toh told TOI on Tuesday. The carrier had first increased its weekly capacity from 1,140 seats to 1,450 seats in August 2011. It was later raised to 1,590 seats in March 2013.
"We are on the lookout for incremental addition in seat capacity. We can add a further 375 seats by simply changing the aircraft that services the sector. But that will happen only when the requirement arises. Given the current depressed market scenario, we don't expect any changes for a while," said Toh.
Singapore Airlines operated four Boeing B-777 aircraft on the Kolkata-Singapore sector till August 2011. Thereafter, it reduced a Singapore Airline flight and introduced four Silk Air flights with Airbus A-320 aircraft to offer daily connections. In March 2013, it replaced a Silk Air flight with Singapore Airlines, thereby replacing an A-320 aircraft with 150 seats by a 285-seater B-777 aircraft.
19/06/13 Times of India

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No corruption in Male airport deal, watchdog says

Male: The Maldives anti-corruption watchdog has ruled out any corruption in the deal to award the country's only operational international airport to Indian infrastructure giant GMR group, a media report said on Tuesday.
The $511 million project was abruptly cancelled by the Maldivian government in November 2012.
The Anti-Corruption Commission's 61-page investigation report into alleged corruption in the leasing of the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport to GMR by the previous administration declared that there was no corruption involved in the bid evaluation phase of the deal, Xinhua reported citing Haveeru online.
18/06/13 IANS/Times of India

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Turkey for enhancing air frequency with India

New Delhi: Turkey today advocated for more flight operation between it and India to increase tourist traffic as the existing flights are inadequate to cope with the demand.
Turkey Ambassador to India, Burak Akcapar, who met Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi here, raised the issue of enhancing air frequency for increasing tourist traffic between the two countries.Akcapar said existing flights between the two countries are unable to cope with the demand.
The ambassador suggested that the Tourism Ministry and Turkish authorities can undertake joint promotion to increase two-way traffic between India and Turkey.
18/06/13 PTI/Economic Times

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New Airbus plane takes off with big orders at Paris Air Show

Le Bourget: The Airbus next-generation A350 plane took off commercially at the Paris Air Show today, winning multi-billion-dollar deals and the European manufacturer said that more deals were in the air.
The news comes just days after the new plane took to the skies in its first ever test flight on Friday, stealing the limelight before the start of the air show -- a key event where Airbus and Boeing compete fiercely for plane orders.
The two rivals are currently head-to-head -- USD 44.6 billion in new plane orders or agreements for Airbus versus USD 44.8 billion for Boeing -- after Ryanair boosted a lagging Boeing by confirming a huge order for 175 medium-haul 737 planes.
Airbus-side, Air France-KLM also confirmed an order for 25 A350 planes -- which make extensive use of lighter composite materials to reduce fuel costs -- in a deal worth USD 7.2 billion at catalogue prices.
19/06/13 AFP/Business Standard

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Saab Taps India For Remote ATC Towers

As air traffic grows at a frantic pace, India has to deal with the challenges posed by ageing air traffic management (ATM) infrastructure and the need to train more air traffic controllers (ATCOs). Progress is being made, however, despite a very limited budget. For example, Saab (Chalets A278, Static D146)–the first company to introduce the remote tower having spent five years developing and demonstrating them globally–is in discussions with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to set up a pilot remote tower (r-TWR) by 2015.
Saab’s acquisition of U.S Sensis and HITT of the Netherlands, gave it a market advantage in India as both companies are associated with major programs, including ground movement control systems at Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata airports. The amalgamation of the companies is now being marketed by Saab India Technologies, and they are looking to build on each other’s strengths in the domain of ATM through a direct India presence.
Saab’s discussions on remote towers are concentrated primarily on tier 2 and 3 cities in India that have few movements (2 to 50 per day) and for remote centers for clusters of two to five airports. The long-term benefits of this concept include reduced costs relating to construction and maintenance of airport control towers, as well as more efficient staffing of air traffic services (ATS), said Saab.
17/06/13 Neelam Mathews/AINonline

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Awaiting the arrival of Jet-Etihad, and more flights abroad

With market regulator Sebi now supposedly satisfied with the restatement of the shareholders' agreement with Jet Airways, the deal between the two airlines could go through soon.
That the deal was never a valuation exercise, was never in doubt. Jet Airways with a debt overhang of Rs 11,000 crore as on March 31, 2012-13 needed to stitch an alliance with an airline with deep pockets. Etihad has done it but the price is de facto management control of Jet. Given the way the operational economics of the domestic civil aviation sector had deteriorated, this was inevitable. Air India survives only because of the government backstop.
In addition to the Rs 2,060 crore that Etihad will pay for a 24 per cent equity in Jet Airways, the West Asian carrier will also infuse another tranche of over Rs 1,100 crore into the Indian carrier, as part of the deal.
18/06/13 Mihir Mishra/Indian Express

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For Ramadorai, a new flight path

Mumbai: As Subramanian Ramadorai prepares for another long-haul in the corporate world, industry expects he will recreate the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) success story with low-cost carrier AirAsia India.
After a career spanning four decades with TCS, the 67-year-old Ram, as he is popularly known, continues as vice-chairman of the country’s largest software exporter.
On Monday, Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia appointed him chairman of its India operations, expected to be launched by the year end.
He retired as TCS’ CEO and MD in October 2009, after 14 years at the helm, having transformed the Tata group company into a software giant.
S. Mahalingam, former CFO at TCS, told Business Line that Ramadorai is a very effective leader, a hands-on person who gets into details. From a governance point of view, he will make sure the right processes are put into place.
“Ram is good at mentoring the next generation of leaders, as is evident from the management bandwidth at TCS, most of which was created during his time as CEO,” Mahalingam, said, adding that Ram delegates work and ensures that people are empowered so the right results can be achieved.
17/06/13 Rajesh Kurup/Adith Charlie/Business Line

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Airlines from South-East Asia seek to expand traffic rights over India

Mumbai: After the Gulf carriers, South-East Asian airlines are also looking to increase bilateral air traffic rights in the wake of the Civil Aviation Ministry’s proposal to enhance air capacity between India and Abu Dhabi to 53,000 seats a week following the Jet-Etihad deal.
While Emirates and Qatar Airways have expressed their keenness on revising air capacity into India, Malaysia Airlines, too, said that their demand for increase of bilateral air traffic rights was pending for the past one year.
“We have used up all our bilateral seats. In fact, we have been asking to increase air capacity to India from the past one year,” Germal Singh Khera, Head, Government and International Affairs, Malaysia Airlines, told Business Line on the sidelines of the 69th annual general meeting of the IATA (International Air Transport Association) held in Cape Town recently.
17/06/13 Nivedita Ganguly/Business Line

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Jet Airways shares reverse losses on codeshare agreement with Air France and KLM

New Delhi:  Jet Airways Ltd reversed losses of over 12 per cent in late afternoon trade on Monday, after India's premier international airline entered into codeshare agreements with premium European carriers Air France and KLM.
Jet Airways plunged over 12 per cent in morning trade, after India's foreign investment regulator, FIPB, deferred a decision on Etihad Airways' planned 24 per cent stake buy in the airline.
However, the stock got some support after Jet Airways announced codeshare agreement which enables Air France to place its marketing code (AF) on Jet Airways' domestic flights to three major cities beyond Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai.
"Likewise, KLM will place its marketing code (KL) on Jet Airways' domestic flights to four major cities in India beyond Delhi, allowing guests travelling from Europe to India to connect seamlessly to Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai via Delhi," added the report.
Jet Airways ended 1.5 per cent higher at Rs 476.50. It had hit a low of Rs 411.60 and a high of Rs 489.00 in trade today.
The stock came under pressure after the government on Friday deferred clearance of the Middle-Eastern carrier Etihad's proposal saying it needs clarity on the ownership structure and the level of control to be exercised by the UAE giant.
17/06/13 Economic Times

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U.S. court lets stand Ex-Im Bank loan for Air India

Washington: A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday let stand a 2011 decision by the U.S. Export-Import Bank to finance the sale of 30 Boeing (BA.N) wide-body jets to Air India in a legal challenge brought by Delta Air Lines.
However, the court directed the government-run bank to better explain its rationale for the loans.
The ruling allowed both the bank and Delta, which has been engaged in a long-running spat with the Ex-Im Bank, to claim victory.
"I am gratified by the court's recognition that these transactions should not be impeded by litigation," Fred Hochberg, chairman and president of the Ex-Im Bank, said in a statement after the ruling.
18/06/13 Reuters

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Kestrel Aviation orders two more AW119KE helicopters

AgustaWestland is pleased to announce an order for two AW119Ke single engine helicopters by Kestrel Aviation, a privately owned helicopter operator based in Mumbai, India. The AW119Ke helicopters, both in VIP configuration, will be delivered to Kestrel Aviation during the last quarter of 2013 and will join two others of the same model already in service.
Configured for VIP transport tasks the AW119Ke offers outstanding performance, cabin space and comfort normally only available on twin-engine types. Up to six passengers can be seated in the main cabin with easy access via a large sliding door on each side of the aircraft. A large baggage bay is located behind the main cabin.
Nearly 230 AW119 helicopters have been sold in more than 30 countries to over 100 customers. It is a top-of-the-range helicopter in the single engine market and has excellent performance.
18/06/13 Vertical 

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Snag grounds 250 AI flyers to Jeddah at Mumbai airport for 6 hours

Mumbai:  Two hundred and fifty passengers booked on an Air India (AI) flight to Jeddah spent two hours sitting in the aircraft and another four hours at the Mumbai airport terminal as the plane didn't take off due to a technical glitch.
At the time of going to press, it wasn't clear if the flight had taken off.
The airline allegedly did not specify the actual reason for the delay until the passengers lost their cool and shouted slogans against it.
Flight AI 965 to Jeddah via Hyderabad was scheduled to take-off from Mumbai at 5.30pm. The 250 passengers boarded the flight on time and waited for take-off. However, the flight did not take-off at all.
18/06/13 Times of India

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More flights for repatriation of Indians from Saudi Arabia

Dubai: Additional flights will operate between Saudi Arabia and India to help in the repatriation of illegal Indian expatriates who want to return to India from the Gulf nation, a top Indian diplomat has said.
"The embassy has taken up the issue with the Indian authorities, and accordingly Air India, the national flag carrier, has expressed its readiness to operate flights," the Saudi Gazette Tuesday quoted Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, India's consul general in Jeddah, as telling a gathering of the Indian community.
"If there are many people who are ready to go but there are no seats available, then we will arrange additional flights."
Expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia are rushing to take advantage of a grace period offered by the authorities to either rectify their residency status or return to their respective countries after the implementation of a new labour policy.
18/06/13 IANS/New Indian Express

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Turkey for enhancing air frequency with India

New Delhi:  Turkey today advocated for more flight operation between it and India to increase tourist traffic as the existing flights are inadequate to cope with the demand.
Turkey Ambassador to India, Burak Akcapar, who met Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi here, raised the issue of enhancing air frequency for increasing tourist traffic between the two countries.
Akcapar said existing flights between the two countries are unable to cope with the demand.
The ambassador suggested that the Tourism Ministry and Turkish authorities can undertake joint promotion to increase two-way traffic between India and Turkey.
17/06/13 PTI/Economic Times

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Russia faces tough competition in India’s military aviation market

Last week, The Telegraph, Calcutta reported that the Indian Air Force bought its first Boeing-made C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft. “We have looked forward to this day. The C-17 will equip the Indian Air Force (IAF) with the world’s most advanced humanitarian and strategic capabilities,” the assistant chief of IAF air staff operations was quoted as saying in an official Boeing press release.
The Boeing aircraft is expected to gradually replace the IAF’s fleet of Russian-made IL-76 planes. Four more C-17s will be delivered to India this year, and five in 2014.
The C-17 is used by the United States to haul heavy cargo to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries.
The Asia-Pacific region is the biggest market for Russian arms, accounting for 43 percent of all deliveries in 2012. “The Near and Middle East accounted for 23 percent, Latin America for 18 percent, CIS countries for 12 percent, and Sub-Saharan Africa for 1 percent,” Rosoboronexport chief Anatoliy Isaikin said earlier.
17/06/13 Yekaterina Tkachenko/Gazeta.ru/Russia & India Report

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Wide-body jets to dominate Paris Airshow

Paris: Leading planemakers are battling over strategy for big jets as the Paris Airshow gets underway on Monday.
After a bruising two-year fight for market share of popular smaller models, Airbus and Boeing Co are increasing the deployment of next-generation long-range jets, seen as crucial to the future of both companies and their suppliers.
Days after it surprised the industry by making the first flight of its new A350 just in time for the show, Airbus will attempt a curtain call on Friday with a fly-by for President Francois Hollande, on only the plane's third test.
"People are focusing on long-haul aircraft this year. It is a crucial segment and a fundamental one for the profitability of both constructors," said Bruno Goutard, sector economist at credit insurer Euler Hermes which has a key role in aviation.
Boeing said last week it sees a $1 trillion market over the next 20 years for mid-sized, twin-engined passenger jets, a category that includes its 787 Dreamliner.
17/06/13 Reuters/India Today

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Air India Signs OnPoint Solution Agreement with GE for CFM56 Engines

Le Bourget: India’s national carrier, Air India, signed an OnPointSM overhaul engine services agreement with GE Aviation for the time and material related to the maintenance, repair and overhaul of its 96 CFM56-5B engines that power its Airbus A320 aircraft fleet.
“This agreement will ensure Air India receives a fully customized solution with quality OEM parts and component repair to keep its engines in excellent operating condition, maximizing time-on-wing and efficiency,” said Paul McElhinney, president and chief executive officer, GE Aviation Services. ”We are pleased to extend our excellent working relationship with Air India to include maintenance of its CFM56-5B engine fleet.”
OnPoint solutions are customized service agreements tailored to the operational and financial needs of each customer for size fleet. These agreements are designed to help lower the customers’ cost of ownership and maximize the use of their assets. Backed by GE’s global support network, OnPoint services include overhaul, on wing support, new and used serviceable parts, component repair, technology upgrades, engine leasing, integrated systems support and diagnostics and integrated systems.
17/06/13 Aviation Pros.com

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Orders fly thick and fast on opening day of Paris Air Show

Le Bourget: The Paris Air Show, the world’s biggest air fair, got off to a flying start Monday, despite stormy weather, as airplane makers Airbus and Boeing vied to announce a flurry of orders for passenger planes.
Airbus took the early lead in the biennial battle for orders between the European and US arch-rivals, who use the show at Le Bourget airport as a forum for announcing juicy contracts.
Germany’s Lufthansa confirmed its plans to buy 100 short-to-medium-range Airbus A320s, with a combined list value of $10.4 billion. Of the 100 planes, 70 were of the new engine, fuel efficient Neo variety.
France-based Airbus also announced a provisional deal for 20 double-decker A380 superjumbos from Doric Lease Corp, a German aircraft leasing company.
17/06/13 DPA/Business Line

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Indian ‘Home-Grown’ AMCA, An Alternative To FGFA

Despite being involved in the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) joint program with Russia, India is developing a next-generation fighter of its own–the advanced multirole combat aircraft (AMCA).
The Indian defense ministry’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) showed a large-scale model of the AMCA at Aero India 2013 in February, in Bengaluru. The aerodynamic shape has been considerably refined in comparison to an earlier model exhibited at Aero India 2011, and even more so when compared to a model for wind-tunnel testing shown at Aero India 2009, at which time it was “MCA” without being “Advanced.” This provides evidence that AMCA is being developed in parallel with FGFA. DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment is leading the AMCA program.
Addressing the next-generation fighter issue, Air Marshall Norman Anil Kumar Browne, the Indian air force chief of staff, declined to compare the AMCA and FGFA, but insisted that “homegrown” projects shall be continued, especially in the area of mission equipment and fighter engines, since “nobody will give us these technologies.”
13/06/13 Vladimir/AINonline

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Je-Etihad deal: Corp affairs, civil aviation ministries raise concerns

New Delhi: Jet Airways and Etihad might have to re-work the ownership structure proposed in the Rs 2,058-crore deal with key ministries including civil aviation and corporate affairs, raising concerns over ultimate control of the domestic carrier.
The issues were voiced at the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) meeting on Friday, sources said.
The decision on the deal, struck by Jet Airways to sell 24 per cent of its stake to Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways, was deferred by the FIPB.
The deal is the largest foreign investment proposal in the sector after the government allowed foreign carriers to pick up stake in Indian airlines last September.
Concerns have been primarily raised on the proposed ownership and control structure of the domestic airlines.
Sources said capital market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India and the department of industrial policy and promotion also had reservations about the transaction.
17/06/13 PTI/Business Standard

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India red flags Jet Airways being piloted out of Abu Dhabi by Etihad Airways'

The civil aviation ministry has raised two key concerns regarding the proposals accompanying the Rs 2,060 crore Jet-Etihad deal. Of these, a plan cited by the carriers to shift some of the operational departments of Jet Airways to Abu Dhabi, which in effect would mean moving the 'place of business' for Jet out of India, has been specifically objected to by the ministry.
The objections raised by the ministry are over and above the issue flagged by the corporate affairs ministry and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) pertaining to the effective control of the airline by the Abu Dhabi-based carrier with just a minority stake.
"We have raised concerns over Jet Airways' plan to shift key operational departments like network planning and others out of India over a period. This could eventually mean a change in place of business and we are not inclined to allow this," said a senior civil aviation ministry official.
17/06/13 Mihir Mishra/Indian Express

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Is Etihad getting too much control in Jet Airways with too little investment?

When the UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways entered into a deal with Jet Airways in April this year, was the transaction limited to just picking up a 24 per cent stake? Or did it also include management control?
This is the question that is bothering the Indian stock market and investment regulators - read the Securities and Exchange Board of India and Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). They are now carefully examining every line in the shareholder agreement between the two airlines to see if the Gulf carrier has received any disproportionate rights and privileges from Jet Airways' promoters.
Indian regulations cap foreign direct investment in the airline sector at 49 per cent with a view to ensure that management control remains firmly in the hands of Indians. The UAE carrier, however, has extracted certain concessions from Jet promoters by having a few clauses inserted in the shareholder agreement. It is this set of clauses that has now sparked off a debate and blocked approval of the first FDI deal in an Indian carrier since the relaxing of FDI rules rel3ating to aviation last year.
17/06/13 KR Balasubramanyam/India Today

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Jet-Etihad deal: Mideast carrier to enjoy substantial say in decisions

Mumbai: The shareholders agreement between Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways and Jet Airways has been structured in such a way as to create a substantial role for the Middle-Eastern carrier in decision-making at the Mumbai-based airline, an ET study of the shareholders documents shows.
The agreements does not confer any obvious rights or veto powers to Etihad but its concurrence will have to be taken for most decisions, including routine ones, lending credence to the belief that the airline will be some kind of a joint manager of the airline along with Naresh Goyal, who owns 51%.
17/06/13 M Padmakshan/Economic Times

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Discrepancies held up Jet-Etihad deal: Ministry

New Delhi: Discrepancies between the original proposal and the one that was presented before the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) made the Civil Aviation Ministry red flag Etihad’s proposal to acquire a stake in Jet Airways.
A senior Ministry official told Business Line that in the original proposal, Jet Airways had said that one-third of its board members would be Indians, which was one of the requirements of Indian law.
“But when the proposal was taken up by FIPB last Friday, it was noticed that there was no clarity on whether the requirements of Indian law were being met by the airline. There was also confusion on whether the place of origin of business would change as Jet had indicated that some key decisions will be taken in Abu Dhabi,” a senior Ministry official said, explaining the reason behind deferring the proposal.
Officials added that the Indian Civil Aviation Requirement, the basic requirement for operating an airline in India, required the airline to keep the aviation authorities informed of any changes made in any proposal.
17/06/13 Business Line

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Jet's code share with Air France-KLM

Mumbai: Jet Airways has entered into code share pacts with Air France-KLM enabling the European airlines to sell tickets on Jet's domestic routes.
Etihad Airways which is picking up 24% stake in Jet Airways already has a code share agreement with Air France-KLM but is not a member of any airline grouping such Star Alliance, oneworld or SkyTeam.
Star Alliance is keen to rope in Jet Airways along with Air India. Air India's membership to the alliance has been put on hold while Jet too sought government approval to join the alliance.
Jet Airways had sought approval to enter into a code share partnership with Lufthansa which is a founding member of Star Alliance.
An aviation source said the marketing tie up with Air France-KLM suggests that Jet Airways is going the SkyTeam way. SkyTeam members also include Delta Airlines, Korean Air, Kenya Airways, Saudia Airlines amongst others.
17/06/13 Business Standard

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Ramadorai appointed AirAsia India chairman

New Delhi: What started as a buzz following AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes’ description of the yet-to-be-announced chairman of the low-cost airline as a “towering man”, has been confirmed.
S Ramadorai, who was at the helm of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for over a decade till 2009, will be named the chairman of AirAsia India, Fernandes just confirmed in a tweet.
“I would like to confirm Mr Ramadorai as Chairman of Airasia India. A giant of Indian Industry. A great thinker. Man from the south,” Fernandes said..
Ramadorai, who played a key role in the international development of TCS, is currently adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the National Council on Skill Development, and holds a Cabinet minister’s rank in the government. He’s also vice-chairman of TCS.
With this, majority of the AirAsia board will have Tata group representatives.
17/06/13 Nivedita Mookerji/Business Standard

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AirAsia to use Kamaraj terminal

Chennai: With AirAsia India’s proposal to get airline license in the final stage, the proposed low-cost carrier has decided to use the now closed Kamaraj Domestic Terminal to set up its corporate office in the city. Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman V.P. Agrawal said the authority was ready to consider the airline’s request to use the now defunct building, but added it might have to vacate when AAI refurbished the old terminal to cater to extra traffic.
“The airline has to first get formally recognised as AirAsia India. Then it has to formally apply for space. Since, the old terminal is not in use now, it will not be a big issue to allot the space to them,” said Mr Agrawal, who added that the airline can also look at the option of using one full floor in the recently exp­anded cargo complex. But airport sources said  the airline would prefer the old terminal because it would have ample parking space unlike the cargo building.
17/06/13 S Sujatha/Deccan Chronicle

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Paris Airshow: Orders for big jets make a splash

Paris:Big finance waded into a rain-soaked Paris Airshow with more than $10 billion in orders for jumbo passenger jets as planemakers duelled over strategy for large aircraft on Monday.
The world's biggest aircraft lessor, a unit of General Electric , became the second buyer to endorse a larger version of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, weeks after the lightweight jet went back into service after a three-month grounding.
Confirming a Reuters report, the GECAS subsidiary said it would sign up for 10 of the stretched 787-10 passenger planes, joining a $30 billion order haul that industry sources say Boeing is assembling to formally launch the jet on Tuesday.
And an influential German leasing company, Doric Asset Finance, little known outside the specialist world of aviation financing, splashed out on 20 Airbus A380 superjumbos worth $8 billion at list prices to anticipate rising demand.
Total orders on day one of the world's largest aerospace event swelled to more than $30 billion in three hours as heavy rain lashed the Le Bourget pavilions.
But, despite the early flurry, the number of orders this year was expected to be down on the last Paris show in 2011, GECAS chief executive Norman Liu told reporters.
17/06/13 Siva Govindasamy and Brenda Goh/Reuters/Business Standard

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Boeing-Airbus dogfight to dominate world's top air show

Paris: The world's biggest air show takes to the skies on Monday, with a battle between Boeing and Airbus for orders in the lucrative market for wide-body planes set to dominate the Paris event.
European manufacturer Airbus managed to steal a march on its American rival before the show -- at Le Bourget just north of Paris -- with a successful maiden flight of its new A350 long-haul plane.
Airbus is pinning its hopes on the fuel-efficient A350 to compete in the long-haul sector after gradually winning more than half of the market for medium-haul, single-aisle planes that carry an average of 150 passengers.
The A350 is expected to conduct a fly-by of the air show towards the end of the week, hoping to woo potential customers.
During the show, famous for high-profile announcements of big-money deals, Airbus hopes to add a slew of orders for the plane -- set for delivery at the end of 2014 -- to confirmed contracts with Qatar Airways, British Airways and Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific.
17/06/13 AFP/Times of India

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Air India's Dreamliner to light up Parisian skies

Bangalore: A Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Air India colours will be the only Indian aircraft which will be on display at the Paris Air Show. This aircraft which will be inducted into the national carrier’s fleet of Dreamliners in the days to come will showcase its flying capabilities in the daily flying displays at the 50th Paris Air Show which will take place at Le Bourget exhibition centre from June 17 to 23.
This display by the Boeing 787 will be its first in an air show after the aircraft was grounded in January by carriers worldwide due to faulty batteries. Many carriers around the world including Air India recently started operations after the faulty batteries were replaced with new battery packs. Air India currently owns six Dreamliner aircraft and the national carrier will in total induct 27 Dreamliner planes following an order it had placed with Boeing in January 2006. Meanwhile, the non-presence of any Indian manufactured aircraft in the air show is surprising considering that the Advanced Light Helicopter and the Intermediate Jet Trainer had taken part in aerial and static displays at the previous Paris Air Shows.
17/06/13 Hemanth CS/Daily News & Analysis

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GMR gets clean chit from Maldives probe agency in Male airport case

Bangalore: Bangalore-based infrastructure company GMR Infrastructure, which was forced to hand over the Male airport to the Maldives government, has got a breather. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Maldives has said that there was no corruption involved in leasing of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport to GMR.
The investigation report on the leasing of Maldives airport to GMR states that there is a concrete record on the concession agreement signed between the Nasir Ali government, GMR consortium and Maldives Airports Company (MACL). ACC states that no corruption was found in the bid evaluation phase of the project.
17/06/13 Times of India

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Emergency landing by Saudi aircraft

Mumbai: Even as inclement weather led to diversions and delays of several flights on Sunday, a Saudi Airlines plane made an emergency landing at the city airport after its pilots received a fire warning.
Around 4.27pm, a full emergency was declared for flight SV 748 coming from Riyadh, said an MIAL spokesperson. A fire indication in the rear cargo hold led to the emergency call. The aircraft landed safely at 4.35pm, following which it was parked in an isolation bay. But as no fire was detected, the emergency was withdrawn an hour later.
17/06/13 Times of India

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France exudes confidence on Rafale sale to India

Paris: On the eve of the Paris air show at Le Bourget, France is exuding a quiet confidence that the contract for the sale of 126 Rafale fighters will be concluded before the year-end. The opening of the air show this year coincides with annual Indo-French Foreign Office Consultations when India’s Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai will meet his French counterpart, Pierre Sellal in Paris on Monday.
The CEO of Dassault Aviation Eric Trappier told journalists in Paris in a pre-air show interview that despite talks with the Indians being “pretty hard nosed” he expected the sale of 126 Rafale fighters to India to go through before the end of this year. “We would like talks to conclude as soon as possible. If we listen to our Indian friends and if we hear ourselves, we would like to finish in 2013. Finish means signing a contract,” Dassault’s new CEO who took the reins early this year said.
Mr. Trappier brushed aside reports of difficult negotiations saying talks were “good humoured”. He said there had “never been obstacles” and discussions now closely focused on Indian license production, assemblage and component manufacture for 126 fighters. India has an option for another 63 aircraft, which is currently under discussion.
17/06/13 Vaiju Naravane/The Hindu

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AirAsia appoints Ratan Tata as its chief advisor

Mumbai: Ex-chairman of Tata group Ratan Tata will serve as the chief advisor to  the  AirAsia India's board. The airline's group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes tweeted today about selection of Tata as the advisor. The airline will announce appointment of the chairman for its planned domestic airline in a day or two.
Fernandes said the airline's chairman is " someone who has redefined many parts of India. A towering man who brings unbelievable experience to the AiraAsia India board.''
 "I am pleased to announce Ratan Tata as the chief advisor to the board of Airasia India. A legend in every sense. Building a powerful team,'' Fernandes tweeted on Sunday. "Persuading Mr Tata to be advisor has not been easy. Critical we have someone of his massive experience to help me chart Airasia India.'' he added.
 Fernandes was keen that Tata, who is a keen aviator himself, take up the post of chairman. The former Tata group chairman had paved the way for creation of a joint venture partnership between AirAisa,  Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace and the Mumbai-based conglomerate.
16/06/13 PTI/Business Standard

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Jet-Etihad deal: Corporate Affairs, Aviation Ministry raise concerns

New Delhi: Jet Airways and Etihad may have to re-work the ownership structure proposed in the Rs 2,058 crore deal with key ministries including Civil Aviation and Corporate Affairs raising concerns over ultimate control of the domestic carrier.
"Major concerns on ultimate control of Jet Airways post deal have been raised by various ministries including Civil Aviation and Corporate Affairs. The issues were voiced at the FIPB meeting held on Friday," sources said.
The decision on the deal, struck by Jet Airways to sell 24 per cent of its stake to Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, was deferred by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board.Concerns have been primarily raised on the proposed ownership and control structure of the domestic airlines. Sources said that capital market regulator Sebi, fair trade regulator CCI and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) also have reservations about the transaction.
16/06/13 PTI/IBN Live

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Passenger-friendly Dreamliners to shore up Air India's fortune

London: The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the latest acquisition of Air India, is likely to shore up the fortune of India's national carrier as passengers are giving big thumbs up after travelling in the next generation flying machine.
"We hope that Air India's fortune will turn significantly with the induction of the Dreamliners. Passengers are responding very positively to the new aircraft as the Dreamliner is the ultimate in terms of passenger comfort," Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh told PTI.
After rectifying initial technical problem, the Air India so far has inducted six 787 aircraft into service. The B787 is operating on domestic services between Delhi-Chennai, Delhi-Bangalore and Delhi-Kolkata routes besides international operations to London, Frankfurt and Paris.
The Dreamliners offer roomier cabins, larger electronically dimmable windows, a state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system powered by the most sophisticated GEnxt engines.
"The experience in the flight was excellent. With larger leg-space and wider seats, passengers enjoy wonderful travel in Dreamliners," Atiqul Rehman, a Londoner who recently travelled in the new Air India aircraft, said.
16/06/13 PTI/Business Standard

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Fly for only OMR1 to Mumbai now

Muscat: It appears that a battle for the Muscat–Mumbai skies has broken out. After a year of shrinking air travel, airlines are now removing all stops to woo travellers.
India's premiere airline, IndiGo, has slashed fares on the Mumbai-Muscat sector to OMR1 (excluding taxes) for a one-way journey, which may trigger a price war in this sector.
Mumbai is an important destination for all the Indian carriers as well as Oman Air. As the financial capital of India, it has connecting flights and train services to almost all cities.
According to travel agents based in Muscat, while the regular promotional base fare is only OMR2, the taxes component is OMR62.950 on a return air ticket, which includes fuel and transaction charge of OMR48.150, passenger service fee of OMR6, and a user development fee of OMR8.800.
"They have launched special promotional fares, since they are going for daily flights from Muscat," opined one travel agent.
In season, the return fare for Muscat–Mumbai hovers around OMR130 (including taxes).
16/06/13 Times of India

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Air India to fly again to Africa

London: Air India will soon resume direct services to some East African nations to grab a share of the steadily growing traffic between India and Africa on account of increasing trade, services and medical tourism.
No Indian passenger carrier at present flies to Africa, which is fast emerging also as a resource hub for Indian companies.
Also, the national passenger carrier is losing out passenger traffic to Middle East-based airlines like Dubai's Emirates Airlines, Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, which till now are the only reliable air link between India and Africa.
"There are plans to start services to Africa soon," India's civil aviation minister Ajit Singh told IANS during a visit here.
"There is a huge potential in the sector due to growing traffic between India and some of the African countries on account of trade and business developments as well as education and medical tourism," said Singh.
16/06/13 IANS/Times of India

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