Air India to fly to two more U.S. destinations

Air India will connect with two more destinations in the U.S. by next year, including a service on the Delhi-Washington route, a top official said.

“We want to connect the capital cities of the two largest democracies of the world; we wanted to launch a flight on the Delhi-Washington route this year itself but due to some shortage of flights we deferred it,” said Ashwani Lohani, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), Air India. “It will happen…if not now then maybe by April end next year.”

“We are providing 8.5 lakh seats for flying to the U.S. right now with 82-83 per cent load factors. This market can grow to 12 lakh by next year,” Mr. Lohani said at an event organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce.

Air India will also introduce an Ahmedabad-Newark flight, the CMD said.

Beginning August 15 this year, the national carrier will fly thrice a week on the Ahmedabad-London-Newark route.

The national carrier will also look into the demand for flying to Los Angeles, he said.

The airline chief said he would also consider providing a flight connection to the U.S. from Hyderabad.
30/06/16 Somesh Jha/The Hindu

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Will foreign airlines fly in?

First the much-awaited civil aviation policy and then the liberalisation of the FDI norms – Indian aviation has rarely seen such an action-packed fortnight. These changes can drastically change the competitive landscape in the sector.

One, with the 0/20 rule replacing the 5/20 rule, airlines can fly now abroad if they deploy 20 aircraft or 20 per cent of total capacity, whichever is higher, for domestic operations. Next, allowing up to 100 per cent foreign investment in airlines in India can be a game changer, though it comes with a rider - foreign airlines can still hold only up to 49 per cent. So, for instance, while AirAsia Berhad cannot increase its stake in AirAsia India beyond the current 49 per cent, the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund can invest up to 100 per cent in AirAsia India. This throws up interesting tie-up possibilities. Multiple combinations of foreign airlines and foreign investors even from different countries can start domestic operations in India.

Seen together, these two changes – 100 per cent foreign investment in Indian carriers and 0/20 – could throw open the doors for foreign carriers to tap the huge Indian market, both on domestic and international routes, at least in theory. Here’s how.

A foreign carrier, in tie-up with foreign investors, starts a domestic airline in India or buys out an existing one. Given its deep pockets, this alliance may not have much trouble ramping up its fleet size to 20 in quick time, say in two to three years - this will make it eligible to fly international. This could mean a sharp rise in competition in the coming years.

But there could be many a slip between the cup and the lip. The big obstacle is the rule on substantial ownership and effective control (SOEC). It requires most of an airline’s top management to be Indian to be able to get a flying permit. Government officials have sounded out their intent to change this rule. So, domestic airlines controlled by foreign nationals could become a reality sooner than later.
29/06/16 Anand Kalyanaraman/Business Line

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Oman Air bets on Indian globe-trotter

Oman Air is betting big on India. Dropping broad hints to this effect, its Chief Executive Officer Paul Gregorowitsch said: “India is one of our most important territories.”

Addressing travel agents and key commercial partners in Mumbai recently, he said, “The size of India, the scale of its population and its increasing prosperity make the country an essential market for any international business.” These factors combined with ‘a dynamic travel industry and forward-thinking aviation sector’ to make India attractive for Oman Air.

Since its first international service in November 1993 to Thiruvananthapuram, Oman Air has begun services to 10 more destinations in India — six of which are served by double-daily services. “In total, Oman Air operates 126 flights per week between the Muscat and destinations in India,” he added.
“As the economy of India — the seventh largest in the world — continues to thrive, more Indian travellers are exploring the world. Further, India’s global diaspora is huge, and, in Oman, they constitute the largest expatriate community,” he said. Both Oman and India had agreed to increase the number of flights between the two countries, he said. Oman Air added Goa to its destination last year. He said that the possibility of Oman Air adding more destinations “is under constant consideration.”
30/06/16 KT Jagannathan/The Hindu

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Hrithik Roshan was at the Istanbul Airport hours before the terror attack

New Delhi: Hrithik Roshan along with his sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan were at the Istanbul airport hours before it came under a bomb and gun attack, which killed 36 and injured more than 140. The Bang Bang actor missed his connecting flight and was supposed to stay back at the airport till the next day. However, he chose to fly out in an economy.
The Bollywood actor was thankful to the airport staff and expressed shock and grief for those affected because of the attack. Hrithik tweeted his prayers for the victims, saying we have to stand united against those who kill innocents in the name of religion.
The attack at Ataturk airport have been linked to IS or Kurdish militants. Three militants open fired at an entry point of a terminal and then blew themselves up after police fired upon them, the officials were quoted.
World power across the globe denounced the act, with US calling the attack 'henious' and added they were 'steadfast in support of Turkey'. German foreign minister said, "We grieve for the victims, we stand by Turkey." Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan said the attack should serve as a turning appoint in the global fight against militant groups.
29/06/16 India Today

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New airline pledges to donate half of profits to charity - if it can take off

A long-haul, low-cost airline is in the works that pledges to donate half their profits to charities. But to get off the ground, People Over Profits is crowdsourcing the project and needs to raise £3.5 million ($4.6 million).

The idea behind POP takes the idea of charitable air travel donations to new heights. While many airlines allow loyalty members to donate their air miles to charities, for example, POP promises to donate 51 percent of their net profits to charities that serve the UK and India.

Beneficiaries include orphanages and children, mothers, women, disabled, homeless, and the elderly.

The airline would make non-stop flights between London Stansted airport and two “secondary cities” in India, Amritsar and Ahmedabad, cities that are woefully underserviced for travel from the UK, says POP.

Dreamed up by a British Indian family, the carrier is described as a “caring capitalist” model.

Founder Nino Singh Judge also points out that the majority of British Indians originate from Punjab and Gujarat, with an estimated 1.26 million Indians living close to, or within easy reach of London Stansted Airport.

“There is a growing demand for such a route driven by India's increasing prosperity, rapid urbanization and industrial development, and not least by the growing aspirations of its population,” reads a statement.

Meanwhile, the crowdfunding strategy aims to sell 10,000 Gold Passes at £500 ($660 USD) each, with the first batch of investors promised free flights to India, in addition to other travel perks for their support.

All flights would operate on an Airbus A330-300 aircraft that seats up to 378 passengers in an all economy-class configuration.
28/06/16 AFP/Astro Awani

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Grounded flight leaves for Kuala Lumpur

The Air Asia aircraft which was grounded at the international airport here for nearly 15 hours following a technical snag left for Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. The spares required for rectifying the technical snag were brought from Malaysia and the flight took off shortly after noon, sources said. The stranded passengers left in the same flight. The flight developed snag moments after it took off from the airport here on Monday evening. After hovering in the air space for over an hour, the flight made an emergency landing at Tiruchi a couple of hours later.
29/06/16 The Hindu

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Tata just partnered with Bell Helicopter in a bid to bag $2 bn chopper deal

Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) is going to enter a partnership with US-based Bell Helicopter to emerge as a leader in the Indian defence aviation sector and race past its rival Mahindra-Airbus for a $2-billion naval chopper manufacturing contract.

The contract for 100 utility helicopters will be awarded under 'Make in India'.

The Indian companies will take it from the front to procure the helicopters with a foreign company as a partner.

TASL will be the lead company in partnership with Bell Helicopter, based in Fort Worth, Texas.
"The TASL tie-up with Bell Helicopter is likely to be announced formally soon. It will make the competition more or less a direct fight between Mahindra and Tata," people involved in the developments told ET.
28/06/16 Business Insider India

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Tanzanian national held with 'Pseudoephedrine' drugs worth Rs 10 lakh at IGI Airport

New Delhi: Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the surveillance staff at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on Monday, detected and recovered 10 kg of 'Pseudoephedrine' drug work Rs 10 lakh from a Tanzanian national.

Based on suspicion during profiling, Kitumba Risasi Ahmad was picked-up for random checking at departure gate no.4 of Terminal- 3.

Ahmad came to travel to Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) via Doha on a business visa.

While on the way to random checking at the X-ray BIS machine, Ahmad threw one back-pack bag kept on trolley near a pillar, between gate no 4 and gate no 3, which the CISF staff could not see, as he was a little ahead.

After clearance from random, the Tanzanian passenger was allowed to proceed for check-in.

While returning to gate no. 4, the CISF staff noticed an unattended back-pack bag lying near a pillar and informed the matter to senior officers, following which the backpack was checked through EVD (Explosive Vapour Detector) and found negative result.
After conforming there was no dangerous/hazardous item inside the bag, it was brought to the random checking X-ray BIS machine for X-ray screening.
27/06/16 ANI/Business Standard

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Jet Airways to launch extra daily service from Doha to Delhi

Doha: Jet Airways is set to further expand its operations to India from Qatar with the launch of an additional daily service between Doha and Delhi from July 1.
The airline will introduce the new service from Doha to Delhi and back (starting July 1), adding to the existing single daily flight it already operates on the route.
The additional service from Doha to Delhi, Jet Airways flight 9W 201 will depart Doha at 2-35am and arrive in Delhi at 8-50am (all local time).
The return service, 9W 202, will depart Delhi at 12.05am and reach Doha at 1-35am (all local time).
Jet Airways currently operates flights from Doha to Kochi, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, New Delhi and Mumbai. Moreover, inbound guests from Doha can connect to key domestic destinations in India over Delhi.
26/06/16 Gulf Times

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Oman Air plans to increase flight services to India

New Delhi: In its bid to compete with other Gulf carriers, Oman's flag carrier Oman Air plans to increase its flight services in India to 175 weekly by 2018 besides seeking an enhanced weekly seat entitlement.
The Muscat-headquartered carrier currently operates 126 weekly flights across 11 destinations here.
"We are in the first phase trying to look in increasing our frequencies to the existing destinations where we have today 126 weekly frequencies to 175 per week by 2018," Oman Air chief executive officer Paul Gregorowitsch told PTI. India is an "extremely important" destination for Oman Air and being the fastest growing economy in the world it offers a huge potential, he said.
Seeking equal footing with other Gulf-based carriers such as Emirates, which enjoy almost 25 per cent more weekly seat entitlement than Oman Air, Gregorowitsch said, "We have currently 21,147 seats per week. We are looking to increase it to total 29,820 flights by 2018 and hope to increase further to 40,000."
All this depends about the bilateral negotiations between Oman and India, he added.
26/06/16 PTI/Times of India

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Oman Air plans to increase flight services to India

New Delhi: In its bid to compete with other Gulf carriers, Oman's flag carrier Oman Air plans to increase its flight services in India to 175 weekly by 2018 besides seeking an enhanced weekly seat entitlement.
The Muscat-headquartered carrier currently operates 126 weekly flights across 11 destinations here.
"We are in the first phase trying to look in increasing our frequencies to the existing destinations where we have today 126 weekly frequencies to 175 per week by 2018," Oman Air chief executive officer Paul Gregorowitsch told PTI.

India is an "extremely important" destination for Oman Air and being the fastest growing economy in the world it offers a huge potential, he said.

Seeking equal footing with other Gulf-based carriers such as Emirates, which enjoy almost 25 per cent more weekly seat entitlement than Oman Air, Gregorowitsch said, "We have currently 21,147 seats per week. We are looking to increase it to total 29,820 flights by 2018 and hope to increase further to 40,000."
26/06/16 PTI/Economic Times

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Vigil in Surrey to remember Air India flight's 329 victims

Surrey:  An annual candlelight vigil here on Sunday (June 26) will remember victims of the Air India disaster 31 years after it happened.

A mid-flight explosion over the Atlantic Ocean killed all 329 people aboard the 747 jet on June 23, 1985.

An annual vigil to mourn the passengers and crew has been held at Lakshmi Narayan Hindu temple over the past eight or nine years, said Vinay Sharma, the temple’s general secretary.

“It’s important to remember this (disaster), and some of the victims’ families we know personally,” Sharma told the Now. “They come to this temple, people who had a niece or an uncle on the plane. Another friend of ours had a cousin on it.”

The majority of the victims were Canadian citizens of Indian ancestry, and the incident is considered the largest mass murder in Canadian history.

“It happened a long time ago now, and younger people may not know the story,” Sharma said.

“We tell the story about the disaster and show a video for people to understand what happened, and we have some speakers who tell their story,” he added.

“Another thing is, justice has not been served so far.”
25/06/16 The Now

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After 100% FDI, govt to tweak airline ownership norms

New Delhi: India may have allowed foreign entities to fully own a desi carrier, but it now needs to change some of its ownership rules to allow such airlines to fly in the country and get clarity on international norms for their overseas operations.
Under current rules, the government grants a licence to run an airline (AOP — air operator permit) only if that entity's chairman and two-thirds of its directors are Indians and the "substantial ownership and effective control" (SOEC) is with Indian nationals. Also, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) says that an airline's SOEC should be with the nationals of a country if such an airline wishes to fly out of that country.
While aviation secretary R N Choubey, the architect of the new aviation policy, on Thursday said the SOEC norms for issuing AOP for airlines in India will be aligned with the new FDI rules, India will need to check the international norms for overseas flying by desi airlines that may be fully or substantially owned by foreigners.
"We will examine the SOEC norms of various countries that permit more than 49% FDI in airlines. We will review the existing policy for grant of AOP to bring it in line with the decision to allow 100% FDI in domestic airlines," Choubey said. The issue of SOEC being with Indians arises while issuing AOP and giving bilateral rights that India has to its airline for flying abroad. "For the purpose of granting AOP, as the FDI limit has been increased, correspondingly the AOP requirement of SOEC will also have to be aligned with it. That will require amendment," he said.
25/06/16 Kashmir Monitor

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Aviation FDI hits air pocket

New Delhi: Airlines with a majority foreign ownership may not be able to fly international routes from India even though the liberalised norms now allow foreign investors to own up to a 100 per cent stake in domestic carriers.

At present, India has bilateral air service agreements with 109 countries. Many of these countries have a "substantial ownership and effective control" clause. This clause, which is also a condition from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), may not permit airlines with a majority foreign ownership to fly abroad from India.

"All that it means is that if you are having more than 49 per cent, there may be an issue in getting the bilateral rights for flying abroad. But if you wish to fly within the country, then there is no bar," said R.N. Choubey, civil aviation secretary.

"We will examine what other countries who are similarly placed are doing and then will take a call," said Choubey.

Analysts said most countries, including the Gulf and the US, restrict bilateral rights to airlines owned and controlled by nationals of a country that has been granted the bilaterals.

Most countries also restrict the ownership of its airlines to its nationals. The US and Canada allow only 25 per cent foreign ownership; Europe and Australia allow 49 per cent foreign ownership, while ensuring that control remains with Europeans or Australians, respectively.
23/06/16 Telegraph

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Oman Air says will invest in Indian carrier if given more, or unlimited, flying rights to country

New Delhi: Taking a leaf out of Abu Dhabi-based Etihad's book, another big Gulf carrier, Oman Air, has made it clear it will consider investing in an Indian carrier if given additional -- or unrestricted -- flying rights to the country. Three years back, Etihad had picked up 24% stake in Jet Airways for $379 million hours after India enhanced Abu Dhabi's flying rights from 13,300 seats per week to 50,000 by 2016 in a phased manner.
"Last year, Oman's bilaterals were raised from 15,000 seats per week to 21,000. But even with this number we are unable to make a significant contribution to India economy. Also, our entitlements are much less compared to other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members. Emirates has 66,000 seats a week, Etihad over 50,000 and Qatar 24,000," Oman Air CEO Paul Gregorowitch said.
"With our current bilaterals, we are unable to operate wide body aircraft to India. We have 126 flights a week to 11 destinations in India and all are operated on the single aisle Boeing 737. We want to go up to 175 weekly flights that will require at least 29,000 weekly seats," he said.
Gregorowitch said Oman will begin talks with India for more bilaterals in August. "We need 29,000 weekly seats or open skies with India. If that happens, it will make sense for us to invest in an Indian carrier," the CEO said.
"At the current (bilateral) level when we do not have scope to grow in India it does not make sense to invest in an Indian carrier. But that will change with more bilaterals or an open sky policy with Oman," he said.
24/06/16 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Air India families still looking for justice after 31 years

I attended the small but important gathering in Stanley Park last night to remember the 331 victims of the 1985 Air India bombing plot. It’s understandably a solemn gathering – so much lost and so much frustration over the failed prosecution of the key suspects in Canada’s worst mass murder.

Renee Saklikar, the poet who lost her aunt and uncle in the bombing, said those gathered are kind of like an “extended family.” Most are like her and lost loved ones. But there are others – Gary Bass, the former deputy commissioner of the RCMP, was there with his wife Ruth. He oversaw the investigation leading up to the charges that were laid in 2000. He usually attends the amazing Air India service in Ahakista, Ireland, but couldn’t get there this year. Air India Flight 182 went down off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985. The Irish has been comforting victims’ relatives ever since.

I also heard early yesterday from Anil Hanse, in Australia. His dad was a co-pilot on the ill-fated Air India flight. He has his own little service and remains very close to Amarjit Bhinder, whose husband was Hanse’s co-pilot. The bonds forged over three decades are permanent.

There were no other media at the 2016 service beside the Stanley Park memorial wall listing all the victims’ names. But as long as I’m a reporter, I will continue to go. It’s important to remember those who died. It’s also critical that Canada as a nation learns from the mistakes made before and after the bombing.

With poetry, prayers and calls for justice, the 331 victims of the 1985 Air India terrorist bombings were remembered at a memorial in Stanley Park Thursday night.

Gurdial Sidhu, who lost her sister-in-law Sukhwinder, niece Parminder, and nephew Kuldip in the terrorist attack, said all sense of normalcy in her family’s life also died the day of the bombing.

“We still did not get any justice,” she told about 60 people gathered at the Air India memorial wall. “At the end, I am forced to think there is no justice for this criminal travesty. The terrorists are still alive. They’re free and they enjoy their lives.”
24/06/16 Kim Bolan/Vancouver Sun

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Reasons why 100% FDI in India's civil aviation could fail to take off

New Delhi: One step forward, two backward seems to be the mantra guiding the government while coming up with liberal FDI norms for the civil aviation sector. Two days after India's airlines were allowed 100 percent foreign investment without any caveats except a government nod after the foreign investment limit crossed 49 percent, fresh riders have emerged. If these apply, then any substantial investment by foreign entities in India's airline sector remains a pipe dream.
In fact, the emphasis of the government for domestic connectivity may mute global players' desire to invest further in India. Besides new riders on foreign investment in airlines, the process to do so may be cumbersome too. Civil Aviation Minister A Gajapathi Raju has hinted at a careful scrutiny of each proposal where foreign investment could be increased to beyond 49 percent, saying the government will take a call on whether such investments are needed and then too, on a case to case basis. Why announce opening of FDI floodgates and then put barrier just ahead of the flow?
Civil Aviation Secretary R N Chaubey said today that the issue of substantial ownership and effective control (SOEC) for airlines operating in India comes up at two stages - first when an airline applies for a flying permit and second when it wants to fly abroad. It is SOEC which could well put a spanner in foreign investors' plans.
23/06/16 Sindhu Bhattacharya/First Post

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No need to restrict FDI in aviation sector: DIPP Secretary

DIPP Secretary Ramesh Abhishek asserts that the cap for foreign airlines to invest in Indian aviation will stay at 49 per cent. In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg TV India, he says the government will continue on its path to further open up the economy to facilitate ease of doing business.

You have allowed up to 100 per cent FDI in aviation. How will this help the aviation sector to grow?

Civil aviation is a fast-growing sector. Perhaps, India has the fastest-growing civil aviation sector in the world. And the potential for increase of the sector in terms of the passengers being carried is enormous.

And we felt that there is no reason not to allow 100 per cent FDI in this sector if it leads to its development. There will be more infusion of capital, which may help in extending more routes and adding to the capacities, whether it is airports or airlines.

I think we have provided a helping hand to get access to more capital to the sector.We need top-class infrastructure if we want to grow the economy to a double-digit level. So there is no need to restrict FDI in the aviation sector.

There is a little bit of a restriction here. Foreign airlines can invest only up to 49 per cent in scheduled carriers in India. Tell us the rationale behind retaining that clause?

The 49 per cent cap was already there. But the important thing is it was always 100 per cent for NRIs. And now this has been made 100 per cent for all investors, all foreign investors other than foreign airlines. And this will open up huge possibilities of investment in the sector.
23/06/16 Mehak Kasbekar/Business Line

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Don’t want foreign airlines to have majority stake in Indian carriers: Govt

The government’s intention in raising the FDI limit in scheduled domestic airlines to 100% via the approval route was not to let foreign airlines acquire Indian carriers, a senior official said on Wednesday. But the government may not issue a clarification in this regard despite many analysts finding an ambiguity in the latest policy announcement.
“The intention is to attract foreign funds for the sector. For the time being, we don’t want foreign airlines to have majority stake in domestic carriers. We have taken a calibrated approach to liberalise the sector.” civil aviation secretary Rajeev Nayan Choubey said. He added that if the government’s future experience suggests that foreign airlines be allowed to own domestic carriers, the current cap on their equity (49%) might be done away with.
After the recent changes in FDI policy — which allowed 100% FDI in the sector and retained the cap for FDI by foreign airlines at 49%, analysts felt that an opportunity was created for foreign carriers to acquire their Indian counterparts.
For instance, if Qatar Airways acquires a maximum possible stake of 49% in Spicejet and wants to partner with another foreign entity for the balance 51% stake, the government will conduct due diligence to ensure the latter is at arm’s length from Qatar Airways before being allowed to pick up a majority stake. Also, if a foreign investor wants to wholly own a domestic scheduled airline, its associations with foreign airline companies will be ascertained.
“The government, through an inter-ministerial committee, will examine the proposal of any foreign investor wanting to acquire more than 49% stake in a domestic carrier. Several factors would determine the government’s approval, including whether the entity indeed has an arm’s length distance from the foreign airline,” Choubey said.
23/06/16 Bilal Abdi/Financial Express

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Breaking the shackles of India's aviation sector

For the longest time, the Indian aviation sector was considered a rich man’s industry. While the industry continues to be highly taxed, the efforts of the government through the new National Civil Aviation Policy to make flying more affordable are laudable. Besides, tweaking the 5/20 rule to a 0/20 rule, which now does not restrict Indian airlines to wait for five years before flying overseas, would bring in much-needed competition into the space.

More so, by allowing up to 100 percent FDI in the aviation sector, which has caveats attached, the government has given Indian airlines a chance to improve their balance sheets. Of course, by capping the amount of FDI being invested by foreign airlines to 49 percent, it is to be seen what other kind of foreign investors would be interested in risking their monies in an industry which has been accumulating losses in excess of $1 billion, consistently, for the last decade. A concern that Peeyush Naidu, partner at Deloitte India, also shares: “While the increase in FDI for aviation is welcome, as it will allow flexibility, we are unlikely to see investors suddenly rushing to invest in airlines just because the cap of 49 percent has been removed.” He goes on to add, “It remains to be seen whether other investors such as private equity players and the like would have the risk appetite to make such investments.”

That said, on paper, all these recent developments in the aviation industry augur well for the airlines and passengers. Air Pegasus MD Shyson Thomas believes that the new FDI norms along with recent policy changes “would act as a catalyst for funds to pour into the Indian aviation sector that is on cusp of take off”.
22/06/16 Anshul Dhamija/Forbes India

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Upping FDI limit to bring in more investment: Aviation Minister

The decision to allow 100 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the aviation sector is going to help bring in more investment into the sector, said Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Union Minister for Civil Aviation. "The more the sector is opened up, the more investments we are going to see," he told CNBC-TV18's Shereen Bhan in an exclusive interview. He also talked about India's flag carrier, Air India, saying that the government cannot commit taxpayer money for "eternity" to keep it afloat, but added that the carrier has a definite turnaround plan in place.  "FY16 was the first year that Air India posted an operating profit," he pointed out. The government recently tweaked the controversial 5/20 rule (which required airlines to have five years of operation history and minimum 20 aircraft to be able to fly abroad), removing the five year clause while sticking with the 20 aircraft rule. The rationale: "India is a big country and regional connectivity is the priority of the government. We would like the indian players to serve indian skies first," Raju said.
Explaining about why the ministry has announced fare caps on short distance flights on regional routes, the minister said that there were many unserved airports today which would get increased connectivity.
22/06/16 CNBC-TV18/moneycontrol

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Air operator permit policy to be amended for new FDI norms

New Delhi: The government today said it will amend the existing policy for grant of air operator permit (AOP) to bring it in line with its recent decision to allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment in domestic airlines.
It would also be "examining" the substantial ownership and effective control (SOEC) norms of the various countries which permit more than 49 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in their airlines, Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey told reporters on the sidelines of an aviation event here.
Under the current norms, AOP or flying licence is granted to a company only if its chairman and two-third Directors are Indian citizens and its substantial ownership and effective control is vested in Indian nationals.
"The policy relating to AOP being given, that policy will be completely aligned with the FDI Policy. So if there is something when higher FDI investment is not resulting in AOP being given, then the AOP requirement will be to that extent will be amended," Choubey said.
Foreign investors, barring overseas airlines, are now allowed to have up to 100 per cent stake in local carriers under the recently liberalised FDI norms.
Under the new set-up, 49 per cent FDI will be through the automatic route and for anything beyond, government nod will be required. At present, up to 49 per cent FDI is permitted in scheduled airlines.
23/06/16 PTI/Business Today

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Jet Airways announces attractive India-Europe return fares

Mumbai: Jet Airways, India's premier international airline, Thursday, announced a four day attractive mega sale for Premiere and Economy travel on Jet Airways' flights from India to key destinations in Europe.
During the period, the airlines guests will be able to enjoy substantial discounts across all Jet Airways direct flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Amsterdam, London and Paris. This is a unique opportunity for guests to experience the airlines globally renowned business and economy products at attractive unbeatable all inclusive return fares.
The four day mega fare offer is applicable to all return flights booked onjetairways.comand will be available for sale effective from June 24 to 27, 2016 with travel validity from June 24, 2016 onwards for flights from India to international destinations in Europe on Jet Airways network.
23/06/16 New Kerala

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Lufthansa to fly A-380 on Mumbai-Frankfurt route

New Delhi: Slot-constrained Mumbai airport is fast becoming a magnet for the world's biggest commercial aircraft, Airbus A-380. German mega carrier Lufthansa is planning to deploy this aircraft on the Mumbai-Frankfurt route from next summer. Currently, three international airlines — Singapore Airlines (SIA), Emirates, and Etihad — fly this double-decker aircraft to Mumbai.
Delhi, the only other airport that gets A-380s in India, at present sees the big bird from only two airlines — SIA and Lufthansa.
"From the winter schedule that starts October-end, we will introduce the Boeing 747-8 on our Mumbai-Frankfurt route. And then our endeavour will be to deploy an A-380 on this route from next summer," Wolfgang Will, Lufthansa (South Asia) director, told TOI.
Lufthansa has been trying to bring the A-380 to Mumbai for some years now but could not get the slot as the city's airport, till recently, had only one parking bay big enough for the A-380, along with a sole twinlevel aerobridge. "Delhi will be the first destination within the Lufthansa network that will be served with the new Airbus A350 at the beginning of 2017," Will said.
23/06/16 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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​Indian deal for 36 Rafales moves forward

New Delhi is in the final stages of a process that could lead to a contract for 36 Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft.

Negotiations between Indian and French teams regarding the final terms of the contract are now concluded, said defence minister Manohar Parrikar during a recent visit to Bengaluru.

“I should receive their report this week and the ministry will analyse it and then send it to the Government,” he said. “After the report is submitted, it may take the government four to five weeks to officially come to a conclusion as to the final terms of the contract.”

Parrikar made the remarks during a recent visit to Bangalore. He indicated that the contract would be valued at approximately $7-8 billion.

New Delhi will also look to acquire a single-engined and a twin-engined fighter type under the Government’s ‘Make-in-India’ initiative for manufacture in India.
23/06/16 Flightglobal

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Want to be flown to Chennai for the ‘Kabali’ premiere? Here’s how

Kuala Lumpur: AirAsia, the official airline partner for the most anticipated movie in India titled Kabali starring superstar Rajinikanth, will be flying one lucky winner, along with a friend, to Chennai India, for the movie’s premiere in July.

 The contest is open to everyone residing in Malaysia and the public can participate by posting their very own impersonations video of Rajinikanth’s famous signature moves in the most creative way on Instagram and include hashtag #AirAsiaKabali.

“This contest is a way for us to share our excitement as the official airline partner with V Creations and we are thrilled to fly the grand prize winner with us to Chennai and experience a once-in-a-lifetime movie premiere there,” the airlines’ Head of Commercial, Spencer Lee, said today.

Submissions for the contest can be made from now until June 27, 2016 via Instagram, AirAsia said in a statement today.

The grand prize winner will receive one pair of flight tickets to Chennai, 3 days 2 nights accommodation in Chennai and attend the Kabali movie premiere.
22/06/16 Malaymail Online

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Cathay Pacific exploring new opportunities in India - See more at: http://www.traveltrendstoday.in/people/inconversation/item/4162-cathay-pacific-exploring-new-opportunities-in-india#sthash.qDRy6sZB.dpuf

Rajesh Menon, Regional Sales & Marketing Manager - South Asia, Cathay Pacific Airways talks about the carrier’s performance in India as well as India’s civil aviation market

 Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair currently operate 48 weekly departures from six cities in India to Hong Kong. The carrier has exhausted all its bilateral rights, however, constantly reviewing new routes that could be profitable in the future.

The Govt of India is coming out with a new Civil Aviation Policy. How would you explain the emerging scenario in Indian aviation sector? What is your expectation from the new Policy?

There is a lot of speculation around the new Civil Aviation policy but we still don’t know anything concrete. But India's upbeat outlook in the contrasting slump of the world economy is a great sign. At a 7.5 per cent GDP growth further reiterates the fact there is immense potential the Indian market has to offer. Any infrastructure support will give everyone an opportunity to leverage the huge demand in one of the fastest growing economies. Investment in new air strips and airports will benefit the entire industry.

What is the current operational profile of Cathay in India? Cathay has been trying to add new points of call in India. Is there any development on this front?

Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair currently operate 48 weekly departures from six cities in India to Hong Kong. At this moment, we have exhausted all our traffic rights and have no immediate plans for additional destinations and frequencies. We are constantly reviewing new routes that could be profitable in the future. We are continuously monitoring market demand and exploring new opportunities

How has been the year 2015 for Cathay in India in terms of load factor and yields? What is the expectation from 2016? What is the contribution of India market in Cathay’s overall business?

The Cathay Pacific group reported an attributable profit of HK$6,000 million for 2015. The high passenger load factors experienced in the first half of the year continued in the second half, reflecting strong economy class demand. Premium class demand was not as strong as expected on some long-haul routes. In 2015, India saw revenue grow faster than capacity. We saw healthy load factors between 80 –85 per cent across all cabins on our flights. The potential for travel in India is only rising higher and we look forward to playing our full part in growing the aviation business here. The big issue at the moment is yield, which remains under intense pressure due to the overall softness of the markets and the big increase in competitor capacity.
23/06/16 Murari Mohan Jha/Travel Trends Today

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Foreign airlines can control Indian carriers via group firms

New Delhi: While foreign airlines can’t directly own more than 49 per cent in Indian airlines, despite Monday’s liberalised Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy, their group companies or investors can fully own airlines in India with government approval.

So while the likes of AirAsia and Singapore Airlines will continue to have a cap of 49 per cent on their stakes in Indian arms, AirAsia India and Vistara, foreign funds and non-airline companies will be allowed to fully own a domestic, Indian airline.

The government is looking to dilute the rule which makes it mandatory for an Indian carrier to be controlled and owned by an Indian or an Indian entity. This will increase competition for Indian airlines, as deep-pocketed airlines from the Gulf will be able to set up shops in India through their group companies.

This will allow the likes of Etihad, Singapore Airlines and AirAsia to gain management control of Jet Airways, Vistara and AirAsia India through their group companies. Qatar Airways had earlier tried to use the Qatar Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund, to buy into Indian budget carrier IndiGo.
22/06/16 Arindam Majumder & Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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Foreign airlines can never fully own local carrier: RN Choubey

New Delhi: Relaxed FDI norms will ensure increased competition in the "huge" domestic aviation sector but foreign airlines will never be allowed to fully own a domestic carrier, a top government official said today.

In a significant reform measure aimed at bolstering the country's high growth potential civil aviation sector, the government has allowed foreign entities, except overseas carriers, to own up to 100 per cent stake in local airlines.

Besides, 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been permitted through the automatic route in brownfield airports.

"There will be more and more competition (in aviation sector). That is the signal that is going out," Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey told PTI about the relaxed FDI norms and their long-term impact.
22/06/16 PTI/Economic Times

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FDI Alone Won’t Help - Major Restructuring Needed For AAI Take-Off

The latest foreign direct investment (FDI) reforms in the civil aviation sector should ideally bring the focus back on airport infrastructure in many brownfield ventures which have failed to improve, thanks to the triad of slothful Airports Authority of India (AAI), labour unions and opposition-ruled states blocking such moves.

The true test of the benefits of raising FDI in brownfield airports to 100 percent without prior approval (earlier, FDI beyond 74 percent was subject to approval) may actually come when Chennai airport’s ceiling doesn’t crumble every other day.

India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world and boasts of some world-class airports in Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai on the one hand, and hundreds of ghost airports with not a single flight on the other.

Now that back-to-back reforms for airlines have been unleashed, by diluting the 5/20 restriction for overseas flights and removing caps on foreign investment, it is time the country got its airport infrastructure up and running too. If the airport infrastructure fails to keep pace, the liberalisation in airline ownership and operational conditions would be rather meaningless.
22/06/16 Sindhu Bhattacharya/Swarajya Mag

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Majority foreign stake puts curbs on overseas flights

Airlines with a majority foreign ownership will not be allowed to fly on international routes, senior Civil Aviation Ministry officials said on Tuesday. On Monday the government liberalised norms in the sector, allowing foreign investors to own up to 100 per cent stake in domestic carriers.

The bilateral air traffic agreements that India has signed with most of the countries have ‘substantial ownership and effective control’ (SOEC) clause which may not permit the airlines with majority foreign ownership to fly abroad from India, a senior Ministry official said.

At present, India has bilateral air service agreements with 109 countries. “The SOEC clause is applicable at two places – at the stage of air operators’ permit and for bilateral rights to fly abroad,” said another senior official.

The ICAO template on air services agreements says the SOEC norms in bilateral agreements address “potential concerns such as safety, security or other economic aspects including potential emergence of “flag of convenience.” However, the template is not binding and the countries are free to set their own terms. India will have to amend the SOEC clause in its agreement with a particular country for allowing an airline with majority foreign control to fly abroad, an official said. “At present, only a couple of countries that India has bilateral agreements with do not acknowledge the SOEC norms,” the official added.
22/06/16 Somesh Jha/The Hindu

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Jet Airways to expand connectivity to the Arabian Gulf region

Jet Airways will operate new daily services from Hyderabad to Dammam and from Mangaluru to Sharjah from August 7. Dammam will be the second city in the Gulf region to be connected with Hyderabad by Jet Airways after Abu Dhabi. With the addition of Sharjah, Jet Airways will operate to three cities in the Gulf region from Mangaluru. The airline currently operates daily flights to Abu Dhabi and Dubai from Mangaluru.

“The new flights will benefit the large number of Indians travelling from to the Gulf region to Hyderabad and Mangaluru, from where they also have a choice of domestic connections to other Indian destinations,” the airline said.

“With economic ties between India and the Gulf region flourishing, Jet Airways recognises the need to provide more flight options to its passengers,” said Gaurang Shetty, Wholetime Director, Jet Airways.
22/06/16 DefenceAviationPost

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What Does 100% FDI in Aviation Mean?

 India has decided to allow overseas entities--excluding airlines--to own 100% in domestic airlines as it seeks greater foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the country. This is against the current 49% FDI limit under the automatic route in domestic airlines (scheduled air transport service/domestic scheduled passenger airline and regional air transport service).

It has now been decided to raise this limit to 100%, with FDI up to 49% permitted under the automatic route and FDI beyond 49% through government approval. For non-resident Indians (NRIs), 100% FDI will continue to be allowed under the automatic route.

Here's how the new rules will play out for different entities and investment scenarios.

Foreign airlines

While the foreign airlines are keen to have a 100% stake in Indian airlines, they have been excluded.

Investment by foreign airlines in domestic airlines will be limited to 49% of paid-up capital, the government said on Monday.

The Indian market is wooing foreign airlines.

India's domestic traffic soared 21.8% in April, marking the 20th month of double-digit growth and the 13th consecutive month in which it led traffic in domestic markets worldwide.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents some 260 airlines that make up 83% of global air traffic, growth in India is being propelled by a comparatively strong economic backdrop as well as by a substantial increase in service frequencies.
21/06/16 PR Sanjay/Mcclatchy/AviationPros

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India Denies Foreign Carriers Full Control of Local Airlines

India retained restrictions that prevent overseas airlines from raising stakes in local carriers even as it unveiled new rules to attract foreign investors into the world’s fastest growing major aviation market.

The government will allow foreign entities such as funds and portfolio investors to fully own local airlines, removing an earlier cap of 49 percent, it said in a statement on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, however, decided to bar foreign carriers from raising their stakes beyond 49 percent. Last week, India eased rules for local carriers keen to fly to overseas destinations.

The latest changes in foreign direct investment rules are unlikely to lure overseas investors until the government cuts red tape, according to Mark D. Martin, founder of Dubai-based Martin Consulting LLC. Setting up an airline in India involves multiple ministries and permits for aircraft registration, recruitment and parking slots. The revamp doesn’t allow Singapore Airlines Ltd. or AirAsia Bhd. to boost stake in their local ventures to gain full control.

“We’re not going to see anything earth-shattering anytime soon,” Martin said. “Red tape is still the biggest obstacle to aviation in the country and even if you own 100 percent, getting an airline off the ground is still the biggest challenge.”

Singapore Airlines has a local venture known as Vistara with the Tata Group, and AirAsia Bhd., the region’s biggest discount carrier, began domestic Indian flights in June 2014.
21/06/16 AJoT

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The Modi Government’s New FDI Policy Will Hurt Indian Interests

The latest changes in foreign direct investment (FDI) norms in India have made entry and control of foreign investors in a lot of sectors easier. Defence and civil aviation have been opened to 100% FDI under the government approval route (the FDI limit was 49% in airlines before). Many other sectors have been allowed 100% (or near 100%) FDI with government approval or through the automatic approval route. These include animal husbandry, trading of food products produced in India (including through e-commerce), private security services and broadcasting carriage services (such as DTH, cable networks and mobile TV). Up to 74% FDI (against the previous 49%) in brownfield pharmaceutical industry projects will no longer require government approval. Brownfield airports too have been brought under the automatic approval route.

The condition of access to state-of-the-art technology in India has been removed in defence. In addition, for single-brand retail trading companies undertaking business with state-of-the-art technology, the restriction of sourcing up to a certain percentage of inputs locally has been totally relaxed for three years, followed by a partial relaxation for another five years – a favour granted apparently on Apple’s appeal.

The stated objective of 100% FDI and other relaxations is to promote employment and improve infrastructure, along with greater FDI inflows and the ease of doing business in India. An official statement said that with most sectors coming under the automatic approval route, India is now the most open economy in the world for FDI.
21/06/16 Rahul Pandey/The Wire

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Gulf carriers options open under India’s new aviation investment rules

Dubai: Etihad Airways plans to “carefully examine” India’s new aviation investment rules that allow complete ownership of domestic Indian airlines by foreign companies.

India has recently announced a series of major changes to its aviation sector, including rules surrounding foreign investment, in effort an to encourage investment and long-term development.

Etihad, who owns 24 per cent of Indian carrier Jet Airways, told Gulf News it “is a committed, long-term partner and investor in India.” The Abu Dhabi-based airline in 2013 became the first foreign airline to invest in an Indian carrier.

Under the new rules, a foreign company can wholly own a domestic Indian carrier, an increase from the previous 49 per cent cap, though foreign airlines are still limited to holding a maximum stake of 49 per cent.

Still, there are ways under the new rules for foreign airlines to get around that cap. Last year, state-owned Qatar Airways tried to use its country’s sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, to buy into Indian budget carrier IndiGo during its initial public offering after Indian laws blocked the airline from taking part. The transaction failed but only because the sovereign wealth fund did not have enough time to complete the necessary approvals.
21/06/16 Alexander Cornwell/Gulf News

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Thirty-one years after Air India bombing, RCMP say their investigation remains “a national priority”

THE RCMP are still doggedly pursuing the Air India investigation – 31 years after that horrendous mass murder when the bombing of Air India Flight 182 on June 23, 1985, off the coast of Ireland killed 329 people and the Narita airport explosion in the luggage meant for another Air India plane in Japan on the same day killed two baggage handlers.
Staff-Sgt. Rob Vermeulen, Senior Media Relations Officer, BC RCMP Communication Services, told The VOICE on Tuesday: “Over the last 31 years, the Air India investigation is the longest and certainly one of the most complex domestic terrorism investigations that the RCMP has undertaken. The RCMP continues to investigate with the objective of pursuing charges of any individuals involved in the bombings.”
He added: “This investigation is a national priority for the RCMP.”
Vermeulen said the Air India team “is a dedicated investigative team within E-INSET (E-Integrated National Security Enforcement Team that consists of a large number of police investigators).”
A year ago, RCMP Sgt. Annie Linteau had told me that the RCMP “have continuously worked with various international police agencies in Europe, Asia and North America, who have been extremely cooperative.”
And back in 2014, the RCMP had told me that they still had six full-time officers and an analyst investigating the two bombings.
21/06/16 Rattan Mall/VoiceOnline

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African woman held at Delhi Airport with narcotic worth Rs 50 lakh

Delhi: A South African woman, alleged to be an international drug peddler, has been arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) with 18 kg of a narcotic worth Rs 50 lakh.

Officials said at about 10:00 PM on Tuesday CISF sleuths detected suspicious movement of a flier, identified as Belinda F (42), who was to travel to Addis Ababa.

A detailed search of the passenger and her belongings led Central Industrial Security Force personnel finding 18 kg of narcotic drug 'methaqualone' from a bag. The drug was neatly packed in black paper wrappers, they said.
The woman has been handed over to anti-narcotics sleuths who arrested her. Belinda was on their wanted list and was an international drug peddler, they said.
21/06/16 DNA

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Empire Aviation Group adds two business jets

Dubai-based Empire Aviation Group, through its Empire Aviation San Marino subsidiary, has added two Embraer Legacy 650 business jets to its global fleet.

Both Legacy 650s will be managed on behalf of owners for their private use, as well as being offered to the global charter market. Empire Aviation San Marino was awarded an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) for aircraft management and charter by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Republic of San Marino in 2015.

The Embraer Legacy 650 is an extended-range derivative of the Legacy 600 business jet. It can fly up to 3,900 nautical miles (7,223 kilometers) nonstop with four passengers, or 3,840 nautical miles (7,112 kilometers) with eight passengers. The Legacy 650 can fly up to 13 passengers, nonstop, connecting Dubai to major business destinations, including London (UK), Singapore, and Johannesburg (South Africa), for example. The Legacy 650 extended-range is one of the largest executive jets permitted to operate in restricted airports, such as London City (LCY).

The San Marino AOC enables Empire Aviation’s registered aircraft to perform worldwide commercial air operations, regardless of the aircraft base. EAG also holds a UAE AOC and the company currently manages a fleet of more than 20 business jets with bases in the UAE, Oman, Nigeria, India and Hong Kong.
20/06/16 Gulf Digital News

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Air India to begin non-stop flight to London

Ahmedabad: Beginning this Independence Day, people flying from Ahmedabad to London and Newark will get freedom from long and roundabout transit flights. Air India is going to fly non-stop from Ahmedabad to London Heathrow and the same aircraft will fly on to Newark, an airport in New Jersey that is in New York metropolitan area. The flights will begin from August 15 .
Currently, travellers from Ahmedabad have to fly to London via Mumbai which takes 12.5 hours to reach Heathrow. "The new non-stop flight will take only 9.5 hours, reducing the travel time by 3 hours," said Nirbhik Narang, station manager, Air India Ahmedabad.
Similarly, flyers from Ahmedabad to Newark also fly via Mumbai currently. These flyers too will be able to go through the new flight which will have halt of two hours at London.
The flight AI-171 will leave Ahmedabad every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5am from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport reaching London at 10.15am (local time). After a brief halt at London, the same aircraft will leave for Newark at 12.30pm (local time) reaching at 3pm (local time).
18/06/16 Times of India

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London-bound British Airways flight delayed

Chennai: As many as 150 passengers were stranded at the Chennai International Airport when a London-bound British Airways flight, which was scheduled to depart at 5.35am on Friday, was cancelled due to a technical snag. Passengers said they were informed of the delay of flight BA36 at 10.30am, almost five hours after they boarded the aircraft. Following a protest by the passengers, they were de-planed and accommodated in various hotels in the city. Airline officials could not be reached for comment on when the aircraft finally took off.
18/06/16 Times of India

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Southeast Asia airlines look to India

Major airlines and tourism authorities are eager to cash in on the India market after that country’s government unveiled an open-skies policy to allow more airlines operate into and out of India.

Thai Airways International, Singapore Airlines and AirAsia are expected to benefit from the policy in one of the world's fastest-growing markets.

Narongchai Wongthanavimok, chief financial officer at THAI, said the airline was considering a network expansion or increasing frequencies for India routes. However, it is more likely to increase the number of flights rather than opening new routes.

"Thai Airways is considering India as part of our network expansion. We may increase frequencies because Bangkok is great hub for [service to] the subcontinent. We will not open new routes at this stage," Narongchai said.

Currently THAI operates to Kolkata, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

THAI executive board members on Wednesday agreed to push Bangkok as the aviation hub for Southeast Asia. The airline will increase frequencies of existing flights including Bangkok-Manila and Bangkok-Jakarta. The plan will help the airline to cash in connecting passengers travelling from the Middle East, India and Europe.

Meanwhile at Thai AirAsia X, an executive of the long-haul low-cost carrier said it looked at India market for as believed a lot of tourists and business travellers.

Thai AirAsia X currently operates from Bangkok to Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Shanghai, Muscat, and Tehran while AirAsia X Malaysia operates Kuala Lumpur-Kolkata.
17/06/16 Suchat Sritama/The Nation

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Thai Airways to recruit flight attendants on short-term contracts

Thai Airways International plans to recruit up to 600 new graduates as flight attendants to serve its network expansion ahead of the high season, which includes returning to Moscow and adding other destinations.

THAI president Charamporn Jotikasthira said yesterday that the airline aimed to hire qualified persons aged 24-30, or "first jobbers".

They will be working under a three-year contact plus a three-year extension. The contact will end when they reach 30, meaning that applicants' ages will be 24-27.

Employing young people or first-jobbers is the new trend in aviation. This has already happened at many other airlines, but it will be the first time for Thai Airways.

The airline also expects that short-term staff will gain working and travel experience while learning best service practices at the national carrier.

They could apply all this at their new jobs.


One of the airline's executives said hiring first-jobbers on short contracts could help the airline save on personnel expenses and overall operating costs compared with taking on permanent employees.

The airline says it will post the openings on its web?site very soon.
17/06/16 The Nation/Asiaone Business

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Jaipur Int’l Airport to have direct flights to Japan, Singapore soon

Jaipur: People of Rajasthan will be saved from travelling all the way to Delhi for boarding International flights as a number of flight operators are starting operations from Jaipur International Airport (JIA) from October.
JIA, named as one of the best airports in Asia Pacific Region, would soon have direct flights to Japan, Singapore and other countries as its runway has been upgraded to Category-E.
In April, Airport Council International (ACI) had awarded first rank to JIA for catering to two to five Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA).
The up-gradation of the runway from 2709 to 3410 metres, built at a cost of Rs189 crore, has been readied and it would accommodate planes with a capacity of 350 passengers from October this year.
Besides the runway, 150 metre strips on either side were cleared from dried grass and central inset lights have also been installed on the runway for planes to land or take off easily during foggy weather.
15/06/16 Tribune

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Cabinet approves signing of Air Services Agreement between India, Taiwan

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Air Services Agreement between India-Taipei Association in Taipei (India's representative office in Taiwan) and Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India (Taiwan's representative office in India).
Presently there is no formal Air Services Agreement between India and Taiwan and the Air Services are governed by an MoU exchanged between Air India Charters Limited (AIRL) and Taipei Airlines Associations (TAA).
15/06/16 New Kerala

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Fears for up to 800 UK jobs as British Airways hires Indian firm

Hundreds of staff at British Airways are to lose their jobs after an Indian firm was hired to manage its computer systems.
The airline has begun flying in staff from India to replace UK workers after signing a contract with Tata Consultancy Services to provide IT support, the GMB union claims.
British Airways confirmed it has started a formal consultation process and it is thought up to 200 staff could be cast off in the latest round of redundancies.

A raft of IT workers were already made redundant in February when Tata signed the contract with BA.
Philip Pitt, acting head of news at British Airways, said it was impossible to disclose the number of IT workers in the business or the number of job losses because it was commercially sensitive.
The GMB say as many as 800 IT jobs could be lost over the next two years.
British Airways workers staged a picket line and demonstration outside the Home Office yesterday claiming it is abusing the immigration system by allowing foreign workers into the country on Tier 2 visas for skilled workers.
Mick Rix, GMB National Officer for distribution and transport said: ‘Multinationals like British Airways are displacing UK based IT workers with Indian workers by moving jobs from the UK to India.
'This is gross hypocrisy by the Home Secretary.
‘She is talking tough in successive speeches but dragging her feet on action to stop the abuse of tier 2 visas.’
15/06/16 This is Money

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Saab keen to partner with India for next version of LCA Tejas

New Delhi: Swedish defence major Saab is keen to partner with India for the next version of LCA Tejas even as it has offered its own newly-launched Gripen E fighter aircraft under 'Make in India' initiative, but with over 49 per cent stake in a joint venture with a private firm.
Based on a Request for Information released by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the makers of Tejas, Saab is in talks with them to finalise the latest avionics and radar system for the Tejas 1A, the version of the indigenous plane that the IAF is interested in.
"Yes, we are in talks with HAL. We have the latest avionics, best active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and technology in the Gripen which we would be happy to share with HAL for the Tejas programme," Jan Widerstrom, Chairman Saab India, said.
15/06/16 PTI/Asian Age

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Air carrier owned by Indian couple shuts

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s Rayani Air, the country’s first Sharia-compliant airline owned by an ethnic Indian Hindu couple, was shut down today, months after it was suspended for failing to adhere to aviation rules.
The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) revoked Rayani Air’s Air Service Licence (ASL) after finding Rayani Air had breached the conditions of its licence.
It said the airline also lacked the financial and management capacity to continue operating as a commercial airline. “As a consequence, Rayani Air can no longer operate as a commercial airline with effect from today,” it said.
The airline was founded by Ravi Alagendrran and his wife Karthiyani Govindan and started operations in December. They used parts of their first names for the airline’s name.
13/06/16 Tribune

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Jet Airways set to add more flights to Gulf

Hyderabad: Adding more flights to the Gulf region, Jet Airways has announced its move to operate new daily services from Hyderabad to Dammam and from Mangaluru to Sharjah from August 7.

The addition of these services will bolster Jet Airways’ offering to the Gulf, strengthening the network and enhancing connectivity for passengers, a press release said.

Dammam will be the second city in the Gulf region to be connected with Hyderabad by Jet Airways after Abu Dhabi. With the addition of Sharjah, Jet Airways will operate to three cities in the Gulf region from Mangaluru. The airline currently operates daily flights to Abu Dhabi and Dubai from Mangaluru.
13/06/16 Business Line

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BA Dreamliner flying to India diverts back to London five hours into journey

A British Airways plane en route to India turned back to Heathrow with a technical fault - five hours into its nine hour journey.
While flying over the Turkish coast, pilots of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner detected a problem and signalled their intention to return to London.
The aircraft had set out from Heathrow at 4:40pm on Sunday and was scheduled to land in Hyderabad but instead touched down back in London just after midnight.
Some aviation accounts on social media have claimed that the issue related to a problem with the weather radar.
Aviation news reporter, Alex Macheras, who told MailOnline Travel he was listening to Air Traffic Control, described the landing back in London as 'very turbulent' in a post on Twitter.
He also said that the aircraft had a 'failed weather radar display'.
The airline has not confirmed what the 'fault' related to, but they have said that the best place to 'fix' it was back at Heathrow.
Yesterday (Sunday) MailOnline Travel reported on a BA flight which declared an emergency shortly after taking off from Heathrow.
Flight 1340 had set off from London bound for Leeds at 8.23am, but was forced to turn back to Heathrow shortly after take-off.
It is believed the captain requested a priority landing with a 'technical issue'.
13/06/16 John Hutchinson/Mail Online

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British Airways flight cancelled: 250 passengers stranded at Hyderabad airport

Hyderabad: A London-bound British Airways flight was cancelled on Monday with over 250 passengers stranded at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.

While the passengers checked into the airport for departure, they were informed that the flight was cancelled. The British Airways officials faced protest from the passengers, who got agitated with the cancellation of the flight but as the officials were not in a position to announce the reschedule of the flight, they accommodated the passengers to Novatel hotel at the airport.
13/06/16 Deepthi Reddy/Hans India

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Missing bag leads to friendship between Indian and Pakistani

Abu Dhabi: The story of a lost and found bag has led to an unlikely friendship across the divide between India and Pakistan. An Indian and his family are eagerly waiting for an opportunity to meet a Pakistan national whom they have never met. The hostility between the countries did not prevent Dilshad Hussain in Pakistan from carrying out an intensive search to find the owner of a misplaced bag that incidentally was tagged with an Indian national flag.

“My family and I are eagerly waiting to meet him [Hussain]. If I can’t go to Pakistan, I think Dubai will be an ideal place for us to meet each other one day. Without his sincere efforts my life would have been totally jeopardised,” Ajay Joyson told Gulf News on phone on Thursday from London, where he arrived with his family last week for a new job.

The lost bag contained Joyson and his wife’s important original official documents, including educational certificates, marriage certificate, and their daughter’s birth certificate, apart from other valuables.

After quitting his job in Saudi Arabia, he was flying to Kochi in India on May 19 for a ten-day break before joining a new job in London.

“It was almost impossible to get the duplicate certificates in a short span of time. My travel to London with my family, my new job … and everything was at risk,” Joyson said.

Meanwhile, during a routine workday at Lahore airport, Hussain, a baggage supervisor, chanced upon a bag with an empty name tag, which left him with no means to identify the owner of the bag although the flag tagged with the bag hinted at its Indian origin.

“Finding the important certificates inside the bag, I felt that somebody’s life is in my hands and I have to do something beyond my routine work,” Hussain told Gulf News on phone from Lahore on Thursday.

The lost bag had a strange journey to Lahore from Kochi in India. The bag was left behind on the flight and was returned to Jeddah airport and ended up in the lost baggage section. Incidentally, when the same flight took off for Lahore and came back to Jeddah, there was a complaint from a passenger that he had left behind his baggage inside the flight.

The “unnamed baggage” suited the description in the complaint and it was sent to Lahore but the passenger said it was not his bag.

If Hussain had sent the unnamed bag back to Jeddah, it would have ended up again among scores of lost bags there.

“When I could not reach the Saudi phone numbers found in the bag, finally I searched for Ajay Joyson on Facebook and found his post on the missing bag and called up his uncle’s number,” Hussain said.

Joyson’s uncle, Lawrence Vadukut, said it was unbelievable that Hussain made the effort to send the bag safely to India.

“Now he is our friend forever. We will never forget his help,” he said on phone from Kerala in India.
11/06/16 Binsal Abdul Kader/Gulf News

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Qatar Airways named official sponsor of IAAFA celebrations

Muscat: Qatar Airways has been named the official airline sponsor of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards, which recognise the most talented actors within the popular Indian film fraternity.

To celebrate this sponsorship, Qatar Airways is offering an exclusive promotion for those travelling to Madrid to attend IIFA 2016. Special promotional discounts will be offered on flights booked before June 26 for a travel period until July 6. Passengers can benefit from this special discount by making their booking their tickets through qatarairways.com/iifa2016-es and by entering the promotional code ‘MADIIFA16’.

Qatar Airways’ global network of more than 150 destinations spanning six continents puts Madrid and IIFA within easy reach for film fans and travellers from around the globe. The award ceremony will be attended by Indian and International movie legends, notable guests and dignitaries from across India as well as  world media.

Jonathan Harding, senior vice president Europe, Qatar Airways,  said, “We are delighted to be partnering with IIFA to promote this event around the world to every destination we serve. This partnership truly reflects our core brand value of ‘Going Places Together’.
11/06/16 Muscat Daily

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Flight develops snag, makes emergency landing

Kochi: A flight from Kuwait with 225 passengers aboard made an emergency landing owing to hydraulic issues at the Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery in the early hours of Friday.

The flight, KU-351, requested for an emergency landing just minutes before the scheduled arrival at 4 a.m. Apart from hydraulic failure in the breaking system, the pilot complained of landing gear troubles.

The airport authorities immediately swung into action and made arrangements for an emergency landing and deployed fire tenders and ambulances. Amid the heightened safety protocol, the flight finally landed at 5.40 a.m.
11/06/16 The Hindu

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Bahrain slashes visa fee to boost Indian arrivals

Bahrain is all set to attract the Indian traveller into the country and the obvious sign for the same is the reduction in visa fee from 25 Bahrain Dinar (BD) to five BD, which was announced three days ago. The tourism department, which is part of the Economic Development Board (EDB), has prepared a focused plan to offer the Indian clientele a comprehensive tourism product offering, both for the FIT as well as the MICE market.

Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Jerad Bachar, executive director, tourism and leisure, Bahrain EDB, stated, “Tourism is a big part of the economic growth of the region. It is the fastest growing sector and the EDB is responsible for product development and the tourism office is responsible for demand development. The reduction of visa fee clearly states our commitment toward the Indian market.”

Bahrain aims to offer the India market a niche tourism experience, providing a product portfolio of art, culture, shopping, history and nightlife. The Bahrain International Circuit proves to be a major attraction for Formula 1 sports enthusiasts. The aviation sector is also upgrading its current airport, getting it ready for future business and there are talks to increase air connectivity between India and Bahrain.
11/06/16 Reema Lokesh/Financial Express

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IndianOil refuels Scoot Airlines' first flight from India

New Delhi: Indian Oil Corporation said on Friday that it has refuelled the first Indian flight of Singapore Airlines’ low-cost long haul airline Scoot Airlines.

The airline launched its inaugural flight at Amritsar Airport on May 24 using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner which was refuelled by IndianOil Amritsar Aviation Fuel Station.

“The business has been gained in a highly competitive scenario. IndianOil Aviation now serves the Air India group, Jet Airways, Scoot Airlines, Malindo Airlines, Turkmenistan Airways and Uzbekistan Airways at Amritsar airport,” the company said in a statement.
10/06/16 Business Line

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flydubai picks Hyderabad based tech start-up to promote App Store

Mumbai: flydubai announced a partnership with Hyderabad-based tech startup, HackMania, to promote its Application Programming Interface (API) App Store. As part of this initiative, which will focus on Passenger Service Systems (PSS), a series of hackathons will be conducted throughout the year that will enable hackers across India to develop products covering various themes around air travel and customer experience.

As part of its commitment to India, flydubai is also setting up its first ‘Indian Development Centre’ (IDC) in Hyderabad. The Centre will lead flydubai’s IT and technology innovation and will be a hub for software development, research and operations.

The winners of the hackathon will be offered an internship with the airline and will have the opportunity to incubate their ideas to deliver innovative travel solutions and contribute to flydubai’s App Store.
10/06/16 India Infoline

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Remarkable parallels exist between Air India bombing and expulsion of the Komagata Maru

“So will Canada also apologize for the Air India disaster?”

That’s a question asked of me by one of the family members of the Air India bombing victims following an official apology made by the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on May 18 for the Komagata Maru episode.

Air India Flight 182 was bombed mid-air above Irish Sea on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people aboard.

The crime was blamed on the Sikh separatists based in Vancouver. The suitcase bomb was checked into the flight at Vancouver airport.

Since then, a public inquiry into the incident has established that it was preventable, and some victims’ families want an official apology from our prime minister similar to the one made for an incident that happened more than 100 years ago.
That Air India flights were potential target of terror attack became apparent in the aftermath of ugly political events that took place in India in 1984.

That year, the Indian army attacked the Golden Temple Complex, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, in Amritsar to flush out religious extremists who had stockpiled weapons in this place of worship.

The invasion left many innocent pilgrims dead and buildings inside the complex heavily destroyed. The military operation alienated Sikhs from the Indian mainstream and there were angry protests across the world.

Sikh demonstrators vandalized Indian consulate in Vancouver. And Sikh militants called for revenge and made a public appeal to boycott Air India flights.
10/06/16 Gurpreet Singh/Straight

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CBI Forms SIT Headed By Rakesh Asthana To Investigate AgustaWestand, Mallya

New Delhi: In a move to expedite probe of some high-profile cases, CBI Thursday formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an Additional Director which will exclusively investigate important cases like VVIP chopper scam and alleged loan fraud by beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya.

Official sources said the SIT will be headed by Additional Director Rakesh Asthana, a 1984 batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre, who headed the state SIT that went into the burning of Sabarmati Express train at Godhra in February 2002. He was also associated with the Fodder Scam probe.

According to the sources, the SIT will initially look into the cases like the VVIP chopper scam and alleged bank loan fraud by Mallya.

The probe into the chopper scam after conviction of former heads of Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland by an Italian court changed “the understanding” of the investigating agency regarding the Rs 3,600 deal which was allegedly clinched after bribing some Indians, the sources said.
10/06/16 PTI/News World India

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Leaky loos strands fliers for over 16 hrs

Mumbai: A Kenya Airways flight was forced to return to Mumbai after its washrooms started leaking midair, stranding over 150 passengers for 16 hours at the airport. The Nairobibound plane, which was already an hour behind schedule, took off at 7:30 am on Tuesday. But after an hour of flying the crew discovered that the three washrooms on the Boeing 737-800 were malfunctioning. The aircraft turned around and landed at Mumbai at 9:15 am. The passengers were finally deplaned at 1:30 pm as the washrooms were repaired. The plane finally took off at 2:05 am on Wednesday.

However not all passengers had the patience to wait. Many decided against flying. "We remained seated in the plane for over six hours. There was no clarity from the crew members and many of us decided to get off," said Bhandup resident Ankit Gupta, who was travelling with his family for a safari tour.
09/06/16 Mumbai Mirror

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Indian boy, 9, makes Lufthansa's in-flight announcement

New Delhi:  A nine-year-old Indian boy became the first kid to make the live in-flight announcement during a Frankfurt-Mumbai Lufthansa flight.

“India’s Yashas Dassani, a spontaneous nine-year-old boy from Mumbai recently stepped into the shoes of Lufthansa’s airline cabin crew and made the first live onboard announcement by a kid on flight from Frankfurt to Mumbai,” global aviation group Lufthansa said in a statement on Thursday.

Dassani made the announcement with 350 passengers aboard, as a part of the opportunity for the winner of Lufthansa's 'Your Announcement Contest'.

The online contest held earlier this year had received over 250 registrations from children aged between six to 10 years from nine countries. A jury of Lufthansa experts shortlisted 15 most imaginative onboard announcements from the videos received.

Yashas's video, which featured him welcoming passengers on board Lufthansa Flight 007 with a hearty Namaste, was finally selected through an online public poll.
09/06/16 New Indian Express

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Air India to operate Hajj flights to Jeddah

Hyderabad: Air India officials have assured better services for Hajj pilgrims of Telangana this year. Special Officer Hajj Committee Prof. S A Shukoor met Air India officials on Wednesday and discussed the departure arrangements of Hajj pilgrims. Station Manager D Ram Babu, Assistant Managers Raghunath and M Kishore, Manager IT Mohammed Moiz assured Hajj Committee that effective arrangements will be made for Hajj pilgrims like last year.

Prof. S A Shukoor has requested Air India authorities to operate atleast two flights daily so that it could be convenient for Hajj Committee to make arrangements.
09/06/16 Siasat

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Pan Am Flight 73 hijack victims seek Modi’s help in getting justice from the US

Thirty years after the Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked by four members of the Abu Nidal Organization, killing 20 of 361 passengers and one flight attendant, the relatives of the victims and the survivors of the horrific hijacking are yet to get the compensation from the US.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues his fourth visit to the US in the span of two years, the relatives of the victims and survivors of the hijack are hopeful that he will bring the issue of compensation to the notice of the US authorities.
The Pan American World Airways Boeing 747-121 from Mumbai to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt was hijacked while it landed in Karachi Airport after the terrorists disguised as airport security personals boarded the flight. In the tense 17 hours that followed, 20 passengers lost their lives and chief flight attendant Neerja Bhanot was killed while attempting to save the other passengers by opening the emergency exit.
The Libya backed Abu Nidal Organization was targeting the 41 US passengers who were onboard the flight, but the swift action of the flight attendants who hid the passports of US citizens saved the life of 39 American as the Hijackers failed to differentiate them from the others.
The hijackers of Flight 73 were arrested and tried and the Libyan government released $1.5 billion to be distributed to victims of various terror attacks, but the compensation was only given to the US survivors.
Aneesh Bhanot, brother of flight attended Neerja said the compensation declared was $10 million for every death, $5 million for every injured person and $5,000 for every hostage.
On May 16 this year, Aneesh tweeted 100 US senators: “The lives of the American passengers on board the hijacked Pan Am 73 were saved by the Indian cabin crew and passengers by hiding the passports of the Americans at grave risk to their own lives. The attack by the terrorists was against American assets and citizens, but the brunt was borne by Indians. Yet, the US discriminated against Indians in 2008-2014 by compensating only the 41 Americans on board Pan Am 73 from the compensation amount given by Libya for this terrorist incident sponsored by it. Can anyone explain why a country which claims to be the moral and ethical `savior’ of the world discriminated against Indians?” Not one of the senators responded.
According to a Times of India report, Bangalore residents Kishore Murthy, 63, a hospital management expert with St John’s Hospital, and Savitha Bhat, 76, sister of former Karnataka chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde – both survivors of the fateful flight hijacking still suffer post-traumatic stress disorder and are yet to receive any compensation.
08/06/16 Dileep Thekkethil/American Bazaar

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Jet Airways to shortly work with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines on ground handling

Mumbai: Jet Airways will shortly work with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines on ground handling, maintenance and engineering, the chief of the Dutch carrier said recently.

Jet is also looking to upgrade cabins on its four Airbus A330-200 planes, two executives from the airline and the plane maker said separately.

From March 27, Jet started flying to its new western hub, Amsterdam, KLM's base. The move was to align with its strategic partner Etihad's global operations. Etihad owns 24% in Jet, whose earlier hub for the west was Brussels.

"There is a whole range of opportunities now that the connectivity between the two hubs has been done," Pieter Elbers, CEO of KLM told ET on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association annual general meeting in Dublin, Ireland.
08/06/16 Anirban Chowdhury/Economic Times

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Nidhi Chaphekar plans to pen horror of Brussels terror

Mumbai: Jet Airways crew member Nidhi Chaphekar , who became the global face of the Brussels terror attack on March 22, said she would like to pen down her experience in the near future. "I was conscious for around one hour and 40 minutes after the airport blast before being rushed for treatment. I saw everything around me in that period. I was an eyewitness to the terror attack," Chaphekar (42) told TOI on Tuesday. She returned from Brussels to Mumbai a month ago.
"I want to share my experience on what I went through during the blasts and how I recovered from my prolonged sleep in the hospital," said the mother of two. Chaphekar said she is recovering well at her sister's house in Andheri. "I have a few more surgeries to go. The leg is still a problem, but I am doing fine. I am happy to be back here."
Chaphekar said she would share her experience at a suitable time after consulting her superiors. She has been working with the airline since August 1996 and was the senior crew member in the flight that was heading to Mumbai on March 22. She was treated for burns at Grande Hospital de Charleroi in Belgium for over a month.
The Chaphekars are still inundated with calls from global media houses keen on featuring her story. She became the face of the Brussels terror attack after her image covered in blood and torn clothes was circulated in the media.
08/06/15 Yogita Rao & Manju V/Times of India

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Jet Airways crewmember injured in Brussels attack set to return to Mumbai

Amit Motwani, the Jet Airways flight purser who was injured in the Brussels airport blast in March and was being treated there, is on his way back to Mumbai.
The injured crewmember is expected to land in Mumbai on Wednesday morning from Paris.
According to airline officials, Motwani is expected to land at around 7am and will be travelling in the same flight which had transported the other injured Jet Airways crew member Nidhi Chaphekar back to Mumbai.
Nidhi, the Jet Airways crew member, who was critically injured in the Brussels Airport blast landed in Mumbai today by Jet Airways fight 9W 123 at around 7.10 am. Nidhi was accompanied by her husband Rupesh.
07/06/16 Mid Day

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Non-availability of slots: After carriers knock AviationMin’s door govt plans raising issue with other nations

With Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) writing to the the civil aviation ministry regarding non-availability of slots in overseas locations despite having flying rights, the government plans to take up the matter with other countries to ensure that domestic carriers get adequate slots.
Indian carriers are able to utilise a mere half of the seats operated by foreign carriers to and from India, as per latest data available with the aviation ministry. While foreign carriers offer 4,32,456 seats a week on flights to and from India, the home-grown carriers manage to fly only 2,42,365 seats. Utilisation of traffic rights by Indian carriers is low due to a number of reasons such as lack of availability of slots, timing of available slots not suiting the airlines, commercially unviable routes and companies not having adequate aircraft for long haul flights.
Flights cannot operate unless both rights and slots are given. While rights are given by the sovereign, slots are non-sovereign subject in the sense that this is a matter between the airline and the airport operator, civil aviation secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey said, when asked about local airlines facing problems of not getting adequate slots despite having the rights.
08/06/16 Sunny Verma/Indian Express

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Auctioning unused Indian bilateral rights is a strange idea: Tony Tyler

Tony Tyler, the out-going Chief Executive Officer, International Air Transport Association (IATA), told select Indian media people that there was a lot that he did not like about the proposed civil aviation policy.

Edited excerpts from a media interaction.

You have been leading IATA for about 5 years, how much progress have you been able to make with the Indian Government in sensitising it to issues that affect international and Indian carriers?

It is always hard to tell how effective you have been in your advocacy efforts because they (Government) are making policy all the time. You cannot always say how much of what you have said has influenced them.

But there is still a lot that the Indian Government needs to do. We think that on airport charges the Government needs to let the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority do its work because at the moment legal challenges are getting in the way of AERA’s recommendation on reduction in charges at Delhi airport.

Our argument is that the GST regime should be rated at zero for international air transport services in line with OECD recommendations on sale of air tickets. The taxes on fuel are another problem.

We are still to see the civil aviation policy even though there is a lot we do not like about it.

Could you name what you do not like about the policy?

The 2 per cent Regional Connectivity Fund. This levy is going to increase the cost of air travel. It will dampen demand. It is against ICAO principles. We do not like the look of that.

We do not like the idea of auctioning unused Indian bilateral traffic rights to foreign carriers. This is something which does not happen anywhere in the world. It is a very strange idea and not one we would like to see happen. It undermines the whole principle of bilateral traffic rights exchange. If you want to change the system.. fine... change the system but auctioning is a very strange way to go ahead.

What is your recommendation to the Indian Government? Not look at auctions but look at something like an open sky or something?

If the Indian Government wants to see more air services they should negotiate different air services agreements. But auctioning of unutilised Indian bilateral rights which Indian carriers should be using to foreign carriers is a potential can of worms.

It will also distort the market in the sense that the dominant carrier will become even more powerful. It is not a formula for healthy competition.
07/06/16 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line

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Jet Aviation Singapore Gets India DGCA Mx Nod

Jet Aviation Singapore has received a repair station certificate from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), allowing the facility to perform line and base maintenance—as well as interior modifications, refurbishments and upgrades—on India-registered business aircraft. This includes the Bombardier Challenger 300 and 600 and Global Express, in addition to the Learjet 31, 35, 36, 45 and 60 series. This approval adds to the company’s DGCA approvals already in place in Dubai, Geneva and Basel.

Last year, Jet Aviation Singapore also received Part 145 CAAC maintenance approval from China, permitting the company to support Chinese operators of Bombardier and Gulfstream jets. The Singapore branch of the Swiss-based business aviation conglomerate also received FAA approval for interior work on the Gulfstream G650. In November, the company received the Asian Business Aviation Association’s (AsBAA) Best Maintenance & Repair Services Industry Award.
07/06/16 David A. Lombardo/AINonline

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‘POP’ expected to fly to Amritsar and Ahmedabad from London

Mumbai: The UK-based low-cost and long-haul airline ‘POP’, ‘People Over Profit’, is planning to start a direct flight from London to Amritsar and Ahmedabad, according to aviation department sources.

As The Tribune report, the first POP flight is expected depart from Stansted Airport (the airport catering to the London area for low-cost European flights) this year to Amritsar using a 378-seat all-economy Airbus A330-300 aircraft. POP is initially planning to operate thrice-a-week flights to Amritsar and Ahmedabad. Punjabi origin NRI Navdip Singh Judge, is expected to head POP.

The company envisages to create an ‘Enhanced-Value’ airline, providing non-stop flights between the UK and second cities in the nations of the developing world. The aim, based on extensive market research, is to meet the demand of the growing visiting friends and relatives market as well as the expanding leisure tourism and business sectors.
03/06/16 TravelBizMonitor

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Jet Airways likely to resume Mumbai-Shanghai flights

Singapore: Jet Airways is likely to resume its Mumbai-Shanghai flights which were suspended in January 2009 due to economic reasons, a senior official has said.

"We are seriously evaluating re-starting flights to Shanghai ," said Colin Neubronner, Senior Vice President for Sales & Marketing at Jet Airways.

"There is a possibility we may recommence direct flights between Mumbai and Shanghai," he told PTI here yesterday.

Jet Airways flew Mumbai-Shanghai-San Francisco from June 2008 to January 2009 but stopped due to economic reasons.
03/06/16 PTI/Economic Times

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2 airlines share world's longest nonstop flight and One is from India

As long flights go, Singapore Airlines' epic almost-19-hour, 9,534-mile journey from Newark to Singapore was once the standard-bearer against which all others were measured. But the all-business-class Flight 21 was scrubbed in 2013, some nine years after its first voyage in 2004. The airline had sold its ultra-long-range A340-500 aircraft, and no other in its fleet was capable of connecting Singapore and the New York area on a nonstop basis.

Today, two airlines share the distinction of the world's longest nonstop flight, according to air-travel intelligence analysts OAG. It's a tie between Emirates Flight 449 from Dubai to Auckland, New Zealand, and Air India from San Francisco to New Delhi. Both clock in at 17 hours and 15 minutes, although the Dubai-Auckland mileage is considerably longer - 8,819 miles compared with 7,690. A slightly longer flight on Emirates from Dubai to Panama City at 17 hours and 35 minutes was scheduled to begin in February but has been delayed until later this year or early 2017.
01/06/16 The Washington Post/Mathrubhumi

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Qatar wants flight cap to & from India to go, wants to increase number of weekly seats to India

New Delhi: Qatar has sought open skies with India, an aviation treaty under which there is no cap on the number of flights or seats operated between two countries ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the energy-rich Gulf nation next week.
India last gave additional flying rights to Qatar in 2009 due to which Qatar Airways is currently entitled to deploy about 24,000 weekly seats to India, less than half the bilaterals given to neighbouring Dubai and Abu Dhabi by the Congress-led UPA during its 10-year rule.

"While most Gulf countries ask for additional bilaterals with India, Qatar has formally sent a request for the same. That is being examined and we will take a call," said a senior aviation ministry official.

The issue is likely to come up during Modi's visit to Qatar next week when he meets the Emir of Qatar.
01/06/16 Saurabh Sinha/Economic Times

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Scoot inaugurates Indian services

Scoot launched not one, but two new routes to India on 24 May from its Singapore (SIN) hub. The thrice-weekly service on the 4,554-kilometre route to Amritsar (ATQ) faces no direct competition, but the daily service on the 2,923-kilometre route to Chennai (MAA) is also served by Air India, IndiGo, Jet Airways and Singapore Airlines (all daily) and SilkAir (four weekly flights). Scoot replaces Tigerair Singapore on the Chennai route. The airline’s 787s will be used to operate both routes. Leslie Thng, CCO, Scoot and Tigerair, said: “India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. Scoot is excited to present exceptional value, an empowering selection of customization options, including in-flight connectivity and in-seat power, as well as service with Scootitude to travellers flying into and out of India. Guests from India can now fly to amazing destinations in our Asia-Pacific network through the Singapore hub, as well as onward with Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Tigerair in the SIA Group portfolio.” Scoot’s fleet currently comprises 11 787s, five 335-seat -800s and six 375-seat -900s, according to ch-aviation.
31/05/16 Anna.aero

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Broke US citizen stranded at airport

Hyderabad: Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) sleuths at the RGI Airport on Tuesday apprehended a 35-year-old US citizen after she behaved in a suspicious manner at the airport.
According to RGI Airport police, CISF sleuths detained US citizen Keith Kimberly Rochelle, 35, of Washington DC on Tuesday morning after noticing that she was loitering at the airport for over 24 hours. Rochelle was handed over to the RGI Airport police for further probe.
"Rochelle came to India in April 2016 on a tourist visa. She landed in Delhi and then went to Goa. A few days ago, she came to Hyderabad. On Monday, she went to the RGI Airport to board a flight to the US.
However, as she had no money to purchase the flight ticket, she was loitering at the airport," RGI Airport inspector T Sudhakar said.
01/06/16 Times of India

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