Bahrain team 'to visit India for talks on flights dispute'

Manama: A Bahrain delegation, comprising representatives of the Transportation Ministry and Bahrain Air, will visit India for talks on ways to resolve a dispute over flights to Kerala. A sudden cancellation of Bahrain Air's newly-launched flight to Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday night left 140 passengers stranded for more than 24 hours.

The airline later announced its regret and said that the Indian authorities had not yet approved the continuation of its flights to Thiruvananthapuram for the summer season, which started on March 26.

The Indian Embassy is fast-tracking arrangements for the delegation to visit India and its members should be able to leave in a day or two, Indian Ambassador Mohan Kumar said at an open house at the embassy yesterday.

31/03/12 Mohammed Al A'Ali/Gulf Daily News

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Kingfisher, among several airlines whose cheques to AAI have bounced

During 2011, Kingfisher Airlines presented five cheques totalling Rs 122.07 crore to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which could not be encashed due insufficient funds in the accounts of the airline.

This has been revealed in an RTI filed by a Pune-based RTI activist, Mr Sanjay Ramesh Shirodkar.

Three cheques worth Rs 65 crore were drawn on Axis Bank, Mumbai, while the remaining two were on ICICI Bank, the data provided by AAI in the RTI reply shows.

The RTI reply also shows that Kingfisher is not the only airline whose cheques to AAI bounced. Between January 1, 2000 and February 14 this year, several domestic and international airlines gave cheques to AAI that bounced.

The domestic airlines include IndiGo, Jet Airways, JetLite while the international airlines include Emirates and Qatar Airways.

Interestingly, the cheques that bounced have been those that have been presented at the Ahmedabad and Pune airports only. The State-owned AAI owns and manages 92 airports and 28 civil enclaves at defence airfields and provides air traffic services over the entire Indian airspace and adjoining oceanic areas.

29/03/12 Business Line

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Row with India grounds Bahrain Air flights

Bahrain Air yesterday said it was doing everything it could to help around 140 passengers stranded in the country for nearly 24 hours.

A dispute between India's Civil Aviation Ministry and the airline grounded flights on its newly-launched service to Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.

The carrier only launched flights to Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala less than two weeks ago.

Bahrain Air chief executive Richard Nuttall said the airline's flights to Thiruvananthapuram were part of a bilateral agreement signed between Bahrain and India.

But he revealed the Indian authorities had still not approved of the continuation of flights to Thiruvananthapuram for the summer season, which started on Mon-day.

"This turn of events was totally unexpected, and the carrier is pursuing all means, including diplomatic, to find a speedy resolution to this matter," said Mr Nuttall.

The passengers, who arrived in Bahrain from Saudi Arabia, were due to take a connecting flight at 9.30pm on Wednesday night. They were later put up in hotels where they checked in at about midnight.

Around 100 passengers were flown to Thiruvananthapuram via Mumbai at around 9.30pm last night.

The remaining customers affected are expected to leave on a specially-chartered plane via the same route tonight.

All passengers who do not live in Bahrain are to stay at the Best Western Hotel and Carlton Hotel in Juffair and be provided with free telephone cards to inform friends and relatives while it resolved the situation.

30/03/12 Aniqa Haider/Gulf Daily News

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Youth leader denied entry after touchdown

New Delhi: Around a dozen Tibetan activists were rounded up on Thursday, moments after they tried to storm Taj Palace Hotel where the BRICS summit was being held. Protesters smashed police barricades barely 800 metres from the summit venue. Carrying flags and placards, activists managed to break the security cordon, but were dragged away by police.

Tibetans were protesting against the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to India. The crackdown continued throughout the city. There was high drama at IGI airport after the Tibetan Youth Congress president was bundled out, minutes after touchdown.But it was outside Taj Palace Hotel where the protests were raucous. Around 12.30pm, Tibetan activists unfurled banners and rushed towards Taj Palace Hotel from the Satya Niketan footbridge. Some others joined them on the way and the group ran down the FOB into the heavily barricaded San Martin Marg. They were nabbed before they could get near to the summit venue.

30/03/12 Indrani Basu/Times of India

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Mahindra, Taneja in Talks With India on Building Regional Jet

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (MM) and Taneja Aerospace & Aviation Ltd. (TAA) are in separate talks with India as the country seeks a partner for a planned regional jet that will spearhead its drive to develop a planemaking industry.

Discussions with state-owned National Aerospace Laboratories are at an early stage and the companies are awaiting more details, Arvind Mehra, chief executive officer of Mahindra Aerospace Pvt., and S.M. Kapoor, the head of Taneja’s plane-making facility, said in interviews. Shyam Chetty, the head of plane designer National Aerospace, didn’t reply to e- mailed questions yesterday.

“If it makes economic sense, we would like to be a partner,” Mahindra’s Mehra said. “But ultimately we still have to get a lot of information.”

NAL last year announced the 40 billion-rupee ($788 million) plan to develop a 90-seat aircraft as the country joins China in trying to form a globally competitive aerospace industry. The Indian plane, China’s ARJ-21 and an in-development Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. aircraft will all compete against Bombardier Inc. (BBD/B) and Embraer SA (EMBR3) models.

29/03/12 Karthikeyan Sundaram and Siddharth Philip/Bloomberg

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Ephedrine seized from airport

Trichy: Air intelligence wing at the Trichy airport on Wednesday, seized 4.8 kg of ephedrine, an odourless party drug, concealed amid grocery packets in the luggage of a woman who was deported from Malaysia last week.

On March 19, the woman, Rukmini, flew to Kuala Lumpur on an Air Asia flight on a visit visa but was not allowed into Malaysia for "some technical reason." She was kept in Malaysian immigration custody for a couple of days and then sent back to India. Rukmini landed in Trichy on March 21 sans her baggage which ultimately landed in another flight on Wednesday morning.

To the question of how the contraband, whose international value would be about Rs 8 crore, was not initially detected by the Trichy customs on the day of Rukmini's departure, senior superintendent (air intelligence) Ernest Ravi said, "It is possible that the contraband concealed within edible flour packets, was not easily detected." But the question remained as to how the strict Malaysian immigration also did not detect the drug before it was sent back to Trichy.

29/03/12 Dennis Selvan/Times of India

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IndiGo airlines taps Lufthansa Philippines’ maintenance services

Manila: IndiGo, India’s largest budget airline, has tapped the services of local aircraft maintenance provider Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP). In a statement, LTP said it had been hired by IndiGo to conduct “lease return checks” on seven of its Airbus A320 aircraft. The first of the planes will arrive at LTP’s Manila hangar in June 2012.

“Our partnership with LTP, one of the leading maintenance, repair and overhaul providers in Asia, will enable IndiGo to use LTP’s proven competence, experience and expertise in on-time completion of lease return checks,” IndiGo said.

LTP is a joint venture between MacroAsia Corp., a sister company of flag carrier Philippine Airlines, and Germany’s Lufthansa, the world’s largest aviation conglomerate.

“We are very pleased to welcome India’s fastest growing airlines and largest low-cost operator to LTP this June,” LTP vice-president for marketing and sales Dominik Wiener-Silva said.

“We are fully committed in providing our expert support to ensure timely lease return of IndiGo’s A320 aircraft. We hope that this agreement is a start of a long-term partnership with one of India’s leading airlines today,” he said.

Earlier this month, LTP inaugurated its new $30 million hangar located at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport complex in Pasay.

29/03/12 Paolo G. Montecillo/Philippine Daily Inquirer

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GVK Infrastructure-Changi talks for airport business stake sale break down

Talks between GVK Infrastructure & Power Limited (GVKPIL) & Singapore based - Changi Airport for stake sale in the former's airport business have broken down according to two sources familiar with the details. GVKPIL was in exclusive talks with Changi Airport to sell 26% stake in its Airport business.

The two sides had signed an exclusivity agreement to engage in discussions towards accomplishing a deal for a period of 90 days which has now lapsed. Sources say that the Changi Airport's board is now seeking more details and clarity on the projected revenues. "The deal has not been scrapped but with differences emerging over some issues it may not go through" said a source who did not want to be named.

GVKPIL has now initiated talks with financial investors to dilute stake in the airport business. Actis, 3i & Blackstone have shown interest in exploring talks with the company.

28/03/12 Sameer Hashmi/Economic Times

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Repaired Gulf Air plane to fly back

The Gulf Air flight that had nosedived at the Kochi airport more than seven months ago, is all set to fly back to Bahrain by the middle of next month.

The repair works of the aircraft which are progressing at the upcoming MRO facility at the Kochi airport, is almost complete.

“.. Originally, the test ride was scheduled for Wednesday but we have postponed it by two days. The Airbus and the airline engineers will complete the remaining technical work in a short time,” an airline official said.

The flight GF 270, which was carrying 137 passengers and eight members of the crew, skidded off the runway on August 29, last while landing and nosedived into the slushy area nearby.

28/03/12 Deccan Chronicle

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Countries Connected to India Through Air Service

India has Air Services Agreement with 109 countries. However, as on date the following countries are connected with India through Air Services: Afghanistan, Austria, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Bhutan , China, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, U.A.E., U.K., Ukraine, U.S.A., Uzbekistan, Yemen, Finland, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Philippines, Tajikistan, Belgium, Canada.

Signing of Air Services Agreement with other countries is continuous process. However, actual operations by any airlines are always guided by its commercial judgment.

28/03/12 Press Information Bureau

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Drunken passenger taken into custody for misbehaviour

Kozhikode: A passenger, who was allegedly in an inebriated state and had misbehaved with the pilot and CISF officials on his arrival today at Karippur International Airport here, was taken into custody, police said. Police said the 38-year old Jaleel, hailing from Tirur in Malappuram district,had allegedly tried to manhandle the pilot before the Air India Express rpt Air India Express 344 Dubai-Calicut flight took off.

27/03/12 PTI/IBN Live

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Bahrain Air hoping for tie-up with an Indian carrier

Dubai: Bahrain Air is hoping to sign a code- share agreement with an Indian carrier this year in a bid to boost its services to the country, the company's CEO has said.

The airline has been in talks with five Indian airlines on the possibility of a deal, which it could sign before the end of the year, Richard Nuttall said in an interview to Arabian Business.

"I think [a code-share agreement] might make sense for us, particularly to India," he was quoted as saying.

"We have had meetings with at least five different Indian carriers who have individually advised that they would be open to some level of cooperation and to feeding traffic into each others' networks.

"A tie-up could open up many more cities [for us]. Equally the Indian carrier could sell from all his cities to anywhere on the Bahrain Air network," Nuttall said.

27/03/12 PTI/Economic Times

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More foreign destinations from India proposed

Chennai/ Visakhapatnam: The civil aviation ministry is expecting connectivity with over 200 foreign destinations over the next five years, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said at a meeting organised by Air Travellers’ Association (India) (ATAI) to celebrate the inauguration of an international flight by Air India from here to Dubai on Sunday.

“In a bid to increase international air connectivity from various airports in the country, the government has decided to allow private airlines to operate flights to other countries,” he said.

The Indian civil aviation sector has been witnessing an 18-20 per cent growth every year despite several problems like high capital infusion. Currently, the sector is going through a rough weather globally, and is expected to touch the Indian skies very soon, Singh said.

Civil aviation, tourism and hospitality sectors have great potential to generate employment. Collective efforts should be made by these sectors to exploit the potential, he said, adding that the government had plans to develop airports in Tier-II cities to operate feeder services, which would help in increasing the trade and tourism in the country.

27/03/12 Business Standard

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India's global image has taken a beating, says Vijay Mallya

New Delhi: Kingfisher Airlines may have landed into all kinds of troubles, but its flambouyant promoter Vijay Mallya thinks that India's image as an investment destination has taken a beating.

"India's global image has taken a beating," Mallya said today on the social networking platform Twitter.

Kingfisher which is neck-deep into financial problems, seems to be betting on the government's intent to allow foreign airlines to invest in the domestic carriers.

However, Mallya has doubts whether global investors have confidence in India.

"Nobody seems to be confident that India is a great investment opportunity. Why are we going so wrong?" he asked.

But on the Budget day, Mallya tweeted, "good, balanced and pragmatic budget announced by FM ( Pranab Mukherjee)"

26/03/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Kingfisher halts ticket sales ahead of Dubai shutdown

Indebted Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines has stopped issuing tickets to UAE travel agents ahead of plans to cease its flights to Dubai from Sunday.

“We have had access to Kingfisher Airlines removed from our system around two weeks ago,” Basel Abu Alrub, managing partner of Dubai-based travel agency Utravel confirmed.

“This really doesn’t come as a surprise to us as we have been hearing various news and reports about the airline’s condition and therefore we have issued an internal circulation more than a month ago advising our ticketing agents to stop issuing Kingfisher Airline tickets,” he added.

The move comes as it was reported the airline, which is battling US$1.3bn in debt, plans to stop flying to Dubai from Sunday and cease all its international operations from April 10.

25/03/12 Arabian Supply Chain

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Indian airlines' global traffic growth slumps

New Delhi: Kingfisher & AI woes, lack of good airports and freeze on permits for new flights all contribute to the decline

There has been a substantial fall in the growth rate of international passenger carriage by Indian airline companies during 2011, as compared to 2010.

Among the reasons are ailing Kingfisher Airlines pulling out flights and the financial problems of carriers, leading to reliability issues.

International passenger carriage by Indian airlines — Air India (AI), Jet Airways, Kingfisher, SpiceJet and IndiGo ply abroad — rose during 2010 by 16.2 per cent. Directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) data shows they carried 13.2 million passengers on flights abroad in 2011, a rise from 12.9 mn in 2010. Or, a percentage rise of barely three per cent.

The Indian carriers witnessed a decline in international passenger carriage of 14 per cent, 16.9 per cent and 14.8 per cent in the months of October, November and December, the period when Kingfisher started pulling out flights. International carriers, however, increased their passenger load by 9.3 per cent to 26.7 mn during 2011 from 24.4 mn during 2010.

26/03/12 Mihir Mishra/Business Standard

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First international flight takes off from Vizag

Union minister for civil aviation Ajit Singh flagged off the inaugural international flight from Visakhapatnam to Dubai on Sunday evening amid loud cheers, in presence of chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and ministers and MLAs.

The Air India flight AI-592 from Dubai landed at airport in the city in the morning hours on Sunday and was flagged off on its return trip, by Ajit Singh, at 6:20 p.m.

With this international flight to Dubai, city of destiny is included in the list of airports in India with international flight services.

At present 38 services of 19 flights of various airlines are operating from Visakhapatnam to different destinations in the country.

After the ceremony, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said Union government has released Rs 100 crore for tourism development in the state.

26/03/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

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More international flights proposed: Ajit Singh

Vishakhapatnam: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Sunday said the Centre would consider introducing more international flights to Visakhapatnam.

He was speaking at a meeting on connectivity and tourism conducted by Air Travellers' Association (India) (ATAI) at Four Points by Sheraton to celebrate the inauguration of international flight by Air India from here to Dubai. Mr. Singh said the flight to Dubai should not be the last and the city with huge potential for tourism and industrialisation should have significant improvement in connectivity.

Stating that aviation and tourism should go together, he said it was a capital-intensive sector with tremendous potential for creating job opportunities.

Harping on difficult phase being experienced by the aviation sector the world over, he said they were expecting that they would tide over financial stress caused due to various factors and a growth by 18 to 20 per cent in next five to six years.

26/03/12 The Hindu

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President Pratibha Patil's trips cost record Rs 205 crore

New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil's wanderlust has cost the public exchequer a whopping Rs 205 crore on her foreign visits, surpassing the record of all her predecessors.

Since assuming office as the country's first woman President in July 2007, Patil has undertaken 12 foreign trips covering 22 countries across four continents. She has four more months to go for her five-year tenure and a trip to South Africa is said to be on the anvil.

A series of RTI applications has revealed that Air India incurred over Rs 169 crore on use of chartered aircraft, always a Boeing 747-400, on the foreign visits by Patil, mostly accompanied by her family members. A visit to Bhutan was covered by a smaller jet.

A further sum of nearly Rs 36 crore has been incurred by the Ministry of External Affairs on accommodation, local travel, daily Allowance and "miscellaneous" expenses, according to the information provided by the ministry.

25/03/12 One India

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Emirates Airline chief 'open' to Indian investments

Dubai-based Emirates has said it is "open" to investing in India as the government actively considers allowing foreign airlines to pick up equity in an Indian carrier.

"I am not talking specifically about Kingfisher Airlines ... (but) am open to investment," chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airlines Group, Sheikh Ahmed Saeed Al Maktoum, said after a meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, Reuters reported.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has previously said the government was "actively considering" allowing foreign airlines to acquire a 49 per cent stake in domestic airlines.

Asked whether the issue of allowing more flights between the two countries was discussed, Sheikh Ahmed said in comments published by India's Economic Times that he felt there was a lot of scope in allowing more flights into India.

25/03/12 Andy Sambidge/Arabian Supply Chain

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Sukhoi Su-30SM: An Indian gift to Russia’s air force

The Defense Ministry and the Irkut Corporation, an affiliate of the United Aircraft Corporation, have signed a supply contract for 30 Su-30SM multirole fighter aircraft, a Defense Ministry spokesman told journalists Thursday, March 22. “Under the contract, Irkut Corporation will build for Russia’s Ministry of Defense 30 planes of this type by 2015,” he said.

Rumors that Irkut, a long-standing exporter, may supply several dozen fighter aircraft to the Russian Air Force began circulating late last year. Now the rumor has become a reality – a contract in black and white.

But why did the Defense Ministry choose the Su-30’s? After all, they have been mostly supplied to customers abroad rather than to the Russian Armed Forces, where just a few planes of this type are in use.

The Su-30, properly speaking, is an entire family of aircraft and the most famous Russian-made (not to be confused with Soviet-made) fighter plane outside of Russia.

26/03/12 Konstantin Bogdanov/Russia & India Report

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Firm to pay Rs 16 crore for duty evasion on aircraft

Mumbai: In a case involving duty evasion in the import of an aircraft, the settlement commission has asked Bharat Hotels to pay Rs 16 crore towards Customs duty, interest, penalty and fine.

New Delhi-headquartered Bharat Hotels Limited was founded by late Lalit Suri in 1988. The company, now headed by Jyotsna Suri, runs the InterContinental and LaLiT Mumbai in Andheri (E) among other hotels in the country, its website said.

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai, had alleged that the company imported an aircraft, Embraer Legacy 600 EMB, for charter services in July 2009 without paying Customs duty. The aircraft was purchased for Rs 120 crore. DRI's case was that the company registered the aircraft in the US but operated from India without paying duty. Foreign registered aircraft brought into the country are chargeable to duty if it does not fulfill some conditions

26/03/12 C Unnikrishnan/Times of India

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Upgradation of Mirage Aircraft

Contracts have been signed with M/s Thales, France and M/s Dassault Aviation, France, along with M/s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for upgrade of the Mirage 2000 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF). A contract has also been signed with M/s MBDA, France, for procurement of air to air missiles for the Mirage 2000 aircraft.

The cost of the contract for upgrade of the Mirage 2000 with M/s Thales and M/s Dassault Aviation is Euro 1470 Million, while the cost of the contract with M/s HAL is Rs.2020 crore. The cost of the contract for procurement of the missiles from M/s MBDA, France, is Euro 958,980,822.44.

26/03/12 Press Information Bureau

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Indian-run NZ firm designs UAV for cloud seeding

Hyderabad: An Indian-promoted aviation company in New Zealand is developing what it claims to be the world's first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for cloud seeding.

Auckland-based Apeiron Aerospace, an innovative aerospace company focussed on delivering technology to the global UAV sector, has designed a tactical UAV system for cloud seeding as the existing process involving manned aircraft endangers the lives of pilots.

"There is a need for UAVs for cloud seeding. It is a question of pilot's life. It becomes very difficult to control the aircraft in high turbulence," Sanjeev Rao, director, Apeiron Aerospace, said.

The firm floated by him last year exhibited its model at India Aviation 2012 here recently. Apeiron, which has tied up with Bangalore-based Krishi Air Private Limited, feels there is a market for such UAVs in India.

Rao said the design exhibited at the air show was a robust one. The UAV can fly into the cloud, do the seeding and fly out.

26/06/12 IANS/Zee News

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Passengers stranded after glitch in iris scanners at Sharjah airport

Dubai: Many passengers were stuck at the Sharjah International Airport early on Sunday morning due to a technical glitch in the iris scanners.

Relatives said that passengers were stranded in long queues at immigration with no food, water or cash while airport officials were waiting for a team from Abu Dhabi to fix the glitch.

A source at the Sharjah International Airport told Gulf News that the machines are now working and that passengers who have completed the iris scan have started to leave the airport.

"The eye-scanning machines were down from Abu Dhabi Police," he said. The source said that passengers were stuck at the airport until 1:30pm while a team from Abu Dhabi worked on solving the problem. The machines are used to scan the eyes of passengers who are entering the country on visit visas and tourist visas.

"Air Arabia has provided the stranded passengers with meals while Pakistan International Airlines did not provide any meals," he said.

Dinesh, a Dubai resident, said his elderly parents were due to arrive from India at 6:20am but until 2pm they had not been released from the Immigration queue.

25/03/12 Naushad K. Cherrayil and Deena Kamel Yousef/Gulf News

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South African SRS Aviation eyes operations in India

Mumbai: South Africa-based chartered flight operator and aircraft spare parts supplier SRS Aviation is looking at launching operations in India, a senior company official has said.

"Initially, we are looking at opportunities in aviation training. We are in exploratory talks with potential partners in Mumbai and Chennai. We are also interested in setting up an office here with a local partner," SRS Aviation Managing Director Sibongile Sambo told reporters here.

She was here as part of the trade delegation that visited the city over the weekend.

SRS undertakes air charter services, helicopter operations, sales of ground-handling equipment and aircraft spare parts as well as software for airlines scheduling and management.

"I see huge potential here. The Chennai airport is being expanded and we can supply them ground handling equipment. We have had enquiries from a Mumbai-based engineering survey company interested in using helicopters to check electricity transmission lines. We also have had enquiries from a local software company that wishes to undertake software development with us," Sambo said.

25/03/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Cut down on travel time, fly TiltRotor craft

New Delhi: As traffic on the ground clogs arterial roads, a new generation of hybrid machines capable of taking off from the heart of Delhi and landing at Cuffe Parade in Mumbai in half the time it takes to travel the distance by any commercial airline could become a reality in the Indian skies in the years to come.

AgustaWestland 609, already booked by five Indian corporate houses, is a certain possibility based on the performance capabilities of the TiltRotor craft.

Giving a presentation on Tilt Rotor technology at an international seminar on Heli Power India-2012 here, Roberto Garavaglia, senior vice-president (Marketing), AgustaWestland, said AW609 would be able to cover the distance between Connaught Place and Cuffe Parade in about two-and-a-half hours.

If one takes into account the time it takes to reach the airport, go through security check-in, boarding process and the flight time of nearly two hours from New Delhi to Mumbai, it amounts to nearly five hours spent on the journey. If a person travels by AW609, the hybrid TiltRotor craft can take off directly and land in Mumbai in around two-and-a-half hours.

25/03/12 Vinay Kumar/The Hindu

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Host of events to mark launch of Dubai flight

Visakhapatnam: The first international flight from the city to Dubai, scheduled to take off on Sunday evening, has generated a lot of euphoria among people.

A host of events are being organised to mark the launch of the inaugural flight.

Addressing a media conference in this connection on Saturday, Minister for Infrastructure and Investments Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Rajya Sabha Member T. Subbarami Reddy felt that international connectivity would hasten the pace of development of the city.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said a new tradition had begun in the city with the organisation of ‘Ugadi celebrations' on a single platform on Friday. The celebrations named ‘Visakha Vasantotsavam' would be held for three days every year hereafter.

He said Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ajit Singh would participate in flagging off the inaugural flight.

25/03/12 The Hindu

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Iraqi cancer patient detained at Chennai airport

Chennai: An Iraqi engineer who arrived here for treatment for blood cancer on Saturday, was allegedly detained for nine hours at the airport.

According to sources, Hassan Salman Khadir (42), an Iraqi engineer working with a firm in Abu Dhabi, was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer and referred to a hospital in Perumbakkam here. However, after he arrived on an Etihad Airways flight at 4 am in Chennai, he was detained while attempting to clear immigration by officials. He had been to the city twice earlier without incident, added sources.

According to sources, immigration officials detained the ailing engineer after an alert from Delhi. Considering his nationality, rumours flew about him having alleged terrorist links. However, no officials came forward to explain why he had been detained. After close to nine hours, Hassan was allowed to enter the city after which he left for the hospital.

25/03/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

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11 new international routes opened for Indian carriers

New Delhi: The Civil Aviation Ministry on Friday announced the opening of 11 new international sectors under the Bilateral Air Services Agreements.

The new sectors are: Mumbai-Dar-es-Salaam; Delhi-Guangzhou; Delhi-Yangon; Delhi-Tashkent; Delhi-Ho-Chi-Minh City; Delhi-Hanoi; Delhi-Almaty; Delhi-Macao; Delhi-Addis Ababa; Delhi-Melbourne and Delhi-Sydney, according to a Ministry release.

“This is a major step taken by the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Ajit Singh, to ameliorate the already stressed sector and to make air travel more affordable to people,” the Ministry said. With this, the services of Air India and Air India Express will increase from 430 flights a week during winter 2011 to 471 a week in summer 2012. These will include increase of services from 94 to 109 on the Dubai sector, from 39 to 47 on the Abu Dhabi sector, from 33 to 49 on the Sharjah sector, from 12 to 21 on the Doha sector, and from 42 to 48 services on the Saudi Arabia sector.

The services of Air India and Air India Express will further increase from 471 services a week in summer 2012 to 577 in winter 2012.

23/03/12 Business Line

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Indian carriers to add extra flights to Gulf states

Air India is set to increase its services to the Gulf region with extra flights planned to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

In an announcement by India's Ministry of Civil Aviation, Air India and Air India Express will increase its services from 430 per week to 471 per week for the summer schedule which starts on March 25.These services will include increase from 94 to 109 on their Dubai routes, from 39 to 47 to Abu Dhabi, from 33 to 49 to Sharjah sector, from 12 to 21 services to Doha and from 42 to 48 services to Saudi Arabia.

The services of Air India and Air India Express will further increase to 577 in winter 2012, the statement added.

24/03/12 Andy Sambidge/Arabian Business.com

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Emirates Airlines sees fall in garments export from Gujarat

Ahmedabad: The ongoing global turmoil has affected garment exports from Gujarat. Garment exports, which used to have a significant share in the total air cargo exports from the state, have now drastically fallen.

Emirates Airlines, that operates ten cargo flights carrying 150 tonne every week from Ahmedabad, had a 12% to 14% share of garments export in 2008-09. This has shrunk to a mere 3%. However, at the same time, the operator had witnessed a rise in the exports of herbs, vegetables, fruits, pharmaceutical, chemical and engineering products.

"It looks like the manufacturing of garments has shifted to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Thus, we have seen a drastic fall in the exports of garments from Gujarat. Earlier, a pair of jeans and other apparels, made in Gujarat, were exported to US and European markets. Now, this has fallen," said Mahendra Pokhriyal, cargo manager, Gujarat, Emirates Airlines.

However, the overall size of cargo shipment has not reduced. "On one side, garment exports have come down and on the other side, vegetables, in particular herbs and fruits have picked up momentum. Even the exports of pharmaceuticals, chemicals and engineering goods have increased," said Keki Patel, cargo manager for India & Nepal, Emirates Airlines.

24/03/12 Daily News & Analysis

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Bombardier sees future in small town air links

Hyderabad: Opening new routes to connecting smaller cities is the key to survival of airlines in the turbulent Indian skies. This needs a greater care from the airlines to use the right size of the aircraft considering the passenger movement, according to Torbjorn Karisson, vice president, sales (Asia Pacific) of Bombardier.

“This kind of strategy involving Tier II and III cities is a win-win situation as it will halve the travel time for the passengers and at the same time halve the distance for airlines,” he said.

Citing SpiceJet as example, for which it provided seven Q400 aircraft, he said the aviation community is happy with the ways SpiceJet has opened up new routes connecting Hyderabad.

22/03/12 B Krishna Mohan/mydigitalfc.com

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International Air Connectivity of India to Improve Substantially

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has decided to open 11 new International Sectors under Bilateral Air Services Agreements (ASAs) to the national carrier Air India as well as to other Indian Scheduled Carriers. These Sectors are: Mumbai-Dar-es-Salaam Delhi-Guangzhou; Delhi-Yangon ; Delhi-Tashkent; Delhi-Ho-Chi-Minh City; Delhi-Hanoi ; Delhi-Almaty Delhi-Macao ; Delhi-Addis Ababa ; Delhi-Melbourne; Delhi-Sydney .

Ch Ajit Singh, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation has earlier reviewed the utilization of traffic rights under Bilaterals and has decided to allow the Indian Scheduled Carriers including Air India to utilize the Bilaterals till such time they reach the maximum permissible limit under Air Service Agreements (ASAs). While finalizing the Guidelines to ensure optimum utilization of Traffic Rights, it was agreed that Air India’s operational plan would receive due consideration in allocation of the traffic rights and entitlements.

With this, the Services of Air India (AI) and Air India Express (AIE) will increase from 430 services per week during winter 2011 to 471 services per week in summer 2012. These services will include increase of services from 94 to 109 on the Dubai sector, from 39 to 47 in Abu Dhabi sector, from 33 to 49 services in Sharjah sector, from 12 to 21 services in Doha sector and from 42 to 48 services in Saudi Arabia sector. The services of Air India and Air India Express will further increase from 471 services per week in summer 2012 to 577 in winter 2012.

Similarly other Indian schedule airlines have been allocated seats under bilateral agreement to fly on various international routes in summer and winter 2012. Spice Jet will run 98 services per week in summer and additional 90 services per week in winter meaning thereby an addition of 188 services per week in winter 2012. Similarly jet airways has been allocated 102 services per week in summer and additional 98 services per week in winter meaning thereby an addition of 200 services per week in winter 2012 and Indigo has got 84 services per week in summer and 41 services per week in winter totaling to 125 services per week in winter 2012. The private carriers have thus been now allocated a total of 513 services in addition to their existing allocation.

23/03/12 Press Information Bureau

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EU carbon tax may hit Indian carriers' Europe flights

New Delhi: Indian carriers apprehend that if European Union persists with “illogical demand” of carbon tax, then their flights to Europe could be affected.

On the other hand, the Government has made it clear that no Indian carrier has submitted emission details to European Union.

At present, Air India and Jet fly to Europe while Kingfisher flies to London but has now withdrawn its service.

India joins China in asking its airlines to boycott the European Union's carbon scheme.

“Though the European Union has directed Indian carriers to submit emission details of their aircraft by March 31, 2012, no Indian carrier is submitting them in view of the position of the Government,” Mr Ajit Singh, the Civil Aviation Minister, replied in Rajya Sabha. Hence, the imposition of carbon tax does not arise, he added.

He also explained that pursuant to the adoption of the Moscow Declaration of February 22, 2012 by over 30 countries on the European Union-Emission Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), a basket of measures are available to the Government as counter measures.

23/03/12 Business Line

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Emirates group says it is open to investing in India

New Delhi: With the government actively considering allowing foreign airlines to pick up equity in an Indian carrier, Dubai-based Emirates group today said it was "open" to investing in India.

"I am not talking specifically about Kingfisher Airlines ... (but) am open to investment," Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airlines Group, Sheikh Ahmed Saeed Al Maktoum, said after a meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh here.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, while presenting the budget, had said the Government was "actively considering" allowing foreign airlines to acquire a 49 per cent stake in domestic airlines. Kingfisher promoter Vijay Mallya had lobbied hard with the government on the issue.

Asked whether the issue of allowing more flights between the two countries was discussed, Maktoum felt there was a lot of scope in allowing more flights into India. "It will help the economy of both countries," he said.

22/03/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Virgin Atlantic Cargo re-commences flights to Mumbai

After a three-year hiatus, Virgin Atlantic Cargo will resume service to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on October 28. The carrier, which will operate daily passenger and cargo flights to Mumbai from its London Heathrow hub, will perform the route on Airbus A330 aircraft.

According to a press release, Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s decision to return to Mumbai centered on India’s rosy forecast for airfreight growth. Plus, the freight carrier’s daily service to New Delhi has become one of its most profitable routes, Virgin Atlantic officials revealed.

“Returning to Mumbai is a real bonus for our cargo business and our customers,” Virgin Atlantic Director of Cargo John Lloyd said in a statement. “The air cargo market in India is already very strong for us through New Delhi, and with Mumbai’s buoyant commercial center and industrial infrastructure, we expect to easily fill our capacity with cargo connecting to and from points across the Virgin network.”

The London-Mumbai route also offers strong connectivity to the U.S., Lloyd added.

23/03/12 Air Cargo World

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Emirates group says it is open to investing in India

New Delhi: With the government actively considering allowing foreign airlines to pick up equity in an Indian carrier, Dubai-based Emirates group today said it was "open" to investing in India.

"I am not talking specifically about Kingfisher Airlines ... (but) am open to investment," Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airlines Group, Sheikh Ahmed Saeed Al Maktoum, said after a meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh here.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, while presenting the budget, had said the Government was "actively considering" allowing foreign airlines to acquire a 49 per cent stake in domestic airlines. Kingfisher promoter Vijay Mallya had lobbied hard with the government on the issue.

Asked whether the issue of allowing more flights between the two countries was discussed, Maktoum felt there was a lot of scope in allowing more flights into India. "It will help the economy of both countries," he said.

The Civil Aviation Minister said that the issue of increasing flights was discussed. "In the next six months, Indian carriers will utilise their capacity. Then, we will talk," Singh said.

22/03/12 PTI/Times of India

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Boeing, Airbus and Embraer team up for aviation biofuels

Geneva: Boeing Co, Airbus and Embraer have come together to work with governments and biofuel producers to promote and speed up the availability of jet fuels that reduce carbon emissions.

The three aircraft makers signed a memorandum of understanding at the Air Transport Action Group ( ATAG) Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva, Boeing said in a statement.

"Two of the biggest threats to our industry are the price of oil and the impact of commercial air travel on our environment," Boeing CEO Jim Albaugh said.

22/03/12 Reuters/Times of India

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Legacy 650 certified in India

Embraer’s large-sized Legacy 650 executive jet has received type certification from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in India, paving the way for Legacy 650 customers to register and operate the aircraft in India.

All of Embraer’s executive jets currently in production - the entry-level Phenom 100, light Phenom 300, super-mid-size Legacy 600, large Legacy 650 and ultra-large Lineage 1000 - are now certified in India.

The 2012 version of the Legacy 650 features refinements to the interior and cabin management system, including a new full high-definition inflight entertainment system in order to increase cabin comfort and capabilities. New avionics are designed to reduce pilot workload while the overall enhancements improve the flexibility and efficiency of aircraft operations.

22/03/12 BlueSky

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China Airlines Cargo seeks to start service to Chennai

Chennai: China Airlines Cargo is to commence a regular freighter service to Chennai from Taipei. This is mainly to cater to the growing air shipment in electronic items to the city from Taiwan and mainland China. The airline, which belongs to China Airlines, is likely to commence from May with a Boeing 747 category freighter, according to Chennai Airport Director, Mr E. P. Hareendranath. “They have sought a permission to commence the operations. We are looking at it,” he told Business Line.

The service to Chennai will be the second Indian destination for China Airlines Cargo, which operates a freighter to New Delhi. Between Taipei and Chennai, the freighter will have stopovers in transhipment hubs such as Singapore or Kuala Lumpur to pick up cargoes. It has a similar service to Colombo too.

China Airlines is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of China. Although not directly state-owned, the airline is owned by China Airlines Group, which is owned by the China Aviation Development Foundation. The foundation is in turn owned by the Government of the Republic of China.

21/03/12 Business Line

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Air India to launch daily Dubai-Visakhapatnam flights

Dubai: Air India is starting a new daily flight from Dubai to Visakhapatnam later this month, a senior airline official in the Gulf said.

Beginning March 25, the flight will be part of an upgraded fleet of aircraft flying to South Indian destinations that have been converted from 145-seater to 175-seater carriers, Abhay Pathak, Air India's regional manager Gulf, West Asia and Africa, said.

Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of an agency award function in Abu Dhabi, Pathak said the airline's services in the region have been improving.

"Compared to last year, we have registered a growth in revenue of 25 per cent which is commendable considering the state of the industry in India and across the world," Pathak said adding that a total of 18 Indian destinations are being serviced from Dubai.

Pathak also said that a lack of hub in India so far has not helped matters.

22/03/12 PTI/Economioc Times

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10,000 memory cards stashed in chocolate bars

Mumbai: Chocolates may be an unusual carrier of memory cards, but Customs officials at Mumbai international airport found the electronic chips spilling out of chocolate bars during a search early on Tuesday.

Nearly 10,000 memory cards were brought in from Dubai by an Emirates passenger indentified as Liaquat Patel.

Patel, a Nagpada resident, landed in Mumbai from Dubai at 3 am. He was on his way out of the airport through the green channel when he was intercepted by Customs officials.

22/03/12 Times of India

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Snagged in red tape, US aircraft stuck for over 3 yrs

Ahmedabad: A CESSNA-340 aircraft, which has been stuck between Customs Commissionerate, Ahmedabad, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in New Delhi for more than three years, has finally got a green signal to head back home to Texas, US.

However, the aircraft, worth Rs 1.5 crore, now needs Rs 50 lakh for repairs and another Rs 1 crore for paying parking charges at the airport, besides nearly Rs 60 lakh in custom duty.

The aircraft entered the Indian airspace on August 21, 2008 and landed at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad for the mandatory customs clearance.

The light-weight aircraft was procured on behalf of Bangalore-based Agni Aviation Consultants (AAC) on a 45-day lease for cloud-seeding demonstration at Gadag in Karnataka.

Local Congress leader H K Patil, known for his several agricultural initiatives, had organised the demonstration.

After getting the Customs clearance at the Ahmedabad airport, the flight landed at Bangalore airport for refuelling but was grounded as it developed technical snags. The cloud-seeding demonstration did not take place.

21/03/12 Satish Jha/Express India

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India readies to select mid-air refueler

New Delhi: India is readying to select the winner of the $2-billion tender for six mid-air refuelers for its air force, with both the contending planes from European consortium EADS Airbus and Russian Ilyushin clearing the flight trials.

According to informed sources, the Indian defence ministry is now considering the bids to arrive at the lowest bidder in the tender issued in September 2010. India is looking for six refuelers.

The tender had been reissued by the government after the Airbus' A330MRTT was selected by the Indian Air Force as the winner of an earlier tender in 2009.

But the finance ministry objected to the "high cost" for the A330MRTT. So the tender was cancelled in January 2010.

"After three trials in November, we have been informed that we are compliant with the specifications mentioned in the tender," Airbus Defence Capability Marketing vice president Ian Elliot told reporters here.

21/03/12 Economic Times

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India to urge airlines to opt out of EU carbon scheme

New Delhi: India will urge its airlines not to take part in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), a senior official said, the latest salvo in an escalating row over an EU law requiring all flights in and out of Europe to pay for their emissions.

China in February said its airlines were barred from participating in the scheme unless they get government approval to do so. Beijing has also suspended the purchase of $14 billion worth of planes for Europe's Airbus due to the dispute.

India does not yet plan to ask airlines to cancel Airbus purchases, but that is a possibility if the dispute escalates, the Indian official said.

The official, with direct knowledge of talks between the EU and other countries on the issue, told Reuters that India would soon ask local airlines not to share emissions data with the bloc or buy any carbon credits.

If the European Commission retaliated by suspending Indian airlines from flying to Europe, India would make similar moves and consider charging an "unreasonable" amount for flying over India, the official said on Monday.

20/03/12 Reuters/Business Standard

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Sukhoi maker eyes local civilian jet mart

Irkut Corporation, the Russian aerospace industry major, is in talks with Indian carriers to sell its newly-developed passenger aircraft MC-21 as it looks to break the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing in the local aviation market.

Irkut has been a major player in the Russian aerospace sector through its Sukhoi series and Yak-130 combat training aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and components for Airbus passenger aircraft.

“The MC-21 is at an advanced stage of development and we are expecting it to take its first flight in 2014. The process of certifications and deliveries would happen in 2017,” Kyrill Budaev, vice-president (marketing), Irkut Corp, said.

“The Russian engineering, which has been the key in military applications, is now being offered in passenger aircraft, too. The tests on MC-21 have shown there would be a 23% fuel burn reduction apart from less noise and emissions,” he said.

20/03/12 KV Ramana/Daily News & Analysis

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Pratt & Whitney plans to invest $150 m

Hyderabad: India is among the regions being explored to set up an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul), an aircraft engine components facility and a training centre with an investment of more than $150 million in the next three years by Pratt & Whitney.

Pratt & Whitney is a leading supplier of aerospace engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. It is a unit of the United Technologies Corporation (UTC) and has more than 11,000 customers in 198 countries and its large commercial engines serve over 500 customers across 132 nations.

Palash Roy Chowdhury, Managing Director (India), Pratt & Whitney, said that his company was already holding talks with multiple Indian firms, including Tatas and L&T, to set up a joint venture as there would be a huge market here in the coming years with the country poised to become the third largest aviation market. Besides India, the company was also considering a few other Southeast Asian countries for setting up the projects.

Welcoming some of the measures announced in the Union Budget for the aviation sector, he said the company had already begun a ‘due diligence', which was expected to be completed in the next few months. A decision would be taken based on the outcome of due diligence.

19/03/12 Y. Mallikarjun/The Hindu

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New Zealand keen to partner India in aviation development

Hyderabad: New Zealand, which claims to have the highest per capita ratio of aircraft, is ready to help India in airport development and pilot training to achieve its growth potential in the civil aviation sector.

Aviation New Zealand, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the country's aviation industry association, is keen not only to expand the market for its services but also to engage in small-scale engineering joint ventures and offer its expertise in the helicopter segment.

New Zealand, which has one aircraft per thousand people, sees tremendous potential in India, which is looking to double its aircraft fleet in the next five years.

With India requiring more pilots for its increasing aviation sector and planning to develop airports in tier-II and tier-III cities, it is ready to offer its services in both the areas.

Already known for its high calibre pilot training, New Zealand aviation feels it can help in meeting the requirement of trained pilots in India, currently the ninth largest civil aviation market in the world but is expected to become the third largest by 2020.

20/03/12 IANS/Economic Times

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Embraer sees private jet takeoff in India

Hyderabad: Embraer, the Brazilian executive jets company, foresees a significant expansion in the Indian private jets market, with the country accounting for about 90% of the demand in South Asia till 2021.

“Estimates show there would be a demand for 1,363-1,690 executive jets worth about $40-48 billion in the Asia Pacific market between 2012 and 2021. South Asia alone would require about 400-480 units worth about $10-12 billion. Of this, India would have a share of over 90%. China is estimated to have a demand for about 520-635 jets worth about $17-20 billion,” Jose Eduardo Costas, Embraer’s vice-president - marketing and sales, Asia Pacific, said.

India currently has 130-140 private jets in operations including 14 Embraers.

“Even in the projected numbers for the next 10 years, we hope to maintain our market share at over 10%,” he said.

To meet the growing demand, the company is expanding its field presence by setting up a second field support office after Mumbai by the first quarter of 2013. It is also entering into an agreement with Airworks for deployment of onsite stock of parts in the country.

20/03/12 KV Ramana/Daily News & Analysis

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Air India will take delivery of all ordered Boeing Dreamliner planes: Minister

New Delhi: National carrier Air India Ltd. will take delivery of all the Dreamliner planes it had ordered from Boeing Co. (BA), the country's aviation minister said Tuesday.

"It should be a good plane for Air India. We are not cutting on any orders," Ajit Singh told reporters.

Air India had ordered 27 Dreamliners as part of a 111-plane USD 15 billion order to Boeing and Airbus in 2005 and 2006. It still has to get deliveries of the Dreamliners and three 777 planes.

Induction of all the Dreamliners may take up to three years, he said.

The airline is expected to get its first Dreamliner in May.

Induction of the Dreamliner planes is part of a turnaround plan the government is looking into for the state-operated loss-making carrier. The aviation ministry had previously said these fuel-efficient planes will be pushed into international routes.

20/03/12 ZeeNews

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DRI investigating use of foreign registered aircraft in India

New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has initiated investigations to ascertain if foreign registered aircraft are being used in India.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Finance S S Palanimanickam said that in 2010 one case was detected involving over Rs 8.85 crore worth customs duty evasion.

"... the customs duty has been recovered along with applicable interest of over Rs 4.67 crore, fine of Rs 40 lakh and penalty of Rs 30 lakh," he said.

In the year 2011, 7 cases have been detected and customs duty losses are yet to be quantified, Palanimanickam said.

20/03/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Eurocopter bags 3 bookings at aviation meet

Hyderabad: Eurocopter India has announced its first bookings in India for this year, signed against the backdrop of the just-concluded India Aviation 2012 here.

The bookings were for three light and medium class helicopters.

The first booking of an AS350 B3e copter was for G.R. Construction for business aviation use — this is the latest enhanced version from Eurocopter's Ecureuil family of copters.

The company also signed agreements for an EC 135 and an EC 155, both for corporate travel. While the EC 135 can seat up to six passengers, the EC 155 can take up to nine passengers comfortably.

20/03/12 Business Line

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India to ask airlines to shun EU carbon scheme

New Delhi: India is poised to ask airlines not to take part in the European Union emissions trading scheme, a senior official said, in what would be an escalation of a row over the EU's unilateral move to charge for carbon emitted by flights in and out of Europe.

China in February barred its airlines from participating in the European scheme, which is meant to reduce emissions.

The Indian official, with direct knowledge of talks between the EU and other countries on the issue, told Reuters that India will soon ask local airlines not to share emissions data with the bloc or buy any carbon credits.

If the EU retaliates by suspending Indian airlines from flying to Europe, India would make similar moves and consider charging an "unreasonable" amount for flying over India, the official said on Monday.

19/03/12 Reuters/Economic Times

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Car bomber reached airport 6 hours before flight

New Delhi: Houshang Afshar Irani, the alleged bomber of the Israeli Embassy car, rushed to the Delhi airport immediately after the terror strike, reaching six hours before the scheduled departure of his flight and succeeded in evading the immigration radar.

The investigators of the February 13 terror attack on a Israeli diplomat here have found that Irani rushed to the Indira Gandhi International Airport after carrying out the attack and reached there more than six hours ahead of his scheduled flight to Malaysia.

"Our probe has found that Irani checked in at the airport counter at around 4.30 pm, just a little over an hour after the bomb blast. So, even before the immigration authorities were alerted, he was through with his travel documents and could flee India," an official privy to the investigation said.

19/03/12 Zee News

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CBI writes again to Aviation Min for sanction in Airbus deal

New Delhi The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has yet again written to the Civil Aviation Ministry seeking sanction to prosecute six of its officials for alleged irregularities in the over Rs 8,000 crore Airbus deal for supplying of 43 aircraft to erstwhile Indian Airlines in 2005.

The issue of granting sanction to the prosecution has been deferred for the last four months and the Aviation Ministry had sent back the file to the CBI in January saying the agency may reconsider its decision to file an FIR against its officials, including one of the rank of Additional Secretary, a move spurned by the investigating body, official sources said.

A fresh reminder had been sent along with excerpts of some of the rulings of Supreme Court where delay by competent authorities had been severely criticised, the sources said.

18/03/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

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Kerala hosts 80% of Bahrain Air capacity in the country

Thiruvananthapuram: Bahrain Air has announced four flights a week to Thiruvananthapuram with plans to increase it to seven by the summer.

Mr Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive Officer, Bahrain Air, made the announcement here on Friday.

Kerala will now constitute 80 per cent of Bahrain Air India's capacity, with 17 flights a week to Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.

Flights will depart from Bahrain at 9.25 p.m. and arrive at the Thiruvananthapuram International airport at 4.15 a.m.

The return flight will depart Thiruvananthapuram at 5.00 a.m. and arrive at the Bahrain International Airport at 7.30 a.m.

Flights have been scheduled for onward connection to other Gulf and Levant destinations, Mr Nuttall said.

18/03/12 Business Line

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Turkey to double flights from India

Turkey seeks to double flights from India, besides opening four more connecting points. The other destinations that it is looking at are Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore.

At present, Turkish Airlines operates daily flights from Bangalore and New Delhi to Istanbul.

“We have sought permission from the Indian Government to double this number and expand to other destinations,” Dr Burak Akcapar, Turkish Ambassador to India, said.

Referred to as the Sick man of Europe, Turkey has now emerged the 16th largest economy in the world. After signing free trade agreements (FTAs) with 21 countries, Turkey now wants to sign one with India.

“Last year, the bilateral trade volume was just $7.6 billion. This is nowhere near to the full potential. We expect it to grow to $20 billion in the next few years,” he said.

18/03/12 KV Kurmanath/Business Line

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Emirates SkyCargo plans less-paper ops

Bangalore: Emirates SkyCargo plans to focus big on e-freight or paperless air waybills.

About 20 per cent of the cargo carrier's load moves as e-freight now, and “we want to make it 100 per cent by 2013-14,” Mr Ravishankar Mirle, Regional Manager – Commercial Operations (Asia and Australasia regions), Emirates SkyCargo, told Business Line. Paper documents are making way for digitised ones, he said.

Removing paper documents means considerable savings per shipment, he said. “Being paperless also means less fuel, and we are saving $9 per shipment,” he pointed out.

According to him, on an average the carrier carries 200 kg of paper (documents) per flight. While Dubai is already on 100 per cent e-freight, among Indian destinations, Bangalore also high e-freight penetration, he said.

For Emirates SkyCargo, India offers a capacity of about 13,000 tonnes a month, of which Bangalore accounts for 1,260 tonnes and was the fastest growing market. Emirates operates 21 weekly flights from Bangalore to Dubai, and offers over 300 tonnes of cargo capacity in the belly of these aircraft.

17/03/12 Anjana Chandramouly/Business Line

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India to buy ten Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft

India’s Aviotech Pvt Ltd will buy ten Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft. A preliminary agreement on that was signed last year, the president of the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company, Vladimir Prisyazhnyuk, told reporters at India Aviation 2012 in Hyderabad on Thursday.

All in all, the company expects to sell up to 100 aircraft to India, he said. India is one of our priority markets, the IANS news service quoted Prisyazhnyuk as saying. Apart from Sukhoi Superjet 100, over 20 aircraft are on display at the exhibition show, including Boeing 787 (Dreamliner), which is displayed for the first time.

All in all, about 250 companies from 18 countries take part in the biggest local exhibition of civil aviation. These companies include such giants as Embraer, Dassault and Airbus.

This year, Russia’s aircraft building company Irkut participates in the exhibition for the first time. It has presented a full-size mock-up model of the cockpit and compartment of the new airliner MS-21 designed by the company. By 2020 it will replace Tu-154 and Tu-204 planes on the Russian market of passenger planes.

16/03/12 ITAR-TASS/Russia & India Report

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Kingfisher's Singapore flights may resume on March 25

Cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines, which has disrupted its flights between India and Singapore over the past few weeks, may resume services to Mumbai later this month, according to media reports here.

The airline has stopped its daily Mumbai-Singapore service, The Straits Times reported today.

It cited a Kingfisher counter employee at Singapore's Changi Airport as saying that the flights would resume on March 25.

But the daily also had a source saying that the troubled Indian airline was unlikely fly so soon, if at all.

Kingfisher, began flying to Singapore in September 2009, has been rescheduling flights and routes as it continues to struggle with operating costs amidst rising debts.

Kingfisher, which suffered a loss of Rs 1,027 crore in 2010-11 and has a debt of Rs 7,057.08 crore, posted a Rs 444 crore loss in third quarter this fiscal.

It has held several rounds of discussions with lenders without success so far.

The Singapore-Mumbai route is also served by Air India, IndiGo and Singapore Airlines.

16/03/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

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Bahrain Air starts flights to Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram: As part of its expansion programme in South India, Bahrain Air has commenced service to Thiruvananthapuram. The Airlines has introduced four flights a week and plans to increase to seven flights a week by the summer, Bahrain Air CEO Richard Nuttall told reporters here today. The first flight that came here last night was full and response from commuters was very good, he said. With the commencement of seven fights a week to Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala would constitute 80 per cent of Bahrain Air India's capacity with 17 flights a week across Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.

16/03/12 PTI/IBN Live

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New helicopter plant under construction

Cascina Costa Di Samarate, Italy: A joint venture of AgustaWestland and Tata Sons of India has begun construction of a helicopter production plant in India.

The facility of Indian Rotorcraft will be at the Rajiv Gandhi Airport in Hyderabad and will assemble, customize and flight test new helicopters for the international market.

The first aircraft it will produce is the AW119Ke light helicopter, beginning next year.

"We are very pleased through our joint venture with Tata Sons to be playing an important role in the development of the Indian aerospace industry," AgustaWestland Chief Executive Officer Bruno Spagnolini said at a ground breaking ceremony.

16/03/12 UPI.com

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We are not writing anybody a cheque for USD 500 mn: Boeing

New York: With Air India seeking a compensation package for the substantial delays in delivery of Boeing's Dreamliner aircraft, the US manufacturer on Thursday said it will "not write a cheque" for $ 500 million to the airline.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing's commercial airplane unit Jim Albaugh said he had read reports coming from India.
"I think if we settle for $ 500 million somebody would have told me. We do not comment on deals that we have done, but I can tell you that we are not writing anybody a cheque for 500 million dollars," he said when asked about the reports of it paying compensation to Air India.
Speaking at the JP Morgan aviation and defence conference on Thursday, Albaugh said he had read similar reports six months ago which had claimed that Boeing could pay a billion dollars as compensation to the Indian carrier.
On Wednesday, Joint Secretary in India's Ministry of Civil Aviation Prashant Shukul had told reporters in Hyderabad that while state-owned Air India had demanded a billion dollar compensation from Boeing, the Chicago-based aircraft maker has agreed to pay USD 500 million.
15/03/12 Press Trust of India/IBN Live

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Airbus Forecasts India Plane Demand Until 2030 at 1,043

Hyderabad: European plane maker Airbus Thursday forecast demand in India for 1,043 aircraft valued at $145 billion until 2030.
It said that demand is expected to be for 1,020 commercial planes and 23 cargo aircraft. Of the commercial aircraft, 860 planes will be new additions to the country's fleet while 160 would be replacement for ageing aircraft.
The country has an existing fleet of 327 commercial planes.
Airbus' projections at the Hyderabad air show are a highly optimistic one given the backdrop of the country's beleaguered aviation sector where several airlines are fighting for survival, battered by severe fund crunch and high costs of fuel and taxes.
15/03/12 Anirban Chowdhury/Wall Street Journal

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Boeing says India’s carriers lurching towards 2008-type crisis

Hyderabad: Despite the domestic airline sector growing despite slowdown globally, the airlines per se are not making any profit due to factors such as heavy operational costs, says aircraft maker Boeing.

“There is no doubt in saying that the Indian aviation sector is offering significant opportunities and only the surface has been scratched so far. The sector is definitely growing in India. But the growth is not profitable,” Dinesh Keskar, president of Boeing India and chairman, Ficci civil aviation committee, said.

Rising fuel costs are hitting the profits of the companies with the situation seeming closer to the one in 2008, he said. “In August 2008, fuel was costing about $6.5 a gallon and in March 2012 it is at $5.04. The situation was different in 2009 and 2010. We are inching dangerously closer to the level in 2008, when things turned bad for the sector. Indian domestic fuel prices are 50% higher than the world average and the exchange-rate fluctuation is also adding to the problem,” Keskar said.

A 15% hike in airfares is an immediate step that would help handle the crisis, he said. However, according to him, the hike in fares would also have its own implications, including a direct impact on the load factors. Airlines are already witnessing an increase in the gap between the market fares and the break-even fares. This too is being seen as a repetition of what happened in 2008.

15/03/12 KV Ramana/Daily News & Analysis

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Sukhoi pitches its Superjet 100 for India, Asia Pacific market

Hyderabad: Sukhoi, the Russian defence aircraft holding company, on Thursday showcased their Superjet developed through its civil aviation arm.
The Superjet 100 developed by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, a joint venture of Sukhoi and Alenia Aeronautica Company, has been commercially rolled out last year serving airliner Aeroflot and others.
It now commands an order book of 170 plans and the company sees itself signing up in India for new orders including with Aviotech Pvt Ltd, of Hyderabad, Mr Vladimir Prisyazhnyuk, President of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, said.
Aeroflot and Pearl Aviation, the latter of the US are amongst those who have placed 30 orders each thus far.
Before showcasing their aircraft at the India aviation show, Mr Prisyazhnyuk, speaking through an interpreter said, in the year 2000 the stakeholders of Sukhoi decided to venture into civil aviation aircraft by developing it through a separate venture. Accordingly, with over 65 global alliance partners and technical support from Boeing, this aircraft has been developed.
15/03/12 Business Line

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Irkut expects to sell up to 200 planes in India by 2025

Hyderabad: Russian manufacturer Irkut Corporation today said it expects to sell between 100-200 of its short- to mid-range MC-21 passenger aircraft by 2025.

"We see the potential in the Indian aviation market with the number of new passengers going up. The Indian market is strategic for us and with the historical ties ... we could sell between 100-200 MC-21 planes by 2025 to 2030," Irkut Corporation Vice President (Marketing) Kyrill Budaev told reporters at the ongoing third edition of India Aviation 2012.

IRKUT Corporation has already signed contracts and agreements for the delivery of 235 MC-21 aircraft with 128 orders coming from Russia and the remaining from different foreign companies, he said, adding though as of now they did not have any orders from Indian companies, but were hopeful of getting one order next year.

15/03/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Iraq resumes flights to India after 20 years

After nearly two decades, Iraqi Airways will restart its flights to India, starting with Mumbai.
Direct flights between India and Iraq were stopped during the first Gulf War in 1990-91.
The first flight from Baghdad and the holy city of Najaf will arrive in Mumbai on 18th March, 2012, a statement from Iraqi Airlines said.
The flight to Mumbai will be twice a week. The Baghdad-Najaf-Mumbai flight will arrive at 01:30 am at Mumbai and depart at 02:30 am every Wednesday and Sunday.
The flight to Mumbai will be operated by Boeing 737–700 with a seating configuration of 125 in economy class and 12 in business.
15/03/12 Deepti Rajan/RTN

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Airports Authority of India wins international award

Chennai: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has won an international award in recognition of its excellence in the air traffic control industry, a senior AAI official said today.

The Jane's Award for 2012, an international award was given to AAI recently in the 'Best Operational Efficiency' category, V Somasundaram, Member, ( Air Navigation Services), AAI told reporters here.

Somasundaram received the award in Amsterdam on March 5 on behalf of AAI.

15/03/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Working with Kingfisher Airlines to revoke suspension, says Tony Tyler, IATA chief

Hyderabad: Apex body of global airline industry IATA is in talks with Kingfisher Airlines on the terms to reinstate the debt-ridden company into its clearing house.
The International Air Transport Association also hoped that the beleaguered airline will come back to its normal state by overcoming the current difficulties.
"The difficulties of Kingfisher are well known...We had to suspend Kingfisher from the travel agency clearing house. It is necessary to protect the whole system. It is the system we operate on behalf of hundreds of airlines. We are now discussing with Kingfisher the terms on which we can reinstate them," IATA Director General Tony Tyler said on the sidelines of India Aviation 2012.
IATA had to suspend Kingfisher Airlines after it failed to provide IATA with a cash deposit, required to continue its participation in the Billing and Settlement Plans (BSP) and the Cargo Accounts Settlement System (CASS).
15/03/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Cargo uplift by Emirates from Kerala up

Kozhikode: Uplift of cargo by Emirates SkyCrago, the freight division of Emirates airline, from Kerala has shown an increase during the first ten months of the current year.

The airline carried over 15,000 tonnes of export cargo from the three airports in the State during the April 2011-January 2012 period, recording a growth of 5.80 per cent over the same period in the previous year. The increase in cargo movement was mainly due to a rise in the uplift perishables, according to Mr Keki Patel, Cargo Manager, India and Nepal.

The airline carried over 3,500 tonnes out of Kozhikode during the period. However, there was a marginal drop in uplifts from the airport in the wake of stiff competition for capacity beyond Dubai to destination cities.

14/03/12 Business Line

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Remos light sports aircraft set to enter India

Hyderabad: Remos Aircraft GmbH, a Germany-based that manufactures high-tech compoments for the aviation industry and builds light sports aircraft (LSA), is all set to hover over the Indian skies shortly.
“We are in the process of obtaining certification for our Remos GX glass cockpit LSAs from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Union ministry of civil aviation. It should take another 6 months for the process to complete,” AN Hanfee, advisor to SRK Aviacom, the exclusive dealership for Remos in India and South Asia, told Business Standard.
The Remos LSA is relatively a simple aircraft with a shorter training/flying schedule. The LSA is limited to two seats. The Remos GX aircraft accelerates rapidly and takes off in less than 300 feet.
The climbing power is more than 30% higher than other light aircraft, and a climb speed of 80-90 miles per hour is reached within a short time.
15/03/12 K Rajani Kanth/Business Standard

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Remos light sports aircraft set to enter India

Hyderabad: Remos Aircraft GmbH, a Germany-based that manufactures high-tech compoments for the aviation industry and builds light sports aircraft (LSA), is all set to hover over the Indian skies shortly.
“We are in the process of obtaining certification for our Remos GX glass cockpit LSAs from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Union ministry of civil aviation. It should take another 6 months for the process to complete,” AN Hanfee, advisor to SRK Aviacom, the exclusive dealership for Remos in India and South Asia, told Business Standard.
The Remos LSA is relatively a simple aircraft with a shorter training/flying schedule. The LSA is limited to two seats. The Remos GX aircraft accelerates rapidly and takes off in less than 300 feet.
The climbing power is more than 30% higher than other light aircraft, and a climb speed of 80-90 miles per hour is reached within a short time.
15/03/12 K Rajani Kanth/Business Standard

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Malaysian Airlines venture in India poised for more business

Hyderabad: A Malaysia Airlines' venture linked to airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) in Hyderabad, India, is set for greater business opportunities amid its strategic location and the growing aviation sector here.

Located at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, MAS GMR Aero Technic Ltd (MGAT) is just two hours away from all the major Indian metros and less than four hours away from all the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, which is an economic and political organisation of eight countries in southern Asia.

According to The Star, the facility has the capacity to service 60-80 aircraft a year and is the first third-party aircraft MRO facility of its scale in India.

"The current India-wide fleet is estimated at 410 aircraft and this number is expected to triple in the next 10 years, making the country a huge market for MRO business," MAS Aerospace Engineering (MAE)'s chief executive officer Azhari Mohd Dahlan was quoted, as saying at the launch of MGAT here yesterday.

14/03/12 ANI/News Track India.com

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Private airlines to have global traffic rights

Hyderabad: The government is considering giving traffic rights to private airlines on global routes to help them tide over their financial problems, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said Wednesday.
"Increasing international traffic rights can help private carriers eliminate some of their financial problems as international routes are more profitable," he told reporters at the India Aviation 2012.
He said about 500 to 600 new international flights will be opened to private carriers this year under the bilaterals, with new destinations such as Uzbekistan, Egypt, Ethiopia and Vietnam.
Bilaterals are agreements between two nations to allow international commercial air services within their territories.
Air India has only been able to use 30-35 percent of the total bilateral traffic rights available with India. "This year it will go up to 40 percent," said Ajit Singh.
14/03/12 IANS/Times f India

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Emirates SkyCargo foresees flat growth in traffic from India in 2012

Hyderabad : Emirates SkyCargo, the freight arm of Dubai-based airline Emirates, is expecting a flat growth in cargo throughput from India during the current financial year due to the global economic slowdown, said Pradeep Kumar, senior vice-president (cargo revenue optimisation and systems).
“In 2010-11, we had achieved an air cargo throughput of 1.8 million tonne globally, representing a 11.7 per cent growth over last year. From India, our outbound cargo traffic was 133,000 tonne last year, an increase of 14 per cent, while we have done 110,000 tonne so far this year. This year is going to be challenging for us and the growth is going to be flat or even lesser. However, we expect the economy to improve in Q3 and Q4 of this financial year,” he told Business Standard.
According to Kumar, India’s air cargo throughput contributes close to 10% of the global haulage of Emirates SkyCargo. While Perishable goods contributed 30% to its cargo from India, pharmaceutical products and automotive parts accounted for 20 and 11% respectively.
Union minister for civil aviation, Ajit Singh, said at the India Aviation Show today that the cargo handled at Indian airports had seen an impressive growth at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9% in the last five years, with international cargo accounting for two-thirds of the total.
14/03/12 K Rajanikanth/Business Standard

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Cargo uplift by Emirates from Kerala up

Kozhikode: Uplift of cargo by Emirates SkyCrago, the freight division of Emirates airline, from Kerala has shown an increase during the first ten months of the current year.
The airline carried over 15,000 tonnes of export cargo from the three airports in the State during the April 2011-January 2012 period, recording a growth of 5.80 per cent over the same period in the previous year. The increase in cargo movement was mainly due to a rise in the uplift perishables, according to Mr Keki Patel, Cargo Manager, India and Nepal.
The airline carried over 3,500 tonnes out of Kozhikode during the period. However, there was a marginal drop in uplifts from the airport in the wake of stiff competition for capacity beyond Dubai to destination cities.
14/03/12 Business Line

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Airbus Deal: CBI Awaiting Sanction to Prosecute Officials

New Delhi: The CBI is yet to receive sanction to prosecute senior officials of civil aviation ministry in connection with an aircraft deal involving Airbus and erstwhile Indian Airlines even as it has completed the preliminary enquiry, Lok Sabha was informed today.

"As per law the CBI has sought permission of the government for taking up investigation against the officers of the rank of the Joint Secretary and above and the same is under consideration," Minister of state of personnel V Narayanasamy said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

He said the CBI had registered a preliminary enquiry PE-DAI-2010-A-001 on January 14, 2010 against unknown persons of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and initial enquiry has been completed in connection with alleged irregularities and illegalities in purchase of 43 aircraft from M/s Airbus Industries.

14/03/12 PTI/Outlook India

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Air India to gain $10-15 million from Boeing 787 sale & leaseback

New Delhi: The civil aviation ministry has defended Air India's plans to buy 27 Boeing 787 aircraft, popularly known as the Dreamliner, saying the debt-ridden airline will gain $10-15 million from the sale-andleaseback of each aircraft.
In a Cabinet note that will be circulated for an inter-ministerial consultation next week, the aviation ministry also said the compensation of a few hundred million dollars that the US-based aircraft manufacturer will pay for delay in delivery of these aircraft will make it a beneficial proposition for the financially-beleaguered airline.
"The list price for the Dreamliners (when the order was placed) was about $100 million, which will now fetch us a premium of $10-15 million per plane on a sale-and-leaseback arrangement as the price of the aircraft has appreciated in the past years," a senior government official told ET.
Under a sale-and-leaseback arrangement, an airline buys aircraft, sells it to a leasing company and leases back the planes.
This arrangement enables the airline to operate the aircraft, without the purchase debt in its books. After inter-ministerial discussions, the proposal will go to the Union Cabinet, which will take a call on whether to induct all 27 of Boeing 787s into Air India's fleet or only a part of it.
The national carrier, which has a total debt of nearly Rs 43,000 crore, has been repeatedly pressing the government on its need for 27 Dreamliners, to augment its fleet as part of its operational and financial turnaround plan.
13/03/12 Anindya Upadhyay/Economic Times

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Eurocopter to focus on new markets in India

Hyderabad: Eurocopter, the global leader in helicopters, will focus on new markets in India in the emergency medical services, utility, law enforcement and search and rescue areas while maintaining its leadership position in the passenger, private, oil and gas and VIP markets, the company says.

Eurocopter India, a subsidiary of Eurocopter, will continue expansion of existing Indian markets with the largest range of helicopters.

Xavier Hay, chief executive officer, Eurocopter India, told reporters on the eve of India Aviation 2012, that the company would be working to develop new markets including emergency services like medical evacuation and fire fighting.

Eurocopter, which is the world leader in emergency medical services, has designed the EC135 and EC145 for Helicopter Medical Emergency Service (HEMS) and Disaster Management (DM) applications.

13/03/12 IANS/Economic Times

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Russia to foray into India’s civil aviation market

Moscow: Russia, the biggest supplier of military airplanes to India, plans to launch a foray into the Indian market of commercial aircraft during India Aviation 2012, said Russia’s top plane builder.

“The airshow will mark the starting point in our vigorous marketing campaign to sell Russian-built airliners in the region,” Mikhail Pogosyan, President of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), told The Hindu.

In Hyderabad UAC will showcase its Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger plane, which rolled off production lines a year ago, and the futuristic MS-21 airliner, which is due to enter service in 2017.

“We are planning to sell in India about 100 passenger aircraft by 2030, which will account for 10 percent of the Indian market of airliners in the 60 to 220 seat segment” Mr. Pogosyan said adding that first contracts may be signed as early as next year.

Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) is a medium-haul airliner that has incorporated the best in aircraft technologies sourced from more than 20 world leading manufacturers. Available in the 75- and 95-seat configuration, the plane can operate on routes of up to 4,500 km and will compete with Embraer and Bombardier regional jets.

13/03/12 Vladimir Radyuhin/The Hindu

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India asks IATA to transfer Jet Airways tax dues

New Delhi: India's tax authority has asked the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to deposit Jet Airways' collections from its settlement systems directly to the government to recover pending tax dues, in a sign of deepening trouble in the Indian aviation sector.

"The Indian tax authority had served IATA with a garnishment for the amounts owed to the tax authorities by Jet Airways," IATA spokesman Albert Tjoeng said in an email to Reuters.

Earlier, Jet, the top Indian carrier, said the country's tax authority has not frozen the airline's bank accounts, contrary to media reports, and the company still plans to pay its January tax dues of 350 million rupees ($7.02 million) on Monday.

"The service tax department has been in touch with IATA with regards to having their proceeds remitted when the collections are remitted to Jet Airways," the airline said in a statement. About 240 airlines, representing about 84 percent of global scheduled airline traffic, are members of IATA.

India's airlines are reeling under a $20 billion debt load and are struggling to make profits, hurt by higher fuel prices, competition and low fares. Five out of India's six scheduled carriers are loss-making.

Jet's woes follow those of Kingfisher Airlines. Its accounts were frozen last month over outstanding dues. It had to cancel some flights on Monday due to "employee agitation on account of delayed salaries", pushing the debt-laden carrier deeper into trouble.

12/03/12 Reuters/Economic Times

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India-bound aircraft force-lands after snag

Ras Al Khaimah: An aircraft affiliated to Ras Al Khaimah Airways force-landed five minutes after midnight on Friday at RAK International Airport 40 minutes after takeoff. The plane that was heading to Calicut, India, had developed a malfunction in one of its engines. It was carrying 141 people — 133 Indian passengers and a crew of 8 — official sources revealed.
Major General Sheikh Talib Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chief of the Ras Al Khaimah Police, was at the airport in the late hours to follow up on the incident directly and supervise the safe landing of the plane and to ensure the safety of the passengers and the crew.
Sources at Civil Defence in Ras Al Khaimah and the GHQ of RAK Police said that the operations room received a tip-off at 11:45 pm reporting the forced landing of a plane at RAK International Airport, which took off a short time ago.
11/03/12 Gulf Today

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IATA suspends Kingfisher from billing, cargo accounts

New Delhi: Cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines woes compounded on Friday with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) suspending it from its billing and cargo accounts as the carrier failed to provide adequate cash deposit with the body.
This leaves the passengers with the option of booking their air ticket on Kingfisher via travel agents. The global air travel body had earlier suspended Kingfisher from the International Clearing House.
“The suspension was because the airline did not provide IATA with a cash deposit, required to continue its participation in the billing and settlement plan (BSP) and the cargo account settlement system (CASS),” an IATA spokesperson said in a statement.
For an airline, which has been struggling with operations in the wake of creditors withdrawing aircraft, the latest move will only jeopardise their further operations, analysts said.
Kingfisher, however, said it is making “all possible efforts to remedy this temporary situation arisen as a consequence of our bank accounts having been frozen by the tax authorities.”
In a statement it said: “It has made alternate arrangements to ensure that customers can continue to book their travel on Kingfisher via select leading travel agents and their network of partners.”
09/03/12 Deccan Herald

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Air India to acquire Dreamliners in May

New Delh: After a delay of almost three years, Air India can now look forward to inducting the first Boeing 787 Dreamliners by May.

The first of these aircraft is likely to be inducted May, after it gets operational and technical certifications from the US Federal Aviation Administration, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation and other agencies, official sources said. Air India has ordered 27 Dreamliners.

Meanwhile, the US aircraft manufacturer Boeing said the first Dreamliner painted in Air India livery would be on display for three days at the Hyderabad Airshow, starting March 14.

“The super-efficient Boeing-787 Dreamliner is set to make its debut at Hyderabad as part of Boeing’s commercial products showcase at the 2012 India Aviation Airshow,” a Boeing spokesperson said. The aircraft will land at Begumpet Airport on the eve of the airshow

09/03/12 PTI/Deccan Herald

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Etihad Airways targets India, Europe and Australia for acquisitions

Mumbai: James Hogan, CEO, Etihad Airways said yesterday that the third-biggest Gulf carrier is interested in acquisitions in India, Europe and “even Australia,” and could do “one or two more deals.” Hogan, speaking at the national aviation press club in Sydney, said Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, which recently invested in airberlin and Air Seychelles, is looking for “low- risk, high-return equity partners” and that there is “no shortage of attractive options.”

Recent changes at existing Etihad ally Virgin Australia opening the door to foreign investment are “interesting,” Hogan said, according to a copy of his speech. “We are looking to move beyond codeshares, into equity partnerships that open up vast markets and allow us to compete with would-be rivals,” he added, according to an Agencies report.

Etihad separately declined to respond directly to comments from Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Group CEO, Air France-KLM Group saying the Middle Eastern airline has made an approach regarding a possible commercial partnership. “Etihad Airways talks regularly and frequently to many airlines and a range of other businesses from all over the world about issues and opportunities,’’ a statement said.

09/03/12 TravelBizMonitor

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Air India's all women crew to fly three continents

New Delhi: Air India, to mark the occasion of International Women's Day will be operating all women crew international flights to one city in each of the three continents namely USA, Europe and Asia on Thursday. The three flights to be operated by the national carrier from Mumbai will include an ultra long haul flight AI 191 to Newark, AI 131 to London and AI 342 to Singapore.
Capt. Samiara along with first officer Mandeep Kaur will operate AI 342 from Mumbai to Singapore, while Capt Rashmi Miranda and Capt. Priya Acharya with first officers Rima Naik and A Divya, will operate AI 191 from Mumbai to Newark. The third flight AI 131 from Mumbai to London will be operated by Capt Sunita Narula with first officer Reshma Rajwani. Air India Express flight, IX 241 from Mumbai to Bahrain/Doha will be operated by Capt Sathya Rajmohan, Chameli Krothapalli with D Mooga and Rhythm Vyas as first officers.
On the domestic routes the airline will operate three flights from Delhi – AI 439 and AI 801 on the Delhi-Chennai and AI 213 on the Delhi-Kathmandu routes. AI 439 will be operated by Capt Aakanksha Verma and Capt. Deeksha Suri. AI 801 will be operated Capt. Nivedita Bhasin and Capt. Chitra Mirchandani and AI 213 to Kathmandu will be operated by Capt. Kamal Kant and Capt. Meenakshi ex-Delhi. AI 669 from Mumbai to Bhubaneshwar will be operated by Capt Gitanjali Khadria and Neelam Bisht while AI 649 from Mumbai to Raipur will be operated by Capt S Deshmukh and Shikha Harne.
07/03/12 Vinay Kumar/The Hindu

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