Aviation India: Foreign May 2012:Get All News on Indian Aviation Industry

Showing posts with label Foreign May 2012. Show all posts

Thursday, June 07, 2012

Cabinet to decide on Boeing 787 compensation offer today

Thursday, June 07, 2012

New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is expected to take up American aircraft manufacturer Boeing's offer of compensation for the delay in supply of 787 Dreamliner to Air India at its meeting on Thursday, a senior official said.
"The CCEA might take up the issue tomorrow (Thursday) and will decide whether to accept the package offered by Boeing or not," senior civil aviation ministry official said.
The development comes as Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Wednesday said the decision to induct the aircraft now rests with the CCEA.
"They (Boeing) have agreed to a compensation package for the delay in delivery of 787. The compensation solution has been accepted by the Air India board," Ajit Singh told IANS here.
07/06/12 ZeeNews

Airbus plans innovation cell in Bangalore

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Toulouse, France: Airbus plans to make India a hub as it is in the process of setting up an innovation cell in Bangalore . The cell will be led by an Indian though no name is announced yet. According to sources, Ardhendu Pathak, who was earlier with GE Industrial Solution, is a leading contender for the post.
"We see future of aviation industry lies in Asia," said Tom Enders, president and CEO of Airbus. Sources said China and India are among the biggest and fastest growing markets for aviation, with the Asia Pacific region accounting for 32% of aircraft deliveries of Airbus. Kiran Rao, executive V-P (marketing and contracts), Airbus, said the innovation cell will start work from 2013 and will function alongside the existing engineering facility in Bangalore . "It will work on the next generation aircraft for 2030, 2040, 2050 and more," he said.
30/05/12 Neha Lalchandani/Times of India

BEL produces cockpit sub-assembly for Boeing aircraft

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Bangalore: State-owned defence undertaking, Bharat Electronics Ltd. has produced a cockpit sub-assembly for Boeing's EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft, the public sector unit announced on Wednesday.
On May 3, Boeing delivered to the US Navy the first EA-18G to feature the sub-assembly, according to a press statement released by the Bangalore-based defence PSU.
The sub-assembly provides cockpit flood-lighting compatible with the aircraft's Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS). Other EA-18G parts produced by BEL include a complex-machined stowage panel for the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System connector cable, and an avionics cooling system fan test switch panel with an NVIS-compatible floodlight assembly.
"BEL's work on P-8I, Super Hornets and Growlers is another example of how Indian companies are becoming a part of the global supply chain while Boeing helps them expand their opportunities across the global aerospace industry," Dennis Swanson,
30/05/12 Biswarup Gooptu/Economic Times

Ministerial panel to decide on compensation for Dreamliner delay

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

New Delhi: A ministerial panel will decide on how much compensation Air India should seek from the US-based aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, for delay in delivery of the Boeing 787 aircraft, a senior Government official said on Tuesday.
Declining to specify whether the issue will be decided at the level of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs or some other level, a senior Government official merely said “a decision will be taken at an appropriately high level in Government.”
The Government is now waiting for the Air India board resolution passed on Monday seeking compensation from Boeing. The airline is seeking compensation as there has been a delay of close to five years in the delivery of the first of the 27 aircraft Air India had ordered.
Sources said that till such time as the compensation amount is decided the airline will not take delivery of a single Boeing 787 aircraft. It is expected that compensation will be sought against each of the 27 aircraft being procured.
29/05/12 Business Line

Crown says Air India bombing acquittal didn't mean the men were innocent

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Vancouver: The not-guilty verdict in the historic Air India bombing trial did not amount to a finding that the two accused men were innocent of all charges, a Crown prosecutor told B.C. Supreme Court Tuesday.
Len Doust urged Justice Ian Bruce Josephson — the original trial judge — to reject a bid by former suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik to recoup $9.2 million in legal fees from the B.C. government because of his March 2005 acquittal.
“An acquittal is not in fact a declaration of innocence,” Doust said. “It is simply a determination that the Crown has not proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Malik’s lawyer Bruce McLeod argued that it was appropriate for Malik to get his legal costs covered because the evidence against him was so weak that the charges never should have been brought.
And he claimed Malik has continued to be vilified in the media despite “the clear verdict of the court of Mr. Malik’s innocence.”
29/05/12 Kim Bolan/Vancouver Sun

Immigration fraud: One held at IGI

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

New Delhi: A man travelled to Paris two years ago on a fake French passport and had to serve 23 months in jail after being caught by the French police. The man was arrested again from the IGI airport on Tuesday for cheating Indian immigration, police said.
"Naina M Mohamed Anwar Ali, resident of River Bank road in Sirkali, Tamil Nadu was arrested after he arrived by an Air France flight as a deportee," an official said.
30/05/12 Times of India

GuestLogix Expands Footprint into India with Jet Airways Deployment

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Toronto, Ontario: GuestLogix Inc., the leading global provider of onboard retail and payment technology solutions to airlines and the passenger travel industry, announced today that it will deploy its onboard retailing technology and point-of-sale handheld devices to power Jet Airways' in-flight duty free program, JetBoutique, in conjunction with Inflight Sales Group , a global pioneer of airline concession operations. The Jet Airways implementation represents more than 14 million annual passenger trips for GuestLogix. The Indian carrier will use the integrated solution to manage cash and credit card payments of duty free items onboard.
30/05/12 India PRwire

Air India seeks compensation from Boeing for Dreamliner delay

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

New Delhi: Troubled national carrier Air India (AI) wants Boeing to expedite payment of compensation for the delay in delivery of 787 Dreamliners. The aircraft were supposed to be delivered starting from September 2008.
The AI Board, which met on Monday, forwarded the matter, including the compensation amount to be claimed from Boeing, to the government, according to sources.
The Board has not disclosed the amount on grounds of confidentiality in negotiations.
Two years ago, while deposing before the parliamentary standing committee, headed by CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, then-AI CMD Arvind Jadhav had said: "We have slapped a compensation claim of $710 million (Rs 3,550 crore). Obviously, they have confirmed that they will pay $145 million (Rs 725 crore) as compensation for the delay."
29/05/12 Mail Today/Business Today

Algerian gets a year in jail for ‘carrying bullet’

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Bhopal: An Algerian tourist who was allegedly found carrying a live bullet in his baggage while boarding a Delhi-bound flight at the Khajuraho airport on May 11 has been awarded one-year rigorous imprisonment by a court after a quick trial that lasted just 11 days.
Algerian embassy officials were also present during the trial that took place in the court of judicial magistrate (first class) in Chhatarpur, the district in which the temple town of Khajuraho falls.
During the trial, the prosecution underlined 32-year-old Nehar Redouane’s Algerian nationality to argue that he could be testing the security standards at the Khajuraho airport for a possible terror strike in future. The prosecution also pressed for a quick trial and pleaded against “granting bail to a foreigner”, arguing that if he jumped bail, it would be difficult to get him back to India to face the trial.
Countering the prosecution theory that Nehar had picked up the bullet in a street in Jaipur from where he visited Varanasi before landing in Khajuraho, defence lawyer Pawan Mishra argued that the bullet made its way to the Algerian’s luggage after he had a fight with CISF officials who spoke to him loudly since he had reported late for boarding and could not understand their instructions.
29/05/12 Milind Ghatwai/Indian Express

HC reserves order on aviation firm-Global Vectra's plea

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today reserved its verdict on a plea by Ravi Rishi-led aviation firm-Global Vectra Helicorp challenging DGCA's decision to suspend the company's operation permit.
Justice Vipin Sanghi reserved the order after counsel appearing for the aviation firm and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Home Ministry concluded their arguments.
The DGCA had on May 7 scrapped the firm's permit after the home ministry withdrew the security clearance of the company raising security concerns.
The government had also withdrawn security clearance of Ravi Rishi.
Appearing for the company, senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul contended before the court that the order on the company's operating permit had been passed without a show cause notice and hence was in complete violation of the principle of natural justice.
29/05/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

Air India won't take Dreamliners till compensation fixed

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

New Delhi: Air India will not take delivery of the 787 Dreamliner planes from Boeing till the finalisation of the compensation for the delay in supplying the aircraft.
This was formally told to the US-based company by the civil aviation ministry in a letter Monday.
"We have sent them a letter yesterday (Monday) evening stating our intent to know what kind of compensation package they are willing to offer," a senior Air India official told IANS.
According to the official, any compensation will not come directly to the airline but will be deducted from the total cost of the aircraft.
"There will be a deduction procedure that we have discussed. Compensation will be deducted from the overall cost of the aircraft."
The official further said that the airline has proposed a mechanism through which the compensation will be decided. The mechanism will focus on delay in delivery of individual aircraft.
29/05/12 IANS/News Track India

Air Arabia ups frequency on Nagpur-UAE sector to 4 per week

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Mumbai: The Gulf-based low-cost carrier Air Arabia today said it will increase services on the UAE-Nagpur sector to four flights a week from June 15.
Currently, the airline, which was the first international carrier to offer air connectivity to the city, operates three flights a week on this route.
With the proposed launch of one more air service between the UAE and Nagpur, Air Arabia now offers 105 flights a week from 13 destinations in the country to the UAE, a press release said here.
Since this market attracts a lot of passenger traffic from Raipur, the increase in flight frequency will prove beneficial for the travellers from Raipur as well, it said.
29/05/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

Malaysian Airlines to pay Rs 1 L to woman for losing her bag

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Malaysian Airlines has been asked by a Delhi district consumer forum to pay Rs one lakh to a woman for spoiling her trip to that country, where she had gone to attend her friend's wedding but the airlines lost her baggage with her party wears and other essentials en route.
A bench of New Delhi district consumer forum asked the airlines to pay the compensation to Mumbai resident Farah Mehta, who had taken the flight to Langkavi there but ended up as an anguished lot.
"In light of the fact, the total tour was spoilt, and she suffered great emotional, physical, mental anxiety and worry, with no words of comfort or regret. The paltry offer (of the airlines) for loss only added insult to her injury.
"In our consideration view an amount of Rs one lakh, in total would be just compensation to the complainant in the facts and circumstances of the case," said a bench of forum's President C K Chaturvedi and members S R Chaudhary and Asha Kumar.
29/05/12 PTI/Business Standard

Air passenger held for bid to smuggle gold biscuit, saffron

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Mumbai: An Indian passenger arrived from Dubai was today arrested from Mumbai international airport for allegedly trying to smuggle a gold biscuit and saffron collectively worth Rs 6.78 lakh, a senior customs official said. The passenger Mohammed Niyas Nellikkunnu was intercepted after he cleared through the green channel at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus airport in Andheri on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, the official said.
29/05/12 PTI/IBN Live

Jet may get A320 neo aircraft along with initial customers

Monday, May 28, 2012

Toulouse: Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has indicated that it might accommodate Jet Airways in its initial delivery of the brand new A-320 neo aircraft. A leading consultant's report suggests that Jet is understood to be evaluating A-320 neo aircraft as part of its expansion.
The aircraft manufacturer, though, refused to give details about such a development. However, sources said that the two sides did discuss the possibility.
“If Jet Airways places an order now, we may find out ways to deliver the newer aircraft along with other initial customers. It is always our desire to have Jet Airways on board,” a source told Business Line on condition of anonymity.
Jet Airways refused to comment on this development while Mr Justin Doban, Head of Corporate Communication, Airbus, said, “We are always in discussion with our customers. Any contractual information is confidential.”
27/05/12 Shishir Sinha/Business Line

Air India in talks with Air Canada to lease out five Boeing 777s

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Mumbai: Cash-strapped Air India is negotiating a deal with Air Canada to dry lease five of its Boeing 777-200 (long range) aircraft, airline sources said.
"We are in discussions with Air Canada to lease out these aircraft," Air India sources told PTI.
A team of officials from Air India would soon visit Canada to discuss modalities like leasing cost, etc in this regard, sources said, adding that the deal may be finalised as early as within next two-three weeks.
A founding-member of the Star Alliance, Air Canada is Canada's largest airline serving over 180 destinations in five continents. Besides, it also operates regional service Air Canada Express.
27/05/12 PTI/Economic Times

Five-hour ordeal for 350 London-bound passengers

Sunday, May 27, 2012

New Delhi: Itinerary of at least 350 London-bound air travellers has gone awry after a British Airways flight from Delhi to London (flight number BA 256) failed to take off on the second consecutive day due to a technical snag in the aircraft on Saturday.
They had a harrowing time as they were made to sit in the aircraft on Friday for five hours without AC even as the Capital was sizzling in 44° Celsius temperature, the hottest day of the season. The ordeal was even greater for wheelchair-bound passengers and children.
The flight was originally scheduled to depart on Friday morning. Passengers of the grounded flight said as there was no official of the airline to brief about the real cause of the delay and later cancellation of the trip, they remained stranded at the Indira Gandhi International Airport for hours on Friday and Saturday. They were served warm water.
27/05/12 Daily Pioneer

Afghan Hindu family held with fake passports

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Ahmedabad: A Hindu couple, from Afghanistan, who had come to India in a refugee camp after the war in Afghanistan in 1992, was arrested by the Sardarnagar police station. The duo was trying to flee to Italy on fake passports. The police have primarily found that the couple had used the identity of one Mohan Sharma and his family to flee the country.
The couple was identified as Vinod Virvani and Anita Virvani. Their son, Akshay Virvani (19) who is an Indian citizen, too was arrested by the police. During interrogation, police found that all the three were trying to leave the country on passports made using fake documents. According to sources, the family was living in Delhi but had chosen to fly from Ahmedabad airport, indicating that they believed it would be easier to leave from here.
Talking to DNA, inspector of Sardarnagar police station VS Sarvaiya said that after during primary investigation it was found that the couple hailed from Afghanistan. They had come to Delhi in 1992 and lived in a refugee camp. Their son was born in India. All these years, they had been doing petty jobs in Delhi and Faridabad. Now, they were trying to go to Italy using fake passports.
27/05/12 Daily Bhaskar.com

Etihad told to pay Rs 50K for not providing meal of choice

Sunday, May 27, 2012

New Delhi: Etihad Airways has been directed by a consumer forum to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation to an elderly passenger for not serving him meals of his choice due to which he had to travel without food during the flight.
Observing that such conduct was not expected from a reputed airline, the East District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum said Etihad Airways was obligated under the terms of booking to provide the meals chosen by the 72-year-old passenger, while travelling from New Delhi to New York and back.
“It is not expected from airlines of repute that they will not provide food of choice to the passenger and will allow the guest of the airline on board to remain without food for such long hours of journey.
“The complainant in this case is a senior citizen. If any other food is not suited to him and has special choice for sea food, the same should have been made available onboard,” the forum said.
27/05/12 PTI/Business Line

American arrested with cartridges at IGI airport

Sunday, May 27, 2012

New Delhi: An American national has been arrested at the IGI airport allegedly with 23 live cartridges, which police on Sunday claimed was brought from the United States without any valid documents.
Police said no firearms were recovered from Jeffrey Jinnin Worn, who was about to board a Turkish Airlines flight yesterday.
"During security check at the time of boarding, some suspicious items were found in Worn's baggage. It was found that 23 live cartridges were in the bag. He admitted that the cartridges were his.
27/05/12 PTI/ZeeNews

Jet Airways likely to expand international operations

Saturday, May 26, 2012

New Delhi: With Kingfisher's international operations suspended and Air India's long-haul services likely to be subject to ongoing industrial action, Jet Airways is expected to seize the opportunity and aggressively expand its international operations, aviation think-tank Centre For Asia Pacific Aviation has said.
“In addition to increasing frequencies to existing destinations in the Gulf and Southeast Asia, the other new routes under evaluation include Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris and Rome (with Frankfurt and Munich being the priority destinations, expected to commence from the Winter 2012/13 schedule), Chicago, San Francisco and Washington,” the study adds.
The study also hints at Jet Airways becoming the first Indian carrier to join a global airline alliance, Star Alliance. The ongoing troubles in Air India may force the Government to do a rethink on whether Jet Airways should be permitted to join Star Alliance or not.
25/05/12 The Hindu

Air India flies out stranded British Airways passengers

Saturday, May 26, 2012

New Delhi: Air India may have failed to fly its passengers in recent days due to the ongoing pilots' strike, but the carrier came to the rescue of passengers of a 30-hour delayed British Airways (BA) flight stranded at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport here and flew them to their destination in Britain.
"We have managed to help some of the stranded passengers of the BA flight which was scheduled to operate between Delhi-London yesterday (Friday) but never took off due to some technical reasons," a senior Air India official on the operations arm of the airline told IANS.
According to airport sources, the BA flight scheduled to fly out of New Delhi Friday morning had developed some technical snags. The flight was not operated after a section of the passengers protested.
26/05/12 IANS/News Track India

Aviation emission tax is here to stay: EU

Saturday, May 26, 2012

London: The EU insists that it will make no changes to its plans for a carbon tax on aviation emissions, despite continued warnings from India and China of retaliatory action, and the failure by two Indian airlines and eight Chinese airlines to submit emission data by a March 31 deadline.
“The day we get an ambitious global deal, we could amend our legislation. In the meantime, our law is here to stay,” said Mr Isaac Valero-Ladron, spokesperson for EU Commissioner, Ms Connie Hedegaard, in an e-mailed response.
“I am glad to see that India favours a global deal. So do we. In fact, the EU has been pushing for this for almost two decades.”
His comments follow a warning from the Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Ajit Singh, who told the Financial Times in an interview this week – travelling is always a two-way traffic – and that if Europe could impose sanctions, so could other countries.
25/05/12 Business Line

India may bar Europe carriers in climate tax row

Saturday, May 26, 2012

New Delhi: India said it may stop European carriers from flying into the country if the European Union bans airlines from the South Asian nation that boycott the EU's new emissions fee system.
"We will take retaliatory actions to counter steps taken by the EU. If Europe bans our carriers we will ban theirs as well," the senior government official, who did not want to be named, told reporters late Friday.
The EU in mid-May gave India and China a month to comply with the airline carbon emissions fee system across the 27-nation bloc, or face penalties for flights into and out of Europe.
EU Commissioner for Climate Change Connie Hedegaard said all EU airlines and "nearly all" world airlines had agreed to hand over emissions data required under the controversial carbon levy that took effect on January 1.
26/05/12 AFP/Economic Times

Govt may soon take decision on FDI in aviation, retail

Saturday, May 26, 2012

New Delhi: Amidst continuous depreciation of rupee and weak sentiments in the stocks market, the government is expected to soon push some of the key pending reforms like allowing foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail.
"There is a sense of urgency in the government. This is clear from the yesterday's decision of steep hike in petrol prices. We can expect a decision on FDI in retail and aviation soon," sources said.
The Sensex on Wednesday ended below 16,000-level for the first time in more than four months and the rupee had breached the crucial 56-mark to a new low, though there has been improvement in the situation on Thursday.
Industry experts, too, said this is the right time for taking big reform measures. "We are hopeful that the government will take up the proposal and it will (decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail) happen soon," Kishore Biyani CEO Future Group said.
25/05/12 Press Trust of India/IBN Live

New norm, AI stir spoil Gulf jobs

Friday, May 25, 2012

Thiruvananthapuram: With Kerala accounting for almost one-fourth of the Air India flight cancellations following the pilot strike, the state’s Gulf job aspirants face a bleak scenario.
Adding to their woes is a new system introduced by Gulf Cooperation Council Approved Medical Centres’ Association (GAMCA) to obtain medical fitness certificates.
Gulf sector fares have gone up by 50 to 60 per cent following the AI strike. About 200 AI flights have been cancelled in the last 17 days of strike, of which 50 were from Kerala and majority, Gulf services.
25/05/12 Arjun Raghunath/Deccan Chronicle

India warns EU over airline carbon tax

Thursday, May 24, 2012

India has made a veiled threat to ban EU airlines from its airspace if Brussels goes ahead with sanctions against Indian airlines in a dispute over carbon tax.
Dozens of countries, including the US and Russia, have attacked Brussels for making all airlines flying into the EU subject to its carbon emissions trading scheme from this year.
Last week Indian and Chinese airlines refused to share data with the EU on how much carbon they had emitted in 2011 - the most serious revolt against Brussels' scheme to charge carriers for their pollution.
The airlines - two from India and eight from China - risk being banned from flying to EU countries if they persistently refuse to comply with its carbon emissions trading scheme. As yet, the bloc is not actively considering sanctions.
Ajit Singh, civil aviation minister, said in an interview with the Financial Times on Wednesday: "Travelling is always a two-way traffic. If they can impose sanctions so can other countries."
24/05/12 Moneycontrol.com

Chopper firm's director moves court over curbs

Thursday, May 24, 2012

New Delhi: A director and a shareholder of Global Vectra Helicorp, the aviation arm of the Ravi Rishi-led Vectra Group, Thursday moved the Delhi High Court against the suspension of its permit to fly choppers.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) May 7 suspended the firm's operating permit after the home ministry raised security concerns.
The court is already hearing the plea of Global Vectra Helicorp against the DGCA's order.
On Thursday, the company's director Raj Menon and shareholder Rohit Hans, who holds 960 shares in the company, approached Justice Vipin Sanghi to protect their rights.
The court would next hear the case Friday.
24/05/12 IANS/News Track India

India's NAL links with Kadet for UAV

Thursday, May 24, 2012

New Delhi: India's state-run National Aerospace Laboratory will work with Kadet Defense Systems to develop NAL's Hansa trainer aircraft into an unmanned aerial vehicle.
The Hansa is built by Taneja Aerospace and Aviation for NAL and uses Indian-made composite material but mostly imported aeronautic electronics.
The low-wing, tricycle-gear aircraft first flew in the late 1990s and is used mainly by private flying clubs as a trainer.
The aircraft is around 25 feet long and has a wingspan of just more than 34 feet. Cruising speed is 130 mph with a range or more than 500 miles.
The engine is mainly the turbocharged four-cylinder Rotax 914F engine from Austria, similar to that used by the unmanned MQ-1 Predator made by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in the United States.
24/05/12 UPI.com

CJP to highlight nonfood biodiesel crops for sustainable aviation & transport fuel

Thursday, May 24, 2012

The 5th Global Jatropha Hi-tech Integrated Nonfood Biodiesel Farming & Technology Training Programme is being held September 5-9, 2012 at Jaipur, India.
The event will be a 5 day ’one stop shop’ assembling the various nonfood biofuel feedstocks value chains with featured discussion of new feedstocks and accelerating the commercialization of sustainable mobility. This is the only dedicated event for the fast growing nonfood biodiesel sector where the full range of biodiesel crops and technologies can be studied, viewed and seen by all stakeholders at a glance.
While biodiesel can be derived from a wide range of plant sources, many of those sources are used for food, and the diversion of food stocks to fuel carries serious economic, social and ethical implications. Sustainable, second-generation biofuels are needed, based on nonfood biodiesel crops and trees that do not compete with food crops and can be grown on marginal land. Nonfood oil crops offer great promise to contribute a significant ideal feedstock for high energy density transportation fuels, such as biodiesel as well as green diesel, green jet fuel and green gasoline.
24/05/12 Eco-Business

GippsAero Successfully Completes First Flight Of New Turbo-Prop Aircraft

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

GippsAero, the Australian aircraft manufacturer and subsidiary of the Mahindra Group, has successfully completed the first flight of its new aircraft, the GA10. The aircraft, which is the first single turbo-prop to be designed and developed in Australia, is a 10 seat multi role aircraft based on the very successful GA8 AIRVAN utility aircraft. The first flight took place at GippsAero’s home base at Latrobe Regional Airport in eastern Victoria on Tuesday the 1st of May 2012.
Powered by a Rolls-Royce 250 turbo prop engine, the GA10 fits a unique niche in the market and will suit a wide range of applications from passenger and freight work to air survey and surveillance roles.
Arvind Mehra, Executive Director and CEO of Mahindra Aerospace said “We are extremely proud of the successful first flight of our first turboprop. It is another important milestone towards reaching our goal of providing a family of economical utility aircraft to the aviation market”
With the completion of first flight the GippsAero engineering team will subject the prototype to an intensive programme of static and flight test to gain a CASA Type Certificate for the GA10. It is anticipated that the new type will be available for customer delivery in the first half of 2013.
The company is also soon to announce details of a deposit program that will provide an opportunity for operators to secure a purchase position.
23/05/12 Aviation Pros.com

Boeing’s first S.C.-made 787 takes its maiden voyage

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Boeing Co ‘s first South Carolina-made 787 Dreamliner lifted off the ground at about 12:04 p.m. today, a soaring achievement for the company’s North Charleston campus and for the state’s aviation ambitions.
The maiden flight will last about five hours, but the work leading up to it goes back years.
It accelerated down the runway, and in a matter of 10 seconds, the Dreamliner was airborne, seemingly without incident. It banked gently to the left as it gained altitude and could be seen headed southeast as it flew over the campus.
Boeing had been shooting for an 8 a.m. takeoff from North Charleston, but late Tuesday night it pushed the timetable back for undisclosed reasons.
The 787 took to the sky less than a month after making its high-profile public debut.
The company rolled out the plane on April 27, and cranked the engines for the first time ten days later.
Delivery to Air India, which ordered the plane and 26 other Dreamliners in 2005 but has endured financial and labor strife since merging with Indian Airlines in 2007, is expected as early as next month.
23/05/12 Brendan Kearney/The Post & Courier

Question mark hangs over Air India's B 787 delivery

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

New Delhi: A question mark hangs over when Air India will take delivery of the first of the 27 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Initially, the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Ajit Singh, was to travel to Seattle at the end of the month to attend a function for the induction of the first B 787 into the Air India fleet. But on Tuesday, the programme was called off. While declining to give details on why the Ministerial trip was being postponed, officials said it will be wrong to say that the aircraft delivery has been delayed.
Indian officials conceded that there were some issues connected with the interiors of the first Boeing 787 aircraft that Air India was to receive that promoted cancellation of the Ministerial visit. But they added that there was still a chance that the aircraft will be delivered as planned. Officials did not specify the date on which the aircraft will be delivered to AI.
22/05/12 Business Line

Jet Airways to sack 72 expats to take locals on board

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Mumbai: In an attempt to prune costs and navigate itself out of the turbulence in the Indian aviation sector, the nation's largest private airline, Jet Airways, has decided to terminate contracts of 72 of its high-cost expatriate pilots.
The Naresh Goyal-promoted airline sent notices to a section of its expat pilots last week. Nikos Kardassis, CEO, Jet Airways, confirmed the development to ETand said this was necessitated by a curtailed monsoon schedule and also the availability of pilots to tap from the local pool.
"We are reducing the level of operations for the monsoon season (as we do every year) and speeding up the process of training qualified Indian pilots from co-pilots to captains. We are also looking to recruit qualified Indian pilots available in the market at the moment," Kardassis said in a response to a query from ET.
23/05/12 Manisha Singhal/Economic Times

Go Airlines allowed to import fuel

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

New Delhi: The government has permitted Wadia group's Go Airlines to import fuel directly without sourcing it through public sector canalising agency Indian Oil, which will help the company save on hefty local taxes.
It is the fourth airlines to get an import licence from the directorate general of foreign trade after the government decided in February to allow import of the highcost fuel on an 'actual user' basis against licences.
23/05/12 Amiti Sen/Economic Times

Question mark hangs over Air India's B 787 delivery

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Air India pilots’ strike hits fruit, vegetable export hard

Monday, May 21, 2012

Mumbai: It’s not only the fliers who are bearing the brunt of Air India pilot’s strike. Vegetable and fruit, especially mangoes, export is also badly hit with most of the national carrier flights being cancelled very day. The strike entered the 13th day and there is no sign of let off. “This is a crucial period for farmers who grow mangoes to earn an extra buck by exporting mango and other fruits. The on-going strike has badly affected the export activities,” said Sanjay Pansare, director of Agriculture Product Market Committee (APMC).
The other airlines are cashing in on the imbroglio and have started charging 40% to 50% extra for the cargo, leading to escalating prices of mango sent abroad.
APMC gets around 80,000 of boxes of mango every day from across the country. Out of those, around 40% are exported to the Gulf, US, Europe, German, and Toronto.
21/05/12 Sudhir Suryawanshi/Daily News & Analysis

Rs 20L spent, Air India pilot fails Dreamliner test

Monday, May 21, 2012

New Delhi: Boeing has returned an Air India commander sent to Singapore for getting trained on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner back to India after the pilot was not found fit flying the aircraft. This despite the fact that the airline managed extra training slots for him but even then commander, who currently flies a Boeing 747, could not fit the bill.
AI is learnt to have spent over Rs 20 lakh in training this controversial captain who was sent to Singapore despite being over 55 years of age. With a retirement age of 58, AI was to send pilots just over 50 years so that it can recover the training expense incurred on them in his or her remaining years of service. The airline did not offer its comment for the story.
21/05/12 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Rupee fall, spurt in airfares make Indians opt for cheaper and closer travel destinations

Monday, May 21, 2012

New Delhi: The freefall of the rupee and pilots' strike in national carrier Air India are making middle class Indians cut short their summer vacations or opt for cheaper and closer destinations.
While the fall in the rupee's valuation has made outbound travel 15-20% more expensive, domestic airfares have sharply increased due to pilots' strikes and cancellation of several Air India and Kingfisher Airlines flights, travel industry officials say. Many travellers, especially those in the middle class, are now opting for 8-9 days trips instead of 12-13 days and for short-haul destinations in the Far East instead of Europe and America to stay within their budgets.
"Outbound travel is having a severe impact as it has become more expensive for people to travel abroad," says Dhruv Shringi, chief executive officer of travel and ticketing portal Yatra.com.
The rupee slumped 6.5% this quarter to Rs 54.42 against the dollar on Friday, becoming Asia's worst performing currency. Since August 2011, the rupee has fallen by about 21%.
21/05/12 Ravi Teja Sharma/Economic Times

Flights cancelled, Air India passengers stuck abroad

Monday, May 21, 2012

Chennai: Air India strike has come as a blow to international travellers as many have got stranded for a day or two at foreign destinations.
Holidayers who had return tickets in Air India ran into trouble after flights got cancelled at the last minute from US, UK and Europe after pilots went on strike. Pilots of erstwhile Air India are on strike over training to fly Boeing Dreamliners which the airline is going to get very soon. The deadlock between the management and the pilots continue in spite of appeals from ministry of civil aviation.
"Many passengers who are on holiday were caught unawares and had to reschedule their return bookings due to cancellations. Fresh one way return tickets are very expensive and seats are also scarce because flights are full due to holiday travel," said D Sudhakara Reddy, national president, Air Passenger Association of India (APAI).
21/05/12 Times of India

India to open 11 new foreign air service sectors under ASAs

Monday, May 21, 2012

New Delhi: India on Thursday said it has decided to open 11 new international air service sectors under the bilateral air services agreements (ASAs).
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on whether the government has decided to open 11 new international sectors under bilateral ASAs, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, replied in the affirmative.
Singh said: “Requests have been received from Indian carriers, including Air-India, for operation on 11 new sectors.”
Of these, approval for operation have been granted for summer 2012 for two sectors – Delhi-Guangzhou and Mumbai – Dar-es-Salaam.
“The remaining nine will commence operations in the winter schedule of 2012 once approved by the respective foreign authorities,” Singh said.
20/05/12 PTI/Oman Tribune

Grounded AI flight upsets her Toronto visit

Saturday, May 19, 2012

BRS Nagar: The worry lines on Surinder Kaur's forehead are palpable. The 62-year-old woman is unable to reach her son and daughter-in-law in Toronto, Canada, owing to the ongoing strike of Air India pilots. Kaur has to be there for her daughter-in-law's delivery but since many AI flights have been grounded, she is having a harrowing time.
She rued that the direct AI flight for Toronto from Amritsar has been cancelled due to the strike and she is being forced to find an alternative. Sharing her ordeal, Kaur said, "It's the first baby of my son and daughter-in-law and so it is important for me to be with them before May 29 but the AI strike has put a spanner on all my plans. I am trying to get tickets of some other airline but the schedule of those flights doesn't match my itinerary."
18/05/12 Nidhi Singhi/Times of India

Among those whom AI sacked, an Emirates pilot and one in the air

Friday, May 18, 2012

New Delhi: Critics complain that among the several problems of Air India’s management style is the fact that the right hand frequently does not know what the left is up to. They may have a point.
Among the 71 striking pilots sacked by the mandarins who run India’s national carrier is one who isn’t even an Air India employee, and another who was literally mid-air over Europe when he was fired for not showing up at work.
The second pilot, therefore, achieved the unusual distinction of flying a planeload of Air India passengers back to India even though his services had already been “terminated” by the airline.
A couple of days later, Air India went a step ahead and recommended to the air safety regulator that the licences of both pilots be cancelled.
18/05/12 Smita Aggarwal/Financial Express

Austerity be damned: Bleeding Air India flies journalists to lavish US trip

Friday, May 18, 2012

New Delhi: New Delhi: Although the 10-day long strike cost national carrier, Air India, Rs 150 crores and further crippled any chance of it making any recovery, Civil Aviation ministry on Thursday invited journalists to join the minister on a junket to the United States for the ceremonial delivery of the airline's latest conquest, Boeing 787 jets.
The invite was sent over in the form of an email to media houses on Thursday, wherein Civil Aviation Ministry invited journalists to accompany CA minister Ajit Singh on his visit to Seattle and Charlton, USA, from May 28-31 to get the delivery of Air India's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The icing on the cake being the words: "Travel, accomodation, etc., will be taken care of by us," reads the email.
The invite for the junket came came soon after the release of official stats that showed Air India's market share had plummeted to 17.6 %, making it the 4th largest carrier in terms of passenger volume. Only Goa Air 7.3% and Kingfisher 5.4 % have lesser market share.
18/05/12 Dailybhaskar.com

Cabinet note moved on foreign players in domestic carriers

Friday, May 18, 2012

New Delhi: The government is expected to soon take a view on the proposal of allowing foreign airlines to buy stakes in domestic carriers as the Industry Ministry has moved the final cabinet note on the matter.
"We have moved the cabinet note...it is work in progress," Commerce and industry Minister Anand Sharma told reporters here.
According to sources, before the proposal is taken up by the Cabinet, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to consult senior ministers to build a consensus on the contentious issue.
It was West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Chief supremo Mamata Banerjee who had forced the government to put on hold the decision to allow 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail.
18/05/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

Preliminary probe against GVHL to be over in 3 weeks: Centre

Friday, May 18, 2012

New Delhi: The Centre today told the Delhi High Court that the preliminary inquiry against Ravi Rishi-led Vectra group's aviation firm Global Vectra Helicorp Ltd (GVHL) would be complete in three weeks.
Appearing before Justice Vipin Sanghi, Additional Solicitor General A S Chandhiok submitted that the government had on May 7 suspended GVHL's permit to operate as there were some material against the company.
The senior lawyer said the inquiry is going be completed in three weeks after which the government will form an opinion as to whether the suspension of the permit against the aviation firm would continue or not.
18/05/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

Cabinet note moved on foreign players in domestic carriers

Friday, May 18, 2012

China Airlines launches freighter service to Chennai

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Chennai: China Airlines of Taiwan, on Wednesday, announced the launch of its bi-weekly freighter service to Chennai.
“This is a very valuable route,” China Airlines Senior Vice-President Brian Chou said, about the Taipei-Kuala Lumpur-Chennai-Luxemburg service. The stopover here, on Wednesday and Sunday mornings, would be for 2 hours and 10 minutes. In the return direction, from Luxemburg, the freighter would directly go to Taipei.
Briefing press persons here on Wednesday, he said the service would further strengthen the ties between Taiwan and India. The service, Mr. Chou explained, was important for Indian exim trade as it connected Luxemburg, a hub for cargo to all destinations in Europe and Taipei, which provides connections to 25 locations in mainland China. Kuala Lumpur, he added, attracts cargo from Indonesia and other South East Asian countries.
16/05/12 The Hindu

In talks to supply commercial aircraft in India: Embraer

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Sao Jose Dos Campos: The turbulence in the Indian civil aviation sector notwithstanding, Brazilian aeroplane maker Embraer SA is in talks with "some partners" to supply its commercial aircraft as it looks to tap the market potential here.
"We believe that India has a big potential for the (commercial) aeroplane sizes that we produce. We are in talks with some partners right now for orders," Embraer Vice- President Market Intelligence Airline Market Luiz Sergio Chiessi said.
He, however, declined to disclose the identity of the partners or the possible timeline for finalising the orders.
Embraer, which entered commercial aviation in 2004 with its E Jets family, has different aircraft with seating capacity ranging from 70 to 124. Chiessi said E Jets would suit the needs of Indian carriers while expanding to smaller cities.
16/05/12 PTI/Economic Times

Nepal’s plane crash raises questions over the safety of its rickety aircraft

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Mumbai: The recent deaths of 13 Indians in a plane crash in Nepal has once again raised questions over the safety of ‘flying coffins’ in the Himalayan country’s airspace.
Lakhs of tourists who visit the country every year prefer to fly there as air travel is considered a reliable mode of transport in absence of sufficient motorable roads.
The country has seen more than 45 accidents since the liberalisation of its aviation industry in 1990s. Investigations show that the aircraft used have been junk and airlines don’t adhere to safety standards.
17/05/12 Shahkar Abidi/Daily News & Analysis

Priest saved 2 kids as plane went down

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Chennai: When the aircraft carrying pilgrims to Muktinath in Nepal was about to crash on a mountain strip on May 14, L S Sudarsanam, did something heroic, said his relatives. “It fulfilled the purpose of his existence,” according to them. In the penultimate seconds before the tragedy occurred, the temple priest from Kumbakonam picked up two little kids who were seated nearby and embraced them tightly, shielded them from the impact of the crash and saved them.
Thirukoshtiyur Madhavan, the man who claimed to have headed the pilgrim group from Tamil Nadu and who accompanied the body to Chennai, said he had a miraculous escape as he chose another plane to make his journey.
The story about the priest saving the children was narrated by the air hostess of the crashed plane to Madhavan, who had survived.
17/05/12 Sruthisagar Yamunan/New Indian Express/IBN Live

Bachchans, Vidya mourn Taruni Sachdev's death

Thursday, May 17, 2012

'Rasna' girl Taruni Sachdev’s sudden death has come as a shock to the entire film fraternity. More so, to the entire team of film 'Paa' of which the little girl was an important part. While Vidya Balan expressed her sorrow at a recently held press conference, Bachchans chose a micro-blogging site to show their pain and concern.
Taruni, along with her mother Geetha was killed in a plane crash when it hit the hill while trying to land at a North Nepal airport.
17/05/12 Esha Razdan/Daily Bhaskar.com

Air India begins international operations, 3 'sick' pilots resume duty

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

New Delhi/Mumbai: In an attempt to restore normalcy, Air India on Wednesday began international operations to the US and Europe as part of its contingency plan even as striking pilots asked the government to initiate preliminary talks.

As the stir by the pilots entered the ninth day, the airline curtailed and clubbed many of its flights to the US and Europe to stabilize international operations.

"We have put in force our contingency plan and started operating our international flights, which were affected for the past eight days causing great inconvenience to our customers. Slowly, we hope that our operations would normalise," said an Air India official.

The national carrier, operated Delhi-Paris-New York (JFK) and Delhi-Frankfurt-Chicago flight early this morning while it would be operating Delhi-Shanghai and Delhi-London as per schedule.

16/05/12 PTI/Times of India

Nepal plane crash: Bodies of 11 Indians flown in

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

New Delhi: Bodies of 11 Indians out of 13 killed in Nepal air crash have reached the country and arrangements were being made to bring in two other bodies.

"Of the 13 Indians involved in the tragic air crash in Nepal, the bodies of 11 have reached India and these are to Mumbai, Hyderabad and to Delhi...two bodies have been identified by their relatives this morning and we are making arrangements for the return of those also," official spokesperson in Ministry of External Affairs Syed Akbaruddin told reporters here.

16/05/12 Daily News & Analysis

Crash pilot had spotted a fault

Monday, May 14, 2012

Calcutta: The captain of the plane that crashed in north Nepal today had detected a fault in the indicator and decided against landing in Jomsom as Pokhara was better equipped, officials said.

The officials in Mustang district, where Jomsom is located, said the captain had briefed the technically better-equipped Pokhara airport that he was going to return there.

The high-altitude Jomsom airport is the gateway to a popular tourism and trekking destination situated more than 2,600m above the sea level.

The Agni Air aircraft crashed at an elevation of 9,000ft just behind Jomsom Mountain Resort Hotel near the airport while turning left, changing course to Pokhara after the engine failure, according to the Rescue Co-ordination Committee of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

The dead Indians have been identified as K. Mamanya, S.K. Arora, M. Handa, M. Arora, R. Handa, K.. Arora, T. Sachdev, G. Sachdev, Sanaim Sudhar, G. Raman, Latha Echambade, (Mr) Kumar and (Ms) Kumar. The Danish survivors are R. Andreas and J. Emily.

15/05/12 The Telegraph

Nepal crash: Indian father critical, daughters out of danger

Monday, May 14, 2012

Kathmandu: A 40-year-old Indian man, who long with his two daughters survived the crash of a small passenger plane in northern Nepal, is in critical condition while the girls are out of danger, doctors said today.

Nepalese authorities are also ready to hand over the bodies of 13 Indian victims, who were among 15 people killed in the crash of the Dornier 9N AIG aircraft of private carrier Agni Air near Jomsom airport yesterday, to the relatives as their post-mortem has been completed.

Tirumala Kidambi Shreekant, who suffered severe head injuries in the crash, is being kept on the ventilator, the doctors said.

Shreekant and his two daughters, who are among the six survivors, are undergoing treatment at the Manipal Education and Medical Group, Nepal, an Indian joint venture teaching hospital located in the tourist hub of Pokhara.

15/05/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

Agni crash survivor battles for life

Monday, May 14, 2012

Pokhara: One of the six survivors of the fatal Agni Air crash in Jomson is said to be in a critical condition.

Of the three Indians who survived the crash - Tirumala Kidambi Shreekanta (32) is said to be critical while her two daughters - Tirumala Shreevardhini (9) and Tirumala Kidambi Shreepada (6) - are out of danger, sources said on Tuesday.

Of the six injured in the incident, three are undergoing treatment at Manipal hospital while the rest – Air hostess Roshani Haiju, two Danish travelers R. Andreas (30) and J. Emily - have been taken to Kathmandu for further treatment, District Police Office Kaski informed.

15/05/12 The Himalayan Times

EU says India, China violate carbon law

Monday, May 14, 2012

Brussels: A total of 10 Chinese and Indian commercial airlines have broken EU law requiring them to offset their carbon emissions, while all other international carriers flying to or from Europe have complied, the European Union's climate chief said on Tuesday.

The EU law demanding all airlines participate in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) has prompted outcry and threats of a trade war.

But only eight Chinese and two Indian airlines have delivered on threats not to comply, while more than 1,200 airlines have met the EU's requirements.

"We have given them (India and China) until mid-June to report back their data," EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard told a news briefing.

15/05/12 Barbara Lewis/Reuters

13 Indians among dead in Jomsom crash‚ 3 rescued

Monday, May 14, 2012

Kathmandu: The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu confirmed that there were 16 Indian nationals on board the Agni Air plane that crashed in Jomson of Mustang district in western Nepal on Monday morning, killing 15 people including three crew members.
Six passengers among 21 people on board the Agni Air flight number 9N AIG, which had flown from Pokhara to Jomsom, were rescued alive from the crash site at the Jomsom Airport.
Issuing a statement this afternoon, the Indian mission said that 13 Indians on board the plane are feared to be dead but three others have been rescued alive.
The Indian Embassy identified the rescued Indian nationals as Tirumala Kidambi Sreekanth, Tirumala Kidambi Sreevardhini (9) and Tirumala Kidambi Sreepada (6). They are currently undergoing treatment at Manipal Hospital, Pokhara, it said.
“A Nepal Army chopper has left for Jomsom to bring the mortal remains of the deceased to Kathmandu,” the statement said.

Name list of 16 Indian passengers :

Mr.K Mamanya
Mr.S K Arora
Mr M Handa
Mrs. M Arora
Ms. R Handa
Mr. K Arora
Ms. T Sachdev
Ms. G Sachdev
Mr. Sanaim Sudhar
Mr. G Raman
Mr. Kidambi Tirumala
Ms. Latha Echambade
Mr. Sreeva Kidamba Tirumala
Ms. SReepada Kidamba Tirumala
Mr. Kumar
Mrs. Kumar

It informed that the Embassy’s Pension Paying Office in Pokhara is providing active support and relief to the Indians being treated at the Manipal Hospital, Pokhara and for the prompt and proper evacuation of the mortal remains of the Indian nationals killed in the accident.
Also, a control room / information centre has been set up in the Lazimpat-based Indian Embassy, Kathmandu.

Following are the phone numbers of the information centre:-

00-977-1-4423702
00-977-1-4410900, extn.4109
00-977-1-4411699, extn.4109
14/05/12 The Himalayan Times

Agni plane crashes in Jomsom; 15 including crew members killed, 6 injured

Monday, May 14, 2012

Kathmandu: An Agni Air 9N AIG plane crashed in Jomsom, the district headquarters of remote Mustang district, at 9:45 am today, leaving 15 persons, including the crew, dead and six others injured.
Although details are still sketchy, the tragedy occurred when the plane heading to Jomsom from Pokhara with 18 passengers and three crew members on board crashed into a hill during landing at the Jomsom airport. Among the passengers, 16 were Indian nationals while two were Danish.
The Indian nationals were going to Jomsom to pay a visit to Muktinath, a popular pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists. Westerners usually visit scenic Jomsom for trekking purpose.
Agni Air officials in Kathmandu are yet to identify the deceased and provide further details. Thirteen among the dead are Indian nationals and two are crew members - pilot Prabhu Sharan Pathak and co-pilot JD Maharjan.
Laxmi Gautam, Chief District Officer of Mustang, said some eight passengers were rescued alive by a team of Nepal Army and Nepal Police personnel involved in search and rescue operations immediately after the crash. The crash site is nearby the Nepal Army barracks.
14/05/12 Nepal News.com

Agni Air plane crash kills 15

Monday, May 14, 2012

Kathmandu: At least 15 persons were killed when an aircraft belonging to Agni Air crashed on a hilltop in Marfa VDC-5 near Jomsom of Mustang district at around 9.30 Monday morning.
Seven people were rescued alive from the crash site. There were 21 persons, including three crew members and 18 foreigners, on board the ill-starred 9N AIG Dornier aircraft. Two crew members and 13 Indian nationals are among those killed in the crash.
According to Pratap Babu Tiwari, Chief of Pokhara Airport, those rescued were airlifted to Pokhara by a Simrik Air chopper and a Tara Air aircraft for further treatment. One among the rescued is said to be in critical condition.
Tiwari who was at the crash site informed that two Danish nationals and an airhostess Roshni Haiju were airlifted by an aircraft of Tara Air to Pokhara Airport while a Simrik Air chopper rescued three Indian nationals identified as Kidambi Sreekanth, Tirumala Kidambi Sreevardhini, 9, and Tirumala Kidambi Sreepada, 6, to Manipal Hospital.
The deceased have been identified as Pilot Prabhu Sharan Pathak and Co-pilot JD Maharjan. The identification of other deceased has not been established yet.
The plane was heading for Muktinath pilgrimage in Jomsom from Pokhara. The reason behind the crash is yet to be ascertained.
A Nepal Army chopper left for Jomsom to ferry the bodies of the deceased to the Capital, a press statement issued by Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal stated.
14/05/12 eKantipur.com

Rasna girl Taruni Sachdev among dead in Nepal air crash

Monday, May 14, 2012

Kathmandu: Thirteen Indian pilgrims were among 15 persons killed on Monday when a small plane with 21 people on board crashed in northern Nepal after hitting a hill top while attempting to land at a high-altitude airport.

Child actor Taruni Sachdev who has acted in many commercials including the famous Rasna advertisement and her mother Geetha Sachdev are also among the dead.

Taruni has also acted in many films. She was known her for her role in Hindi film Paa. In Malayalam, she has appeared in films Vellinakshatram and Sathyam.

She is well-known for acting along with Karisma Kapoor in the Rasna commercial saying 'I Love You Rasna'.

Six others, including three Indians and two Danish nationals, miraculously survived the crash of the Dornier 9N AIG aircraft belonging to the private carrier Agni Air.

14/05/12 Deccan Chronicle

Two Chennai kids injured in Nepal crash, want to go home

Monday, May 14, 2012

Chennai: Two young girls injured in Monday's plane accident in Nepal have pleaded to their Chennai-based uncle to come and take them back home.

"Come here and take us from here," the two girls have pleaded to their uncle, K.Srinivasan, in Chennai.

They do not know that their mother S.Latha has died in the same accident and their father T.K. Srikanth, is lying unconscious in Manipal Hospital.

"The two girls - Srivardhini and Sreepada - have suffered minor injuries. They are calling us at regular intervals pleading to take them away from the hospital. We are not in a position to contact them. The Indian embassy officials are there at the hospital," Srinivasan, a bank employee, told IANS.

His wife and Latha are sisters.

Srinivasan said it would provide lot of comfort to the two young girls if there is somebody with them continuously at the hospital till he reaches there.

14/05/12 IANS/News Track India

TN temple priest among those killed in Nepal plane crash

Monday, May 14, 2012

Kumbakonam: A pall of gloom descended on the house of L S Sudarsanam, a temple priest here after reports of his death in the plane crash at Nepal came in. Sudarsanam was the priest of three temples here, his family said. He had gone on a pilgrimage ten days ago as part of a 50-strong team headed by Thirukottiur Madhavan Swami, his brother Soundararaja said. The members had taken three different flights to visit Muktinath, a famous Hindu pilgrimage centre, and the one carrying Sudarsanam had crashed, he said. Members of the team which had gone on pilgrimage had informed them about his death. Sudarsanam is survived by wife, son and daughter. The body will be brought to Chennai tomorrow, he added.

14/05/12 PTI/IBN Live

Air crash: Jaya directs medical treatment for injured

Monday, May 14, 2012

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa expressed grief over the death of 15 persons in an aircrash in Nepal today and directed a senior official in Delhi to coordinate with the Indian Embassy to bring the bodies of those belonging to the state.

Jayalalithaa said she was shocked to know that 15 persons who were on a pilgrimage lost their lives after their aircraft crashed over a hill near Jomson in Nepal this morning.

Latha Sreekanth of Vadapalani here and Bhattacharya L S Sudarsanam of Kumbakanam in the state were among those killed when the plane with 21 people on board crashed in northern Nepal after hitting a hill top while attempting to land at a high-altitude airport.

14/05/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

No AI bookings for west-bound flights till Thursday

Monday, May 14, 2012

New Delhi: Beleaguered Air India today extended till Thursday the bar on bookings for its West-bound flights, as it mulled the option of shutting down global operations till a resolution is found to the week-long pilots' stir which has led to a loss of over Rs.150 crore.

On day seven of the agitation by over 200 pilots, 14 international flights were cancelled, bringing no end to the woes of the passengers.

The airline, which had stopped taking bookings for flights to North America and Europe till Tuesday, extended the period till May 17, airline officials said.

Complete closure of international operations was not being ruled out if the strike continued, they said, adding that these services were responsible for about 48 per cent of the operational losses of the ailing national carrier.

Dubbing their stir "meaningless" after a court order, Government has refused to hold talks with the agitating pilots till they resumed work. Hundreds of passengers were stranded following the flight cancellations.

14/05/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

Malaysian Airlines planning to increase India connectivity

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Mumbai: To cash in on the domestic aviation market, Malaysian Airlines is looking at enhancing air connectivity to India, especially to Tier-II cities.

"We are looking at more connectivity to India and are evaluating the market here," Malaysian Airlines General Manager (Western India) Nur Shaffik Haris said.

The airline may look at secondary points in the next phase of expansion in India, he said.

13/05/12 PTI/Economic Times

NRK dies aboard flight

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Thiruvananthapuram: A non-resident Keralite (NRK) who was returning from Dubai died onboard an Air Arabia flight which arrived at the international airport here at 7.55 am on Friday.

The Valiyathura Police said that the deceased was one Sreekandan, 61, hailing from Mulloor at Vizhinjam in the district. Sreekandan, who was reportedly suffering from some ailments, including diabetes and a growth in his throat, had left for Kerala to undergo advanced treatment.

13/05/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

Flight cancellations benefit Middle-East carriers

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Mumbai/Bangalore: The Air India flight cancellations have disrupted the holiday plans of several travellers.

However, it is the Middle-East carriers that are benefitting from the present imbroglio.

Travel agents and tour operators said that Middle-East carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad are seeing a rise in their load factors.

“These flights are almost 90 per cent full,” said a Mumbai-based travel agent. In fact, there has been a drastic shift of travel preference for other carriers as a result to AI flight cancellations.

11/05/12 Nivedita Ganguly/Anjana Chandramouly

Jeddah-bound AI flight detained

Friday, May 11, 2012

Kochi: Bringing in more trouble for passengers of Air India, the Kochi-Kozhikode- Jeddah AI963 flight, which was supposed to leave Nedumbassery on Thursday, was detained at the Cochin International Airport.

The flight was detained due to the strike by the Air India pilots.

The flight, which was supposed to leave Kochi at 3.30 pm, was to board passengers bound for Jeddah from Kozhikode.

But owing to the strike, at least 100 passengers were stranded at the Kochi and Kozhikode airports.

The passengers were accommodated in hotels by the airport officials.

11/05/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

Boeing Acquires Inmedius

Friday, May 11, 2012

The Boeing Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of Inmedius. Inmedius is a provider of software applications and services for managing and sharing information and learning content. The deal was first announced on April 26, 2012. Inmedius has approximately 75 employees and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with offices in the United Kingdom and India.

Inmedius will be integrated into Continental DataGraphics (“CDG”), a subsidiary of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services business. Inmedius President and CEO Mr. Gary L. Schaffer will continue to lead the business, reporting to CDG President and CEO Mr. David Malmo.

Headquartered in Long Beach, California, CDG has more than 1,200 employees worldwide, with offices in multiple locations across the U.S., United Kingdom and India. The company provides technical services, technical documentation, training solutions and software solutions for defense and space, commercial aviation, manufacturing, energy, and other engineering-focused industries.

10/05/12 Zacks

Air India stops bookings for US, Europe till May 15; 9 more pilots sacked

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

New Delhi/Mumbai: Crisis-hit Air India today stopped bookings for the US, Canada and Europe-bound flights till May 15 as it sacked nine more pilots on day three of their agitation which led to cancellations of over 20 flights and left hundreds of passengers fuming.

With over 200 pilots owing allegiance to the Indian Pilots' Guild refusing to join duty, Air India said it was suspending its international bookings rpt bookings to New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Toronto, London, Paris and Frankfurt. Some other foreign destinations are also likely to be affected.

Air India sacked nine more pilots taking the number of pilots whose services have been terminated to 45. While 10 pilots, mostly office bearers of the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), were dismissed on Tuesday, another 26 were shown the door yesterday. AI management has also derecognised IPG.

10/05/12 PTI/Times of India

DGCA grounds MP govt aircraft on safety issues

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

New Delhi: A day after a helicopter crash- landed in Ranchi injuring Chief Minister Arjun Munda, aviation regulator DGCA today grounded the entire fleet of Madhya Pradesh government for serious violation of safety norms. The action came after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation carried out safety audit of the state government's fleet of two airplanes and two helicopters and its separate aviation department. This was part of a process of audits DGCA is currently carrying out in 24 states and state-run entities like Coal India and ONGC which have such departments and aircraft. Official sources said the Madhya Pradesh aviation department would be allowed to operate flights only after it fulfilled all requirements.

10/05/12 PTI/IBN Live

Singapore Airlines seeks tie-ups in India, China

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Singapore: Singapore Airlines (SIA) Thursday said it is looking for potential partnerships in India and China, a move that could help it stay profitable.

The airline is specifically working closely with airlines in China and India, especially those that are in the same alliance, SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong told reporters.

He did not name the airlines that SIA could partner with, saying discussions were ongoing and an announcement would be made at a right time.

SIA is to launch its own fully-owned budget airline Scoot, joining an increasing number of low-cost carriers in Southeast Asia.

Globally, SIA is a member of the Star Alliance along with China. That apart, the airline had earlier tried to set up a joint venture in India with Tatas but that attempt had not materialised.

10/05/12 ZeeNews

Air India Strategy to cut losses on International Flights

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Shri Ajit Singh, the Minister of Civil Aviation informed Rajya Sabha today in a written reply that Air India has taken several measures to improve and restructure its schedules. Air India periodically monitors the carriage/load factors/financial performance of services on its network and makes efforts to improve their performance. Whenever any services recurrently give rise to cash losses, Air India analyses the reasons for the losses and based on the strategic importance of such services to its network arrives at a decision whether to continue or withdraw such services. Air India makes changes to its network to rationalize capacity offered on various routes to maximize the benefits to the airline. Consequently, periodic adjustments are done to the schedule to add or reduce capacity from specific routes, introduce new routes and restructure existing routes based on the market dynamics and anticipated financial outcome.

At present, Air India has code share arrangementsk with 5 European international carriers. Through these arrangements, Air India has developed a secondary network in Europe in addition to its own existing network operated by own capacity.

10/05/12 Press Information Bureau

AI stops bookings for US, Europe till May 15

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Crisis-hit Air India today stopped bookings for the US, Canada and Europe-bound flights till May 15 as it sacked nine more pilots on day three of their agitation which led to cancellation of over 20 flights and left hundreds of passengers fuming.

With over 200 pilots owing allegiance to the Indian Pilots Guild refusing to join duty, Air India said it was suspending its international bookings to New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Toronto, London, Paris and Frankfurt. Some other foreign destinations are also likely to be affected.

10/05/12 PTI/Business Standard

Etihad Airways to launch flights to Ahmedabad

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Dubai: Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has announced that the airline will start flying to Ahmedabad in November.

Flights will operate daily between Abu Dhabi and Ahmedabad, the airline's ninth destination in India.

Etihad's new service to Ahmedabad will offer nearly 1,000 seats a week into the Gujarati city, Etihad Airways' President and CEO James Hogan said.

The airline will also add a flight to Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa in the same month.

10/05/12 Economic Times

‘Govt mulled withdrawing Haj subsidy 15 yrs back’

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

New Delhi: The Supreme Court might have finally given a roadmap to do away with Haj subsidy but a move was afoot in the government 15 years ago to gradually withdraw the contentious assistance which did not take off.

A Cabinet note was prepared by Civil Aviation Secretary M K Kaw in 1997 when I K Gujral was Prime Minister who took a "strange route" of not convening a Cabinet meeting but a meeting of all parties.

Kaw has written about the issue in his book "An Outsider Everywhere: Revelations by an Insider", which will be released on Thursday.

010/05/12 Zee News

Two Kuwait bound flights hit by technical snags

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Kochi: Hit by technical snags, two Kuwait bound flights of Kuwait Airways have been grounded at the airport here causing inconvenience to hundreds of passengers including infants, airport sources said today.

Angry passengers protested at the International Airport here this morning after no alternate flights had been arranged, the sources said.

Passengers said they heard about the snag after all their luggage had been cleared for loading on to the Kuwait airways flight. There were small children and they did not even have clothes to change, irate passengers said.

The flight from Kuwait had arrived here on time (4.45 AM) on Tuesday and was scheduled to return at 5.45 am. However, it developed some technical snag and the flight was cancelled.

Passengers were accommodated in nearby hotels.

09/05/12 PTI/Business Standard

India axes foreign pilots

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has given airlines a 2013 deadline to phase out expat pilots.

Foreign pilots are generally better paid than domestic ones because of the experience they bring. However, Indian airlines are struggling to survive.

The problem has been exacerbated by the rupee falling to a four-month low against the US dollar.

Indian airlines pay for their fuel and the salaries of foreign pilots in US dollars, so both are proving more costly as the local currency weakens.

09/05/12 Justin Harper/The Telegraph

Haj panel to float global tenders for cheap air fare

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Bangalore: In the wake of the Supreme Court's direction to gradually end subsidy, the Haj Committee of India is considering a proposal to float global tenders to choose the airline offering the most competitive fares for pilgrims.

Welcoming the ruling to end the Haj subsidy in the next 10 years and that the money be instead used for development of the Muslim community, committee vice-chairman A. Aboobucker said the government's funds were hitherto being used to subsidise airfare for pilgrims.

10/05/12 The Hindu

Book claims Govt mulled withdrawing Haj subsidy 15 yrs back

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

A Cabinet note was prepared by Civil Aviation Secretary MK Kaw in 1997 when IK Gujral was Prime Minister who took a "strange route" of not convening a Cabinet meeting but a meeting of all parties.

Kaw has written about the issue in his book "An Outsider Everywhere: Revelations by an Insider", which will be released tomorrow.

"When I studied the case, I found that the (Haj) subsidy was initially meant for very poor pilgrims and the numbers were small. As the years passed, the number of pilgrims and the quantum of subsidy increased by leaps and bounds," he said.

09/05/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

Air India crew goof-up holds up ops at JFK airport

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

New Delhi: National carrier Air India suffered a major embarrassment at New York's JFK airport a week ago, when it was found that over 200 passengers in the flight were not carrying the mandatory US immigration card.

The incident occurred two days before the US Department of Transport slapped a fine of $80,000 on A-I for its failure to post accurate information on its website.

On May 1, not even a single passenger on the flight (AI-101-Delhi-New York) was carrying the US immigration card that irked American officials, throwing the A-I crew and local staff into a tizzy at the airport.

09/05/12 Yogesh Kumar/Times of India

1.43kg gold seized in Trichy airport

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Trichy: In yet another seizure in two days, officials of the air intelligence unit of the customs department at the Trichy airport seized 1.430 kg of gold ornaments and bars that were being smuggled from Singapore into India on Tuesday. Two persons have been arrested.

Acting on a tip-off, air intelligence unit officials scanned the bags of all passengers who landed from the Air India Express flight from Singapore. During their search, they found a bundle of gold ornaments weighing 1.430 kg, worth Rs 43.43 lakhs in the bag of a passenger Ramamurthy, a native of Orathanadu in Thanjavur.

09/05/12 Times of India

Jet Airways launches Mumbai-Dubai daily service

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Mumbai: Jet Airways will be starting a daily service between Mumbai and Dubai from May 18. This is the fourth daily frequency being introduced between the two cities.

The flight (9W 536) will leave Mumbai at 1230 hrs and arrive Dubai at 14.05 hrs. On the return leg, the flight (9W 535) will depart Dubai at 1620 hrs and arrive Mumbai at 2055 hrs providing onward connections to other destinations on the airline’s network.

09/05/12 Business Line

Eliminate Haj subsidy in 10 years: court

Monday, May 07, 2012

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre to gradually reduce the amount of subsidies being given to Haj pilgrims so that within 10 years it is eliminated, and the money is used for the “uplift of the community in education and other indices of social development.”

“We have no doubt that a very large majority of Muslims applying to the Haj Committee would not be aware of the economics of their pilgrimage. And if all the facts are made known, a good many of the pilgrims would not be very comfortable in the knowledge that their Hajj is funded to a substantial extent by the government,” said a Bench of Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai, before quoting a passage from the Holy Koran.

The court observed that the Haj subsidies had been rising every year, with the increase in air fare and pilgrims.

08/05/12 Vijetha S.N/Mohamad Ali/The Hindu

India pays Rs.600 crore as Haj subsidy annually

Monday, May 07, 2012

New Delhi: India provides subsidy to over a lakh pilgrims who go to Makkah and Madina annually and spends over Rs.600 crore ($120 million) every year on the pilgrimage.

India's Supreme Court has now asked the government to eliminate the Haj subsidy gradually over the next 10 years.

According to information available, the Haj Committee of India (HCI) receives over 300,000 applications every year since 2009. In 2009, the number of applications stood at 3,57,338. In 2010, HCI received 3,00,680 applications and in 2011, it received 3,02,616 applications.

08/05/12 IANS/News Track India

Jet Airways temporarily suspends Johannesburg flight service

Monday, May 07, 2012

Mumbai: Private carrier Jet Airways today said it has decided to temporarily suspend its Mumbai-Johannesburg flight service from next month.

"As a part of its ongoing network evaluation with a clear focus on profitability, Jet Airways will be redeploying its assets on its existing route network. This has hence necessitated the temporary suspension of the airline's A330 Mumbai - Johannesburg flights effective June 12," a company release said.

07/05/12 Economic Times

Exporters boycott AI from Kerala's airport

Monday, May 07, 2012

Thiruvananthapuram: The movement of fresh vegetables and fruits through Air India to the Gulf countries from here have been affected as agri exporters' body Appexa has boycotted the national carrier from May 1, protesting hike in fuel surcharge.

Air India and Air India Express have increased fuel surcharge on perishable items from Rs 9.50 per kg to Rs 15.50 from May 1 for the exports from Thiruvananthapuram Airport and "this is unjustifiable and unwarranted", said Dil Koshy, Secretary of the Agricultural Products and Processed Foods Exporters Association (Appexa).

07/05/12 Financial Express

Couple turn detective to track down iPad stolen by aviation engineer

Monday, May 07, 2012

A husband wife teamed up to crack the case of their missing iPad and helped net an airline worker who had stolen the tablet.

The Filipino aviation engineer appeared at Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday, where he admitted theft. The iPad owner had flown into Dubai from his home in India for a meeting in February but, after stepping off the plane, he realised the device was missing from his hand luggage.

He contacted customer services and lost and found at the airport but nobody had handed it in.

07/05/12 7 Days in Dubai

Travel agents oppose IATA move on credit cycle

Sunday, May 06, 2012

Hyderabad: The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has expressed concern over the International Air Trnasport Association's (IATA) move to remit ticket sale proceeds to airlines every week would cripple the travel agents financially.

According to TAAI, the move is going to affect travel agents adversely, as they extend a credit up to three months to big corporate accounts, which constitutes nearly 60 per cent of the tickteing business. IATA recently directed travel agents to remit the ticket sale proceeds to airlines every week, instead of the current fortnightly span. TAAI president Iqbal Mulla said the airlines have also decided to impose a cost for using a credit card and henceforth, if customers desire to pay for airline tickets with their credit cards, they have to pay two per cent more than the ticket cost.

06/05/12 PTI/IBN Live

S&P move may affect aviation, housing sectors’ access to cheaper overseas funds

Saturday, May 05, 2012

New Delhi: The timing of the outlook revision for India’s long-term sovereign credit rating by the global agency Standard & Poor’s could not have been worse. The finance ministry apprehends S&P move could make it difficult for sectors like aviation and housing to access cheaper overseas funds through the external commercial borrowing window announced in the Budget.

The cost of borrowing is expected to rise for these Indian companies as the downgrade coupled with negative sentiment on Indian economy might spoil their chances, the government feels.

Analyzing the impact of the S&P action, a senior finance ministry official requesting anonymity said it would definitely increase the cost of borrowing for the industry, while availing of ECB for airlines and other sectors will now become particularly difficult.

05/05/12 Himani Kaushik/Financial Express

Global Vectra security nod cancelled

Saturday, May 05, 2012

New Delhi: In yet another jolt to Ravindra Rishi, chairman of the London-based Vectra Group, who is already under CBI investigation over Tatra trucks deal, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) has ordered withdrawal of security clearance to its aviation subsidiary Global Vectra Helicorp Limited.

According to government sources, the MHA on April 30 had asked the civil aviation ministry to tell Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to immediately withdraw the licences given to GVHL helicopters.

The decision which, sources said, amounts to cancellation of security clearance, is likely to hamper anti-Maoist operations as Global Vectra along was partner to a consortium that was finalised to wet lease fortified MI-17 plus helicopters for operations in Maoist hotbed after MHA failed to get helicopters from Indian Air Force and private players.

05/05/12 Manan Kumar/Daily News & Analysis

Jeppesen Hands Out Ground Handling Honors

Saturday, May 05, 2012

Flight planning provider Jeppesen has handed out its “ground handler of the year” awards. Selected by the Boeing subsidiary’s trip planners, based on criteria including response time, problem-solving ability, facility quality, safety and customer service, the top locations in five regions were honored. For the region of Africa, the Middle East and India, Jet Aviation’s location at Dubai International Airport was selected. The location features an 11,300-sq-ft two-story FBO building along with more than 45,000 sq ft of hangar space. Its repair facility holds both FAA and EASA certifications.

05/05/12 Curt Epstein/AIN Online

U.S. hits Air India with $80K fine

Friday, May 04, 2012

Washington: As if Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh’s announcement on Thursday that India’s financially beleaguered national carrier Air India had incurred a Rs. 5,548.26 crore loss during 2008-09 was not enough, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on Friday pushed the airline’s prospects into bleaker territory still as it assessed a civil penalty of $80,000 against it.

Citing Air India’s failure to post customer service and tarmac delay contingency plans on its website as well as failing to adequately inform passengers about its optional fees, the U.S. DOT made an example out of India’s struggling national airline. Air India is the first entity facing a penalty assessed for a violation of the DOT’s new airline consumer rules that took effect August 23 last year.

The move could potentially embarrass India and U.S. leaders meeting in Washington next month for the third round of the bilateral Strategic Dialogue.

04/05/12 Narayan Lakshman/The Hindu

International fliers brought less gold in 2011-2012

Friday, May 04, 2012

Ahmedabad: Call it the effect of sky-rocketing gold prices, or an upward swing in duty, the quantity of primary silver and gold (bars) being brought in by passengers at the city’s airport has seen a dip in 2011-12 as compared to the previous fiscal.

Data available from the customs department has shown that in the financial year 2010-11 about 36 kg (36,177.04 grams) of gold bars passed through the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport, which earned the department nearly Rs24.43 lakh by way of duty on the commodity.

Compared to this, in 2011-12, the quantity of gold bars brought in through the airport saw a significant drop. Passengers carried 22 kg (22,412.51 grams) of gold bars through the city airport, lower than the previous year by around 14 kg (13,764.04 gm). In 2011-12, the customs department earned Rs18.52 lakh by way of duty on the same. The fall in duty as against the previous year was Rs5.9 lakh.

03/05/12 Smitha R/Daily News & Analysis

Jet Airways to partner Disney Channel for summer campaign

Friday, May 04, 2012

Mumbai:Jet Airways today said it will fly 30 children and their families to the Hong Kong Disneyland as part of a marketing tie-up with kids' channel Disney for the forthcoming 'Jet set go' summer campaign.

As part of this, the airline will also wrap a Jet Airways Boeing 737-800 aircraft with popular Disney characters-- Mickey and Friends-- and will be flying competition winners to the Hong Kong Disneyland for a two-day experience, the airline said in a statement.

However, the statement did not mention the date of the special flight.

The aircraft, with Disney exteriors painted on its fuselage, will be unveiled at an event in Mumbai on July 9 following which Disney Channel will showcase the aircraft over an eight-week campaign.

03/05/12 PTI/Economic Times

Fiji Pilot joins Bollywood scene

Friday, May 04, 2012

Locals have been heavily involved in the making of Bollywood movie Supermodel which is being shot in and around Nadi.

Apart from being hired to work the heavy-duty equipment that is used in a standard movie set, some of them were even asked to appear in front of the camera.

Yesterday, movie makers enlisted local pilot Captain Manu Rajappa of Pacific Sun in one of the scenes shot at the Nadi International Airport.

The local airman said his role in the movie was "totally unexpected".

04/05/12 Repeka Nasiko/Fiji Times

Japan Airlines brings Boeing's Dreamliner to India

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Japan Airlines has become the first airline to launch Dreamliner Boeing 787 flights to India, with the introduction of the aircraft on New Delhi-Tokyo route.

"With the launch of the Dreamliner, India will become the second country in JAL's operations to get this special high end aircraft. This reiterates our commitment to the Indian market. The first Dreamliner service will be launched in India from tomorrow (Tuesday)," Japan Airlines Country Manager Yasushi Isomura told reporters.

Isomura said India is one of the most profitable routes for the Japan Airlines and the company will be able to cater to the demand.

02/04/12 Rediff.com

Marooned at Toronto airport over Rs 1800 dues

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Mumbai: Frequent fliers are well aware that it’s heavy going with airlines when it comes to any excess baggage. But 24-year-old Vinish Vincent George claims, in his particular case, national carrier Air India has gone too far. Falling short of 35 Canadian dollars towards payment for his extra baggage proved costly for the aspiring Indian pilot, who is stranded at Pearson Airport, Toronto since 12.40 pm (local time) on April 29.

George, who recently completed his pilot training course at Ontario, was set to board Air India’s Toronto-Delhi flight AI 188 on April 29, when the entire row started. The victim, whose two bags were designated as overweight, says he was asked to repack from two bags to three as he reached the AI flight counter at the airport. He scurried around and managed to do the needful. However, to his shock, he was not allowed to board, since the airline allegedly said his boarding time had elapsed.

01/05/12 MiD Day/IBN Live

International aerospace manufacturer approves TATA Steel's quality controls

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

TATA Steel has secured an important new approval for the laboratory testing procedures at its Speciality Steels business in South Yorkshire, UK from leading aircraft engine manufacturer General Electric (GE) Aviation.

The laboratory approval, called GE-S-400, was awarded after GE Aviation completed an audit of TATA Steel’s laboratories in Rotherham and Stocksbridge last month.

GE Aviation is the latest aircraft engine maker to endorse TATA Steel’s manufacturing capabilities. The company already has approvals from Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney and Snecma (part of SAFRAN group).

01/05/12 Steel Guru

Global airlines deploy latest aircraft to woo Indian flyers

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

New Delhi: The Indian globe trotter is being wooed like never before. The world's latest commercial aircraft are now being deployed here by foreign airlines. Japan Airlines (JAL) will use the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner on Delhi-Tokyo route from Tuesday. Lufthansa will fly the latest avatar of the jumbo jet Boeing 747-800 to Delhi and Bangalore this summer. The deliveries of these two aircraft - that boast of features like large windows, ultra comfortable interiors and unmatched fuel efficiency - began to airlines around two months back. Request from many airlines, including Emirates, are pending with the government to fly the Airbus A-380 to Delhi for about two years.

01/05/12 Economic Times

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