Global bidding to select O&M partners for airports: Jayant Sinha

Airports Authority of India (AAI) will come out with a global competitive bidding process for selecting partners to carry out operation and maintenance works at some airports, the government said on Tuesday. “AAI has decided for selection of O&M (Operation & Maintenance) partners through a global competitive bidding after obtaining approval of the competent authority,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told the Rajya Sabha.
The transaction documents for O&M process are in place, he added.
He was responding to a question on whether the government is considering international bidding process for choosing entities to operate and maintain some of the domestic airports.
To a query, Sinha said the proposed partnership with Singapore’s Changi Airports International for O&M contracts for Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports “could not materialise as the fee demanded by them was not found financially viable to AAI”.
The national airports’ operator has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore Cooperation Enterprise for cooperation in various areas of the civil aviation sector.
29/11/16 PTI/The Indian Express

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Stalled air service talks with India to be revived

The Tourism Ministry has decided to resume stalled air service talks with India and formed a seven-member panel to conduct negotiations.

A meeting has been scheduled for the third week of December in New Delhi. The main item on the agenda is opening new air routes.

The team will be led by the joint secretary of the Tourism Ministry and will include representatives from the Law and Foreign ministries and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan), Tourism Ministry officials said. The delegation needs to be approved by the Cabinet.

The government has agreed to India’s proposal to schedule talks for the third week of December. Nepali officials had abruptly postponed a meeting previously planned to be held on October 20.

The three key items on the agenda are discussing entry-exit points over Janakpur and Nepalgunj airspaces, redefining the Kathmandu-Mahendranagar-Delhi (L626) route as a bi-directional route and developing Trans-Himalaya 2 airspace, officials said.

The Nepal government has requested India to provide three more air entry points in Janakpur, Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj. According to ministry officials, they have dropped the idea of discussing a cross-border entry-exit point over Bhairahawa as India has reservations about the route due to defence issues.

“The cross-border airspace over Nepalgunj will be an alternative to Bhairahawa. And it will not make much difference in terms of distance.”

The proposal to review the airspace agreement was made with the aim of providing more cross-border entry and exit points for airlines that will be operating out of the international airports that are under construction in Bhairahawa and Pokhara and the proposed Second International Airport (SIA) in Nijgadh.
30/11/16 Sangam Prasain/The Kathmandu Post

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No nod for using Russian aircraft for Cusat project

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has turned down a proposal to permit Russian aircraft M-55 Geophysica to fly over the Indian skies as part of an international research programme on climate change involving Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) and supported by the European Union.

The decision has hit the prospects of collecting valuable data on the impact of the Indian monsoon convection on the tropical tropopause layer and climate as part of the StratoClim project. The aim of the ambitious venture is to assess the role of upper troposphere and stratosphere in climate change and it involves 28 research institutions in 11 countries.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has expressed defence and security concerns for not clearing the proposal. Efforts by the research team to convince the authorities that the aircraft would be used only for research purpose have failed. The high-altitude aircraft has only a single seat, making it impossible for an Indian pilot to join the mission programme. The research team has taken the aircraft on rent from a private firm.
28/11/16 G.Krishnakumar/The Hindu

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THAI Smile launches flight between Jaipur – Bangkok

THAI Smile Airways continues expanding international routes by launching Jaipur – Bangkok flight. The new flight aims at accommodating those targeted groups who are looking for convenient travelling from a full service airline, while opening a new window of adventure for the Thai passengers to explore the Pink City of India. The new A320-200 Airbus will fly directly from Jaipur to Bangkok where passengers can continue travel connections to other cities in Thailand conveniently.

Captain Woranate Laprabang, Acting Chief Executive Officer, THAI Smile Airways said, “After the launch of Bangkok – Gaya – Varanasi route in early October, we found that the feedback is very impressive. Today we are proud and ready to start operating another route to India that is between Bangkok and Jaipur. This is to underscore our aggressive strategy in expanding international routes while encouraging passengers from both countries to explore the new travelling experience. Opening this new route is to answer to the demands of the Indian tourists who love the charming of Thailand. The excellent services are provided by our flight attendants who are committed to serving the passengers with humble and smile, which is the unique of Thainess that is recognised worldwide.”

On this special occasion, THAI Smile has joined forces with major partners that include Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) to organise “Explore Your Smile, Explore Thai Taste” event at Radisson Blu Hotel, Jaipur, India. The purpose is to raise awareness and provide updated information about the tourism and MICE market in Thailand to associated agencies both from government and private sectors, including media, travel agents and the operators of tourism business and seminar organizers in India. This is to encourage the business collaboration between the operators in tourism and MICE business from both countries. The event therefore holds business matching activity where distributors from India and Thailand meet. Businesses that join the event are those from shopping malls, famous hotels. They include Central Department Store, Koh Talu Island Resort Prachuap Khiri Khan, Siam at Siam Hotel Bangkok, Foto Hotel Phuket, Blue Monkey Hub and Hotel Phuket, The Saturday Residence Phuket.
28/11/16 Travel Trends Today

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Embraer to tap India’s regional connectivity space

Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer is betting big on India’s Regional air connectivity scheme. Aiming at huge growth potential in regional air connectivity space in India, Embraer has chalked out plans to introduce its Embraer E-Jetssoon.

Under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN, government will provide subsidy to airlines operating to smaller cities. A majority of the airports to be connected under RCS can support only smaller jets, like the one made by companies like Embraer.

“The Indian civil aviation industry is amongst the top 10 in the world with a size of around USD 16 billion. The next generation of aviation growth in India will be triggered by regional air connectivity and where we would like to get a sizable portion of the business with the introduction of our E-Jets,” said Mark Dunnachie, Vice President, Embraer Asia Pacific, welcoming the RCS.

“Considering the need in this country our E-Jets can accommodate more cargo volume and weight, typically offering up to two tonnes capacity on top of checked baggage. At present, ATR-72 and Dash-8 aircraft fill the segment of an 80 seat aircraft, the aircraft range is a limitation to their effectiveness in delivering increased connectivity,” he said.
29/11/16 Anupama Airy/Defence Aviation Post

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Dubai Airports Clears Air on Slot Allocation for Indian airlines

Clearing the air on the controversy surrounding slot allocation for Indian carriers, Dubai Airports has said the slot allocation was being done by an independent agency.

“It’s important to understand that the assignment of traffic rights via bilateral agreements and slot allocation are two discrete processes,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports.

“Traffic rights are negotiated between governments. Slot allocation is managed separately by an independent organisation at arm’s length and in accordance with international guidelines established by the International Air Transport Association. Specifically, Dubai International’s slots are allocated by an independent slot coordinator, Airport Coordination Limited (ACL), in accordance with IATA guidelines. ACL conducts slot allocation activities at other major international airports around the world as well.”

Dubai International is the busiest airport for international passenger traffic in the world, with 90 carriers connecting the airport to more than 240 global destinations with high demand for a limited supply of slots.
25/11/16 Defence Aviation Post

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France Promises 50 Years of Support to Indian Rafale Jets

The Indian Government on Tuesday disclosed some details of the $ 8.85 billion deal to purchase French combat aircraft. Among them is a promise by French company Dassault Aviation to provide product support for five decades.

India had cancelled a 126 jet tender in which the French company had emerged the winner.  It later awarded a contract for supplying 36 planes in fly-away condition to the same company, Dassault.

“The deliveries of the aircraft will commence in September 2019 and will be completed in April 2022,” Parrikar added.
23/11/16 Sputnik News

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India is Changi’s 7th largest country market

India has become Changi Airport’s seventh largest country market, accounting for 6.1% of the airport’s total passenger traffic.

For the first ten months of this year, passenger traffic to and from the India market rose 5% year-on-year to reach 2.94 million movements. For the month of October, India had the strongest year-on-year growth (+12.4%) among Changi’s top ten country markets. In 2015, Changi Airport saw a record 3.43 million passengers travelling between Singapore and India.

In 2017, Changi Airport will be offering more flight options for travel to India. A total of 13 weekly services will be introduced between now and the end of the year, representing an addition of nearly 2,300 weekly one-way seats to India.

From 20 November, Air India Express will launch flights from Kolkata to Singapore. Jet Airways will be launching a new daily Singapore-Bangalore service from 14 December.

“Since the beginning of this year, Changi has welcomed two new city links to India – Amritsar and Jaipur – both operated by Scoot, which is a new entrant into the India market. With new routes, increased frequency of services and upgauging of various aircraft this year, seat capacity on India routes has also seen a year-on-year increase of 20.3%,” Changi said in a press statement.
23/11/16 Defence Aviation Post

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Silk Air flight makes unscheduled stop-over in Kolkata airport

Kolkata: A Silk Air flight, travelling from Singapore to Kathmandu, made an unscheduled stop-over at the N S C Bose International Airport here this afternoon after the aircraft ran out of fuel.

An airport official said the flight of Silk Air Private Limited, with 158 air passengers on board, had to land at short notice as the aircraft ran out of fuel at around 2 pm and the pilot informed the ATC.

The plane landed with full emergency measures in place at the airport as the passengers disembarked, the official said.

Some passengers, who were visibly agitated for the delay in the flight, however, claimed that they were told by the flight attendants about bad weather conditions in Kathmandu.
23/11/16 PTI/Business Standard

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“Time for more direct air connectivity between India, Indonesia”

Tiruchi: With more and more Indian tourists travelling to Indonesia, there is a strong case for providing direct air connectivity between the two countries, said Saut Siringoringo, Consul General of Indonesia, Mumbai, here on Monday.

Garuda Indonesia, the national airline of Indonesia, will launch a direct flight service between Jakarta and Mumbai in December. “Yet, it is sad that there is still not much direct air connectivity between the two countries despite the rising tourist arrivals from India. From time to time I have been reminding them. I am confident that more Indonesian airlines will fly here, given the huge market,” he said indicating that direct flight services from Indonesia could be introduced to a few more Indian destinations, including Chennai, by March next year.

Providing statistics on tourist arrivals from India, Mr.Siringoringo said 2,10,000 Indian tourists had travelled to Indonesia in 2014 and the figure rose to 2,70,000 in 2015. “I am optimistic that the figure will cross 3,50,000 this year ,” he said, speaking to The Hindu. Mr.Siringoringo was on a visit to the city to explore opportunities for strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.
21/11/16 S. Ganesan/The Hindu

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Good Samaritan helps foreigner stranded at Goa airport with old currency notes

New Delhi: When prime minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 on November 8, people who were travelling that night got hit the most. After reaching their destinations, many people found it difficult to move about because the currency they had were declared unusable.
In such an incident, a foreign woman was stranded at the Goa airport on November 10, with demonetised currency notes and not credit/debit cards with her to pay for extra baggage. Sanjay Yadav, political advisor to Deputy CM of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav as per his Facebook bio, was at the scene and offered to help the woman by paying for the extra baggage, a sum of Rs 1,600, using his card.
As per a Facebook post he made the next day, the woman did not have the new Rs 2,000 notes or Rs 100 notes but just Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. In the post, he said, Indigo airlines ground staff denied to accept the old notes and the woman was reduced to tears.
Yadav wrote that an unidentified "gentleman" came forward to help the woman and exchanged the demonetised currency notes she had with a new Rs 2,000 note. He also said that the Indigo staff were baffled again, this time wondering whether to accept the new note or not. They were surprised to see someone with the new currency note on November 10, the day banks opened to start exchanging old currency notes.
22/11/16 India Today

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Sri Lankan jailed for posing as another to get into airport holding room

Singapore: A Sri Lankan national posed as a Briton and produced a forged India passport to enter the departure gate-hold room for a departing flight to New Zealand, a court heard.

On Tuesday , the man and the Briton he was posing as - both unemployed - were each jailed 12 months for their respective offences.

Vigneshwararaja Kajanan, 20, admitted to deceiving a Sats customer service officer into believing that he was Keeping Mark John by producing a forged India passport and a Singapore Airlines (SIA) boarding pass bearing Keeping's name at the Terminal 3 departure gate-hold room on Sept 8. He also admitted to having the forged India passport.

Keeping pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally aiding Vignesh to cheat by personation. The 45-year-old Briton had passed an SIA boarding pass for the Sri Lankan to deceive the Sats officer into allowing him to enter the gate hold room.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordon Li said that Vignesh wanted to migrate to New Zealand and sought the help of a man called Jogarajah. Jogarajah asked him for his particulars and copies of his photographs, and told him to apply for a Sri Lanka passport.

On Sept 2, Jogarajah handed Vignesh a forged India passport bearing the name of Keeping Mark John with Vignesh's photograph on it. He told him to use the passport to enter New Zealand.
Jogarajah also handed him an air ticket to depart for Singapore on Sept 4, and Vignesh flew to Singapore on that day. Three days later, Jogarajah instructed him to check in on Sept 8 for a flight to Colombo, scheduled to leave on Sept 9.
22/11/16 StraitsTimes

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Afghan woman caught with old notes worth Rs 10 lakhs

New Delhi: An Afghan woman has been arrested at the international airport here for allegedly smuggling around Rs 10 lakhs in now-defunct Rs 1,000 denomination notes.
The woman in her late fifties was intercepted by the customs officials after her arrival from Kabul yesterday.
"Detailed examination of her baggage and personal search was conducted. A total of Rs 9.63 lakhs in Rs 1,000 notes, which have been demonetised by the government, were seized from her possession," a press release issued today by the customs department said. "The money was also found concealed in clothes worn by her," it said.
22/11/16 PTI/Business Standard

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Shringla stresses on expansion of Bangladesh-India air connectivity

Indian High Commissioner Harsha Vardahan Shringla Monday emphasised on expansion of air connectivity between Bangladesh and India
According to a media report, the cal was made when the Indian High Commissioner met with Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon at secretariat.

In the meeting, they said over one million people of both the neighbouring countries travel for education, treatment, trade and tourism purposes annually.

To ensure their smooth and comfortable travel, air connectivity in Dhaka-Delhi, Dhaka-Bangalore and Dhaka-Guwahati should be introduced quickly, they said.
21/11/16 The Financial Express

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India is Changi Airport’s seventh largest country market, accounting for 6.1% of the airport’s total passenger traffic

Heading into 2017, Changi Airport will be offering more flight options for travel to India. A total of 13 weekly services[1] will be introduced between now and the end of the year, representing an addition of nearly 2,300 weekly one-way seats to India.

Traffic between Singapore and India is at an all-time high. Today, India is Changi Airport’s seventh largest country market, accounting for 6.1% of the airport’s total passenger traffic. For the first ten months of this year, passenger traffic to and from the India market rose 5% year-on-year to reach 2.94 million movements. For the month of October, India had the strongest year-on-year growth (+12.4%) among Changi’s top ten country markets. In 2015, Changi Airport saw a record 3.43 million passengers travelling between Singapore and India.

Riding on the strong travel demand on routes to India, Indian carriers will be injecting capacity to the cities of Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore. From 20 November, Air India Express will launch 4x weekly services to Kolkata. It will also step up its Chennai services, newly-launched in October, from 5x weekly to daily services. Meanwhile, Jet Airways will be launching a new daily Singapore-Bangalore service from 14 December; this follows after the airline boosted capacity by switching to a widebody aircraft for their daily Singapore-Mumbai flights earlier this year.
22/11/16 Tatiana Rokou/Travel Daily News

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GMR Airports Submits Bid for New International Airport in Greece

India - Bid submitted in consortium with GEK Terna Group of Greece
- The bid is for Development, Operations and Management of the new airport for a concession period of 35 years

GMR Infrastructure Limited, India's leading Infrastructure Company, today announced that its subsidiary, GMR Airports Limited (GAL), has submitted the bid along with its partner GEK Terna Group of Greece for the Development, Operations and Management of New International Airport of Heraklion at Crete Island, Greece.

The scope of the project involves Design, Construction, Financing, Operation & Maintenance of the airport for a concession period of 35 years.

GEK Terna Group is a leading Greek Infrastructure company having presence in Construction, Energy, Mining, Waste management, Concessions, Real Estatedevelopment & facilities' management. It is understood that this is the sole bid for this concession.

Upon award, GAL will be the airport operator for this project. Under the Bid conditions, it is mandatory for theairport operator to hold a minimum of 10% equity stake in the consortium.

Commenting on the development, a GAL Spokesperson, said: 'The bid submission is in line with the GMR Group's asset light growth strategy with value build up from this project coming to GMR more from leveraging the airport platform, leading to enhanced revenue based services, than just equity.
21/11/16 MenaFn

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Singapore Airlines to fly A350, 787 on Indian routes

Bengaluru: Singapore Airlines (SIA) has announced plans to introduce its new types of aircraft on its Indian routes, beginning from 2017.

The flag carrier of Singapore will be launching Airbus A350 services in India in 2017, while its yet-to-be inducted Boeing 787-10X is expected to be coming to India in 2018.

Currently, the airline operates a fleet of Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft in India, a few of which, will be replaced by the said new planes, once the latter get inducted into serviced routes.

“Today, the all-wide-body fleet of Singapore Airlines boasts of 105 aircraft — 34 777s, 19 A380s, 26 A330s, and six A350s. In totality, we’ve ordered 67 A350 aircraft, of which, 20 aircraft would be inducted into our fleet by the end of the next financial year. In terms of the Boeing 787-10X, we’ve ordered 30 planes, which are yet to come on board,” Singapore Airlines General Manager (India) David Lim informed DH.

The A350, a state-of-the-art airliner regarded for its full-efficiency, has been deployed on long-haul routes. But, considering India as an important destination, Singapore Airlines has decided to bring it here. The 787, however, is itself a medium-haul airliner, and will be deployed in the country.
20/11/16 Hrithik Kiran Bagade/Deccan Herald

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Emirates airlines crash probe to take 'up to three years'

The investigation into the Emirates jet crash landing at Dubai International on Aug. 3 will take two to three years to complete, the director general of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said on Sunday.

The crash was the first major accident in Emirates’ more-than-30-year history.

All 300 passengers and crew safely evacuated the jet but a firefighter died tackling flames after the Boeing 777-300, arriving from India, caught fire after skidding along the Dubai airport runway on its fuselage.

In a preliminary report released on Sept. 6, the federal aviation authority said the pilot of flight EK521 tried to abort the landing after the plane’s main wheels had already touched down.
Director General Saif Mohammed al-Suwaidi told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference in Dubai that the investigation would be completed by 2019 and the GCAA was likely to introduce “some precaution measures” before then. He did not say what those measures would be.

A two- to three-year timeframe “to complete an investigation report of this nature is not unusual”, an Emirates spokeswoman told Reuters.
20/11/16 Reuters/Al Arabiya

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Lufthansa’s first Airbus A350-900 to fly from Munich to Delhi

German airline Lufthansa will receive its first A350-900 on December 19, 2016, which is the most modern long haul aircraft worldwide and which will be based at Lufthansa’s Munich Hub.

The first regular commercial flight will be from Munich to Delhi on February 10, 2017.

Once Lufthansa has taken ownership of the aircraft on December 19, the A350-900 will be transferred to Munich during the week leading up to Christmas. Lufthansa Technik in Munich will then install the cabin interior including the new Premium Economy Class as well as other features so that the new flagship aircraft will be ready to be presented to the public at the beginning of February.

From February 2017 onwards, Lufthansa will station the first ten Airbus A350-900 aircrafts in Munich. The first flight destinations are Delhi and Boston.
19/11/16 The Stat Times

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Singapore Airlines to expand fleet size, presence in Indian market

Bengaluru: Indian runways are set to see more of Singapore Airlines with the company looking at strengthening its presence in the Indian market. While in the last season the airlines operated 95 weekly services,  it has gone up to 104 this winter. “We have been increasing our footprint in India. From economy to premium travel, we see big potential. We are trying to improve our presence by introducing newer aircraft in the market,” said David Lim, Singapore Airlines General Manager, (India). The airlines is also marking its seventieth year of inception in 2017.  
In India, SIA plans to cover both premium and economy class travel among its brands SilkAir, Scoot and TigerAir. While there is a growing market for premium air travel, owing to cash strapped global economies, the economy class travel is growing at a faster pace, Lim said. As of now, SilkAir has its services in Vizag and Coimbatore and if there is a demand from other tier II cities, they would cater to it, Lim said.
18/11/16 Shruthi HM/New Indian Express

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Ethiopian woman held for smuggling gold at Delhi airport

New Delhi: An Ethiopian woman has been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country gold worth Rs 89 lakh at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here.

The accused was yesterday intercepted by the customs officials after her arrival from Addis Ababa.

"On detailed examination of her baggage and personal search, five gold bars and gold jewellery total weighing 3.1 kg having market value of Rs 89 lakh were recovered from her hand bag, which was found concealed in a small pouch," a press release issued today by the customs said.
18/11/16 PTI

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Kenya Airways Signs Route Agreement With India's Jet Airways

Nairobi: National carrier Kenya Airways has enhanced cooperation with India's Jet Airways to codeshare on domestic flights within cities in India.

The agreement will link Mumbai and New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, in order to enhance connectivity choices for guests traveling from Kenya in to India.

Through this agreement, Kenya Airways will have its flight code (KQ) on Jet Airways' seven daily flights between Mumbai and New Delhi, five daily flights from Mumbai to Ahmedabad and five daily flights between Mumbai and Hyderabad for travel effective today.

This, together with KQ's twice daily flights on the Nairobi - Mumbai route will allow Kenya Airways passengers greater access to these key Indian cities and onwards to other destinations in India.

The arrangement also enables Jet Airways passengers to book codeshare tickets to Nairobi, and access the rest of Kenya Airways network across Africa.

Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO Mbuvi Ngunze said the partnership will enable customers of both carriers to get maximum benefit of this cooperation.
17/11/16 Margaret Wahito/allAfrica

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India proposes resuming air services talks in Dec

Kathmandu: India has proposed resuming stalled air service talks with Nepal in the third week of December after Nepali officials abruptly postponed a meeting previously scheduled for October 20.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, India’s Civil Aviation Ministry has said that they are ready to restart talks regarding air services between the two countries next month.

Nepal cancelled the previously scheduled meeting citing lack of preparation, and proposed to reschedule it for the third week of November.

“We have received a letter from the Indian side,” said Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane, joint secretary at the ministry and head of the air service agreement division. “A negotiation team will be formed as soon as the tourism minister and secretary return from their foreign trip.”

Nepal has proposed to review the airspace agreement with India to provide more cross-border entry and exit points for airlines. The accord has been gathering dust for years.

The Nepal government has requested India to provide three more air entry points in Janakpur, Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj.
17/11/16 Kathmandupost

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Embraer aircraft deal: ED registers money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case of money laundering in connection with the alleged payment of USD 5.7 million in kickbacks in the 2008 Embraer aircraft deal.
ED sources said that the agency has filed a criminal complaint under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on a CBI FIR filed in this case last month.
The agency will now begin issuing summons to the accused who could include those named in the CBI FIR.
The CBI had booked NRI arms dealer Vipin Khanna and two companies — Brazil-based Embraer and Singapore-based Interdev Pte Ltd — over alleged payment of commission in the aircraft deal with Embraer worth USD 210 million.
It is suspected that the kickbacks were allegedly routed from Embraer subsidiaries to Khanna through Interdev in three instalments of USD 1.92 million each in 2009.
17/11/16 Deeptima Tiwary/Indian Express

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SriLankan Airlines increase flights to India by 20%

SriLankan Airlines has increased its flight services to India by over 20 percent in the last three months, making it the fifth largest international airlines operating in the country in terms of both number of services as well as seat capacity. The Sri Lankan national carrier, which is also a part of the 14-members global airlines grouping, Oneworld, has added four cities -- Kolkata, Madurai, Bodh Gaya and Varanasi -- in its network during this period, according to a release. With the addition of 19 flights per week to India from 88 earlier, SriLankan has surpassed 100 flights per week mark, it said. This has made SriLankan the fifth largest foreign carrier operating to India in terms of both number of flights and total seat capacity, with 107 flights per week, the release said.
This has made SriLankan the fifth largest foreign carrier operating to India in terms of both number of flights and total seat capacity, with 107 flights per week, the release said. The Colombo-headquartered airline now operates to 11 Indian cities with the addition of four more destinations in October/November this year, it said.
15/11/16 PTI/Moneycontrol.com

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Air Canada launches Delhi – Vancouver services

To facilitate growing economic and tourism ties between Canada and India, Air Canada recently launched the Delhi – Vancouver direct services. The non-stop flights are expected to take 14 hours and 10 minutes, which is the fastest flight time to India from anywhere on North America’s west coast. The route is being served by 787-9 Dreamliner service and offer the shortest elapsed flying time from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Seattle and Los Angeles to the Indian subcontinent. This is the fastest connection between the two cities, saving up to five hours compared to the other best connections currently available the seasonal, thrice a weekly flight, compliments Air Canada’s Delhi – Toronto services that was launched in the first week of November 2015.

“We are absolutely delighted with the response to our Delhi – Toronto service so far and we have high expectations from the Delhi – Vancouver flights. Our Delhi –Toronto service is becoming a daily service beginning November 6 from the current four times a week service. We expected to do well but its really exceeded our expectations. Consequently, now we have added Vancouver flight and then we will start Toronto - Mumbai in July next year. We are investing heavily in the Indian market. India has been on Air Canada’s plan from a long time as the economy here is doing well now. The opening up of the economy has made us viable but also the fact we are in the process of modernisation of our fleet. The Dreamliner aircraft is the right aircraft for this market,” Margaret Skinner, Director Sales, EMEAI, Air Canada, said.

She also informed that a good connectivity onwards into a number of American cities, with getting the US immigration formalities completed in Toronto or Vancouver is the added advantage for travellers. “Toronto hub is very good for transit and becoming increasingly popular among Indians. We serve 55 destinations now in USA. A customer can clear custom in Canada. We see that USA bound Indian traffic is growing. The transiting at Toronto hub is growing and we have the same expectations from Vancouver also,” she added.
14/11/16 Murari Mohan Jha/Travel Trends Today

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Cathay Pacific planning more freight services to India

Hong Kong: Buoyed by solid growth in cargo traffic, Cathay Pacific Airways plans to increase frequency of its freighter services from here to Indian cities.
The city-headquartered airline has freight services to six Indian cities and there are 25 freighter departures every week from India.
A sign of significant market potential in the freighter segment, the carrier has seen an eight percent jump in cargo volumes in first nine months (January-September) of this year.
"At this moment, we plan to optimise our network base in India and want to increase our frequency here," Cathay Pacific's General Manager (cargo sales and marketing) Mark Sutch told PTI here.
The carrier provides freighter services from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The twice-a-week service between Kolkata and Hong Kong was launched in March last year.
On whether the airline would be adding more destinations in India for its freighter services, Sutch said there are no plans as of now.
13/11/16 PTI/Economic Times

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Jet Airways to operate flights to Fiji, Shanghai

Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways plans to operate flight services to south pacific nation Fiji and Chinese city of Shanghai and is likely to tie up with Fiji Airways and China Eastern Airlines as it seeks to expand its global network further with direct flights and forging partnership with overseas carriers.

At present Jet Airways, in which Gulf airline Etihad holds 24% stake, has codeshare pacts with 19 international airlines besides having over 100 interline partners.

Codesharing allows an airline to book on its passenger on its partner carriers and provide seamless transport to destination where it has no presence whereas an interline arrangement refers to a pact to issue and accept tickets for flights that are operated by the partner airline. When selling an interline ticket, the operating airlines own flight numbers are used.

"Jet Airways is in the process of providing direct air connectivity to Fiji and Shanghai. It has filed codeshare schedule with Fiji Airway launching services on Hong Kong Nadi route. It has also filed codeshare schedule with China Eastern Airlines for operating flight services to Shanghai's Pu Dong international airport from New Delhi," a source said.
13/11/16 PTI/DNA

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Low fares, high costs are a challenge in India, says Lufthansa's India head Wolfgang Will

New Delhi: Lufthansa Airlines is the largest European airline in India with around 2.3 per cent of the market share of India’s international traffic. However, the German carrier faces challenge from Gulf airlines which dominate the Indian market. High costs and low fares in India is an issue too, Wolfgang Will, Lufthansa’s South Asia director tells Aneesh Phadnis. Excerpts:

Domestic and international airlines are seeing a passenger volume growth but yields are under pressure in India. What is Lufthansa’s experience?

2016 was an interesting year. As usual we saw airlines launch discount fares in February to get their base loads. But this year promotions have continued till now. We were reluctant to join the pack but we were forced to do it and yes there was a pressure on yields. Volume growth is never an issue in India because it is a growing market. India is not a low-cost market, it is a low-fare market. It is so competitive that airlines are struggling to get decent average revenue per passenger. But cost of operations is one of the highest in India.


In terms of profit is 2016 turning out to be better than 2015?

I cannot give a specific figure but all in all it is better. We did nice volumes and we had means of controlling our yields.
This is the first full year after the introduction of premium economy cabins on our India flights and this is a positive development. We could have stable yields despite all the promotions because of the premium economy product. It is priced more in the range of economy fares and for extra charge passengers get more amenities and comfort. The introduction of premium economy service has given us a nice boost and we have taken a market lead in the segment in Europe.
12/11/16 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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Two Bangladeshis held at Agartala airport

Agartala: Two Bangladeshi nationals were arrested from Agartala airport for travelling without valid documents, police said today.

Officer-in-charge of airport police station, Rana Chaterjee said Abdul Momin Sheikh (24) and Sajid Alam were nabbed by CISF officials last evening.

They were scheduled to go to Mumbai via Kolkata on a SpiceJet flight.

On suspicion, the CISF officials asked them to show their identity cards and they showed Indian Pan Cards and Aadhar cards, but the addresses in their cards were not the same, Chaterjee said.

During preliminary interrogation they admitted that they hailed from Noakhali district of Bangladesh.

The CISF then handed them over to the Agartala airport police station.

Abdul Momin Sheikh works in a Mumbai Mosque as an Imam and Sajid Alam is his younger brother and both of them had obtained forged Pan Cards and Aadhar Cards from Mumbai, he said.
11/11/16 PTI

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Airbus keen to involve Indian suppliers in co-designing aircraft parts

Bengaluru: Airbus on Tuesday said that it wants to deepen the level of involvement of its suppliers from India to an extent where they start co- designing parts for the aircraft maker.

Airbus India CEO S Dwarkanath told BusinessLine that the European plane maker is looking at vertical as well as horizontal integration leading up to involving Indian suppliers with design of aircraft parts.

“The holy grail in the future would be design and partner. Today, many of the aerostructure suppliers in India build to print, carry out assembly or render engineering services,” Dwarkanath said.

Earlier, the British Prime Minister, Theresa May launched the commercial production of flap track beams for A330 at the Dynamatics Technologies’ factory near here.

Dynamatics has been supplying flap track beams for A320 series since 2008. For the A330, Dynamatics will initially produce two of these per month and eventually scale up to about 100 aircraft shipsets a year.

The A330 is the world’s largest selling long range wide bodied aircraft and has a seating capacity of 295.

Dwarkanath said the aircraft maker’s focus will be vertical integration in India. He said from manufacturing detailed parts, it wants its suppliers to start doing medium assemblies and then move on to complex assemblies. Simultaneously, it wants to start sourcing raw material.

“While making a part from a billet, lot of raw material gets wasted. So, we want to recycle it and add value,” he said. Airbus is also looking at sourcing complete systems and even cabins from India at a later stage.
09/11/16 K Giriprakash/Business Line

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More flights from Singapore for Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkatta

Singapore's Changi Airport will add about 90 new flights a week this year to 10 Asian cities including Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkatta, a media report said today.

With these additional fights, Changi Airport will be able to offer more than 8,000 weekly one-way seats to popular Asian cities such as Dalian, Fuzhou and Xiamen in China, Luang Prabang in Laos, Yangon in Myanmar and Cebu in the Philippines.

About two-thirds of the capacity growth is on routes to China and India, Changi Airport Group said.

With these new services, the airport's weekly scheduled flights are expected to cross a record of more than 7,000.

The numbers are based on scheduled pre-filed by carriers for the Northern Winter season which started last week and ends in March next year.
09/11/16 PTI/The New Indian Express

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In times of Indo-Pak tension, Jet Airways flight makes emergency landing at Karachi airport

At a time when the tension between India and Pakistan is at its peak, an emergency landing in Pakistan will the last thing on the mind of any pilot operating an Indian flight.
A Jet Airways flight today made an emergency landing in Pakistan after a passenger complained of a serious health problem.
The Jet Airways flight 9W 202 took off at 12.05 am. Soon after, a passenger complained of a serious health problem. The pilots had two choices: turn back and head towards the New Delhi airport or land at the nearest runway and save crucial time.
The standard operating procedure says that the pilot must land the aircraft at the nearest runway. In this case, it was Karachi, Pakistan.
The pilots decided to take the aircraft to Karachi airport. The aircraft touched down at the Karachi airport runway at 1.57 am. The Karachi Air Traffic Control (ATC) extended all possible help as per the international obligation and informed the Delhi ATC.
Despite the pilots trying their best, the passenger was declared dead at the hospital.
In the last few weeks, there has been no engagement with Pakistan on plying commercial flights to and from India. Recently, many Indian airlines voluntarily stopped flying over the Pakistani airspace while flying to the Gulf region.
08/11/16 Anindya Banerjee/India Today

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India mulls more flexible dry-lease regulations

India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has outlined proposed new legislation that would pave the way for the importation and dry-lease of foreign-registered aircraft by Indian operators using Indian crews.

A government gazette issued Monday, November 7, says the revised legislation aims to foster growth in India's fast growing market.

"[The] operation of foreign-registered aircraft is ideal and convenient for start-up airlines, when exploring new routes or during seasonal fluctuations and sudden peaks in demand," the DGCA said. "In addition, operation of foreign-registered aircraft arguably also fulfills the interim needs created by long-term fleet expansion plans, while maximizing market share in the immediate term."
08/11/16 ch-aviation

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Indian carriers may take to sky with foreign-registered planes

New Delhi: Government is planning to allow local carriers to operate foreign-registered planes in the country, as part of larger efforts to boost regional air connectivity and improve aircraft leasing activities.
Once the norm is in place, domestic operators can import overseas-registered aircraft and fly them on foreign registration with Indian crew.
Proposing changes to existing regulations, the Civil Aviation Ministry today said they are aimed at boosting the growth of the civil aviation sector and in particular, the regional air connectivity scheme.
"This will also make the aircraft leasing environment user-friendly," it said in a release.
In this regard, a new regulation on criteria for leasing of foreign registered aircraft by domestic operators for operation by Indian crew has been put up for public consultations.
The proposal, which is at a draft stage, is likely to be finalised by the second week of December.
"The proposed regulations lay emphasis on airworthiness, training, operation and safety oversight aspects. Before such arrangement would be permitted, both the State of Operator and the State of Registry would have to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on oversight responsibility," the Ministry said.
Currently, Indian operators planning to fly foreign aircraft in the country have to first get them registered with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and have the national mark VT or Viceroy Territory on the plane.
07/11/16 PTI/India Today

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Maldives seeks flight privileges

New Delhi: The Maldives has asked India for "fifth freedom" rights so that a new Male-Delhi flight to be launched by private airline Mega Maldives from the middle of this month can be extended to Dhaka.
Fifth freedom rights allow an airline to carry passengers from its own country to a second country and from there to a third (and so on) as long as the flight originates or ends in the airline's home country.

"The Delhi-Dhaka route is highly underserved and we foresee a huge growth potential on this route," said George Weinmann, founder and chief executive officer of Mega Maldives Airline.

He said the airline was also in talks with a couple of domestic airlines for a codeshare agreement to provide a wider domestic connectivity to its passengers.

Mega Maldives, which is starting its thrice-a-week Male-Delhi flight on November 14, will also launch a Male-Mumbai flight within the next few weeks. "The Male-Mumbai would fly twice a week and we are also looking at flights from cities in southern India to Jeddah and Medina," Weinmann added.

Flights to Jeddah and Medina from India will cater primarily to Haj pilgrims.
06/11/16 Jayati Ghose/Telegraph

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Indian man fined $51K, jailed for bomb hoax at Geneva airport

Geneva: A 39-year-old Indian who triggered a bomb scare at the Geneva airport to avoid missing his flight to India has been sentenced to six months prison and slapped with a hefty penalty of 50,000 Swiss francs, Swiss media reported on Monday.
The Indian, who has not been named, called up an Aeroflot airline employee at Geneva's Cointrin airport last month and told them there was a bomb on his Moscow-bound connecting flight to India, which he was rushing to catch, the Le Matin daily reported.
The plane, with 116 passengers on board, had to be evacuated and thoroughly searched after the Swiss police was alerted about the bomb scare made by the Indian man who lives in the Swiss town of Montreux.
07/11/16 Tribune

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Mega Maldives Airlines Eyes Partnership With Indian Carriers

Mega Maldives Airlines, which will start direct flights from the national capital to Male this month, is in discussions with some Indian carriers for possible partnership.


Seeing India as one of the largest growing markets, the private airline also has plans to ramp up its presence here with direct flights from Mumbai and services from the national capital to Dhaka, Bangladesh.


"There is more than one good candidate for us to partner with. We are going to look at that further in the coming months," Mega Maldives Airlines' Founder and CEO George Weinmann told PTI.


Noting that it would be too early to divulge further details, he said various frameworks, including codeshare, would be looked at.


"It is little bit early to say what framework it will be. The easiest framework will be, what we call, SPA (Special Prorate Agreement). Basically, it means we agree to give a bundled price to other airlines. They will offer a fare and we will offer a fare so that the customer sees one price and we share the price between the two airline," he said.
07/11/16 PTI/Silicon India News

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FLY POP airlines to start low-cost Amritsar-London flight

Amritsar: Chairman of FLY POP (People for Profit) airlines Navdip Singh Judge visited the Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport here today. The airlines had earlier announced to start a low-cost non-stop flight between Amritsar and London
Judge along with members of the Amritsar Vikas Manch met officials of the airport here today. Judge said FLY POP planned to start six flights on routes which were not served directly by any airlines.
He said flights between Amritsar-London and Ahmedabad-London would become operational in 2017. The flight for Amritsar would start from London at 7 pm and reach Amritsar by 6 am, so that devotees can attend morning prayers at Golden Temple.
He added the journey would cost around 350 pounds, including taxes, and half of the profit of the airline would be given to charities in the United Kingdom and India.
He said they were constantly in touch with the Airport Authority of India and hopefully all formalities would be completed soon. He stated that the Amritsar-London route would be served by Airbus A330-300 with a capacity of 378 passengers.
06/11/16 Tribune 

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India to buy rescue aircraft from Japan for $ 1.5-$ 1.6 billion

Tokyo: India's Defence Ministry will agree on Monday to purchase 12 amphibious rescue aircraft from Japanese manufacturer ShinMaywa Industries worth $1.5 billion-$1.6 billion, the Nikkei news paper reported on Sunday. Japan and India have been holding talks on the purchase for more than two years. It would one of Japan's first sales of military equipment since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lifted a 50-year ban on arms exports and it reflects growing defence ties between the two countries.
India's Defence Ministry will approve the purchase of 12 US-2 aircraft at a Defense Acquisitions Council meeting scheduled for Monday, the Nikkei reporting, citing senior ministry officials it did not name.
The deal will be included in a memorandum of understanding to be signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan from Thursday to Saturday, the Nikkei said, citing the officials.
06/11/16 Reuters/Sify

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Heroin worth Rs 2 cr recovered from Afghan national

New Delhi: Heroin worth Rs two crore in the international market has been recovered by the police from an Afghan national who had swallowed 57 capsules containing the drugs here, police said today.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Sanjay Bhatia said that on November 3, two Afghan nationals were going to Afghanistan and one of them, Ghulam Rabani, was offloaded by the airlines after he was unwell at the airport.
"The condition of the passenger (Rabani) was such that it arose suspicion regarding reasons for his state of health. He had arrived in India on medical VISA last month but had not visited any hospital for treatment," he said.
Bhatia said that Rabani was sent to AIIMS and during treatment it was found that he had swallowed a large number of capsules.
"He (Rabani) was operated upon by the doctors and during surgery the doctors took out from his stomach 57 capsules of very big size. These capsules were made of polythene. The weight of contraband was 525 grams. The capsules were opened and found containing Heroin," he said, adding that Rabani is currently in ICU and is undergoing treatment.
06/11/16 PTI/Business Standard

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Mega Maldives Airlines to launch Delhi-Male direct flights

Entering the Indian market, Mega Maldives Airlines will start direct flights connecting the national capital and Male this month as the carrier looks to tap the growth potential in tourism. Besides, the private carrier from Maldives will start direct flights between Mumbai and Male next month and is also in talks with some Indian carriers for possible partnerships. Announcing the launch here today, Mega Maldives Airlines said it will operate three direct flights every week starting from the national capital on November 15.
‘Mega Maldives Airlines’ founder and CEO George Weinmann said the response has been positive from both countries for the new services. The carrier will have flights from the national capital to Male on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday while the services from Male will be on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. “India is one of the largest growing economies in Asia and is right on the doorstep of Maldives. Maldives has a long relationship with India in business and tourism. Our job as an airline is to connect people and connect the markets. That is what we are going to do,” he said.
04/11/16 PTI/The Indian Express

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Now, more flight options for your Singapore trip

Starting November 20, travellers will have a choice of three flights to Singapore every Monday and Wednesday. Air India Express, which introduced flights between Kolkata and Singapore four days a week, will have Singapore Airlines and Druk Air for company on these two days. Singapore Arilines flies daily, while Druk Air operates three times a week.
With the introduction of the AI Express flights, capacity in the sector will increase to 2,870 seats a week — an addition of 756 seats. There are indications though that the capacity may double in a couple of years as Singapore Airlines introduces a larger aircraft and AI Express, as well as Druk Air, hikes frequency.
On Friday, AI Express CEO K Shyam Sunder said the airline would explore flights to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Yangon, Dubai and Kathmandu as well. "We are restarting operations from Kolkata to Singapore and Dhaka but have plans to fly out to more destinations in Southeast Asia once we increase our fleet from 23 planes to 36 in two years. All the additional planes will be taken on lease," he said.
Of the current fleet, 17 are owned by the airline and the remaining six, including the one that will operate flights from Kolkata to Singapore and Dhaka, are on lease. On the domestic route, AI Express plans to start a flight between Kolkata and Kochi.
05/11/16 The Times Of India

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No unfair slot allotment for Indian airlines: Dubai

Dubai International Airport said that Indian carriers are treated on par with airlines from other countries in the allocation of flight slots.

“Time slot allocation is a fair process which applies equally to all airlines across the globe,” Lorne Riley, Director, Corporate Communications and Business Development, Dubai Airports, informed the press.

“The allocation of arrival and departure time slots is based on the available capacity. The slots are administered by an independent company— Airport Coordination Limited —which is responsible for slot allocation at many other airports too,” he said.

The clarification comes ahead of India’s bilateral air services negotiations with Dubai. Earlier this year, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju had written to Dubai Civil Aviation Authority President Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum raising concerns relating to fair treatment of Indian carriers in terms of granting slots at the Dubai Airport.
04/11/16 The Hindu

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Mega Maldives Airlines to launch Delhi-Male direct flights

Entering the Indian market, Mega Maldives Airlines will start direct flights connecting the national capital and Male this month as the carrier looks to tap the growth potential in tourism.

Besides, the private carrier from Maldives will start direct flights between Mumbai and Male next month and is also in talks with some Indian carriers for possible partnerships.
Announcing the launch here today, Mega Maldives Airlines said it will operate three direct flights every week starting from the national capital on November 15.

Mega Maldives Airlines' founder and CEO George Weinmann said the response has been positive from both countries for the new services.
The carrier will have flights from the national capital to Male on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday while the services from Male will be on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
04/11/16 PTI/Business Standard

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Mumbai-Dubai continues to be country’s busiest foreign route

Mumbai: It's top slot as the largest air passenger handler in the country was lost to Delhi six years ago, but when it comes to the Indian airport that operates the busiest foreign route, Mumbai is still up there, thanks to its ever popular, three-and-a-half-hour long direct flights to Dubai.
Last year, Dubai airport handled 78 million passengers, of which 10.2 million were from/to India, said a spokesperson of Dubai airport, who was in Mumbai on Friday. Of the 19 Indian cities directly linked to Dubai, the number one in terms of passenger volume continues to be Mumbai, followed by Delhi, Kochi, Hyderabad and Chennai, the official added. Currently, 79 direct flights connect India to Dubai daily and a year-on-year growth of 10.2% (or 8.5 million passengers) was registered in passenger traffic in January-September 2016.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) statistics, for India, Mumbai-Dubai was the busiest international city pair in 2015 with 21.5 lakh passengers flying between these two cities. Delhi-Dubai came a distant second with 17 lakh passengers. But as bilateral agreements continue to grant more and more seats, it will only be a matter of time before Delhi-Dubai route takes top slot.
04/11/16 Manju V/Times of India

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British Airways to pay Rs 1 lakh to Indian passenger for loss of bag

New Delhi: Delhi State Consumer Commission has directed British Airways to pay Rs one lakh compensation for losing a bag of a passenger who was flying to London eight years ago. Delhi State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, while
upholding the compensation amount decided by a district forum here, observed that the incident caused “mental agony and harassment” to Shimla native Ramesh Bhargava, who did not get one of his two bags after landing at Heathrow Airport in 2008.
“The loss of baggage of complainant (Bhargava) is admitted by the airline. Loss of baggage has certainly caused
mental agony and harassment to the complainant. “Keeping in mind the totality of facts and circumstances of the case, District Forum has awarded the compensation of Rs one lakh which is just and proper,” the commission’s Presiding Member Justice Veena Birbal said.
The commission dismissed the appeals of the airline and the complainant seeking reduction and enhancement of
compensation respectively. “(It) is not a case for lesser compensation as is alleged by the airline. It is not the case of complainant that he made declaration of contents of bag. In these circumstances, complainant is not entitled for higher compensation as alleged by him,” it said.
04/11/16 PTI/Indian Express

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Goa Tourism welcomes season's first direct flight from London

The first direct flight from London (Manchester) to Goa for the season 2016-17 arrived on Tuesday night with 311 passengers on board who received a royal welcome at the Goa International Airport, Dabolim. Thomas Cook Airlines will be operating six flights a week to Goa from London, three each from Manchester and Gatwick.
On arrival, the passengers were given Goa Tourism souvenirs, flowers and Goan music from a live brass band. Data from the Goa airport indicates that 80 per cent of the passengers who arrived from Manchester last night availed of the Electronic Tourist Visa (ETV) facility. Freedom Holidays Pvt. Ltd, the authorized representative of Thomas Cook Airlines will be overseeing all operational aspects at the Goa airport.
02/11/16 Bindiya Chari/The Times Of India

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Singapore Airlines announces special airfare for Indians travelling to US

Singapore Airlines has introduced a special online all-inclusive economy class fare starting Rs 68,000 to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Indian travellers from the gateway cities of Singapore Airlines and SilkAir -- Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Coimbatore and Visakhapatnam - could avail the offer, said a press release.
The fares are available on sale till November 30, 2016 for travelling till March 31, 2017.
02/11/16 V Ayyappan/The Times Of India

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Dubai Airports denies it depriving slots to Indian carriers, cites highest growth from India

New Delhi: At a time when India has linked its airlines getting prime slots at Dubai Airport to the increase in flying rights sought by UAE carriers, the Dubai Airport has denied that it is deliberately trying to avoid giving slots to Indian airlines. Earlier this year, the aviation ministry had asked Dubai to ensure that the Dubai International Airport (DXB) gives feasible slots to Indian carriers after Indian airlines had complained of not getting the same.
"Slot allocation at DXB is based on international best practices and applies to all airlines equally. In the last 12 months, Indian carriers are operating 35% more seats and 29% more flights to Dubai. We must be doing something right else this growth from India side won't have happened," said Lorne Riley, director (business development) of Dubai Airports.
India will soon start talks with the UAE to increase flying rights or bilaterals and has decided to seek an assurance from Dubai that Indian carriers will get 'right' slots there. Aviation minister AG Raju had this February written to Dubai saying Indian carriers were not able to fully utilise their flying rights to Dubai due to "non-availability of commercially and operationally feasible slots" at DXB. "The Indian carriers have informed that they are not being provided the desired slots at Dubai airport, and Dubai Airport Authority has been turning down the requests of Indian carriers, or providing options which are not viable for operations," his letter had said.
03/11/16 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Dubai airport denies unfair slot treatment to Indian airlines

New Delhi: Dubai International Airport asserted on Monday that Indian airlines are treated at par with airlines from other countries in the allocation of flight slots, dismissing their concerns about denial of viable slots ahead of India’s air bilateral negotiation with Dubai.
“Time slot allocation is a fair process which applies equally to all airlines across the globe,” Lorne Riley, Director, Corporate Communications and Business Development at Dubai Airports said at a press briefing here.

“The allocation of arrival and departure time slots is based on the available capacity. The slots are administered by an independent company Airport Coordination Limited which is responsible for slot allocation at many other airports too,” he said.

Earlier this year, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju had written to Dubai Civil Aviation Authority President Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum raising concerns related to fair treatment of Indian airlines in terms of granting slots at the Dubai airport. Voicing airlines’ concerns, he said that the Dubai Airport Authority has been turning down the requests of Indian carriers for slots or providing unviable alternatives.
03/11/16 The Hindu

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Etihad and Jet Airways expand UAE-India connections

Etihad Airways is expanding its scheduled services between Abu Dhabi and India as strategic partner Jet Airways unveiled new routes and additional frequencies to further strengthen their partnership. From early 2017, the two airlines will expand their services between the United Arab Emirates and India by adding 28 weekly flights and three further Indian cities. These will enhance connections between India and the rest of the world though Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi hub, and complement Jet Airways’ non-stop services to other cities.

Etihad Airways currently operates 175 weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and 11 Indian cities. Together, Etihad Airways and Jet Airways offer 252 weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and 15 cities across India. With the newly-announced flights, the airlines’ cooperative services will cover 18 Indian cities with 280 flights each week. Etihad Airways will launch a fourth daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Kozhikode on March 26, 2017, capitalising on the strong traffic flows between the state of Kerala and the UAE, and beyond. Etihad will also double its frequency between Abu Dhabi and Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat, from February 1 next year, with the launch of a new daily service subject to government approval.

Jet Airways recently announced a number of changes to its operations between India and Abu Dhabi. These include the launch of daily flights between Tiruchirappalli (Trichy), in the state of Tamil Nadu, and Abu Dhabi on February 1, 2017. Jet Airways will also introduce daily services from Kannur, the fourth Kerala gateway to Abu Dhabi. It also plans daily services from the northern Indian city of Chandigarh to Abu Dhabi. The two routes are due to begin in the second half of 2017, subject to the completion of operational readiness at these airports.
02/11/16 Travel Trends Today

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NASA tech to help aircraft land on time

NASA has said it is working with its partners on a new air traffic control (ATC) technology that promises to safely increase the number of airplanes that can land on the same runway at busy airports by more precisely managing the time, or interval, between each aircraft's arrival.

The technology, called Flight Deck Interval Management, or FIM, will also increase chances of your flights -- connecting or otherwise -- arriving on time, the US space agency said in a statement on Monday.

"FIM allows controllers to deliver the aircraft more precisely and more predictably, which is a huge advantage that helps the airlines and airport operators more efficiently manage air traffic to minimize delays," said William Johnson from NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia.
01/11/16 The New Indian Express

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UK's first direct flight to Goa lands at Dabolim airport

Panaji: The first direct flight from the United Kingdom (UK) to Goa arrived at the state international airport at Dabolim as part of Goa tourism season 2016-17, officials said today.
The flight operated by Thomas Cook Airlines with 311 passengers on board landed at the airport from London last night.
"Data from the Goa airport indicates that 80 per cent of the passengers, who arrived from Manchester last night used the e-Tourist Visa (ETV) facility," it added.
Freedom Holidays Pvt Ltd, the authorised representative of Thomas Cook Airlines, will oversee all the operational aspects at the Goa airport.
02/11/16 PTI/Economic Times

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Government mulls to remove anomaly restricting FDI in civil aviation

The government is considering to remove an anomaly restricting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the civil aviation sector to attract more overseas funds.
The sector is faced with an odd situation wherein a foreign investor, excluding overseas airlines, can acquire up to 100 % stake in a local carrier but not seek a scheduled operator's permit. The permit can only be given to a company which has substantial ownership and effective control in the hands of Indian nationals. "As this condition restricts and prevents foreign investors to take 100% stake in a domestic airline, there is a need to amend this rule in order to facilitate FDI in the sector," sources said. They added that due to this anomaly, the moment foreign investors buy 51 % or controlling stake in a domestic airline, the schedule air operator permit gets withdrawn.
31/10/16 PTI/DNA

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Need more time on 5th-gen fighter jet, India tells Russia

In the latest round of India-Russia military talks, New Delhi has told Moscow that it will need more time to examine the proposal to jointly develop the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA).
The FGFA, which is under development, is very much a future requirement for the Indian Air Force (IAF) upgrade programme, the Russian side was conveyed last week at a meeting between Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his Russian counterpart General Sergey Shoigu in New Delhi.
“We have asked for greater details with regards to the work India will be doing in manufacturing the plane and also technology transfer,” a top source in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. India and Russia have been working to conclude a pending agreement to co-develop the FGFA.
New Delhi has told Moscow that it wants a new engine and the plane must have super cruise ability, a 360-degree radar ability, added stealth features among 40-odd other India-specific modifications over the existing prototype. A plane called the ‘T-50’ built by the Russians under the PAK-FA (Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation) programme as FGFA is already being tested as prototype in Russia.
31/10/16 Ajay Banerjee/The Tribune

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Delta, Virgin Atlantic and Jet Airways Expand Cooperation with India-United States Codeshare via London-Heathrow

Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic today announced expanded cooperation with Jet Airways to provide convenient codeshare connections for customers between key destinations across North America and India via London-Heathrow.

Effective Nov. 2, Jet Airways customers flying between India and North America will be able to connect through London-Heathrow on to nine U.S. destinations operated by Delta. These destinations include: Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, Salt Lake City and Seattle.

In turn, Delta and Virgin Atlantic customers flying between North America and India will be able to connect with Delta codeshare onto Jet Airways' flights to Mumbai and Delhi via London-Heathrow and onward to 20 destinations within India. The new Delta codeshare destinations include Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Calicut, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mangalore, Pune, Trivandrum and Vadodara. The new routes complement Delta and Jet Airways destinations available through existing codeshare agreements via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

"With up to 11,000 people flying daily between India and North America, and with trade and tourism flows increasing between the U.S., U.K. and India, we are giving our customers more versatile schedule options between North America and India," said Nat Pieper, Delta's Senior Vice President – Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. "For the first time, customers will be able to hold a single Delta ticket from North America through London to India providing coordinated customer service all the way through to their final destinations."

Gaurang Shetty, Whole-time Director, Jet Airways, said, "This expanded cooperation over London-Heathrow, now allows us to offer our guests travelling to North America, multi-gateway connectivity over all of Jet Airways' European destinations. The codeshare arrangement with Delta Air Lines will enable Jet Airways guests to seamlessly connect to 24 cities across the United States of America over London, Paris and Amsterdam. Further, our loyalty program partnership will also enable the frequent flyers of both carriers to accrue and redeem their miles across each other's entire network."
31/10/16 P R Newswire/Aviation Pros

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Cheaper for Delhiites to ‘Scoot’ out of Jaipur to Singapore

It is far much cheaper for Delhiites to fly out of Jaipur to Singapore by Scoot than taking a direct flight to the Lion City, says a top official of Scoot Airlines.

In the global operations of the Singapore-headquartered Scoot Airlines, India is the third-highest market after China and Australia following the merger of short-haul airline Tiger Air and and medium-to-long-haul Scoot.

“One of the trends we notice is that people from Delhi fly out to Singapore from Jaipur, as it works economical than taking a direct flight out of the Indian capital,” Bharath Mahadevan, Country Head-India of Scoot Airlines, told IANS in an interview.

According to him, the lowest fare between Delhi-Singapore will be around Rs 25,000 on any carrier. The fare between Jaipur-Singapore ranges between Rs 12,000 and Rs 14,000.

He said lots of people do drive down to Jaipur from Delhi and even if they take a flight to Jaipur from Delhi, the cost would work out cheaper.

Scoot is a low-cost, medium-to-long-haul carrier owned and managed by Budget Aviation Holdings (BAH) under the Singapore Airlines Group (SIA). The company also operates low-cost short-haul Tiger Air.

Scoot operates between Singapore and Sydney, Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Osaka, Tianjin, Shenyang, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Seoul, Kaohsiung, Hangzhou, Jeddah, Chennai, Amritsar, Jaipur, Sapporo and Dalian across nine countries.
31/10/16 India Live Today

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MEGA Maldives Ready To Commence Flights Between Delhi and Male’

MEGA Maldives airline has opened sales for flights between the Indian capital of Delhi and The Capital of the Maldives, Male’. The much awaited flights are set to commence on 14th November, 2016 and will fly three times a week.

Flights have been scheduled on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The service will be provided on a Boeing 737-800, fitted with the latest Boeing Sky Interior. The aircraft has 12 business class and 156 economy class seats.
31/10/16 M V Hotels

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