After losing Rs 100m in 7 months, Buddha Air stops Kolkata flights

Buddha Air is flying to Kolkata, India, one last time on Monday.
Despite having a significant air movement between Kathmandu and Kolkata, the privately-owned carrier decided to discontinue the scheduled flight after incurring heavy loss in the last six months.
According to Buddha Air, it lost Rs 100 million by operating 78 flights to and from Kolkata since May.
The decision of the private airline company to discontinue its flights to the Indian city comes amid preparations around the country to celebrate Visit Nepal Year 2020 with a target to bring two million international tourists.
For some experts, lack of promotion of Nepal as a tourist destination partly contributed to the low passengers' turnout that caused financial losses to the airline. They say that it is also a setback to the tourism sector on the eve of Visit Nepal Year 2020.
The company itself plowed in Rs 25 million in marketing activities.
It was Buddha Air's trial flight before venturing into other long-haul international destinations. But the lack of passengers from highly potential destination resulted into despair for the carrier.
30/11/19 My Republica

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Zurich Airports win bid to build, operate Jewar airport for 40 years

New Delhi: Zurich Airports has won the contract to build and operate Jewar Airport in Greater Noida, which will act as the second airport for Delhi, for a period of 40 years that includes construction period of four years in the first phase.
 “Under a 40-year concession, Flughafen Zürich AG will build and manage the new greenfield airport in Jewar. The capital investments associated with the first phase is expected to amount to roughly CHF 650 million (about Rs 4,670 crore) during the construction period of approximately four years in the first phase,” said a statement from Flughafen Zürich AG, which currently holds 100% of the project.
 The first phase will be able to accommodate around 12 million passengers per year. Besides the necessary capital investments in the infrastructure, Flughafen Zürich AG shall pay a fixed passenger fee to the state-owned authority starting on the sixth anniversary of commissioning of the new airport, read a statement from the airport operator.
 Sources said that the company defeated all the other three bidders by far by offering a revenue share of Rs 400.97 per passenger to the authority. The GMR group-led Delhi International Airport Ltd offered to pay Rs 351 per passenger to the authority. Among the other two, the Adani Group offered to pay Rs 360 and Anchorage I&I offered to pay Rs 205 per passenger.
30/11/19 Economic Times

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Will Zurich's bid for Jewar airport challenge IGIA's monopoly?

New Delhi: Flughafen Zurich winning the bid for the proposed Jewar airport in Uttar Pradesh is likely to bring a paradigm change to India’s airport sector, threatening monopolies for the first time, said sector experts.

If the project is completed on time, Jewar airport — projected as the second such facility for the National Capital Region — will compete with GMR-owned Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) from 2023 to attract air traffic. This could be a threat to IGIA’s monopoly on air traffic in north India, which has made it the crown jewel in GMR Infrastructure’s airport portfolio.
Zurich Airport offered a revenue share of Rs 400.97 per passenger. GMR, which had the right of first refusal (RoFR), offered Rs 351 per passenger. It would have had the chance to match the highest bid only if its offer was within 10 per cent of it.

“GMR’s bid was aggressive and rightly so, as they were desperate to win it because of a lot of synergy it offers with IGIA. That Zurich was able to outbid GMR, which had a RoFR, is something extraordinary. It doesn’t happen every day,” said an executive of a financial institution which invests in infrastructure projects.
Jewar is about 80 km from IGIA.

A six-year-long moratorium over concession fees to be paid to the government may give a buffer to Zurich. But, in the long term, completion of the project on time will determine its ability to compete with Delhi, said experts.

“The winning bid marks the re-entry of Zurich Airport in India. What is defining is the entry of an experienced player in a market that has GMR, GVK, Fairfax, and Adani. Their bidding number underscores their understanding of the Indian market and how important they think it is,” said Sidharath Kapur, former executive director at GMR Airports.
Capacity crunch in Delhi and Zurich’s ability to offer better services may make Jewar airport popular among India’s airlines that are frantically expanding their fleets but facing infrastructure crunch at major airports.

Delhi Airport is currently undergoing a Rs 9,000-crore upgrade to increase its capacity from 70 million fliers per annum to 100 million by 2022.

“After 2022, when Delhi finishes its fourth runway and terminal expansion, it has limited capability to expand capacity. Naturally, airlines and customers will have no other option,” said an airline executive.
30/11/19 Arindam Majumder/Business Standard

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Russia’s Mi-171A2 Certified For Export In India, Columbia

Russian Helicopters’ Mi-171A2 has received a certification validating the rotorcraft’s export in India and Columbia.

“The Department of Civil Aviation of India has confirmed that the standard design of the Mi-171A2 helicopter meets the requirements of the country's civil aviation (CAR). A validated type certificate for the Mi-171A2 has also been issued by Colombia's Special Civil Aviation Administration Unit (UAEAC),” the company said in a statement Friday.

In October, the helicopter’s new VK-2500PS-03 turboshaft engine (modification of VK-2500 engine) was certified to power the Mi-171A2 by India. The main design difference between the two engines is the presence of a digital control system such as FADEC in the new one. The overhaul and designated resource of this engine is two times higher than that of its predecessors. VK-2500PS-03 gives helicopters fundamentally new opportunities for their operation in high-altitude regions and areas with a hot climate. Its installation on a civilian Mi-171A2 helicopter is considered as a basic application of the engine.

The first of these helicopters meant for New Delhi has already been built at the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, the company said.

Russian Helicopters aims to get the validation in China, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and several other countries.

Mi-171A2 design has 80 upgrades against the basic model, the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter family. The chopper has digital controls, and is distinguished by a new carrying system against Mi-8/Mi-17 family.
29/11/19 Defense World.net

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Emirates appoints Jabr Al-Azeeby as vice-president of India and Nepal

Emirates has appointed Jabr Al-Azeeby as the new vice-president of India and Nepal, said a company statement issued today.
Al-Azeeby began his career with Emirates in October 2005 as a commercial graduate trainee, and quickly moved up the ranks to the role of manager - Uganda in 2008. He held this position for three years, gaining significant expertise in managing commercial operations and teams, enhancing the customer experience, looking for opportunities to better serve the local community, and working with internal stakeholders across Emirates’ wide network and span.
This was followed by stints in several countries, including Cyprus, Thailand and IndoChina. He has more than 14 years of experience spearheading the airline’s commercial operations across countries and regions.
29/11/19 Brinda Sarkar/Economic Times

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Overseas Citizen Of India Can Be Denied Boarding Pass: Critical Travel Advisory Issued By New York Consulate For All OCIs

With the arrival of December, it also marks the start of Christmas and New Year holidays where most people travel back to their home for celebrating these occasions.
The start of the season also got some reports of some Indian origin travellers using the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) document to board flights to India from the U.S.
The issue is reported with some of the airlines.
 According to Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India in New York, some travellers who have not updated their OCI documents after having renewed their passport were denied boarding permission for their flights to India.
He said, “Travellers had reported issues around these rules with Qatar Airways and Air India,”.

According to Mr Chakravorty, the Qatar Airways issue was reported at Boston Logan International Airport and the Air India issue, at JFK airport in New York City. (Reference)

He added “While Indian immigration authorities will accept an OCI card with an old passport number on it for individuals above 20 years of age, airlines flying to India may still cause a problem. So we are advising everyone who hasn’t renewed their OCI card since they got new passports to also carry their old passports with them,”.
As per the news, the New York Consulate also issued a press statement with the rules following these incidents.
1) For every OCI cardholder “who is 20 years of age or younger, the OCI card must be renewed each time a new passport is issued” as per the rules.
2) OCI cards need not be renewed for those between 21 and 49 years of age. And, for an OCI cardholder “who attains the age of 50 years or more”, OCI card must be renewed only once after the issuance of a new passport.
29/11/19 Sheetal Bhalerao/Trak.in

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Custom officials seize 4 kg gold from South Korean national at Chennai airport

Chennai: The Customs officials on Thursday arrested a South Korean national for smuggling four kilograms of gold worth Rs 1.56 crore, official sources said on Thursday.
According to the sources, Chang Sic Ban (36) of Seoul was intercepted by the Customs officials, when he was moving towards the exit gate after arriving from Hong Kong in a Cathay Pacific aircraft.
Four gold bars with foreign markings each weighing one kilogram was found hidden in his sports shoes. Two packets containing the gold bars and wrapped in newspapers were found in each shoe.
28/11/19 UNI

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Air India Pilot Allegedly Forced To Remove Turban At Spain Airport

New Delhi: An Air India pilot was asked to remove his turban at the Madrid airport in Spain recently, said Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) party, adding that it has written a letter in this regard to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar urging him to take up the matter at the international level.
SAD leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said he was informed of the incident through a phone call by the pilot, Captain Simranjeet Singh Gujral, on Tuesday. He said Me Gujral was asked to remove his headgear by airport officials, despite crossing the metal detector, which is a case of bias and racism towards Sikhs.

"I wish to share with you the harassment faced by an Air India official, Captain Simranjeet Singh Gujral, at Madrid airport. He was subjected to racial discrimination because of his turban. The Madrid airport officials demanded him to remove his turban and asked for a manual check-up of his turban which is an offence in the eyes of a Sikh," Mr Sirsa said in the letter.
"All this happened despite Captain Gujral clearing the metal detectors. Truly, this is a case of bias and racial attitude towards Sikhs at the Madrid airport," he added.

The SAD leader told S Jaishankar that such incidents have happened at Madrid airport earlier too, where Sikh people were asked to remove their turban or the officials disrespected the turban by manhandling the people from the community.

"I request @DrSJaishankar Ji to address the issue at the global level and ensure that Sikhs don''t get mistreated globally because of their turban," Mr Sirsa added.
28/11/19 ANI/NDTV

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Air India returns to Kenya as first flight in 10 years lands in Nairobi

Nairobi: Air India's flight from Mumbai to Nairobi landed on Wednesday with 100 passengers on board, marking the return of the airline to Kenya after 10 years.

The return of the airline presents a big opportunity for the two countries which have shared trade and economic ties for many years.

Betty Radier, Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) CEO, said on Wednesday that the return of Air India to Kenya would help to promote tourism, trade, improve relationships and create opportunities between the two countries.

"India is one of Kenya's top tourist source markets. Arrivals from India in the year 2018 grew by 51.9 percent to reach 125,032. Kenya is confident of sustained tourist arrivals from India following this arrival." she said during the reception in Nairobi.

The airline will offer four direct flights a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with plans to offer additional flights in the pipeline.
28/11/19 Xinhua

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AirAsia remains in the red due to forex losses

Budget carrier AirAsia Group Bhd has remained in the red for the second successive quarter this year with a third quarter loss of RM51.44 million, due to foreign exchange (forex) volatility for the period amounting to RM206.3 million.

AirAsia said in a statement that the decline was also attributed to fair value loss on derivatives and net off against gain on disposal of property, plant and equipment for RM92.1 million.

This was partially offset by a one-time gain from disposal of its investment in an associate for RM170.8 million.

Revenue for the quarter, however, increased by over 17% to RM3.07 billion from RM2.61 billion the year prior on two million additional total passengers carried for the three months ended Sept 30, 2019 (3Q19), and a slight increase in revenue per available seat kilometre to 15.02 sen from 14.83 sen.

The airline’s capacity grew by 10% each in Malaysia and India for the quarter, with the Philippines recording the highest capacity growth at 19%.

This helped increase unit passenger revenue for AirAsia India Ltd (AAI) and Philippines AirAsia Inc (PAA) by 1% and 3% respectively, although its Malaysia operations showed a 5% decline.
28/11/19 Malaysian Reserve

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Air India postpones Hong Kong launch

Mumbai: Air India has again pushed back the launch date of Mumbai-Hong Kong service to 29 March 2020.
Earlier the airline confirmed it had settled on an inaugural date in mid-January 2020 following a postponement last May. It blames the postponements on protracted protests that have disrupted Hong Kong for almost six months.
As it stands now the airline will start the daily flight 29 March with a departure from Mumbai at 0820 and an arrival scheduled for Hong Kong at 1635.
The return flight will depart Hong Kong at 1800 and arrive in Mumbai at 2150 according to timetable information provided by Airlineroute.
According to reports in the South China Morning Post, earlier this week, anti-government protests forced airlines to reduce services.
Garuda Indonesia has reduced from 21 flights a week to just four up at least into mid-December. Thai Airways International and Philippine Airlines have each cut one of five daily flights a week to Hong Kong.
28/11/19 TTR Weekly

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Keala govt, Air India sign pact to bring bodies of expatriates from Gulf for free

In a relief to the struggling families of the expatriate Kerala persons in Gulf countries, the Kerala government has started a scheme to bring back to India the bodies of deceased persons free of cost.

The government has reached an agreement with Air India to freely repatriate bodies of Keralites who pass away in the Gulf countries. Those who fail to receive aid from employer, sponsor or embassy, can make use of the new scheme by the Kerala government to repatriate bodies back home free of cost.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the new scheme via a Facebook post on Tuesday. “The relatives of those working in Gulf countries face sudden financial hurdles when their relative dies. To solve this problem, the state government had announced the scheme in the last budget in order to aid families in such incidents. This has now been fulfilled,” said Pinarayi Vijayan.
There will also be facilities for transporting the bodies from airports in Kerala to their home. “After repatriating the bodies to Kerala, it will be transported from airports to the houses of the deceased expatriates in ambulances of Non-Resident Keralites' Affairs (NORKA) Roots,” Chief Minister stated.

NORKA Roots chief executive officer and Air India’s executive director have signed the pact for the scheme. Relatives or friends of the expatriate Kerala natives in Gulf countries can give an application when necessary. The application form can be availed from the website of NORKA Roots.

For more details, one can also dial the toll-free number of NORKA Roots: 1800 425 393 (from India) and 00918802012345 (missed call services from abroad).
27/11/19 News Minute

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Tourism boost as Air India relaunches Nairobi flights

The tourism sector is set for a major boost following the return of Air India to Nairobi.

Air lndia’s flight from Mumbai to Nairobi landed yesterday with 100 passengers on board marking the return of the airline to Kenya after 10 years.
The return of the airline presents a big opportunity for the two countries which have shared trade and economic ties for many years.

The airline will offer four direct flights a  week; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with plans to offer additional flights in the pipeline.

Air India will be instrumental in increasing uptake from both Tier I and II city markets of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru; and Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and others, utilizing its existing domestic infrastructure network, market knowledge and presence

Speaking during the reception, KTB CEO Betty Radier said that the return of Air India to Kenya would be a big boost to the strong ties the two countries have had, adding that the airline will help to promote tourism, trade, improve relationships and create opportunities between the two countries.

India is the fifth top markets source for Kenya’s international tourists, official data shows with 93,804 tourist arrivals between January and September.
27/11/19 Martin Mwita/The Star

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SpiceJet's RAK flights to start from end-December

New Delhi: Passenger carrier SpiceJet will commence flight operations to Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE from the end of December, but its wait to establish an airline there might happen only in 2020.

"We have applied to establish an airline there [Ras Al Khaimah]. Everything depends on regulatory approvals," the airline's chairman and managing director Ajay Singh told IANS. "Flights from India to Ras Al Khaimah will commence soon. We expect the first flight to start from the end of this year. There is a huge market potential there." Flights to Ras Al Khaimah assumes significance due to the heavy labour traffic from India to the emirate and beyond.

At present, a bilateral air service agreement between Ras Al Khaimah and India,allows for four flights per week. Out of these, two are already operated by Air India Express. On the size of the new airline, Singh said that initailly SpiceJet will lease out four to five aircraft to the newly-formed passenger carrier.

The RAK-based airline plans to launch flights to Eastern Europe, other cities in the Middle East and Africa from Ras Al Khaimah, but its plans depend heavily on the timely return of the 737 MAX.
27/11/19 IANS/Khaleej Times

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Cost of India visa-on-arrival for Emiratis revealed

Emiratis visiting India for a period not exceeding 60 days for business, tourism, conferences and medical purposes under the Indian government's new visa-on-arrival scheme will be required to fill a form and present it along with their disembarkation card at immigration counters, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has said.
It is advisable to download the form, print it, fill it and present it to the Visa Officer at visa counters on arrival at six international Indian airports: Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. The application is available through the following link: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/visa-on-arrival.htm
A fee of Rs2,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency per passenger, including children, will be charged.
UAE passports should have a minimum validity of six months remaining for visas on arrival. Such visitors should not have residency or be employed in India.
27/11/19 WAM/Khaleej Times

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Consumer court fines Turkish Airlines Rs 1.7 lakh

Karnal: The District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum has directed Turkish Airlines to pay Rs 1.7 lakh to Kanv Deep of Karnal for harassing him and members of his family by forcing them to stay for around 24 hours at the Istanbul airport.
The court has directed the airline to pay the amount within one month.

In his complaint, Kanv Deep stated that he was travelling to Toronto via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines with his wife and daughter to attend the last rites of his uncle. He stated that due to the negligence on the part of the airlines, they could not get a connecting flight from Istanbul and had to spend 24 hours at the airport without any accommodation facility.
27/11/19 Parveen Arora/Tribune

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Lobbyist Talwar bribed public servants to help foreign airlines; over 50 firms under scanner: Probe report

New Delhi: Probe agencies are investigating corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar's links with over 50 domestic and overseas firms that are suspected to be "fronts" to launder illicit funds he got from his clients, according to a probe report.
According to it, Talwar paid bribes to bureaucrats and politicians to secure "favourable" air traffic rights for his foreign clients and received over Rs 272 crore funds from these airlines as "compenation for the favours secured".
Talwar was deported to India from Dubai early this year after which he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI for his alleged role in lobbying in various UPA-era government deals, primarily in the aviation sector.
He is in judicial custody at present and has denied all allegations made by probe agencies against him.

The businessman has been charged with illegally managing to secure favourable traffic rights for at least three foreign airlines, during 2008-09, at the cost of national carrier, Air India.
The report, accessed by PTI, states, "Investigation revealed that Deepak Talwar used various entities in the name of his son Aditya Talwar, family members and associates to receive the exorbitant amount from Emirates, Air Arabia and Qatar Airways."
"These receipts are proceeds of crime generated by Talwar for the purpose of paying illegal gratification to the public servants in India in getting favourable air traffic rights for them (foreign airlines operating in India)," the ED has said in its probe report linked to a money laundering case against Talwar.

All the three airlines, it said, made a "huge" payment to Talwar which were credited in the account of Asia Field Ltd and Gilt Assets Management Ltd, though in the name of other persons, yet effectively controlled by Talwar.
27/11/19 PTI/Economic Times

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Man held for trying to smuggle China pond tortoises

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths arrested a passenger, who arrived at Trichy International Airport by Sri Lankan Airlines, allegedly for attempting to smuggle China pond tortoises. DRI has intercepted him, who had arrived here on November 24 from Guangzhou in China via Colombo, while he was attempting to smuggle the live species which is a prohibited item under Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-2020.
Examination of passenger’s checked-in baggage resulted in detention of 2,829 numbers of China Pond tortoises found to be concealed in cookies packets and wheat flour packets.
The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans), also known as the red-eared terrapin, red-eared turtle and water slider turtle, is a semi-aquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae.
27/11/19 Times of India

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Explained: Why the flight service from Imphal to Mandalay is important

Guwahati: Last week, Myanmar’s private airlines Air KBZ kicked off a chartered flight service from Manipur’s state capital Imphal to Myanmar’s second-largest city Mandalay.
On the inaugural flight that flew in on Saturday, officials said, 72 passengers from Myanmar came to Manipur while it departed from Imphal with 48 passengers, including five officials. The maiden flight was welcomed with the traditional water cannon salute, with its photos and videos shared widely on social media.
Manipur education minister Thokchom Radheshyam has said that the chartered flight will be operational thrice a month. He added that the state government is persuading the Ministry of Civil Aviation for granting regular Imphal-Mandalay flight service.
The service is expected to transform the transportation network through Northeast India and boost the regional economy. Mandalay is an important economic centre of Myanmar and the flight service is said to be benefiting both traders and tourists.
“Right now, the service is a chartered flight service. Once it is regularised, then pricing and ticketing will become standardised. It will really help people. Imphal will become an important part of the international travel route,” a top Manipur government official told indianexpress.com over the phone.
26/11/19 Abhishek Saha/Indian Express

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Bengaluru airport ships 41,444 kg marigolds to Dubai

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru airport shipped 41,444 kg of marigold flowers to Dubai, enabling creation of the world's largest flower carpet, an airport official said on Monday. "The flowers were laid out at 'Flowers of Tolerance' at the Dubai Festival City. It has entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest natural flower carpet," read a statement by the Kempegowda International Airport.
Sourced from several places in the state capital and adjacent districts, Devanahalli and Chikaballapur, flowers were loaded into a chartered Boeing 777 freighter by DHL Global Forwarding on Friday.
Air India SATS CoolPort kept the flowers fresh and fragrance intact, through temperature monitoring. The airport services company offers integrated perishable cargo handling centre at the airport, providing unbroken modern cold chain infrastructure.
26/11/19 IANS/India TV

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Vistara to get two Boeing 787 by March, eyes London

Vistara is keen to start operations to London as it gets ready to induct two Boeing 787-9 aircraft by March, Chief Executive Officer Leslie Thng has told CNBC-TV18.

The full-service carrier has plans to commence long-haul operations with the wide-body aircraft and Europe will be an integral part of the plan, Thng added.

"Widebody joining us in Q1 of 2020. First, two B787-9 to be delivered in February, March... we have plans to use B787-9 on long-haul. London is one destination we are keen on. We are  planning and we will announce when we are ready," Thng said.
Vistara, a joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, has plans to induct a total of six B787-9 aircraft and 50 narrow-body A320 family aircraft.
"Of the 50 narrow-body, 3 have been delivered. We will induct five more planes before the end of this year. We will add a dozen more in 2020," Thng said, adding that the capacity induction will continue to be used to grow the domestic network and a simultaneous focus will be laid on international expansion.
26/11/19 Anu Sharma/CNBC TV18

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Vistara Inaugurates New Flights on Mumbai-Colombo Route

Vistara has inaugurated service to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The airline now flies daily (except Wednesdays) between Mumbai and Colombo, making it the first to offer the choice of Premium Economy Class for travel between India and Sri Lanka, in addition to Economy and Business Class.
Vinod Kannan, Chief Strategy Officer, Vistara, said: “We are very happy to step into another new geography with flights to Sri Lanka, a nation with enormous potential for tourism as well as trade. To Sri Lanka, we introduce India’s only five-star airline that’s committed to making a mark across the globe with a world-class product and impeccable service delivery. We are confident that travellers will enjoy unmatched hospitality when flying the ‘new feeling’ with Vistara.”
Vistara has appointed North South Lines Pvt. Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of the iconic Sri Lankan conglomerate, Hayleys PLC, as its representation company in Sri Lanka.
26/11/19 News18.com

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SpiceJet appoints APG as its GSA in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland

SpiceJet, one of India’s oldest low-cost carrier has extended its relationship with APG with the appointment of APG as its general sales agent (GSA) in Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, and Switzerland. This follows SpiceJet’s appointment of APG in other countries worldwide.
“We are delighted to be expanding our close cooperation with SpiceJet with its very successful business model and a strong commitment to growth particularly given its recent aircraft orders,” commented Richard Burgess, President - APG Network.
SpiceJet operates 630 average daily flights to 64 destinations 54 domestic and 10 international.
In May 2019 SpiceJet added its 100th aircraft to its fleet which now comprises 82 Boeing 737s, 32 Bombardier Q-400s, and four B737 freighters. These aircraft allow for safe, comfortable and efficient flying and are ideally suited for short to medium-haul flights typical of Indian conditions.
SpiceJet is the country’s largest organized regional player and has been at the forefront as the most enthusiastic supporter of UDAN and now operates 49 daily flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme.
26/11/19 Özgür Töre/ftn News

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Chd-Dubai flight to be suspended from mid-December

Mohali: The Chandigarh-Dubai-Chandigarh flight from Chandigarh International Airport at Mohali is going to be discontinued temporarily for two months from December 14 onwards.
“The flight operated by Indigo Airlines will remain suspended till February 15, 2020,” said sources.
Frequent disruptions in flight operations during winters is said to be the reason behind the decision of temporarily suspension of the Indigo flight. The airlines had discontinued the international flight for sometime in September 2018 too.
As per the sources, “Frequent delays and diversion of flight to Delhi during foggy days cause losses to the airlines due to which the decision of temporarily suspension of the flight has been taken.”
25/11/19 Tribune

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Surtis’ dream to fly in foreign airlines may not take off

Surat: The dream of Surtis to fly in foreign airlines from the Surat international airport may not take off.
The ministry of civil aviation has clearly stated that Surat airport is not included as a point of call for international carriers under the bilateral air service agreement (ASA).

In a letter issued to the We Work for Working Airport at Surat (WWWAS), the ministry of civil aviation has stated that the Indian designated carriers are free to operate to the agreed foreign destinations from any point in India including Surat. However, operations by foreign airlines are governed by the ASA and that Surat is not available as the point of call to international carriers.

WWWAS member Sanjay Jain told TOI: “There has to be a level playing field for Surat airport. The ministry should give equal opportunity to all international airports as per their size, GDP, population and other futuristic potentials.”

At present, Air India Express is operating Surat-Sharjah flight thrice a week and that no other Indian airlines are interested in carrying out international operations from the Surat airport.

Another WWWAS member Linesh Shah said, “Surat airport has a great potential, but it is getting step-motherly treatment. There are many small international airports where the foreign airlines operate.”
26/11/19 Times of India

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Japanese Man Arrested For Entering At Delhi Airport Using Fake Ticket

New Delhi: A Japanese national was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport for allegedly using a fake ticket to enter the terminal area, a senior official said on Monday.
The passenger, identified as Takeaki, was apprehended on Sunday evening by CISF personnel as he attempted to leave the airport''s Terminal-3 (T3) building, the official said.
The man, holding a passport of Japan, was stopped and questioned, as exiting the terminal area is not allowed under normal circumstances, he said.
He told the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel that he used a cancelled ticket to enter the terminal area to see off his wife who was travelling to Tokyo, the official said.
26/11/12 PTI/NDTV

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Indian student pilot killed in light plane crash at Canterbury lake

Ramprakash Srikumar​ moved to New Zealand to train as a commercial pilot, but was killed in a light plane crash in Canterbury.

The 23-year-old student pilot, from Srivilliputhur​ in India, was flying a Cessna 172 aircraft when it crashed into the dry lake bed of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere near Motukarara, south of Christchurch, late on Thursday.

The Canterbury Aero Club owned the plane Srikumar was flying.
Club chief executive Jeremy Ford said the "tragic" incident had deeply affected everyone in the Canterbury aviation community. 

He said Srikumar joined the club about a year ago and was training towards a commercial pilot licence with the goal of flying for commercial airlines in India.

"He was a well respected young man by his friends and colleagues at work and they all speak highly of him as an engaged individual and really our thoughts are with the family."

Ford said Srikumar's parents, who were still in India, were "absolutely devastated and in shock".

The Canterbury Aero Club was offering them support, he said.
Ford confirmed Srikumar was training at the time of the crash.
24/11/19 Jonathan Guildford/Stuff

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Pilot killed in light plane crash was an Indian student

The pilot killed in the Canterbury light plane crash on Thursday, 21 November was 23-year-old student trainee pilot, Ramprakash Srikumar.

Srikumar came to New Zealand to ‘live his dream’ of becoming a commercial pilot from a small town Srivilliputhur​ in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.

He  was the solo pilot on board the plane belonging to Canterbury Aero Club that he joined about a year ago and was training towards flying commercial airlines in India.

Srikumar’s parents, who are still in India, were reportedly “absolutely devastated and in shock” after hearing the tragic loss of their son.

Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Wellington has offered sincere condolences to the family of the deceased, Srikumar, and its officials told NewsViews they are in touch with the family and offering all necessary assistance. More details are still awaited.
Srikumar was undertaking a flight required for night flying rating when the light plane Cessna 172 crashed into the dry bed of Lake Ellesmere in Canterbury around 10.15 pm on Thursday.

According to an eye witness report in The Stuff, there was “no explosion” or “flames” seen when the light plane came crashing down “at a hell of a speed”.

The emergency location transmitter activated automatically when the plane crashed and signal was received at 10.20 pm by the Rescue Coordination Centre NZ.
25/11/19 NewsViews

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The Gulf race: Indian airlines line up partnerships, new services to garner market share in the region

Intense competition has ensued among Indian carriers, especially between IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation) and SpiceJet, in the Middle East market as all of them look to corner the space vacated by Jet Airways.
Intense competition has ensued among Indian carriers, especially between IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation) and SpiceJet, in the Middle East market as all of them look to corner the space vacated by Jet Airways.

In the process, the biggest beneficiaries could be the fliers who were otherwise facing the brunt of high fares after the Naresh Goyal-founded airline suspended operations in April. Now, with other airlines aggressively adding flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other destinations in the region, fares have climbed down.

Among the most aggressive have been IndiGo and SpiceJet. The former recently signed a code share agreement with Qatar Airways, which will allow the Indian airline add more passengers on its flights between Indian cities and Doha. The Indian cities connected under the agreement are Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Just before signing the partnership, it had increased frequency to Doha from Chennai and Delhi.

Apart from these, the year has seen the airline adding flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. IndiGo, which also flies to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, has indicated that it will further expand services in the country next year.
25/11/19 Prince Mathews Thomas/Moneycontrol

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More flights option for India bound passengers as Emirates and Spicejet sign codeshare and interline agreement

Dubai: Emirates has signed a codeshare and interline agreement with SpiceJet to give travellers to and from India seamless access to a wider and a stronger route network. This is the first-ever codeshare agreement signed by SpiceJet.
From early 2020, customers travelling to India can take advantage of many more flight options on routes common to both airlines – Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Cochin and Delhi. Emirates’ customers can conveniently book and connect seamlessly in Dubai on direct services to Amritsar, Calicut, Mangalore, Madurai, Jaipur and Pune – routes served by SpiceJet. The codeshare agreement is subject to government approvals, a statement issued by the UAE’s national carrier stated.
The codeshare agreement means travellers from across the globe can book a single ticket with attractive fares to any of Emirates’ nine points across India and connect onwards to 172 domestic routes that are part of SpiceJet’s network. SpiceJet’s domestic network includes popular destinations like Goa, Dehradun, Dharamshala, Jaisalmer, Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Guwahati, Pondicherry, Port Blair, Shirdi, Tirupati, Udaipur and Varanasi.
In this first phase of the interline agreement, customers can start booking flights from 25 November, for travel starting 15 December 2019.
The codeshare agreement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by both airlines in April 2019.
25/11/19 Gulf News

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Winter blackout: No flight from Chandigarh to Dubai from next month

Chandigarh: City airport is on the brink of losing its international status as now Indigo has also announced to discontinue its Dubai flight from December 14. This leaves the airport with lone Sharjah flight as the international connection.

It is bad news for tourists planning to fly to Dubai as Indigo will stop the flight from December 14 to February 15, 2020. The previous year, Air India Express had pulled out of Bangkok sector due to poor flight occupancy rate. Earlier, Indigo had discontinued its Dubai flight in September last year.


Sources in Indigo said the reason for discontinuation was non-viability due to frequent disruptions in winter and the decision was taken in November 13 review meeting held in Delhi. The Indigo airport manager said, “The orders have been received for flight discontinuation and I do not know the reasons.”

Sources in Indigo, New Delhi, said there were frequent suspensions and delays due to bad weather conditions at Chandigarh airport during winter months and the flights had to be diverted to Delhi, which caused huge loses.

The airport handles nearly 32 commercial flights daily. It is now left with a single international connectivity to Sharjah by Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India.
25/11/19 Barinderjit Saluja/Times of India

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SpiceJet and Gulf Air to investigate possible collaboration on cargo services

Indian airline SpiceJet and Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore greater co-operation between the two airlines.

They are going to examine areas of potential synergy, including looking at co-ordinating cargo services, interline or codeshare agreements, shared engineering services and pilot training.

The MoU was signed by Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director of SpiceJet, and Krešimir Kučko, Gulf Air’s chief executive.

Gulf Air currently operates 82 flights a week to eight destinations in India: Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin, Hyderabad, Calicut and Bangalore.

SpiceJet currently flies to more than 50 destinations in India.
25/11/19 Aircargo News

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Manipur: Imphal-Mandalay flight service commences

Imphal: Myanmar’s private carrier Air KBZ landed at the Birtikendrajit International Airport Saturday marking the commencement of the Imphal-Mandalay flight service.

The chartered flight, which departed from Mandalay, landed at the Imphal Airport around 11:30 am and was welcomed with the traditional water cannon salute.

As many as 72 passengers from Myanmar made the trip and the plane departed Imphal with 48 passengers, including 5 officials.

Minister for Health and Family Welfare L. Jayantakumar Singh, Minister for CAF&PD Karam Shyam, Minister for Education Th. Radheshyam, Chairman of Tourism Corporation Manipur Limited Dr. Sapam Ranjan, Manipur’s Chief Secretary Dr. J. Suresh Babu, Principal Secretary P. Vaiphei, Director of Transport Department Mercina Panmei and others received the passengers with traditional shawl called lengyan phi.
Informing that the chartered flight will be operational thrice a week, Radheshyam maintained that Manipur government is persuading the Ministry of Civil Aviation for regular Imphal-Mandalay flight service.
23/11/19 Jimmy Leivon/Indian Express

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Lufthansa to partner with Air India and Visatara in 2020

New Delhi: The Lufthansa airline group is planning to partner with Indian airlines like Vistara and Air India in 2020. The decision came months after the shutdown of Jet Airways.
George Ettiyil, Senior Director, South Asia, Lufthansa Group said: "Moreover, apart from launching a Munich-Bengaluru flight service in April, the airline does not plan to start any other flight service in 2020.
Currently, the Lufthansa airline group has an interline agreement with Vistara, which allows a passenger to check-in his luggage at the first airport itself for the whole journey consisting of flights of both airlines.
"With Vistara...we are strengthening our relationship in the weeks to come. Jet Airways was one of our partners here in India and with them having left the scene, we are looking for Indian airlines to partner up with," he added.

Asked if Lufthansa was planning to convert its interline agreement with Vistara to a codeshare agreement, he said, "We are trying to strengthen it. Let us see what the future holds in store. We have the desire to actually strengthen partnerships with other Indian airlines also. So, Vistara is an obvious choice."

The European carrier has a codeshare agreement with Air India, which allows one airline's passenger to book a ticket on the other airline, using the first one's ticketing system. The Indian government is planning to sell Air India to a private player by March next year.

For 2020, the Lufthansa group "will be trying to strengthen our Indian partnerships" so that Indian carriers "can bring passengers from second and third-tier cities to our four gateways", Ettiyil said.

Two brands of the group -- Lufthansa and Swiss -- operate flight services to India. Swiss has daily non-stop flights connecting Zurich to Delhi and Mumbai.

Lufthansa operates daily non-stop flights connecting Frankfurt to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai, as also daily non-stop flights connecting Munich to Delhi and Mumbai.
24/11/19 India TV

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Lufthansa looks to ‘strengthen’ ties with Vistara

New Delhi: With Jet Airways shutting down in April, the Lufthansa group is planning to “strengthen” its partnership with Indian airlines like Vistara and Air India in 2020, the top Indian official of the largest European carrier said.
Currently, Lufthansa has an interline agreement with Vistara,  which allows a passenger to check-in luggage at the first airport itself for entire journey consisting of flights of both airlines.
“With Vistara... we are strengthening our relationship. Jet Airways was one of our partners in India and with them having left the scene, we are looking for Indian airlines to partner up with,” Ettiyil said.
Asked if Lufthansa was planning to convert its interline pact with Vistara to a codeshare agreement, he said, “We are trying to strengthen it.” The airline has a codeshare agreement with Air India, which allows one airline’s passenger to book a ticket on the other airline, using the first one’s ticketing system.
24/11/19 PTI/Tribune

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Gulf Air to deploy upgraded aircraft on Indian routes

Gulf Air is currently in the process replacing its aircraft operating on various Indian destinations with Airbus 320 Neos and Airbus 321 Neos, the chief executive of the airline has said.
“We are currently expanding our fleet with A321 Neos, A320 Neos and Boeing Dreamliners and we will be deploying these aircraft in our services to various Indian cities,” Kresimir Kucko, CEO of Gulf Air, told Arabian Business in an interview.
“We will also be occasionally deploying Boeing Dreamiliners on some of our routes in India. We cannot operate Dreamliners on the Indian routes on regular basis because of the capacity restrictions under bilateral rights with India,” Kucko added.
The Bahrain flagship carrier operates 82 weekly flights to 8 Indian cities. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin, Calicut, Trivandrum and Kolkota are the Indian airports it operate direct fights.
Gulf Air, which has A330s, A320s and 321 ERs in its fleet, has been introducing its new A320 Neos, A321 Neos and Boeing Dreamliners to various routes in its network.
“The fleet renewal is expected to be completed by 2023,” Kucko said.
24/11/19 James Mathew/Arabian Business

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Emirates treats fliers with Indian cashew nuts

Bengaluru: Marking the World Cashew Day, leading Gulf-based carrier Emirates on Saturday treated its fliers with tasty and munchy Indian cashews onboard its passenger jets, an official said. "We have served the delicious and roasted India cashew nuts to our guests on international and regional flights as a snack and an ingredient in a variety of our cuisine," said the Dubai-based airline in a statement. Emirates said India, a cashew production heavyweight, is a perfect match to the airline as the produce piggybacks on its fleet to 160 destinations in 86 countries. According to the airline, United Arab Emirates (UAE), imports 21 per cent of India's total annual cashew kernel exports of 80,000 tonnes, valued at $900 million, emerging the largest importer. The airline extensively peppers the curved nut produced by an evergreen tree in its menu, serving and garnishing in its signature delicacies such as butter chicken, khanu badam diya macher, pongal, shahi paneer, murg korma and others.
23/11/19 IANS/Sify

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Afghan Traveller Arrested With US Dollars Worth 10 Lakhs At Delhi Airport

New Delhi: An Afghan passenger has been arrested by CISF personnel at the Delhi airport today for allegedly carrying US dollars worth around Rs. 10 lakh in "unauthorised" manner, officials said.
They said the traveller, Bakhtyari Waheedullah, was intercepted around 5:30 am at the Indira Gandhi International Airport when he was about to board a SpiceJet flight to Kabul.
A total of USD 14,000, in various denominations, was recovered from the man who held a passport of Afghanistan.
23/11/19 PTI/NDTV

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Nepal citizens slap Air India with legal notice

Two passengers who had flown in to India from Nepal for an international environment summit have sent a legal notice to Air India, accusing the national carrier of lacunae in service and causing mental agony to them.
The duo has demanded a compensation of Rs 90,600 from the airline for the poor service. Chhabi Guadel and Lekh Bahadur Tamang had travelled from Kathmandu, Nepal, to Delhi on November 17 and were expected to touch down at 4.15 pm; however, their flight got delayed and they reached the national capital only around 6 pm.
This, in turn, created disruptions in their next Air India flight for Pune, scheduled at 7 pm, which they missed due to the delay in previous flight. The duo had, however, used all their might to convince the ground staff and allow them to board the flight headed for Pune or arrange an alternative flight, the two men insisted. They were turned down by the authorities, they further alleged.
 The next flight that they booked was a midnight one and took off from Delhi at 1am. The two had to make it to Pune on November 18 to attend the Global Sanitation Economy Summit in Pune.
 The notice sent to Air India read, “By this legal notice you are hereby called upon to express your apology for delaying the flight, which resulted in huge economic losses.
You are liable to pay your client, sum of Rs 30,600 for unnecessary booking another flight by IndiGo and for spending Rs 10,000 at a hotel in Delhi.” Speaking to Mirror, Guadel said, “We were in a distressed situation after we landed at the Delhi international airport as we were late by one-anda- half hour.
To be on a safer side, we booked a connecting flight from Delhi to Pune, which was almost two-and-a-half hours later around 7 pm. Our previous flight from Kathmandu, Nepal, was supposed to reach Delhi at 4.15 pm, which landed at 6 pm due to some technical issues.” “Though the immigration officials were very co-operative and helped us to get done with the procedure swiftly, we couldn’t make it to the flight within 45 minutes before the boarding procedure was completed,” Guadel added.
23/11/19 Supriya Dedganonkar/Pune Mirror

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TMC suggests direct flight to Europe from Kolkata

New Delhi: Flights connecting Kolkata with Europe and in-flight announcements in regional language were the two key suggestions related to civil aviation made in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Ahmed Hassan of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) urged the government to ensure direct flights between Kolkata and European countries as it will benefit many states in the region such as Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and other northeastern states.

He said that direct flights would help boost trade and tourism in the region.
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) founder Vaiko wanted the flight announcements to be made in regional language, at least flights within a state. He sought the support of fellow members for executing the idea.

"Flight announcements in India should be made in regional language, at least, in the flights operating within a state," he said.
Vaiko said that air travel was no longer a luxury and people fly from various parts of the country to the Gulf region. Further, salaried and middle class people are also flying. The lawmaker from Tamil Nadu said that announcements for precautionary measures and other guidelines are made only in Hindi and English.
22/11/19 Social News.xyz

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SpiceJet to set up JV airline at Ras Al Khaimah with 49% share; eyes East Europe

SpiceJet will be setting up an airline at Ras Al Khaimah with a local partner and will have a 49 percent shareholding in the joint venture, Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said.

The airline will initially have a fleet of 4-5 Boeing MAX. However, SpiceJet is yet to finalise the local partner and apply to the local regulatory body for an air operator permit.

As per the current bilateral arrangement with Ras Al Khaimah, SpiceJet has the availability to operate two flights per week as the remaining two flights are operated by Air India Express. Air India Express operates flights between Kozhikode and Ras Al Khaimah on Wednesday and Friday.

While SpiceJet is yet to decide the departure point of Ras Al Khaimah flights from India, it is certain that the Middle East is an important market for the airline.

"We are looking at East Europe, Africa... we are getting some incentives from the airport.. they want us to start operations with as many aircraft as we want... the more the better," a senior official said.
21/11/19 Anu Sharma/CNBC TV18

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Bangkok-bound plane towed back due to tech snag

Chennai: A Bangkok-bound Thai Airlines flight with 268 passengers and nine crew members was towed back to the bay after the pilot stopped it on the runway due to a technical snag at the airport here on Wednesday.
Airport sources said when the flight came to the run way for the takeoff, the pilot noticed a technical snag.

The pilot immediately stopped the aircraft on the runway and it was later towed back to the bay.

Since the snag could not be rectified, the flight was cancelled and all the passengers were accommodated in various hotels. The aircraft would leave for Bangkok tomorrow morning.

Since the alert pilot noticed the snag in time, a major mishap was averted and the 277 passengers, including the crew had a providential escape, the sources said.
20/11/19 DT Next

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SpiceJet, Gulf Air sign MoU to explore codeshare and coordinated engineering services

New Delhi: SpiceJet and Bahrain's national carrier Gulf Air on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore possibilities regarding interline and codeshare agreement, coordinated cargo services, engineering services and pilot training.
 The MoU was signed by Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director, SpiceJet, and Krešimir Kucko, chief executive officer, Gulf Air, in New Delhi.
 "SpiceJet and Gulf Air will look at collaborating in the field of pilot training to nurture talent in order to deliver the finest resources for both the airlines. The airlines will also engage and collaborate to enhance their respective cargo and engineering services," the Indian budget carrier said in a statement.
20/11/19 PTI/Economic Times

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Japan's ANA launches direct flight between Chennai and Tokyo

Chennai: Japan's airline "All Nippon Airways" has launched a direct flight from Narita International Airport in Japan to Chennai.
Chennai in southern India is a popular city for Japanese companies. The reason is that there is an industrial complex area and that it is a major area for business in south India. Chennai is one of those Indian cities with a rapidly developing infrastructure.

Under these situations, Japan's airline "All Nippon Airways" has taken a direct flight from Narita International Airport in Japan to Chennai. ANA is expanding service in Asia next to an increase flight route to Bangkok.

"Japan and India will have deeper relationships with East Asian Economic Partnership Agreement and human exchanges, it is expected that the importance of business will expand in India. India's economy is growing rapidly, it is expected that the middle-income group will increase and that we will expand the importance of visiting Japan. As India's southern part is unexplored by Japanese companies, we hope that the only ANA that flies direct flights will be developed, leading to large business demands," Yasuyuki Tommitsu, Official, All Nippon Airways said.
At Chennai International Airport, the ceremony of the first flight between Narita to Chennai was held.
20/11/19 ANI/India Today

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150 Indians deported from US land at Delhi airport

Their American dream shattered and huge savings wasted, nearly 150 Indians returned home broke on Wednesday after being deported for either violating visa norms or illegally entering the United States.
 As they stepped outside the airport, one after the other, they appeared sad. Some said they felt dejected that they could not realise their American dream even after several attempts.
 "This was the fourth time I have been deported," said Singh Jabarjung, 24, from Punjab's Bhatinda. "I boarded a flight on May 15 and reached Mexico via Moscow and Paris. From there, I tried to enter California on May 16 but was caught by police and deported from Arizona," he said.
He said he has spent Rs 24 lakh in the four attempts and Rs 40 lakh on advocacy. Lakshiwnder Singh, another deportee, said he had given Rs 25 lakh to an Amritsar-based agent to help him enter the US. "He sent me to Mexico on May 2 via Moscow and Paris. They caught me while I was trying to cross the border and deported here from Arizona in US," he said.
 The special aircraft carrying the deportees landed at the T3 terminal of the Delhi airport at 6am, an airport official said. The aircraft reached India via Bangladesh.
 20/11/19 PTI/Economic Times

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Qatar, India hold talks on air transport

New Delhi: Bilateral talks between the civil aviation authorities of Qatar and India were held in New Delhi on Monday.

The Qatari side was chaired by HE the Chairman of Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority Abdullah bin Nasser Turki al-Subaie, while the Indian side was headed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation Pradeep Singh Kharola.

HE Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker also attended the talks.

Talks dealt with relations between the civil aviation authorities of Qatar and India and its importance on the volume of trade exchange between the two countries and matters of mutual interest.

The two sides stressed the need to continue bilateral meetings for greater co-ordination in matters related to civil aviation.
18/11/19 QNA/Gulf Times

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Boost for trade as Air India set for direct Mumbai-Nairobi flights

Air India is set to resume direct flights between Mumbai and Nairobi on November 27 following a two-month delay.

The direct flights were to begin on September 27 but were delayed to this month due to operational hitches.

“The planning for flights usually takes time and that is why there were operational delays. But all is now set for the flights this month with air tickets currently being sold...The maiden flight is scheduled to depart Mumbai for Nairobi at 6.25 am (local time),” said Indian’s High Commission to Kenya in a statement.

India’s national carrier is scheduled to fly four times a week between Nairobi and Mumbai and will cut travel time from between 10 and 11 hours to six hours. This will save travellers hours spent on flights that usually involve long layovers in Dubai, Middle East.

The commission notes that the flights are expected to shore up trade between India and Kenya as well as other East African Community countries.
Trade between India and Kenya is estimated at $2 billion annually.

According to 2018 data from India’s department of commerce, Kenya exports to India grew from $7.2 million to $137 million in 2017.

The data also indicates that India imports to Kenya went up from $1.974 billion in 2017 to $2.071 billion last year.

Air India used to operate directly between India and Kenya but later abandoned its operations.

Some of the key economic sectors that are expected to greatly benefit from the Mumbai-Nairobi direct flights include tourism, agriculture, health and pharmaceuticals as well as education.
19/11/19 Gerald Andae/Business Daily

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Will diplomatic tensions between India-Malaysia affect HAL's offer to sell Tejas jet?

Financially struggling Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is eyeing to win the contract of supplying indigenously developed Tejas fighter jet to Malaysia, according to reports. The development has come amid worsening diplomatic relations between India and Malaysia after Mahathir Bin Mohamad, the Malaysian Prime Minister, sided with Pakistan over the Kashmir issue at the United Nations.

According to a report by the Print, Tejas is one of the shortlisted aircraft by the Malaysian Air Force for the supply of 36 new Light Combat Aircraft. It will be HAL's first foreign sale if it manages to win the contract.

The Malaysian Air Force is expected to issue a request for proposal (RFP) for the new contract in the year 2020. Besides Tejas, the other contenders participating in the process include China-Pakistan's JF-17, South Korea's T-50 Golden Eagle, Russian YAK-130 and the BAE Systems' armed Hawk.

Moreover, Swedish Gripen - which is also in the race to supply 114 medium multi-role combat aircraft under the Make in India initiative to the Indian Air Force (IAF) - is also participating in the bid.

HAL sources have confirmed that Tejas will be transformed as per the requirements given by the Malaysian Air force. In September, a Malaysian team had visited HAL headquarters and deliberated with the officials on the project.
19/11/19 Ashish Shukla/IBTimes

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Virgin Atlantic reinforces Indian network with summer schedule

Virgin Atlantic is adding a second daily frequency to Delhi to further beef up its Indian network from London Heathrow, as part of a summer schedule in which it will also deploy its new A350 across four more routes.
The UK carrier last summer moved to restore its own flights from Heathrow to Mumbai after the collapse of Indian carrier Jet Airways, with which Virgin had been codesharing.
It has today detailed plans to add a second daily Heathrow-Delhi service from the start of the summer timetable on 29 March 2020.
Prior to its collapse Jet Airways operated thrice-daily services to Heathrow from Mumbai, and a daily connection from Delhi. British Airways has also added an additional frequency to its Mumbai service since the grounding of Jet.
Virgin is also adding a new weekly flight to San Francisco from Heathrow, taking its frequency on the route to double-daily. The airline will debut its new A350 on the route from May 2020.
19/11/19 Graham Dunn/FlightGlobal

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Singapore Airlines, Vistara are India’s favourite airlines

How does India like to fly? In great style and comfort, going by the picks at the Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards 2019. Singapore Airlines was voted by CNT readers as their favourite international airline, while its cousin Vistara was the favourite domestic airline. British Airways was the second favourite international airline, while no-frills carrier IndiGo was our readers’ second favourite airline. Here’s a look at some of the winners.

Favourite Airport:
Winner: Changi Airport, Singapore
Runner-up: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai

Favourite Domestic Airline:
Winner: Vistara
Runner-up: IndiGo

Favourite International Airline:
Winner: Singapore Airlines
Runner-up: British Airways

Favourite Specialist Tour Operator:
Winner: MakeMyTrip
Runner-up: Thomas Cook, India

Favourite Cruise Line:
Winner: Royal Caribbean International
Runner-up: Princess Cruises
20/11/19 Condé Nast Traveller

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India, Russia To Sign Ka-226T Contract By May 2020

The long-delayed Ka-226T helicopter procurement by India is expected to be signed by May 2020.
"An Indo-Russian joint venture has been created. The helicopter is being updated based on the requirements of the Indian Ministry of Defense. We hope to complete the project and sign a contract in the next six months," Alexander Mikheyev, CEO of Rosoboronexport, said on Monday, at the Dubai Airshow 2019.

The JV was setup between Russian Helicopters and Indian defence PSU, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

In 2015, Russia and India signed an intergovernmental agreement on the supply of light Ka-226T helicopters to the Indian side and localization of the production on its territory. The document includes deliveries of 60 Russian-made helicopters and the production of another 140 aircraft in India with a localization level of 50-70%, reports TASS.

In May 2018, the Indian MoD issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure and co-produce 200 Russian Kamov Ka-226T helicopters for the country’s army and air force, estimated to cost INR 21,000 Crore (US$3 billion). Additionally, the JV intends to offer the Ka-226T to the Indian navy as part of a tender for 111 helicopters.
18/11/19 Defense World.net

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Airfares to Australia that will bowl you over

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Tourism Australia today announced the launch of its 'Virtual Travel Fair', a bi-yearly travel sale that gives Indian travellers an opportunity to grab attractive deals on holidays to Australia. What started off as an airline sale, in its sixth and current version has grown into taking leading tourism attractions and experiences across Australia into its fold, ensuring that in addition to unbeatable airfares, travellers receive competitive prices on holiday packages.
The announcement comes off the back of Tourism Australia's latest campaign 'Experience the game and beyond', targeting passionate Indian cricket fans and giving them an opportunity to be a part of the ICC T20 World Cup along with an unparalleled holiday experience in Australia.
As part of the sale, Tourism Australia has partnered with seven major airlines including Air India, Cathay Pacific, China Southern Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, and Thai Airways to offer fares starting from just Rs. 40,000.
The sale is valid from 14 November to 13 December 2019 with a travel validity of up to December 2020.
18/11/19 ANI/Sify

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Sudanese woman held at IGI Airport with 26 kgs sandalwood

New Delhi: A Sudanese woman has been apprehended by CISF personnel at the Delhi airport for allegedly trying to smuggle out around 26 kilograms of sandalwood chips, officials said on Monday.
They said 33-year-old Abeer Alfadil Suliman Hussain was intercepted on Sunday at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport after her activities were found to be suspicious.
"Sandalwood chips weighing about 26 kg, kept in 52 packets of 500 gms each, were recovered from her two bags. The Sudanese woman has been handed over to Customs authorities by CISF officials for further probe."
"She had no documents to justify carrying the banned item," a senior official said.
18/11/19 PTI/Outlook

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IndiGo codeshare to be operationalized from Dec: Qatar Airways

New Delhi: Even as it waits to expand its partnership with IndiGo, Doha-based Qatar Airways will first operationalize its new codeshare agreement with India’s airline major by December. According to Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker, the airline is interested in investing in IndiGo, but will wait till the time issues between the budget carrier’s promoters are resolved. “We would like to expand our relationship with IndiGo,” Al Baker said.

“There is some disagreement within the airline, so we will not comment on our future plans for IndiGo until these issues are resolved,” he added. On the new codeshare, he pointed-out that the agreement will be implemented from December, once the systems of the two airlines are integrated. In aviation parlance, a codeshare agreement allows airlines to sell seats on each others’ flights in order to provide passengers with a wider choice of destinations.  Recently, Al Baker was in New Delhi to sign the one-way codeshare agreement between Qatar Airways and IndiGo.

The deal will enable Qatar Airways to place its code on IndiGo flights between Doha and Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The new agreement, Al Baker said, will offer seamless travel experience to the passengers, who will also be able to access Qatar Airways’ network.
18/11/19 India Post

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Aviation experts cautious on Spicejet's planned UAE expansion pla

For Ras Al Khaimah, it was the next natural step in its ambitious plans to further its plans to grow as a tourist destination.
Spicejet's proposals to not only develop Ras Al Khaimah as a hub, but to establish an airline in the emirate, caused more than a stir in the region's aviation industry.
The RAK Destination Strategy 2019-2021 reported record numbers in August this year, with most international visitors coming from Russia, Czech Republic, India, Poland and Kazakhstan.
While the figures are impressive, industry experts are cautious about the Indian carrier's move to establish a new carrier at RAK International airport, which are already serves as a hub to Air Arabia.
Tobias Ruckerl, CEO of London-based Advanced Aviation Consulting (ADAVCO), has called the move by SpiceJet “brave”.
Operations from the UAE will start in December with a Boeing 737 Next-Generation aircraft flying between New Delhi and Ras Al Khaimah (RKT).
Spicejet will operate five flights a week and aims to gradually increase the frequency.
John Grant, senior analyst at OAG, expressed concerns about the sustainability of having six airlines, including four budget carriers – Flydubai, Air Arabia, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi and any new entity – operating in the same country.
He said: “Historically such ‘growth spurts’ in new entrants ends over time to lead to a period of consolidation. In the short-term it will probably lead to some very competitive fares in the market; great for the traveller in the short term but sustainable from a business perspective...?”
While Ruckerl agreed that it was good news for passengers, although he does not expect it to impact neighbouring airports in the emirate.
17/11/19 Gavin Gibbon/Arabian Business

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Sourcing from India to grow beyond $1 billion, says Boeing India Chief

Global aerospace major Boeing expects annual sourcing of key components from India to grow beyond the current level of $1 billion, a senior company official has said.

At present, more than 160 suppliers provide the company with advanced components and subassemblies for commercial and defence aircraft as part of Boeing's integrated global supply chain.

These parts and assemblies cover critical components such as aerostructures, wire-harness, composites, forgings, avionics, mission systems and ground support equipment.

"Opportunity is a 'buzzword' with us and we are constantly looking at doing more here, with partners... Our annual sourcing from India stands at $1 billion from over 160 suppliers, but this number will continue to grow," Boeing India President Salil Gupte told IANS.
17/11/19 IANS/CNBC TV18

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Russia says India delaying signing helicopters deal despite all information

Dubai: The head of Russian Helicopters said on Sunday that India was delaying the signing of a firm agreement for purchasing 140 helicopters despite providing all information.

Chief Executive Andrey Boginsky also said it would benefit India if the planned order for over 100 rotorcraft for the Indian Navy could be combined with the 140 India is looking to buy for the Army.
India and Russia signed a deal in 2015 under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' programme for the supply of 140 KA 226T helicopters with Russia to deliver 60 and the remaining to be assembled and manufactured in India.

The two countries also have held preliminary talks for the supply of over 100 of the KA 226-T helicopters for the Indian Navy, Boginsky said.

"We have done significant successful work and provided all information to India's ministry of defence, unfortunately there is no efficient and quick way from the Indian side," he told Reuters at the Dubai Air Show.

"We can't understand the reasons for the delay."

On the order for the Indian Navy, Boginsky said India would benefit from combining both orders to gain more value in enhancing its capabilities.
17/11/19 Reuters/Business Standard

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Air India to launch international non-stop flights from Mumbai to Nairobi

New Delhi: Planning a trip to the Kenyan capital Nairobi anytime soon? Well, if you are, then there is good news for you as Air India is all set to launch new international flights on the route.

The national air carrier recently announced that it will be launching flights to Nairobi. Air India will operate flights from Mumbai to Nairobi from November 27, 2019, the airline announced.

According to air carrier, the flights will be non-stop and the bookings for the same will be available on the airline’s official website.

The flights will operate on the route four times a week, the airline said. The days of operation of the flights, according to Air India, will be on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

As per the time table given on the airline’s website, the flight from Mumbai to Nairobi will fly from India at 6:25 am and will arrive at the safari capital of Africa at 10:00 am. As for the return flight, it will fly from Nairobi at 12:00 am and will reach Mumbai at 8:40 pm.
17/11/19 India Today

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Katy Perry and Entourage Ignore Security at Mumbai Airport, Leave Netizens Unimpressed

Katy Perry may have arrived in India and played her set for the thousands of fans that turned up at the grand event held in Mumbai's DY Patil grounds. However, the pop star has angered a few fans online as she seemingly ingnored a security personnel asking for her passport at the Mumbai airport.
A video of the singer leaving Mumbai is doing rounds on social media. The video was captured by paparazzi Viral Bhayani and his team and shows Katy arriving at the airport while she dragged her trolly bag with her. Katy caught up with her fans for selfies and autographs outside the airport and proceeded to walk through the entrance. However, Katy did not seem to pay heed to the security personnel, who asked for her passport in muffled tone. Even a couple of people, who arrived and entered the airport with Katy, seemed to say something as she walked through the automated door.
While some praised the security guy for doing his job, others took a dig at Katy for causing little trouble for the man in authority.
17/11/19 News18.com

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Afghan man held with foreign currency worth Rs 16 lakh at IGI airport

New Delhi: An Afghan national was apprehended by CISF personnel at the Delhi airport on Sunday for allegedly carrying foreign currency worth Rs 16 lakh, officials said.
Sarwar Baryily was intercepted around 6 am at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. He was going to take a flight to Kabul, they said.

USD 15,000, dirham 26, 500 and Afghan currency 3,880 worth about Rs 16 lakh were recovered from Baryily''s bag, the officials said.
17/11/19 PTI/Outlook

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Indian man arrested for illegally carrying USD 25,000 in Nepal airport

 Kathmandu: An Indian national has been arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport here for illegally possessing huge amount of foreign currency.

Satyanarayan Ramacharya, 35, was held when he was about to board a Dubai-bound Oman Air flight on Saturday. The police seized USD 25,000 from him.

The foreign currency, in 100 USD denomination notes, was found in Ramacharya''s hand bag during security check.
17/11/19 Shirish B Pradhan/PTI/Outlook

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South America’s Synergy Group seeks more time to bid for Jet Air

South America’s Synergy Group Corp has asked for a second extension to submit a final bid for Jet Airways, said Grant Thronton’s Ashish Chhawchharia, the Resolution Professional for the airline. The Committee of Creditors (CoC) had earlier given Synergy an extension to submit a bid by November 15.
Synergy was the only company that had placed an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the debt-strapped airline in August. Back then, the CoC had extended the last date to submit an EoI because Synergy had shown the initial interest.
After the EoI, the company signed an non-disclosure agreement which had given it the access to the data room for due diligence.
When BusinessLine asked the RP on Synergy’s plan to place a bid, Chhawchharia said: “They have asked for an extension for about a month till December-end; however, it is subject to approval by the CoC.”
The CoC is scheduled to meet again on November 19.
Another person in the know said that the South American conglomerate, which owns a majority stake in Avianca Airlines, is exploring various options and preparing a business plan as a part of which Synergy is considering a second hub for Jet Airways in South America. The company is also said to be in conversation with a few companies in South America.
15/11/19 Forum Gandhi/Business Line

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IndiGo focus on expanding China ops, third destination soon

New Delhi: After expanding its reach via codeshare to Europe in the West, India''s airline major IndiGo is now focusing singularly on expanding operations to China and beyond.

As a strategy, the airline currently has limited its own flight operations to the edges of Asia, spanning from Istanbul in the west, Hong Kong to the east and Ho Chi Minh City on the Southeast Asia side.

Subsequently, it utilises a codeshare pact with Turkish Airways to connect passengers to over 10 European destinations from the western limit of its operations.

Furthermore, the airline is expected to utilise its new codeshare pact with Qatar Airways in a similar fashion. It recently entered into a one-way codeshare pact with the Doha-based passenger carrier.

The deal between the two carriers will enable Qatar Airways to place its code on IndiGo flights between Doha and Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

In aviation parlance, a codeshare allows two airlines to sell seats on each others'' flights in order to provide passengers with a wider choice of destinations.

However, it is East Asia, particularly China, Indigo has set its sights on to expand international expansion.
15/11/19 IANS/Outlook

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Pressure for direct flights to Heathrow, despite AI launching Stansted route

New Delhi:  Lobbyists for direct nonstop flights between London and Amritsar have hailed the new thrice weekly flights between Stansted and the holy city launched to coincide with the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev but are still keen on direct flights between Amritsar and Heathrow.

British Sikh MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, who lobbied for the re-introduction of London-Amritsar route, told TOI, “The flights operating between London Stansted and Amritsar is welcome news. I’m grateful to Air India and the Indian government for having taken this decision. It’s been a long-standing issue for the Punjabi diaspora. But a direct Heathrow-Amritsar route would be best, since hundreds of thousands of Punjabi NRIs travelling from North America via London would be able to connect directly, not to mention the huge potential of religious and cultural tourism arising from the community surrounding Heathrow.”

His views were echoed by Sameep Singh Gumtala, Global Convener of FlyAmritsar Initiative and overseas secretary of NGO Amritsar Vikas Manch, the civil society non-governmental organisation working for the development of Amritsar and Charan Kanwal Singh Sekhon, chairman of the charity SEVA Trust UK. Both have campaigned for the London-Amritsar route for two years.

Gumtala travelled from the USA to Amritsar specially to fly on the inaugural flight from Amritsar to Stansted, which had 160 passengers, while Sekhon took the first flight from Stansted to Amritsar on October 31. “We would have got more passengers had the flight gone from Heathrow,” Gumtala said.
15/11/19 Naomi Canton/Times of India

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Jet grounding, delays overshadow Dubai Airshow; airlines review fleet plans

The biennial civil and military expo is a major showcase for wares from jumbo jets to military drones but faces growing questions over demand and the capability of overstretched suppliers, delegates arriving for the Nov. 17-21 event said.
Top of their agenda will be the worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX in the wake of two deadly crashes.

Investors who have pushed up Boeing shares believe the planemaker is turning a corner after the eight month grounding, with the company predicting commercial flights in January. But it also faces a logjam of undelivered jets that could take 1-2 years to unwind.
State-owned flydubai expects its fleet will now shrink by a third this year, highlighting the cost of the grounding for the biggest MAX customer outside the United States. "Flydubai has very big ambitions ... given the scale of those ambitions, there's little they can do but wait and watch, like everyone else," said Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia.

Boeing lost one potential MAX customer earlier this year as Saudi budget airline flyadeal ditched a provisional order.
Experts say airline frustrations with plane and engine makers could also disrupt plans by the world's largest jetmakers pushing for order endorsements. The Middle East's largest aerospace event will give Airbus and Boeing a chance to sit with some of their top customers who have threatened to walk from billions in deals.

The planemakers are struggling to deliver aircraft on time, forcing airlines to delay expansion plans, while engines on some jets are consistently causing issues for carriers.

"This seems to be a systemic issue across the board," said Novus Aviation Capital Managing Director Mounir Kuzbari.
15/11/19 Alexander Cornwell, Tim Hepher, Ankit Ajmera, Stanley Carvalho/Reuters/Business Standard

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Empire Aviation expands into Egypt

Dubai: Business aviation services provider Empire Aviation has announced at show the launch of an aircraft management operation in Egypt, with a Bombardier Global 6000 the first aircraft to be inducted into the fleet.

The Dubai-headquartered company has also expanded its support offering, with the provision of continuing airworthiness management organisation (CAMO) services to charter and management companies across its bases in Africa, India, the Middle East, San Marino and the USA.

A CAMO is designed to ensure aircraft owners comply with the stringent legal and technical demands of operating a business aircraft.

“Based on Empire’s extensive experience with its own managed aircraft and the CAMO certification, the company has now launched CAMO services as a stand-alone offer for third-party aircraft owners and operators,” says Empire.

Two business jets are already on CAMO-only contracts, says Empire, which “takes responsibility for the quality management, auditing and records of each contracted aircraft”.

Empire currently operates a growing fleet of some 20 managed business aircraft across its global operation.

It says the Egyptian-based Global 6000 will be available for charter and expects the long-range twin to be well received.

The 6,000nm [11,100km]-range aircraft “comfortably accommodates up to 13 [passengers] in a luxurious cabin, and has a well-equipped galley, plus a private stateroom,” says Empire. The Global 6000 is also fitted with the latest “in onboard entertainment” including Ka-band internet connectivity which “ensures that wherever the aircraft travels, passengers will always stay connected”.
16/11/19 Kate Sarsfield/Flight Global

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Hero air traffic controller from Pakistan saves India to Oman flight from major disaster

An air traffic controller from the Civil Aviation Authority in Pakistan on Thursday saved a plane flying from the Indian city of Jaipur to Muscat by guiding it through air traffic during an emergency.

According to reports, the air plane, carrying 150 passengers, was flying over the Karachi region when it was caught in the middle of a weather pattern with lots of lightning that could have resulted in a catastrophe.

Following the lightning strikes, the plane dropped down from an altitude of 36,000 feet to 34,000 feet almost immediately. As a result, the pilot initiated emergency protocol and broadcast 'Mayday' to nearby stations.

The air traffic controller from Pakistan responded to the call of the captain of the plane and directed it through the dense air traffic in the vicinity for the remainder of the journey in Pakistani airspace.

Sources in the aviation authority said that the aircraft had encountered abnormal weather conditions near the Chor area of the southern province of Sindh.
15/11/19 Geo

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Chinese national held at IGI airport with satellite phone

A Chinese national was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on Thursday for carrying a banned satellite phone, the police said.

The Chinese national, Chang Wen Tang, was detained by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at Terminal 2, from where he was to catch a flight to Raipur, after the Thuraya satellite phone was found in his luggage. He was later handed over to Delhi Police for further action.
15/11/19 IANS/India Today

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India kicks off Air India privatisation process in Singapore

Indian government has kicked off the process for privatising its debt-ridden national carrier Air India with a high level official team from the Department of Investment & Public Asset Management (DIPAM), civil aviation ministry and Air India conducting roadshows in Singapore this week, government sources have said.
The Indian government team is likely to visit London and Dubai also for discussions with prospective investors as a precursor to inviting expressions of interest (EoI).
“The team, headed by Secretary, DIPAM (T K Pandey), will make presentations and interact with prospective investors, including foreign airlines, investment funds and even HNIs (high net worth individuals) to gauge investor response and their feedback for the proposed divestment,” a member of the secretary-level core group formed to deal with Air India privatisation, told Arabian Business.
Indian government plans to divest 100 percent of its stake in the national carrier. Global management consultancy EY is advising the Indian government on the Air India divestment transaction.
Foreign investors, including foreign airlines and airport operators, can, however, hold only up to 49 percent equity in Air India under the foreign direct investment (FDI) rules for the aviation sector.
“As of now, there is no move to change the FDI rule for aviation sector to allow foreign investors to hold majority stake in the airline,” the senior government official said.
The core group member said the overseas road shows are mainly meant to woo foreign financial investors - international funds, HNIs, etc – who may want to hold minority stakes in Air India, looking at the long-term prospective of the airline, post-privatisation.
14/11/19 James Mathew/Arabian Business

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Hawaiian-JAL JV expands scope to include Russia and India

Hawaiian Airlines and Japan Air Lines have expanded the geographic scope of their proposed joint venture to include numerous additional connections across Asia and the Pacific, as well as current and future service to India and Russia, in an attempt to show additional public benefits from a project they say deserves US antitrust immunity (ATI).

The revised joint venture, as described in a document published on the US Department of Transportation’s website on 13 November, moves beyond direct Japan-Hawaii flights to now include all Asia-Hawaii nonstop flights, connections between Tokyo and Guam, South Pacific connecting routes served by Hawaiian, as well as additional South Pacific points that Hawaiian might serve in the future.

“In reevaluating the structure of the joint venture, the applicants identified two additional countries that they could serve: India and Russia,” the document reads.

JAL currently serves New Delhi, India, and plans to fly to Bangalore and Vladivostok, Russia from the first quarter of 2020. The airlines argue that these flights could provide additional traffic to Hawaii and the proposed JV.

“Although the incremental traffic is not projected to be as significant as other connecting opportunities (such as to points within domestic Japan), any incremental traffic will increase the public interest benefits produced by the joint venture," the document says.
13/11/19 Pilar Wolfsteller/Flight Global

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Jet Airways may see faster resolution under India's proposed cross-border insolvency framework

India will soon set up a cross-border framework for dealing with insolvency cases involving assets and creditors of insolvent companies spread across various geographies, a move which is expected to see faster resolution of cases such as Jet Airways and UAE-based subsidiaries of bankrupt IL&FS (Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd).

“Though foreign creditors and vendors can make claims for their loans and dues from Indian companies which are under insolvency under the newly enacted Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) law, the proposed cross-border framework will adopt a model law – in the lines of UNCITRAL Model Law – to provide added avenues for dealing with their claims,” a senior official of the Corporate Affairs Ministry, told Arabian Business.

“The proposed amendments to the IBC Act will also provide recognition of foreign insolvency proceedings, foster cooperation and communication between domestic and foreign courts and insolvency professionals,” the federal ministry official said.
The amendment bill to the IBC, which envisages cross-border framework to deal with insolvency cases, is expected to be introduced in the winter session of Indian Parliament, during its sitting from November 18 until December 13.

Insolvency cases such as the grounded Indian airline Jet Airways, which has Etihad as a foreign investor and several international companies as its aircraft leasing agencies and other vendors, have been stuck at India’s insolvency court, partly because of parallel legal proceedings for claims on its assets by foreign lenders and vendors in their respective countries.

Similarly, the bankrupt IL&FS group’s efforts to sell stake in the $79 million robotic car parking project at Dubai Courts of Park Line LLC, a subsidiary of IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd (ITNL) and NextGen Parking (NGP), part of the Dubai-based KBW Investments, have also hit hurdles in the absence of cross-border framework to deal with foreign assets of insolvent Indian companies.
13/11/19  James Mathew/Arabian Business

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Jaffna Int’l Airport commences commercial flight operations

Sri Lanka’s third and newest international airport, the Jaffna International Airport (JIA), has commenced international commercial flight operations from 11November 2019.

The inauguration of operations was initiated by Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, as it begins scheduled flights weekly from Jaffna to Chennai.

This occasion also marks a milestone in Sri Lankan aviation history, with local operator FITS Aviation becoming the first privately owned local airline licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka to operate internationally.

The airline will operate scheduled and charter flights from JIA to Chennai and Tiruchirappalli International Airports in South India. Speaking on the momentous occasion, Dammika Ranatunga, Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited, said, “We are extremely proud of JIA’s transformation. After decades of non-operation, it will now contribute greatly to the Sri Lankan economy by boosting tourism opportunities and increasing investment prospects in the hospitality sector.”
Many Sri Lankans travel year-round to India mainly on Pilgrim Tourism. Further,  travellers from India to Sri Lanka are increasing as India continues to generate the highest number of tourists for Sri Lanka.
The commencement of international flights between Jaffna and South India help to save valuable travel time for people in the North East as they can now travel via Jaffna as opposed to the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).
13/11/19 Daily News

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Virgin Atlantic Inaugurates New Mumbai Dreamliner Service

Virgin Atlantic began flying to Mumbai at the end of October this year. The first flights have been met with typical Indian warmth and hospitality, with their 78,690 additional winter seats a welcome addition in the wake of the loss of Jet Airways. We take a look at Virgin’s new Mumbai flights, and how they launched the service.
While some airlines like to make a loud noise on their very first flight of a route, Virgin Atlantic like to do things a bit differently. The UK airline prefers to take a little time over its inauguration of routes, giving themselves a couple of weeks to make sure everything is running like a well-oiled machine before the spotlight is turned on.
This is why, although the flights to Mumbai began at the end of October, Virgin Atlantic is just celebrating its new route now. We say ‘new’, but actually Mumbai is a route restart, after Virgin cut its service there over four years ago.
The flights between London Heathrow and Mumbai are operated on a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, with a daily service linking the two cities. It’s the third new destination that Virgin announced this year, with Tel Aviv and Sao Paulo previously revealed. EVP of commercial at Virgin, Juha Jarvinen commented in a press release,
11/11/19 Joanna Bailey/Simple Flying

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Grounded in Dubai: Mumbai-bound flight returns after take-off

An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft operating from Dubai to Mumbai returned to Dubai airport after an hour due to technical reasons and was grounded on Tuesday.

"There is a minor technical issue and it will only take one to two hours to rectify the issue. But since safety is our first priority, the flight has returned to Dubai. Necessary material and technical team has already been sent to Dubai and the flight will take off at approximate 10 pm (local time)," Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar told ANI.

A total of 244 passengers were on board the flight and were deplaned safely at Dubai airport as per standard operating procedure (SOP). Air India has provided accommodation and food to all the passengers.

Kumar said that the flight will take some time to be in operation because a team, along with required material will fly from India to Dubai, and will only start work after clearance from customs and security at the airport there.
12/11/19 ANI/Gulf News

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Bengaluru airport adds Amsterdam and Addis Ababa to its destination map

The Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB) has launched seven new destinations and two new international airlines for the winter schedule that started on October 26, 2019, and will be in effect until March 28, 2020.
Ethiopian Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch are the new airlines linking Bengaluru to Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia (non-stop four weekly) and Amsterdam (three weekly).
Golden City Jaisalmer (Spice Jet, six weekly flights from November 16), Jodhpur (Indigo, daily from October 27), Jharsuguda (Spice Jet, daily from November 16), Bidar, a northern district of Karnataka (True Jet, daily from December 1) and Tuticorin (Indigo, daily from October 27) are the five new domestic destinations.
“Introducing new routes and airlines will significantly transform BLR Airport as the gateway to a new India. We will continue to explore attractive routes that connect Bengaluru to some of the most exotic destinations in India and abroad,” said Satyaki Raghunath, chief strategy & development officer, BIAL.
Operated by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the airport now has 82 destinations in its map with 25 international cities.
12/11/19 ITLN

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Govt to start Air India roadshows in Singapore this week

New Delhi: The government will start roadshows for privatisation of ailing state-run Air India this week in Singapore with Disinvestment Secretary T.K. Pandey along with senior aviation ministry and Air India officials to brief the prospective buyers for complete stake sale in the airline.

Sources said Pandey will be in Singapore this week along with senior aviation ministry and Air India officials to meet prospective bidders, address their concerns on Air India debt position, employee issues, and start the roadshows.

There are possibilities now for Air India Expression of Interest to be floated this month after this meeting. The national carrier has a debt of Rs 57,000 crore and the bids will be invited for 100 per cent stake.

Once the roadshows start, this will mark the start of privatisation of Air India at the ground level, sources said.

Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola and Air India management have been discussing with the trade unions assuring them of security even after privatisation. The unions are opposed to privatisation fearing job losses.

As part of efforts to clean up the balance sheet of Air India before stake sale, around Rs 30,000 crore of its debt is proposed to be repaid by way of proceeds from the issuance of bonds by its special purpose vehicle, Air India Asset Holding Ltd (AIAHL).
11/10/19 IANS/Outlook

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More flights for Saudi Arabia as Centre increases seat quota by 78%

Mumbai: India and Saudi Arabia have revised their air services agreement, enabling an increase in flights between the two countries.

The weekly seat quota for the carriers of the two countries has been increased from 28,000 to 50,000 as part of the MoU signed in Riyadh on October 29. The increase in seats will take place in a phased manner.
According to the civil aviation ministry, the seat quota will rise to 36,000 in the first instance and then to 44,000 and 50,000 in the next two phases after certain conditions are met.

Indian carriers will continue to get unlimited access at Dammam airport, in the capital of Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

While India has turned down demands from West Asian states including Qatar and the UAE for an increase in seats — last month the government had declined the UAE’s proposal for more flights — it made an exception for Saudi Arabia. As India-Saudi relations are on an upswing with co-operation in various areas, Indian carriers did not oppose the proposal to hike the quota. This is because of limited traffic through Saudi Arabia, with most of the passenger flow being point to point. This is unlike airports like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, or Muscat, which serve as hubs for Indians travelling to Africa, Europe, and the US.
10/11/19 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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