Filmmaker appeals to Obama for justice; asks for apology

Mumbai: Vijay Kumar, a Mumbai-based filmmaker researching Jihadi terrorism who was detained in Houston for carrying Jihadi literature and brass knuckles, has written a letter to the US President appealing for justice. He also said that the concerned authorities should apologise for being given a raw deal.
In August this year, Kumar was invited to speak at a peace conference on Jihadi terrorism in Houston, US. He was on his way to Vancouver, Canada, when he was arrested at the Houston airport on August 20. In his letter, he has appealed to the President that his name be cleared from US criminal records.
Kumar was charged with a third degree felony, reserved for someone who is considered a national threat. After being sent to a county jail in Houston, Kumar was released on September 15. But at the immigration centre, his visa was revoked.
He was put in a detention centre again, where for several days, he was forced to have meat, he claims. Kumar is a vegetarian. By the time he could make it to Vancouver, Canada's Border Security Force informed him that he could not enter because he had committed a crime in USA.
Kumar cannot obtain visa for any country now.
Kumar is yet in Canada, as his passport is with the Canadian authorities. He said that it would take some time for him to get it back.
But before leaving the city, he wants his name cleared. Otherwise, he would always be treated as a suspect when he travels to other countries.
08/11/10 Ketan Ranga/MiD DAY

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Airlines relish rebound after two lean years

Paris: Commercial airlines in the United States, Europe and Asia are at last relishing a rebound in their financial fortunes, announcing profit spurts after two very lean years. The civil aviation sector in recent months has enjoyed a pronounced pick-up in both passenger and freight demand, with airlines welcoming the return of high-end travellers with deep pockets.
US carriers United, Continental, American Airlines and Delta Airlines earlier this month reported solid net earnings, followed this past week by upbeat announcements from airlines in Europe and Asia.
"Airlines are experiencing a growth in traffic volumes and -- most importantly -- a price context that is extremely favourable," said analyst Pierre Boucheny of Kepler Capital.
In the face of a brutal plunge in demand during the finance crisis, airlines undertook drastic capacity cuts and cost reduction initiatives.
Now, as demand firms, carriers have some margin to raise prices.
FBE Aerospace analyst Saj Ahmad nonetheless sounded a cautionary note.
"A recovery does indeed seem under way -- however we are a very long way off from previous profit margins and even further away from sustained profitability.
"With so many mergers in the pipeline, all the hard work could be undone as airlines work for synergies and amalgamation of their businesses -- so it's not over yet.
31/10/10 Agence France-Presse/Hindustan Times

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Why fly to Delhi? Singapore's cheaper

Mumbai: It's easier flying to Kuala Lumpur than to New Delhi. Seriously. Domestic travel has gone down because of cheaper international fares and easy access to countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Tickets on international routes are selling out fast while tickets for domestic tourist destinations like Kullu Manali, Shimla, Goa and Kerala, have few buyers.
The fares on international routes announced by low cost airline AirAsia start from Rs 4,000 for a Mumbai-Kuala Lumpur flight. The tickets on Indian carriers operating on the domestic sector are higher. The airfare for Mumbai- Delhi is at least Rs 5,000.
"We have noticed that the traffic in the international sector has increased because of low cost airlines floating cheaper tickets. If a three-night-four-day stay in Kullu Manali is more expensive than Kuala Lumpur, wouldn't you rather fly abroad," asks Devang Sanghvi, owner, Venus Holidays Limited.
31/10/10 Bipin Kumar Singh/MiD DAY

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German aviation agent expelled from India

New Delhi: An agent working for Eurojet in India has been expelled for alleged fraudulent activities involving company's bid for a major $822 million jet engine deal.
The agent, a German, was allegedly caught trying to bribe Indian defense officials to replace a Eurojet commercial bid with that of a lower one after discovering that the bid was higher than others, the 24-hour English-language news television channel News X said.
But the attempt backfired, News X said. Shortly after his alleged bribery was discovered, he was told to leave the county immediately, which he did last month. The agent, identified as "von Schoenfeld," had worked in New Delhi for eight years.
After leaving India, he reportedly told Indian media -- before any announcement by Indian defense officials -- that the Eurojet bid was the lowest bid, in particular 18 percent lower than that of General Electric.
A report in India's Business Standard newspaper said it had knowledge that the European consortium Eurojet bid $666 million for the 99 engines, against General Electric's bid of $822 million.
The agent's disclosures to the media prompted the military's Defense Research and Development Organization to issue a statement ahead of officially awarding the contract, saying that GE Avionics with their GE F414 engine was the lowest bidder for the contract.
29/10/10 UPI

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Explosive packages 'a threat' but won't hurt Obama's trip

Washington: US President Barack Obama called the discovery of some suspicious packages with "explosive material" as "a credible threat against our country," but officials considered it unlikely to affect his trip to India next week. "Whenever the President travels, we take a very careful look at what the threat environment might be and look at what the terrorist environment is," White House counter terrorism chief John Brennan told reporters on Friday.
"So we're taking this into account, but at this point there is no effect," he said at a White House briefing on discovery of suspicious packages in at least two locations abroad that were bound for Jewish organizations in the United States.
Asked if New Delhi had been briefed as India is the first stop on his four-nation swing through Asia, Brennan said: "We share on a regular basis with the Indian government. The Indian government is one of our best counter terrorism partners."
The packages led to increased searches of cargo planes and trucks in several US cities, CNN said citing law enforcement sources with detailed knowledge of the investigation.
30/10/10 Indo-Asian News Service/Hindustan Times

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AI starts more international flights from Bangalore

Bangalore: Air India will operate more hub and spoke flights from Bangalore with effect from October 31 enabling convenient international connections to Bangalore passengers.
These flights will land at the T3 terminal in Delhi.
In the morning, AI 625 (BangaloreDelhi), will leave Bangalore at 0930 hours to reach Delhi at 1200 hours daily. It will connect to AI 121 (DelhiFrankfurt) leaving Delhi daily at 1335 hrs, AI 111 (DelhiLondon) leaving Delhi daily at 1450 hours and AI 143 (DelhiParis) leaving Delhi at 1255 hours on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. In the evenings, flight AI 623 will leave Bangalore at 2010 hours to reach Delhi at 2245 hours daily. It will connect the flights AI 101 (DelhiNew York) leaving Delhi at 0045 hours, AI 127 (DelhiChicago) leaving Delhi at 0130 hrs and AI 187 (DelhiToronto) leaving Delhi at 0145 hours. Passengers will be able to checkin at Bangalore airport for their international destination.
30/10/10 ExpressBuzz

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Sharjah flight returns to Kochi

An Air India Express flight bound for Sharjah returned to Kochi 45 minutes after it took off following a technical problem, reports Press Trust of India.
The flight with 142 passengers and nine crew members on board had taken off from from Nedumbassery International Airport in Kochi, Kerala, at 10:15am.
29/10/10 Emirates 24-7

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Kanishka victims’ Xmas gift

Toronto: Canada is set to disburse an ex-gratia payment to the Air India Kanishka victims before Christmas.
Though the Canadian immigration minister, Mr Jason Kenney, and the public safety minister, Mr Vic Toews, in their meeting with families of the victims last week had cited the precedence of up to $25,000 as exgratia payment in such cases, sources said on Thursday that the unspecified amount to be paid would not disappoint the families. The families of each victim were paid upward of $75,000 in a settlement in 1991.
30/10/10 Deccan Chronicle

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Pan Am hijack compensation: 'US disowned Indian victims'

New Delhi: More than 24 years ago, her daughter, Neerja Bhanot, died at the hands of Libya-backed terrorists, who had hijacked a Pan Am aircraft at the Karachi Airport. Now, Chandigarh-based Rama Bhanot, unhappy with the discriminatory attitude of the US government in settling claims cases of those who died in the hijack, has sought an audience with US President Barack Obama.
Neerja was the first Indian woman to get the Ashok Chakra in what was a recognition of the supreme sacrifice made by her of giving up her life to save the lives of passengers on board the aircraft. It were the US citizens, who were the main target of the four Palestinian terrorists who had carried out the hijacking. She fell to a hail of bullets after she had opened the emergency doors, flung a chute and was assisting passengers in escaping from the aircraft.
In a letter to the White House and the US Ambassador to India, Bhanot and over 120 other Indians, including families of 13 Indians who were killed in the 1986 hijacking, have asked Obama to provide justice to them.
29/10/10 Maneesh Chhibber/Indian Express

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MACL to transfer regional airports’ fuel and fire services employees to GMR

Male: Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) employees at fire services and fuel services of regional airports will be transferred to India’s GMR Infrastructure, the company said Thursday.
MACL Managing Director Mohamed Ibrahim said the decision was made, as the company should transfer all the employees responsible for airport operations.
“Employees at fire services and fuel services of regional airports are sent by us. They will be transferred to GMR within two days,” he said.
Ibrahim noted that the company employees remaining at regional airports are traffic control tower staff. While about 1,200 employees are being transferred to GMR, employees who received transfer letters are signing GMR’s employment agreement, he added.
28/10/10 haveeru online

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Now, second check-in bag to cost $50 extra on flights to US

New Delhi: Now the key to get a great bargain between India and US is — travel light. From November 15, the world's largest airline, Continental, and German major Lufthansa will stop allowing economy passengers to check in two bags, weighing up to 23kg, free of cost. Instead, they will levy a $50 charge on the second bag and a similar fee for each subsequent bag.
The two other US carriers operating in India, American Airlines and Delta, already levy a charge for the second check-in bag. Recently, the Air France-KLM combine introduced this concept even on flights between India and Europe. Industry sources say it's just a matter of time before Indian carriers start emulating their western counterparts to earn some more money and reduce spending on handling baggage. Continental Airlines has a daily direct flight between New York Liberty and Delhi (the first non-stop flight between the two countries launched five years back) and Mumbai.
29/10/10 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Etihad to launch all-economy class aircraft next week

Dubai: Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has said that it will operate its first all-economy class aircraft from October 31 to Alexandria, Colombo, Damascus, Calicut, Thiruvananthapuram and Peshawar.
The airline has announced that Airbus A320 will be re-configured to carry 162 economy class passengers, an increase of 42 from the current capacity.
To the Indian Subcontinent it will operate daily to Thiruvananthapuram, three times weekly on Calicut flights, twice weekly on flights to Peshawar in Pakistan, and four times weekly to the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.
29/10/10 Economic Times

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Life-saver at Euro airports from Indian innovator

London: Kromek, the Durham (UK)-based technology company founded and headed by Kolkata-born Arnab Basu, has received the official European Union certification to provide its colour x-ray liquid detection system to all European airports.
By April 2011, liquid items will be allowed on board if the appropriate security measures are in place at the airports concerned. The results of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC)-led trials prove the technology is ready to allow the 2011 regulatory deadline to be met by the airports. By April 2013, the ban will be lifted completely, allowing the carriage of liquids on flights across Europe.
The company is also in talks with the Indian civil aviation sector and hopes to have the the new product in place at Indian airports by the first quarter of next year. Kromek’s bottle scanner has qualified as a Category-B device (scan every single bottle without opening), that has achieved Type-1 (lower threshold to detecting threats) and Type-2 (higher threshold) 100 per cent capability and been officially tested, verified and authorised by ECAC. As of now, all EU airports are free to buy and implement Kromek’s bottle scanner product. The product, from drawing board to its final version, took a little over two years and was developed by a team of 55 at Kromek. It can handle up to the size of a two-litre Coke bottle and by itself measures three-fourth of a metre by three-fourth of a metre.
29/10/10 Business Standard

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A-I failure is Bhutan's flying hope

Guwahati: Bhutan’s government-owned airline has adopted a loss-making international circuit that Air India abandoned eight years ago. Suicidal soar? No, insists Drukair or Royal Bhutan Airlines, not with the global dream riding on a local need – to provide the Himalayan country’s eastern half a faster way to reach capital Thimphu.
AI had in April 2002 launched the once-a-week Guwahati-Bangkok flight with a “viable” target of 60 per cent seat occupancy. Poor demand put paid to the service within 15 months.
“We studied the pros and cons for two years before deciding to launch our Paro-Guwahati-Bangkok flight from October 31,” said Drukair’s CEO Tandin Jamso here Wednesday.
Paro, at an elevation of 7300 ft, is Bhutan’s only airport 58 km from Thimphu.
Jamso hopes the Rs 1.6 billion Drukair, with plans to fly to Hong Kong and Singapore, can sustain its “global via Guwahati” operation unlike AI.
One reason is Drukair’s inter-regional focus with Kathmandu, Dhaka and major Indian metropolises on the radar. Another – more important to Bhutan’s internal affairs – is eastern Bhutan’s communication bottlenecks.
28/10/10 Rahul Karmakar/Hindustan Times

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Fresh route lets passengers Goa direct to India

Glasgow Airport is spreading its wings with what is believed to be Scotland's first direct flight to India, to be launched next year by Thomas Cook Airlines.
The airport's largest charter airline will operate a return service to Goa during the Easter holidays next April. The move is understood to be aimed at gauging potential demand for developing the route.
The news comes as a further boost after budget carrier Jet2 announced it would launch a base at Glasgow for European flights next summer, creating 150 jobs, as The Scotsman revealed last month. Glasgow has lost nearly one in ten of its passengers over the last year because of the recession and the collapse of a series of airlines, including Flyglobespan.
28/10/10 Alastair Dalton/Scotsman

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Melbourne ok for Air India: Reports

Air India has at last been granted permission to fly to Melbourne by the country’s civil aviation ministry, reports in India have claimed. India Express.com quoted airline sources as saying the flights were “recently” approved. But the delay has damaged its marketing strategy as flights will miss the peak winter season, the report said.
26/10/10 Steve Jones/Travel Weekly

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Delayed ticket to Oz makes AI lose out on winter traffic

New Delhi: After a series of flip flops, state-owned Air India has been granted permission to fly to Melbourne by civil aviation ministry recently, sources in the airline said. However, delays in granting route clearance has dented the timing and thrown a wet blanket over the carrier’s marketing strategy, claimed airline sources. “The ministry has approved the route too late in the day. And we have already missed the peak winter season,” said an airline source.
Any route needs at least three months’ time to be logged into the Global Distibution Systems which markets it and sells the tickets. “Typically, international leisure travel is planned months in advance and bookings done much before. In this case, Air India has missed the load factors,” said the source.
Air India had made a strong pitch for the Delhi-Melbourne sector, and had even announced its plans in June to launch a non-stop flight in November this year, but the plan was hanging fire after the ministry reportedly twice rejected the proposal in as many months.
26/10/10 Smita Aggarwal/Indian Express

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Emirates' travel arm to enter Indian market 2011

New Delhi: Luxury airline Emirates' travel and tour segment company Dnata World Travel Monday said it will enter the Indian market by the second quarter of 2011 and focus on the corporate travel sector.
"Initially focusing on bringing Dnata's expertise in the corporate travel sector to travellers in India, Dnata expects to commence operations by the second quarter of 2011," the company said in a statement.
The company also plans to hire more than 100 employees for its two centralised travel service contact centres in Delhi and Mumbai.
"Unlike other regional ventures we have undertaken, we will not be have a local partner, but will be running the business and making the total investment ourselves," said Abdulla Tawakul, senior vice president, corporate and regional network, Dnata Travel Services in Dubai.
25/10/10 IANS/Economic Times

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AI, Boeing plans to submit design project: report

US aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, which is setting up a multi-million MRO facility in a joint venture with Air India at the upcoming Special Economic Zone near Nagpur, is planning to submit the project design to the authorities soon, according to a report.
The company has already appointed an architect to prepare the design, adds report.
26/10/10 India Infoline

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Swiss International Air Lines has launched a number of deals on flights to India

The lower priced fares are available until 15th November and will include flights leaving from Birmingham, Manchester, London Heathrow and City, connecting via Zurich airport.
Return flights to Mumbai will start at £362 from Birmingham, £365 from Manchester, £375 from London Heathrow Airport and £376 from London City Airport.
Those looking for flights to Dubai will be able to purchase tickets starting at £372 from Birmingham, £375 from Manchester and £385 from London Heathrow.
The airline recently increased the number of flights it is offering between Zurich and India with two new additional services per week.
25/10/10 Ruth Norris/Southall Travel

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Air India-Boeing MRO JV project design soon

Mumbai: US aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, which is setting up a multi-million MRO facility in a joint venture with Air India at the upcoming Special Economic Zone near Nagpur, is likely to submit the project design to the authorities soon, a top official said. The company has already appointed an architect to prepare the design, the official said. "The architect has been appointed...they have taken the measurement...they will submit the (project) design very soon," Maharashtra Airport Development Company's Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, R C Sinha, told PTI. Once the design is finalised, it will be submitted to MADC for approval, Sinha said. "Construction work is expected to start within this calender year," he said.
The USD 100-million MRO, to be spread over an area of 50-acres, is a part of the industrial offset agreement between the national air-carrier and Boeing Company following the signing of a massive order for purchase of 68 Boeing aircraft including 27 Dreamliners 787 at USD 11-billion in January 2006.
24/10/10 PTI/IBN Live

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Air India to wind up Frankfurt hub, take Alliance regional

New Delhi: The Air India management has some ambitious plans to turn around the loss-making national carrier. These include ceasing hub operations at Frankfurt, converting subsidiary Alliance Air into a full-fledged regional carrier and beginning domestic low-cost operation through Air India Express.
Already, plans have been finalised to stop ‘scissor’ or hub operations from Frankfurt, from October 31 and the six flights which converge there at present will be converted into direct operations to Europe and the Americas.
Not only will cancelling hub operations at Frankfurt save the national carrier `200-250 crore every year, this move will also bring in smaller Indian cities into the airline’s international network because the direct connections bring into the international fold cities such as Ahmedabad.
The earlier practice of routing passengers from Ahmedabad, Delhi and Mumbai and from Chicago, Toronto and Newark to Frankfurt will be discontinued.
Then, official sources tell us the airline also plans to convert Alliance Air into a full fledged regional airline — which means connecting a major city with several smaller stations in each region.
At the moment, the Alliance Air hubs are only in Delhi and Kolkata and new ones may be created at Chennai, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
25/10/10 Sindhu Bhattacharya/Daily News & Analysis

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Maoist whirr in chopper race

New Delhi: The counter-Naxalite drive often called Operation Green Hunt has resulted in a huge demand for helicopters that two global majors are vying to capture for the millions of dollars on offer.
The market for choppers has suddenly expanded with state and central police forces asking for more rotary-wing aircraft. There is a spurt in the demand because the Indian Air Force has told the Union home ministry it does not have enough to spare.
The Indian Air Force and the Indian Army are also in the middle of trials to buy hundreds of military helicopters. But global chopper-makers, Bell Textron and Eurocopter, are more enthused by the demand from the police forces because of the tardy process of military procurement.
Bell Textron is best known for the the UH-1 “Huey” – a legendary flying-machine that the US used in the war against the communist guerrillas (role models for the Naxalites) in Vietnam in the early 1970s – and was quicker off the blocks having sold its first helicopter in India nearly 53 years ago.
It has now sold more than 100 of different types of helicopters from its stable, increasingly to private and public sector companies. In 2009 alone, the company sold 22.
This week Eurocopter, part of the European aviation firm EADS, announced that it was setting up an Indian subsidiary. The company estimates that the Indian market will be worth nearly $ 140 million dollars in five years.
24/10/10 Sujan Dutta/The Telegraph

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Medical student delivers baby on board Etihad

A medical student delivered a healthy baby boy on board an Etihad flight that had to be diverted to Muscat when she went into labour on Sunday.
The pregnant woman Aminath Raushan, who was travelling with her husband Abdullah Shahid, were on board a flight from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India, to Abu Dhabi, reported Gulf News. They were en route to Minsk in Belarus, where she is a medical student.
The flight was diverted to Muscat International Airport to provide medical care to the mother and child. They were shifted to Royal Hospital in Muscat.
25/10/10 Emirates 24-7

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Air India crash victims’ kin to form action committee

Family members and relatives of the Air India crash victims met in Dubai again this weekend, for the second time in less than seven days, to form an action committee against the delaying tactics by airline representatives in awarding compensation.
The Air India Express flight that was flying from Dubai to Mangalore on May 22 crashed at the Mangalore airport after it overshot the runway killing 158 passengers. An investigation in the accident revealed that the incident was caused by pilot negligence.
The family members are protesting the lack of transparency and commitment from the airline and its representatives towards awarding compensation to the kith and kin of the crash victims.
Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe and a UK firm are representing Air India's insurance underwriters in compensating victims of the Air India air disaster.
Relatives who met again on Friday said they would form a representative committee that would operate under the Malabar Pravasi Coordination Council (MPCC), a UAE based association representing Non Resident Indians from Kerala State.
“Our first step will be to take it up at the political level. We are planning to take up the issue up the president of India and to the President of the ruling Congress party, Sonia Gandhi. The committee will meet again and finalise these decisions,” said Abdul Rahman, who lost his wife and children in the crash.
Members have also threatened to file a legal case in the UAE, the place where the flight originated, in-order to force the officials into taking speedy action.
The Air India Express plane crash in Mangalore is estimated to result in an insurance claim that could reach Rs4 billion (Dh313m, $85m) – the largest payout in Indian aviation history – according to experts.
25/10/10 Joseph George/Emirates 24-7

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Last Haj flight from Aurangabad takes off to Jeddah

Aurangabad: The last flight of the first phase of Haj schedule took off from Chikalthana Airport to Jeddah on 21 October. Although there was heavy rain on Thursday evening there was no change in flight schedule. The first phase of Haj schedule started on October 9.
Flights from Chikalthana to Jeddah are being operated by NAS AIR, an aviation company from Saudi Arabia while Air India conducted off flight operations.
23/10/10 Riyaz Momin/TwoCircles.net

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25 years later, Canada offers $25,000 to each Kanishka victim family

Toronto: The Canadian government has reportedly offered $20,000 to $25,000 to families of each Air India Kanishka victim - 25 years after all 329 people on board Flight 182 from Montreal to New Delhi perished when it was blown off mid-air near the Irish coast June 23, 1985.
A public inquiry by former Canadian chief justice John Major in June blamed various Canadian agencies for failing to stop the bombing plot by Khalistani militants and asked the government to compensate the families.
Member of some victim families met Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and public safety minister Vic Toews here Friday for discussions on the package.
The ministers are said to have made no offers at the meeting, but reports say the Canadian government has told the families that compensation offered in similar cases ranged from $20,000 to $25,000 for each victim.
Though the families have already been paid about $75,000 each in an out-of-court settlement a few years ago, the John Major inquiry report asked the government to compensate them further.
But some families are not happy with the reported offer, citing the huge payout of $10 million by Libya to relatives of each victim in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
The proposed compensation is part of the current Canadian government to put closure on the tragedy.
23/10/10 IANS/Thaindian.com

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IBS to host global aviation conference in Dubai next week

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala-based travel and logistics software provider, IBS Software Services, is expecting to win more clients as passenger movements would be up by 7.5 per cent and cargo by 18.5 per cent this fiscal, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
IBS is hosting a a global airline meet, the IBS International Airline Forum, in Dubai from Oct 25-28. Over 120 senior officials of more than 35 airlines all over the world are expected to participate.
'We have won most of our deals in the recent past beating competitors like Unisys, SITA, Amadeus and Saber. With regards to Air India we were beaten by others because of our costs and we are confident very soon we will have them too in the near future,' Mathews told the media here Friday.
IBS products are sought after in the cargo segment and in the airline operations, part of which include the crew management solutions and airport management systems.
Their client list of IBS now includes Cathay Pacific, Qantas, South African, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Sri Lankan, Malaysian Airlines, Jet Blue (USA) All Nippon Airways (Japan), besides Indian clients like Jet Airways and Kingfisher.
22/10/10 IANS/Sify.com

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Plane hit by cart at Kolkata airport

Kolkata: The chartered aircraft of Joyce Meyer, a leading practical Bible teacher, was badly damaged when an inebriated staffer of a private airline rammed his cart into the plane on Wednesday night. The evangelist and her team are on an Asia missions trip to Thailand and India and are currently in Kolkata where conferences and sessions titled Festival of Life are scheduled from October 21 to 24. The errant driver has been suspended.
Routine operations were under way at Kolkata airport on Wednesday night when the driver of a Kingfisher Airlines push-back cart, Ram Singh, rammed the vehicle into the plane parked in a poorly-lit section of the airport at 10.30pm. The cart's upper part tore into the wing of the plane, ripping a portion off the body.
A probe initiated into the incident by the DGCA official in Kolkata revealed that Singh was already inebriated when he reported for duty at 9pm.
The plane, a Gulfstream Aerospace IV aircraft (registration no. N7 JM), had landed in Kolkata the previous evening at 6.30pm. On board were three crew members and nine passengers, including evangelists Dave and Joyce Meyer, pastors Tommy Barnett and Dino Rizzo and worship leader Darlene Zschech.
22/10/10 Times of India

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After annoying airport experience, Patel wants quid pro quo

New Delhi: Stung by his "annoying" experience at London-Heathrow and Chicago's O'Hare airports in the recent past, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has mooted a quid pro quo policy over the issue of extending courtesies and protocols to visiting foreign VIPs.
Patel has directed his Ministry to suggest to the External Affairs Ministry that this policy be adopted for protocols on a country-to-country basis in the same manner as the courtesies extended to Indian dignitaries abroad.
The directive came after the Minister was questioned by US immigration officials at O'Hare Airport late last month after his name and date of birth matched with that of another person reportedly on watch-list.
US Administration officials had later apologised for the mistake.
Patel had the "annoying" experience at Heathrow in London in March this year when he had gone for a review meeting and was later slapped a bill of Pound 416 for using the lounge at the new Terminal 5.
A senior official said Patel has suggested that "equivalent charges be levied, on a reciprocal basis, with all those countries whose airports charge for use of their VIP lounges."
In a letter to the External Affairs Ministry, the Civil Aviation Ministry said Patel has also recommended that the MEA should consider "differentiating between the use of the lounge by foreign VIPs for official and private purposes, and, should a lounge be used during a private journey, appropriate charges be levied upon the individual concerned."
22/10/10 Press Trust of India/NDTV.com

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Indian aviation gear makers set for takeoff

New Delhi: Indian companies producing aviation products could go global post the visit of the US President, Mr Barack Obama.
This follows indications that India and the US could ink the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) during the Presidential visit. This would lead to mutual acceptance of each others aeronautical products and parts developed in either country.
“An executive agreement is likely to be signed during the visit which could open a host of business opportunities for Indian aviation companies,” official sources told Business Line. Mr Obama is expected to begin his visit in the first week of next month.
A team from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) was here in August for 15 days and visited facilities in Delhi and Bangalore to study certification procedures for engines, propellers and design of aircraft and components being produced here, sources said. The Indian authorities have already demonstrated to the FAA a life raft that can hold four people.
21/10/10 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line

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Foreign airlines catch return flight to India

Foreign airlines that folded operations in India in the wake of the economic downturn are flying back to a market expected to grow at the fastest pace in the world in the next two decades.
While RAK Airways of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Austrian Airlines AG are restarting flights they closed down over the past two years, carriers such as AirAsia Bhd, Lufthansa Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines AG, EgyptAir, Etihad Airways PJSC, FlyDubai and Air Seychelles have either introduced services or plan to add new routes to India.
India’s domestic air traffic grew 14.87% and international air traffic 15.54% in fiscal 2010, according to the ministry of civil aviation. Several analysts at brokerages tracking airline stocks expect double-digit growth in passenger traffic this fiscal too.
RAK Airways is restarting operations to Kozhikode, as well as Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, by this month-end.
Austrian Airlines, acquired by Deutsche Lufthansa AG in September 2009, will relaunch services between Vienna and Mumbai on 1 November.
Beginning 31 October, Lufthansa German Airlines, Swiss International Airlines and Austrian Airlines—all owned by the group—will fly 75 weekly flights from various Indian cities to Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Vienna, according to a statement by the Luftansa Group.
Swiss International will serve both its Indian routes, Delhi–Zurich and Mumbai–Zurich, with daily flights, up from six a week to Delhi and five a week to Mumbai currently.
Air Seychelles will start a direct flight to Chennai from November to meet the demand from Seychelles’ growing Indian community, says its website.
Cairo-based Egypt Air will add one more flight to its Mumbai route to make it five flights a week from 2 November, general manager (India) Ahmed Wasfy said. Etihad Airways of the UAE will add Bangalore as its eighth Indian destination from 1 January.
Other West Asian carriers such as Qatar Airways and the UAE’s Emirates Airlines, as well as Malaysia’s low-cost carrier AirAsia, also plan to expand operations in India.
22/10/10 P.R. Sanjai/Live Mint

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Kenney, Toews to meet Air India families

Ottawa and Toronto: Two Harper government ministers are meeting privately with relatives of Air India victims in Toronto Friday, though the Conservatives refuse to divulge whether they'll provide more details of promised compensation during the get-together.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and Public Safety Minister Vic Toews will gather Friday afternoon with families of the victims of the 1985 airplane bombing that claimed 329 lives. The Conservatives were not saying where in Toronto.
Government officials would also not reveal whether the ministers would update relatives on compensation pledged by Prime Minister Stephen Harper four months ago.
“This meeting was never intended to generate any sort of announcement,” one official said.
“It was always intended to be a private meeting between the ministers and the families.”
Relatives of those killed in the bombing have been seeking justice for more than a quarter century. During a speech to security professionals last week in Ottawa, a lawyer who represented families during the Air India inquiry pointed out that at least three relatives of victims had died since June.
The government said only that the ministers are meeting to take advice from families on how to proceed.
The Tories are also seeking input on how to prevent another such attack.
21/10/10 Steven Chase and Anthony Reinhart/Globe & Mail

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Flying to the US? Get set to reveal more details

Bangalore: The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on Wednesday that the rule, which would be effective from November 1, makes it mandatory for all passengers travelling to the US to include their date of birth (as it appears on a government-issued ID card) and gender, in addition to their full name on all bookings.
The inclusion of additional data was in accordance with the ‘Secure Flight Passenger Data’ programme, wherein passengers will have to include the additional information, in addition to their full name on all bookings, 72 hours prior their intended departure.
As per the rules, passengers are required to provide their date of birth and gender and also the Redress Number (if available) for the purpose of watch list
This regulation would be applicable to all international flights to and from the United States and also within the US, irrespective of when the booking is made.
TSA said passengers who failed to provide the necessary Secure Flight Passenger Data may be refused boarding by the US authorities.
21/10/10 ExpressBuzz

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Alitalia and Jet Airways in code sharing pact

Rome: Alitalia and Jet Airways today exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that confirms the airlines’ intention to operate codeshare flights to start in the Winter season of 2010 . The agreement will mean Jet Airways customers around the world will be able to fly to new Italian destinations, served by Alitalia. Alitalia customers will be able to fly directly from Italy to India with new destinations.
Jet Airways will operate daily direct services between Milan Malpensa and New Delhi starting on December 5, 2010.
Under the proposed deal, Jet Airways could place its two-letter ‘9W’ code on selected services operated by Alitalia. In turn, Alitalia could place its ‘AZ’ code on Jet Airways’ selected services, including flights between Italy and India* (subject to government approvals). The agreement strengthens Alitalia’s offer from the Milan Malpensa Airport and will contribute to the growth of Alitalia and SkyTeam on the Far East market, where the alliance already holds a leadership position.
Further to codeshare opportunities the cooperation agreement between Alitalia and Jet Airways covers frequent flyers program partnerships, ground activities and cargo services.
Naresh Goyal, Jet Airways’ chairman, said: “India and Italy share strong ties, ranging across leisure and business tourism and commercial trade. Thanks to the MOU signed today we will be able to offer our customers a wider access to Italy’s top destinations, with Italy’s premium airline”.
Roberto Colaninno, Alitalia’s chairman said “The MOU with Jet Airways is a further step in Alitalia’s strategy of growing on the global marketplace, and follows the key agreements that Alitalia already signed with Aeroflot, Etihad and Vietnam Airlines”.
20/10/10 PRESS RELEASE/Jet Airways

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Flying Kolkata to Bangkok? Travel on just Rs 2,500

Thai AirAsia ” a joint venture between Asia Aviation Co and Air Asia” is planning to launch two daily services from the city to Bangkok, with a fare as low as Rs 2,500.
As a first step to this, Thai AirAsia on Wednesday announced the launch of a direct flight linking Bangkok to Kolkata from December 1.
"We will start with one daily flight from Kolkata, at an introductory price of Rs 2,500 (one-way). If demand increases, we may add one more flight to this in another six months," said Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijleveld.
Moreover, the company is also planning to launch a Kolkata to Phuket or Mumbai to Phuket service next fiscal.
From December 1, the airline will also start four flights a week between Delhi and Bangkok at an all-inclusive one-way fare of Rs 4,500.
21/10/10 Business Standard/Sify.com

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Etihad Airways offers free visas

Kochi: Etihad Airways on Wednesday said it would be offering free visas to people travelling from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode airports to Abu Dhabi.
This was part of a special promotion of the airline's visa processing service launched with TT Services in May this year. The offer is also valid to the travelers from other Indian destinations of Etihad, the airlines said in a press release here.
Indians travelling on Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi can take advantage of the offer by booking a flight to the UAE between Oct 15-Nov 15, for travel between Oct 20-Dec 15. The two types of visas offered free of charge are Tourist visa for 30 days and Entry Permit for 14 days.
Customers need to apply for their free online visa through TT Services at www.ttsuaevisas.com.
20/10/10 PTI/Economic Times

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More flights to Bangkok on cards

Kolkata: Connectivity to the Thai capital is expected to get a fillip from December 1 when AirAsia introduces daily flights between Kolkata and Bangkok, with the prospect of increasing the frequency to twice daily in six to eight months.
With Thai Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways and Air India Express already operating between Kolkata and Bangkok, the addition of AirAsia's daily service is set to spark a fare war. Experts in the travel trade industry predict a fierce dogfight over the Bay of Bengal as airlines slash margins to corner market share.
AirAsia, that reduced its frequency in the Kolkata-Kuala Lumpur sector from daily flights to thrice-a-week, is betting big time on Kolkata- Bangkok route. It will reportedly begin the onslaught with a return fare of Rs 5,000, promising that its highest fare would be at least 20% cheaper than legacy carriers at all times. At present, the average return fare to Bangkok is around Rs 11,000.
21/10/10 Times of India

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Eurocopter Inaugurates India Subsidiary

Eurocopter today inaugurated its new Indian subsidiary, which has been given the goals of expanding the world’s largest helicopter manufacturer’s commercial presence in this highly-promising marketplace, reinforcing its support and services network throughout the country, and further developing the company’s four-decade relationship with Indian industry.
Eurocopter India Pvt. Ltd. is the 25th subsidiary established worldwide by Eurocopter and the 10th in Asia – underscoring the group’s commitment of being close to its customers and contributing to the helicopter sector’s evolution in key markets.
The new subsidiary is headquartered in New Delhi and has an existing facility in Bangalore for the management of industrial activity. An engineering centre will be created in Bangalore next year, along with the opening of a new commercial office in Mumbai. Eurocopter India’s current headcount of 30 employees is expected to grow significantly during the coming years as the company evolves its commercial, industrial and services/support presence in the country.
20/10/10 RotorNews

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Centre ropes in Saudi airlines to fly Haj pilgrims

New Delhi: The government has been able to save Rs 175 crore on Haj subsidy this year by selecting three Saudi airlines through the sealed tender process to fly Indian pilgrims to perform the worship, instead of national carrier Air India doing it.
“Operating costs of Air India for flying Haj pilgrims are higher than Saudi airlines because jet fuel costs more in India than elsewhere. So it made sense to discontinue the tradition and save on the subsidy,” a senior official in the civil aviation ministry told ET. Air India had also participated in the tender process.
The government paid Haj subsidy of Rs 770 crore last year, which is provided in flight tickets and accommodation provided to the Haj pilgrims.
“We have saved around 25% of the subsidy paid last year because of competitive bidding for flying Haj pilgrims,” he said.
For the first time in 45 years, the country’s national carrier Air India will not transport Haj pilgrims. Three Saudi airlines — Saudi Arabian Airlines , Al-Wafeer Air and NAS Air — will operate 431 flights for Haj pilgrims.
Saudi carriers have an advantage as they get jet fuel at a cheaper rate than India.
21/10/10 Anindya Upadhyay/Economic Times

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Govt to save 25% on Haj subsidy via competitive bidding

New Delhi: The government will be able to save 25 per cent on Haj subsidy by designating carriers for flying pilgrims through global competitive bidding.
“We will be able to save around Rs 170 crore this year just by selecting carriers through competitive bidding for flying Haj pilgrims,” said a senior civil aviation ministry official, who did not want to be identified. Last year, the government had paid a subsidy of Rs 770 crore.
Saudi Arabian Airlines, Al-Wafer and Nasair won bids for operating Haj flights as they quoted the minimum fare. Air India tried, but was outbid. These three Saudi carriers will together operate 431 flights to bring in the pilgrims.
In the last 45 years, the government for the first time selected airlines through competitive bidding. Till last year, Air India used to be the designate carrier for Haj operations and operate on a cost basis.
21/10/10 Mihir Mishra/Business Standard

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AVM rejects Air India claim on better connectivity of Amritsar-London-Toronto flight

Amritsar: Amritsar Vikas Manch has contradicted Air India’s claim that with the new schedule of Amritsar-London-Toronto flight from 31 October 2010, passengers will get daily connectivity to London and Toronto and will also save on time.
In a memorandum addressed to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Union Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel, Amritsar Vikas Manch Patron Dr. Charanjit Singh Gumtala has stated that according to statistics, Amritsar-London-Toronto is one of the most profit making routes served by Air India and by switching it through from 31 October, cargo business from Amritsar will be adversely affected as well because AI had earlier pressed into service a Boeing 777 on this route with a perishable cargo capacity of 24 tonnes and an almost equal capacity for the non-perishable cargo.
Data for the past 4 years shows that Air India has been discontinuing its hub-and- spoke flight that connects Amritsar to New York ,London ,Chicago, Singapore and other places from15 Dec to31 January owing to fog,but Amritsar-London- Toronto flight operates through out the year as it originates from Amritsar and its time is altered according to Amritsar season. So new route will not be in the interest of Punjabis nor of Air India itself .
20/10/10 Punjab Newsline

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Cathay Pacific appoints Yasser Ahmad as Assistant Sales Manager for East India

Yasser Ahmad has been appointed Cathay Pacific Airways’ Assistant Sales Manager – East India. Ahmad will oversee passenger sales & revenue for Cathay Pacific and is responsible for the development and execution of sales strategy for the region. Born and educated in Kolkata, Yasser was working with British Airways for twelve years(1997-2009) as Account Manager East India and then moved on to become General Manager of Travels & Rentals, a TMC with five branches in East India. He started his career with Damania Airways in 1994 as Airport Manager Kolkata. In October 2010 he was appointed Assistant Sales Manager - East India for Cathay Pacific to oversee sales in East India.
20/10/10 India Infoline.com

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Newark airport security screeners charged with stealing from Indian women passengers

Newark: The two security screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport stole up to $700 every time they worked, furtively grabbing hundred dollar bills from carry-on luggage belonging to women flying home to India, authorities said.
They joked about wanting to steal in front of their supervisors and brazenly split up the cash under the watch of an airport security camera. On one occasion, the chief suspect looked up at the camera and raised his middle finger, authorities said.
"If I find an envelope, I’m taking it. I swear to my kids," said the screener, Michael Arato, according to a criminal complaint filed today in federal court in Newark.
The 41-year-old TSA supervisor was arrested Tuesday on charges of embezzlement and other crimes for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from passengers as they shuffled through security checkpoints at the airport’s Terminal B to board AirIndia flights between Sept. 13 and Oct. 5.
The charges against Arato, of Ewing, come after his alleged co-conspirator spent a month secretly cooperating with investigators from the Port Authority Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security.
Arato and his alleged accomplice have worked as screeners at the airport since 2002 and began stealing from passengers at least a year ago, taking an average of $400 to $700 per shift, authorities said. Both men allegedly took money, sometimes operating in tandem as one distracted the passenger and the other grabbed the money. As a supervisor, Arato demanded his subordinate give him half of everything he stole, authorities said.
They primarily targeted non-English speaking women boarding a non-stop flight to India that departs Newark each night at 6:20, rifling through their bags for wads of cash, then peeling off a few bills in hopes they wouldn’t immediately be missed, authorities said.
At one point, Arato allegedly said he didn’t mind stealing, saying he was angry at the women for "leaving this country with our money," according to the complaint.
19/10/10 NJ.com, US

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Air Service Agreement between India and Iraq Modified

Civil Aviation consultations were held between India and Iraq on 18-19 October 2010 to discuss matters relating to operation of air services between their respective territories. The Indian delegation was led by Mr Prashant Sukul, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the Iraqi side was led by Mr Ali.K.Ibrahim Director Air Traffic Services.
Now both sides can designate multiple airlines for operations between the countries. Earlier there was provision for only one airline from each side. The designated airlines of each side shall be entitled to operate upto a total of 12 frequencies per week in each direction, with any type of aircraft not exceeding the capacity of 250 seats. Earlier entitlements were restricted to 2 services per week.
The designated airlines of India are now entitled to operate to Baghdad, Basrah, Al Najaf and one more point to be specified later. Reciprocally the designated airlines of Iraq can operate to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and one more point to be specified later. Earlier only one point of call was available for each side.
Since the existing Air Services Agreement (ASA) was signed in 1955, the two sides agreed that it needs to be updated and modernised. Therefore the two sides exchanged their respective draft texts of Air Services Agreement to be finalised at a later stage. Pending finalisation of a new ASA it was agreed that the existing agreement shall be modified to incorporate therein new Articles on Safety, Aviation Security and Cooperative Marketing Arrangements (code share).
19/10/10 PRESS RELEASE/Press Information Bureau

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Lufthansa A330's engine shut down in flight

A Lufthansa Airbus A330-300, registration D-AIKM performing flight LH-751 from Kolkata (India) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 152 passengers and 13 crew, was climbing out of Kolkata when the crew needed to shut an engine (Trent 772) down due to some technical problem. The crew decided to return to Kolkata, burned off fuel and landed safely about 2 hours after departure. Airport officials reported, the airplane experienced technical trouble.
Passengers reported, there was smoke in the cabin.
19/10/10 Simon Hradecky/Aviation Herald

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Meeting with Air India families raises hope of compensation

Federal officials will meet Friday with relatives of victims of the 1985 Air India bombing, raising hopes that compensation promised by Prime Minister Stephen Harper four months ago will be forthcoming.
The meeting, to be held in the Toronto area, where many of the 329 passengers killed aboard Flight 182 lived, is expected to include “one or more federal ministers,” said Norman Boxall, a lawyer who represented families at an inquiry into the bombing.
“What I’ve been told is family members are going to receive an update, but I don’t know on which issues,” Mr. Boxall said. “I would expect the update to include what’s happening on compensation.”
Relatives of those killed in the bombing have been seeking justice for more than a quarter century. During a speech to security professionals last week in Ottawa, Mr. Boxall pointed out that at least three relatives of Air India victims had died since June.
That was when Mr. Justice John Major released the findings of an inquiry into Canadian authorities’ bungling of the Air India investigation.
The findings called for establishment of a powerful national security czar to mediate between the RCMP and Canada’s spy agency, CSIS. An investigative turf war between the agencies led to the mishandling of valuable intelligence before and after the bombing.
19/10/10 Anthony Reinhart/Globe and Mail, Canada

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SriLankan Airlines adds flights to India

SriLankan Airlines plans to improve connections to major Indian cities by adding several flights to Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, a statement said.
The island's national carrier, one of the largest overseas operators into India, will add three more flights a week to Mumbai, and one more to both Chennai and Bangalore, starting December 01.
“We are expanding our operations to India," SriLankan’s Head of Worldwide Sales Mohamed Fazeel said.
"Our aim is to provide several flights a day to all major cities there to allow travellers to choose which time of day they would prefer to fly.
SriLankan also recently announced that it will be acquiring seven more aircraft by the end of 2011, including five Airbus A320s that would serve Indian destinations.
9/10/10 Lankan Business Online

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India and USA to Enter into Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement

The Government of India and USA are in the process of entering into Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) which would eventually lead to mutual acceptance of aeronautical products/parts developed in either countries. Subsequent to completion of all preparatory works, two very important activities towards achieving BASA have been recently completed. These are (a) ‘Technical Assessment’ of DGCA by FAA in eleven defined areas, and (b) a shadow certification project where the DGCA carried out actual work and the FAA reviewed.
In this regard, a six member team of FAA, USA visited DGCA Headquarters, New Delhi to conduct review of DGCA aircraft certification system and carry out the Technical Assessment. The FAA team observed that the DGCA has a very sound aircraft certification system in place commensurate with the rules, regulations, working procedures, etc.
Subsequently, the FAA team carried out review of ‘shadow certification’ project (which is development of 4-seat general aviation liferaft by M/s. Goodrich at Bangalore) for two days. The FAA team was satisfied with the review conducted by them.
18/10/10 PRESS RELEASE/Press Information Bureau

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Haj pilgrims to fly directly to Jeddah

Ranchi: A single flight will now connect Ranchi and Jeddah starting tomorrow — a historic occasion for the state’s Haj pilgrims.
For the first time, at 2.50pm tomorrow, a batch of 281 Haj pilgrims from Jharkhand will take off for Jeddah from Ranchi’s Birsa Munda International Airport. No longer will the pilgrims have to make a trip to Calcutta to catch a flight to Saudi Arabia.
All 2,728 Haj pilgrims from across the state will land at Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport courtesy Saudi Arabia’s Nas Airways. The initiative to start the direct flights, 16 each way, was taken by Union food processing minister Subodh Kant Sahay. The Nas Airways Boeing 757 aircraft will land in Ranchi at 11.50am to pick up the first 281 lucky pilgrims, with Sahay flagging off the flight.
“Pilgrims will leave in batches between October 19 and November 3. They will come back between December 19 and December 30,” said Mukhtar Ahmed of the Jharkhand State Haj Committee.
Pilgrims from across the state have already started arriving in the capital, where they are being accommodated at the Haj House in Kadru. Buses have been organised to ferry them to Birsa Munda airport, where a makeshift terminal will facilitate security checks and immigration formalities. Adequate seating arrangements have also been made at the temporary terminal for pilgrims awaiting their flight.
19/10/10 Santosh K. Kiro/The Telegraph

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Family of pilot who died in cockpit says no ailment history

Mumbai As the family of Qatar Airways Pilot Captain Ajay Kukreja, who died last week in the cockpit while flying from Manila to Doha, had a chautha ceremony at their Santacruz residence on Saturday, relatives said Kukreja had no history of heart ailment.
“He had cleared his medicals 15 days prior to the flight. The cardiac arrest happened in the cockpit. All possible medical help was provided when the plane landed at Kuala Lumpur Airport,” said a relative. Kukreja was declared dead at the Kuala Lumpur Airport.
It is extremely rare for a pilot to pass away in the cockpit although there have been instances of pilots becoming incapacitated during flights.
Passengers on the Manila-Doha flight were unaware of the death of their pilot and Qatar Airways was able to change its crew only at the Kuala Lumpur Airport. “This would have been an emergency situation, not a danger situation. There is an emergency procedure which ensures that co-pilots land the flight safely in case the commander is incapacitated,” said Captain Girish Kaushik.
Aviation safety expert A Ranganathan said this underlined the importance the industry must place in the training of co-pilots.
“We must ensure that we do not cut corners in training. We must train our co-pilots in such a manner that they are able to land and take off from the very beginning. Currently, according to a DGCA circular, co-pilots are not allowed to land on their own until they have completed 300 hours of flying on that aircraft,” Ranganathan said.
18/10/10 Express India

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RAK Airways increases frequency of Calicut flights to meet surge in demand

RAK Airways, a national carrier of the UAE, has increased the frequency of its Calicut flights to meet high passenger demand. Effective October 31st, 2010 the carrier will offer five flights a week to Calicut departing from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport at 1610.
RAK Airways first flight to Jeddah, KSA, departed on October 10th, 2010, marking the re-launch of its scheduled services. RAK Airways has since revealed that load factors in its inaugural week have been between 70 - 80%.
RAK Airways is positioning itself in the niche market between the well-established commercial airlines and the more recently established low cost carriers. Although fares are extremely competitive RAK Airways are focused on providing a value offering that differentiates it from the low cost carriers.
Included in the price of each RAK Airways flight is a full hot meal and non-alcoholic beverages on-board all flights, a baggage allowance of 30kg per passenger as well as the normal hand baggage allowance and free shuttle service between the neighbouring emirates for each flight.
Flights to Calicut will be on Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays leaving RAK International Airport at 16.10 and arriving in Calicut at 21.00. Return flights from Calicut will be on Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays leaving at 22.00 and arriving at RAK International Airport at 00.45.
18/10/10 AME Info.com

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India’s low-fare carrier enters Sri Lankan airspace

India’s low cost carrier Spice Jet entered the Sri Lankan airspace last week with Colombo being its second international destination. Spice Jet will operate daily flights to India, arriving in Colombo at night and an early morning departure to Chennai. The airline recently launched flights to Kathmandu.
Speaking to the Business Times on why Colombo was added to the network, Spice Jet Promoter and Director B. S. Kansagra said there is a lot of demand in India now for flights to Sri Lanka. He said Spice Jet offers the best fares across the board, and has now decided to extend this opportunity to the Sri Lankans who wish to visit India.
“Colombo is known as a good shopping destination. Here the fabrics are very competitively priced compared to India. There are also a lot of other attractions here in Sri Lanka. Tourists from both our countries can benefit especially from the special low cost fares offered by Spice Jet,” he said.
Commenting further of the future plans of expansion, Mr Kansagra said, “depending on the numbers we will be looking at another flight out of Colombo and hopping flights (two destinations in one package) by the end of the first quarter 2011. We are also looking at having direct flights to other Indian cities. We are looking at an average 80 % load per flight on this route.”
17/10/10 Chanaka de Silva/Sunday Times, Sri Lanka

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Indo-Soviet plane deal worries UK

New Delhi: Britain had made strong representations to the Government of India regarding India’s proposed deal with the Soviet Union for the purpose of freighter planes and helicopters. It is gathered that Britain had sought an assurance from India that the Russian pilots who will come to India to train Indian crews will have no access to the 85 Canberra Bombers supplied by Britain to the IAF, which are equipped with patented secret equipment.
17/10/10 Deccan Chronicle

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Woman held for travelling with invalid pasport

Hyderabad: A woman passenger who disembarked from an Emirates flight was taken into custody by the immigration officials at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) for travelling with an invalid passport on Saturday.
According to Cyberabad police, 24-year-old Ananta arrived from Doha on Saturday morning.
During immigration check, the sleuths found that the passport on which she has travelled did not belong to her. The passport was in the name of one Pilli Mariam of Visakhapatnam district.
However, Anantamma claimed she was innocent as the passport was given to her by the Indian Embassy officials in Doha. Ananta went to Doha a couple of years ago and has been working as a labourer.
She went to the foreign country using her genuine passport and deposited it with her employer.
Ananta, who was not happy working at Doha, wanted to return to India. But as her employer refused to return the passport to her, Ananta applied for another passport at Indian Embassy in Doha.
Police are yet to register a case as investigation is still under progress.
17/10/10 ExpressBuzz

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Maid had no illness, Omani sponsor tells fact-finding mission

Muscat: The stranded housemaid who died at the Muscat International Airport, had no sickness before she left, according to her sponsor Khalid Hamad Al Ghailani.
Talking to Gulf News from his home in eastern port town of Sur, Al Ghailani said that he had got her examined at the government hospital in Sur before sending her home for good.
"She had no health issues," he said.
He said that he has disclosed this to the one-man fact-finding mission sent to Oman by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to probe into the circumstances that lead to the death of the Indian housemaid, Beebi Lumada.
Lumada, 40, was stranded for five days at the Muscat International Airport after she lost her passport at Doha while in transit. She was travelling to Chennai from Muscat via Doha by Qatar Airways.
It is learnt that K. N. Meena, a senior MEA official from India, is in Oman.
India's Minister of External Affairs, S. M. Krishna, had earlier announced that a senior official will visit Oman to investigate the death of Lumada, who died while being taken to Ibn Sinha Hospital last Friday (October 8).
According to reliable sources, Meena accompanied by the Indian Consular and Head of the Chancery in Muscat, went to Sur to speak to Al Ghailani and the deceased maid's friends and other housemaids in the area.
16/10/10 Sunil K. Vaidya/Gulf News, UAE

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Families let down by Tories' Air India silence: lawyer

Ottawa: Many families of victims who died in the 1985 Air India bombing are disappointed with the federal government's near-silence since a June report called for compensation, says a lawyer close to the process.
Norm Boxall, former co-counsel for dozens of families who lost loved ones, says discouragement has replaced the high hopes of four months ago.
"I've spoken to a number of families that expressed frustration," Boxall said in an interview.
The hefty inquiry report by former Supreme Court Justice John Major catalogued a litany of federal failures before and after the terrorist attack, which killed 329 people, most of them Canadians.
Police believe Sikh extremists fighting for an independent homeland blew up the airplane off the coast of Ireland.
Last spring, Prime Minister Stephen Harper immediately met with family members of victims and signalled an intention to act on Major's recommendations of an apology and a one-time payment.
"Issues are raised about an official apology and compensation for families of victims," Harper told reporters at the time. "Let me be clear, unequivocally, that the government will respond positively to those recommendations."
Though an apology came, there has been no action on Major's suggestion that an arm's-length body be created to recommend an appropriate payment to family members.
"It's disappointing," Boxall said. "The creation of the independent body, on the surface of it to me, doesn't seem that complicated."
16/10/10 CTV, Canada

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Calicut is Saudi carrier''s third destination in India

Dubai: Saudi Arabia''s low-cost carrier Nasair will commence four weekly flights from Riyadh to Calicut in Kerala even as it plans to add New Delhi as its fourth destination. The flights will be conducted between the cities on on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from October 16. The airline already operates flights to Mumbai and Cochin.
15/10/10 PTI/MSN

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Pilot’s death a tragedy: Expert

Doha: A top Middle East aviation official yesterday said the death of a pilot on a Qatar Airways flight (QR645) was a tragedy that could happen to any airline.
Captain Nikolaos Antypas, Advisor and General Secretary of the Middle East Safety Roadmap, said it was a tragedy that could happen any day and major airlines like Qatar Airways are always prepared to respond to such emergencies.
“Co-pilots are always trained to take charge in such situations,” Antypas told The Peninsula.
Meanwhile, the family of the Indian pilot of Qatar Airways’ flight QR645, who died en route to Doha from Manila early on Wednesday, left for Mumbai last evening to perform his last rites. The body of Ajay Kukreja was scheduled to be flown to Mumbai directly from Kuala Lumpur.
Senior officials of Qatar Airways were said to have seen off Kukreja’s widow and two children at the premium terminal of the Doha International Airport. Kukreja’s funeral is expected to be held in Mumbai today.
15/10/10 The Peninsula, Qatar

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Threat - Advocate Handling Air Crash Claims Postpones Visit

Mangalore: Reportedly, advocate Nanavati, representing Mulla and Mulla Company, which is processing air crash claims relating to the crash of Air India Express flight from Dubai at the local airport on May 22 this year, has received anonymous threats. The policemen have been investigating the matter.
It is learnt that Nanavati, who was scheduled to visit the city on Tuesday October 12, cancelled his programme in view of the threat perception. It may be recalled that the memorial set up at the crash site for the victims of the crash had recently been vandalized by unknown miscreants a few days ago. One of the theories about this destructive act was that those who were angry about Air India had committed this act.
14/10/10 Daijiworld.com

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AI to launch Hyd-Chicago flights from Oct 31

Mumbai: National carrier Air India will launch a flight to Chicago from Hyderabad via Delhi by this month-end.
"We are all set to operate flight service to Chicago connecting Hyderabad with New Delhi from October 31," airline sources said, adding that a plan to launch a direct service to San Francisco was also being studied.
The airline would be deploying a Boeing 777-300 extended range aircraft to operate the flight direct from Delhi, they said, adding that for the first time Air India would fly a Boeing 777 from Hyderabad.
Air India is eyeing the US-bound traffic from Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad with the proposed launch of the Chicago flight, they said.
The airline had earlier announced plans to operate flight services to Melbourne, Chicago and San Francisco from the winter schedule that comes into effect from October 29. But, the Melbourne flight plan was shot down by one of the independent directors in the airline's board who wrote to the civil aviation ministry last month, saying it would not be economically viable and only add to the losses of the cash-strapped airline, the sources said.
14/10/10 Times of India

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Qatar Airways pilot dies mid-flight

Doha: Qatar Airways diverted its Manila-Doha flight to Kuala Lumpur early yesterday after the pilot suffered a massive heart attack on board and later died.
The co-pilot flew the plane (Flight No QR645), with roughly 260 passengers on board, to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for emergency landing.
He requested the KLIA authorities for permission to land after the pilot complained of chest pain, and urged that a medical team be kept ready so that the pilot could be provided medical care.
But the medical team declared the pilot dead after the flight landed at KLIA. The passengers on board were not told about the pilot’s condition, it is learnt.
The deceased, Ajay Kukreja, was an Indian in his early forties. The flight took off from Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport early yesterday.
Qatar Airways, which has an office in Kuala Lumpur, changed the entire crew of the plane and it took off for Doha at 1.15pm (local time) and landed here at around 3.37pm (Qatar time), more than four-and-a-half hours behind schedule.
Kukreja’s body was taken to Serdang Hospital in Kuala Lumpur for a post-mortem and reports said he had died of cardiac arrest.
He reportedly suffered a heart attack roughly an hour after the flight had left Manila, and had had a light breakfast a little after take-off.
According to sources close to his family here, he had no past history of heart problems. However, he was asthmatic and always carried an inhaler.
His body is being flown to Mumbai directly from Kuala Lumpur later this evening, while Qatar Airways is also said to be making arrangements to fly his grieving widow and two children to India’s financial capital.
Kukreja hailed from Delhi and had married a Goan, but his parents live in Mumbai. He has been living in Doha — working with Qatar Airways — for five years.
His widow teaches in a nursery here while his children, a 13-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, are in school.
14/10/10 The Peninsula, Qatar

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IAS dragged to transfer most profitable 3 departments to GMR

Male: Island Aviation Services Limited (IAS) is forced to transfer three most profitable departments to India’s GMR Infrastructure.
Admin Manager Ali Nashaath said the company tried to hold cargo services department, ground services department and Maldivian ground operations. She said senior company officials including Managing Director and Finance Ministry officials are travelled to India to discuss the matter with GMR officials.
“MD and senior officials talked with Finance Ministry on several occasions to hold those departments until 2011 or 2012 year-end. They also travelled to India and held discussions. But we transferred those departments as we did not have any other choice,” she said.
Government leased Male International Airport to GMR for 25 years.
According to Managing Director ‘Bandu’ Ibrahim Saleem’s annual report, the company recorded an Rf67 million profit from ground services, cargo and lounge services, compared to 2008’s Rf56 million. The Managing Director ‘in his report said the company would lose the profit from ground services, cargo and lounge services if the airport is privatised.
The company earlier said Rf100 million would be needed for sustainable management annually if the company loses the businesses at the airport.
13/10/10 haveeru online

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Probe called into death of Indian maid at Oman airport

Rights group Amnesty International has called for a probe into the death of an Indian maid who was stranded at Muscat airport for five days.
Forty-year-old house maid Beebi Lumada reportedly became mentally stressed during her ordeal last week.
She died of a seizure while on her way to hospital on Friday.
Ms Lumada was travelling from Muscat to Madras on a Qatar Airways flight. But she lost her passport while in transit and was sent back to Oman.
Amnesty said that her case raised "serious concerns" that need to be investigated by Oman and the Indian embassy in Muscat.
Indian embassy officials in Oman have refused to speak to the BBC about the case. But in comments made to the local press, they have admitted to "lapses" in dealing with it.
13/10/10 Sadat-Ahmed Bakir/BBC.co.uk

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Denied alcohol, Air India staffers harass crew mid-air

Mumbai: Three Air India (AI) staffers were on a high — literally — on their way to Singapore for a vacation.
The trio created havoc on an AI flight with their unruly behaviour and kept the cabin crew, who are also their colleagues, on their toes for more than five hours last Saturday. Abhinav, Armaan and Arjun (names changed) began screaming and howling when the crew refused to serve them alcohol beyond the permissible limit (two pegs).
“They told us that we were on flight to serve them and that our job was to do whatever they say,” a senior crew on the AI426 Mumbai-Singapore flight told DNA. “The trio then sat with the food served on the flight for over an hour and complained that it was cold.”
The men in their early 40s did not care about their fellow passengers either. “When they were instructed to wear seat belts, they refused and the moment the flight took off, they started talking loudly and disturbing other passengers. They also consumed the amount of alcohol permitted on flight in no time,” the crew member said.
“The captain told them they would be handed over to the Singapore police. That’s when they kept quiet,” the member said.
13/10/10 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Emirates flight makes emergency landing at Kochi

A major accident was averted after the pilot of a Dubai bound Emirates flight noticed a hydraulic failure and returned to Kochi airport in southern India.
The Emirates Airline flight EK 533 made an emergency landing amidst high drama and surrounded by fire and ambulances from the airport’s emergency unit.
The pilot noticed a serious technical snag immediately after take-off and immediately requested for an emergency landing, airport officials have said.
The Boeing 777-200 flight, which departed at 4:30am from Nedumbassery airport had 205 passengers and 14 crew.
"The flight made an emergency landing at Kochi airport 30 minutes later, after the pilot spotted a hydraulic system failure," an airport official said.
Reports quoting airport director ACK Nair said that all precautionary measures were taken and the mobile fire-fighting units and para-medical services were brought on either side of the runway to handle any eventuality.
12/10/10 Joseph George/Emirates 24-7 News

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TAA gears up for daily service to India

Thai AirAsia (TAA) will break new ground in air travel between Thailand and India with the debut of low-cost service in December.
After nearly two years of planning and navigating India's complex approval process, the no-frills airline will launch its long-awaited flights from Bangkok to Kolkata and New Delhi on Dec 1.
Thai AirAsia, the local affiliate of Malaysia-based AirAsia, Asia's largest budget carrier, was granted its desired daily frequency for the Kolkata-bound route but must wait another 60 days to operate a similar seven flights a week between Bangkok and New Delhi.
Indian aviation authorities said Thai AirAsia could operate four flights a week on the Bangkok-New Delhi sector now, but the airline prefers to wait until it can offer daily flights.
The airline has been eager to capitalise on fast-growing demand for air service between the two countries and enlarge its traffic base by focusing more on the "very budget conscious" segment.
13/10/10 Bangkok Post

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Tech snag grounds Emirates flight

Kochi: A Kochi-Dubai Emirates flight, which had developed a technical snag in the sky, returned safely after being air-borne for about 30 minutes, aviation and local police said on Tuesday. The flight EK533 with 205 passengers and 14 crew on board made an emergency landing at the airport about 5 am after being in the air for half-hour.
12/10/10 India Blooms

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AI steeped in debt, but ignoring opportunities?

Mumbai: Bureaucracy and red tape may cost the debt-ridden Air India yet another profitable route, denying it a crucial opportunity to get itself out of the slump.
National Aviation Carrier of India Limited (NACIL) CMD Arvind Jadhav had flown to Australia in June to sign an agreement with Victoria State Premier John Brumby.
He proudly announced the launch of Air India's daily flights from Delhi to Melbourne from November 1, which would make it the first Indian carrier on the route. However, with barely three weeks left for the commencement of operations, the airline has not been able to get the necessary clearances and permissions from the Civil Aviation Ministry, raising doubts about the project being able to take off on time.
Speaking exclusively to MiD DAY, Carly Dixon, spokesperson, Melbourne Airport Authority, said that Air India has yet to complete the formalities related to the project.
A source close to the airline has, however, revealed that the airline is under pressure from the government of India to not start operations on this sector, "Air India might drop the plan citing that the sector is not a profitable one, thereby paving the way for private airlines to operate on it."
12/10/10 Bipin Kumar Singh/MiD DAY

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SpiceJet aims for international operations breakeven in 2 months

New Delhi: Low-fare airline SpiceJet is looking at over 80% load factor (which means more than 8 out of 10 seats on the flight being full) within the first month of commencing daily flights between Delhi-Kathmandu and a breakeven of international operations within the first two months.
The airline’s first international flight, between Delhi and Kathmandu, took off on October 7 and the daily Mumbai leg is slated to begin in March.
SpiceJet’s optimism on load factors is remarkable, since there are already seven flights a day between the Capital and Kathmandu by carriers such as Jet Airways, JetLite, Air India, Kingfisher and Nepal Airlines. Chief Commercial Officer Samyukth Sridharan claimed in a chat with DNA that SpiceJet will be offering the lowest fares on this sector.
Sridharan explained that SAARC is a hugely underserved market, particularly by low fare airlines. While domestically, 7 out of 10 fliers board low fare carriers, only three in 10 do so on international routes because of the absence of low fare options.
12/10/10 Daily News & Analysis

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Muscat death: Govt lashes out at airline, airport authorities

New Delhi: The Indian government has blamed the airline and local airport authorities for negligence that could have led to the death of a housemaid of Indian origin, Beebi Lumada, in Muscat. She died after being stranded at the airport in Muscat for four days.
Overseas Indian affairs minister Vayalar Ravi said, "The airport and airline authorities should have been more responsible. Valid papers are necessary but not more than a person's life." Sources said that delay by the emigration authorities at Muscat to provide Lumada's details had left her stranded and could have led to her ill-health.
The MOIA had asked for a report from the Indian ambassador in Oman. Sources said the ambassador had already sent his report to the government.
According to sources, Lumada was flying to Thiruvananthapuram on Qatar Airways via Doha, where officials turned her back to Muscat on October 4 after she lost her passport.
She was detained at Muscat airport's transit area, where she was provided with food while the Indian Embassy officials got in touch with her. "The airlines kept the embassy officials waiting for the information despite the Indian Embassy offering to provide a temporary passport in the form of an emergency certificate and other facilities like food," an official said.
12/10/10 Times of India

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Emirates flight makes emergency landing in Kochi

Kochi: A Kochi-Dubai Emirates flight with 205 passengers and 14 crew on board, today made an emergency landing at the airport near here following a technical problem.
The flight EK533 took off from the nearby Nedumbassery airport at 4.30am and made an emergency landing at 5am, airport sources said.
A hydraulic system failure was suspected, the sources said. Passengers have been shifted to nearby hotels, they said. The rescue and relief measures were introduced immediately.
The Fire Mobile Units and Medical Ambulance services were brought on either sides of the runway to meet any eventuality.
The fire tender units from Angamaly, Perumbavoor and Aluva Fire Stations reached the airport before the landing of the aircraft.
12/10/10 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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India, Iraq talks may lead to expanded pact on flights

India and Iraq are likely to expand cooperation in aviation after a gap of 27 years, allowing their domestic carriers to fly more frequently to tap trade, reconstruction, religious and medical tourism opportunities.
A bilateral air services agreement was first signed in 1955 and endorsed again in 1983. Since then, no talks have taken place on expanding the scope of the agreement.
The agreement only allows two flights a week between the two countries, said a government official who did not want to be named.
11/10/10 Nadia/BiomedME.com

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Melbourne's Air India coup faces a tricky landing

Air India's plans to fly to Melbourne, heralded as a coup for Victoria when they were announced in June, are in doubt.
Melbourne Airport remains confident that Air India will still fly there, but says the service has been delayed to an unknown date because the airline is yet to gain approval from the Indian government for a new international route.
Air India, which is owned by the government, was scheduled to begin daily services between Tullamarine Airport and Delhi from November 1.
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The deal was hailed in June as a diplomatic and economic coup and evidence of Victoria's ability to beat NSW in a bidding war for airlines.
But Indian media have reported that India's Civil Aviation Ministry last month rejected the airline's plans to fly to Melbourne for the second time in two months.
It has also been reported that an Air India board member wrote to the regulatory authorities to stress that the route would not be viable and would only add to the losses of the cash-strapped airline.
11/10/10 Matt O'Sullivan/Sydney Morning Herald

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Saudia Airlines to operate Haj flights from Mangalore

Mangalore: The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has approved Saudia Airlines to operate its chartered flights for Haj pilgrims from Mangalore Airport to Saudi Arabia this year, according to M.R. Vasudeva, Director, Mangalore Airport.
He told The Hindu that Air India Express will not operate its flights for Haj pilgrims from here this year.
11/10/10 The Hindu/Mangalorean.com

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Airfares to shopping destinations soar

Mumbai: Despite a month left for the festival, flights to shopping and leisure destinations such as Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand are full, and fares have shot up between Rs 8,000 and Rs 14,000 across four airlines: Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Air India and Singapore Airlines.
A Mumbai-Dubai return ticket, normally available for Rs 16,000, is selling for Rs 24,000. Of these, Singapore is the most expensive destination on the Diwali week, with fares having almost doubled.
It’s all about high demand, said travel agents. “Laxmi Puja is on November 5. People are leaving for vacations the next day and schools re-open only after November 15,” said Anup Kanuga, owner Bhatija Travels.
Tour managers said the demand to these destinations peak during Diwali because people flock there to shop.
11/10/10 Soubhik Mitra/Hindustan Times

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Foreign no-frill airlines fly into tier-II towns

New Delhi: When fly dubai started operations to Lucknow in June, many were surprised. Why would Dubai's first low cost carrier (LCC) choose a Tier II city for its maiden Indian route? Would a metro not have been the obvious choice? But this is good business strategy, something that other foreign carriers have done as well.
Air Asia, from Kuala Lumpur and Air Arabia, from Sharjah, fly to various Tier II cities — Trichy, Coimbatore, Kozhikode, Kochi, Lucknow, Nagpur, Jaipur and Ahmedabad.
Aviation experts say that Tier II cities have huge potential because they are populous and their residents have increasingly disposable incomes and the desire to travel.
Air Asia agrees it was good business thinking on their part to choose Trichy as their first Indian route and follow this up with eight other Tier II cities. Its CEO Tony Fernandes says the Indian market is second only to China. The thinking is obvious.
Cheap foreign carriers choose Indian cities that have particular needs or particular meaning to the wider world. Air Asia chose Trichy because it is a popular pilgrimage site. Lucknow was attractive to flydubai because it is one of India's fastest growing cities, with a presence in the manufacturing, commerce, retail and education sectors.
Unfortunately, while the Indian skies have opened for foreign carriers, the reverse has not happened.
10/10/10 Shobha John/Times of India

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Tanzanian duo detained at BIA

Bengaluru: Two Tanzanian nationalists were detained at Bengaluru international airport after they failed to produce the mandatory vaccination certificate for yellow fever.
According to DGCA rules, any passenger coming from South African countries, must have the yellow fever vaccination certificate. Since there was no flight back to South Africa after the duo landed in the early morning hours at BIA, they had to be lodged in a room at the airport.
“The passengers who were not allowed to enter the city, started their trip from Jerusalem and reached Bengaluru via Dubai but had no certificate saying they had been vaccinated for yellow fever. Moreover, Tanzania is a high-risk zone when it comes to yellow fever. As per the instructions, we need to check the vaccination certificates of all passengers who arrive here from South Africa. So the duo will now be sent back to Tanzania by the Sunday morning flight,” Airport sources said.
But since BIA does not have a quarantine facility at the Airport premises, the passengers were made to stay at a room inside the airport building.
10/10/10 Deccan Chronicle

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Indian maid dies after being stranded in Oman

Dubai: An Indian housemaid, who was stranded in a transit lounge of Muscat airport for five days after losing her passport at the Doha airport, died on her way to the hospital.
Beebi Lumada (40) was travelling from Muscat to Chennai via Doha by Qatar Airways last week but lost her passport while in transit at the Doha airport, the Gulf News said in a report.
When her passport was not found, she was sent back to Muscat, the port of origin.
The housemaid had cancelled her Oman residence visa and since she did not carry her passport she was not allowed to re-enter Muscat.
“We informed immigration about the situation and also intimated the Indian Embassy on Monday,” an official was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
“We were given repeated assurances that the embassy officials would come and visit the stranded passenger but there was no visit even after requests from the airport police,” the airline officials told the newspaper.
He said that since Muscat Airport does not have a hotel in the transit area, Qatar Airways provided food, drinks, a blanket and all the necessary help to make Beebi comfortable.
According to the report, the stranded passenger began to get delusional. A senior doctor with the government hospital said that it is possible that the severe mental trauma caused a cardiac arrest.
The victim’s relatives in India have been informed and arrangement is being made to send her body back.
10/10/10 PTI/The Hindu

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Spicejet to connect Chennai-Colombo

Chennai: Spicejet on Friday said it would launch its new Chennai-Colombo flight on Saturday.
"The flight is scheduled to take off from Chennai at 1.30 am and will be received at Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo at 2.50 am", Spicejet said in a statement here.
SUN TV Network chief Kalanidhi Maran will flag off the flight.
On the return journey, the Colombo-Chennai flight, would be flagged off at 4.10 am by Sri Lankan deputy minister of ports and aviation Abeygunawardena, it said.
With this SpiceJet would operate daily flights between Colombo and Chennai, which would also be further connected to other important hubs within the domestic network of the two nations, it said.
The base fare on this route begins from Rs 999 and the airline would fly Boeing 737-800 aircraft, it said.
The airlines completed five years of operation in the domestic market in May 2010. Over the next few months, it had planned to expand its network to Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives.
08/10/10 PTI/Times of India

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Russia offers India commercial aircraft production unit

New Delhi: Russia has offered India a joint production venture of Russian-Ukrainian commercial aircraft.
A team of visiting Russian aviation industry representatives discussed with officials of the India Commerce Ministry the possibility of launching the proposed production unit in India, Ria Novosti said quoting an unnamed official.
“Russians requested us to help them find a good partner for setting up a manufacturing unit for production of regional jets, including AN-148,” the official said.
AN-148 is a modern regional aircraft designed for passenger, cargo-passenger and cargo transportation on domestic and international routes.
The aircraft was designed by Antonov Aeronautical Scientific and Technical Complex. The aircraft manufacturing is carried out under license at JSC “Voronezh Aircraft Manufacturing Company” (VASO JSC), Voronezh, Russia.
India as of now is not producing any passenger jets and Western majors have the major market share in long and middle range airplanes in the country.
08/10/10 IANS/The Hindu

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SpiceJet axes Delhi-Kat rate to Rs 2.4K

Kathmandu: SpiceJet, the leading private airline of India has started operating flights between New Delhi and Kathmandu from Thursday, offering low cost airfare. The SpiceJet started its scheduled flight to Kathmandu as its first international destination.
The airlines' 189 seater Boeing 737-800 landed in Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on Thursday with Samyukth Sridharan, the chief commercial officer of SpiceJet, on board the inaugural flight.
"As Nepal is observing Nepal Tourism Year next year, we are eager to help the tourism industry here by bringing more tourists from India", said Sridharan.
"Our low airfare will be beneficial to both the Nepali as well as Indian air passengers. We are getting great response from Nepal as we flew in 173 passengers with more than 90 per cent of our total capacity in the first flight," he said.
SpiceJet is currently operating flights to and from Kathmandu six days a week.
09/10/10 Indian Express

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Embraer enthused at aircraft market for Tier-II cities

New Delhi: Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer is betting big on the growing aviation markets in the smaller cities of India. One of the world's largest aerospace companies and a leader in the category of commercial jets with up to 120 seats, it feels their aircraft will get the benefit of this growth.
"Many major routes like Delhi-Trivandrum are not connected through a direct flight because all the airlines operate big aircraft on this route, difficult to fill. Now, with our small aircraft, the airlines can operate direct services and make enough on such routes," said Alex Glock, the company's vice-president (marketing & sales), commercial aviation.
"We have met all the airlines in the country and all of them invariably agree to our analysis. We see a great opportunity here, as the smaller cities are to see a lot of growth. We plan to sell 50 aircraft over the next 10 years in the country," Glock said. Of 44 million air passengers in 2009, as many as 27 million were from Tier-II and III cities. The growth projections in number of passengers for smaller cities during 2009-15 is 14 per cent annually.
In terms of connectivity, Tier-II and III cities lag. Average daily frequencies to Tier-I cities are 18 but the connectivity to smaller cities is only 2.5.
08/10/10 Mihir Mishra/Business Standard

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Centre seeks clarifications on Jet Airways QIP

Bangalore: The fund-raising plan of Jet Airways, the market leader by passenger numbers, got pushed back again as the government on Thursday sought more clarification on the airline’s qualified institutional placement (QIP) issue.
Jet had submitted a proposal to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board for raising $400 million through QIP to deleverage its balance sheet and implement expansion plans.
Kapil Kaul, chief executive officer - India and Middle East of airline consultancy Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, said it since the airline already has an in-principal approval from the government for raising funds from overseas the markets, it should eventually get through.
He said the impediment in getting the FIPB approval could be the sectoral limit for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the aviation sector, which is currently at 49%.
“FDI cap could be the only issue on which the government must have asked for clarification. On this front, the government could temporarily relax the (FDI) norm in Jet Airways’ case on one-off basis,” said Kaul.
Kaul speculated that the government may give its nod to Jet’s proposal to raise foreign funds on the condition that it would bring back its FDI within limits in the specified time.
08/10/10 Praveena Sharma/Daily News & Analysis

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