Passengers of 'hijacked' AI Express receive heroes' welcome from NRIs

Irate passengers of the Air India Express flight, who were accused by the pilot of an attempted hijack, have been given a heroes’ welcome by Indian expatriates on arrival in Dubai.
Three of the six passengers against whom the Indian police prepared cases returned to Dubai on Saturday. Among those who were present at the airport to welcome them were representatives of various Indian associations in the UAE apart from their friends and family members.
The passengers were greeted with bouquets and garlands.
“We went to welcome them since it was their protest that highlighted the plight of Gulf travellers especially on Air India flights to the whole country,” said Punnakkan Mohammad Ali, of Chiranthana Samskarika Vedi, a Dubai-based cultural
An emergency situation was declared at Trivandrum airport last Thursday when the Kochi-bound Air India Express flight from Abu Dhabi landed at a different airport – in Trivandrum - delayed by several hours. Aggrieved passengers said they had to stage a protest after the crew refused to fly them back to Kochi. The pilot Captain Rupali Waghmare, sent out a false hijack alert that alerted all Indian airports and sensitive defence establishments after she feared that angry passengers were trying to storm into the cockpit.
30/10/12 Joseph George/Emirates 24|7

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Sandy grounds flights from India to US for three days

New Delhi:  Hurricane Sandy cut off northeast United States from the rest of the world as airlines, including Indian carriers, cancelled at least 8,000 flights over the next three days to and from mega hubs like New York, Newark, Washington, Philadelphia and Boston. Authorities in these ordered airports shut ahead of the storm's landfall.
On Monday, stranded flyers were being asked to rebook on flights - without any charge for one change - after Thursday but with seats not easy to find, a cascading disruption is expected to last at least a week.
Jet Airways cancelled flights between Brussels and Newark's Liberty International Airport (EWR) on Monday and Tuesday and expected delays on Wednesday. "Please do not proceed to the airport unless you have a confirmed booking and if your flight is in operation," Jet warned. Air India has indefinitely delayed non-stop Mumbai-Newark and Delhi-New York flights. American carrier United that flies nonstop from India to New York has also cancelled these flights for Monday.
30/10/12 Times of India

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Hurricane blows away Chennaiites’ US plans

Chennai: Hurricane Sandy has hit travel plans of some Chennaiites as airlines have cancelled flights to the US. Air India, Jet Airways and Emirates- carriers preferred by a majority of US-bound passengers from Chennai - have cancelled their flights to the US as airports at Newark and New York have been closed.
Air India cancelled its Mumbai-Newark and Mumbai-JFK flights on Tuesday, while Emirates cancelled its Dubai-JFK and JFK-Dubai flights on Monday and Tuesday. Jet Airways has cancelled its Brussels-JFK, JFK-Brussels flights till Tuesday.
30/10/12 Times of India

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Hurricane Sandy hits flights from Mumbai

Mumbai: Many flights from Mumbai and other parts of India to hurricane-prone areas in the US were either cancelled or postponed indefinitely on Monday.
While two Jet Airways flights were cancelled on Monday, two others have been kept on hold till further notice for Tuesday. The flights scheduled for Wednesday are also likely to be affected, said an official from the airline.
National carrier Air India, too, postponed two of its flights — Mumbai-Newark and Delhi-New York —indefinitely, an Air Indian spokesperson said. Affected passengers are being informed about the delays.
According to experts, Hurricane Sandy is expected to be the worst seen in the last several decades, with the potential to result in a high casualty toll in several cities. The hurricane left the transportation system, including airports, shut in several affected areas in the US.
30/10/12 Daily News & Analysis

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Gulfstream Sees China Private-Jet Rebound as India Trails

China’s private-jet market will rebound next year after a leadership transition in the ruling Communist Party while business aviation falls behind in India, the chief of General Dynamics Corp. (GD)’s Gulfstream unit said.
China is building about 10 airports a year and easing flying restrictions to spur demand, Gulfstream President Larry Flynn said yesterday in an interview. He said sales waned before the country’s once-a-decade power shift, which gets under way with a Communist Party congress starting Nov. 8 in Beijing.
“They’re waiting on the new government in China, so our Chinese orders were down this year from last year,” Flynn said at the National Business Aviation Association conference in Orlando, Florida. “The new government gets installed, people go back to normal business, you’ll see more orders out of China.”
Gulfstream’s role as a producer of private jets such as the long-range G650 gives it a perspective on plane sales inside and outside the U.S. Official support for corporate aviation in China will help the industry expand more quickly in the world’s most-populous country, Flynn said.
30/10/12 Thomas Black/Bloomberg

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Flight suspension hits Indian passengers

Manama: Bahrain Air has blamed Indian authorities for the temporary suspension of its flights to Thiruvananthapuram in the south Indian state of Kerala, yesterday.
CEO Richard Nuttall told the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication, the airline had applied for permission to fly to multiple airports in May, but Indian authorities omitted the approval of the destination in the winter schedule.
Passengers due to board their flight from Bahrain found out about the cancellation of the daily service only when they showed up at Bahrain International Airport (BIA) yesterday.
The airline is now accepting claims from customers seeking refunds after it was forced to cancel flights between Bahrain and Thiruvananthapuram.
29/10/12 Trade Arabia

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Malaysia Airports to buy stake in KGS Aranmula Intl Airport

Chennai: Malaysian government-owned Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad and the Kerala government are looking at taking a stake in KGS Aranmula International Airport Ltd, which is being developed by the Anil Ambani-backed KGS Group.
The Rs 2,000-crore private airport is being set up on 700 acres at the temple town of Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district, the pilgrimage capital of the state situated between Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. The project is expected to take off in 2014.
“We had some discussions on offering equity to Malaysia Airports. They are already our technical and strategic partner for the project. We may look at diluting up to 15 per cent,” said Gigi George, managing director of the KGS Group here.
Malaysia Airports operates and manage 39 airports in Malaysia. Besides, they provide airport management services for Delhi and Hyderabad international airports in India and Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Turkey.
29/10/12 Gireesh Babu/Business Standard

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Purandeswari thanks all who made SilkAir flight a reality

Vishakhapatnam: The scheduled first flight of SilkAir to Singapore from the city airport was made possible only because of the efforts of many persons, Minister of State for Human Resource Development D. Purandeswari said on Saturday and thanked each one of them for their commitment to make it a reality.
Addressing the Visakha Vimana Vijayotsava Sabha organised by Visakha Air Travellers’ Association (VATA) to felicitate those responsible for making this long-cherished dream a reality, Ms. Purandeswari downplayed her contribution to the effort. She named all the persons who worked behind the screen to make it a reality.
She thanked Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram for sanctioning the additional posts to make 24X7 operations at the airport a reality in the near future.
She thanked Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, the Defence Minister, the Aviation Minister, the Chief of Eastern Naval Command, officials of different departments, and also the Navy for enabling SilkAir operate flights from the city, thereby connecting it to the rest of the world.
28/10/12 The Hindu

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GMR Maldives project hits an air pocket

Hyderabad: GMR Infrastructure’s airport development project in Maldives is caught in a political wrangle as the contract offered to it by the previous government has come under the scrutiny of the incumbent government.
“There are two parts to the development. One is modernisation of an existing terminal and the other is about building a new terminal. The existing terminal is operational and the work is also going on. The works at the new terminal are halted now,” a GMR official told DNA.
According to the official, the new regulations call for one more approval to be sought from the officials. “We have already applied for that approval and we are yet to receive it,” he said.
GMR Infra, which has successfully executed the development and modernisation of two airports in India and one in Turkey, had won the bid to expand and build the Male Airport with an outlay of $300 million (`1,607 crore) jointly with Malaysia Airports in June 2010.
Other Indian entities like the Anil Ambani group and GVK were also in race with their overseas partners to bag the contract. But GMR won it for 25 years with a target for completion in 2014.
29/10/12 KV Ramana/Daily News & Analysis

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flydubai may fly to Kolkata

Muscat: flydubai, Dubai's low-cost airline, has sought permission from India's Ministry of Civil Aviation to fly to the eastern Indian city of Kolkata after the new integrated terminal at the upgraded Kolkata international airport is ready.
The new Kolkata airport has been upgraded and is expected to handle 20 million passengers, up from the current capacity of 10 million that is being utilised, and is expected to be fully functional by early 2013.
Speaking to Times of Oman, a flydubai spokesperson from Dubai said: "We have expressed interest in flying to the new airport in Kolkata as we are eager to further expand our network in India. We will continue to work closely with the Indian authorities to increase the low-cost connectivity between India and the UAE and thus, provide a greater number of affordable flights for all passengers.
29/10/12 Rahul Das/Times of Oman

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Aviation sector eyes Indian opportunities

The Aviation Industry Association says a new trade agreement with India will bring a wave of growth for New Zealand aviation firms.
Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce led a delegation to sign an agreement with Indian authorities to improve links and trade in the aviation sector.
India is predicted to jump from the ninth largest civil aviation market in the world to the third by 2020.
But Aviation Industry Association chair Irene King says local businesses have a number of problems operating in India.
29/10/12 Radio New Zealand

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Coronavirus alert: Airport officials beef up surveillance

Kozhikode: Taking a serious view of the reporting of two cases of a Sars-like novel coronavirus infection in the Middle East, the Union health ministry has issued an advisory to enhance surveillance on incoming passengers from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Health officials at Karipur airport said they would keep track of passengers who have respiratory illnesses that are different from the local flu. "There won't be any special screening of passengers at the airport but we would keep track of those reporting symptoms of acute respiratory illness presenting with fever, cough and shortness of breath arriving from Saudi Arabia and Qatar," said Dr K V Hameed, medical officer, airport medical centre.
The advisory issued by the Assistant Director General (International Health) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has asked airports to report patients with symptoms of acute respiratory illness as per the case definition provided by the WHO. "The advisory has been made especially with respect to incoming Haj passengers from Saudi Arabia," the letter says.
28/10/12 K R Rajeev/Times of India

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SilkAir launches direct flight from Singapore to Vizag

Chennai: SilkAir today launched its first direct flight between Singapore and Visakhapatnam, a port city in the state of Andhra Pradesh. With the introduction of this thrice-weekly service, SilkAir is also the first airline to provide non-stop international air connectivity from Visakhapatnam.
The first flight, MI 448, took off at 1525 hours today from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 and is scheduled to arrive at Visakhapatnam Airport at 1710 hours. The return flight will depart from Visakhapatnam at 2255 hours tonight and arrive in Singapore at 0555 hours tomorrow (all times local).
Visakhapatnam is SilkAir's eighth destination in India. Other Indian destinations in SilkAir's network are Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram.
28/10/12 T E Narasimhan/Business Standard

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Death of one or two Indian airlines is necessary: Richard Branson

With a rebound in India-UK-US passenger traffic, Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic Airways will relaunch its Mumbai-London flight from Sunday after three years, with convenient onward connections to New York and Washington. However, given that all domestic carriers are bleeding at the moment, Branson is on a wait and watch mode to  run a domestic airline in the country.
Branson had said in  2007  that he would love to run a domestic airline in India. “If it is opened up, you will see us competing with Kingfisher and Jet,” he had said. However, since then Virgin Atlantic has had a bumpy relationship with India. The airline withdrew services from Mumbai in 2009 due to an economic downturn and had also threatened to withdraw the service from Delhi.
In an exclusive interview to CNBC-TV18's Shereen Bhan, Richard Branson made it clear that his airline has not expanded in India as the laws are still not favourable.  India has a lot more flexibility to open up  but has not yet identified clear sectors, he noted.  “I can set up a 100 percent company in the US but not In India,” he said.
26/10/12 First Post

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Branson not ready yet for ‘tough Indian skies’

Mumbai: Virgin Atlantic chief Sir Richard Branson thinks that the Indian skies are quite tough now. “There is over-capacity in the domestic sector. Indian aviation companies are bravely facing the challenges. We will, at present, wait and see. If we see an obvious opportunity, we will invest.”
On recent policy reforms in the aviation sector, Branson said, “India will benefit from the free open market and FDI coming in.
Virgin Atlantic will invest more than £300 million for better seats, a ‘futuristic’ bar, and in-flight entertainment customised for Indian travelers on the London-Mumbai/Delhi sector.
The investment will also create 140 jobs in India and the UK.
The airline had closed down its Mumbai operations three years ago, but continued to operate to Delhi. The Mumbai services will re-start from October 28.
26/10/12 Business Line

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Richard Branson-promoted Virgin Atlantic enters Mumbai; eyes flying to B'lore, H'bad, Goa

Mumbai: Richard Branson-promoted Virgin Atlantic, which is re-launching its Mumbai-London flight from Sunday after a three-year gap, today said it would fly to Hyderabad, Bangalore and Goa as and when it gets the approvals.
"We are planning to apply for flying rights to Hyderabad, Bangalore and Goa," Virgin Atlantic president Richard Branson told reporters here after announcing the re-introduction of Mumbai services.
However, he also noted that "it maybe difficult to get slots at the Heathrow airport."
Virgin Atlantic, which had closed Mumbai operations three years ago, but continued to fly to New Delhi, would launch its Mumbai services from October 28 with a wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft.
"We are delighted to be back in Mumbai. Virgin would not only connect Mumbai to London, but its daily flights also offer seamless connectivity from London to New York, Boston, Miami and Washington and Chicago, with only a couple of hours of stop-over," Branson said.
26/10/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Virgin Atlantic open to buying into Indian Airlines: Sir Richard Branson

New Delhi:  Virgin Group owner British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, who landed in India Thursday for launching new flights connecting Indian with the UK and the US, wants to keep his eyes open to investment opportunities in Indian airlines.
"Now foreign companies have been allowed to pick up 49% so we are keeping our eyes open. It's a brave battle going on in the Indian aviation space now. Everybody is bleeding. There will be a right time and we will watch," Branson said at a prelaunch party at the Taj ManSingh hotel at New Delhi.
A formal press conference will be held today in Mumbai. Commenting on the mess that Kingfisher Airlines is in, the owner of Virgin Atlantic airline also said that he feels bad for Vijay Mallya. "I feel bad for Mallya, he is fighting a tough battle. I heard his employees got paid some salary today so I think he's trying very hard."
26/10/12 Economic Times

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Amex forecast sees only 'modest' air fare rises in 2013

According to American Express Global Business Travel in its latest forecast, airfares will increase “modestly” globally in 2013.
“At the same time, global economic uncertainty – particularly due to the fiscal crisis in Europe and deceleration of growth in China – is expected to curtail demand and keep rates in mature markets, as well as in China, relatively flat,” the forecast says.
“The performance of business travel across Asia Pacific in 2013 will vary country to country, but there are specific markets that will likely see moderate levels of growth including India and Australia,” said Dr Carl Jones, Head of American Express Advisory Services for the Asia Pacific region.
In the Asia Pacific region, market performance will vary in 2013:
Short Haul Economy: -1 to 4 per cent
Long Haul Economy: -1 to 4 per cent
Short Haul Business: 0 to 4 per cent
Long Haul Business: 0 to 4 per cent
25/10/12 Doug Nancarrow/Aviation Business

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Within week of 'hijack' fiasco, another Air India flight irks passengers

Kozhikode: Air India continued to face heat over flight delays as around 40 Kochi-bound passengers protested against non-availability of a connecting service following delayed arrival of their Dammam-Calicut flight here.
The passengers of the Air India Express IX382 from Dammam in Saudi Arabia arrived at the Karipur International Airport here at 4.30 AM an hour behind schedule, the airline sources said.
Agitated over missing the IX474 Baharain-Calicut-Kochi connecting flight which left at scheduled time of 4.05 AM, the stranded passengers picked up an argument with airline staff.
However, the passengers were sent to Kochi by road in taxis, they said.
An AI spokesperson at Kochi said the passengers were sent by taxies to their destinations in Thirssur and Guruvayur.
25/10/12 Financial Express

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Who could buy Hawker from Hawker Beechcraft?

Hawker Beechcraft has announced its intention to sell or close its Hawker business jet line and the company is already busy talking to potential buyers.
Here, in no particular order, are the most likely candidates:
Mahindra & Mahindra
India’s largest auto maker only moved into aerospace in 2007. It already supplies components to Boeing for 737s and Gulfstream for G150s.
In 2009 it acquired Gipps Aero an Australian light utility aircraft maker. Gipps produces a family of aircraft ranging from two seaters to 20 seaters. Mahindra has said it wants to become a global leader in completed aircraft. Rothschild advised it on its bid for Hawker Beechcraft where it was rumoured to be the underbidder.
Pros: It likes a bargain. It could afford to invest in Hawker and it would fit its ambitions. Mahindra bid for Hawker Beechcraft.
Cons: Hawker Beechcraft’s sale advisers were concerned that Mahindra did not put enough effort into the first round. Mahindra likes to manufacturer in cheap countries, Hawker’s unions may not like the deal (although that probably goes for all remaining bidders).
24/10/12 Corporate Jet Investor

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More Jet Airways flights to India

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and Jet Airways added four direct weekly flights between Abu Dhabi International Airport and Bombay Airport in India as of 18th October 2012.
The India-based airline previously operated daily flights from Abu Dhabi direct to Bombay and Delhi in India, according to a joint press release by the two companies.
The flights from Abu Dhabi International Airport will depart at 1:15 in the morning, while flights from Bombay will depart at 22:40 in the evening. The additional four flights will increase the 14 weekly flights from Abu Dhabi International Airport to 18, providing travellers with maximum flexibility in regards to travelling to India.
The new flight will provide seamless connectivity to guests flying to Jet Airways’ international hub in Mumbai, as well as onwards on Jet Airways’ South India domestic network and to Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Dhaka, Kathmandu and Colombo.
23/10/12 Khaleej Times

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Direct Mandalay-Gaya flights to be launched

Burma’s national carrier, Myanmar Airways International (MAI), will launch direct flights between Mandalay and India's Gaya city starting on Nov. 1.
Currently, passengers wanting to visit Gaya must depart from Rangoon International Airport, said a MAI official.
Lately, the Burmese government has been engaged in upgrading and modernizing international airports throughout the country.
In September, officials said they are seeking private sector partners to upgrade Mandalay International Airport into a logistics center, according to a report by Dow Jones.
The project involves improving and expanding the airport’s terminal building and other facilities, as well as managing its passenger and cargo operations, ground-handling and catering services, and maintenance.
Opened in 2000, the Mandalay terminal building can handle 1,000 passenger arrivals and 1000 passenger departures per hour. The capacity of the airport is estimated to be three million passengers per annum, with expansion capacity to more than 15 million.
24/10/12 Mizzima

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Gulf expat stranded mid-air… misses mom’s funeral

An emotionally distraught RAK airways passenger broke down after failing to see his dead mother one last time due to a 15-hour flight delay.
He was among the 140 passengers from UAE, Saudi and Qatar travelling to Kozhikode in Kerala, India from Ras Al Khaimah on October 22.
 The RT 300 flight was originally scheduled to take off at 9.30pm on Monday, but was delayed for several hours due to technical fault followed due to non-availability of crew.
 Mustafa Arib, who works in Doha was a heartbroken man after he missed his mother’s funeral because of the delay.
 “Both me and my brother were on our way home from Doha for the funeral. I took this flight so that I could reach home two hours in advance. My brother who boarded an Air India flight surprisingly managed to reach home on time and attend the funeral that was scheduled at 8am the on Tuesday morning. I am really heartbroken. I wanted to see her face one last time,” said Arib who has been employed in Doha for the past 20 years.
24/10/12 Joseph George/Emirates 24|7

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Will foreigners save India's airlines?

India has risen in the past decade to become the world's fourth-largest economy, and together with its technology sector, one industry in particular has mirrored the nation's growth: aviation, according to International Business Times.
India's domestic aviation market has tripled in the past five years and, even as its growth rate has slowed this year, the number of passengers carried by domestic airlines rose 0.5 percent to 39.82 million during the January to August period, compared with a year earlier. India, long an underdog in commercial flying, is now the ninth-biggest civil aviation market in the world in terms of traffic.
The days of harrowing flights to crumbling airports in rickety Soviet-made airplanes are long gone. Now, the nation's airlines fly the newest Boeings and Airbuses, and flag carrier Air India is one of just a handful operating the Boeing 787, the most advanced jetliner in the world. No one in Europe, for example, does yet.
23/10/12 Satya Nagendra Padala/Press-Telegram

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Premium fliers await AI business lounge at T3

New Delhi:  Globally, airlines outdo each other in pampering their high value, premium-class passengers in signature lounges. However, Air India is yet to have its own business lounge at its main hub, IGI Airport's terminal 3 (T3) which opened over two years ago.
The Maharaja's main competition, foreign biggies Emirates and Lufthansa, have beaten AI at opening premium- class lounges at T3 and have been able to wean away high value premium travellers from the national carrier.
At T3, international airlines have the option of sending business and first-class passengers to two lounges — Premium Plaza and ITC — which have become a common pool for premium flyers to catch up on pink papers while waiting for boarding call. AI has been using the facilities of Premier Plaza in both the domestic and international terminals, in addition to a coffee shop in the domestic terminal and a private lounge in the international terminal for its business-class passengers.
24/10/12 Times of India

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Malayalees fume at Air India

Indian expatriates from the state of Kerala have launched campaigns to protest against the recent episodes of alleged tussles between officials of Air India Express and passengers to the state from Gulf countries.
Online campaigns demanding a boycott of the airline and action against a woman pilot, who was at the centre of a hijack drama after sounding a false alarm against passengers protesting 15 hours’ delay and ill treatment on Friday, are gaining momentum across the GCC.
The response from Malayalees, who form the largest Indian expatriate community, is vehement in the UAE since the passengers who were accused as hijackers by the pilot, had boarded the flight from Abu Dhabi to Kochi.
Several people have joined Facebook campaigns launched by individuals and debates on the topic are hotting up on social network sites.
22/10/12 Khaleej Times

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Govt to review rules on private jet import

New Delhi: The civil aviation ministry is mulling a change in the guidelines for non-scheduled operators (NSOPs), to ensure individuals or companies buying aircraft for private purposes cannot do so under the NSOP category at lower import duty and then divert it for personal use.
Minister Ajit Singh said, “We are looking at route dispersal guidelines to encourage connectivity and we will be going with a code-share arrangement between non-scheduled operators and commercial airlines for connectivity to tier-III and tier-IV cities (a code share is where two or more airlines share a flight). We are also looking to see if we can put guidelines for NSOPs, so that people can’t import jets at lower tax and then use it as private ones.”
Singh said the ministry was looking into duties, too. “We want some adjustments, so that there isn’t a wide variance in the duties (on imported jets).
23/10/12 Disha Kanwar/Business Standard

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Price war: Jet Airways slashes Mumbai-London airfare to less than Rs 10,000

Mumbai: The exit of 'India's Richard Branson' Vijay Mallya from the country's skies may have pushed domestic air travel rates soaring skywards, but the imminent entry of the real Branson and his Virgin airline on Mumbai-London route is triggering a crash landing of sorts in fares.
Jet Airways, the country's pre-eminent private carrier, has slashed fares on the Mumbai-London sector to less than 10,000 per person (excluding taxes), reviving memories of a price war that made fares on the South-east Asian routes from India one of the cheapest in the world.
The Naresh Goyal-promoted airline is offering 9,990 per passenger (round trip, excluding taxes) on Mumbai-London for 18 days beginning October 29, the day Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic resumes its India operations after a three-year break.
23/10/12 Manisha Singhal/Economic Times

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Emirates shows Air India the way

Thiruvananthapuram: At a time when Air India has drawn flak for its handling of a situation when a flight had to be diverted from Kochi to the capital city here due to bad weather, Emirates Airlines scored by acting swiftly when a flight to Dubai was delayed in the wee hours Monday.
In a statement, the airline said that flight EK 523 scheduled to depart from Thiruvananthapuram to Dubai Monday at 0435 hours local time was delayed due to a technical issue.
"The aircraft is rescheduled to depart from Thiruvananthapuram at 2045 hours local time, arriving into Dubai at 2310 hours local time Monday. There are 232 passengers on-board. All passengers have been provided refreshments, accommodation and regular updates on the flight status," the airline statement said.
This swift action comes at a time when enquiries are going on by the Kerala Police, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Air India following a ruckus Friday, when a Kochi-bound Air India Express flight was diverted here.
22/10/12 IANS/News Track India

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Jet Airways adds new flight to Kochi from Bahrain International Airport

Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) welcomed the inaugural flight number 9W593 for Jet Airways to the Kingdom of Bahrain on Friday October 19, 2012 to conclude their new third weekly flight from Kochi to Bahrain in an event held at Bahrain International Airport.
The new milestone is a bold step and an indication of the airline's optimism and trust toward the aviation business development in Bahrain. The ceremony was attended by top officials from Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), Jet Airways, Airport and Government officials including Mr. Nirmal Kumar Chawdhary, First Secretary of the Indian Embassy in Bahrain, Mr. Abdulrahman Al Busaidy, Group Executive Officer of Jet Airways, Mr. John Iype, Chairman of the Indian Community Relief Fund in Bahrain and Mr. Hussain Rasool, Corporate Communications Manager of Bahrain Airport Company as well as a number of partners and media representatives.
22/10/12 AME Info

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AISATS to manage ground handling for Russian Charters at Trivandrum airport

Bangalore: Air India SATS Airport Services (AISATS), a joint venture between Air India Limited and Singapore’s SATS Limited has been awarded the mandate to manage ground handling services for the premier Russian charters, Nordwind Airlines and OrenAir at Trivandrum International Airport.
AISATS has been chosen to manage both the charters by providing end-to-end airport services including passenger, ramp and baggage handling.
Nordwind Airlines started its maiden operation to Trivandrum from Moscow on Saturday (21 October) using their Boeing757 aircraft. OrenAir will commence its charter services between Russia’s fourth largest city Yekaterinburg and Trivandrum on Monday using a Boeing737 aircraft.
22/10/12 Bibhu Ranjan Mishra/Business Standard

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Man held with iridium powder at IGI Airport

New Delhi: Two kilograms of iridium powder, used as an adulterant in gold, was recovered from a man arrested from Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday, police said. Faiz Ahmed Abdul Jabbar Ghawte landed at Terminal 3 of the Airport from Hong Kong and was booked by the Customs for smuggling the Iridium powder, which was concealed in specially designed pockets in his vest and trousers, officials said in a statement on Sunday. Officials said market value of the seized iridium powder was Rs 40 lakh. Ghawte was also carrying fabric worth Rs 59,000 and a luxury mobile phone, police said.
35 cases of dengue reported on Sunday
Thirty-five cases of dengue were reported on Sunday, taking the total number of patients tested positive for the virus to 652. The South Municipal Corporation reported the highest cases at 246 and the North corporation recording 223 confirmed dengue cases.
22/10/12 Indian Express

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Passengers up in arms as Air India pilot does it again

Even before the dust settled on the hijack drama at the Trivandrum International Airport on Friday, Air India tried to take the passengers of its budget airline flight from Bahrain to Calicut for a ride on Saturday.
The trouble started after the passengers were asked to go to Calicut by road following the diversion of the Air India Express flight to Cochin International Airport following bad weather conditions at Calicut. The departure of the flight from Bahrain was also delayed by two hours.
As in Trivandrum, the pilot refused to continue the flight when the weather conditions improved at Calicut, saying his duty time was over. The irate passengers refused to move out of the airport and staged protests on the runway.
When the protests mounted, the airline brought a new pilot and operated the flight to its original destination after about five hours. The passengers, who included several women and children, complained that the airline had not provided them even water after the flight landed at Cochin at 6.30am.
21/10/12 T K Devasia/Khaleej Times

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Stop harassment of Gulf passengers: Achuthanandan

Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan on Saturday protested against the alleged harassment of Gulf passengers by Air India.
In a statement, Mr. Achuthanandan said the incident at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport on Friday when passengers were stranded for hours on board a flight, was the latest instance of alleged harassment. He demanded that the cases registered against passengers on charges of ‘hijacking’ the aircraft be withdrawn.
21/10/12 The Hindu

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Swiss solar energy, aviation companies look to invest in India

New Delhi:  Swiss companies in areas such as solar energy and aviation are expected to invest in India following the country's decision to further open up its economy to foreign investments.
A senior minister from Switzerland said here that companies from that country have expressed willingness to make more investments in India and its move to open up the domestic market further to FDI is a good move.
"Market opening (up) would be a good thing for India. You are still a very closed market... We believe in open markets," Swiss Minister for Environment, Transport, Energy and and Communications Doris Leuthard told reporters.
Unveiling big bang reforms to boost the sagging economy, India last month cleared 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail besides giving green signal to overseas carriers for making 49 per cent investment in the aviation sector.
21/10/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Increase FDI to boost aviation sector of Country: Ajit Singh

The Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has said that increase in Foreign Direct Investment would give a boost to the aviation sector in India.
Talking to AIR, on the sidelines of a meeting in Dubai, he said the decision to increase the investment limits in the airline sector in India is an enabling provision, which will bring an increased flow of capital, new expertise and technology, quality services, improvement in airport infrastructure and maintenance. The Minister said in the long run, it is bound to help the growth of aviation industry in the country.
20/10/12 All India Radio

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Another harrowing experience for Air India Express passengers

Kochi: In another harrowing experience for Air India passengers, a Kochi bound flight from Bahrain took nearly 20 hours to reach its destination following technical snags and bad weather, prompting some of them to disembark here and stage a protest.
Air India Express passengers protested at the parking bay when the flight flew in here without touching down at Kozhikode. Forty seven of them disembarked, while 119 were bound for Kozhikode.
The passengers landed at Kozhikode by around 2 PM. Air India sources said the Bahrain-Doha-Kozhikode-Kochi flight developed a technical snag at Doha which was sorted out. On its way to Kozhikode, another snag cropped up and an alarm sounded in the cockpit, following which it was diverted to Mumbai.
The flight was grounded in Mumbai and 163 passengers were put on another flight to Kozhikode. But due to poor visiblity, it could not land there and came to Kochi, the sources said.
One of the passengers Naufal told PTI that since last night, AIE had served a can of water and a small piece of plum cake. "This was the same for breakfast at Kochi and lunch'.
20/10/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Bonded trucking service begins at Tiruchi Airport

Tiruchi: Bonded trucking service from the Tiruchi Airport commenced in Tiruchi on Friday with the first cargo consignment booked from Chennai to Hanoi being lifted by the Air Asia’s Kuala Lumpur flight from here.
The consignment of 2.2 tonnes of finished leather goods was cleared by Customs at Chennai and sent to Tiruchi in a sealed truck. After verification of papers and scanning of the cargo, it was lifted by the airline to Kuala Lumpur en route to Hanoi.
This is the first consignment of cargo sent by bonded trucking after the opening of the air cargo complex at the airport here in December 2011. With this Tiruchi becomes a gateway for bonded trucking. The service helps exporters to complete the export procedure in the city where the cargo originates after due Customs clearance. For instance, consignments from Karur, Tirupur or even Coimbatore can be sent through bonded trucking after being cleared by the Customs at inland container terminals, airport sources said.
20/10/12 S Ganesan/The Hindu

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Mahindra & Mahindra May Re-bid For American Aircraft Maker Hawker Beechcraft

Amid the recent political debate by Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on keeping China’s currency at low levels, lies a sale of a bankrupt American aircraft maker, Hawker Beechcraft.
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, which had earlier bid for the company and lost it to a Chinese part government owned firm Superior Aviation Beijing Co., is said to bid again for it, states ET. Superior Aviation was supposed to buy it for $1.79 Bn.
The news rekindled as the deal between the American and Chinese firm did not go through.
Hawker’s CEO Steve Miller hinted at ‘global politics’ involved in the deal failure, citing calls from the Democrats and Republicans for toughness on China’s currency policies.
M&M is looking to grow in the aerospace business and had earlier bought majority stakes in component maker Aerostaff Australia and turboprop aircraft manufacturer Gippsland Aeronautics in 2009.
19/10/12 Paritosh Gajjar/Deal Curry

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Case related to Kandahar hijack collapses, 19 acquitted

Mumbai: A local court today acquitted 19 persons, accused to have helped get fake passports for the hijackers of the Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in December 1999.
In December 1999, Mumbai police's crime branch arrested Abdul Latif, an alleged terrorist, from suburban Jogeshwari and claimed to have recovered an AK-56 rifles, hand grenades and rocket launchers from him.
According to police, he confessed to committing a bank robbery for financing the IC-814 hijacking and also for procuring fake passports.
Police also arrested another 22 persons in this connection. While two died during the trial, one was discharged from the case.
During the trial, prosecution examined 28 witnesses, however seven turned hostile.
19/10/12 Indian Express

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Hyd-Masshad flight to take off soon, says Iranian official

Hyderabad:  The visiting Iranian delegation headed by Mohammad Javad Mohammadzadeh, vice-president and head of Environmental Protection Organization of Iran, on Thursday promised to strengthen ties with Hyderabad in the fields of trade, arts and culture.
Mohammadzadeh is in the city to attend the biodiversity conference. Interacting with mediapersons, he informed that new flights will be introduced in the near future between the India and Iran. On the long due Hyderabad-Mashhad flight, Mohammadzadeh said that the Asman Airlines of Iran will soon be operating the flight. The run has also been extended to Chah Bahar in south of Iran.
19/10/12 Times of india

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AIE to operate 48 services a week from Kozhikode

Kozhikode: Air India Express (AIE) will operate 48 services per week from Kozhikode Airport to various Middle East destinations effective from October 28, a top AIE official said today.
In addition to the above, three flights per week to Mumbai, seven flights to Kochi and one flight a week to Thiruvananthapuram would also be operated, taking the total services to 59 per week, Ansbert D'Souza, Chief Operating Office, Air India Express, told reporters here while detailing the winter schedule of AIE.
Kozhikode will connect the cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Doha, Baharain, Muscat and Damamm on a daily basis, he said, adding during the summer schedule some of these cities had flights three days flight per week.
18/10/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Kaman, Kineco sign deal to form joint venture in India

Kaman Aerospace Group Inc., a subsidiary of the Bloomfield, Conn.-based and publicly traded Kaman Corp. and Kineco Pvt. Ltd. have agreed to form a manufacturing joint venture in India. The new company will be named Kineco Kaman Composites India Pvt. Ltd. The venture is based in Goa and will manufacture advanced composite structures for aerospace, imaging/medical and other industries.
“This venture comes together with the strength of a mutually shared vision that will drive and focus the joint venture to provide outstanding composite structures manufacturing solutions for our customers around the world. This strategic step is in keeping with our vision to provide our customers with a complete aerosystem solution,” said Gregory L. Steiner, president of Kaman Aerospace Group. “Our customers will benefit with a Kaman ‘One Stop’ full complement of seamless services including design, tooling, testing, certification, low rate initial production, through steady state high velocity production. In addition, mature processes with high labor content will serve as key potential opportunities to provide our customers with future step down pricing.”
“The partnership between Kineco and Kaman is a unique and special one. This joint venture formation has the potential to become an extraordinary event for Indian business and the global aerospace industry,” said Shekhar Sardessai, chairman and managing director of Kineco. “This relationship will foster and develop opportunities for both companies from uncharted territories.”
18/10/12 Indus Business Journal

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No plan to invest in Indian carrier: Cathay Pacific

New Delhi: Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific today asked India to relook into the "high" airport tariffs and said it has no plans to invest in any Indian carrier.
"Airlines are working in wafer-thin margin and such high airport charges were not going to help Indian aviation sector in long-term view," Tom Wright, General Manager, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, told reporters.
He said Indian airports are some of the most expensive in the world and high airport charges were detrimental to the growth of passenger traffic and hard on airlines struggling to maintain their margins.
Though bouyed by India's passenger traffic potential, Wright said Cathay Pacific had no plans to invest in domestic carriers now as "our business model doesn't allow for the same."
17/10/12 PTI/Economic Times

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Air India's Dreamliner makes maiden long-haul flight; flies Delhi-Frankfurt

New Delhi: The much-awaited aircraft, Boeing 787, also known as the Dreamliner, gave wings to Air India's international ambitions by making it's maiden long-haul flight between national capital Delhi and Frankfurt in Germany on Monday.
The national carrier had taken delivery of the first of the 27 Dreamliners on September 8 this year, after which two more have joined the fleet. Till now these aircraft were being deployed on the domestic sectors - apart from operations between Delhi and Dubai, a medium-haul sector.
"Air India's Dreamliner to Frankfurt marks a new era of its operations with the state-of-the-art aircraft on the long haul routes as well," a press statement from the state-owned carrier said.
The flight AI 121 from Delhi to Frankfurt took off with Captain Soman in Command and Captain Nikhil Dongre as co-pilot, the release added.
15/10/12 Economic Times

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India, New Zealand to cooperate in civil aviation sector

New Delhi: India and New Zealand today decided to promote and develop training and technical cooperation in civil aviation sector including accepting of each other's aeronautical products and licenses.
A document, called the 'Arrangement for Cooperation on Civil Aviation', was signed by Civil Aviation Secretary K N Shrivastava and New Zealand High Commissioner Jan Henderson.
Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and Minister of Economic Development and Tertiary Education Steven Joyce were present during the ceremony.
17/10/12 PTI/Business Standard

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Etihad not interested in majority ownership, CEO says

Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer James Hogan said on Tuesday that the Abu Dhabi-based airline has been approached by “all Indian carriers” for the possibility of buying stake.
“All the Indian carriers have approached us and we continue to evaluate the impact of FDI [Foreign Direct Investment],” Hogan told reporters Tuesday on the sidelines of a conference in Abu Dhabi.
When asked how many airlines, Hogan said, “quite a number.”
Last month, the Indian government lifted a ban on foreign airlines investing in its carriers, allowing them to invest up to 49 per cent. The lifting of the ban is expected to help the domestic airline industry in India.
16/10/12  Samia Badih/Gulf News

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Air India's Dreamliner begins long-haul international operations

New Delhi: Air India's newly-acquired Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft started its long-haul international operations on Monday with a flight to Frankfurt. "Air India's Dreamliner to Frankfurt marks a new era of its operations with the state-of-the-art aircraft on the long haul routes as well," a statement from the national carrier said.
The airline received the first 787 Dreamliner from the US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing on September 8, after a wait of four years. So far, Air India has received three Dreamliners. The aircraft is equipped with 18 business class seats and 238 in the economy class.
Touted as the game changer for Air India, the ailing national carrier had earlier planned to operate Dreamliner planes for flights to Australia and southeast Asian countries, including Japan.
15/10/12 PTI/IBN Live

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Micro Technologies bags Israeli order for trolley management system

Chennai: Micro Technologies (India) Ltd today announced that it has secured an order from its Israeli distributor to provide ‘trolley management system’ at major international airports.
The ‘trolley management system’ is meant to trace, track, sort by batches and thereby optimise the use of trolleys in airports.
This is done by providing RFID tags and linking them with trolley serial numbers. Linked with flight information systems, the trolley management system estimates the need for trolleys at different areas of the airport at any given point in time.
The system also helps in bringing down “disappearance” of trolleys at airports.
The company has not disclosed the name of the customer or the value of the order.
15/10/12 Business Line

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How Nandan Cleantec is gearing up to power global aviation with jatropha

In 2000, the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested a miracle man of different sorts. Ramar Pillai did not pretend to be the almighty, but he declared he could make petrol using secret herbs. The curly-haired, smooth-talker from Tamil Nadu sold the fuel under the brand name Ramar Petrol.
The CBI found that Pillai had, in fact, sourced petroleum products such as benzene from contacts in oil marketing companies to produce fuel. Thanks to Pillai, for a while, anybody who spoke of biofuels was treated with suspicion in India.
Around the time Pillai was raising eyebrows, a group of four Hyderabadi professionals met up for lunch and discussed starting a business of their own. The group included patent lawyer Bhaskar Rao, geologist Jaya Kumar, corporate lawyer Phaneesh Mudigonda and CS Jadhav, who specialised in marketing.They zeroed in on medicinal plants as Jaya Kumar sensed a huge demand for preventive medicine.
14/10/12 Economic Times

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Cathay Pacific to exhaust its traffic rights

New Delhi: Cathay-Pacific, Hong Kong’s flag carrier, will be the second after Dubai-based Emirates to utilise all its bilateral air traffic rights with India, as it increases its weekly flights from 35 at present to 46 by the year end.
It will start four flights a week to Hyderabad from Hong Kong in December, while its wholly-owned subsidiary Dragonair will commence a similar service to Kolkata from November.
Tom Wright, general manager, South Asia, West Asia and Africa, said, “Once we have launched all our flights to these destination, we would have utilised all our traffic rights.” Traffic rights negotiated between India and Hong Kong are primarily based on number of flights. But in case of Delhi, it includes seats.
14/10/12 Disha Kanwar/Business Standard

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Bombardier opens maintenance facility for business jets at IGI

New Delhi: Bombardier Aerospace, along with its maintenance partner Air Works, has established its second line maintenance facility (LMF) in the country for business jets at the IGI airport here.
"Our longstanding relationship with Air Works and their commitment to excellence make them a perfect fit for the needs of Bombardier operators in the region," Éric Martel, President of Customer Services and Specialised and Amphibious Aircraft, Bombardier Aerospace said in a statement.
Air Works at New Delhi would cater to Challenger 604, Challenger 605, Global Express and Global Express XRS business jets. It would complement Air Works' centre in Mumbai which has been part of Bombardier's authorised service facility network since 2008.
"The two Air Works facilities are an important part of our overall network in India, anchored by our Mumbai regional support office. We continue to place a heavy focus on growing our local roots in key markets, and are pleased to collaborate with local partners," he added.
The facility, which is centrally located at IGI airport, has a 9,042-sq ft maintenance hangar.
13/10/12 PTI/Business Standard

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HAL signs MTA contract with Russian partners

Bangalore: Hindustan Aeronautics today entered into an agreement for a Multirole Transport Aircraft project with its Russian partner United Aircraft Corporation— Transport Aircraft (UAC-TA).
The preliminary design phase contract was signed with UAC-TA, the Russian partner and their JV-Multirole Transport Aircraft Ltd for the Multirole Transport Aircraft project, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) said in a statement.
The agreement is a follow on contract of the General Contract signed between the three parties in May 2012, it said.
"With this HAL and UAC-TA will start the preliminary design work immediately at Moscow. HAL design team consisting of 30 designers will be positioned at UAC-TA", HAL Chairman R K Tyagi said.
The primary objective of the project is to achieve self reliance in design, development and production of aircraft of this size and also to manage the programme with international collaboration and large number of global suppliers, he added.
12/10/12 PTI/Business Standard

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Bombardier Aerospace expands in India

Montreal:  Bombardier is expanding its business jet repair capabilities in India.
The aerospace division of the Montreal-based plane and train builder says a repair shop in New Delhi operated by current partner Air Works has been named a line maintenance facility for Challenger 604, Challenger 605, Global Express and Global Express XRS business jets.
It will complement Air Works’ centre in Mumbai, which has been part of Bombardier’s authorized service facility network since 2008.
The newly authorized New Delhi facility at Indira Gandhi International Airport, features an 840-square-metre maintenance hangar.
“Our long-standing relationship with Air Works and their commitment to excellence make them a perfect fit for the needs of Bombardier operators in the region,” said Bombardier customer services spokesman Eric Martel.
12/10/12 The Gazette

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Tiff over carbon tax on aviation may end soon

New Delhi: The face-off between the European Union (EU) and India over carbon tax on aviation could see a resolution, with a compromise formula likely to evolve at the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s meeting to be held in end-October.
Under the proposed formula, an international market-based mechanism would be developed for taxing international flights but it would apply to flights between developing countries at a later date, covering only the developed nations to begin with.
Revenues from developing countries' airlines would be reverted back to the respective nations to deploy in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation sector. The tax collected from rich countries' carriers would be shared with developing nations.
12/10/12 Nitin Sethi/Economic Times

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Blue Dart and DHL sweep awards at the 6th Express, Logistics & Supply Chain Conclave

Mumbai: Once again it was time to bring out the bubbly with Blue Dart, South Asia's premier number one express air and integrated transportation, distribution and logistics company and DHL, the world's leading logistics company winning key awards at the 6th Express, Logistics & Supply Chain Conclave (ELSCC) held on 27th September 2012 at the Taj Land's End, Mumbai. Blue Dart took home the honours in the categories of 'Best Air Express Provider of the Year - Domestic' (Blue Dart Express Ltd.), 'Best Air Cargo Carrier of the Year' (Blue Dart Aviation Ltd.) and 'CSR initiative of the Year' (Blue Edge: Empowering Lives programme). In the individual category, Anil Khanna, Managing Director, Blue Dart Express Ltd. won the 'ELSC CEO of the Year' award. DHL, on the other hand, received the awards for 'Best Air Express Provider of the Year - International' (DHL Express) and 'Best Logistics Service Provider of the Year - Air Freight' (DHL Global Forwarding).
These awards were a result of an independent research agency entrusted with the task of choosing the winners with the key parameters being the ability to adapt the business to meet the changing dynamics of the new economic era, drive renewed growth and gain market share.
11/10/12 4-traders

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FDI poses potential threat to national security, says Intelligence report

Mumbai: "Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in aviation and telecom sectors is potential threat to national security," a secret paper submitted by Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) to Union Home Ministry in September 2008 stated. The Union government has overlooked the paper while approving FDI and framing its rules.
The secret paper, a copy of which is with India Today, draws attention to threats associated with foreign participation in the economy. It categorically mentions that in India the only guideline, which touches upon security aspects, is the FEMA notification issued in 2000 that prohibits FDI from Pakistan and Bangladesh. "No other country is mentioned."
Security experts believe that China is a bigger threat than Pakistan. The paper broadly focuses on national security threats arising out of FDI inflow, mergers and acquisitions, Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWF) and public private partnerships. It takes into account references from PMO on "FDI in sensitive areas and industries" and "enhancement of FDI limit in telecom sector".The paper mentions that flow of unverifiable investments from tax havens like Mauritius, Cyprus, Cayman Islands and from criminal groups operating from outside pose a security threat to the economy.
12/10/12 Kiran Tare/India Today

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Lagardere Group strikes Indian JV for airport retail

Mumbai: LS Tavel Retail, a part of the French-multinational conglomerate Lagardere Group has struck a joint venture partnership with Travel Food Services (TFS), an India food & beverage operator in the Indian travel sector.
The JV will explore duty free opportunities at Indian airports in cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore. TFS will also exclusively develop Lagardere Group's Relay-branded stores in the country across airports, metros and railway stations.
Relay is a chain of stores selling newspapers, magazines, books, mostly based in train stations and airports. It is owned by the Lagardere group which also owns LS Travel. Relay is present across 1300 locations in more than 20 countries presently.
11/10/12 Times of India

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Kerala travel agents contest Air India claim

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Association of Travel Agents has contested Air India’s claim that it has launched more flights from the State to West Asian countries.
A spokesman for the association said here that winter schedule of Air India Express effective October 28 does not feature 19 existing West Asian services being operated from Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi airports. These included 12 services from here and seven from Kochi, the spokesman said.
10/10/12 Business Line

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KATA alleges cancellation of AI, AIE services from Kerala

The Kerala Association of Travel Agents (KATA) has alleged that 380 services of Air India and Air India Express (AIE) from the state were cancelled with the AIE winter schedule coming into effect from October 28.  In a statement here on Tuesday, KATA president K V Muralidharan said that 12 services from Thiruvananthapuram and seven from Kochi, in total 19 a week, were absent in the new schedule.
The cancelled services from the capital include four flights to Muscat and two each to Bahrain, Doha, Dammam and Riyadh. Three flights to Dammam, and two each to Riyadh and Jeddah were those cancelled from Kochi, the statement said. 
 The winter schedule has completely ignored the requirement to the Saudi sector, KATA said. A total of 11 services were cancelled from Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi airports.
10/10/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

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AirAsia ready for India if environment is right: CEO

Kuala Lumpur: AirAsia is keen to have more presence in India if the "aviation environment" and tax structure are "conducive and friendly" for low-cost airline operations, the group's CEO Tony Fernandes has said. He felt that though the Indian government has allowed 49 per cent foreign direct investments in the country's civil aviation sector, the cost of operating an airline were still higher than many developed nations.
"This is the power of AirAsia. Everyone wants us, but the right infrastructure and environment must be there for us to go there (India)," Fernandes was quoted by Malaysian news agency Bernama as saying. "The airport tax is already very high and I even heard that they are going to further increase the tax, forcing many airlines to quit from certain destinations," he said.
"If everything is right, then we will be stupid not to enter the Indian market, which boasts more than a billion population," Fernandes added.
10/10/12 PTI/IBN Live

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Elderly couple's 12-year illegal US stay crashes at Ahmedabad airport

An elderly couple from the US who landed on Monday night at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport without proper travel documents were nabbed by a team of immigration authorities.
The two were handed over to Sardarnagar police for further investigation. They had travelled to the US on fake passports, said investigators.
According to Sardarnagar police officials, G H Khan, an immigration officer at the city international airport, examined the documents of Natwar Patel, 58, and his wife Amba, 54, upon their return from the US at 7.30 pm on Monday. They had come to India on an emergency certificate issued by the Indian embassy in the US. When questioned, they said they did not have passports.
10/10/12 Times of India

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India to ask Lufthansa to help Air India join Star Alliance

New Delhi: In a subtle nudge to German carrier Lufthansa, Ajit Singh, the union minister of civil aviation said it will ask the foreign airline to adhere to its original plan of including Air India in the global airline grouping Star Alliance.
Star Alliance, after Air India pilots went on 58-day strike that ended in July was leaning towards accommodating Jet Airways as its Indian partner. Star Alliance is non-committal on its four-year old promise of inducting Air India into the alliance and has expressed interest for rival Jet Airways.
The government wants to talk to German carrier Lufthansa to adhere to the original roadmap by mentoring the national carrier into the airline club.
Civil Aviation minister told media that Lufthansa, which is the founding member of Star Alliance, was given a lot of benefits to ensure that Air India joins the grouping.
"I believe a lot of facilities were given to the airline (Lufthansa) so that it would mentor Air India to join Star Alliance. They were given a lot of flights, it was made almost open skies for them. Now we are going to talk to Lufthansa to adhere to the plan we had," Singh said.
According to Air India CMD Rohit Nandan, Star Alliance has so far not responded to his letter about his airline being as good as any other Indian carrier, written in late August.
09/10/12 Anindya Upadhyay/Economic Times

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No foreign airline has approached us for stake as yet: Ajit Singh

New Delhi: So far, no foreign airline has sought to invest in a domestic airline, Minister for Civil Aviation Ajit Singh said.
In September, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had allowed foreign airlines to acquire stake of up to 49 per cent in domestic airlines.
“It is a long-term policy. Aviation is a very complicated business. The management and technical expertise that you get by tying up with another airline will help the Indian industry. Let us see what happens now,” the Minister said at the Economic Editor’s conference here.
He said that work on three new greenfield airports at Mopa in Goa, Navi Mumbai and Kannur in Kerala was expected to begin by the end of this financial year.
09/10/12 Business Line

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Air India Express to Fly Twice Daily to Dubai from Mangalore

Kochi/Mangalore: Mangalore will see budget airline Air India Express flying twice daily to Dubai, three times a week to Muscat and Abu Dhabi and twice weekly to Doha and Bahrain.
Air India Express (AIE) on October 6 said it would operate 27 additional flights from Kerala and Mangalore to various Gulf destinations from October 28.
Announcing its winter schedule, the airline said it has increased services from Kerala and Mangalore airports to Middle East destinations from 92 a week to 119 a week.
As per schedule, Kochi will connect cities of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha and Sharjah daily, Muscat thrice a week.
Passengers from here will be offered convenient connections to Dammam via Kozhikode daily, and to Kuwait three times a week, with both boarding cards issued in Kochi and the baggage tagged to the ultimate destination, AIE said.
07/10/12 Sahil Online

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Kerala set to fly solo

What does a state with three international airports, another in the offing and seven million passengers passing through it annually do next? Open its own airline, of course. And that's what Kerala is doing. If that sounds audacious and unrealistic at a time when most airlines are in the red, those heading it are unfazed. After all, they ask, didn't Kerala give India its first airport based on the PPP (public-private participation) model in Cochin in 1999? And it's running profitably, garnering Rs 100 crore last year alone.
But what compelled this sliver of a state to think of starting its own airline, says Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy, was the step-motherly treatment meted out by AI Express. "It cancelled flights recently to the Gulf at the drop of a hat. Despite knowing two weeks beforehand, it didn't inform our passengers. We don't expect this from a national carrier. Also, the fares of other airlines are too exorbitant for workers in the Gulf." (see box) Interestingly, this is probably the first instance globally when a state/provincial government will hold equity stake in an airline , says an aviation adviser at Ernst & Young.
07/10/12 Shobha John/Times of India

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Inaugural Haj flight takes off

Malappuram: This year’s Haj flight services from Kerala under the banner of the State Haj Committee began when a Saudi Airlines plane took off from Calicut International Airport at Karipur at 10.20 a.m. on Saturday, carrying 300 pilgrims.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Human Resource Development E. Ahamed flagged off the inaugural flight in the presence of a bevy of dignitaries, including Tourism Minister A.P. Anil Kumar and MPs M.I. Shanavaz and E.T. Mohammed Basheer. Mr. Ahamed said all efforts would be made to avoid congestion in the apron during the Haj flight operations.
The Minister said Saudi Arabian Airlines would provide Zamzam (holy water) to all pilgrims on the same day of their return.
Saudi Airlines operated its second flight to carry 250 pilgrims on Saturday afternoon. The flight left Karipur at 1.20 p.m.
07/10/12 The Hindu

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Stork comes calling aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight

Mumbai: A Nigerian woman delivered a baby aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight early Saturday, airport officials said.
Both mother and baby girl are doing well at the Holy Spirit Hospital in Andheri East, near the Mumbai International Airport, where they were admitted early Saturday.
The baby was born at around 4.10 am, when Ethiopian Airlines flight No. ET607 reported an on-board medical emergency to the Mumbai International Airport.
The passenger, Chinyere Okoli, 34, and her baby were rushed to the medical team waiting for them and taken to hospital, officials said.
06/10/12 First Post.com

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Delhi airport charge hike has hit our plans: Malaysian Airlines

New Delhi: The exorbitant increase in Delhi airport charges and demand for a hike by other major airports has forced Malaysian Airlines to rethink its India strategy.
"The hike in airport charges at Delhi has jeopardised our plans to increase flights from here. Other airports are also demanding a hike, so if it's not manageable, then we have to rethink our strategy," Mohamed Sathik Ali, the airline's general manager (North India), told PTI.
Though the airline has no current plans to invest in any Indian carrier, it also did not discount such an opportunity in the future.
The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) had allowed Delhi International Airport Limited to increase overall airport charges for facilities like landing, parking and housing by a staggering 346% for next two years.
Recently, Mumbai Airport has sent a proposal for a 660% rise in aeronautical charges to the AERA, and after modernisation of Chennai and Kolkata airports, operator Airports Authority of India has also asked for increase in charges.
07/10/12 PTI/Business Standard

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Indian national held with foreign currencies worth Rs 12.4 million

Kathmandu: Police arrested a person with a huge amount of foreign currencies on board a Fly Dubai plane at Tribhuvan International Airport yesterday.
The arrestee has been identified as Binod Kumar Soni (35), an Indian national operating an electronic shop that sells surveillance cameras in Mahabouddha.
Airport police informed it seized the currencies of nine countries with a face value of Rs 12.4 million from Soni.
A passenger is required to declare all baggage and currencies through customs upon arrival and before departure at the TIA as per the law. “It does indeed rouse suspicion that Soni had cleared 12 security checkpoints at TIA undetected before he was arrested after boarding the aircraft. This incident calls for serious investigation,” a police source said.
Only last month DIG Narayan Bastakoti, airport security in-charge, had told THT, “No one can push contraband even the size of a sewing needle through the airport. It has become foolproof under my leadership.”
06/10/12 The Himalayan Times

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Chinese duo held with fake passports

Hyderabad: The immigration officials on Saturday detained two Chinese nationals including a woman at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi for travelling with fake passports. The arrested duo were send back to Hyderabad, from where they had boarded a flight on Friday, and were handed over to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport police for further investigation. Their original names are yet to be know.
RGIA inspector D Durga Prasad told Express that the two Chinese nationals arrived Hyderabad from Chennai two days ago and then flew to Delhi on Friday.
07/10/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

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Air India receives third Boeing 787 Dreamliner

New Delhi: Air India received its third Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the first aircraft coming out of the new North Charleston facility of the American manufacturer, the company said today.
"We are delighted to be the first airline in the world to take delivery of a Dreamliner from this beautiful factory and look forward to taking many more," Air India Board member K M Unni said after receiving the first plane from the new plant.
He said the B-787 was "an airplane with unmatched efficiency and technology which will help in our airline's turnaround plan," a Boeing statement from North Charleston quoting him said.
In September, Air India took delivery of its first of the 27 Dreamliners on order. The aircraft is equipped with 18 business class seats and 238 in the economy class.
Work on the first South Carolina-built airplane began in October 2010 with fabrication of the aft fuselage and assembly of the mid-body section. Final assembly began in June 2011 and the completed airplane rolled out in April 2012 and flew for the first time in May, the release said.
06/10/12 PTI/Business Standard

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PPP projects catch US delegation eye

Lucknow: The Public Private partnership projects of Uttar Pradesh Government, especially expressways, civil aviation and power have attracted interest of US India Business Council (USIBC), the delegation of which met Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and senior officials of the state Government on Friday. A presentation about the upcoming new projects in the state was made before the delegation. They also expressed interest in compressed and piped natural gas network which the government plans to establish in 21 cities across the state.
The delegation, led by chairman of USIBC, Ajay Banga and president Ron Somers, has invited Akhilesh to visit US in the month of January to interact with the entrepreneurs, following which a delegation of entrepreneurs from the US would visit Uttar Pradesh in the month of March with specific proposals for investment across state.
“We are very impressed by the bold initiatives of the UP government to develop infrastructure and fresh policy interventions for improving the business environment here. The youthful and dynamic leadership of the chief minister holds enormous promise to awaken American companies’ interest in Uttar Pradesh,” Ron Somers said in an official statement.
06/10/12 Indian Express

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Flying Lufthansa? Then, get ready to surf the Web

New Delhi: Bored watching in-flight movies? Now, you can surf the Net, send and receive e-mails (even with large files attached) as you fly Lufthansa, to or from India.
The German airline is offering high-speed onboard internet called FlyNet, which enables passengers with a WLAN-enabled laptop or smartphone unlimited access to the Web.
Passengers can also use the iPad to connect to the internet through a hotspot, just as they would do at any public hotspot on the ground.
The airline said users will be automatically connected to the free-of-charge FlyNet portal, which provides constant updates on business, politics, sports and entertainment. A satellite links the aircraft to the Web, the airline said in a statement. It has come up with various billing options for internet usage, including €10.95 or 3,500 miles for one hour or €19.95 or 7,000 miles for 24-hour access.
05/10/12 Business Line

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In air, but mobile phones no longer grounded

New Delhi: The days of switching off your mobile phone while flying seems to be over. Airlines around the world are beginning to deploy new technologies that allow passengers to stay connected even while flying 30,000 feet above the ground.
For instance, Lufthansa enables you to send and receive emails with large file attachments without time delay on most flights from and to India. And if you are flying the Airbus A-380 of Dubai-based Emirates airlines, you will also be able to remain in touch through phone calls. The service is being offered in partnership with OnAir.
The OnAir system allows passengers to use their own mobile phones to make and receive phone calls and text messages from Emirates aircraft in-flight, just as they would on the ground.
First such flight departed from Dubai international Airport to Munich International Airport on October 2 and the first recorded A380 in-flight call was placed to China while the aircraft cruised at 11,500 metres flying across the Gulf. Indian passengers may have to wait a while to experience this new technology because the Indian Government does not allow any international airline to operate the A380 to India.
04/10/12 The Hindu

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Kingfisher Airlines best bet for a foreign carrier: CEO Sanjay Aggarwal

Mumbai: Kingfisher Airlines, which has cancelled all its flights through Thursday, hasn't paid salary to its employees for the past seven months and stares at a prolonged shutdown, is in talks with foreign airlines and non-airline investors for a possible stake sale to ride out of the crisis, says its CEO Sanjay Aggarwal.
While Aggarwal maintains that Kingfisher is the best bet for a foreign airline to put money in after the government allowed 49 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in aviation, overseas carriers are skeptical about investing in the heavily- indebted Kingfisher, which is now the smallest among the six main airlines in India. Last year, it was the No. 2 airline in terms of market share.
"We still are a viable business," said Aggarwal, strain showing on his face. "Now that the FDI policy has come in, efforts are on to recapitalise the airline, and we are in talks with foreign airlines and non-airline investors," he said, while admitting that his immediate priorities are to get the airline flying and paying salaries.
04/10/12 Economic Times

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Low-cost carriers sniff an opportunity

New Delhi: A few weeks ago, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy stunned the aviation world in India when he announced the launch of Air Kerala, a state government-owned airline, to fly to the Gulf. This was seen largely as a reaction to an increase in air fares on those routes, and to Air India Express diverting its planes from the Gulf routes to cater to the Haj traffic.
No one knows whether the plan has any teeth to it. Indeed, the Ministry of Civil Aviation hasn’t yet received any formal application from the state. However, what the entire incident did was drawing attention to the increasingly booming business in the Gulf routes and some of the cash-generating airlines that fly those.
According to the International Air Transport Association’s July 2012 data, “The Middle East (or West Asian) carriers experienced the strongest traffic growth, at 11.2 per cent year-over-year, although this was surpassed by a 12.4 per cent rise in capacity.” These kinds of numbers are no doubt helped by the fact that India has signed three bilateral pacts with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — specifically, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. With Sharjah alone, India’s treaty allows for around 17,800 seats on a weekly basis. All the airlines from the UAE have above 95 per cent utilisation of their bilaterals.
04/10/12 Business Standard

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Kuwait Airways asked to pay Rs 25 lakh to Rajasthan emporium

New Delhi: Kuwait Airways has been ordered by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to pay Rs 25 lakh as compensation to Rajasthan Art Emporium for delaying the delivery of its consignments of handicrafts to the US 16 years ago.
The apex consumer commission gave the order holding the airline guilty of “negligence, inaction and passivity” for not delivering the goods sent by the emporium to its US-based buyer, Williams Sonoma Inc, on time.
The consumer body also observed that the emporium had paid air freight charges of Rs 24.48 lakh, which was ten times more than the sea freight, so that the consignment could reach its buyer quickly.
“All the facts and circumstances clearly establish negligence, inaction and passivity on the part of opposite party 1 (Kuwait Airways). When the goods are not delivered within 7 days, the fault certainly lies at the door of the opposite party 1.
04/10/12 PTI/Business LIne

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India seeks clarification on Austrian's shareholding pattern

New Delhi: India today asked Austria to clarify the shareholding pattern of the Austrian airlines following its takeover by Germany's Lufthansa airlines.
The issue was raised during the meeting of Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh with Austria's Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology Doris Bures here. The two sides discussed the possibilities of enhancing bilateral cooperation in civil aviation sector.
"During the talks, India raised the issue of Substantial Ownership and Effective Control of Austrian Airlines due to its takeover by Lufthansa. The Austrian side was requested to clarify the shareholding pattern of the Austrian Airlines," an official statement said.
India and Austria had signed Air Service Agreement (ASA) in 1989 for operating 14 services per week but presently Austrian Airlines operates six services a week between Vienna and Delhi.
However, with Lufthansa taking over Austrian airlines, there is confusion on the number of flights the carrier can operate from the country, officials said.
03/10/12 PTI/Business Standard

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Virgin to resume Mumbai flights with focus on premium service

Mumbai: The Virgin Atlantic airline will resume its London-Mumbai flights in October, after a hiatus of three years. The Richard Branson-owned airline’s move comes six months after Kingfisher Airlines suspended its London flights and plans to join Virgin’s rival British Airways-led oneworld alliance. Kingfisher’s entry into oneworld would have given British Airways a bigger passenger feed from Indian market, and made difficult for Virgin to grab market share.
Virgin had operated London-Mumbai flights between 2005 and 2009. Its return comes at a time when other foreign airlines are cutting down on their flights in India or pulling out altogether, citing increase in operating costs and charges at Delhi airport.
Virgin's CEO Steve Ridgway said that his airline will be able to attract airline passengers from India. “We had to withdraw our service in 2009 due to the global economic slowdown, but we always said if it was economically viable we would come back. The time is now right, with the Mumbai-London market growing by nine per cent since 2009, and we are looking forward to starting our flights next month and serving the people of Mumbai,” Ridgway said in an email response to Business Standard. Virgin currently flies on the Delhi-London route.
04/10/12 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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Global outlook up, but Indian carriers to bleed

Mumbai: Profits of airlines globally are shoring up after plunging in the first half of this fiscal, but the Indian carriers would continue to bleed on account of rising costs and low passenger traffic, experts said.
Airlines world over are expected to earn $4.1 billion in 2012, up by $1.1 billion from the $3 billion forecast by the travel body in June, according to International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) revised forecast on aviation sector for 2012.
“The fall in airline profits from the $8.4 billion that the industry earned in 2011 will be cushioned by improved airline performance,” it said.
According to the association, the industry’s net profit margins would be 0.6% (up from the previous forecast of 0.5%) in 2012 as against 1.4% in 2011.
However, experts said the short-term forecast for Indian airlines was still negative as increasing fuel costs, high airport taxes, rupee devaluation and high maintainence costs would dent their profitability.
02/10/12 Yuga Chaudhari/Daily News & Analysis

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Air India's Dreamliner to Dubai gets Water Canon Salute

Dubai: Air India's dreamliner was welcomed with a traditional Water Canon Salute on arrival at the Dubai International Airport.
The senior management of Air India in the UAE held a traditional function at Check-in area of Dubai International Airport.
Traditional lamp was lit by the dignitaries as a mark of new beginning, which was followed by cutting of a cake during the function on Sunday.
All incoming and outgoing passengers were greeted with rose buds and first passengers were also felicitated with memento. A lucky draw of two complimentary business class tickets was also held.
The return flight from Dubai to New Delhi operated on Monday.
02/10/12 Economic Times

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I told Rao that airport agreement wasn't transparent: Gayom

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom today revealed that he had informed the head of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) operator GMR, India G M Rao that the agreement awarding the airport to the company for 25 years had been signed under dubious circumstances.
Speaking to reporters after returning to Male from his private visit to India, Gayoom revealed that GMR wishes to operate the airport to the best of its ability, referring to his meeting with Rao in India. However, he added that he had conveyed the concerns of the Maldivian people over the agreement to Rao.
“That meeting was not planned. Rao visited the hospital we were at,” Gayoom said.
“The first thing Rao shared with me was details of the company. He detailed the size of the company, its various investments in various sectors and its many achievements,” he detailed.
“I told him that we had no issues with India. We are always thankful to the assistance provided by India. We remain that way and no Maldivian has any ill will against India. India would always have our best wishes,” he state.
01/10/12 Fazeena Ahmed/Haveeru Online

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Illegal immigrant caught on his return from US

Ahmedabad: A resident of Kadi was nabbed with passport of his lookalike at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on early Monday morning. Baldev Patel, 60, was coming back from the US and landed at the city airport from an Air India flight when he was intercepted by immigration officials.
The officials found that Patel was using passport of his lookalike as he had migrated to the US illegally. He was handed over to Sardarnagar police station officials.
"With the help of a visa agent, Patel had illegally migrated to the US seven years back and was doing odd jobs at different stores. Since he had no passport to come back, he took the help of infamous visa agent Babu Choksi to get back to Gujarat," said an immigration official. Sardarnagar police station officials said that Patel claims to have paid Rs 5 lakh to Choksi to help him return to Gujarat.
02/10/11 Times of India

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French agency to train air crash investigators

The Civil Aviation Ministry has joined hands with Bureau d’ Enquetes et d’ Analysis (BEA) of France to develop skills of Indian air crash investigators for making their probe methodology more credible and world class.
Civil Aviation Secretary, K N Srivastava inaugurated a seminar on ‘Aircraft Accident or Incident Investigation Techniques and Management Course’, which is being conducted and organised by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), at the Indian Aviation Academy today.
“The three-day course, which has been developed in close collaboration with the accident investigation community, pools considerable expertise and experience of investigators, operators and researchers to deliver a level of training of the highest standards,” the Ministry said in a statement.
01/10/12 First Post.com

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Air India Flight 182 tragedy 'Canada's own 9/11'

Toronto: RCMP Sgt. G. Sidhu vows to jail the elusive bombers of Air India Flight 182 who killed 329 people in a tragedy that's being called "Canada's own 9/11."
Sidhu of Surrey, B.C. is a six-year member of an Air India Investigative Team whose officers have been plugging away for 27 years to solve one of the worst mass murders in history.
"That was one of the worst cases of aviation terrorism in Canada," Sidhu said. "That was Canada's own 9/11."
She said the lengthy probe is "very active" and suspects are being sought in Canada and abroad.
Some 280 Canadians were among those killed in June 1985 when a bomb sent the Boeing 747 crashing into the Atlantic Ocean over Ireland.
Inderjit Singh Reyat, 59, was sentenced in January 2011 to nine years in prison for perjury stemming from his time as a Crown witness during a 2003 trial. He was given 17 months credit for time already served, reducing his sentence to seven years.
He was acquitted of mass murder and conspiracy in the bombing but pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a five-year sentence in 2002. He has already served a 10-year term for the killing of two baggage handlers the same day at Tokyo's Narita airport.
01/10/12 Tom Godfrey, QMI Agency/CNews

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