India offers to ‘help Canada improve airport security’

New Delhi: Alarmed by the Canada government-appointed Kanishka bombing inquiry commission’s findings that airport security continues to be below standard there, India has decided to send a team to Toronto to suggest ways to step up aviation security.
The Prime Minister’s Office is said to have raised concerns over the commission’s startling finding that Canada fails to meet international treaty obligations to prevent dangerous goods from being placed on board passenger aircraft, a source said.
The government has finalised a team of four officials — Bureau of Civil Aviation Security Commissioner, two senior BCAS officials and an Air India official — to study the existing security set-up at Toronto airport. “The team is expected to carry out detailed investigations next year,” said the source.
The home ministry, too, expressed reservations and asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to take up the matter with Canada to prevent recurrence of such an incident.
The probe report into Air India 181 (Kanishka) bombing 25 years ago voiced concerns over the shoddy state of aviation security mechanism.
30/09/10 Smita Aggarwal/Indian Express

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Mistaken identity? US apologizes to Praful

New Delhi: The United States has apologized to aviation minister Praful Patel for being questioned at Chicago's O'Hare airport on Monday when he flew in there from London due to a case of mistaken identity.
American secretary of homeland security Janet Napolitano expressed regret on meeting Patel and senior aviation ministry officials in Montreal for a bilateral do on sidelines of an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) meet there.
According to the ministry the issue was raised by Patel's aides, following which Napolitano apologized to Patel. "The secretary has assured US will make necessary amends to prevent any such incident in the future," a ministry statement said. The problem arose as there's a Praful Patel on US watch list who, apart from just the name, also shares his birthday with the aviation minister. As a result, he was taken aside for questionning which lasted a little longer as NCP leader was travelling on personal passport and not diplomatic ones that ministers use.
30/09/10 Times of India

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Etihad Airways launches services to Bangalore

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will launch flights to its eighth destination in India and 66th destination worldwide, the city of Bengaluru (also referred to as Bangalore).
On January 1, 2011, Etihad will commence a four flight per week service to Bengaluru, the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka and the country's third most populous city. Etihad will begin daily flights to Bengaluru at the commencement of the summer scheduling season effective March 27, 2011.
Etihad will operate a two class Airbus A320 on the new Bengaluru route configured to carry 136 passengers with 16 in Business class and 120 in Economy class.
From January 1, Etihad's flight EY286 to Bengaluru will depart Abu Dhabi on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10.15pm and arrive at Bengaluru International Airport at 3.25am the following day. The return flight, EY287, will depart Bengaluru on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 4.20am and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 7.00am the same day.
From March 27, Etihad's flight EY286 will depart Abu Dhabi daily at 10.15pm and arrive in Bengaluru at 3.45am the following day. The return service, EY287, will depart Bengaluru daily at 4.45am and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 7.00am the same day.
With the addition of Bengaluru, Etihad flies to eight Indian destinations including the cities of New Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad and Kochi. Once the service to Bengaluru begins, the airline will operate 49 flights to India per week, and following the commencement of the daily services, it will offer 52 services per week.
29/09/10 Mangalorean.com

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DAA Overlooking Shannon Airport Claims Carey

A Fine Gael TD will today ask the Ceann Comhairle to allow an adjournment debate in the Dáil to highlight the "damaging role of Dublin Airport Authority (DAA)" amid claims that the airport bosses are neglecting Shannon Airport in favour of Dublin's Terminal 2.
Clare Deputy Joe Carey has said further evidence has emerged that the DAA is not acting in the best interest of Shannon Airport and the Mid-West Region. The claim follows reports that the DAA is in discussions with Air India about relocating its European operation to Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport. Media reports suggest that the availability of Customs and Border Pre Clearance is a major factor in the interest from Air India.
Last March, DAA Chief Executive Mr Declan Collier told Deputy Carey that Customs and Border Pre Clearance was not the sole factor in the relocation and that Shannon had been promoted equally.
"Now we hear that Mr Collier is in Delhi trying his hardest to get Air India into T2 and that the pre-clearance, which won't come on stream until later this year, is a major pull factor," Mr Carey said.
Deputy Carey said: “I have serious concerns that the DAA is strongly promoting business into and out of Terminal Two in Dublin Airport to the detriment of Shannon Airport. A news report last Friday suggests that one of the major reasons Air India is considering Terminal 2 is the addition of pre-clearance from next November." Shannon has had pre-clearance since last year.
29/09/10 Clare Herald/Pat Flynn

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My name is Praful Patel and I was detained in the US

New Delhi: Civil aviation minister Praful Patel was on Monday detained at the O’Hare airport in Chicago for questioning as his name and date of birth matched with those of a man on America’s watch list.
Patel told the immigration authorities that he was a minister in the Indian government, but they kept asking him why he was visiting the US and whether he had stayed in the country earlier.
The minister visited the US to meet his son before travelling to Montreal, Canada, to attend the general assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
“I am in Montreal and nothing serious has happened, so please don’t sensationalise the issue. There is a person with a similar name and birth date as mine. That’s why the authorities double-checked,” Patel told DNA.
29/09/10 Sindhu Bhattacharya/Daily News & Analysis

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Plane crash victim’s family mourns loss

Jaskinder Samra, the young woman who was killed in a plane crash in Murray County Friday night, had a happy, “bubbly” personality and was training to be a pilot, her family said.
Her cousin, Manny Kooner, said 20-year-old Samra was working to get some flying time under her belt during the trip, which was to be from Florida to Chattanooga, and had hoped to become a professional pilot after her training was complete. Kooner said Samra was with an airline company called Easy Jet. He said she had been in the United States to train for a few months, was living in Florida, and was planning to return home to her parents in the United Kingdom within a few days.
There were three people in the plane when it crashed, and Kooner said the family wasn’t immediately sure who was involved. Shawn Thacker of England was taken to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga in critical condition. Abraham George, 24, of a Kissimmee, Fla., address, died following the crash. George is originally from India and is thought to have been the pilot of the single engine Cessna 172, said Murray County Coroner Larry Ballew.
Kooner said Samra’s family is originally from India but had moved to the United Kingdom where Samra was born and was living in Wolverhampton, about 100 miles from London. He said family members have been devastated and distraught as they’ve had difficulty obtaining information from anyone in the United States about exactly what happened.
He said Samra had “a smile that lights up the room,” and a determination to become a pilot despite the fact that the profession is, in some people’s eyes, a male endeavor. A family member paid for her lessons and for her to get her license, he said.
Kooner said Samra leaves behind a 22-year-old brother as well as both parents. He said they are working to have her body brought back to the United Kingdom for burial. Ballew said George’s body will be brought to India.
28/09/10 Rachel Brown/Dalton Daily Citizen

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Lessons for city airport from Gatwick

Mumbai: The Mumbai airport operator wants to use lessons learnt from Gatwick to improve the land-locked airport’s flight handling capacity. Last week, the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) sent a proposal to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) seeking approval for the appointment of a consultant to increase the airport’s capacity.
The move came after a MIAL team returned from an observation tour of Gatwick airport in UK, which handles nearly double the traffic of Mumbai with just one runway. London’s second airport handles around 50 to 60 flights (take-offs and landings) every hour. Mumbai can manage a maximum of 30 operations despite having two runways.
MIAL is awaiting AAI’s nod on the proposal because they jointly run the airport. While the GVK-led private consortium is responsible for building and maintenance of ground infrastructure such as runways, taxiways the AAI handles air navigation.
The move is critical for Mumbai because the once busiest airport of country is losing out on traffic to other metro airports.
29/09/10 Soubhik Mitra/Hindustan Times

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IATA Calls For Safety Measures In India

IATA recommends that its Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) be made mandatory for all Indian carriers.
“The recent Air India Express crash reminded us that safety is a constant challenge. Establishing the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council (CASAC) is an important step forward. Giovanni Bisignani, director general and CEO of IATA, said at an industry meeting in New Delhi. "I strongly encourage CASAC to recommend IOSA is mandated for all India’s carriers. IOSA has helped IATA’s members achieve a safety record 2.5 times better than the global average. Taking advantage of this global standard will add a new dimension to India’s safety oversight,” he added.
On Sept. 28 in Montreal, a safety agreement will be signed for the first time among major organizations— IATA, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the U.S. FAA, and the European Union (EU)—for sharing safety data. A declaration of intent was signed in March.
The four organizations are working on a way to standardize safety audit information and ensure compliance with local privacy laws and policies. This is targeted to be completed within 12 to 18 months.
Bisignani voiced his concerns over the congested Chattrapathi Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai and the need to have an alternate airport by 2016, when passenger numbers could reach 40 million. He also says there is a need for liberalization in foreign direct investment, as well as for security and environmental responsibility.
27/09/10 Neelam Mathews/Aviation Week

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Jet Airways to introduce daily flights to Colombo from Mumbai and Delhi

Mumbai: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, today announced that it will introduce daily direct flights to Colombo from Mumbai and Delhi, effective November 5, 2010. The airline will deploy a state-of-the-art 170-seater Boeing 737-800 for the service to this SAARC country.
Flight 9W 256 will depart Mumbai daily at 0210 hours reaching Colombo at 0445 hours. On the return sector, flight 9W 255 will depart Colombo at 2020 hours and reach Mumbai at 2255 hours. On the Delhi-Colombo sector, flight 9W 257 will depart Delhi at 1330 hours and arrive Colombo at 1705 hours and on the return leg, 9W 258 will depart Colombo at 0750 hours and reach Delhi at 1130 hours.
The introduction of the two new flights serving Sri Lanka and India, are in addition to the existing daily Chennal – Colombo service, with which the airline launched its international operations in 2004.
With this enhanced connectivity, commencing with the winter schedule Colombo will now be connected to Jet Airways’ two strategic hubs - Delhi and Mumbai. The airline will thus be able to offer its guests seamless connectivity through Mumbai and New Delhi onto several destinations across North America, Europe, as well as destinations across the Gulf, Middle East and Far East on the Jet Airways network.
According to Mr. Nikos Kardassis, CEO, Jet Airways, “Jet Airways is delighted to provide direct links from the financial and the national capital to the Emerald Isle. Sri Lanka is fast emerging as a highly rated global tourism destination and we are happy to offer our guests seamless connections to several destinations across our network, through our important gateways points - Mumbai and Delhi, and at the same time strengthen air connectivity to destinations within the SAARC region.”
The airline will deploy a state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft, offering 8 Premiere and 162 economy class seats. Guests will also be treated to the airline's award-winning in-flight product that is among the best in its class.
India-Sri Lanka relations are multifaceted; given the shared historical experiences, civilizations with strong cultural affinity and geographical proximity, testimony to which is the burgeoning trend of bilateral trade between the two countries. The two countries boast strong ties in businesses ranging from textiles to food-processing and agri-food business.
Sri Lanka is fast becoming the tourism destination for holiday & leisure traveler across the globe, known for its beaches, magnificent landscapes, ecologically-wondrous forests and abundance of wildlife.
Jet Airways will offer attractive inaugural fares as part of this launch, for which guests may get in touch with their nearest travel agent or the airline call centre on 39893333 or log on to www.jetairways.com
27/09/10 PRESS RELEASE/Jet Airways

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Hong Kong company unveils new look of Male’ airport

Male: The Hong Kong based architectural company, Integrated Design Associates (IDA) has unveiled the new look of the Male’ international airport, under its expansion and modernization project.
The IDA has come up with an impressive new design that will “encompass the entire scope of the airport, including a full concept design, detailed expansion schemes and the construction supervision of the new terminal, including 12 aircraft bays, spread over an area of 55,000m2,” the Maldives Traveller magazine revealed.
The four-year construction plan will also add a large seaplane port to house 42 sea aircraft.
Singaporean architect and Founder of IDA, Winston Shu, famed for his technically complex industrial buildings as well as his energy efficient ‘green offices' will personally oversee the makeover of the airport, according to the magazine.
The IDA has been contracted by the Indian infrastructure consortium GMR and Malaysia Airports Holdings to oversee the high-tech construction.
Earlier this year, the government leased out the Male’ international airport to GMR and Malaysia Airport Holdings to expand, manage and operate it for the next 25 years.
The GMR is set to control of the airport in November this year, midst a pledge to complete the project by 1 July 2014.
28/09/10 Asian Tribune

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Jet Airways girls among top ten best dressed cabin crew

Qatar Airways has topped a list of "best-dressed" airlines conducted by airfare comparison site Skyscanner.
The airline's "retro-look" uniforms won the votes of 33 percent of respondents to Skyscanner poll, which was timed to coincide with London Fashion Week last week.
Air France's uniforms, designed by Christian Lacroix, came second place with 17 percent, while British Airways came in third with 15 percent.
Other entries in the top ten included Spanish carrier Iberia and Italian carrier Alitalia, along with Delta in the US and India's Jet Airways.
Whether crew are dressed to reflect local style such as Singapore Airlines' iconic "Singapore Girls" or kitted out by top-end designers such Christian Dior and Nina Ricci, who have both designed for Air France, the outfits play an important role in public perceptions of a carrier.
Airlines in Japan even sew computer chips and serial numbers into their uniforms to try to stop them being sold onto local fetish shops, where the outfits can sell for thousands of euros.
27/09/10 Independent.co.uk

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Crashed plane piloted by Indian

A man and woman who died in a plane crash in southern Murray County Saturday night have been identified, the Murray County Coroner’s Office has reported.
Abraham George, 24, of a Kissimmee, Fla., address but who is originally from India, is thought to be the pilot of the single-engine Cessna 172, said Coroner Larry Ballew. Passenger Jaskinda Samra, 20, of the United Kingdom, was also killed.
An investigation of the crash is ongoing that includes the Federal Aviation Authority and the National Transportation Safety Board.
27/08/10 Dalton Daily Citizen, USA

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Embraer jets rescue Indian airlines domestic demand

Embraer is attempting to swoon a variety of Indian airlines into purchasing at least one commercial jets with up to 120 seats.
The aerospace company went into talks with airlines in a bid to sell over 50 aircraft over the next decade, the Hindustan Time reported.
The company hopes carriers will recognise the benefits the aeroplanes could have in targeting the domestic passenger demand.
With expectations to deliver up to 55 aircraft by 2019, Embraer Asia Pacific Vice President Alex Glock said the aircraft will assist airlines carry the 44 million annual domestic passenger traffic.
“Sixty one percent of this, that is 27 million, is witnessed in category II and III cities, for which the Embraer commercial jets are best suited.”
28/09/10 eTravelBlackboard

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RAK Airways plans flights to Calicut and Jeddah

RAK Airways, the state-backed airline of Ras al Khaimah, will relaunch its scheduled passenger services on October 10, almost two years after it suspended operations amid the global downturn and focused instead on charter flights.
Using two leased Boeing 737-400 aircraft, a rebranded RAK Airways will initially fly to Calicut in the Indian state of Kerala and to Jeddah.
Citing improvements in the global economy and greater demand for air travel, Sheikh Omar bin Saqr Al Qasimi, the chairman of the airline, said “the time is now right to play our part” in the emirate’s diversification plans, which include creating a vibrant tourism industry, an international freight hub and vacation homes for expatriates.
The airline was launched in late 2007 and operated scheduled services to Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh until late 2008, when the global downturn dampened demand for air travel.
26/09/10 Ivan Gale/The National, UAE

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54 airlines owe Tk 316 crore to CAAB

Dhaka: As many as 54 local and foreign airlines owe Taka 316 crore as outstanding bills to Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister GM Quader told the House on Sunday.
Replying to a question from treasury bench member Shahiduzzman Sarker (AL-Naogaon-02), he said the CAAB would get the highest amount of Taka 144,40,45,435 from Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
Other airlines which have outstanding included Air India, Indian Air, Jet Air, Air Deccan, Sahara Air, East West, Damania, Vaiyadut Dut, United Air, Best Air, Jum Air, Young One, Air Parabat, Aertechnologies, South Asian Airways, King Fisher Air, Aero Bengal Airlines, Aviana Air, Saudia Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Thai Airlines, Druk Air, Air Arabia, Iran Air, Iraqi Airways, KLM, Fin Air, Uzbekistan, Royal Jordan, Royal Nepal airlines, Royal Brunei, Al- Italia, LTU International, Turkeministan, Cargo Lux, Ethiopian Air, Romanian Air, Louda Air, Olympic Air, Napes, Kanwar Modelift Air, Bulgaria, Philippines Air, MK Air, Yogaslavia, Virgin Air, Sri Lanka Air, Japan Air, Bismillah Airlines and Fuket Airlines, Quader aid.
The Civil Aviation Minister said reminder letters were already sent to the concerned airlines requesting them to pay off the outstanding bills while a money suit was lodged against Aero Bengal.
27/09/10 BSS/The New Nation

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GMR to take over Male airport operations after advanced payment

Male: India’s GMR will take over the operations of Male International Airport only after advanced payment, Privatisation Committee said.
A senior commission member, Deputy Economic Minister Ahmed Inaz said a US$78 million fee has to be paid according to the agreement.
The deadline for the payment ends at the end of next month.
GMR formed a joint venture company with Malaysia Airports Holdings and registered GMR Male International Airport Private Limited at Trade Ministry.
Inaz stressed that the airport’s name will not be changed.
The government authorised GMR to collect US$25 per passenger as airport development fee. Inaz said under the agreement, the fee will be taken after a certain period.
26/09/10 haveeru online

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Airports company senior staff moved to new office

Male: Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) moved its administrative office and senior staff to a new building.
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Mohamed Ibrahim of the government-owned company said the administrative office was changed to the two-storey “Sunset Building” located in front of Hulhule Island Hotel.
He noted that corporate administrative work would be carried out at the new office. Haveeru understands that around 40 senior employees of corporate services department will be working at the office.
According to a company circular, under the agreement between the government and India’s GMR, employees related to the operations of Male International Airport will be transferred to the joint venture company.
Mohamed said the ongoing employee transfer would be completed before November, when GMR takes over the airports operations.
25/09/10 haveeru online

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Air India to operate special flights for Games

New Delhi: Air India, the official carrier for the Commonwealth Games, will be operating two special flights from Auckland and Brisbane to bring in officials and athletes for the Games to be held from October 3 to 14.
The national carrier has deployed a 200-seater Boeing 777 long range for the Kiwi officials and athletes and a 282-seater Boeing 777 extended range for Australians. The special flight (AI-5411) will leave from Auckland on September 27, at 7pm IST and arrive at IGI airport on September 28, at 2.45am, an Air India official said. Similarly, flight AI-5417, will take off from Brisbane on September 29, at 9pm IST and will reach Delhi on September 30, at 4.55am.
Being an official carrier, Air India has kept around 2,500 seats for the athletes and delegates flying on its scheduled flights from various participating countries.
26/09/10 Times of India

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Actor John Travolta on a two-day India visit

Mumbai: The Saturday Night Fever actor John Travolta landed at the Mumbai Airport on Saturday night. The actor greeted people gathered outside the airport terminal with a Namaste.
The Hollywood actor who is in India on a two-day visit will launch a new model of a premium aviation watch company on Sunday morning. He will also make an appearance at an award function later in evening where he will be honoured.
The actor who flew down to India by his private Jet is accompanied by his daughter Ella.
The actor who is likely to fly out of the country on Monday evening will be shuttling between the Grand Hyatt at Santacruz and The Oberoi in Nariman Point.
26/09/10 Bharati Dubey/Times of India

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Air India introduces Hub and Spoke service

Bangalore: Air India, the National Carrier, will introduce a daily Hub and Spoke flight from Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kochi to Delhi with effect from October 31, 2010, to connect its non-stop flights to New York, Chicago, Toronto and Tokyo.
According to a press release here today from Air India passengers originating their international travel from Chennai to New York, Chicago and Toronto, can travel daily by Air India Flight AI 643, leaving Chennai from Anna International Departure Terminal at 2010 Hrs. and reaching Delhi at 2305 Hrs. Similarly from Bangalore, AI 623 will depart at 2010 Hrs. to reach Delhi at 2245 Hrs, from Hyderabad AI 127 will depart at 2135 hrs. to reach Delhi at 2340 Hrs. and from Cochin AI 693 to depart at 1935 Hrs. and reach Delhi 2245 Hrs.
The onward Flights AI 101 to New York will leave Delhi at 0040 Hrs. to arrive New York at 0645 hrs. (local time), Flight AI 127 to Chicago will leave Delhi at 0105 Hrs. to arrive Chicago at 0700 Hrs (local time) and Flight AI 187 to Toronto will leave from Delhi at 0125 Hrs. to arrive at 0745 Hrs.(local time) in Toronto.
Air India's daily code-share flights to Zurich and Vienna and thrice-weekly flights to Moscow, will also be connected to this Hub and Spoke flight with three and half hours transit time at Delhi.
25/09/10 Mangalorean.com

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Singapore Airlines to use more A330s on India route

Kolkata: Singapore Airlines, which is expecting a double-digit growth in business in India (almost matching the industry growth rate of 15-20 per cent), will replace its fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft with A330 aircraft globally including India. However, on some routes in India it will continue with Boeing 777-200, albeit with additional features and enhanced cabin experience.
This assumes significance in the wake of the fact that business class and first class demands are back globally and India is no exception.
Disclosing this C W Foo, Singapore Airlines General Manager for India, said that at present the airlines has close to 70 Boeing 777 in India. They have already brought 12/13 new aircraft and are expecting another 10-15 new aircraft shortly.
Singapore Airlines incidentally is introducing a 4 times a week A 330 flight service between Kolkata and Singapore from October 1. SA operates out of five Indian cities—Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata. Ahmedabad will be added as the sixth Indian city by the end of the year, he said.
24/09/10 Ritwik Mukherjee/mydigitalfc.com

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'I was forced to eat non-veg food'

Mumbai: 'Jihadi' filmmaker Vijay Kumar tells Ketan Ranga how he was victimised in US; claims the Indian government cannot restore his good name.
After being humiliated twice over, once at Houston airport and later at Vancouver Airport, filmmaker Vijay Kumar still being forced to stay in Canada, believes that he has gone through tough times and feels victimised. Kumar recounts his misery in a freewheeling chat with MiD DAY.
Why did the Houston authorities detain you and after being released on bond, why were you again detained by immigration officials?
I was detained for carrying Jihadi literature and brass knuckles in my bag. The Transport Security Administration permits passengers to carry brass knuckles but Texas state laws do not. However, the reason the immigration officials detained me is perplexing.
After your release from USA, why were you detained again in Canada?
After pleading guilty to a misdemeanour conviction, I heaved a sigh of relief. However, when I reached Vancouver Airport, Canada's Border Security Force informed me that I could not enter Canada because I had committed a crime in USA.

What are your expectations from the Indian government? Do you think that their support will help you to get back to India?
The Indian government was incapable of saving me from American injustices. Our government works under the influence of Muslim fundamentalist forces. Afzal Guru is a classic example of this point. I don't want to rely on the government when it comes to my life.

Do you feel that USA is responsible for destroying your credibility?
The US government charged me with a third degree felony case, which is a serious crime. They attempted to prove that I was a threat to national security.
25/09/10 Ketan Ranga/MiD DAY

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No direct Hajj flights from Srinagar airport

Srinagar: With Saudi Arabia-based airliners winning this year’s contract for Hajj flights, there will be no direct flights this year from Srinagar ‘International’ Airport to Jeddah to fly the pilgrims. Worried, the state Hajj Committee has asked the state government and the Central Hajj Committee of India to intervene in the matter as it could not only put the aspiring Hajjis to difficulties but has put a question mark over the ‘International’ status of the Srinagar airport.
Sources told Greater Kashmir that the state’s Executive Hajj Officer, has formally written to the Central Hajj Committee urging it to take up the matter with the Union Ministry for Civil Aviation and try to ensure that direct flights operate from Srinagar airport as was the past precedence.
“The official wrote to the Central Hajj Committee last Friday but there was no response. He again took up the matter with New Delhi based authorities on 22nd of this month. The state Hajj authorities have also taken up the matter with the state government,” sources told Greater Kashmir.
For the first time, sources said three airlines from Saudi Arabia had won the contracts from Civil Aviation Ministry to operate between India and Jeddah. Since the airliner does not operate to Jammu and Kashmir,the authorities would require the aspiring Hajjis from Kashmir as well as Jammu to fly them to New Delhi wherefrom they would be carried to Jeddah, sources said.
24/09/10 Muddasir Ali/Greater Kashmir

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Jet Airways announces launch of India-Italy service

Mumbai: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, today announced that it will commence daily non-stop flights from the national capital New Delhi to Milan from December 5th, 2010. The service on the India-Italy route will make Milan the twenty-fourth international destination on Jet Airways’ network. The airline will introduce this new service to the fashion and design capital of the world using its state-of-the-art Airbus 330-200 aircraft.
With Milan strategically located at the heart of Central Europe, Jet Airways’ daily non-stop service will allow its guests enhanced connectivity from Milan to several Italian cities like Florence, Rome, Venice and Pisa, besides easy access to other European destinations like Paris, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Helsinki, Lisbon, Madrid, Zurich, Vienna, Belgrade and Budapest in conjunction with its interline partners.
This new flight, the only one to offer a direct air link on the India – Italy route will also effectively utilize New Delhi’s new state-of-the-art Terminal 3, as an operational hub offering seamless connectivity to and from India. Guests traveling from Milan to India will be able to connect to over 42 destinations on Jet Airways' network within India and will also have access to travel onwards to Jet Airways' destinations of Kathmandu, Dhaka, Colombo and further onto Asian destinations like Singapore, Bangkok, and Hong Kong.
Flight 9W 142 will depart Delhi at 1255 hours, arriving in Milan at 1800 hrs. On the return leg, flight 9W 141 will depart Milan at 2125 hrs, arriving in Delhi at 0955 hrs.*
According to Mr. Nikos Kardassis, CEO, Jet Airways, “Jet Airways is delighted to bridge two ancient and historical civilizations, which now play a very important role in the twenty first century. Milan – a truly international and cosmopolitan city is recognized globally, as not only the fashion and design capital of the world but also as the engine room of the Italian economy.
We are confident that Jet Airways will soon emerge as the preferred carrier on this popular route given our unparalleled network in India and ever expanding international footprint. Milan, as indeed the European Union is an important market for us and we are convinced of capturing and growing the market. We believe that this new route has the potential to serve the needs of our discerning corporate and leisure travelers,” he added.
Configured in two classes, with 30 seats in Première (Business Class) 190 seats in Economy, the spacious full-length wide-bodied twin aisle cabin of the A330-200 will truly make for a more pleasurable flying experience. The airline's Première guests will enjoy a 180 degree flat bed with lumbar support and massage systems, oversized table, telephony, SMS, Email and live text news to deliver a flying office, state-of-the-art On-Demand Panasonic In-Flight Entertainment (IFE), as well as the finest in-flight dining and service, among other amenities.
Italy has historically been one of Europe's main trade, business, finance and industrial hubs. But perhaps more important from an Indian perspective has been the burgeoning trend of bilateral trade between the two countries, which is pegged at over US$ 8 billion and is estimated to surpass US $10 billion soon. The two countries share strong ties in businesses ranging from automotive, textiles, heavy engineering, infrastructure, energy, clean technology to food-processing and agri-food business etc., Other areas of cooperation that are emerging include industrial design, science, IT, biotechnology and services. Importantly Milan is also set to play host to the 2015 Universal Exposition, which will showcase the latest scientific and technological innovations.
From a travel and tourism perspective, Italy offers an amalgamation of both the modern and traditional, given its rich historical and cultural heritage. Italy's ancient monuments and archeological sites and world famous works of art make it one of the most sought after tourist destinations. Similarly, Italians have also always appreciated Indian culture, traditions and aesthetics, with a deep passion for Indian textiles, art and architecture. These are perhaps among the many reasons why places like Rajasthan, Goa, Khajuraho, Kerala, Maharashtra are popular tourist destinations amongst Italian tourists.
Milan will be the twenty-fourth destination in the airline’s international network. Jet Airways currently flies to New York (both JFK and Newark), Toronto, Brussels, London (Heathrow), Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jeddah, Sharjah, Riyadh and Johannesburg.
Jet Airways will offer attractive inaugural fares as part of this launch, for which guests may get in touch with their nearest travel agent or the airline call centre on 39893333 or log on to www.jetairways.com
24/09/10 PRESS RELEASE/Jet Airways

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India's insular FDI policy in aviation to hurt sector: IATA

New Delhi: International aviation body IATA today said India's insular approach to FDI in aviation is going to hurt the sector which needs an investment of $140 billion in the next 20 years.
"The success of Indian airlines should not be compromised with an isolated policy. The insular approach to foreign direct investment (FDI) in aviation (is going) to hurt sector majorly," IATA Chief Giovanni Bisignani said at a CII Conference on Aviation here.
Giovanni further said that 10.3 per cent service tax imposed by the finance ministry on the aviation industry is illegal by International Civil Aviation Organisation rules.
The government has imposed a service tax of 10.3 per cent on the gross value of tickets of all classes on the domestic flights and economy class on international routes.
23/09/10 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

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Indo-Czech cooperation in transport, aviation sectors sought

Mumbai: Czech Ambassador Miloslav Stasek today said the Czech Republic wants to strengthen cooperation with India in the areas of business, cultural exchange and science and technology. The Ambassador, during a meeting with Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan at Raj Bhavan here, evinced keen interest in infrastructure projects and said a delegation of business leaders from the transport sector including aviation and railways would be visiting India shortly.
The Ambassador told the Governor that he was impressed by the spectacular growth registered by India this year and the prospect of achieving the growth rate of 9.4 per cent next year.
The Governor told the Ambassador that Maharashtra Government is evolving many strategies for infrastructure development in the state. These include public transportation projects like Metro railway, Monorail and the Multi-modal hub airport in Nagpur.
23/09/10 PTI/IBN Live

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BRS Aerospace Wins Indian Trainers

Minnesota-based BRS Aerospace, manufacturer of whole-airplane parachutes, has been contracted to integrate and help certify its parachute recovery systems for India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) HPT-32 basic training aircraft used by the Indian Air Force.
The urgent requirement comes with the temporary grounding of a fleet of more than 100 Hindustan Piston Trainer (HPT)-32s following a spurt of crashes. Once BRS has completed the installation design, the company will work with HAL and the Indian Air Force to test and certify the customized whole-airframe parachute system.
23/09/10 Neelam Mathews/Aviation Week

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OnAir to start operations in Asia

Geneva: AirAsia and OnAir today launched inflight connectivity services aboard the low cost carrier's Airbus A320s.
Passengers flying on South East Asian routes from Kuala Lumpur LCC airport to destinations including Singapore, Hong-Kong, Bangkok or Colombo can now stay connected with their friends, family and business colleagues. Using their own GSM mobile phones or smartphones they can make and receive voice calls, send text messages or emails and access the Internet through GPRS.
Maxis is the key marketing partner of OnAir and AirAsia for this service and provides the full promotion of the GSM in-flight service to passengers. This includes promotional prices on text messages and other data and sponsorship of an in-flight text message contest allowing passengers to win a free drink during the flight.
"OnAir is very pleased to be working with AirAsia in entering a high-potential market", said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. "The launch marks a very significant milestone for us as it underlines the benefits of OnAir's services to low-cost carriers. We are also very proud to be the first to establish a strong marketing cooperation with Maxis, a major mobile phone company in this region", he said.
Azran Osman-Rani, Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia X said, "this is another revolutionary passenger service initiative in the region from AirAsia. In addition to offering our guests the lowest air fares, we enable them to use their mobile phones or other preferred Smartphone devices in the air, just as they do on the ground."
Jean-Pascal Van Overbeke, Chief Operating Officer of Maxis Berhad said, "As the leader in integrated communications, Maxis is committed to provide seamless connectivity to enrich the lives of our customers with next generation services, wherever they may be. With a growing need to stay connected, customers will demand greater access to voice and data services both in and out of their homes; whether they are travelling on-ground or 30,000 feet in the air. Our strategic partnerships will ensure we continue to deliver to our customers, the best that communications technology and human creativity can offer."
Mobile OnAir uses the industry's most advanced and extensive infrastructure for mobile communications, along with Inmarsat SwiftBroadband, high-capacity services from Inmarsat 4th generation satellites.
24/09/10 PRESS RELEASE/OnAir

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We have to be cost conscious in India: Finnair

Helsinki: Nordic carrier Finnair has said that Indian market is very competitive and the biggest challenge for the air Carrier is to be cost conscious in this country.
"India is a price contrasting market..Cost is very competitive, so we have to be cost conscious," Finnair CEO Mika Vehvilainen told PTI.
Finnair has also said that it would start daily service between New Delhi and Helsinki from January next year, up from the six flights a week it operates now.
Besides, flying from Helsinki to Bangalore and Chennai, where Finnish companies have a large business presence, it would also leverage from its alliance with Kingfisher Airlines in India.
Kingfisher Airlines was inducted into the global airline OneWorld earlier this year and this would allow partner airlines to sell routes operated by the Indian carrier.
Vehvilainen, however, said the company had no immediate plans to start operations to Bangalore or Chennai. Also, there were no plans in the near-term to resume services to Mumbai.
23/09/10 PTI/mydigitalfc.com

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Battle of Britain hero pilot dies

Gravesend's hero Indian Battle of Britain pilot Mahinder Singh Pujji has died.
Mr Pujji passed away on Saturday night, aged 92. He had suffered a stroke about 10 days before.
Father-of-three Mr Pujji joined the RAF as a 22-year-old after spotting an advert in an Indian newspaper appealing for pilots in 1940.
He flew 25 different types of aircraft, including Spitfires, Hurricanes and Tomahawks, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for saving 300 American soldiers from Japanese troops in the Burmese jungle.
Mr Pujji's military achievements led him to meet Winston Churchill, Gandhi, King Farouk of Egypt, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.
He won a gold medal for gliding, was a motor racing champion, a driving instructor and an air traffic controller at Heathrow.
The squadron leader's memories are depicted in his colourful biography For King and Another Country, which was released earlier this year.
23/09/10 Kent Online, UK

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We have to be cost conscious in India: Finnair

Helsinki: Nordic carrier Finnair has said that Indian market is very competitive and the biggest challenge for the air Carrier is to be cost conscious in this country.
"India is a price contrasting market..Cost is very competitive, so we have to be cost conscious," Finnair CEO Mika Vehvilainen told media.
Finnair has also said that it would start daily service between New Delhi and Helsinki from January next year, up from the six flights a week it operates now.
Besides, flying from Helsinki to Bangalore and Chennai, where Finnish companies have a large business presence, it would also leverage from its alliance with Kingfisher Airlines in India.
Kingfisher Airlines was inducted into the global airline OneWorld earlier this year and this would allow partner airlines to sell routes operated by the Indian carrier.
Vehvilainen, however, said the company had no immediate plans to start operations to Bangalore or Chennai. Also, there were no plans in the near-term to resume services to Mumbai.
The air carrier reduced its service to New Delhi from seven to six days earlier this month. Two years ago, it suspended the service to Mumbai because of poor demand.
23/09/10 PTI/Economic Times

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Concurrent withdraws from Kazi Aviation Deal

Concurrent (India) Infrastructure Ltd has announced that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on September 22. 2010, inter alia, discussed and decided to withdraw from the transaction that the Company has entered with M/s. Kazi Aviation & Travel Services.
Further the Board has decided to withdraw from pursuing Sikkim Hydro Power Project, Srilanka Projects and JV entered with Prince of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a JV in Ground Handling Services in Saudi Arabia.
The Board also has taken note that withdrawal from the above mentioned projects will have no financial impact in terms of revenues for the Company as the project (mentioned in Point No:1) and pipe line order book (mentioned in Point No.2) are not generating any revenues for Concurrent at present.
22/09/10 Equity Bulls

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GMR offers 10 scholarships to Maldivian students

Male: India’s GMR Group, which manages Male International Airport, has decided to provide 10 scholarships per year in engineering and information technology (IT) for four years.
Deputy Youth Minister Aminath Ali and GMR Managing Director Venu Maadham signed the agreement.
“GMR will cover all the costs of the scholarships, including the tuition fee and hostel fee. Under these scholarships, the students will be enrolled at prestigious universities in India,” she said.
22/09/10 haveeru online

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IBM signs 10-year outsourcing deal with Jet Airways

IBM, the global information technology solutions major, has won a 10-year, $62-million (Rs 285 crore) IT outsourcing deal from Jet Airways. It is the first "total outsourcing deal" in Indian aviation, says IBM.
IBM will provide technology solutions to transform the airline's business areas such as airport operations, direct distribution and frequent flier programmes. "This will enable us to focus on our core business and improve our operational efficiencies, besides delivering a seamless customer experience," said Nikos Kardassis, chief executive officer, Jet Airways (India).
22/09/10 Business Standard

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Embraer plans to sell 50 planes in India over 10 yrs

New Delhi: Embraer, one of the world’s largest aerospace companies and leader in the category of commercial jets with up to 120 seats, is in talks with various airline companies and plans to sell over 50 aircraft in India over the next 10 years. “We plan to deliver 55 airplanes by 2019,” Alex Glock, vice-president, Embraer Asia Pacific told HT.
Glock said the Indian commercial aviation market was one of the most exciting in the world with significant domestic passenger demand remaining to be tapped by local airlines.
“The total annual domestic passenger traffic in India is around 44 million. Sixty one per cent of this, that is 27 million, is witnessed in category II and III cities, for which the Embraer commercial jets are best suited,” Glock said.
He said the kind of traffic that was being seen in secondary Indian cities was, in some cases, more than the entire domestic traffic of some European countries.
Of the 337 jet-powered airplanes in operation today by Indian carriers, only 20 seat fewer than 120 passengers. The backlog of aircraft currently on firm order and to be delivered to scheduled Indian airlines includes 295 aircraft with an average seating capacity of 185 passengers.
21/09/10 Tushar Srivastava/Hindustan Times

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Dreamliner delay forces AI plan tweak

New Delhi: The Air India board is likely to hire four Airbus 330s for the South East Asian and West Asian routes till its Dreamliner jets arrive. The board will also decide on key appointments at its board meeting later this week.
Air India may rent the Airbuses for a year to fly to places taking six hours to eight hours. The airline, which has run up losses of over Rs 7,200 crore, is likely to get its first Dreamliner early next year and possibly four to five more in the same year as well as a hefty compensation for a two-year delay in the delivery of the wide-bodied planes built of carbon fibre reinforced plastic.
However, sources said, the loss-laden airline urgently needs medium haul planes on heavy traffic routes to South East Asia and West Asia, where AI is facing stiff competition from new entrants such as Air Arabia and Air Asia as well as older players who are improving their products while cutting prices.
22/09/10 Jayanta Roy Chowdhury/The Telegraph

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India’s Biggest Travel Agents Association to Hold Annual Convention in Phuket

The idyllic southern Thai resort of Phuket is expecting to enjoy a boom in business from India in the aftermath of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) annual convention to be held between 24-27 September, 2010.
Over 800 of India's top travel agents are expected to attend the 59th Convention and Annual Conference, known as the Indian Travel Congress 2010. It will present a unique opportunity for the travel industry of Southern Thailand to better understand the Indian outbound market and expand their business contacts in India.
The theme of the convention, "Be... The Game Changer", is intended to "define and bring out the dynamic rationales of adopting stark new formulas that elevate the business to new horizons."
The opening media conference, to be held on 23 September, 2010, at the Dusit Laguna Hotel, will be addressed by Mr Rajji Rai, the TAAI President, Mr Jagdeep Rikhy, Vice President and Mr Suraphon Svetasreni, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The opening ceremony will be held on 25 September 2010, with the business sessions to follow the next day.
India's largest travel association, TAAI was formed in 1951 and today boasts membership of over 2400 Active; Allied and Associate members comprising of IATA accredited Travel Agencies, Airlines and General Sales Agencies, Hotels, and Tour operators.
21/09/10 Ozgur Tore/Focus on Travel News

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Qantas passengers to sue Airbus over plunge terror

Sydney: Dozens of Qantas passengers and crew are launching a multi-million dollar case against Airbus and a component-maker over a terrifying mid-air plunge which left scores injured, a lawyer said on Monday.
Attorney Floyd Wisner said he was representing 76 passengers and crew who were on the 2008 flight which dived steeply twice, tossing people around the cabin and forcing an emergency landing at a remote Australian air force base.
Wisner refused to put a figure on the compensation sought in US courts from Europe's Airbus and American firm Northrop Grumman, which made a data unit on the plane, but said it would be in the millions of dollars.
Among the mostly Australian group he is representing, which also includes passengers from Britain, Sri Lanka, India and Singapore, are the three Qantas pilots who were on the flight, he said.
The Airbus A330-300 was flying at 37,000 feet from Singapore to Perth in October 2008 when the autopilot disengaged and the plane nose-dived, plunging 650 feet (200 metres) and throwing passengers and loose items around the cabin.
After the pilots brought it back to altitude, the plane went into another plunge and dropped another 400 feet. More than 100 people were injured.
Many passengers travelling that day were so traumatised by the incident they are no longer able to fly, he added.
He said he believed the captain of the flight, a former "top gun pilot from the US Navy", had not flown since.
Wisner, whose practice is devoted to aviation cases, said he had been contacted by Australian lawyers to work on the compensation claims before the statute of limitations expires on October 7 this year.
He said if the claims were not settled, he expected the case to go to trial in the US within two years.
Qantas, which prides itself on its safety record, said the incident was an "exceptionally rare event", noting that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau was yet to release its final report into the cause of the plunges.
21/09/10 Madeleine Coorey/AFP

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Airlines may get to borrow overseas

The government will selectively allow local airlines to borrow money from abroad to repay debt taken in India, civil aviation minister Praful Patel said.
The move is part of several measures the government is adopting to help debt-ridden carriers. Funds raised via external commercial borrowings, or ECBs, cannot be used to repay Indian rupee debt.
Jet Airways (India) Ltd, the country’s largest airline by passengers carried, sought a relaxation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for raising around Rs.3,000 crore through ECBs to repay its high-cost domestic debt.
“Some of it will be allowed,” Patel said on Monday on allowing Jet’s request. He did not specify the quantum or time frame for such a move. “Ultimately, it’s not a question of good or bad, right or wrong, if the sector is in (a) problem... It’s been done for cement, steel and many other sectors in the past. Why not for aviation?”
He pointed out that RBI has already granted airlines partial relief on restructuring their loans. Some of their debt will be converted into term loans or have moratoriums of two-three years, reducing the pressure on cash flows, he said.
21/09/10 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

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Dublin Airport woos AI to make it its European hub

Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is in talks with Air India to woo it to use the Irish airport as its European hub by promising an estimated annual savings of Euro 14 million and immigration and customs clearance for its passengers transiting to the U.S.
The talks have been going on for the past several months since the national carrier started looking for another hub in Europe after Frankfurt.
Air India, which operates three flights out of India and two from the US to its Frankfurt hub, has been considering shifting out of the German city and was looking for another European airport as a hub. However, no firm decision has yet been taken.
With a high-level Air India team visiting Dublin Airport a few months ago, DAA Chief Executive Declan Collier is now here to take the discussions with Air India further.
DAA was also looking at Kingfisher as a potential customer which can make the Irish airport its hub. Jet Airways already has Brussels as its operational hub in Europe.
20/09/10 PTI/The Hindu

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Jet Airways gets nod for flights to Milan

The ministry of civil aviation has approved a proposal by Jet Airways (India) Ltd to fly to Milan in Italy and has also given its permission for the carrier to increase its frequency of flights to short-haul international destinations such as Dubai, Bangkok and Colombo from various Indian cities, said two senior civil aviation ministry officials familiar with the development.
“We had approved the proposal of Jet Airways to fly to Milan in addition to Dubai, Bangkok and Colombo. The carrier may start its operations by next month or so,” said one of the officials. Both ministry officials declined to be identified.
This approval last week will allow Jet Airways to access the largely untapped India-Italy market, which is currently served through indirect connections. Mounting losses had forced Italian government-owned Alitalia, run by Linee Aeree Italiane SpA, to withdraw from the Indian market in March 2008.
Besides Milan, Jet Airways will now also consider flying to other European destinations, said a senior Jet executive, marking the lifting of a freeze India’s largest airline by passengers carried had imposed on long-haul route expansion following the financial crisis of 2008.
Jet Airways launched international flights in 2004 and expanded aggressively on long-haul routes, but imposed a moratorium of new long-haul international flights in November 2008 after a credit crunch and economic slowdown in the wake of the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. in September 2008.
As a part of resuming its long-distance route expansion, Jet Airways had applied for permission to fly to other international routes including Mexico and Paris.
21/09/10 P.R. Sanjai/Live Mint

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Air India plans to dry-lease 4 Airbus A-330 aircraft

Mumbai: Air India is planning to dry-lease four Airbus A-330 aircraft to service some of its medium-haul international routes, airline sources said on Monday.
"The purpose of taking A-330 aircraft is to deploy them on medium-haul routes or on sectors which have 7-8 hours of flying, like Hong Kong," the sources said, adding "though we are leasing only four aircraft now, our actual requirement is that of ten of these planes."
Currently, the national carrier has two of these wide-body planes in its fleet which are operating on the Jeddah and Shanghai sectors.
The leasing period of the A-330s would be one-and-a-half year to two years, the sources said. Under the dry-lease arrangement, the lessor provides an aircraft without crew, insurance, ground staff, supporting equipment and maintenance, all of which has to be taken care of by the lessee.
The routes on which these A-330 aircraft would be deployed are being finalised, the sources said, adding that the delivery of these leased planes would have to be made between October 2010 and September 2011.
20/09/10 PTI/Economic Times

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Airport visa goof-up in holiday horror

Calcutta: A US-based Nepalese homemaker headed for a holiday in Thailand via Calcutta was cleared for boarding at the city airport despite not holding a Thai visa, leaving her to face 18 hours of detention in Bangkok before she was deported.
Tsomala Lama, 33, has accused Thai Airways and immigration officials at the city airport of misleading her into thinking that she was eligible for the tourist visa-on-arrival facility at Suvarnabhumi and other airports in Thailand.
“No official at the Thai Airways or immigration counter told me that a passenger passing through a third country doesn’t qualify for a visa on arrival, irrespective of nationality,” she told Metro on Monday, recounting the holiday that went horribly wrong.
On discovering that she was not carrying a visa, officials at Suvarnabhumi airport had threatened her with indefinite detention and a fine of $10,000.
A senior immigration official said California resident Tsomala, who holds a Nepalese passport and an American green card, wouldn’t have got a tourist visa on arrival in Bangkok even if she had travelled directly from the US. “Thailand doesn’t offer that facility to some countries, including Nepal. Since the lady holds a Nepalese passport, she would need to apply for and get a visa either in Nepal or the US, where she enjoys permanent residency,” he added.
If Tsomala was ignorant about the Thai visa rule, what about the officials who allowed her to board the Bangkok flight on Saturday night? Vutichai Kampanartsanyakorn, the city-based general manager of Thai Airways, said: “This is surprising. I will look into the matter. Even if our staff gave her a boarding pass, she should have been stopped at immigration.”
21/09/10 Sanjay Mandal/The Telegraph

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Indian entrepreneur taps regional demand for fresh food by air mail

An Indian entrepreneur has launched an air freight business to ship fresh Japanese vegetables and fish to mainland Asia.
The service is growing popular with Japanese agricultural cooperatives and catalog-based retailers who sell organic vegetables and are eager to cash in on growing demand for Japanese produce among the wealthy.
Pankaj Garg, 44, president of Innovation Thru Energy Co., a venture based in Tokyo's Marunouchi business district, launched the service in August in a tieup with Japan Airlines Corp.
The key to keeping the products fresh is a special refrigeration method powered by an "ice battery," which can keep produce at a constant temperature much longer than dry ice through the use of multiple refrigerant plates.
The battery works like a "cooling pillow" used to provide relief to people who have fevers. Prior to shipping, it is cooled in a freezer.
Garg majored in information technology at an Indian university before coming to Japan in 1988 to work for a major steel company.
It was in 2006 that he came upon the ice battery system developed by a Taiwanese research institute and decided to develop a system that would allow Japanese growers to export their products to first-class hotels and well-off Asian consumers.
Bankrupt JAL, which is aiming to develop a business for transporting high-class foodstuffs by air as part of its turnaround efforts, took note of Garg. In the summer of 2009, Japan Airlines International Co. came calling.
Ryuhei Nomoto, manager of the company's marketing division, was initially skeptical of the ice battery's reliability. But an experiment proved that the preset temperature inside the storage box containing the battery could be maintained even in flight.
20/09/10 Kyodo News/Japan Times

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Reyat’s third conviction could be last chapter in Air India saga

Vancouver: Convicted bomb maker Inderjit Singh Reyat didn’t flinch when he heard the word “guilty” in court Saturday, nor when a judge said he’d be held in custody pending a sentencing hearing for a perjury conviction.
Mr. Reyat, 58, has spent almost a quarter century in and out of prison, and in November he will likely learn he’ll be serving more time behind bars after two prior convictions related to the 1985 bombings.
His third conviction could be the last chapter in the Air India saga, a tragedy of unmatched proportions in Canadian history, but one with a most unsatisfactory ending because others believed to be involved in the disasters that killed 331 people have not been held responsible.

Mr. Reyat, a bespectacled Sikh who wears a turban and has a long greying beard, told court in 2003 that when a leader of a Sikh separatist group asked him to collect bomb-making materials in Vancouver in 1984, he agreed to do so “to help people in India.”
“I complied with Parmar’s request because I was very upset with the Indian government’s treatment of the Sikh people and I wanted to assist their cause in any way that I could,” he said in a February, 2003, affidavit for his second conviction.
That netted him a controversial five-year sentence for the bombing deaths of 329 people aboard Air India Flight 182 on June 23, 1985.
Mr. Reyat had already served a decade-long sentence for another bombing that day at Tokyo’s Narita Airport, where two baggage handlers died when a suitcase bomb meant for Bangkok-bound Air India Flight 301 exploded prematurely.
His lawyer, Ian Donaldson, said his client was merely a “soldier” who followed orders from a “general” when he agreed to collect bomb parts.
The Crown maintains the two bomb-laden suitcases originated at Vancouver’s airport as part of a plot against government-owned Air India by British Columbia-based Sikh extremists who felt the Indian government was oppressing Sikhs, a minority in their former homeland.
The Crown subpoenaed Mr. Reyat to testify in 2003 at the trial of Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudaman Singh Malik, who were charged with mass murder in the Air India bombings.
Mr. Malik and Mr. Bagri were acquitted, and Mr. Reyat was charged with perjury in 2006.
The Crown accused Mr. Reyat of lying 19 times to minimize his involvement in the bombings and to protect others who targeted Air India.
Mr. Sidhu said Mr. Reyat repeatedly made false statements at the trial because he feared retribution and despite others’ involvement in the plot, he is the only one who has been punished.
19/09/10 Camille Bains/The Canadian Press /The Globe & Mail

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The only man to serve time for the 1985 Air India bombings is back in jail.

After more than 20 hours of deliberations a British Columbia Supreme Court jury unanimously found Inderjit Singh Reyat guilty of perjury on Saturday.
Reyat was charged with lying repeatedly during the 2003 trial of Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudman Singh Malik. The pair were charged with mass murder in the bombings. Both men were eventually acquitted.
Reyat, who has already served a total of 25 years in jail for his part in the 1985 bombings, is being held in custody until his two-day sentencing hearing begins on Nov. 17.
Defence lawyer Ian Donaldson had argued his client needn't be remanded.
Reyat was accused by the Crown of lying 19 times during his 2003 testimony in an effort to minimize his involvement in the bombings, to protect people who were part of the conspiracy and to protect himself from retribution.
In 1991, Reyat was convicted of manslaughter for building the explosive device that detonated at Tokyo's Narita Airport, killing two baggage handlers as they loaded an Air India Plane.
Then, he pleaded guilty in 2003 to buying the parts for a second bomb that destroyed Air India Flight 182 as it flew over the Atlantic Ocean on its way from Montreal to London.
18/09/10 CTV.ca

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DIPP against foreign airlines buying stake in Indian carriers

New Delhi: The industry ministry is not in favour of allowing foreign airlines to buy stake in Indian carriers on the ground that the sector is sensitive.
Besides, the view in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)is that no other major country permits investment by foreign airlines into their domestic operators.
"It is not allowed even in the US, UK or any other major European country...nobody allows foreign players to take stake in their domestic airlines, so why India should allow?" an official said.
A section of the domestic airlines industry, facing huge financial crunch, has been demanding opening up the sector to foreign airlines.
According to the existing policy, while 49 per cent FDI and 100 per cent NRI investment is allowed in domestic airlines, there should not be any direct or indirect participation by any foreign airlines.
"It is a critical and sensitive sector. So, I do not think that FDI should be allowed in it," he said.
Industry sources said that a foreign carrier, with deep pockets, could play havoc with the domestic market by artificially lowering the price of air travel and cut down competition.
19/09/10 PTI/Economic Times

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Haj flights for eastern UP

Varanasi: A Saudi Arabia-based airlines will operate direct flights from here to Madina for the benefit of Haj pilgrims, Air India said today. There will be 21 flights in the proposed Naz Airlines service and it will operate between October 18 to November 7, regional manager of Air India Atif Idris said. The flight will operate between Varanasi and Madina. Air India will handle ground operations at Babatpur airport. Nearly 210 passengers will be able to travel in each flight.
18/09/10 PTI/IBN Live

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Qatar Airways expands network of flights to India

Kochi: Doha-based Qatar AirwaysQatar Airways is spreading its wings in India. The airline has announced expansion of flight operations to the country with a 20 per cent increase in the frequency covering Delhi, Amritsar and Kochi.
Kochi, currently served daily, will get an additional four flights a week. Of these, two services have already commenced from September 1 and the remaining two will start from November 5.
The number of flights to Amritsar has also been increased from four a week to daily. The beginning of the 'North Winter' flying programme on October 31 will see the highly popular Doha-Delhi route secure additional daily flights, taking the number of flights to the national capital to 14 a week.
18/09/10 Zawya.com

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Jet's international operations up 21.8% in August

New Delhi: The country's largest private airline by market share, Jet Airways, Friday reported a 21.8 per cent increase in its international operations in August as against the like period last year.
The airline said its domestic operations also grew by 14.9 per cent in August as compared to the same month last year.
According to Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) passenger data, Jet Airways and its budget arm, Jetlite, garnered an imposing 27 per cent of the total market share in the domestic airline segment in August followed by Kingfisher at 20 per cent and National carrier Air India at 18 per cent.
17/09/10 IANS/Economic Times

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Jurors in Reyat case return to court with question

A jury deliberating the fate of a man charged with perjury related to his testimony at the Air India bombing trial has returned to the courtroom with a question for the judge.
Jurors were well into their first day of deliberations today when they wanted to know the definition of the word procure in connection with dynamite he obtained after he was asked to build an explosive device.
B.C. Supreme Court Judge Mark McEwan consulted a dictionary and told the nine women and three men on the jury that procure means to obtain, get or acquire.
Reyat testified in 2003 at the trial of Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudaman Singh Malik, who were charged with mass murder related to two Air India bombings that killed 331 people. During his testimony Reyat said he collected bomb-making material, including dynamite, from various sources after a leader of a Sikh separatist group asked him to construct an explosive device.
17/09/10 The Canadian Press/CTV News

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India to offer all help to Vijay Kumar

Toronto: India today said it has offered to provide all possible assistance to Indian filmmaker Vijay Kumar who it maintained was questioned allegedly for want of appropriate documentation and not put under detention in Canada. "It is understood that Vijay Kumar flew into Vancouver from Houston on 16th
September. The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) has informed High Commission of India, Ottawa, that he was questioned allegedly for want of appropriate documentation and that he is not under detention," an official statement said in New Delhi.
The External Affairs Ministry said the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Vancouver is also in contact with CBSA and Baldev Singh Sandhu, Attorney of Vijay Kumar.
However, Sandhu, citing ‘attorney-client relationship’ and Canadian Privacy laws, has declined to share any information about the status, location or plans of Vijay Kumar, the Ministry said, adding CGI has offered to provide all possible assistance, if required, to Sandhu.
Meanwhile, Vijay has expressed fears that he may face a similar ordeal as he did in the US where he was jailed for 20 days for carrying brass knuckles and 'jihadi' literature.
17/09/10 Press Trust Of India/Hindustan Times

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2 Iranians among 3 arrested for travelling with fake passports

Kochi: Three airline passengers, including two Iranians, were arrested by emigration authorities here today for possessing fake passports.Mohammed Keid (24) and Majam (28) -- both Iranian nationals -- were arrested as they tried to leave by a SilkAir flight to Singapore en route to HongKong and Paris, airport sources said.They had Lithuanian passports of Raimond Lucas and Veronica and had replaced the original photographs with theirs, the sources said.
The two Iranians on being questioned said they had come to Mumbai two months ago as tourists and had lost their passports in Goa. They got the fake passport from an agent after paying USD 3,000.
17/09/10 PTI/IBN Live

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Air India's Hajj schedules for 2010

New Delhi: With an estimated 107,000 pilgrims scheduled to go to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the performance of Hajj this year, India's national carrier 'Air India' would be coordinating air operations from 21 cities, with Bhopal in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and Goa on the west coast being added to the list of embarkation points.
Most of the pilgrims this year would be carried by Saudi Arabian Airlines, National Private Air Services Company Limited (NAS) and Al Wafeer Air, which have been selected through a sealed tender process.
The arrangements concerning the Hajj operations this year were approved by the Union Cabinet, chaired by Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, at a meeting in the capital on Thursday, an official spokesperson was quoted as saying by The Press Trust of India (PTI).
Of the nearly 107,000 pilgrims from India, 102, 500 pilgrims would go through the Haj Committee of India. The number of pilgrims who could perform Hajj in a particular year is decided by the Saudi Arabian government, PTI reported.
17/09/10 Ministry of Hajj, Saudi Arabia

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Kingfisher Airlines GDR Issue on Hold

Mumbai: Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. has put on hold its plan to raise about $200 million through an issue of global depositary receipts until it gets an approval from banks to restructure its debt, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said recently.
"I don't think there are legal barriers in going for an issue before the restructuring," the person, who didn't want to be identified, told Dow Jones Newswires. "But it would make more sense to wait since it would have a positive impact on investor sentiment."
India's second-biggest airline by market share recently got board approval for the GDR issue and has appointed Citibank, Morgan Stanley, CLSA and UBS to manage the sale. In order to attract positive investor sentiment, the airline must first deleverage its balance sheet, which is burdened with 60 billion rupees ($1.29 billion) of debt.
Kingfisher has already appointed SBI Capital Markets Ltd. to prepare a debt restructuring plan. The airline, controlled by billionaire Vijay Mallya, has been in the red since it began operations in 2005.
16/09/10 Anirban Chowdhury/Wall Street Journal

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AI reintroduces Bangalore-Singapore flight

Bangalore: Air India has reintroduced its flights on the Bangalore-Singapore sector offering 'highly competitive' fares. The flight AI 444 will leave Bangalore in the midnight at 00.05 am to reach Singapore directly at 6.55 am (local time), providing onward connections to destinations in South East Asia, Australia and Far East. The incoming flight AI 445 will leave Singapore at 07.50 hrs (local time) to reach Bangalore at 09.30 hrs daily.
16/09/10 PTI/IBN Live

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Filmmaker Vijay Kumar now detained in Canada

Ottawa: Indian filmmaker Vijay Kumar has been detained once again, this time in Canada.
Immigration authorities in Canada questioned the documentary filmmaker for 6 hours yet he was still not free to leave the country.
All this took place just a day after he was freed by the US authorities and was set to return to India via Canada.
Vijay Kumar had been arrested in the US for carrying jihadi literature and brass knuckles.
After the US authorities gave him the green signal to leave, it had seemed that it was an end to the tumultuous few weeks for him during which he was arrested and jailed for over 20 days in the US.
16/09/10 IBN Live

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Aviation ministry to organise travel for Haj pilgrims

New Delhi: Giving approval to this year's Haj travel plans, the Union Cabinet on Thursday decided that the air travel arrangements for 1, 25,000 pilgrims from India would be made by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Those going on a pilgrim will be carried from 21 embarkation points through charted flights.
Bhopal and Goa have been added as new embarkation points this year.
Each pilgrim going on Haj through Haj Committee of India will pay Rs 16,000 (plus airport charges) as air fare and the balance air fare (cost of operations) will be borne by the government, a statement issued after the Cabinet meet said.
A total of 1, 25,000 pilgrims out of 1, 70,000 will go through Haj Committee of India.
This year most of the pilgrims will be carried by Saudi Arabian Airlines, National Private Air Services Company Limited and Al-Wafeer Air which have been selected through a sealed tender process.
Air India will coordinate the operations and provide support on cost basis.
16/09/10 Deccan Herald

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Jet to deploy no-frills planes on short global routes

New Delhi: The country’s largest private carrier by fleet size Jet Airways is ready to take on FlyDubai and Air AsiaX on short-haul international routes with the airline is readying strategies to deploy its no-frill arms JetKonnect and JetLite to counter the competition.
"Operating JetLite and JetKonnect on these routes is absolutely an option. We have three guns in our waist-holster," a Jet Airways official told FE. Asked if the airline had enough jets to be operated by JetKonnect and JetLite, the official said,"Aircraft is available. We can always lease it."
Jet Airways, JetKonnect, its all-economy, no-frills service, and JetLite have a combined fleet strength of 112 aircraft and operate over 500 flights daily. While JetKonnect and JetLite operate services for the price-conscious customers, Jet Airways serves the full-fare passengers. The airline launched JetKonnect to take on no-frill carriers like IndiGo and SpiceJet. After the global financial crisis hit the domestic industry, companies started tightening their travel budgets forcing employees to travel by low-cost airlines. This resulted into passengers shifting from full-fare carriers to budget airlines.
After the world economy started improving leading to demand for international travel some of the no-frill international carriers have launched very attractive fares. For example, Air Asia recently offered a promotional fare of Re 1 (plus taxes and other charges of Rs 475) on Delhi-Kuala Lumpur route. FlyDubai also announced cheaper fare on Lucknow-Dubai.
16/09/10 Nirbhay Kumar/Financial Express

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Ministry, AI in fresh row over Melbourne flight

New Delhi: With the Ministry of Civil Aviation turning down Air India’s (AI) proposal to start operations to Melbourne — the second time that it has put its foot down in less than two months — the differences between the government and the state-owned carrier are out in the open. The public snub hasn’t gone
down well with the national airline, coming as it does close on the heels of having to scrap a $1.6 million image makeover deal with an Australian firm. Cato Purnell Partners had been signed up to revitalise Air India’s brand identity ahead of the Commonwealth Games, but the deal was cancelled after the ministry raised objections.
Aviations experts say the differences between the ministry and AI have been simmering for some time now.
Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav had flown to Australia in June to sign an agreement with Victoria State Premier John Brumby, and AI had proudly announced the launch of daily flights from Delhi from November 1.
Senior Ministry officials say they have every right to dictate terms as the airline is surviving on a lifeline provided by the government.
15/09/10 Tushar Srivastava/Hindustan Times

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India, Russia launch multirole transport aircraft project

India and Russia have begun work on their multi-role transport aircraft (MTA) programme after several rounds of negotiations between officials from both countries.
Hindustan Aeronautics, India's state-owned airframer, has signed an agreement with Russian arms export agency Rosoboronexport and United Aircraft to form a Bangalore-based joint venture for the programme, paving the way for the companies to begin preliminary design work.
"The MTA is a 15-20t payload capacity aircraft which would meet the requirement of the Indian air force and the Russian air force," says HAL. "The project has been approved by both the government of India and the government of the Russian Federation."
Around $600 million will be spent on the aircraft's development, with India and Russia to share the investment equally and HAL and UAC to have a 50:50 stake in the workshare.
The companies plan to manufacture 205 of the aircraft, which will have a cruise speed of 430kt (800km/h), a range of up to 1,460nm (2,700km) and a service ceiling of 39,400ft (12,000m).
The twin-engine MTA will have "state of the art features such as fly-by-wire, full authority digital engine control, modern avionics and glass cockpit", says HAL.
Agreement to proceed with the military transport is expected to be the first of two major agreements this year between Russia and India, which have had a decades-long defence relationship.
16/09/10 Siva Govindasamy/Flight Global

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Reyat had 'powerful motive' to lie at Air India trial: Prosecutor

Air India bomber Inderjit Singh Reyat had a “powerful motive” to lie during the trial of the Air India accused, a prosecutor said in final arguments Wednesday.
Reyat has pleaded not guilty to one count of perjury arising from his testimony in September 2003 at the trial of Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri, both of whom were later acquitted.
At Reyat’s perjury trial, the Crown filed an agreed statement of facts, replayed for a jury the entire three-day testimony of Reyat and called no witnesses.
Special prosecutor Len Doust told a B.C. Supreme Court jury in Vancouver that it was clear Reyat lacked credibility and did not tell all he knew about the conspiracy that led to the June 1985 bombings that claimed 331 lives.
Doust argued Reyat’s demeanour was evasive and that many times, he failed to answer the questions put to him.
“He obviously tried to tell as little as possible and he hid behind an alleged lack of recall,” said Doust.
“He often, as I’m sure you’ll recall, paused for lengthy periods of time, the Crown says, not to try to recall, but rather to fashion deceptive and misleading answers when he was cornered.”
Doust noted that six months before the Air India trial, Reyat pleaded guilty to helping supply the material for the bomb that blew up aboard Air India Flight 182, killing 329 passengers and crew.
He said the guilty plea was based on an affidavit outlining Reyat’s version of events, and that he was keen not to stray from the affidavit during his testimony at the Air India trial.
15/09/10 Keith Fraser/The Province

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Code share flights to India in the works

Air Macau is considering launching code share flights to India in partnership with Air China, the operator’s executive vice president Wang Xuefeng disclosed in an interview with Macau Daily Times.
“We are aware of the Indian market and our commercial department is considering to launch code share flights using Air China’s resources,” he said.
Currently there are no direct flights between Macau and India, but yesterday, Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) director João Manuel Costa Antunes confirmed the Government’s interest in establishing a new route, saying that there have already been “a few meetings and presentations”.
“The number of Indian visitors has boomed in the first half of the year so the market is there. It’s not difficult to imagine we could fill several planes from India to Macau,” Antunes stressed. However, he continued, “Air Macau cannot do that route because of the restrictions on its capacity, so there will have to be interest from Indian airlines”. On Tuesday, CAM’s advisor and director of contract and operation management department António Rato said that Air Macau should consider flying to India.
16/09/10 Macau Daily Times

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Bangalore, Chennai on our radar: Finnair

Helsinki: Finnair has said that flying from Helsinki to Bangalore and Chennai, where Finnish companies have a large business presence, is part of its expansion plans, besides leveraging from an alliance with Kingfisher Airlines in India.
"Bangalore and Chennai are definitely on our radar...One thing that OneWorld (feels) very important (about) is the quality of our partners... Kingfisher clearly is, from the quality point of view, the airline of choice in India," Finnair CEO Mika Vehvilainen told PTI here.
Kingfisher Airlines was inducted into the global airline OneWorld earlier this year and this would allow partner airlines to sell routes operated by the Indian carrier.
Vehvilainen, however, said that it has no immediate plans to start operations to Bangalore or Chennai. Also, there were no plans in the near-term to resume services to Mumbai.
Finnair has said that it would start daily service between New Delhi and Helsinki from January next year, up from the six flights a week it operates now.
15/09/10 PTI/Economic Times

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Indian arrested at airport has left U.S.

Washington: Vijay Kumar, the Indian filmmaker arrested in the United States and jailed for 20 days for carrying brass knuckles and “Jihadi literature” in his baggage, has left the U.S. for India, his lawyer has confirmed.
Speaking to The Hindu on Tuesday evening Mr. Kumar’s attorney, Grant Scheiner, said “Mr. Kumar is safely out of Houston.” He hoped that appropriate action would be taken to ensure that such an event did not occur again in the future.
Mr. Kumar’s departure from Houston marks the culmination of a difficult few weeks for him. Trapped in the U.S., initially under suspicion of terror related activities although his intentions were entirely benign, Mr. Kumar faced an ordeal in a Texas jail, where he had to subsist on only bread and water. He also had no certainty as to when he would be released.
Mr. Scheiner had earlier said that Mr. Kumar’s arrest was a mistake of law combined with excessive caution in a post-9/11 era, and as a result he had been slapped with both a criminal case, for possessing the brass knuckles, and an immigration case, after his visa revoked by the immigration authorities.
While Mr. Kumar had unwittingly violated a Texas law forbidding persons from carrying brass knuckles at airports, he had entirely abided by federal law on this matter. The real problem, his attorney earlier said, was that federal law was not consistent with the state law.
15/09/10 Narayan Lakshman/The Hindu

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Dev Patel sends off new British Airways Boeing

British Airways’ (BA) first Boeing 777-300ER was treated to a Slumdog Millionaire send off before flying to Mumbai, decorated by the movie’s star Dev Patel.
"India will always be very close to my heart and I am very proud to launch this new 777 aircraft to Mumbai," Mr Patel said.
The long-range super fuel efficient aircraft wore a Bindi on its nose while a giant garland of flowers hung from its neck in preparation for its eight hour flight to Mumbai.
BA expects to have six Boeing 777-300ERs operating by 2012 and is currently the first UK airline to fly the craft. According to the Financial Times, BA’s targeting of India at the jet’s launch was “no accident” as India is BA’s second biggest overseas market after the US.
With now 108 weekly services between the UK and India, 45 operated by BA and the rest by Air-India, Virgin Atlantic, Jet Airways and Kingfisher, BA is wanting to hold on to its market share, the newspaper reported.
The aircraft will fly regularly to Mumbai, New Delhi, Dubai and Chicago.
15/09/10 eTravel Blackboard

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Airport mishap: DGCA to conduct independent probe

Hyderabad: The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA), New Delhi, will conduct an independent probe in the Amrita Roy accident that led to her death at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Shamshabad on September 5.
Amrita Roy (25), a crew member of Air Asia had died of shock at the airport after her right hand got stuck in the telescopic aerobridge that was being retracted after passengers boarded a Kuala Lampur bound flight. It is learnt that the internal probe committee that was constituted by GMR airport authorities following the accident to investigate the mishap has almost completed its probe and will submit its report to DGCA. The DGCA will step in and conduct independent investigations only after it receives the report before issuing a statement on the facts of the accident, official sources said.
14/09/10 Times of India

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Indian carriers increasingly add international routes to their flights

New Delhi: Indian carriers are becoming increasingly competitive on international routes on the back of a growing domestic base of air passengers and fleet modernization.
Until 2004, national flag carrier Air India was the only airline flying to overseas destinations. Since then, private carriers Jet Airways (India) Ltd and Kingfisher Airlines Ltd have added international routes to their expanding domestic operations.
But the story began a year before that, when India moved on from being a dedicated full- service airline market to start relying increasingly on the globally successful no-frills model.
The growth of low-cost carriers (LCCs) such as Air Deccan (now Kingfisher Red), SpiceJet, IndiGo and GoAir has doubled the number of annual fliers to 44.5 million in 2009 from 22.3 million in 2005. It was this boom that set the stage for the start of international operations by private carriers.
“Your home market is your biggest asset,” said Azran Osman-Rani, chief executive of the long-haul low-cost airline AirAsia X, based out of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The 17-year-old Jet Airways, which runs the domestic LCC JetLite, launched its first international flight to Sri Lanka in 2004. Since then, it has added 22 destinations, including Johannesburg, Newark, Toronto and a European hub at Brussels.
There have been some setbacks—such as the cancellation of a Mumbai-Shanghai-San Francisco route in 2008. Still, Jet Airways, India’s largest airline group by passengers carried, has managed to convert its loyal domestic customer base into a clientele for international flights and now earns 60% of its total revenue from overseas operations.
Kingfisher Airlines launched international services with a Bangalore-London flight in 2008 followed by Mumbai-London in 2009. Soon after that, British private carrier Virgin Atlantic pulled out of the Mumbai-London route and entered into a code-sharing agreement with Jet Airways, so it could still book its passengers for that route on Jet flights.
13/09/10 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

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Vijay Kumar leaving for India

Washington: Vijay Kumar, Indian filmmaker arrested in the United States and jailed for 20 days for carrying brass knuckles and “jihadi literature” in his baggage, will be leaving for India, his lawyer has confirmed.
Speaking to The Hindu on Sunday evening, attorney Grant Scheiner said he had “learned that Mr. Vijay Kumar is scheduled to leave Houston within the next 24 hours.”
He further said the filmmaker “should arrive in New Delhi in approximately one week's time,” as he had two stops to make before returning to India.
There were “people watching the process, to make certain that Mr. Kumar leaves Houston safely.”
Although the arrest was a “mistake of law,” Mr. Kumar was unable to obtain an earlier acquittal because he was “tied into a procedural knot by U.S. law,” Mr. Scheiner said. Particularly baffling — and an indicator of excessive caution in the post-9/11 era — was the fact that Mr. Kumar had his visa revoked by immigration authorities and then was jailed for not having a valid U.S. visa.
While there was no doubt that Mr. Kumar had contravened a Texas law forbidding persons from carrying brass knuckles at airports, he was simply following federal law, his attorney earlier said, which was anyway not consistent with the State law.
14/09/10 Narayan Lakshman/The Hindu

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Wife of accused in Air India bombing was getting payments, court told

A man acquitted of the Air India bombing was making regular payments to the wife of a man who is now charged with perjury for lying at his trial, jurors heard Monday.
Inderjit Singh Reyat is accused of lying repeatedly at the trial of two men charged with mass murder.
On Monday, his perjury trial heard he knew one of them, Ripudaman Singh Malik, was paying his wife.
Mr. Reyat, a Duncan, B.C., auto electrician, was subpoenaed to testify in September 2003, and Mr. Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri were later acquitted.
Jurors at the perjury trial have listened to Mr. Reyat's testimony in which he repeatedly testified he couldn't remember details of the events that led up to two Air India bombings that killed 331 people on June 23, 1985
In 2006, Mr. Reyat was charged with perjury.
His trial is unusual because there are no witnesses and the jury is relying on recordings of his three days on the stand.
The Crown maintains he lied 19 times while under oath, even saying he never knew the name of a Mr. X who stayed at his home for almost a week and with whom Mr. Reyat went shopping for bomb parts. Mr. Reyat testified he learned his wife was getting money after he was sentenced in 1991 to a decade in prison for his role in the deaths of two baggage handlers when a suitcase meant for an Air India plane exploded at Tokyo's Narita Airport.
In the recording, Crown lawyer Len Doust asked Mr. Reyat how his wife supported herself and their four children when he was behind bars.
“She was working in the pre-school,” Mr. Reyat said, later adding he knew Mr. Malik was paying her but never asked him or his wife, Satnam Kaur Reyat, how much money was changing hands.
13/09/10 Camille Bains/The Canadian Press/The Globe and Mail

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AirAsia offers 20 percent off on all flights

Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia Monday said it will offer 20 percent discount on all seats on all flights for bookings made from Sep 14-19.
'Guests will be able to enjoy this special promotion for the immediate travel period from Sep 20-Nov 15,' the company said in a statement.
According to the company, the special discount is applicable on all its international routes to Europe, Australia, China, India and the southeast Asian region. On Aug 5, the budget airline had started its daily flights from Kaula Lumpur to the Indian capital and made a similar offer of one-way tickets at Re.1 (excluding taxes).
13/09/10 IANS/Sify.com

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Airport operators ask govt for more foreign flights movement

Airport operators, including state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) which have invested thousands of crores to upgrade infrastructure, have started lobbying with the government to allow more foreign carriers to operate from their facilities. The move is expected to help the airport firms improve their revenue and recover investment.
While GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) is in favour of allowing Tiger Airways to operate flights to the IT city, the AAI wants the Malaysian no-frill carrier, Air Asia, to start services to Kolkata. The AAI is in the process of investing nearly Rs 2,500 crore to upgrade the Kolkata airport. The public sector agency has earmarked a budget of about Rs 12,700 crore during the current Five Year Plan to upgrade the airport facilities, which include non-metro airports such as Dehradun, Ahmedabad and Patna.
Led by private airport operators, Delhi International Airport (DIAL) and Mumbai International Airport (MIAL), the airport sector has seen an investment of over Rs 40,000 crore in the last few years. More aircraft movement would add up to their aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues.
13/09/10 Nirbhay Kumar/Financial Express

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India to occupy key role in SIA's global strategies: Philip Goh

Singapore Airlines plans to seek more landing rights in India, launch flights to new destinations, enhance capacity on the routes that it services and recruit more people including cabin crew here.
Singapore Airlines plans to seek more landing rights in India, launch flights to new destinations, enhance capacity on the routes that it services and recruit more people including cabin crew here. Clearly, the airline hopes to leverage on the growth story in India and other emerging markets to expand its operations globally .Philip Goh,regional vice president at Singapore Airlines, says India will occupy a key role in SIA’s global strategies being one of the fastest growing large aviation markets worldwide.
Recovery from the global slowdown has resulted in airline traffic looking up and the coming years will see consolidation in most markets . Traffic between Singapore and India is expected to rise with the scaling up of the comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) between the two countries to facilitate flow of trade, services and investment. India is a priority market and an important component of Singapore Airlines global operations, said Philip, a top SIA official looking after the airline’s business in this region.
13/09/10 G Ganapathy Subramaniam/Economic Times

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'Indian' Dhruv copter gets Italian makeover

New Delhi: The Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) has been widely regarded as a triumph of indigenous military rotorcraft design and manufacturing. Scores of Dhruvs already flying in army colours will be joined by another 159, which the military ordered last year from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). And, Ecuador’s air force chose the Dhruv ALH in an international tender in 2008 for seven helicopters.
But now it emerges that the Dhruv is struggling with a serious problem. The army, which was to be supplied 20 Dhruvs last year, refused to accept any until HAL fixed a problem that was restricting the Dhruv’s cruising speed to 250 kilometers per hour, significantly short of the 270 kmph that HAL specifications promise. Unable to find a cure, HAL has brought in a consultant: Italian aerospace propulsion major, Avio.
India’s military sets high store by the Dhruv’s engine power; the helicopter must operate from tiny landing grounds at 6,500 meters (about 21,000 feet), which is the altitude of Sonam Post, India’s highest helipad on the Siachen Glacier. But even after paying French engine-maker, Turbomeca, Rs 1,000 crore to design the Shakti engine —- a superb performer at high altitudes —- the Dhruv’s Integrated Dynamic System, or IDS, which transfers power from the Shakti engines to the helicopter rotors, is not performing optimally.
13/09/10 Ajai Shukla/Business Standard

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