Banning Pakistan airlines from Indian airspace may hurt domestic carriers too

New Delhi:  As tensions between India and Pakistan rise the prospect of the closure of each other’s airspace for airlines cannot be ruled out. The apprehensions this time are real as the airspace between the two countries have been closed in the past.

Direct air links between India and Pakistan were snapped on January 1, 2002 when both closed their air space to aircraft registered in the other country. The ban remained in force till January 1, 2004.

If Pakistan retaliates and shuts its airspace for Indian aircraft, there will be implications for those flying from and to India as the cost of operations will increase from India to the Gulf, Europe, the US and Canada.

At the moment it is not clear whether the ban, if and when it comes, will apply only to airlines from India and Pakistan or also for international airlines flying from India or Pakistan to other international destinations.

The hourly cost of operating a narrow body is about $5,000 or ?3,30,000 while that of a wide-body aircraft like a Boeing 777 or an Airbus A-330 varies from $8,000 to $12,000 (?5,28,000-?7,92,000).

Further, the flying time will increase by at least an hour. A changed routing will mean that an Indian airline flying from North India will have to travel down towards Gujarat and then enter the Gulf before proceeding onwards to Europe.

The normal route is to fly over Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Gulf and into Europe for Europe bound flights, while the US and Canada bound flights turn down from Scandinavia which is the shortest route to that region.
29/09/16 Business Line

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PM Modi to decide on air travel between India and Pakistan

New Delhi: Air links between India and Pakistan — which include direct flights between the two countries and allowing airlines of one country to fly over the other — have now come under the scanner of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The Modi government is examining whether these should be allowed to continue post the Uri attack, as part of its multi-pronged strategy that involves reviewing theIndus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and also reconsidering the most favoured nation status (MFN) given to the country by India in 1996.
While no Indian carrier flies to Pakistan, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has five flights a week to India — one on Delhi-Karachi route and two each on Delhi-Lahore and Mumbai-Karachi sectors. Overflying is clearly the more critical part for airlines of both countries. At the moment, almost all flight operated by Indian carriers between Gulf, Europe and North America on the one hand and central, north and east India on the other fly over Pakistan. Similarly, PIA flies over India to Southeast Asia and Bangladesh.
“The PMO has sought all details of aviation sector between India and Pakistan. They even asked if the ban on low overflying over Karachi had affected Indian flights. We have given all details as sought by them and a final decision will be taken by the PMO,” said a source.
29/09/16 Avinash Nandakumar/India Live

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Air India To Increase Flights To Australia

Melbourne:  Air India will introduce three more flights on the Australia-India air route next year, increasing the frequency to 10 flights per week after receiving an overwhelming response.
"The response to Air India's non-stop Dreamliner between Delhi and Sydney-Melbourne has been overwhelming and we will be deploying the additional capacity on this route in the second quarter of 2017," Air India chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani, said.
Currently, India's national carrier operates seven flights a week to Sydney and Melbourne, which will increase the frequency to 10 from next year.
The triangular air service between Sydney, Melbourne and Delhi was launched in 2013 but currently operates four weekly fligts using Boeing 787 Dreamliner from New Delhi to Sydney and three flights weekly using Boeing 787 from Delhi to Melbourne.
According to official figures, last year 29 per cent of visitors on Australia-India route travelled on Singapore Airlines followed by 21 per cent on Malaysia Airlines while 12 per cent of travellers used Air India.
29/09/16 PTI/NDTV

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Coming this December: Direct flights from Delhi to Madrid

Looks like Delhi is going to have a happy start to this year's winter season. And it will be the globetrotters who are going to be the happiest.
For the first time, India is going to have a direct flight connectivity with Spain.
Yes, you read that right. According to a report by The Times of India, Air India is all set to launch a direct flight from Delhi to Madrid on December 1 this year.
"This flight will be thrice a week to begin with," Air India Chairman Ashwani Lohani told TOI.
Based on the kind of response this flight receives from travellers, Air India might increase the frequency of the route later. A good example of this is the Delhi-San Francisco flight, the frequency of which is slated to be increased to six times a week from November due to its amazing response in spite of the premium pricing.
Looks like the travellers can expect some more good news in the near future as Air India is also going to add Washington, Houston, and Boston in its list of non-stop flights to the US. The airline currently has flights to San Francisco, New York, JFK, Newark and Chicago. "We are talking to the airports in these three cities and will launch flights to one of them next year," an official told TOI.
29/09/16  Samonway Duttagupta/India Today

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Air India signs code-share pact with Air Austral

Air India and Air Austral signed a free flow code share agreement which will enable the former to code share on Air Austral operated flights on the Chennai-Reunion-Chennai sector as well as beyond Reunion to/from Johannesburg, Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar. Reciprocally, Air Austral will put its marketing code on Air India operated flights beyond Chennai to/from Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi.

Air India will offer its passengers flights departing from India to Saint-Denis de La Réunion via Chennai with the Chennai/Saint-Denis flight operated by Air Austral. The passengers of Air India will be able to connect in Saint-Denis on flights beyond to/from Johannesburg, Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar operated by Air Austral.

Air Austral will offer its customers flights from Reunion to Chennai and beyond to/from Mumbai, New Delhi and Kochi on flights operated by Air India. Air Austral has been operating on the route Reunion Island-Chennai-Bangkok since 19 February 2013. From the beginning of November 2016, Bangkok will be discontinued, leaving all the capacity available to the Reunion Island – Chennai service. The code share will initially be implemented on the Reunion-Chennai-Reunion sector from 16 September 2016. Code share on the other sectors is likely to be implemented subsequently.
29/09/16 Voyages World

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Chennai man seeks Rs 11 lakh relief from Etihad

Chennai: A resident of Chennai has moved the district consumer forum seeking a compensation of Rs 11 lakh from Etihad airways for deficiency in services.
Sujit Kumar from Velachery, had booked an online ticket for his family with the airlines from Chennai to Abu Dhabi and from there to Zurich on May 13, 2015 by paying around Rs 2.14 lakh. When Kumar went to Chennai international airport, he was informed that the fight was re-scheduled to 1am the next day.
The airlines put him on a route via Rome, instead of a more convenient route via Geneva, he added.
While returning from Zurich on May 24, Kumar along with other passengers were asked to board the flight an hour before departure. The airlines then switched off the air conditioning, causing suffocation and nausea to the passengers, he said.
Etihad offered a partial refund along with free guest miles. In its defence, the airlines said the incoming flight to Chennai was delayed because of technical reasons, which was beyond their control.
30/09/16 Manish Raj/Times of India

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Cambodia-India Direct Air Route Opens

The Cambodia-India direct air route is now open for business and airline companies have been invited to file their applications to operate flights between the two countries, according to an official from Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA).


“A meeting was held recently in New Delhi between SSCA and Indian aviation officials with both sides agreeing that airline companies in Cambodia and India could now file applications to run flights from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap to New Delhi and other Indian cities,” said SSCA spokesman Sin Chansereyvutha.


Mr. Chansereyvuth revealed that there has been a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Cambodia and India for the direct flight route since 2002.


“With the MoU already in existence, it is easy for both Cambodia- and India-based airline companies to negotiate and file their applications to the relevant aviation authorities,” he said.


Ties between Cambodia and India go back to the first century AD when Hindu and Buddhist religious and cultural influences emanated out of India to various parts of Southeast Asia.


The pervading influence of Hinduism, Buddhism and Indian architecture are borne out by the magnificent structures at Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Phrom and other religious and historical sites in Cambodia.
28/09/16 Chea Vannak/Khmer Times 

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Air Canada Announces Toronto-Mumbai 787 Dreamliner Service

Air Canada today announced it is launching a new, three-times weekly service between Toronto and Mumbai, the largest city and financial capital of India.

The non-stop, year-round service will be operated starting July 1, 2017 using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

“Air Canada is pleased to offer customers this new, non-stop route between Toronto and Mumbai. This is Air Canada’s third route to India after Toronto-Delhi service that began last fall and our new seasonal Vancouver-Delhi service commencing next month. This will be the only non-stop service between Canada and Mumbai and with it Air Canada now offers the best coverage of any carrier operating in the Canada-India market,” said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.

“The Canada-India Business Council welcomes Air Canada’s announcement today. The Canada-India corridor offers tremendous economic opportunities and our organization is working to promote trade and commerce between our two countries. Air linkages are essential to this, so having a non-stop flight between Canada’s and India’s financial and business centers should serve as a further catalyst to this rapidly developing trade relationship,” said Gary Comerford, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canada-India Business Council.
28/09/16 Aviation Tribune

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Air India signs codeshare with Air Austral

National carrier Air India and Air Austral have signed a free flow code share agreement. This agreement will enable Air India to code share on Air Austral operated flights on the Chennai-Reunion-Chennai sector as well as beyond Reunion to/from Johannesburg, Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar. Reciprocally, Air Austral will put its marketing code on Air India operated flights beyond Chennai to/from Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi.

Air India, member of the Star Alliance, will offer its passengers flights departing from India to Saint-Denis de La Réunion via Chennai with the Chennai/Saint-Denis flight operated by Air Austral. The passengers of Air India will be able to connect in Saint-Denis on flights beyond to/from Johannesburg, Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar operated by Air Austral.

Seema Srivastava, Executive Director - Strategy and Planning, Air India said, “As a National Carrier and Star Alliance member carrier, Air India feels honoured to enter into this code-share agreement with Air Austral. This agreement will enable Air India to reach out to destinations in the Indian Ocean and Africa. We look forward to expand our relationship with Air Austral in future. Air India already has code share partnerships with 14 other prestigious airlines across the globe and Air Austral will be the 15th code share partner of Air India.”
28/09/16 Travel Trends Today

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Jet Airways, Air France-KLM JV plans to boost Schiphol airport's India traffic share

Schiphol airport, which competes with hubs in Europe and the Gulf, is set to garner a larger pie of India's international traffic as Jet Airways prepares to expand its commercial partnership with Air France-KLM.

Passenger traffic between India and Amsterdam grew 56 per cent in the first eight months of 2016 on a year-on-year basis and is expected to get a big boost with Jet Airways negotiating a joint-venture pact with the two European airlines.

"In 2015 the total traffic volume from Amsterdam to India was 247,000 passengers. In 2014, it was 366,000, but with Delta Air Lines stopping the Amsterdam-Mumbai route, total passenger numbers dropped in 2015," said a spokesperson of Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.

The airport did not disclose airline-specific passenger figures but said that in eight months till August, traffic to India rose 56 per cent to over 250,000 passengers. "For sure the total amount in 2016 will surpass previous years," the spokesperson said and added that growth of traffic from India was amongst the highest in comparison with other countries.
27/09/16 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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Jet Airways enhances connectivity to North America and Europe with new flight schendule to Paris

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will offer seamless connectivity to North America and Europe over Paris, as part of its revised winter schedule, along with its partners Air France and Delta Air Lines.

Effective October 30th, 2016, flight 9W 124 from Mumbai to Paris will depart at 0250 hrs IST and arrive at 0820hrs local time, while on the return leg, 9W 123, will depart Paris at 1130hrs local time and land in Mumbai at 0045 hrs IST the following day.

As a result of the revised timings, guests will now be able to connect to 25 European and more than 10 North American cities over Paris. Some of the popular destinations in Europe include Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, Madrid, Manchester, Munich, Nice, Oslo, Prague, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Vienna, and Zurich.
27/09/16 Theodore Koumelis/Travel Daily News

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Finally, tricity connected to Dubai

With the taking off of the IndiGo Airlines 180-seater Airbus A-320 at its scheduled departure time, 4.05 pm from the international airport here, direct air connection with Dubai was established today.
The airbus, carrying 127 passengers on board, departed from here amidst much fanfare following a brief ceremony. The ceremony witnessed the lighting of a traditional lamp and cutting of cake by the IndiGo associate vice-president Vijay Matta and Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar. Some of the passengers were also offered rose buds by the IndiGo staff
The direct and non-stop flight took 3.30 hours to reach its destination at 7.35 pm (IST). Earlier, the same flight, which departed from Dubai this morning with 90 passengers on board, reached here at 11.10 am today. Then it left for New Delhi at 12 pm from here and returned at 2.45 pm.
26/09/16 The Tribune

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International airlines know how you travel; they have increased business class seats on India flights

More and more Indians now prefer travelling business class while going abroad and the international airlines have decided to bank on this trend.

International airlines such Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Jet Airways, etc are increasing more seats in the business class on their India flights.

The business class bookings increased 75% and are proving to be one of the growth drivers in the aviation industry.

Singapore Airlines' new Airbus A350 aircraft, which will added to Mumbai next year, will have 66 business and premium economy seats compared with 38 business class seats in the current Boeing 777 aircraft.

Meanwhile, British Airways is also planning to introduce first class seats on both its flights from London to Mumbai, whereas, Jet Airways introduced first class and business class on short-haul international routes, which were earlier all-economy flights.

As per a report by MakeMyTrip, business class bookings on foreign carriers increased by 37% to 88% year-on-year every month from January to August. Bookings in August grew by 88% over a year earlier. The portal compiled data on the basis of an average of spot and prior bookings.
26/09/16 Business Insider

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After Sharjah, Mohali set for flight to Dubai today

Ten days after the maiden international flight from here to Sharjah, the Mohali international airport is all set to connect with Dubai tomorrow.
An IndiGo Airlines 180-seater (all economy class seats) Airbus A320 plane will take off from Mohali at 4.15 pm and land at Dubai at 7.50 pm (IST). Before that, the same flight from Dubai will reach here at 11.10 am after taking off from Dubai at 7.35 am (IST).
26/09/16 The Tribune

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India, France sign deal on Rafale fighter jets

The much-delayed ₹58,000-crore Rafale fighter jet deal with France was inked on Friday.

The contract to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from French defence major Dassault Aviation in an effort to boost the fighting capability of the Indian Air Force has been in the making since 2007. It was in 2012 that Dassault Aviation bagged the contract following a competitive bidding process.

“The deal will give a potent, effective fighter that the IAF needed badly. This is the first such deal on aircraft in last 20 years, which is a uniqueness in itself,” Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told reporters after signing the pact.

The deal was finalised with the signing of the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) by Parrikar and his French counterpart Jean-Yves le Drian at the Ministry of Defence.

The aircraft will be bought by India in flyaway condition. The first delivery is expected to take place by October 2019. Thereafter, the remaining 35 jets will be delivered over a period of two and a half years, sources told BusinessLine.

India will be paying around ₹1,611 crore for each of the jets. The government is believed to have paid for six jets already costing around ₹9,000 crore, said sources. All the 36 warplanes will have specifications as per the need of the Indian Air Force.

As part of the offset obligations, the French industrial suppliers will discharge offsets for 50 per cent value of the procurement.

As a result, the Defence Ministry believes it will generate employment and the need for product support requirements will open up opportunities in warehousing and supply chain management in the country.
23/09/16 Nayanima Basu/The Hindu Business Line

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Foreign jet-fighter manufacturers woo India

India is being offered blueprints to advanced combat aircraft by the world's aerospace companies, a move unthinkable even a decade ago, as New Delhi gets ready to place another multibillion-dollar air force order.

India's aging military jet fleet desperately needs an upgrade, which analysts say may spur it to place an order worth more than $10 billion in the next year. Hoping for an edge, and encouraged by a recent law that allows 100% foreign ownership of local defense firms, jet-fighter makers such as Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co. and Saab AB are rushing in with offers to set up production lines to India.

Efforts to give India unprecedented access to jet fighter know-how illustrate the country's rising importance to the West as China's power increases, analysts say.

India, until a decade ago, was trying stubbornly to build its own jets, after the U.S. and Japan imposed sanctions following its nuclear tests in 1998, which broke U.S. nonproliferation laws and sparked tensions with Pakistan. U.S. companies were blocked from giving India the technology it needed.


Relations between India and the U.S. have improved since, as both share a goal to contain China's military. India has struck deals with the U.S. to buy everything from Apache helicopters to transport planes and artillery, lifting the country to India's second-biggest defense trading partner behind Russia.
24/09/16 Daniel Stacey/Market Watch 

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Some British Airways investment may be coming India's way

Mumbai: The Indian aviation market could possibly see some investment in coming months from British Airways as the airline has extended its 5-billion pound global spending for 2011 and 2016 beyond this year.

India, which is among the fastest growing markets in the world, is the second-biggest market for British Airways outside of the UK and US.

Speaking to dna, Moran Birger, regional general manager, South Asia, British Airways, said the investment has been extended. However, he refused to give a timeline when the investment process would get completed or details on what led to the delay in implementation. ""It (investment) has been extended beyond 2016. Some of the decisions which were taken during the decided period will see investments now," said Birger.

The investment would see British Airways customers benefiting from new aircraft, new world traveller and world traveller plus cabins, a revamped first class, significant improvements at Gatwick and better lounges around the airline's network, reports had said in 2011 when the plan was announced. "Funds would also be allocated to improved catering and new technologies to make the travel experience more comfortable and convenient for customers on the ground and in the air," the BA statement had said then.
21/09/16 Shahkar Abidi/DNA

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PIA cancels flights to northern cities over Indo-Pak tensions

Islamabad: Pakistan’s national flag carrier PIA on Wednesday cancelled flights to northern Pakistani cities due to “air space restrictions” in the wake of Uri terrorist attack. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) called off flights to Gilgit and Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (PoK) and Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“As per directives of CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), the air space over Northern areas will remain closed on Wednesday. Inconvenience regretted,” PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani said on Twitter. He did not give any reason for closure of air space but officials said that Pakistani warplanes might be in the air to keep vigil due to Indo-Pak tensions after the Uri attack.
Eighteen soldiers were killed and over a dozen others injured as heavily armed militants stormed a battalion headquarters of the Indian Army in North Kashmir’s Uri town early Sunday. Four militants involved in the terror strike were killed by the Army.
21/09/16 PTI/Indian Express

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Air India goes full throttle on foreign operations

New Delhi: National carrier Air India is going full throttle ahead to expand its foreign operations. The national carrier has plans to launch new flights to all major cities across the US and Europe as well as West Asia , Gulf, East Asia and Australia in the Pacific region in the next one year and increase the frequency of its flights where demand is surging.
We are increasing our thrice-a-week flight to San Francisco to six days a week and for our direct connect Melbourne and Sydney are soon going to become five day-aweek schedule instead of the earlier three and four days schedule respectively,'' Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani told Mail Today.
With 21 new 787 Dreamliners in place and six more to arrive soon, Air India is venturing into more foreign markets.
There is also a compelling reason for Air India to expand its foreign market share to take on tough competition from Emirates, which has an almost equal market share in terms of flyers going abroad from Indian cities.
We are soon connecting to Madrid in December and may open up our new destination in the United States on East Coast in Washington DC in April 2017. And in between that, we are mulling over opening one more sector which could be either Copenhagen or Stockholm to cater to Indians who love Scandinavia and vice-versa. This operation may work out by January to February 2017,'' Lohani said.
20/09/16 Maneesh Pandey/Business Today

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Air India Express starts three new routes to Sharjah

Air India Express over the course of two days launched three new routes to Sharjah (SHJ) in the UAE. On 14 September the LCC began daily flights from both Tiruchirappalli (TRZ) and Varanasi (VNS) using its 737-800s. Neither route is served by any other carrier. The following day it was the turn of Chandigarh (IXC) to receive a thrice-weekly connection to the UAE airport. This was more significant as it became the first international service from the Indian airport. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data Air India Express now has a 12% share of seats in the India-UAE market, ranking it fourth. Leading the way with 28% is Emirates, followed by Etihad Airways (17%) and Jet Airways (14%). A total of nine airlines connect the two countries with non-stop flights. The other five carriers are Air Arabia (9%), IndiGo (7%), SpiceJet (6%), Air India (5%) and flydubai (2%).
20/09/16 anna.aero

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Oman reaches out to Indian tourists

Hyderabad: After establishing presence in four metro cities of India, officials from Oman’s tourism ministry conducted roadshows in Hyderabad to expand their presence. They said that Oman received 2,99,022 Indian travellers in 2015, reflecting a 17 per cent increase from the year 2014.

“Our strategy has been to position Oman as a high quality destination attracting evolved travellers from India. It was never a mass destination or a backpackers destination,” said

Lubaina Sheerazi, Indian respresentative of Oman’s tourism ministry, at a press conference here on Monday, in association with Oman Air.

The ministry’s deputy director general International Tourism, Asma Al Hajry, said that they see a huge potential in destination weddings and that around 10 destination weddings have been organised in Oman in the past two years.

Lubaina said they have seen travellers who have travelled a lot and want to explore new destinations across the world. “They want to experience authentic food and culture; want to interact with locals so that their experiences are more enriching and meaningful,” she added.
20/09/16 New Indian Express

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1st return Haj flight arrives 2 hours late

Varanasi: The first return flight of Haj pilgrims from Varanasi got delayed by about two hours, causing inconvenience to relatives and friends of the pilgrims and volunteers of Haj committee assembled at Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport in Babatpur to receive the pilgrims.The flight carrying as many as 300 pilgrims, scheduled for 11:40 am on Monday morning, landed at 1:30 pm.
The delay irked the kin of the pilgrims. But the irritation gave way to happiness as they saw their near and dear ones. The pilgrims were greeted by in-charge of State Haj Committee Sultan Ahmed and others.
According to Haj Committee spokesman Junaid Ali Khan, the delay in first return flight was due to the late departure from Jeddah airport. He said that a total of 300 pilgrims comprising men (170) and women (129) and a 14-year old kid, hailing from around 15 districts of eastern UP, arrived at the airport on Monday afternoon. Among them, 43 Haj pilgrims were from Varanasi. The youngest pilgrim Osama Ansari, also from Varanasi remained the centre of attraction and was all smiles as he greeted his family members.
20/09/16 Times of India

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Face Of Brussels Terror Attack, Jet Airways Crew Member Nidhi Chaphekar Now Off Crutches

The face of the Brussels terror attack, Jet Airways crew member Nidhi Chaphekar, is limping back to normalcy: she has now finally gone off crutches. Chaphekar, who underwent a minor ear surgery at Breach Candy hospital on Wednesday, also won a bravery award from the Air Passengers' Association of India recently .
A family member said that doctors at the hospital performed a tympanoplasty to repair a hole in the eardrum caused due to the bomb blast that went off at the Brussels airport in March.
The surgery went off smoothly and she will be discharged in a day, said her husband Rupesh Chaphekar. Nidhi, who was on crutches since the time she returned from Belgium--that is, for almost five months--has managed to go off crutches.
Nidhi said, "It is slightly difficult to walk without support, but I have been managing for the last few days. I have been using the walker for the last five months. Without the walker, it is sometimes painful as the ankle surgery is still pending. But I am trying to do things independently with support from my family members."
On the bravery award given to her by the Air Passengers' Association of India, one of her family members said, "She was not informed about it, but she got to know about it from her colleagues and we are all proud of her." Jet Airways plans to give her the award in a separate ceremony soon.
Though her ankle surgery is still pending, Chaphekar is planning to join work soon."She may not be allowed to get back to her routine job soon, but she may consider going to the office for two to three hours for a few days in the week if her organisation permits," said a family member, adding doctors have not yet permitted her to take up her usual assignment as a cabin crew member.
16/09/16 Yogita Rao/India Times

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Air Arabia Introduces EMI Option For Indians

Air Arabia, one of the largest low-cost carriers in the Middle East & North Africa, is offering a comprehensive Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) payment options for Indian travellers. Staying in-line with the airline’s philosophy of offering value-for-money options to their customers, this facility offers passengers an easy and seamless booking experience.

The EMI option allows travellers to carefully budget their expenses while allowing them to travel to a host of destinations connected by the Air Arabia network. Currently, the EMI facility is available for Credit Card Holders of eight leading Indian banks viz; ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank, HSBC, State Bank of India, HDFC and Central Bank of India.
16/09/16 Travel News Today

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Lucknow to Saudi Air India flights soon

New Delhi: Air India has decided to introduce a direct flight from Lucknow to Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia from October, to meet a long-standing demand of people in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. The flights will be operated thrice a week.

The sale of tickets would commence once an announcement is made in this regard, said an Air India official.Passenger traffic to Saudi Arabia has risen exponentially over the years, especially the Haj traffic. Since UP contributes to a sizeable portion of this traffic, the direct connection would be a win-win proposition for passengers and pilgrims alike, who used to travel to Saudi via Delhi, the official said.

The move to introduce the international flights comes amidst the national carrier’s proposal to offer  connectivity from Lucknow to Dehradun, Patna and Delhi, considering the huge demand on these routes.
17/09/16 New Indian Express

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Emirates flight crash landing: Probe report points to poor etiquette of Indian flyers

UAE aviation authorities, who probed the crash landing of the Emirates flight in Dubai last month, have blamed Indian flyers for poor etiquette, The Times of India reported.

Flight EK521, which was flying from Thiruvananthapuram to Dubai, crash landed at the Dubai International Airport on August 3 at 12:45 pm local time. After the crash land, part of the aircraft caught fire.

The aircraft was carrying 282 passengers- of which 226 or over 80% were Indians- and 18 crew members on board, the report states. However, all of them were evacuated safely.

In its preliminary report, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority describes "passenger behaviour and carry-on baggage" before the flyers were evacuated.

According to inputs from cabin crew mentioned in the report, passengers collected their hand bags despite being told not to do so during the evacuation process. The TOI report states that "While the report does not name Indians, the reference is quite clear, with 80% of flyers on the plane from the country."
The probe report states, "The cabin crew members stated that when the aircraft got impacted and slid along the runway, passengers started to unfasten their seat belts and stand up. An announcement was made for the passengers to remain seated. When the aircraft came to rest, some passengers were screaming, grabbing their belongings, and asking the cabin crew members to open the doors,"

It adds that "The cabin crew members followed the operator's safety instructions that prohibit passengers taking their carry-on baggage during an evacuation, and they instructed the passengers to leave their bags behind. However, several passengers evacuated the aircraft carrying their baggage. Footage of the evacuation showed a number of passengers outside the aircraft with their baggage."
Soon after the August incident, a 2-minute video, seemingly shot by a passenger inside the flight and showing passengers scrambling for luggage after the crash land, was uploaded online.

While several social media users questioned the conduct of passengers during a situation of emergency, one particular post by an ex-flight attendant was termed "racist" and was widely criticised.
16/09/16 News Minute

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Embraer aircraft deal: CBI registers preliminary enquiry against unknown officials of Defence Ministry

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against unknown officials of the Defence Ministry and others to probe alleged kickbacks in the Embraer aircraft deal.

This move comes after a reference from the said ministry on allegations related to M/s. Embraer employing an agent to facilitate various contracts.


These include the contract for AEW&C project with CABS/ DRDO for procurement of three aircrafts.

Earlier, the government had asked the CBI to probe allegations of Brazilian aviation major Embraer hiring a UK-based agent and paying commissions to swing the deal for three Emb-145 aircraft signed with India in 2008.
17/09/16 ANI/Business Standard

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Embraer aircraft deal: CBI registers preliminary enquiry against unknown officials of Defence Ministry

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against unknown officials of the Defence Ministry and others to probe alleged kickbacks in the Embraer aircraft deal. This move comes after a reference from the said ministry on allegations related to M/s. Embraer employing an agent to facilitate various contracts. These include the contract for AEW&C project with CABS/ DRDO for procurement of three aircrafts. Earlier, the government had asked the CBI to probe allegations of Brazilian aviation major Embraer hiring a UK-based agent and paying commissions to swing the deal for three Emb-145 aircraft signed with India in 2008.
17/09/16 ANI/Sify.com

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Pentagon clears proposal to make F-18, F-16 frontline fighter jets in India

In a goodwill gesture of defence co-operation between India and the U.S., the Pentagon has endorsed a proposal to produce F-18 and F-16s fighter jets in India. The proposal was forwarded by the respective defence giants -- Boeing, which manufactures F-18s, and Lockheed Martin, which manufactures F-16s -- as part of their "Make in India" initiative.
Pentagon's endorsement to have a production line in India for F-18 and F-16 frontline fighter jets, along with the requisite transfer of technology and licences, was communicated during the recent meeting between Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter in Washington D.C., the Hindustan Times reported.
In view of India being designated as a major defence partner of the U.S., an India non-paper on broader export controls was reportedly accepted by the U.S. side.
"Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's visit to the US had significant outcomes with Pentagon agreeing to work on the Indian non-paper for easier export controls," the news outlet quoted a senior official as saying.
It makes sense for Boeing and Lockheed Martin to open production lines in India as they would have to invest back 50 percent of the total value of the deal. A single piece of the twin engine, twin seater F-18 fighter jets cost about $100 million and the single engine, single seater F-16's cost comes around $70 million.
05/09/16 Aditya Aditya Bhat/International Business Times

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KLIA Customs seize over 5kg of ketamine with arrest of Indian national

Sepang: The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Customs Department quashed an attempt to smuggle over 5kg of ketamine into the country on Aug 27 with the arrest of an Indian national.

KLIA Customs director Datuk Chik Omar Chik Lim said the 46-year-old suspect was arrested at the KLIA arrival hall.

The male Indian national who was a sales promoter had just arrived from Chennai, India.

"We managed to intercept the smuggling attempt into our country based on surveillance and intelligence," he said in a press conference today, adding that the Customs officers found 5.05kg of ketamine worth RM227,250 stashed in a special compartment in his luggage bag.

"The officers on duty stopped him when an X-ray scan of his luggage revealed suspicious-looking substance," he said.

Chik Omar said the suspect has entered the country twice this year.
05/09/16 Ashwin Kumar/Sun Daily

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Indian expats in RAK pay tribute to hero Emirates crash firefighter

Dubai: Thousands of Indian expatriates gathered in Ras Al Khaimah last week to pay tribute to an Emirati firefighter who died while saving passengers from the Emirates flight that caught fire after landing at Dubai International Airport last month.

Around 2,000 people attended a ceremony to honour Jassim Al Baloushi, 27, who was among fire crews who tackled the blaze on board Emirates flight EK521. The Boeing 777-300 from Trivandrum International Airport in Thiruvananthapuram, India, burst into flames moments after landing on August 3.

"What Jassim has done, only great men can do. Today is a special occasion to pay tribute to our national hero, to our brother, our son," said Sheikh Saleem Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation in RAK.

"It really touched my heart when I saw such a large number of people gathered to pay tribute to Jassim," he said.

As well as the firefighter’s parents and brothers, who live in RAK, Kerala state minister VS Sunil Kumar and Mohammed Hashimi, General Manager of Emirates Airlines, Haydn Beynon, Head of Fire services at Dubai Airports, Ebrahim Al Khasraj, Deputy Chief Fire Officer – Dubai Aviation Civil Defence, Major Faisal Abdullah, Dubai Civil Defence Director, and Saleh Alyoon, Deputy Director of the RAK Cultural centre, where the event was held, were also present.
04/09/16 Amna Ehtesham Khaishgi/National

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India shuttlers miss flights due to delay by Malaysia Airlines

New Delhi: On way to participate at Indonesia Masters Grand Prix Gold at Balikpapan, Indian shuttlers, including HS Prannoy, were left stranded at Jakarta airport after missing two flights because of delay by Malaysia Airlines on Sunday.
Prannoy alongwith Sai Praneeth, PC Thulasi, Siril Verma and Ruthvika Shivani had booked a flight MH 0199 from Hyderabad to Kuala Lumpur in the early hours today but it got delayed, which meant they missed the connecting flights from Malaysia to Jakarta and Balikpapan.
"Malaysia airlines completed messed it up. Our Hyderabad to Malaysia flight got delayed. So we missed the connection from Malaysia to Jakarta. They gave next flight from Malaysia then but that was also delayed by 3 hours. So we missed our Jakarata-Balikpapan flight as well, " Prannoy told PTI.
"So now we had to buy one ticket for Rs 10000 for the night flight. There is no refund from Malaysia Airline. We are not waiting at Jakarta airport. And now even the night flight again got delayed by 2 hours. So I hope I reach there tomorrow morning, " a frustrated Prannoy added.
04/09/16 PTI/Times of India

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AirAsia sees 10% growth annually

After a strong showing in earnings in the second quarter, AirAsia group boss Tan Sri Tony Fernandes says the airline can grow by 10% every year despite operating in a competitive environment.

He is looking at a 10% growth in available seat kilometre (ASK) every year for the next few years.

ASK is a measure of an airline flight’s passenger carrying capacity, basically the number of seats available multiplied by the number of miles or kilometres flown.

The airline is taking delivery of several aircraft over the next few years and it will be able to add capacity to grow. As it is, group wide, it has 180 aircraft in operation.

“We will start growing aggressively in the next few years and will add 10% ASK. If we add 10% capacity, the growth will be 10%,” he says.

Group wide, he expects the airline to carry 60 million passengers this year.
02/09/16 BK Sidhu/The Star

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Afghan held with Rs 30L hidden cash

New Delhi: An Afghan national who was carrying foreign currency worth Rs 30 lakh was caught by Customs officers at the IGI Airport on Thursday. The cash was hidden inside more than a dozen shoe boxes that he was carrying along with his check-in baggage. The smuggling was detected when the security personnel at the IGI Airport scanned his luggage.
According to the Customs officers, the accused was intercepted when he was trying to board a flight to Kabul. "During baggage search, we found US and Indian currencies—$39,900 (about Rs 26.15 lakh) and Rs 2.79 lakh (INR). When asked about the source of the money, he could not provide a credible answer and was taken into custody," said Govind Garg, deputy commissioner, Customs (IGI Airport).
Citing rules, officers said there was no cap on carrying foreign currency by an Indian national provided he gave valid proof of its legal source, whereas a foreign national coming to India needed to declare it on arrival if the currency was more than $5,000.
03/09/16 Times of India

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Changi exit won't affect Ahmedabad airport: Raju

Gandhi Nagar: On Thursday, the state government, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Union civil aviation ministry signed an MoU for development of 11 airports in Gujarat for intra-state air services. The MoU was inked under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of the central government.
After signing the MoU, Union civil aviation minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju answered journalists' questions about the Centre's plans for airport development in the state and promotion of intra-state air services. The minister gave information explaining why some projects were dropped midway and the Centre's future plans for air traffic in the state.
Before Changi came into the picture, the idea of privatizing Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports was considered and then dropped, said Raju. Thereafter officials discussed how to run it economically because handing it to the private sector may create problems and private players have different economic concerns. Then someone suggested that some specific tasks could be handed over to the private sector, Raju said.
01/9/16 Kapil Dave/Times of India

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India to seek airport slots for its airlines abroad

New Delhi: India will make availability of airport slots for its airlines part of bilateral seat-sharing talks with other nations. Indian airlines have complained about lack of preferred slots in busy airports like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. "There is a consensus in the ministry that we need to be more vocal about our carriers," said an official in the civil aviation ministry.
Indian airlines complain not having slots in foreign airports hampers their scheduling, curbing the viability of overseas operations.

"Dubai is a slot-constrained airport and our airlines have spoken about difficulties in getting slots there. This issue will be a part of the bilateral discussions we have with Dubai," Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey told a newspaper on Thursday.
Dubai is seeking 50,000 additional seats to India. The government is inclined to allow more seats because Indian airlines had used 98 per cent of their quota by the end of June.
01/09/16 Arindam Majumder/Business Standard

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Crisis for United Bangladesh Flight stranded at Swami Vivekananda Airport continues

Raipur: The crisis for United Bangladesh Flight stranded at Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur since over one year and 24 days, seems to continue for the time-being as Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh is yet to give airworthiness certificate to the said plane. However, Director General of Civil Aviation has already given its permission to fly back the plane to Bangladesh.
Talking to The Hitavada, Santosh Dhoke, Airport Director, Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur informed that the United Bangladesh plane is likely to stranded here for indefinite period till it gets airworthiness certificate from Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh. He said despite permission had been granted by DGCA, the plane cannot takeoff till it gets airworthiness certificate from its home authority. He however informed that the left port MD-83 (Mc Donnell Douglas) type jet engine has been installed and all necessary check-ups have been made.
Dhoke further informed that, the parking charges meanwhile for the United Bangladesh Airlines plane stranded here since over a year has reached to staggering Rs 30 lakh approximately at Rs 4000 per day. He further informed that during recent interactions with authorities of United Bangladesh, they had informed that they are doing their best to procure the airworthiness certificate from Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh at the earliest.
It is worth mentioning here that a Muscat-bound United Bangladesh flight, with 164 passengers and 8 aircraft crew on-board, was forced to make an emergency landing at Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur on August 7, 2015, after it developed some major mechanical snag, reported to be blockage in supply of turbine fuel to one its jet engines. Later the 164 passengers and 8 aircraft crew on-board of the Muscat-bound United Bangladesh flight were sent back to Dhaka after 24 hours, by a another United Bangladesh MD-80 180 seater aircraft, which had reached Raipur to take them back to Dhaka.
01/08/16 Hitavada

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Relief for Korean woman caught with deer antlers at Bengaluru international airport

Bengaluru: The high court on Thursday quashed the FIR and subsequent proceedings initiated against South Korean Miekyung Koak for possessing a deer's antlers.
Justice Anand Byrareddy, who noted that the magistrate did not apply his mind before taking cognizance of the offence, also directed police to release her passport.
Koak, 61, who had come to India on a spouse visa, was arrested on April 13, 2015 and sent to jail by security personnel at Kempegowda International Airport, claiming that she was carrying the horn of a chital (spotted deer or Axis Axis). Her husband is doing Ph.D at the Martin Luther King University in Shillong, Meghalaya.
Besides seizing her passport, police had registered a case under sections 49, 40, 44, 49(B), 49(C) and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Though she was released on bail, the magistrate at Devanahalli rejected her application seeking discharge from the case. Koak claimed her husband got the antlers from Ooty during a morning walk.
01/09/16 Times of India

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