Air India to retain 50% discount on repatriation of bodies from UAE

Dubai: India's national airline Air India has decided to retract its decision to do away with the 50 percent discount on repatriation of mortal remains from the UAE, Khaleej Times has learnt.

Officials from the airline in Dubai have confirmed that Air India will maintain status quo and continue to provide a 50 per cent discount for repatriation of mortal remains from the UAE. The decision will also apply to national carrier's budget service Air India Express.

Officials at the Consulate General of India also confirmed that the airline will continue to accept free of cost (FOCs) instructions from diplomatic missions in the UAE.
30/09/18 Dhanusha Gokulan/Khaleej Times

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APATA seeks Udaan to save Colombo flight

Visakhapatnam: The AP Air Travellers Association (APATA) has appealed to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and the Minister for IT Nara Lokesh to initiate urgent measures to prevent withdrawal of the Vizag – Colombo SriLankan flight.

“We have represented the matter to the Chief Minister and the IT Minister seeking bailing out of the international service by bringing it under the International Udaan scheme, launched by the Government of India, recently,” APATA representative O. Naresh Kumar toldThe Hinduon Saturday.

The Government of AP has already launched the International Udaan schemes to introduce two new routes from Vijayawada to Singapore. We have requested the Chief Minister to extend the same benefit to SriLankan airlines to prevent withdrawal of the service and the Chief Minister’s Office responded positively to our demand, Mr. Kumar said.
30/09/18 The Hindu

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Direct haj flights from Ozar airport on the cards

Nashik: The private airline, Jet Airways, has firmed up its plans to start special flights from to for the Haj pilgrims of Nashik and its adjoining districts.

The airline is in touch with Union external affairs ministry to provide immigration facilities for Haj pilgrims at Ozar Airport in Nashik.

A senior functionary of the airline confirmed to TOI that that plans are afoot to stat special flights from Nashik for the benefit of the Haj pilgrims of the region.

“We are already in talks with the members of the Haj committee and also some travel agents. We are also working on getting approval for providing immigration facilities at Ozar airport,” added that Jet Airways functionary.
29/09/18 Stuart Journal

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India to gift Mig-21 fighter jets to Russia

New Delhi: A highlight on the sidelines of the upcoming India-Russia bilateral summit is likely to be the gifting of three MiG-21 fighter jets to Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be in New Delhi on October 4 and 5 for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Three MiG-21s are scheduled to be handed over to Russians based on a request from their Defence Minister to our Defence Minister. They comprise one Type 75 aircraft and two Type 77 aircraft,” an official source said.

The aircraft to be gifted are in flight-worthy condition and the cost of crating and transportation will be borne by the Russians, another official said.
The MiG-21 has more of emotional value for Russia, as it has the distinction of being the most produced supersonic fighter in history. According to the website militaryfactory,com, close to 11,500 aircraft were built and operated by over 50 countries.
29/09/18 Dinakar Pai/The Hindu

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Pakistani Chopper Violates Indian Airspace Along LoC, Beats Retreat After Army Fire

New Delhi: A Pakistani helicopter crossed the Line of Control and entered the Indian airspace in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday afternoon, the Indian Army said.

According to sources, the chopper crossed the LoC at 12:13pm, following which the Indian Army fired at it using small weapons.
PTI quoted official sources as saying that the white-coloured chopper hovered for some time before turning back.
The airspace violation comes amid tensions between India and Pakistan at the border and at the United Nations, where External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj accused Islamabad of “glorifying terrorists”.
30/09/18 News18.com

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Israeli national arrested from Bagdogra airport for possessing satellite phone

Siliguri: An Israeli national, identified as Roy Dalach, has been arrested from the Bagdogra airport on his way to New Delhi for possessing a satellite phone, carrying such at phone by any civilian is unlawful under the Indian Telegraphic rules, police said on Sunday.
Forty-year-old resident of Tel Aviv Roy Dalach was arrested before boarding a spice jet aircraft on Saturday afternoon on his way to New Delhi. Police said he was to leave India on Saturday night.
30/09/18 UNI

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Three women from Nepal rescued from Bagdogra airport before being trafficked to Gulf countries

Siliguri: Three women from Nepal, age between 18 to 45, have been rescued at the Bagdogra airport on Saturday before being flown to the Gulf countries for possible trafficking, police said on Sunday.
All of them were from Jhapa district of Nepal and they were going to the Gulf to work as domestic helpers. They had no documents.
"The agents usually provide such girls/women with a number of the contact person in Delhi.
30/09/18 UNI

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Rape Accused NRI Arrested in India on Arrival

A Non-Resident Indian software professional, who was booked in a rape case, was arrested by police on Sept.27 at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. He was arrested when he arrived in India from Dubai that day.

Dubai based NRI, Safdar Abbas Zaidi, aged 30, was arrested by Malkajgiri police for allegedly cheating a woman on the pretext of marrying her, reported Times of India. Both belong to Darulshifa, Hyderabad.

The victim had lodged a complaint against Zaidi, which became the base to register a rape case against him in February 2018. After the case got registered, a Look Out Notice (LOC) was issued against him and all the police stations and airport authorities were alerted. When he reached India on Sept.27, immigration officials took him in custody and handed him over to Malkajgiri police, added the report.
29/09/18 Little India 

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Air India Stops 50% Discount on Transporting Mortal Remains from UAE

Air India has stopped giving 50% discount on transporting mortal remains of Indians who die in the UAE.

National carrier Air India has stopped the 50% discount it was giving to transport the bodies of Indians who die in the UAE. The airline has also decided to stop transporting bodies for free for the distressed and low-income Indian families, causing worries for lower-income Indian families living in the emirates.

According to Khaleej Times, Air India has confirmed that the special discount has been canceled from Sept. 19.

According to a senior Air India officer, the decision was made in accordance with The Air Cargo Tariff (TACT), with the standard rate specified by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Gulf News said.

“As per the business rules of carriage of human remains in international stations, the IATA’s normal TACT rates are being applied by Air India all over its network, except in the UAE where we were giving 50 percent discount. However, the headquarters has decided to unify the fares internationally as per the Tact rates effective Sept. 19,” the publication quoted a senior Air India official as saying.
28/09/18 Little India

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Airlines set to connect Mumbai with 6 new global destinations

Mumbai: Air passengers from the city are set get a seamless connectivity to at least six new global destinations in the US, Europe and the UK starting next month, an airport official said.

Besides, America's third largest carrier United Airlines will be offering the US-bound passengers from the city more seats as it plans to deploy a bigger aircraft as part of the airline's winter schedule in India.

Airlines' winter schedule in the country begins from the last Saturday of October and goes on till last Friday of March every year.

"In addition to Air Italy and Uzbekistan Airways, which are entering in Mumbai market for the first time, national carrier Air India and private jetliners Jet Airways and GoAir will be launching new flights to international destinations from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport from October onwards," the airport official said.
28/09/18 PTI/Economic Times

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SriLankan airlines to withdraw services

Visakhapatnam: The SriLankan airlines, which is presently operating flights from the city to Colombo, has announced to withdraw the services, with effect from October 27.

“They have written a letter to me announcing to withdraw the service due to low occupancy. They had reduced the frequency from four days to thrice a week following a drop in occupancy in the past,” airport director G. Prakash Reddy told The Hindu.

Asked about the announcement by the SpiceJet withdrawing its evening flight to Chennai, Mr. Prakash Reddy said that it was a temporary measure which could be due to shortage of aircraft.
29/09/18 The Hindu

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SpiceJet Announces Delhi-Hong Kong Service

Delhi-based carrier SpiceJet announced a new daily service from Delhi to Hong Kong on Thursday.  This could be the first of many routes into East Asia for the SpiceJet, which is the 4th largest carrier in India.

SpiceJet will operate this route with the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, the first of which SpiceJet will receive later this year. The Hong Kong service is set to begin on 22 November 2018. The competition for cheap flights out of India has grown immensely, especially as Air India fails to find a buyer.

The idea of cheap flights from Delhi to international destinations is appealing to many young people in India. Like other well-known low-cost airlines, Indian low-cost carriers have found a lot of success in offering cheap, no-frills services. Norwegian, one example of a no-frills carrier, offers flights over the Atlantic as low as USD$69.
28/09/18  Ezra Gollan/Aeronautics

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British Airways, Vistara celebrate first codeshare flight from India today

New Delhi: The cabin crew of British Airways and Vistara--both the airlines announced a strategic partnership earlier this month--celebrated their first codeshare flight from India today. This means that British Airways will add its ‘British Airways’ designator code to Vistara flights in India, enabling customers to connect seamlessly with Vistara to 13 new destinations across India, said a British Airways statement.

This will enable customers to connect with cities such as Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Goa, Kolkata, Kochi, and Pune, that were previously difficult to access from the UK. British Airways currently operates 49 flights a week between London Heathrow and five key cities in India namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Vistara flights operate from the same terminal as British Airways at Delhi (T3) and Mumbai (T2), making connections at these airports even more convenient, said the statement.
The new partnership has also enabled customers to book seats on Vistara flights to destinations across India from Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi.
28/09/18 ZeeBiz

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SilkAir may scrap services to Vizag

Visakhapatnam: After Sri Lankan Airlines confirmed that it would be scrapping its direct flight from Colombo to Visakhapatnam from October 27, there are chances that SilkAir, which operates a direct flight from Visakhapatnam to Singapore, might also follow suit.
SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, launched its services from Visakhapatnam to Singapore in October 2012 and was the first non-stop international flight that was launched thrice a week from the city. However, according to reliable sources, SilkAir would be soon merged with Singapore Airlines.

Speaking to TOI, K Vijay Mohan, president of Tours and Travels Association of Andhra (TTAA), said, “Singapore Airlines might not be interested in operating its services from Visakhapatnam as the city airport lacks a business lounge. While initiating SilkAir, the criteria of having a business lounge was sidelined to give a push to start the operations. Visakhapatnam has been doing well in terms of connectivity to Singapore.”
29/09/18 Times of India

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Flying Attendant Tells Indian American Mom Her Baby’s Crying is ‘Absolutely Unacceptable’, Airline Apologizes

A new mom who was flying on United Airlines got an apology and a refund after a flight attendant told her it was “absolutely unacceptable” for her baby to be crying for more than five minutes on the plane, the New York Post reported.
Krupa Patel Bala, her husband and their 8-month-old son were flying business class from Sydney to San Francisco Sept. 25, according to a Facebook post she wrote, the report said.

According to Bala, her baby began to cry in his bassinet at the beginning of the flight and an attendant came over and “yelled” at them. The full Facebook post can be found here: https://bit.ly/2IpvwU0.



The flight attendant then told her to pick the baby up and soothe it, and then warned that some airlines don’t even let babies fly business class, the report said.

“I was told it’s part of the rule book that the babies are not allowed to cry for more than 5 minutes,” Bala wrote on Facebook. But she said she connected her phone to the airplane’s Wi-Fi, read United’s guidelines and found that no time limit exists, the publication added.
Later on, the plane’s captain came over with the attendant to defuse the situation, but Bala says that only the captain was apologetic, it said.
“We’ve been in touch with our customer via social media and United representatives met the family upon arrival to apologize, offer a refund and make clear that the experience she relayed doesn’t reflect our commitment to serving our customers, including our youngest customers,” United said in a statement to Fox KTVU.
29/09/18 India West

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LTTE planned air strike on Sri Lankan from Chennai: Maithripala Sirisena in US

Colombo/Chennai:  Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday said that the LTTE had planned to attack Colombo with an aircraft flying from Chennai in 2009, but strategic analysts and politicians in Chennai dismissed his claim as far-fetched.

“The Tamil Tigers were going to operate an aircraft from Chennai or some other jungle area to bomb and destroy targets in Colombo,” the President said.

Col R Hariharan, a retired military intelligence officer, however, said “Such fiction of LTTE attacking Colombo from Chennai was going around within the Sinhala community then and probably it has resurfaced.”
“Chennai airport was fully secured and the Q branch of the Tamil Nadu police was on high alert. They would have known had the LTTE hatched such a plan,” said Hariharan, now associated with the Chennai centre for China studies and the international law and strategic analysis institute.
Sri Lanka expert Prof P S Suryanarayana said, “India was determined not to allow LTTE into our territory. They did not have any aircraft, let alone using Chennai to attack targets in Colombo. Our airport was under high level precaution. It is wild imagination that the LTTE had plans to attack Colombo from Chennai.”
29/09/18 Times of India

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Air India Express to connect Kochi to Singapore

Kochi: The national budget carrier Air India Express (AIE) is set to convert the current three days a week connectivity from Kochi to Singapore via Madurai into a daily one via Bangalore, which also will be an additional destination for the carrier. The flights via Bangalore are set to take off on October 29, according to an official of the airline.
At present, Air India Express operates Kochi-Singapore service via Madurai thrice a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The flight IX-484 departs from Kochi at 10:40 a.m. (local time) and reaches Singapore at 7:05 p.m. (local time). On the return direction, flight IX-483 will depart Singapore at 08:10 p.m. (local time) and arrives in Kochi at 11:45 p.m. (local time).
The Kochi-Singapore service via Bangalore of Air India Express begins on October 29 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flight IX-486 will depart Kochi at 10:30 a.m. and will reach Singapore at 07:55 p.m.. On the return direction, the flight IX 485 will depart Singapore at 09:10 p.m. and arrives Kochi at 01:30 a.m.
28/09/18 Vinod Nedumudy/Deccan Chronicle

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Leaders underscore direct airlink between New Zealand and India

Auckland: At least three leaders representing the two major political parties stressed the importance of direct airlink between New Zealand and India, not meaning though, non-stop, long haul flights that exist between Auckland and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Doha in Qatar.
Justice Minister Andrew Little, Ethnic Communities Minister Jenny Salesa and National Party Leader and Leader of the Opposition Simon Bridges share a common platform today (Friday, September 28, 2018) in Auckland to express their consensus over the issue.
They spoke at different times at the Summit of the India New Zealand Business Council (INZBC) at Pullman Hotel.
The one-day event brought key personalities representing the Summit 2018 theme of Aviation, Tourism and Technology, from various States in India, Australia and New Zealand.
28/09/18 Indian Newslink

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Air India Flight 101 Crisis: How the super crew managed to land giant Boeing 777 safely

Air India Flight 101 can be best described as a pilot’s nightmare. The Delhi-New York flight was caught in worst possible situation. Had it not been for the heroes of Air India, September 11 could have turned into worst aviation disaster in the recent history.

Recently, the tapes of the conversation between cockpit crew and the air traffic controller made headlines. The chilling tapes showed how despite all odds, the pilots kept their calm.

Now, for the first time, the pilots have spoken about the fateful day. The Air India crew — Captain Rustom Palia, Captain Sushant Singh and First Officers Vikas and DS Bhatti — said that it was very difficult to operate under the circumstances. According to an NDTV report, the crew described the dramatic moments and said that they took a "shooting an approach" into Newark after they realised about the multiple failures.
After straight 15-hour flight, the Boeing 777 was low on fuel. But the pilot decided to land the plane without the help of automated altitude readings. "I had to snap correct and descend the 777 without the help of any automated altitude read out," Captain Palia was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Even after multiple system failure, adverse weather conditions and lack of fuel while struggling to land at the John F Kennedy Airport in New York, the Air India pilot succeeded in saving the life of 370 passengers on-board.
The pilot had reported to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) that the flight experienced multiple system failure and was low on fuel, which also restricted its time of flying when the system failed.
27/09/18 DNA

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Indian, Greek team to build €520m New Heraklion airport on Crete

The government of Greece has awarded the contract to build and run an airport on the island of Crete to a consortium led by India’s GMR Airports and GEK Terna Group of Athens.
The two companies will design, build, finance and operate the New Heraklion International Airport for 35 years, including the phase one construction period, which is expected to last five years.
Expected capital expenditure for Phase 1 construction is €520 million.
Crete’s present international airport, Nikos Kazantzakis, is the second largest in Greece and is reaching the limit of its capacity despite a number of expansion projects. It will be closed once its replacement is operational.
Bengaluru-based GMR, which is the largest private developer of airports in India, first put a bid in for the New Heraklion project in 2016. Greece has been trying to find a consortium willing to fund the scheme since 2009, when the debt crisis made the scheme problematic.
The project will be funded using a mix of equity sales, accruals from Nikos Kazantzakis and grants from Greece’s treasury.
26/09/18 GCR

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Etihad Airways Engineering hosts the indian ambassador to the UAE

Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways Engineering, the largest commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider in the Middle East, welcomes His Excellency Navdeep Suri, Ambassador of India to the UAE and Mr Rajamurugan, Counsellor, Embassy of India in the UAE, to its Abu Dhabi base.

The Ambassador was received by Mr Abdul Khaliq Saeed, Chief Executive Officer and senior executives from Etihad Airways Engineering and given a presentation showcasing the capabilities and achievements of the organisation. The group enjoyed an extensive tour of Etihad Airways Engineering’s state-of-the-art facility which is located adjacent to Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The tour encompassed aircraft hangars at the facility which cover approximately 42,000 sq metres, including 10,000 sq metres of aircraft painting facilities and a custom-designed hangar that can accommodate up to three Airbus A380 aircraft simultaneously. The company has successfully completed maintenance projects for leading airlines around the world.
27/09/18 Zawya

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Duty on aviation turbine fuel to hit airlines; fares likely to go up

New Delhi: With the government imposing customs duty on aviation turbine fuel, airlines are likely to pass on higher costs to passengers as peak travel season is round the corner.

Rising fuel prices, intense competition and an inability to pass on spiralling expenses have been negatively impacting the domestic airlines. The latest decision to impose 5 per cent customs duty on ATF, which is a major component of an airline's operational costs, would add to the woes, according to experts.

In recent weeks, the airline industry has indicated that air ticket prices could go up in October when the peak travel season begins.
Travel portal Yatra.com's COO (B2C) Sharat Dhall said the imposition of 5 per cent customs duty on ATF is bound to have a "negative impact" on the carriers.

On Wednesday, the government raised import duties on ATF and 18 other items, as it looks to check the widening current account deficit.

Grappling with soaring costs, airlines have been seeking reduction in taxes and duties related to the aviation sector.
26/09/18 PTI/Business Standard

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11-month-old Baby Dies Onboard Qatar Airways Doha-Hyderabad Flight

Hyderabad: A 11-month old baby boy, coming from Doha with his parents, was declared brought dead at a private medical centre at the airport here amid lack of clarity on whether the death occurred onboard the flight.

After the Qatar Airways flight landed, the baby, suspected to be suffering from breathing problem, was immediately shifted to a private medical centre at the airport, but declared brought dead at 2.29 am, Airport Police Station Inspector A Gangadhar said.
He, however, added no complaint had been registered.
However, it was not clear whether the baby died on board the flight or at the airport.

The airlines said there was no medical emergency on board the flight from Doha to Hyderabad, while the GMR group which manages the airport said neither the ATC nor the airport was alerted in advance about any medical emergency.
26/09/18 News18.com

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Minister Prabhu urges Bangladesh to resolve problems Indian air carriers face

Indian Commerce and Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has raised the problems being faced by Indian carriers operating in Bangladesh with his civil aviation counterpart AKM Shahjahan Kamal.
Those problems include ground handling, rebate for overflying charges for domestic flights and mandatory filing of tariffs.

He also raised issues of double taxation, repatriation of funds and imposition of VAT with retrospective effect during the meeting on Wednesday.

The High Commission of India said Bangladesh promised that all issues will be addressed during the bilateral civil aviation consultations in November 2018.

Both ministers emphasised that the air service agreement between India and Bangladesh be modernised to include commercial and other elements to suit the present day requirement for enhancement of greater connectivity.
26/09/18 bdnews24.com

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Malindo Air Announces New Direct Service to Kolkata

Malindo Air will be introducing its new services between Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Kolkata – Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, effective 22 October 2018, flying five times per week.

Flight OD281 from Kuala Lumpur is scheduled to depart at 9.55 p.m. and will arrive in Kolkata at 11.20 p.m. The journey takes 3 hours and 55 minutes using a narrow-body Boeing 737NG aircraft, comprising of 12 Business Class and 150/168 Economy Class seats. The returning flight from Kolkata OD282 is scheduled to depart on the following day at 12:10 a.m. and arrive in KLIA at 6:35 a.m

Chandran Rama Muthy, Chief Executive Officer of Malindo Air, said:

“The vibrant city of Kolkata is a much anticipated destination, as well as the 8th India city that we fly to. With the five-weekly flights, we hope to increase travellers’ traffic for both business and leisure between these two cities. We aspire not only to fly direct point-to-point traffic but also to carry connecting passengers beyond Kuala Lumpur to various destinations on our network ranging from ASEAN to Australia. We are optimistic about this route and we are anticipating more frequencies in the near future.”
26/09/18 Aviation Tribune

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Wow Aims To Disrupt Long-haul Market from India

Indian international air service will get a boost once Iceland’s Wow Air on December 6 starts flying return service with an Airbus A330neo from Delhi to Reykjavík, offering passengers from the subcontinent a connection to any of the LCC’s several existing destinations in the U.S. and Europe. Selling promotional one-way tickets starting at $200, Wow has given rise to concerns about a fare war similar to those being waged among Indian domestic carriers. Most of the airlines involved had planned to fly medium- and long-haul flights to the West this winter, but the resulting losses have raised doubts about their implementation.

While low fares draw passengers, domestic airlines in India must cope with dizzying fuel prices, high taxes, rupee depreciation, and dollar escalation, making their operating costs far higher than those of international carriers.

More than 87 percent of Indian passengers fly to domestic destinations and the rest fly internationally. The U.S. and Canada rank as the fastest growing destinations for Indian travelers, welcoming some 20,000 arrivals a day. Data recently released by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel & Tourism Office (NTTO) shows that the number of Indians visiting the U.S. increased by 6.5 percent from 2016 to 2017. It noted that 1.29 million Indians traveled to the country in 2017, up from 1.21 million the previous year.
25/09/18 Neelam Mathews/AINonline

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New Israel-China Route Launched as Air India Mulls Expanding Tel Aviv Service

Competition for routes between Israel and Asia is heating up: Sichuan Airlines inaugurated its first flight between Tel Aviv and the Chinese city of Chengdu on Wednesday and Air India is weighing adding a Tel Aviv-Mumbai fight to its schedule.
Sichuan Airlines is offering fares at $599 in economy class on two weekly flights between Tel Aviv and the capital of Sichuan province with follow-on flights at no extra charge for a limited period to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Sichuan is the third Chinese airline to serve routes between China and Israel following Cathay Pacific and Hainan Airlines amid a sharp rise in Chinese tourism to Israel. Earlier this week Israel’s Tourism Ministry said the number of Chinese tourists jumped 30% in August from the same time in 2017 to 8,700.
The importance of Chinese tourism was illustrated by the fanfare surrounding Sichuan’s inaugural landing at Ben-Gurion International Airport, with Tourism Minster Yariv Levin attending a ceremony.

“The number of Chinese tourists will grow with the opening of these new routes and we are also counting on Israeli tourists to discover Sichuan and all it has to offer,” said Gideon Thaler, the president of TAL Aviation, which represents Sichuan Airlines in Israel.
26/09/18 Gabriela Davidovich-Weisberg/Haaretz

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India falls below Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan in air safety audit

Believe it or not, India's air safety oversight score is lower than that of Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and even North Korea in the Asia-Pacific region. The only countries that rank below India are small and little known such as Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu and Samoa.
In the aviation-safety audit conducted late last year by the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), India has slipped below its previous ranking of 66% to 57%. The audit — ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme — seeks to identify if countries have effectively and consistently implemented the critical elements of a safety-oversight system.
India is one of the 15 countries that are below the minimum target rates.
The low score can have serious repercussions, including a potential downgrade by the US aviation regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which was in the country in July this year to conduct its own audit after the slip in India’s score, according to an ET Prime report.

A downgrade would mean Indian airlines won’t be able to mount new flights to the US or form alliances with US airlines. Also, Indian carriers such as Air India and Jet Airways, which fly to the US, would face more checks when their planes land there.

The downgrade can stifle Indian carriers' plans of global expansion.India has already been downgraded once, in 2014, ranking alongside Ghana, Indonesia, Uruguay, and Zimbabwe. The downgrade was removed after a year.
25/09/18 Economic Times

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India-Based Satellite Technology to Aid Nepal Aviation

Aiming to make a new breakthrough in satellite technology, India has been persuading South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries including Nepal to become a member of its advanced satellite program.
GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) developed using Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) receivers is important to the Indian subcontinent for better management of air traffic.
GAGAN is a brainchild of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The system is being developed to aid SAARC countries with accurate and concrete satellite-based navigational services crucial to civilian and aviation applications in SAARC and Southeast Asian countries.
A team from AAI visited Kathmandu to give a detailed presentation including benefits for Nepal on the GAGAN system to the country’s officials.
“We are yet to reach a decision regarding India’s proposal,” informed Rajan Pokharel, Deputy Director General, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN)
Adding further, Pokhrel said CAAN will analyze the cost and other factors before making going ahead with anything. Since the system will be used for both domestic and international airlines, it will demand extra expenditures on behalf of CAAN including the installation of SBAS receivers.
25/09/18 Nepali Sansar

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India's ruling party claims there's an 'international conspiracy' including France's Hollande against Narendra Modi

India’s ruling party is fighting back amid a scandal over a $9bn (£6.8bn) arms deal that saw the prime minister facing calls to resign. Now, Narendra Modi’s BJP party says the allegations are part of an “international conspiracy” to bring him down.
The claims relate to a deal struck by Mr Modi’s government to buy 36 fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation, a manufacturer whose Rafale aircraft rival the likes of Lockheed Martin's F-16 and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Under Indian regulations, foreign arms companies must invest at least 30 per cent of any given contract with an Indian partner to produce some of the goods locally, thereby boosting India’s manufacturing sector and gradually weaning it off imported hardware.
The issue, India’s opposition Congress party alleges, is that Dassault chose for its local partner a company owned by the billionaire industrialist – and friend of Mr Modi – Anil Ambani, instead of a more established manufacturer.
Some allegations of crony capitalism followed, but the scandal erupted on Friday when Francois Hollande, the French president at the time the deal was struck, said the proposal of Ambani’s company came not from Dassault itself but from the Indian government. “We did not have a choice, we took the partner who was given to us,” Mr Hollande told France’s Mediapart.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi jumped on the report, tweeting that “the PM has betrayed India” and further alleging that Mr Modi “personally negotiated and changed the Rafale deal behind closed doors”.
But in a series of press conferences, ministers for Mr Modi’s BJP have hit back, accusing Congress of working with foreign influences to destabilise India.
25/09/18 Adam Withnall Delhi/Independent

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Hollande’s Remarks on Rafale Damaging to India-France Ties, Says French Govt Official

New Delhi: Former French President Francois Hollande may have set the record straight on the selection of Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Defence as an offset partner in the Rafale deal, but, in doing so, he has triggered apprehensions that the India-France relationship could suffer collateral damage in the ensuing row.

This fear has been voiced by the French government, with the country’s junior foreign minister, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, saying that Hollande’s remarks “do not help anyone and above all do not help France”.

Curiously, as defence and French observers have noted, Lemoyne did not choose to contradict or refute Hollande’s main allegation.

Last week, the former French president caused a political storm in India with his revelation that the Indian government was the one that proposed Reliance Defence’s name for the Rafale deal. Hollande’s clarification came as Anil Ambani-led business house had partially financed a film produced by his girlfriend Julie Gayet, in 2016.

“I find these remarks made overseas, which concern important international relations between France and India, do not help anyone and above all do not help France,” Lemoyne said on Sunday about Hollande.
24/09/18 The Wire

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No Modi minister knew about Rafale deal, says Congress

Continuing its attack on the NDA government, Congress leader Kapil Sibal today (September 25) claimed that no one in the government was aware of the Rafale deal signed between India and France in 2015 except Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former French President Francois Hollande.

"In 2015, when PM Modi visited France, foreign secretary Subramanyam Jaishankar announced that Rafale deal would not be part of discussions between Modi and Hollande. They would only discuss international affairs. But PM announced about the 36 Rafale aircraft deal on April 10, 2015, that India had decided to buy off the shelf," Sibal said.

Sibal said that none of them -- Manohar Parrikar, Arun Jaitley, Nirmala Sitharaman or Sushma Swaraj -- were aware of the new deal announced by PM Modi.

"Parrikar, who was the defence minister at that time was in Goa for some event. Sitharaman has never said that she was told about the deal by the PM. Even Sushma Swaraj wasn't aware because foreign secretary had said that Rafale deal wasn't on the table," Sibal said.
25/09/18 India Today

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SL airline plans to retreat from city

Visakhapatnam: Sri Lankan Airlines, which had launched a direct flight from Visakhapatnam to Colombo in July last year, may withdraw its operations from the Visakhapatnam international airport.
Sri Lankan Airlines had initially launched its services four times a week from Visakhapatnam at a low fare of Rs 8,000-Rs 10,000.

However, after a few months, the fares were raised to Rs 12,000 and the operations were reduced to three times a week due to decrease in passenger traffic. Later, fares were hiked to Rs 16,000.

Speaking to TOI, K Vijay Mohan, president of Tours and Travels Association of Andhra (TTAA), said, “According to internal communications, the Sri Lankan Airlines may shut its operations as it is not viable. The bothway passenger traffic is only 40-50%, hence is not viable. The airline said with the present minimal loads, it is not able to meet the route operational cost and has been losing money.”
26/09/18 Times of India

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Ramco Systems bags order from US firm for ‘aviation suite’

Chennai: City-based enterprise software provider Ramco Systems Monday said it has bagged an order from US-based technology service provider Advanced Global Resources LLC (AGR) to supply ‘Ramco Aviation Suite’, a software, in order to track and manage inventory on a real-time basis.

The aviation suite 5.8 of Ramco was chosen for the solution breadth, flexibility and mobile-friendly capabilities, the company said in a BSE filing.

“The software offers modules for advanced procurement, invoicing, vendor and inventory management in real-time. The functions are accessible via a hub-based dashboard that will enable users to effectively plan, manage and report on all assets”, it said.

Ramco would assist the US firm install the new software, automate the process and track all data charges to ensure ‘regulatory- and audit-compliance’.
24/09/18 PTI/India.com

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Indian airlines giving tough fight to foreign rivals

New Delhi: Helped by lower fuel prices over the past few years and rising travel demand, Indian carriers are now ruling the international skies.

Domestic airlines IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India have wrested the market share of international routes from global rivals in the last four years, steadily improving their standings. Together, they now control 39.1 per cent of business, up from 37 per cent in 2014-15, according to latest DGCA trade numbers (see chart for trends since 2014-15).
Experts predict that the climb would continue with the restrictive 5/20 rule now confined to the bin and new carriers planning maiden launches to new destinations.

Talking about reasons of growing market share of Indian carriers, ClubOne Air CEO and former India head of Qatar Airways Rajan Mehra said low-cost airlines such as SpiceJet and IndiGo have dramatically increased their international traffic rights in the last 3-4 years.
“Earlier, foreign airlines used 90 per cent of the available bilateral traffic rights, for example on the Gulf routes, while utilisation from Indian side was only 30 per cent as only Air India flew,” he said.

“Now, the balance 70 per cent is being picked up by IndiGo, SpiceJet and other airlines. They plan to increase it in future so the graph for Indian carriers will keep on rising,” Mehra added.
24/09/18 Financial Chronicle

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In November 2018, direct flights to connect India and Tanzania once again

Taking a trip to the famous Mount Kilimanjaro and the picturesque Zanzibar Island will become a cakewalk November 2018 onwards. It is reported that Air Tanzania will restart its operations in India to provide direct flight connectivity between India and Tanzania, as revealed by the airline officials.

Way back in the mid-1990s, Air Tanzania and Air India had to stop India and Tanzania direct flight services because there were not many tourists flying to Tanzania during that time. However, the tourism scene has changed now, and the number of Indians travelling overseas to exotic destinations has increased.

Reportedly, Air Tanzania has lately been permitted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to function in India. The airline officials told the press that initially, the African airline will operate four flights every week to Mumbai from Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania with Boeing 787 aircraft.
24/09/18 Times Travel

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Aviaindra 2018: Russian-Indian air tactical exercise begins in Russia's Lipetsk city

The Aviaindra 2018 Russian-Indian air tactical exercise kicked off at the State Flight Training and Test Centre here on Sunday.

Taking to their official Twitter handle, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of India wrote, "The #AviaIndra2018 #Russian-#Indian air tactical exercise kicked off in Lipetsk at the State Flight Training and Test Centre."

According to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, around 20 pilots of the fighter, army and military transport aviation have arrived at the site of the drills. Engineers, flight control and air safety specialists are also the part of the Indian delegation.

Su-30SM, MiG-29, Su-25, An-26 and Mi-8 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces will be involved in the drills at two aviation training grounds.
24/09/18 ANI/Catch News

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Congress leaders meet CVC seeking probe into ‘crony capitalism’ in Rafale deal

New Delhi: Days after meeting the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), a delegation of senior Congress leaders Monday met the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) demanding the registration of a case and subsequent probe in the alleged corruption in Rafale deal.

The delegation met CVC K V Chowdary and demanded that the government provide “full information of the deal, its contours, nature of the contract, the price of the aircrafts” to the vigilance body.

In a memorandum submitted to the CVC, the Congress accused the government of causing loss to the public exchequer and endangering national security by bypassing state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in favour of some businessman “friends” for offset contract.
“The deliberate enrichment of a private entity, ‘Reliance Defence’, at the cost of HAL, by award of a Rs 30,000 Cr ‘Offset Contract’, as also Rs 1,00,000 Cr ‘Life Cycle Contract’ without any tender and without following any mandatory requirement of the ‘Defence Procurement Procedure’ itself tells a story of stark ‘Crony Capitalism’ that needs to be investigated.”
24/09/18 Indian Express

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The plane truth: on Rafale deal row

The Rafale deal has been the subject of heated claims and counter-claims on two broad issues — that the contract to purchase 36 French multi-role fighter aircraft was grossly overvalued and that it was tainted by crony capitalism. Ammunition for the second charge came from an unexpected quarter with former French President François Hollande stating in an interview that it was India that suggested the Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Defence Ltd. as the offset partner for the deal. This squarely contradicts what the Modi government has been saying all along. While the Centre has insisted that the choice of offset partners is entirely that of the manufacturer, or of Dassault Aviation, Mr. Hollande’s remarks were widely perceived as bolstering the Congress allegation that the Rafale deal was structured to favour one industrialist. In the storm that ensued, the clarificatory statements issued — by the Centre, the French Foreign Ministry and Dassault — did little to clearly address what Mr. Hollande had said. The Defence Ministry’s statement merely reiterated that governments have no role in offset contracts, which are purely commercial. The French government said pretty much the same thing, and Dassault’s statement reaffirmed that it had chosen to tie up with Reliance Defence. But all this merely begs the question: did the Centre suggest a partnership with Reliance Defence as Mr. Hollande said? Also, if so, what form did it take? A firm nudge in that direction? A quiet whisper in someone’s ear? Who suggested to who? And when? It remains to be seen whether Mr. Hollande will now choose to complete his half-finished remarks to the French investigative website.

No questions have been raised about the capabilities of the Rafale jet, and the corruption allegations have persisted in the absence — unlike in the case of some other defence deals such as Bofors — of a financial trail. But a fair part of the reason for the concerns about the deal relate to process. If it was the temptation to make a headline-grabbing announcement that led Prime Minister Modi to unexpectedly announce the decision to purchase 36 Rafale aircraft, during his France visit in April 2015, it was a bad mistake. It is true that the deal was signed only in September 2016, after clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security, but Mr. Modi’s 2015 declaration of a new deal clearly caught even many of his senior officials unawares, who were labouring under the belief that negotiations for the purchase of 126 Rafale aircraft, initiated by the UPA government, were still on.
24/09/18 The Hindu

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Commander In Thief: In Rafale row, Rahul hurls Hollande bomb again

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi spent the weekend using an explosive French media report on the Rafale deal as ammunition against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, and he's not stopping now. The words "Commander-in-Thief" featured in a Monday afternoon tweet on the Congress boss's Twitter page.

But what's all this about, you ask? Here's the gist of it: Mediapart, a French media house, published a story Friday that quoted France's former president -- Francois Hollande -- as saying the Indian government "proposed" Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation's Indian partner (for the offset clause of the agreement). "We didn't have any say in the matter," Hollande said. "We didn't have a choice in the matter; we took the interlocutor who was given to us."
Hollande was the president of France when the Rafale deal was signed.

"The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief," Rahul Gandhi tweeted today, attaching this video.
Over the weekend, Gandhi called for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe, and accused Prime Minister Modi and Anil Ambani of carrying out a Rs 1,30,000 crore "surgical strike" on India's defence forces. At a press conference on Saturday, he said Hollande had effectively called Modi a thief.
24/09/18 India Today

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What makes Modi's Rafale deal so controversial?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is implicated in a snowballing scandal related to the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. Former French President Francois Hollande revealed in an interview released on September 21, 2018, that France did not have any other choice except for one company recommended by New Delhi for the deal. Owned by Anil Ambani, Reliance Aerostructure Limited – with no experience in aerospace manufacturing – became French aviation company Dassault Rafale's partner in India.

On Friday, Hollande, who was responsible for clearing the deal between the governments during his tenure, was quoted as stating that New Delhi had pressured Dassault to choose Reliance. Anil Ambani is the son of the late Dhirubhai Ambani, one of India’s most powerful and richest business moguls.

Hollande stated, “We did not have a say in this. The Indian government proposed this group, and Dassault [the company that manufactured the jets] negotiated with Ambani. We did not have a choice, we took the interlocutor who was given to us.”

Investigative journalists Karl Laske and Anton Rouget reported that Ambani’s Reliance Defence provided funding for a film produced by President Hollande’s partner, actress Julie Gayet. Ambani funded Gayet's film when the deal for 36 fighter jets with Reliance was completed.

While Reliance appeared in the film’s credits, it was not mentioned in financing details presented to France’s public body responsible for cinema. The film did not mention India, or distribute in it. Former President Hollande is likely speaking now given the focus on his partner’s film relative to the deal. In an attempt to deny this, he has declared the Reliance Defence was picked because France was given no choice by the Indian government. “I could not even imagine that there was any connection to a film by Julie Gayet,” he stated.

The focus of the scandal rests on Prime Minister Modi’s sudden decision to secretly end a previous deal that sought 18 fighter jets from France and largely focused on training the local workforce through the transfer of technology. Instead of relying on foreign imports, the previous government led by the Congress party aimed at manufacturing 108 aircrafts in India. But Modi single-handedly changed the terms of the deal and agreed to procure 36 fighter jets.
24/09/18 Adam Bensaid/TRT World

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Air traffic control: China and India compete

Previously obscure Indian Ocean fishing villages such as Hambantota, Gwadar and Kyaukpyu have suddenly been transported into the glare of international media attention as China, India and others compete for control over ports across the region.

But competition over critical infrastructure isn’t just confined to the maritime realm. In fact, access to airfields is just as essential to allow military aircraft to cover the vast distances across the Indian Ocean. This is why China and its competitors are paying ever more attention to securing access to airfields and to deny access to others.   

As a ‘new’ power in the Indian Ocean, China has the biggest need to secure air access to fulfill multiple strategic imperatives. It needs staging points for evacuations or other operations to protect Chinese nationals, and for maritime air surveillance in support of its naval presence.

The PLA Air Force is only starting to make its presence felt. It participated in the 2011 evacuation of some 32,000 Chinese from Libya, staging through Sudan (which likely strained the PLA Air Force’s capabilities). The PLA Air Force also participated in the 2014 search for Malaysian Airlines MH370 out of Perth.

These are baby steps. The PLA Air Force faces a steep learning curve and is well behind the PLA Navy in experience and capabilities (such as air-to-air tankers) necessary to conduct long-distance operations.
24/09/18 David Brewster/The Interpreter/Lowy Institue

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Thai Airways Intl aims 100 weekly flights from India by 2021, says official

Thai Airways International aims to operate 100 weekly flights from India by 2021, a senior airline official said.
Thai Airways and low-cost carrier Thai Smile, part of Thai Airways International, has substantial number of flights to India.
A senior official said that Thai Airways has expanded its service to 10 cities in India.
"We are targeting to operate 100 flights from India to Thailand and beyond by year 2021 which depends on approval from the Indian Government for Traffic Rights," General Manager (India) for Thai Airways International ThamanoonKuprasert told PTI.
Currently, it has 86 flights departure a week, including seasonal flights from Varanasi and Gaya.
"Thai Airways is servicing from Delhi/ Mumbai/ Bengaluru/ Chennai/ Kolkata/ Hyderabad and Thai Smile is servicing from Lucknow/ Jaipur/ Mumbai/ Varanasi/ Gaya. We are looking forward to add more service points from India in near future," he said in an e-mail interview.
24/09/18 PTI/Business Standard

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Turkish man held at IGI airport with ISIS drug in Delhi

New Delhi: A Turkish man was apprehended early on Monday by the CISF at the Delhi airport for allegedly trying to smuggle over 1.3 lakh Tramadol tablets, a painkiller also known as the 'ISIS drug', a senior official said.
He said the activities of Erbil H, holding a Turkish passport, were found "suspicious" when he arrived at the airport at around 3 am.

He was subsequently subjected to a detailed frisking by the force personnel, he said.

"1,30,000 Tramadol tablets weighing about 64 kg were found in the bag of the Turkish man.

He was handed over to anti-narcotics sleuths for further probe," a CISF spokesperson said.

The man was supposed to take a flight to Istanbul from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, he said.
24/09/18 Hans India

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GMR gets Letter of award to develop airport in Greece

Hyderabad: The Greek government Friday issued a Letter of Award to the consortium of GMR Airports Limited for the development, operations and management of the new international airport of Heraklion on Crete island in Greece.

GMR Airports Ltd, a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Ltd, and Greece-based Terna Group are members of the consortium, a press release from GMR said here.

GMR Airports is the designated airport operator in the consortium for the Greek project, the release said.

The project involves design, construction, financing of the new Heraklion airport. The concession period for the greenfield project would be 35 years, including phase- 1 construction of five years, it said.
21/09/18 PTI/India.com

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GoAir to launch India’s first direct Phuket flights

Phuket: GoAir, one of India’s fastest growing airlines, will launch its international flight operations on Oct 11 with India’s first-ever direct service to Phuket, flying from from Delhi and Mumbai.
GoAir will mark its first foray into international skies after more than a decade of domestic operations, and will use its A320 aircraft to provide the new service.
“With the introduction of these flights, the airline will increase its operations by 28 flights to a total of 1,680 flights per week. GoAir aims to amplify and replicate its domestic success story, redefining its fly smart experience and value proposition in the aviation industry,” the airline announced in a press release.
GoAir will operate three direct flights per week between Mumbai and Phuket, and two direct flights per week between Delhi and Phuket. Return fares on both routes for the launch will start from an all-inclusive INR18,999 (B8,480).
The launch of the Phuket flights will be followed with the launch on Oct 14 of three GoAir direct flights per week between Mumbai and the Maldives capital Malé and two direct flights per week between Delhi and Male.
10/09/18 Phuket Times

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Vistara’s overseas plan will not get derailed due to CBI probe

New DelhI: The ongoing CBI probe into the relaxation of overseas flying norms in which low-cost carrier AirAsia India is embroiled, will not impact full service carrier Vistara’s application to ply on international routes, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

Civil aviation secretary RN Choubey said the inquiry is not an obstacle for Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, getting approvals under 0/20 rule as laid down in the national civil aviation policy of 2016.

“We are going to go by what law says. If an airline fulfills the minimum 20 aircraft criteria it is eligible to fly abroad. The case (CBI inquiry) will not come in the way. We will deal with Vistara’s application on merits,” Choubey told FE.

The CBI is probing alleged kickbacks to government officials to facilitate dilution of the 5/20 rule during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance government. Under this provision, an Indian carrier required domestic flying experience of five years and minimum 20 aircraft on local routes to fly abroad.
20/09/18 Arun Nayal/Financial Express

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America’s F-16 Fighter Jet to be Made in India, But Trumps Rejects?

The F-16 Block 70 Fighter Jet is the most unconventional version of the Fighting Falcon, the wings of which will be manufactured in India. Lockheed Martin has joined hands with Tata Advanced Systems to produce the fighter wings in Hyderabad. But the United States President Donald Trump wants to bring back it’s manufacturing to American coasts.
This will not cost any American jobs, because F-16 wings are currently manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries in Israel. On the other hand, it’s hardly a victory for Trump’s call for the U.S. manufactured to bring their outsourced production back home.
“This strategic initiative positions Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) to become the provider of wings for all future customers,” said a Lockheed Martin statement. “This is a strategic business decision that reflects the value of our partnerships with India and the confidence we have in Tata.”
Responding to speculation that the move is an incentive for the Indian Air Force to purchase the F-16, Lockheed Martin stated the “the planned F-16 wing production move to India is not contingent on the Government of India selecting the F-16 for the Indian Air Force.”
19/09/18 EurAsian Times

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Fly to India, Pakistan from UAE for under Dh200

If you have been planning to visit home and the airline ticket prices have been a deterrent, check these special fares offered by UAE airlines.

You can make a trip to Indian cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram for as little as Dh169, according to an offer by Sharjah-based Air Arabia.

Flying to Bahrain, Karachi, Kuwait, Muscat, Salalah would make your savings lighter by only Dh199.

Check the full list of deals on their website. 

Meanwhile, Etihad is offering new hand baggage only 'Deal Fare', available for travel between Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. Flyers could book by September 29, 2018, for travel until 31 March 2019.
19/09/18 Khaleej Times

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Air forces of India, Russia participate in 'Exercise Aviaindra'

Air forces of India and Russia are participating in a 12-day drill 'Exercise Aviaindra' which focuses on anti-terrorist operations in a bilateral scenario, the Indian Air Force said Wednesday in a statement.

Aviaindra is being conducted at Lipetsk, Russia, from September 17 to 28.


In its second leg, it will be conducted in Jodhpur from December 10 to 22, the statement said.

The Indian contingent comprises 30 officers from different branches and streams of the IAF. They include four women officers from the flying, administration and medical branches.
20/09/18 PTI/Business Standard

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Saab interested in throwing hat in ring for Make in India fighter jet deal

New Delhi: Amid the raging controversy over the Defence Ministry's procurement of the Rafale fighter aircraft from French firm Dassault Aviation, a senior Swedish official has said that his country's firm Saab, in its Gripen aircraft, has the requisite experience to contest for the upcoming Indian deal for manufacturing 110 new fighter jets under the Make in India programme.

"I know that Saab is interested, they want to be a part of this procurement," Teppo Tauriainen, Director General for Trade in the Swedish Foreign Ministry, told IANS in an interview here.

"They think they have something good to offer that will be of interest to India," Tauriainen said.

"They, of course, know what the expectations of the government is in terms of local production and cooperation with a local partner."
20/09/18 IANS/Business Standard

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Fact Check: BJP's Claim on Why HAL Was Dropped From Rafale Deal Just Doesn't Fly

The latest change in goalposts with regard to the Rafale controversy has been the role that Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) did, or didn’t, play in the deal being changed at the last minute.

In two press conferences held in the last ten days, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has pointed fingers at the UPA-II government for the failure of the negotiations with Dassault Aviation and the inability to conclude an ongoing deal for 126 Rafale fighter aircrafts.

In her remarks, Sitharaman has blamed the previous government for dropping HAL from the deal, and went on to allege that the poor state of affairs in the defence PSU (which comes under her own ministry) is what stopped the agreement from going through. In particular, the deal couldn’t be sealed because HAL couldn’t agree on terms of production with Dassault.

Her statements have come under fire from the opposition, but have also been countered surprisingly by former HAL boss T. Suvarana Raju, who only three weeks ago stepped down from his position.
20/09/18 The Wire

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Rahul Gandhi demands resignation of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for lying on Rafale deal

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman has lied on Rafale issue and she “must resign”.
“The RM (Rafale Minister) tasked with defending corruption has been caught lying again. The former HAL Chief, T S Raju, has nailed her lie, that HAL didn’t have the capability to build the RAFALE. Her position is untenable & she must resign,” tweeted Gandhi.
It is pertinent to mention here that on last Thursday Sitharaman said that under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the negotiations for procurement of 126 Rafale jets failed as state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) did not have the needed capability to produce the jets in India in collaboration with French company Dassault Aviation.
"Dassault could not progress in the negotiations with HAL because if the aircraft were to be produced in India, a guarantee for the product to be produced was to be given. It is a big-ticket item and the IAF would want the guarantee for the jets. HAL was in no position to give the guarantee," PTI quoted Sitharaman, as saying.
20/09/18 India Tv

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Air Force deputy chief Nambiar flies Rafale jet in France

New Delhi: Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar, who is the deputy chief of the Indian Air Force, today flew a Rafale fighter jet that has been customised for Indian needs. He flew a sortie in France while sitting in the first seat of the twin-seat fighter jet.

India has signed a deal to buy 36 Rafale jets from French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation. The deal was announced in 2015, during PM Narendra Modi's visit to France.

An inter-governmental agreement (IGA) was signed formally by India and France on January 25, 2016. Under the deal, Dassault Aviation would sell India 36 customised Rafale medium multi-role combat aircraft. The deal is worth around Rs 58,000 crore.

The customisations are specific to the Indian Air Force, i.e. the Rafale fighter jets that India is getting under the deal will be unique to the country and arguably more advanced than the ones used by the French Air Force.
20/09/18 India Today

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Richa Chadha Faces Racism At Georgia Airport

Mumbai: Bollywood actress Richa Chadha, who is known for saying things as it is and not mincing words, recently suffered a bitter experience at an airport she was boarding from. The actress took to her Twitter handle pouring her heart out in a series of tweets.

Here's what she tweeted:

"Yesterday, in Tbilisi,met the gentlest cabbie... he was so sweet, he changed my experience of the city, refused a tip, smiled throughout ...We communicated only through gestures but I could feel his heart! and now... met a racist AF officer at the passport control,while exiting Georgia. Slammed my passport on the desk,twice... muttered under her breath in Georgian,yelled and asked me to hurry.Sad that people like her are the last ones we perhaps see on exiting the country...Had met a super rude chap at Mumbai as well. He was muttering obscenities at other tourists who were entering India... but was super nice to me. “Aur Ma’am Kaun si shooting se aa rahe ho”...Told him I was offended people like him made the first impression of my country. "
20/09/18 Shreya Thakur/Republic

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CISF nabs foreigner at IGI Airport for illegal loitering

New Delhi: The Central Industrial Security Force on Tuesday nabbed a foreigner at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport for entering the airport premises on a fake ticket.
According to CISF, around 1345 hrs on Tuesday ,a CISF duty personnel noticed a foreign passenger roaming suspiciously in check-in area of terminal 3. He was intercepted and enquired.
On enquiry, he revealed his identity as Kartal Ozer, a Dutch national, and further disclosed that
he had gained access into the terminal building by showing an edited ticket of OJSC "Tajik Air"
bound for Dushanbe, to see-off his girlfriend, who was travelling by the said flight.
19/09/18 UNI

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Air India aircraft repaired, its New York-New Delhi operations resumed

Air India flight from New Delhi to New York, which faced multiple instrument failure and made an emergency landing in Newark on September 11 with 14 Amdavadis on board, is back in service. It has already made two trips to New York since the incident.
Director General of Civil Aviation and Air India have also formed a committee to probe the reasons of so many instruments failing at the same time. The flight AI 101 had suffered failure of navigation, auto-speed break, collision avoidance, cross radio altimeter and auto land systems that allow an aircraft to operate autonomously without reliance on ground support equipment.
New York ATC had diverted the Ahmedabad-Delhi-New York flight to Newark airport where the visibility was better and conditions suitable for its emergency landing. The incident, which was first reported by Ahmedabad Mirror on September 12, went viral on social media on Tuesday when the transcript of the conversation between AI pilots and US Air Traffic Controller was put in public domain.
Aviation experts lauded the efforts of the pilot in landing the flight safely. Pawan Verma, pilot and air crash investigator, told Mirror : "The pilot must have been well-skilled as he landed the flight without any instrument help and just based on what he saw in front of his eyes."
19/09/18 Ahmedabad Mirror

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Our pilots handled ILS failure incident professionally: Air India

New Delhi: Praising its pilots’ ‘professional handling’ of the incident with the Instrument landing System (ILS) failure, while landing at New York airport on September 11, 2018, Air India today said that handling of incidents like these ‘speaks volumes about the national carrier’s enviable safety record.’
“The cockpit crew of the Air India Boeing 777-300 aircraft operating flight AI-101 of September 11, 2018, from Delhi (India) to New York successfully made a non-scheduled landing at New Jersey Airport braving adverse weather conditions and unexpected technical issues, and proving once again the class, expertise and experience of Air India’s pilots to face any such eventuality and come out in flying colours. The professional approach with which they navigated the flight to land safe speaks volumes of Air India’s enviable safety record based on the airline’s strong foundations of training, engineering and maintenance standards and skillset of its operations crew,” the national carrier said in a statement.
The cockpit crew comprising Commanders Rustom Palia and Sushant Singh and co-pilots R S Bhatti and RS Vikas decided to initiate a Go Around reporting an unstable approach. “The decision to 'Go-Around' and divert was commendable and done in the interest of Flight Safety. The flight also carried more than adequate fuel reserves,” Air India said.
18/09/18 Economic Times

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Amritsar-Dubai Indigo flight from October 28

Amritsar: Indigo will start its international flight between Amritsar and Dubai from Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport from October 28.
Fly Amritsar Initiative convener and secretary overseas, Amritsar Vikas Manch, Sameep Singh Gumtala, said this would be the third direct flight by Indian carriers from the Amritsar airport for Dubai. SpiceJet and Air India Express are successfully running their flights from here for the past few years.
18/09/18 Neeraj Bagga/Tribune

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India, Morocco sign air services pact for better connectivity

New Delhi: India and Morocco on Wednesday signed the revised air services agreement enabling greater connectivity between two countries through a modernised agreement.
The delegation of the two countries has met thrice in the past years wherein they have worked towards liberalisation of markets between the two countries and updating of the existing air services agreement.
The two sides cleared the legal and technical difficulties and agreed to a modern new text for the
air services agreement. Thereafter, the document was formally signed during the visit of Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy Mohammed Sajid who signed for the Moroccan side and Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu who signed for the Indian side.
19/09/18 UNI

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Key Indian airport to allow widebody flights from UAE, Saudi Arabia

Widebody flights from the UAE and Saudi Arabia could soon land at India’s Calicut International Airport after the country’s civil aviation authority granted approvals toward the resumption of Boing 777 and Airbus A330 flights on the airport’s runway, according to reports.

“At any time, airline companies can begin operation of flights after getting the schedule. Saudia has already got approval from the DGCA after meeting the safety assessment and mitigation measures for the operation of wide-bodied aircraft,” Indian daily The Hindu quoted Calicut International Airport director K. Srinivasa Rao to say.

Calicut International Airport in Kerala is India’s 12 busiest, and Kerala’s third busiest airport. The airport banned widebody operations in 2015 as a result of a court inquiry into the cause of a 2010 Air India Express Boeing 737 crash in nearby Mangaluru in 2010.

Widebody operations could resume with Saudia as early as next month. Emirates is reportedly also in talks with aviation and airport officials, according to the report.
19/09/18 Shayan Shakeel/Arabian Business

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Fly to UK, US for less than Rs 14,000, but just with a ‘personal item’

Mumbai: If you can think out of the box and fly to the US or Europe without carrying even a hand bag, then Icelandic carrier Wow Air will fly you out of Delhi for as little as Rs 13,500, one way. Low-cost long-haul flights at eye-popping promotional fares are set to debut in India with the launch of Delhi-Reykjavik flights by Wow Air on December 7.
But there is a huge catch. You can carry only what the airline calls, a “personal item”, which could be small bag like a laptop bag or an office bag. You cannot carry any suitcase that goes into the cabin as a hand bag or any check-in bag. You also won’t be served food on board the 12-hour flight from Delhi to Iceland’s capital Reykjavik and onwards to Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, Boston, Toronto, London or any of the destinations the airline connects to from its hub.

The cheapest fare is Rs 13,500 for flights to Reykjavik and onwards to at least 10 destinations in the US and Europe. But the Rs 13,500 basic fare is hard to come by and on Tuesday, most of these tickets were already booked. The next fare bucket was for Rs 26,000, which isn’t a great deal considering the ‘personal item’ condition.
19/09/18 Manju V/Times of India

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Brussels Airlines to stop India flights from January ‘for economic reasons’

Brussels Airlines, the national airline of Belgium, is to stop its Mumbai to Brussels flight from January 7 next year.
In a communication to the travel community, the airline has said that the termination of the flight is part of a restructuring programme to improve the airline’s long-haul network and to optimise fleet utilisation on its Africa network, the key intercontinental market for the Belgium-based airline.
In a statement to the media, the airline added that the flight is being withdrawn for economic reasons.
“The flights were well-accepted by the Indian business and leisure travellers. However, from a global perspective it is necessary to withdraw the flights,” the airline said adding that the Lufthansa Group continues to maintain a strong footprint in Mumbai with three daily flights that include operations both to Frankfurt and Munich on Lufthansa and to Zurich on Swiss Airlines.
The statement adds that the combinability of fares between the Group carriers remains, which means customers starting their itinerary on Brussels Airlines flights can always return on Lufthansa or Swiss Airlines. “Passengers with existing Brussels Airlines flight segments beyond January 7, 2019 will be rebooked on other flights,” the communication adds.
19/09/18 Business Line

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Sri Lanka Will Not Hand Over Palaly Airport to India – Minister

New Delhi: Sri Lanka has rejected reports that the strategically important Palaly airport was being developed by the Airport Authority of India (AAI). A day after, the Indian media quoted the AAI making such claims; the Sri Lankan government has made it clear that no decision has been made on handing over the domestic airport to India or any other country.

Sri Lanka's Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva informed the country's Parliament that the airport would be developed by local agencies.
Minister de Silva further added that the Higurakgoda, Batticaloa, Koggala, Digana, and Trincomalee airports would also be developed by local agencies to cater to the needs of its citizens.
The Times of India had reported quoting an Indian government official that India had offered to develop the Kankesanthurai airport in northern Sri Lanka, as well as the Mattala international airport in southern Sri Lanka, which borders the Hambantota Port developed by China.
19/09/18 Sputnik

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India seeks to internationalise Jaffna airport

India’s state run airport development authority intends to develop plans for Jaffna’s Palaly airport to have international connectivity with places in South India, Malaysia and Thailand, the Times of India reports.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has entered into an agreement with India’s ministry of external affairs to produce a comprehensive report on the development of the airport, which remains under Sri Lankan military control.

Speaking to the Times of India, an unnamed official from the state run AAI said,

“AAI has signed an agreement with [Indian] ministry of external affairs for preparation of a detailed project report for the development of Palaly airport in Sri Lanka. Palaly is in Jaffna in the north. India had earlier promised to develop Palaly airport which as been a demand by the northern province for some time."
18/09/18 Tamil Guardian

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Tanzania: 'ATCL Likely to Resume India Flights From November'

New Delhi: AIR Tanzania is expected to resume services to India from November this year, a top official of the Tanzania Tourist Board has said.

Air India and Air Tanzania had direct flights between the two countries but the operations were stopped in mid-1990s due to commercial reasons.

"We received tremendous support and interest from Indians. Now with the new airline 'Air Tanzania', starting (to Mumbai) from this November, we expect the increase in number of tourists from India to Tanzania, Tanzania Tourist Board Managing Director Devota Mdachi said.

The board hosted a roadshow here on Monday to showcase the cultural richness of the land and to give insights about famous tourist attractions of Tanzania.
18/09/18 All Africa

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HC seeks affidavit on Bangkok flight

Chandigarh: Less than a week after Air India announced discontinuation of its Chandigarh-Bangkok flight, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the airlines to file an affidavit. The direction came after the airlines told the court that the flight might be re-launched on October 1.

As the petition filed in public interest for making the Chandigarh airport fully operational for international flights came up for resumed hearing, a statement on re-launching the flight was made by Air India. It came after the Bench was told about the announcement of suspension of the flight.

Taking note of the developments, the Bench directed Air India to file an affidavit. The court also asked Air India to furnish details of starting a flight to Singapore from Chandigarh. The Bench of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli, in fact, directed Air India to clarify the position regarding the Bangkok and Singapore flights by filing an affidavit. “Don’t compel the court to take strict action, we will not hesitate in summoning your CMD,” the Bench observed.
19/09/18 Tribune

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Vistara may not get to fly overseas just yet, says report

Tata-Singapore airline joint venture Vistara may not get approval to fly overseas as it is yet to complete five years in the aviation industry, The Economic Times reported.
The aviation ministry is not keen on giving permission to the airline as there is an inquiry into the relaxation of overseas flying norms by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), reported ET on Tuesday.
“We are trying to understand as to how would a CBI inquiry into the relaxation of 5/20 impact any move to allow airlines to fly internationally under the 0/20 rule,” sources told the paper.
The norms stated earlier allowed Indian airlines to fly overseas only after a domestic flying experience of five years and after attaining a fleet of 20 aircraft. However, these norms were relaxed in June 2016 to just 20 aircraft fleet.
The source told the paper that the bigger concern is that the agency is also inquiring about the procedure followed by this government. The CBI is inquiring into the AirAsia India’s case where alleged pay-offs to government officials and lobbyists had been done to do away the older norms.
18/09/18 CNBC-TV18

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Indigo to start daily flight service from Amritsar to Dubai

Amritsar: The Indian carrier Indigo will start its first international daily flight from
Sri Guru Ram Das Jee (SGRDJ) International airport, Amritsar to Dubai form October, 28.
Fly Amritsar Initiative Convener and Secretary Overseas, Amritsar Vikas Manch Sameep Singh
Gumtala said here on Tuesday that this will be the third direct flight by the Indian carriers from
Amritsar Airport for Dubai.
SpiceJet and Air India Express are successfully running their flights from here for the past few
years.18/09/18 UNI

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Air Tanzania to soon resume direct flights to India

Air Tanzania will soon resume services to India with direct flights to Mumbai from Tanzanian city Dar Es Salaam, an official said Monday. Air India and Air Tanzania had direct flights between the two countries but the operations were stopped in mid-1990s due to commercial reasons. “Air Tanzania has recently received permission to operate into India from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA),” Zanzibar Tourism Promotion Centre (Mumbai) Jilesh Babla told PTI here. The DGCA is India’s aviation regulator.

He aid the African carrier would operate four direct flights per week to Mumbai from Dar Es Salaam with a Boeing 787 aircraft. Talking to PTI on the sidelines of the first convention of the Global Tourism Council that began here Sunday, Babla said that due to commercial reasons, direct flights were stopped by Air India and Air Tanzania.

Zanzibar Tourism Promotion Centre also promotes Tanzanian tourism. New Delhi-based Bird Group has been appointed as the general sales agent for the airline. Stating that both Tanzania and Zanzibar Island offer huge potential to Indian tourists, Babla said an equally big potential lies for the Tanzanian tourists into India.
17/09/18 PTI/Financial Express

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How Air India pilots & ATC saved day on this 9/11

New Delhi: We’re really, you know, stuck and there’s no fuel.” Air India’s senior commander Rustom Palia told New York JFK Airport’s air traffic control (ATC) with a steely voice on final approach to land there on September 11. Palia and Captain Sushant Singh, second-in-command, were flying a Boeing 777 as AI 101 Delhi-JFK nonstop when the aircraft — with 370 passengers — on final approach suffered a string of multiple instrument failures.

The instrument landing system (ILS) failed at the last minute due to which Captains Palia and Singh had to abort touching down at JFK and then they spent close to one half an hour in air trying to figure out — in coordination with JFK ATC — an airport in NYC or a nearby city with good visibility.

Running low on fuel, they quickly needed a decent chance of sighting a runway early enough to make a visual approach due to the failed ILS. The transcript of conversation between the cockpit of AI 101 and JFK ATC shows how the two captains showed nerves of steel and how a JFK controller ensured the plane lands safely in severe adversity. AI 101 was behind an Embraer in landing sequence for JFK when the “master caution sound” went off in the cockpit. The plane then did a go-around and was expecting to return to land at JFK in second attempt. Then the system failure started extending to other instruments as well.
18/09/18 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Strategic move: AAI to develop Palaly airport in Sri Lanka

New Delhi: State-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) will now develop airports abroad, like its private counterparts GMR and GVK. AAI will develop an airport in Sri Lanka’s Palaly Airport in Sri Lanka, a strategic area for India.

“AAI has signed an agreement with (Indian) ministry of external affairs for preparation of detailed project report for development of Palaly Airport in Sri Lanka. Considering AAI’s expertise and capabilities in airport development and operation management, the authority wants to go global. AAI has developed more than 60 airports in metros and non metros in India and now wants to leverage its expertise to other countries on a bigger scale,” an AAI official said.

“Palaly is in Jaffna in the north — Tamil territory. India had earlier promised to develop Palaly airport which has been a demand by the northern province for some time. The airport will be Sri Lanka's first in the north, give the northern people direct connectivity with places like south India, Malaysia and Thailand. India has also offered to develop the Kankesanthurai airport also in the north, as well as the Mattala international airport in south Sri Lanka, abutting the Chinese developed Hambantota port,” said a person in the know.
17/09/18 Indrani Bagchi and Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Big aircraft to land in Kozhikode soon

Kozhikode: The Calicut International Airport is gearing up to resume operation of wide-bodied aircraft, with the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) giving approval to Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines) to operate Boeing 777-200 Extended Range and Airbus 330-300 under Code E.

“At any time, airline companies can begin operation of flights after getting the schedule. Saudia has already got approval from the DGCA after meeting the safety assessment and mitigation measures for the operation of wide-bodied aircraft,” airport director K. Srinivasa Rao told The Hindu on Monday.

Director of Operations (aero standards) D.C. Sharma had issued a No-Objection Certificate on August 8 to Saudia for the operation of two types of wide-bodied aircraft subject to compliance with the specified mitigation measures. The airline company is readying to operate flights possibly from next month, it is learnt.
17/09/18 The Hindu

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Airlines cut UAE fares to as low as Dh185

Dubai: Airlines have again slashed their fares and this time, travellers from UAE can score tickets to select destinations for as low as Dh185 or just a little over Dh2,000.
Carriers catering to the UAE market, such as Air Arabia, Emirates and flydubai, have just announced discounted fares that are up for grabs for a very limited time. The  budget fares apply to trips to Georgia, Armenia and India, and to other select cities in Europe , the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
The latest price cuts are in a bid to stimulate air travel demand during the lean season. According to an industry source, airlines tend to lower their fares in September and early October, when fewer UAE residents fly out.
At Air Arabia, passengers from UAE can book tickets from Sharjah to Delhi, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Thiruvananthrapuram in India for Dh169.  Flights to Bahrain, Karachi, Kuwait, Muscat and Salalah are available for Dh199.
18/09/18 Cleofe Maceda/Gulf News

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Afghan man caught at Delhi airport with saffron worth over Rs 36 lakh

New Delhi: An Afghanistan national has been arrested by customs officials for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country saffron worth about Rs 36 lakh at Delhi airport, according to an official statement issued Monday.
The man, in his mid 30s, was intercepted by the officials after his arrival from Kabul on Saturday.
His baggage and personal search resulted in recovery of 40 packets of saffron, in total weighing 45.8 kg, the customs department said.
17/09/18 Outlook

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Expat pilot winning desi hearts in flight with announcements in Hindi

New Delhi: “Is udaan mein aapka swagat hai”. Each time GoAir’s Captain Behzad Rajabi greets passengers with this line, they are pleasantly surprised. What follows the heavily accented welcoming line makes things clear. “Main is udaan ka Captain Rajabi bol raha hoon.” By now passengers know the Airbus A-320 they are flying in is being piloted by an expat pilot.
While the German-origin American national is one of the 290 expat pilots working with Indian carriers, he is a rarity in terms of learning the local language and addressing passengers in it. “As an expat if you come here with a closed mind and try to change Indians to where you are from, then good luck to you. The English came and see what happened. But if you change yourself; see, accept and respect them (Indians) the way they are, you are accepted as one of them and treated as their guest,” Rajabi, in his late 40s, said.
17/09/18 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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After floods, Kerala welcomes first chartered flight with International tourists

The money-spinning Kerala tourism industry celebrated quietly on Sunday after receiving the first chartered flight of tourists this season following the devastating floods.

The flight with 46 tourists from Australia landed at the Cochin International Airport on Saturday night.

The heavy rains and unprecedented floods that shattered the state, leaving hundreds dead and thousands homeless and causing widespread destruction, led to numerous cancellations by tourists.

"Our efforts have already started paying off. Most of our tourist destinations are ready to welcome the visitors from India and abroad. The state government has accorded top priority to restoring roads leading to tourist places," said Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran.

Earlier, on September 4, the tourist hotspot of Kumarakom had welcomed a batch of foreigners who were seen taking a trip on the houseboat.
17/09/18 News Minute

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Consumer panel asks airlines to pay ₹1.6 lakh

New Delhi: A district consumer disputes redressal forum here has directed Air India and Air Canada to jointly compensate two passengers by paying over ₹1.6 lakh after holding the airlines guilty for not communicating a change in the itinerary to the passengers.
Holding the airlines’ guilty of deficiency in service, the consumer forum held, “None of the opposite parties [airlines] has placed any document showing the intimation to the complainants regarding change in schedule before or after the alleged complainants’ request for advancing the date of travel was declined.”
Further, the consumer panel observed that it was admitted by the airlines that there had been an “error in the booking software allowing incorrect fare for the ticket”.
15/09/18 The Hindu

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SpiceJet MoU with Afghanistan for cargo imports and exports

Pune: SpiceJet has signed an MoU with Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) in connection with international cargo operations, the airline officials have announced.
The officials said that in a bid to promote trade via the Indo-Afghan air corridor, the airlines intended to transport 1500 tons of cargo every month. The MoU was signed by Manjiv Singh, Chief Project Officer, SpiceJet and Atiqullah Nusrat, Chief Executive Director, ACCI along with Ajmal Ahmady, Senior Advisor of the President of Afghanistan in banking and Financial Affairs.
"In collaboration with ACCI, SpiceJet will transport fresh fruits and dry fruits, carpets and other commodities from Kabul to different states of India at competitive prices, which will be subsidized by the Afghan government," an airline official said. The airline operates dedicated air cargo services under the brand name SpiceXpress. SpiceJet will transport the commodities from Kabul using its freighter aircraft to Indian metro cities and through its passenger flight network across 47 cities.
16/09/18 Joy Sengupta/Times of India

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AI discontinues Bangkok flight

Mohali: Around nine months after starting its direct flight to Bangkok, the Air India has discontinued its operations from the Chandigarh international airport here.
MR Jindal, station manager of Air India here, told Chandigarh Tribune that the flight to Bangkok had been permanently discontinued. “I have received a communiqué in this regard from the higher authorities,” said Jindal.
A decision in this regard was said to be taken during a meeting held at Delhi recently.
Notably, the Chandigarh-Bangkok flight was suspended in mid-July and the aircraft (A320neo) was being used for Haj flights.
Earlier, the airline had planned to resume the flight operations (Chandigarh-Bangkok) on October 1.
16/09/18 Akash Ghai/Tribune

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Bangladeshi with Indian passport held

Alert immigration officials at the Kempegowda International Airport caught a 28-year-old Bangladeshi who went to Dubai in the UAE two years ago using an Indian passport to work as a technician.

The accused was caught by officials when he landed at the KIA from Dubai on Thursday and submitted documents for immigration clearance.

A detailed probe revealed that the original name of the accused was Mohammed Moshikul Islam and he is from Bangaldesh. He had crossed the border illegally in 2012 and entered West Bengal. After working as casual labourer for some time, he managed to get a fake birth certificate in Kolkata through a tout, using which he obtained an Indian passport in 2015 in the name of Mondal Mohammed Moshikul, according to officials.
15/09/18 The Hindu

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Air India, Jet Airways cancel Sunday flights to Hong Kong due to Typhoon Mangkhut

New Delhi: Air India and Jet Airways have cancelled its flights to Hong Kong on Sunday due to Super Typhoon Mangkhut that is headed towards this Chinese special administrative region. Both these airlines have waived ticket change charges for passengers booked on flights to or from Hong Kong for next two to three days. Flight resumption will depend on the situation there that will be reviewed on Sunday night-Monday morning.

AI and Jet are the only two Indian carriers that fly to Hong Kong. In a circular to travel agents, AI said: “In view of Typhoon Mangkhut approaching Hong Kong and possibly resulting in inconvenience to passengers, applicable penalties for re-issuance, date change, no-show, cancellation and refund charges for travel to/from Hong Kong stand waived on all tickets issued on/before September 11 to travel from September 16 to September 17… Waiver is only on penalty charges. Any fare difference will be additional.”
Jet Airways said in a statement: “Due to inclement weather in Hong Kong, these flights of September 16 to and from Hong Kong stand cancelled: 9W 78 (Delhi - Hong Kong); 9W 77 (Hong Kong - Delhi); 9W 76 (Mumbai - Hong Kong) and 9W 75 (Hong Kong - Mumbai). In light of the above, Jet Airways has waived off date/ flight change, refund, no-show penalties and fare difference, if any, for guests holding confirmed tickets issued on or before September 11 into and out of Hong Kong for travel from September 16-18. Guests are advised to check the airline’s latest flight schedule online… Jet Airways is closely monitoring the situation and will issue updates in due course. The airline regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests.”
15/09/18 Times of India

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CISF arrests Tanzanian national for keeping 6kg Ephedrine at Mumbai International Airport

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officers on Thursday nabbed a Tanzanian national for allegedly carrying six kg of Ephedrine drugs. The arrest was made on Thursday late night when the officers found something suspicious during the screening of luggage at Terminal 2 of the Mumbai International Airport.

According to the customs officials, the accused identified as I A Shabani was travelling to Muscat from city airport on a flight scheduled for departure on Wednesday. As per security protocols, the surveillance team of the CISF picked up Shabani for random checking of his luggage. While doing so, Shabani was said to be reluctant and claimed that the bag does not belong to him. On noticing Shabani's unusual gestures, the CISF officers conducted a thorough check-up of his luggage and later retrieved the contraband item in the form of white crystals.
15/09/18 DNA

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India to help Nepal build new hangars at the Kathmandu airport

New Delhi: The government has directed Airports Authority of India (AAI) to help Nepal build new and upgrade exisiting hangars at the Kathmandu airport. It is also considering allowing Nepalese airlines on new routes into India.

The moves are aimed at countering China’s growing influence in the Himalayan country. “AAI has started work on it and sought a detailed project report from the Nepalese side,” an aviation ministry official told ET on condition of anonymity.

“We have been asked to urgently clear these requests and the ministry working on them.” The request was sent by the Indian embassy in Nepal and included request to allow a Nepalese carrier, Buddha Air, to be provided new routes to India, which is also being discussed. AAI chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra did not comment on the story. If this goes through, it will not be the first time India will be asking AAI to counter China.

Earlier, it had asked AAI to buy controlling stake in Sri Lanka's Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. The Sri Lankan government said it has asked AAI to submit its business plan for operating the Mattala airport.
14/09/18 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

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Three Indians with fake Canadian visas caught at Bangkok, deported and arrested in Kolkata

Kolkata: Three Punjab nationals who tried to board a Vancouver bound flight from Bangkok, were deported back to India after their Canadian Visas were found to be forged. They were arrested by officers of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport police on their arrival at the Kolkata airport on Thursday.
The three men – Roop Singh (39), Mohit Salaria (18) and Rahul Kumar (22), residents of Saharanpur, Gurdaspur and Pathankot respectively – had gone to Malaysia on August 20 from Amritsar in Punjab where they allegedly met three Malaysia travel agents of Indian origin and sought them for Canadian Visas. The agents had allegedly quoted Rs 15 lakh each for the three persons but the men could manage only Rs. 25 in total and paid it to the agents as they affixed Canadian Visas to their passports.

“The trio were sent to Bangkok illegally by road where from they were told they could board a flight to Canada. However during the immigration check, the visas were found to be fake. The men then admitted they acquired the visas by paying some men in Malaysia. They were then deported from Bangkok around 5am on Thursday and were arrested on their arrival to Kolkata airport,” said a senior official at Kolkata airport.
13/09/18 Tamaghna Banerjee/Times of India

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IndiGo, Air Asia add services to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur

Trichy: IndiGo is set to launch a daily flight service in the Trichy-Singapore sector from September 15, 2018. Air Asia will add one more service to its existing Trichy-Kuala Lumpur sector. The service would be available thrice weekly, from November 24.
With the launch of the services by IndiGo and Air Asia, the total number of international flights operating from Trichy is to go up to 94 from 84.

Tthe number of domestic services has already touched 64 a week, the total number of both, domestic and international, services being operated from the Trichy international airport is going to touch 158 mark increasing from 148 per week.

IndiGo is operating four daily services to Chennai and single service to Bangalore and Kochin each. The new service would start at 2.20 pm from Singapore and arrive here at 3.55 pm. While returning, the flight would depart from Trichy at 6.40 pm and would reach Singapore at 1.45 am.
13/09/18 D Vincent Arockiaraj/Times of India

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