Showing posts with label airports Feb 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label airports Feb 2012. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Bangalore airport to be closed for 7 hours from March 11 to April 13

Bangalore: With the proposed seven-hour closure of runway for maintenance work at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) scheduled to commence from March 11, airlines are gearing to meet changes in their operations, while guests are being informed about the scheduled change in advance.
Bangaluru International Airport Ltd. (BIAL) announced closure of flight operations between 10.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. from March 11 to April 13 after consulting all stake-holders, including domestic and international airlines, the Airport Authority of India, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation and the Air Traffic Control.
29/02/12 The Hindu

Two held with hundreds of watches worth crores

Jaipur: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) detained two passengers from the international airport here on charges of possessing over 700 foreign-made expensive watches worth crores of rupees after they got off an Air Arbia flight early on Tuesday morning.
In the hushed-up operation, the DRI caught the two persons even before they walked into the luggage frisking area at the airport. Sources said the two passengers whose identities were withheld were part of an international racket involved in smuggling.
The sources also said some of the watches were diamond-studded. However, the brands of the watches were not revealed.The airport officials said if the consignment of the watches is found to be illegal, it will be one of the biggest haul of smuggled items seized at the airport in the recent years.
29/02/12 Times of India

Hyderabad airport bags National Tourism Award

New Delh: GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) has been awarded the National Tourism Award 2010-’11 under the Best Airport category.
The airport has been adjudged as the best airport in India for actively promoting tourism, not only in Andhra Pradesh but also at the pan India level.
The award was presented by President Pratibha Singh Patil to Vikram R. Jaisinghani, CEO of GHIAL at an award ceremony in New Delhi on Wednesday.
29/02/12 India Blooms

Assembly panel visits Aranmula

Pathanamthitta: The Legislative Committee on Environment would submit its report to the State Assembly, detailing the environmental issues raised by the local population in connection with the proposed private international airport project at Aranmula, during the session that begins on Thursday, said the panel chairman, C.P. Mohammed.
Mr Mohammed, accompanied by the panel members, Mullakkara Ratnakaran, T.A. Ahamed Kabeer, P.C. Vishnunath, and A.M. Arif, was talking to reporters during a visit to Aranmula after holding a sitting at the Collectorate conference hall here on Thursday.
Mr Mohmmed Ahamed said the one-month old committee has taken up the Aranmula airport issue as the first case and had decided to hold a sitting on the same on a war-footing basis, giving due respect to the growing public concern and agitation against the project.
He said the committee would appraise the Legislature on the concern of the people over the destruction of ground water sources, paddy fields, wetlands, drying up of wells, etc, in the event of conversion of low-lying lands as part of the proposed airport project.
Appearing before the committee, Dr V.S. Vijayan, former Kerala State Biodiversity Board chairman, said he has conducted an environment impact assessment in the Aranmula puncha and wetlands and found it rich in bio-diversity. According to him the wetlands houses 212 plant unique plant species and not to speak of its abundant water storage and water carrying capacity which could adequately ensure the ground water replenishment in the surrounding villages.
29/02/12 The Hindu

Flight cancelled, newly-weds stuck at city airport

Kolkata: A newly-married couple was grounded at Kolkata airport for hours on Tuesday after the flight was cancelled by the airline which the previous evening feared poor passenger load on strike day.
Anup Naha of Agartala landed at the airport from Delhi with his bride, both in their weeding dress. The two had tied the knot the earlier evening and were headed to the groom's home in Agartala for the reception. They flew down to Kolkata to take a connecting flight to Agartala, unaware that SpiceJet had cancelled the flight the day before.
"We have no option but to wait for the evening flight. Till then we are stuck at the airport," said Naha, embarrassed at the attention they were drawing. Both of them were in full wedding dress, complete with garlands they had exchanged on Monday. The duo had a ceremony scheduled in Agartala that required them to be in the wedding regalia.
Wary of constant attention, the couple decided to step out of the terminal, only to find shutterbugs go crazy as they merrily clicked the gorgeously dressed couple in the unlikely setting.
28/02/12 Times of India

New push to get stalled Pune international airport plan moving

Pune The much delayed international airport for Pune might just get a new lease of life with Pune divisional commissioner Prabhakar Deshmukh initiating a fresh round of discussion for the site this week.
Following opposition by farmers to the proposed site near Chakan, the divisional commissioner will initiate the discussion to finalise a site from the three alternatives assessed by the administration. “The project has been pending for long. We need a new airport for the city and will initiate peaceful talks with locals,’’ said Deshmukh. He will be assessing the three alternative sites — two near Chakan and one at Pait village, all in Khed taluk.
Revenue department and Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) officials are likely to finalise the site during the talks and send suggestions to the government. MADC has already put up details on its website about developing the airport near Rajgurunagar, near Chakan. MADC officials said according to their proposal, they would acquire 3,300 hectares of land from various villages at a cost of about Rs 1,200 crore.
29/02/12 Nisha Nambiar/Express India

DIAL justifies seeking hike in airport charges

New Delhi: Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) today justified seeking an eight-time hike in airport charges, saying it would not affect the airlines much and would help the Airports Authority of India (AAI) gain more revenue.
"If the proposed hike of 774% by DIAL is approved by Airports Economic Regulatory Authority, then the aeronautical charges would increase only by 100-150% for various airlines," DIAL CFO Siddarth Kapur said here.
"This would not be too high, as currently Delhi and Mumbai airports have the least charges among the top 50 airports of the world," he said.
At a meeting here last month, airline representatives including those from Air India and several major foreign carriers, had opposed the hike proposed by DIAL saying Delhi was a profitable airport but it was badly structured.
The representatives, who also belonged to Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific, had said the increase would lead to a drastic fall in number of passengers.
28/02/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

Jet Airways cancels many flights to Gulf

Nedumbassery: Close on the heels of the Director General of Civil Aviation rapping a couple of airlines for cancelling their regular flights, yet another major Indian carrier, Jet Airways, has resorted to a massive cancellation of its flights from Cochin airport to the Gulf sector.
According to official sources, the flights cancelled included 20 flights in the Kochi- Doha-Kochi route, six flights in the Kochi-Sharjah-Kochi route, 10 flights in the Kochi-Muscat and 11 flights in the Muscat-Kochi sectors. In addition, the airline has also cancelled two Sharjah and two Muscat services each from Thiruvanathapuram.
Meanwhile, the carrier, in an official statement made to The Hindu, said that Jet Airways made changes to its schedule for some of its flights from the Kochi on certain specific days for operational reasons. “All flight schedules are planned, and are operated with intimation to the regulator,” it said.
29/02/12 The Hindu

AP plans policy for regional greenfield airports

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Government today stated that it would come up with a policy for development of regional greenfield airports in the State by June.
Answering questions in the Assembly, Mr Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Minister for Infrastructure, Ports, Airports and Natural Gas, said that the State Government was keen to develop infrastructure in the State.
Replying to a query raised by Telugu Desam members, Mr Tummala Nageswara Rao and others, the Minister, who was recently inducted into the State Cabinet, said at the request of the State Government and after evaluation by the Airports Authority of India, Kurnool, Nellore, Tadepalligudem, Ongole, Nizamabad and Ramagundam were assessed as feasible for regional airports by the Airports Authority of India.
He further mentioned that there were some objections raised by the Union Defence Ministry with regard to sites at Nizamabad and Ramgundam.
29/02/12 Business Line

Technical snag delays Spicejet flight

Ahmedabad: Passengers of the Spicejet Jaipur-Bangalore flight via Ahmedabad and Pune were stranded at the city airport for over two hours following a technical fault in the aircraft, airport officials said today. After the Spicejet flight SG 345, which took off from Jaipur and landed at the city airport at 2100 hours yesterday, it was found that the aircraft had developed a technical snag and could not fly with passengers, they said.
29/02/12 PTI/IBN Live

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Fly to Pondy in 10 mins

Chennai/Puducherry: With a new terminal building expected to be ready by August this year, the Puducherry airport is all set for a makeover. While there are no scheduled flights to this Union Territory(UT), airport authorities plan to facilitate airline operators to fly ATR type aircraft.
Presently un-scheduled flights, helicopter operations and flying clubs operate this airport.
“The Rs30 crore new terminal building that can accommodate 150 passengers at a time will be opened by August this year,” said Airports Authority of India (AAI) southern region executive director D. Devaraj. Noting that no airline has filed for any operations from Puducherry airport, he said the AAI has made the airport ready for ATR operations.
“The present runway length is 1,503 metres and it is enough to operate ATR type aircraft,” he said, adding that there are no constraints for airlines to start operations right away as the old terminal building is available for passenger movement.
However, Mr Devaraj noted that bigger aircrafts like Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 can’t be operated from Puducherry airport unless the runway length is extended to a minimum of 2,200 metres. “As per our master plan, we have asked for 436 acres of land to increase the runway length to cater to operations of bigger aircraft,” he added.
28/02/12 S. Sujatha & S. Prasad/Deccan Chronicle

Activist makes airport put up anti-tobacco poster

Mumbai: Smokers rushing to city airport's smoking lounge now have to face up to a grim reality. Staring straight at them is a two-foot-long poster showing how tobacco-related cancer can permanently alter a person's visage.
In fact, the airport may be among the very few spots in the city or even the country to put out such an anti-tobacco message. Although the Union government issued a notification on August 11, 2011, making the poster mandatory outside every vendor who sells tobacco products-be it cigarettes or gutka-little has been done to ensure its implementation.
At the airport too, it was an anti-tobacco activist's letter to the Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL), which ensured that the law was followed. On February 11, activist Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, an associate professor at Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel and closely associated with the Smoke Free Mumbai project, found a tobacco major's counter near Mumbai airport's gate number A3 blocking a portion of the emergency exit.
"I wrote to the airport manager pointing out this as well as the violations to the Tobacco Control Act," said Dr Chaturvedi. "As per the amended Section 6 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product Act, every tobacco shop must display a 2 X 1 feet warning at the point of sale. This warning contains a picture of mouth cancer along with a text warning. The airport shop didn't have any such display," he said.
28/02/12 Malathy Iyer/Times of India

Meeting to promote CIAL golf club

Nedumbassery: As part of its attempts to convert the CIAL Golf and Country Club (CGCC) into an international golfing destination, the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) will be holding a meeting of tour operators and hoteliers here next week.
“The airport company is looking at the possibility of promoting the CGCC by establishing working partnerships with tour operators and other key stake holders in the tourism sector,” said a senior company official. The business proposal is to highlight the golf course by including it in the tour packages offered by them.
CIAL held a meeting with leading international airline companies operating to Kochi about ten days ago and discussed the possibilities of introducing promotional fares and running road shows in the overseas markets to draw more golf enthusiasts here.
“The carriers have already agreed to promote the CGCC through their respective in-flight magazines and we are also proposing to take up promotional activities that will help us reach out to the Middle-East and Far East countries in the long-term,” the official said.
28/02/12 The Hindu

Monday, February 27, 2012

Ensure economic viability of airports to attract private investments: Assocham

With aviation sector facing turbulent times, industry body Assocham today called for fair valuation and viability of all stakeholders while fixing airport tariffs and creating an environment for attracting infrastructure investments.
Operating viability is paramount to ensure healthy inflow of private funds in future public private partnerships (PPPs), it said in representation to the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA). Airports will require an investment of Rs 675 billion during the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) of which Rs 500 billion is expected to be the share of private sector.
But Delhi airport operator is making heavy losses due to increased cost of operating a huge facility while being able to charge the tariff as per the Airports Authority of India (AAI) rate card common for all airports which is not even in line with inflation, said The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham)
``Even with the increase in tariff proposed by the regulator, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is expected to face liquidity crunch in 2012-13 and 2013-14 which will jeopardise the viability of operations,`` said secretary general D.S. Rawat.
27/02/12 My iris

AI flight makes emergency landing at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: An Air India (AI) flight with more than 100 passengers on board made an emergency landing at Mumbai airport on Sunday. The flight landed safely.
Airport officials said soon after Mumbai-Chennai flight AI 572 took off, the pilot asked air traffic control for assistance to return, citing techincal problems.
The incident happened around 6.30 pm when the flight, AI 572, from Mumbai to Chennai took-off from the airport. Airport officials said that after being air-borne for about seven minutes, the pilot asked the air traffic control for assistance to return to Mumbai citing technical problem with the aircraft.
27/02/12 Times of India

User development fee hike unlikely at Chennai, Kolkata airports

New Delhi: In a move that could provide relief to air travellers from Chennai and Kolkata, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) may not accept a proposal of the Airports Authority of India to levy a development fee (DF) on users of the two airports.
The state-owned airport operator has approached the regulator seeking levy of the fee on flyers from the two airports, to partially offset the expenditure incurred in modernising the two metro airports.
The AAI is said to have proposed a fee of about Rs 150 on every passenger departing from Chennai and Kolkata. The development fee is a pre-financing levy.
Sources indicated that the regulator feels the fee should be levied only as a “last resort” and when there is no other option left to bridge the gap in the funding of the project.
In this context, there are sections in the AERA which feel that it makes little sense to allow the AAI to raise about Rs 150 crore through imposition of development fee when the entire cost of Rs 2,500-3,000 crore is being raised by the airport operator.
26/02/12 Ashwini Phadnis/Shishir Sinha/Business Line

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Flights diverted as stranded cargo plane blocks runway

Chennai: Several take-offs from Chennai airport were delayed for nearly an hour and four incoming flights were diverted after a cargo aircraft got stuck on the main runway on Friday.
The cargo flight was being towed from the cargo terminal to a remote parking bay at the airport when the tow vehicle developed a snag. The incident happened at 11pm, when a large number of domestic flights were coming in to land at the airport.
The giant Russian-made IL76 transport aircraft belonging to a cargo airline almost crossed the main runway when a tow bar used by the towing vehicle snapped. The plane got stranded at the point where the main runway intersects the secondary runway near the cargo terminal. Flights were not able to use the full length of the runway because the cargo aircraft stood too close to the main runway.
Sources said about 1,000 feet of the 12,000-foot runway could not be used. "We allowed smaller aircraft like ATR, which requires just 4,000 feet of runway length, to land. But take-offs were suspended because the length of the runway was not adequate to ensure safety," said an airport official.
26/02/12 Times of India

Frequent fliers oppose user development fee

Coimbatore: Businessmen, doctors and frequent fliers in the city have opposed to the proposal made by the Airports Authority of India to levy a new user development fee of Rs 400 on travellers. The proposal is pending before the ministry of civil aviation for approval. If the user development fee comes into effect, it will be for a period of six years and two months. But regular fliers are already up in arms over the issue.
"The ministry should understand the plight of the average citizen. Instead of taking a flight, I can choose to travel by road or train as the cost factor works out in my favour. Instead of spending hundreds of rupees on taxis from and to airports, I can travel by road in my own car along with friends," said Dr G Bakthavathsalam, chairman, KG Hospital.
Travellers reasoned that they hardly have an hour to spend inside the airport to use the newly provided amenities. Also, it is not clear what amenities the AAI will provide within airports. "Why charge Rs 400. Why not charge more nominal and reasonable," asked Bakthavathsalam.
"Once I get the boarding pass, I enter the flight. It is not as if a world of facilities is available at airport. If the government is serious about bringing in world class civil aviation, it should provide good airports by spending out of its own pocket. Otherwise, I will travel by road in my own car," said Dr S Karthik, orthopaedic surgeon.
26/02/12 Times of India

India's airport retail aims for the sky

Back in 2006, Delhi International had just a few grubby shops and a cafe run by grumpy workers who barely nodded at your coffee order.
Fast-forward six years and the new airport is the envy of many an overseas airport operator. It has dozens of high-end shops and restaurants along with the latest facilities, and it is seriously able to give its European counterparts a run for their money.
Delhi is not alone, as other Indian airports have improved their retail offerings to boost revenue after realising that there was money to be made from all those idle passengers waiting for their flights.
Revenue from airport retail in India reached US$1 billion (Dh3.67bn) last year, according to Asipac Projects, a retail consultancy based in Bangalore.
Two key aspects contributed to the growth of airport retail, the consultancy found.
"The newness of the concept - airport shopping - is one of the key drivers as it is a recent phenomenon in India," says Amit Bagaria, the chairman of Asipac.
"Also, the fact that domestic flights in India are often delayed, so people have extra free time at airports."
26/02/12 Pia Heikkila/The National

Runways shut down, upgrade takes off

Mumbai: Two runways at the Mumbai airport remained closed for five hours on Saturday, as planned, to carry out infrastructure upgrade.
No flights landed at the airport between 11.30am and 4.30pm. Flight operations will be suspended for five hours on March 3 and March 10-the next two Saturdays.
"Since airlines and the aviation regulator were informed of the closure about three-and-a-half months in advance, passengers were not inconvenienced," said a Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd spokesperson. All the airlines had worked out flight schedules in accordance with the runway closure and so flight timings were changed accordingly, he added.
The work carried out involved construction of a new rapid exit taxiway to enhance efficiency of the main runway, 09-27.
26/02/12 Times of India

Longer runway may give Puducherry airport a leg-up

Puducherry: With flight operations being afforded top priority, the Puducherry government is? coming out with a civil aviation policy soon to market the UT Airport and make it operational through commercial flights. The draft policy is almost ready, official sources said.
Establishing an aviation refuelling service station at the Puducherry Airport was also explored by a delegation from HPCL on Friday. However, the Puducherry airport runway needs to be expanded to attract flight operators, the HPCL team said. The scope for air cargo was also good with as much as `209 crore of cargo lifted from Puducherry out of the total cargo from Chennai airport in 2011. The computer industry (Lenovo, Wipro, HCL and others) and leather industry (hi-design and others) use Chennai air cargo for their business. Already, it has been felt that Puducherry had good scope for flights to places like Bangalore. The airport has been extended recently with the expansion of the runway to 1,482 metres,? to enable landing of ATR-type aircraft.
25/02/12 Debjani Dutta/New Indian Express

We will have both Mopa & Dabolim, says Praful Patel

Panaji: The Mopa airport in North Goa airport will come up keeping the Dabolim airport operational, said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) general secretary and ex-civil aviation minister Praful Patel who was in Goa campaigning for the Mapusa NCP candidate Ashish Shirodkar.
Patel participated in the door-to-door campaigning for Shirodkar. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the campaign, Patel said that the proposed international airport at Mopa in Pernem will co-exist along with Dabolim airport. He also exuded confidence that the NCP-Congress government will come back to power in Goa.
26/02/12 Times of India

Saturday, February 25, 2012

MADC mulls rate hike for Mihan land

Nagpur: The Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), which will be finalizing its deal with IT major Infosys Limited to lease 140 hectares of land in the Mihan-SEZ on February 28, feels it's time to revise the land rates. The MADC, which is the promoter of the Mihan project, says revision is necessary due to growing demand and changing times.
This was revealed by MADC's vice-chairman-cum-managing director UPS Madan who was in the city to attend a business seminar. Since 2007, the MADC has been charging Rs 60 lakh an acre.
"There was no hike due to global recession. Revised figures will be put up before the board for a final decision," said Madan.
So far, the MADC has hiked the rates 3-4 times after starting from Rs 19 lakh an acre in 2004. "Even though there are cheaper SEZs in the country, Mihan can command a higher price due to the infrastructure here," said Madan.
Madan said that things have begun to move once again in Mihan. "IT companies which have been allotted land have now drawn plans to start work. TCS too plans to start its project by next month. Satyam and HCL too will do likewise soon," he said.
25/02/12 Shishir Arya/Times of India

Bomb rumour creates panic at Renigunta airport

Tirupati: Little did Mettapalli Jeevarathnam Reddy realize when he set out to Renigunta airport to meet his 'beloved' leader Y S Vijayamma in a black Indica car that it would send airport officials into a tizzy on Friday. Rumours flew thick and fast that the car parked by Reddy was loaded with bombs and that it could explode at any moment.
The two-hour high drama came to a tame end only after an equally nervous bomb squad officials did a complete check-up of the car parked on the airport premises and called the bluff of some local media channels which 'bombarded' the false news.
It all began when Reddy, a YSR Congress Party activist of Pachhikapallam village in Vedurukuppa mandal, came to the airport in his car (bearing registration number AP 035 9666) and parked it at the airport portico. After receiving Vijayamma who arrived in a Spice Jet flight around 10.30 am, he went away along with other activists to attend a marriage in PNR Hotel.
Meanwhile, police and airport officials were making arrangements to receive Tirupati MLA Chiranjeevi and other important VIPs when they noticed the locked car parked in a haphazard manner. They got jittery and started making frantic calls to find out the owner of the car. Word spread soon that the car could contain bombs and that it could be the handiwork of some extremist elements to blow up the car when the VIPs troop out of the airport.
25/02/12 Times of India

Friday, February 24, 2012

Allow A-380 to fly to Indian airports: French Minister

New Delhi: The French Government will take up the issue of India not allowing international airlines to operate the Airbus A-380 aircraft, the world's largest commercial jetliner, to airports here.
“Of course, this will be one of the issues which will come up at the meeting with Indian Civil Aviation Minister. There are 15 airports globally which accept the A-380 aircraft. Delhi and Mumbai are the only two airports that do not. It will not be possible for Indian airline companies to buy this aircraft if they cannot fly it to Delhi and Mumbai,” the French Minister Transport, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing, Mr Thierry Mariani, said.
The double-decker A-380 airbus aircraft can carry up to 550 passengers on a single flight, almost 150 more passengers than the next largest aircraft currently in service. The Indian authorities have not allowed any international airline to operate the A-380 here despite several operators, including German carrier Lufthansa, Dubai-based Emirates and Singapore Airlines showing interest.
The issue of cooperation between Indian Railways and France in various sectors, including in safety, came up at the meeting with the Minister for Railways, Mr Dinesh Trivedi.
24/02/12 Business Line

‘Delhi, Mumbai airports notch up lowest passenger revenue'

New Delhi: Amid ongoing consultations for increasing charges for Delhi airport, a global management consultancy has found Delhi and Mumbai airports generating the least per passenger aeronautical revenue.
Leigh Fisher Management Consultancy surveyed 50 airports and found Delhi airport with 1.97 SDR (Special Drawing Rights) and Mumbai just above Delhi, with 2.09 SDR. SDR is an international reserve asset created by the International Monetary Fund. Its value is based on a basket of four key international currencies. Narita Airport in Tokyo (Japan) tops the list with per passenger aeronautical revenue at 17.86 SDR.
This survey comes at a time when Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a GMR Group company, has sought a nearly nine-fold hike in airport charges, for which a formal proposal has already been filed with Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA).
AERA, which had issued a consultation paper on the issue with a proposal to increase airport charges by over three times, has now extended the date for submission of stakeholders' views to February 29. The regulator is likely to give its order by next month end.
24/02/12 Business Line

Thursday, February 23, 2012

BIAs old landing system costs Rs 1.4 Crore loss

Bangalore: Despite being operational for over four years, the lack of an upgraded system at the Bangalore International Airport (BIA) is leading to losses of up to Rs 1.4 crore for airlines annually. Dubbed an international airport, BIA is still not equipped with the CAT-II landing system that all the other major airports in the country introduced years ago.
While the aviation industry in the country is already bogged down by a serious financial crisis because of rising aviation fuel prices, the latest in the list of worries for the airlines and pilots is the lack of an upgraded landing system at the BIA.
The present CAT-I Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the BIA is not equipped to provide accurate weather readings. This is the reason airlines are losing about Rs 1.4 crore annually due to diversions and turnarounds. “Each diversion amounts to Rs 1.4 lakh loss to domestic airlines and about Rs 4.2 lakh for an international flight,” SR Iyer, a former air traffic controller, informed Express.
23/02/12 Sheetal Sukhija/New Indian Express/IBN Live

Airport worker battling for life after suffering burns

Dubai A 26-year-old electrical engineer was critically injured along with four others when an installation they were testing at the Concourse 3 terminal at the Dubai airport on Monday threw up sparks.
The engineer, Abdul Subhan Fajrullah, was testing the installation at a sub-station when the incident occurred, a family member claimed, adding, "He is critical. He has suffered severe burn injuries and is battling for life in the ICU at Rashid Hospital."
A source at Rashid Hospital confirmed that three of the injured were in the ICU while a fourth worker had been shifted to a ward. The fifth person has already been discharged.
The Dubai Aviation City Corporation's Engineering Projects said in a statement. "The injuries are not life-threatening."
M. Ilias, a relative of Fajrullah, said he is the sole breadwinner of his family and his parents in Tamil Nadu of India are in a state of shock.
23/02/12 Sharmila Dhal/Gulf News.com

Plan for Doppler radar at Chennai airport faces headwind

Chennai: The India Meteorological Department's plan to install a Doppler radar exclusively for aviation purposes near the Chennai airport is being delayed by bureaucratic red tape, officials say. The radar is to help the aerodrome meteorological office monitor low-level windshear and other weather patterns and issue a comprehensive weather report to airlines.
It was proposed to be installed on the slopes of the Tirusulam hills to monitor the wind pattern along the glide path of aircraft coming in to land. While the government has expressed interest in the project, the lower-level bureaucracy is allegedly dragging its feet to allot 1,500 sq m of land. And, tired of the delays, the met department has concluded that the project will not take off.
Initially, there was confusion on who owned the land on the slopes of the hills - the state or the defence authorities. For some time, the Kancheepuram district administration maintained it was defence land. After it was proved to be state government land, meteorological department officials held discussions with Tambaram taluk office officials. The jurisdiction of the land was transferred to the newly formed Alandur taluk office when revenue boundaries were redrawn before the assembly elections in May 2011.
23/02/12 V Ayyappan/Times of India

Chennai airport gear halts flying in fog

Chennai: Though it was visually impossible to estimate the Runway Visibility Range (RVR) through the thick fog that descended on Chennai on Monday, as it was before dawn, the airport’s transmissometers kicked into action in time.
By 4 am, as the visibility on the runway dropped to almost 100 metres, well below the prescribed limit set by the DGCA, the read-out from the machine that estimates visual range had ruled out air operations.
While questions have been asked about how well the technology works after it was installed over four years ago, R Suresh, Director of the Meterological Office inside the Airport complex confirmed that they were in top shape. “There are two transmissometers in operation, on runways 07 and 25, and the read-outs are accurate up to even one metre,” he said. Though it has not been sanctioned yet, once the secondary runway at the Chennai airport is completed, a similar device, also known as a hazemeter, will have to be fitted there as well.
While only Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports are equipped with the technology in the southern sector, New Delhi, which handles much more air traffic, has nine working transmissometers. Almost a year has passed since a proposal was floated to have all second-tier airports fitted with transmissometers.
23/02/12 New Indian Express/Daniel Thimmayya/IBN Live

AAI urged to do security audit

Chennai: The Airports Authority of India should do a complete security audit, said intelligence sources in the wake of the recent security lapses at the city airport, where ephedrine, a banned drug, and US dollars were seized from inside an airline coach and an aircraft, respectively.
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sources noted that eateries and teashops on the airport premises are a fertile place for criminals to keep in touch with airport people. “The breeding of contact in such areas in the vicinity of the airport should be curbed,” the sources added.
Access to the airport should be restricted, the intelligence sources said, adding that AAI should enforce the rules properly so that only people with some purpose move around the airport. “It will not be an intrusion of public life to monitor those loitering around the airport without any reason,” the sources said.
23/02/12 S Sujatha/DEccan Chronicle

Security tightened at Gannavaram airport

Vijayawada: With the increase of flight operations the police department strengthened security at the Gannavaram airport. Bomb disposable squad, Quick Res-ponse Team, dog squad, double guards have been drafted at the Gannava-ram airport.
The strength has been increased from merely 10 security staff to nearly 50 personnel during the last two days. The commissioner of police, Mr N. Madhusudan Reddy, told this newspaper on Wednesday that quick Response Team would get special training to counter the terror activities.
With the introduction of Airbus services between Vijayawada and New Delhi six months ago the Airports Authority of India and the police depar-tment are taking extra security measures. Beca-use, the terrorists could hijack the plane and div-ert it to other countries.
23/02/12 Deccan Chronicle

Patna airport No.1 in passenger traffic growth

Patna: For the second straight year, Patna airport has emerged No.1 among 46 airports in the country in terms of growth of domestic aircraft movement and number of passengers, says Bihar's economic survey 2011-12.
According to the survey, tabled in the state assembly Wednesday, Patna airport overtook the airports of Port Blir, Varanasi, Vadodra, Raipur, Agratala, Chandigarh and Madurai in terms of total number of passengers for domestic flights in 2010-11.
"The number of domestic passengers jumped from 1.76 lakh in 2004-5 to 8.38 lakh in 2010-11. Till August last year, the movement of approximately 7.7 lakh passengers was recorded" the report said.
In 2009-10, the Patna airport had handled a total of 5,52,440 passengers. It had had registered a growth of 42.2 per cent in terms of passengers' flow in 2009-10, which was also highest in the country.
23/02/12 IANS/Economic Times

Kingfisher flies away from Indore

Indore: Private carrier Kingfisher Airlines, which is in the throes of a grave financial crisis, has wound up its operations in Indore.
The airline has handed over its two counters in the new terminal to the airport authourity and also vacated its office on the airport premises.
Airport director R N Shinde confirmed that the airline had written to him on Tuesday evening regarding the handing over their counters and vacating their office.
Kingfisher had earlier closed its city office at Janjeerwala Square and its flights have been discontinued. The counters and office at the airport were vacated on Wednesday, wiping off all its presence in the city.
Officials of the airline refused to comment, but sources said the airline had not paid salaries to its local staff for the last three months, and has also not paid dues to the airport authority. Kingfisher now owes several lakh of rupees as due to the airport against landing charges.
23/02/12 Times of India

Singapore Airlines to operate 2 more Mumbai flights from March

Mumbai: Singapore Airlines today said it will be increasing its frequency for Mumbai from 17 to 19 weekly flights from next month.
The additional flights will be operated between March 25 and October 27, the international carrier said in a release here.
The airline, however, did not specify the day of the new flights.
20/02/12 PTI/Economic Times

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Govt to draw Hassan airport blueprint afresh

Bangalore: About four-and-a-half years after approving the project, the State government has found the proposed greenfield airport in Hassan financially not viable. As a result, it has decided to revise the project plan.
In the recent letter to the Infrastructure Development Department (IDD), the Finance Department has stated the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is “unreliable” and “inconsistent” and recommended that the project be planned afresh.
One of the reasons cited by the FD, official sources said, is the low rate of returns.
The acceptable Internal Rate of Returns (IRR) for such a project is 12 to 14 per cent. The DPR has, however, quoted 10.75 per cent IRR. “So the project is not viable. It is strongly recommended that the project may be planned afresh as per the Government of India guidelines so that it is eligible under Viability Gap Funding (VGF),” the FD has stated in reply to a proposal seeking VGF cover to the project.
The Public Private Partnership (PPP) project has been awarded to Jupiter Aviation and Logistics Ltd. The promoter would invest about Rs 1,200 crore on the project, while the government would provide 960 acres of land and utility services like power and water.
The project was planned in three components: Passenger, cargo and aviation related activities. Besides airport, it was planned to set up an aviation training academy and aircraft maintenance and overhauling facility as a back up to the Bangalore international airport.
22/02/12 P M Raghunandan/Deccan Herald

Assam airports set to get major facelift

Guwahati: Several major airports of Assam including the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport are set for major facelift. The State Government has assured the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to hand over required land for the expansion of the LGBI airport within seven days.
An official release said that the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi today had a meeting with chairman of AAI VP Agarwal in his office where key issues relating to development of airports in the State were discussed. The AAI chief apprised the Chief Minister of the steps taken by the AAI for the construction of a new integrated terminal building and taxi track in the LGBI to cope with the heavy inflow of passengers. He requested the Chief Minister to hand over the land required at the earliest for modernization and expansion of the airport. The revenue officials present in the meeting said that the required land would be handed over to the AAI within the next seven days.
Agarwal informed the Chief Minister that an amount of Rs 500 crore would be required for parallel runway, Rs 150 crore for traffic taxi and Rs 100 crore as cost of land. The AAI chairman requested the Chief Minister to move the North eastern Council (NEC) for financial support and he assured to do it. Gogoi also asked Agarwal to explore other possibilities for meeting the fund requirement.
As Assam serves as the regional hub, the AAI has been asked to ensure share of funds for land acquisition cost by the other State Governments, DoNER and the NEC. Agarwal also informed the Chief Minister that night landing facilities in the LGBI airport would come up soon.
21/02/12 Assam Tribune

SpiceJet, Jet Airways offer to operate flights out of Mysore

Mysore: The turbulence in Kingfisher Airlines in November had led to cancellation of flight services to Mysore. Now, as the air operator is facing trouble, two other private airlines are preparing to reconnect the tourist hub to destinations like Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad.
This follows chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda's intervention to end the bad phase for the workable airport, which has been restricted to operating chartered flights since November 6, because commercial flights were cancelled by the Kingfisher Airlines. Gowda held a meeting with the various stakeholders including the representatives of the airlines and the officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on February 14 in Bangalore and asked the private airlines to get him a schedule. The airlines in return are seeking assistance to sell the tickets.
22/02/12 H M Aravind/Times of India

AIYF flays YC(I), MLA on Aranmula project

Pathanamthitta: All-India Youth Federation (AIYF) State joint-secretary, Manoj Charalel, has strongly condemned the march staged by the Youth Congress (I) here on Tuesday demanding implementation of the proposed Aranmula airport project.
In a statement issued here on Tuesday, the AIYF leader alleged that the march was a clear testimony to the support extended to the ‘land mafia’ by the YC(I) and its State leadership.
It was a mockery on the part of the State leadership of the youth organisation of the ruling Congress(I) to stage a march on behalf of a private company that have violated all the prevailing laws of the land in the name of an airport project at Aranmula.
The AISF leader alleged that it was a shame on the Youth Congress(I) and its State president, P.C. Vishnunath, MLA, who is also a member of the State Legislature Committee on Environment to argue in public for a private company that have illegally converted natural streams, wetland and paddy fields at Aranmula.
21/02/12 The Hindu

Vishnunath criticises CPI(M), BJP stand on airport project

Pathanamthitta: The Youth Congress(I) State president, P.C. Vishnunath, MLA, has called upon the Government to take immediate steps to facilitate construction of the proposed international airport at Aranmula with out any further delay.
Mr Vishnunath was inaugurating the march organised by the Youth Congress(I) district unit here, demanding all necessary Government support and clearance for the proposed airport project at Aranmula.
The MLA said the proposed airport project would be of great help in generating employment opportunities in the region. Moreover, the airport project will lead to the overall development of the district, he adds.
Mr A. Sureshkumar, municipal chairman; Vettoor Jyotiprasad, Congress(I) Seva Dal district chairman; M.G. Kannan, Johnson Vilavinal, Aneesh Varikkannamala, Congress(I) and Youth Congress(I) district leaders, also spoke.
21/02/12 The Hindu

CPI moots setting up of a model farm at Aranmula

Pathanamthitta: The All-India Youth Federation workers have staged marches in the towns of Pathanamthitta, Adoor, Konni and Ranni on Wednesday, protesting against conversion of the Aranmula puncha (paddy field) and wetland in the name of a proposed private airport project and opposing the move to raise the retirement of Government employees.
Inaugurating the march, Mr P. Prasad, CPI district secretary, called upon the Government to take over the vast expanse of paddy field and revenue land that have been illegally converted in the name of the proposed airport project at Aranmula without any further delay.
According to Mr Prasad, conversion of the water-rich wetlands and paddy fields will lead Kerala that has been regarded as the land of rivers to a frightening situation, especially at a time when many parts of the State have been reportedly reeling under acute drinking water scarcity.
The CPI leader alleged that the studied silence on the part of the authorities concerned towards the illegal paddy land conversion held in Aranmula was a clear testimony to the “unholy official-land mafia nexus’’.
The CPI leader said the Government should set up a model farm at the illegally converted paddy land at Aranmula and revive cultivation in Aranmula Puncha (paddy field).
Coming down heavily on the Youth Congress State president, P.C. Vishnunath, MLA, who is also a member of the Legislative Committee on Environment, Mr Prasad said it was grossly inappropriate on the part of the MLA to inaugurate the Youth Congress march in support of the private airport held in Pathanamthitta on Tuesday.
22/02/12 The Hindu

CIAL seeks technical aid

Kochi: The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) is in talks with at least four global aviation companies based in Europe for technical partnership so as to raise its under-construction “Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)” facility into a centre for major aircraft repairing works.
Though Air India has set up a hangar at Thiruvananthapuram, only minor maintenance works are done there.
First phase of the Rs 100-crore project has been completed and it has been granted permission by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to carry out ‘A’ check (minor maintenance work of aircraft).
The facility includes two hangars to carry out simultaneous maintenance works on narrow-body aircraft. The second phase will include two wide-body hangars, more parking bays and workshops apart from two additional narrow-body hangars.
“We further aim to expand the operations to B, C and D checks for executive jets, passenger and cargo aircraft. For that we require manpower and technical expertise for which talks have been initiated with at least four aviation companies,” a CIAL official said, adding the company is willing to offer up to 49 per cent equity.
22/02/12 Krishna Kumar K.E./Deccan Chronicle

'Pot hole' on Surat airport's runway scares off big jets

New Delhi: Surat may attract diamond merchants from far and wide but the city's dream to have an international airport is still to come true.
A plan was cleared in 2004 to upgrade the local airport to international standards at a cost of Rs.110 crore. The airport, according to the plan, would get a new terminal building and state-of-the-art ATC facilities. Most significantly, the runway would be extended to accept bigger jets such as the Airbus A320 and A321.
Eight years later, A320s and A321s still do not land at Surat.
So poor was the material used in the extended portion of the runway that it sank under the weight of a truck during construction in 2008, leaving a gaping hole. You can well imagine the consequences if an A320 or A321 had touched down there.
The crater was filled, topped with paved surface and the runway cleared for use by widebodied jets such as the A320 by then AAI chief engineer G.K. Chaudhary. AAI is short for the Airport Authority of India.
But AAI officials from Delhi smelt a rat in the nick of time and asked the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to probe the matter.
22/02/12 MSN News

BIA uses bio-fuel for ground support

Bangalore: The Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) has become the first airport in India to adopt bio-fuel in its operations.
To improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprint, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) on Tuesday announced its partnership with Karnataka State Biofuel Development Board (KSBDB) for its operations at BIAL.
Through this partnership, BIAL will migrate to operations of its ground vehicles to bio-fuel supplied by KSBDB. “We’ve consciously taken this decision to implement and develop BIA into a green facility and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Deploying bio-fuel reduces carbon footprint, in comparison to use of fossil fuels. It is thus a responsible way to meet our energy needs. We are proud to have partnered with KSBDB to create an enabling and sustainable environment,” said Sanjay Reddy, managing director, BIAL.
BIAL, as part of its ongoing efforts towards making the airport energy-efficient, has taken up several green initiatives in the past including water conservation and management. While these initiatives have been recognised and awarded at various industry forums, BIAL is committed towards adopting such best practices and set benchmarks across all functions at the airport.
22/02/12 Daily News & Analysis

Airport Metro starts international check-in tomorrow

New Delhi The Airport Metro Express Line will start baggage check-in facility for international passengers from Thursday. The launch of the facility coincides with the Airport Metro’s first birthday.
International passengers will be able to check-in their luggage and collect boarding pass at New Delhi and Shivaji Stadium stations, up to eight hours prior to the scheduled departure of their flight.
The move will allow passengers to relive themselves of the luggage, and either shop at stations’ retail outlets or tour the city.
Air India will be the first to offer this facility to its passengers. Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines, which already have their counters at the stations, will soon follow.
Reliance Infrastructure, operator of the line, is in talks with other airlines and more counters are expected to come up at the two stations, officials said.
22/02/12 Express India

Airport advtg offers new avenue for OOH players

The rapid growth in the airport retail business in India, triggered primarily by increase in passenger traffic and innovations in advertising, has brought about a robust revenue stream for the out of home players.
According to a boutique retail consultancy, the airport retail business in India topped $1 billion in revenues during 2011, on the back of increased airport traffic and more people shopping on the go. Hiyav Bajaj, Director, TDI International India (P) Ltd, believed that this would augur well for the OOH business this year, provided the advertisers were ready to take advantage of the rapidly changing profile of the ‘air traveler’ in India. He said, “The industry should realise that today’s air traveler is not limited to the ‘high flyer’ category, but belongs to a category that covers a broad range of decision makers with real purchase capabilities.”
Bajaj pointed out, “The last few years have seen a revolutionary change in airport advertising concepts. Today, the changes that you see are due to larger airports, larger formats, brilliant innovations, and new technologies such as Bluetooth, etc. The execution has also seen a revolutionary change. It is much faster. To give you an example, TDI’s pan-India turnaround time for launch capability has been as low as 17 hours.”
22/02/12 Priyanka Nair/Exchange4media.com

HPCL, BPCL seek stake in Kannur airport

New Delhi: State-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) are in the race to make “participatory investment” in the proposed greenfield international airport at Kannur in North Kerala.
The move by these two follows a call given by the Kerala Government for 23 per cent equity participation by public sector undertakings in the proposed airport project.
The HPCL board, at its meeting held here on February 9, had given its approval to explore the possibility of taking up 11 per cent equity stake amounting to Rs.55 crore in the proposed airport project.
Following the board approval, HPCL would now make an offer to Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL). The investment proposal, however, comes with a rider. It calls for grant of rights to HPCL for design/development/operation/maintenance of all fuel facilities and into-plan operations at the airport, either solely or jointly with KIAL.
22/02/12 Sujay Mehdudia/The Hindu

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

High drama at Kochi airport

Kochi: Security officials at the Cochin airport late on Monday prevented three officials of the Italian Embassy who had been on board an Air India flight to Thiruvananthapuram from disembarking at Kochi.
According to official sources, the Embassy officials had boarded the flight AI 465 from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram via Kochi and were bound to de-board at Thiruvananthapuram. However, they insisted on disembarking at Kochi after the aircraft landed here for a brief stop over by 8.45 p.m.
And despite repeated warnings from the cabin crew, they managed to get out of the aircraft. However, they were stopped at the ladder point by the airport security personnel and were forcibly taken into the aircraft following negotiations with the airline authorities.
“The embassy officials appeared furious but the airline and security personnel were in no mood to yield and they finally returned to the aircraft,” an airport official said. According to him, the booking details of the passengers clearly showed that they had purchased tickets to a destination beyond Kochi.
21/02/12 The Hindu

GMR Hyderabad International Airport to divest 100% in HDFRL

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Duty Free Retail Ltd (HDFRL), a GMR Group company that owns and manages duty free outlets at the International Airport here, is up for sale, according to a senior official of GMR Group.
The GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), which manages the Airport, is mulling to divest 100 per cent equity in HDFRL and is on the lookout for a suitable buyer, the official said.
HDFRL came into being after the Nuance Group ( India) a joint venture company between Switzerland-based Nuance Group AG and Shoppers' Stop Ltd, severed 7-year contract with GMR Group to run the outlets at Hyderabad Airport, citing poor sales in 2010.
"We are looking at the 100 per cent divestment in HDFRL for the following reasons. We would like to bring in a specialist player in the Duty Free space.
20/02/12 PTI/Economic Times

All-new Global Fiesta on display at Jammu airport

Jammu: The All-new Global Fiesta today became the first ever car to be displayed at Jammu Airport.
The momentous event was celebrated with M Suresh, Director, Jammu Airport cutting the ribbon at the All-New Global Ford Fiesta display platform inside the Jammu Airport in presence of M.L Mehra, Superintendent Police, Jammu Airport. More than 400 people were present on the occasion.
Devinder Singh, Sales Manager, Jammu Ford on the occasion said, “We are excited with the opportunity to display the All New Ford Fiesta at Jammu Airport, this premium sedan engages with its eye-catching kinetic design and its many first-in-segment features, intuitive in-cabin technology for communication on the move that meets customers’ inclination and aspirations.”
19/02/12 Greater Kashmir

Now, no mobile rule for regular air staff

Chennai: All contract workers who cried ‘foul’ after AAI banned them from using cell phones while on duty, will now be appeased.
A day after sleuths from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence nabbed a senior catering superintendent working with Air India after he took $300,000 USD into a parked aircraft and put it in a magazine pouch so that a passenger would pick it up, AAI has decided to come down hard on all ‘regular’ permanent employees and officers. Henceforth, they also will not be allowed to carry mobile phones on duty and cannot leave their work place without the permission of their supervisors, said the airport director.
Reacting to the incident, he said in an official statement that the “connivance of a senior employee is a point of concern. He had free access to all sensitive locations including the interiors of the aircraft. He connived with a porter (courier) for some pecuniary benefits.” After some contract workers with Jet Airways were apprehended trying to smuggle a huge haul of ephedrine into a flight, authorities came down hard on all non-permanent staff. Now, these norms are set to become standardised.
21/02/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

Monday, February 20, 2012

Move to levy UDF at Madurai airport flayed

Madurai: The move by the Airport Authority of India to impose an “exorbitant” user development fee (UDF) on passengers flying out of Madurai airport has been strongly opposed by the industry here. They say it was inappropriate to “penalise” passengers with the UDF when the airport in the tier II city was yet to be put to optimum usage.
Report says the AAI was planning to levy UDF of Rs. 400 for each domestic passenger and Rs. 750 for each international passenger. “Ideally, there should not be any UDF at all in Madurai airport for the initial period of three years with an aim to motivate people of the region to fly. The UDF of Rs. 400 will only discourage passengers from using the airport,” senior president of Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries, S. Rethinavelu, said.
Besides, the levy of Rs. 400 cannot be justified in a tier II city airport, which has no international flight operation. “We strongly oppose any such move,” he said.
A leading travel agent, N. Sriram, said that the UDF for domestic and international passengers taking off from metros like New Delhi and Bangalore was much lesser. It was Rs. 221 and Rs. 260 respectively.
21/02/12 S Sundar/The Hindu

Toll booths halt traffic on BIA road

Bangalore: Travelling to the Bangalore International Airport (BIA) was always a tedious task for commuters. But BMTC’s Vayu Vajra’s service had sorted out traffic congestion to a large extent. However, with the toll collection beginning in full swing, the increased traffic woes have left Bangalorean’s with no space to breathe.
Not only have the pollution levels enroute to the BIA doubled, with the traffic inflow increasing, problems of traffic is only worsening. Moreover, with taxi and cab owners hiking up their fares from the city to the BIA, owing to payment of the toll, people are now preferring to travel either by private vehicles or by the satellite bus service. However, a closer look at the everyday traffic in the area reveals that almost 75 per cent of the commuters are travelling up to Yelahanka in their private cars and then taking a BMTC bus.
“This is not only increasing traffic congestion from the city to the BIA, but is disrupting normal traffic inflow in the area for regular commuters. In peak hours, there are hundreds of vehicles moving towards BIA but surprisingly more than half of these vehicles don’t even close in towards the airport. We figured out that private cars are causing main problems,” said Gurunath, a constable stationed near Hebbal junction.
When Express spoke to a few such private vehicle owners, they claimed that instead of paying almost Rs 1,000 to get from the heart of the city towards the airport, they preferred to take their private vehicles.
21/02/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

Jamshedpur, Bokaro to have airports soon; Airports Authority of India signs MoU

New Delhi: Steel cities of Jharkhand, Jamshedpur and Bokaro will soon figure on the country's air map as the Airports Authority of India will set up airports there.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the AAI and the Jharkhand government for establishing airports in both the cities in the presence of AAI Chairman and Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda.
21/02/12 Economic Times

Chandigarh airport may take time to go international

Chandigarh: At a time when foreign airlines are keen to connect with Chandigarh on the international flight map by offering flights from the local airport, the higher authorities in Delhi are dashing all hopes by delaying necessary approvals. It's been almost five months since the low cost airline, Air Arabia was principally allowed to operate Sharjah-Chandigarh flight from local airport, but the airline is still waiting for an approval from the ministry of defence (MoD) and director general civil aviation (DGCA). Company has also been writing to authorities so that they can start their operations.
On Monday, commercial head of Air Arabia, A K Nizar, said, it's very unfortunate that higher authorities in India are taking a longer time in giving necessary approvals for operating international flights from Chandigarh. "The airline was principally allowed to operate from Chandigarh airport in October, but even after almost five months they are yet to receive the final approval," Nizar said.
21/02/12 Ajay Sura/Times of India

Differently-abled woman offloaded from SpiceJet flight

Kolkata A woman suffering from cerebral palsy was offloaded from a SpiceJet flight at the Kolkata airport on Sunday as the pilot reportedly found her unfit to fly on her own. An airline source said the pilot mistook the passenger for a mentally challenged patient.
The incident occurred soon after Jeeja Ghosh, 42, a teacher at Kolkata’s Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy, boarded the flight. Ghosh was on her way to Goa to attend a conference where she was to deliver a lecture on mainstreaming the differently-abled.
Ghosh said she reached the airport at 7 am, checked in and was escorted to the flight by an assistant. She was seated in the plane when a flight assistant reportedly asked for her boarding pass and then told her to leave her seat and accompany them. Ghosh was made to deboard the flight, put in a car and taken back to the airport.
According to Ghosh, she was taken to the airport office, where she learnt that it was the pilot, Utprabh Tiwari, who wanted her offloaded. The assistant manager and other personnel reportedly said they were helpless and had failed to convince the pilot.
Ghosh said the airline staff refused to give her a written statement stating the reason for de-boarding her.
While the airline later apologised and offered to fly her to Goa the next day, Ghosh has filed a complaint with the authorities.
20/02/12 Express India

Airports Authority plans to levy user fee in 14 cities

Despite passenger air traffic growth slumping to a four year low, passengers may have to pay more soon for flying from Chennai, Kolkatta, Madurai and Coimbatore besides ten more cities. The Airports Authority of India, which operates the airports in these 14 cities, is awaiting approval for levying user development fee at there.
Meanwhile, the Authority also plans to approach the Finance Ministry for raising fund through infrastructure bonds. Three years back a similar proposal was turned down by the Ministry.
A person familiar with the development told Business Line, “The Authority has submitted plans to levy UDF at Chennai, Kolkatta and Goa to the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA). On the other hand, proposal for 11 other airports have been sent to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.”
AERA considers proposal for airports with traffic of 15 lakhs and above. Currently, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Chennai and Goa fall under the purview of AERA. All other airports are regulated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. At present, passengers are required to pay development fee when boarding a flight at 12 airports including Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Thiruvanthapuram.
19/02/12 Shishir Sinha/Ashwini Phadnis

MoEF urged to cancel clearance for airport project

Pathanamthitta: The Pampa Parirakshana Samiti (PPS), a Kozhencherry-based prominent environmental group that has been campaigning for the cause of Pampa since the past two decades, have called upon the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to take immediate steps to cancel the clearance granted for the proposed greenfield airport project at Aranmula.
In a letter to the secretary, MoEF, the PPS general secretary, N.K. Sukumaran Nair, alleged that the clearance granted by the Environmental Appraisal Committee (F No. 10-51/2010-IA) for the KGS Aranmula Greenfield Airport project was based on certain “undisclosed and incorrect information, without considering the ground reality.’’
The eco group say that the project area is a “wetland and a riparian floodplain area of river Pampa and a fragile eco system.’’
According to Mr Nair, the proposed project site is a paddy land and it require conversion of as much as 347.556 acre of paddy fields for the airport project which was not at all mentioned in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report submitted to the MoEF. Conversion and reclamation of wetlands for non-wetland use should be prohibited as per the prevailing rules, he said.
The letter further states that the small stream mentioned in the EIA report is the origin of Kozhithode stream, a tributary of river Pampa that empties out into the Pampa at Edayaranmula. This stream is a major water source for the agricultural lands in Aranmula, Kidangannoor and Mallappuzhasserry villages and for the people residing in the surrounding villages.
19/02/12 Radhakrishnan Kuttoor/The Hindu

More Kingfisher flights hit, chaos likely to continue

New Delhi/Kolkata: The DGCA said Sunday it hadn’t been informed by Kingfisher Airlines in adv-ance about cancellations and largescale disruption of flights, as these wreaked havoc at airports across the country on Sunday. Scores of the airline’s flights were cancelled and delayed.
Kingfisher warned that the disruptions might continue for four days as irate passengers at Kolkata airport and elsewhere complained bitterly of being stranded due to last-minute cancellations on Sunday. On Sunday, Kingfisher did not operate at all from Kolkata, one of the worst-affected by the Kingfisher flight chaos after an agitation by the airline’s emplo-yees who said they had not got salaries on time.
Delhi airport too witnessed cancellations by Kingfisher, and several were reported from Mumbai and Bengaluru.
20/02/12 Asian Age

All-new Global Fiesta on display at Jammu airport

Jammu: The All-new Global Fiesta today became the first ever car to be displayed at Jammu Airport.
The momentous event was celebrated with M Suresh, Director, Jammu Airport cutting the ribbon at the All-New Global Ford Fiesta display platform inside the Jammu Airport in presence of M.L Mehra, Superintendent Police, Jammu Airport. More than 400 people were present on the occasion.
Devinder Singh, Sales Manager, Jammu Ford on the occasion said, “We are excited with the opportunity to display the All New Ford Fiesta at Jammu Airport, this premium sedan engages with its eye-catching kinetic design and its many first-in-segment features, intuitive in-cabin technology for communication on the move that meets customers’ inclination and aspirations.”
19/02/12 Greater Kashmir

Feeder airline services to link top tourism spots soon

Mysore: A pilot project to connect the country's top tourism destinations by feeder airline services is expected to take off in November. The Golden Triangle — Delhi-Agra-Jaipur — will be the first tourism circuit to be covered under this project.
The project is likely to be launched on the public private partnership (PPP) model with the Union Government as well as stakeholders in the tourism industry joining hands to provide air connectivity for well-heeled tourists.
Speaking to presspersons after attending the meeting of South India Hotels' and Restaurants' Association here, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India honorary secretary and Hotel Leelaventure Ltd. vice-chairman and managing director Vivek Nair said that three 16 or 18-seat jets would be procured on lease and introduced on the Golden Triangle circuit.
“IndiGo Airlines has been requested to operate the services. The feeder airline services may be expanded in the south, including Mysore, if the service on Delhi-Agra-Jaipur route gets good response,” he said. Compared to heli-tourism, feeder airline service is economical, with an extended carrying capacity, he added.
19/02/12 The Hindu

Flight cancellation costs dearer to college students

Srinagar Cancellation of a flight cost dearly to as many as 36 students of a professional institute here as the group had to miss an important industrial training programme in Mumbai due to it.
Students of Business School of Islamic University of Science and Technology had to miss the event after the Mumbai-bound GoAir flight they were to board got cancelled.
"The students from the business school were scheduled to start their industrial training from tomorrow and we had fixed a meeting with CEOs of some top companies but the flight cancellation has thrown a spanner in the works," the programme coordinator Khursheed Ahmad said.
Ahmad said the airline authorities refused to entertain any requests from the students to accommodate them in three other flights scheduled later in the day.
19/02/12 Express India

Body of Indian stuck at Muscat airport after coffin not loaded on flight

The dead body of an Indian expatriate has been lying at Seeb Airport in Muscat in Oman for two days now, as an Indian airline’s cargo handlers “forgot” to load the coffin on the plane.
Relatives have been waiting to receive and cremate the body of the dead man who committed suicide about 15 days ago.
Airline and cargo officials are now working to repatriate the body of Jinesh Chandran (24) who killed himself on February 5 at Saham in Oman.
The body was to be sent home by an Air India Express flight from Muscat to Kozhikode at 1.45pm and his relatives were waiting at Kozhikode airport to receive the body.
C M Jabbar, a Muscat-based social worker of Kairali, a socio-cultural organisation, said: “It is the first time that a coffin was forgotten by ground-handling staff at the airport. The coffin is in a big box and no one can miss the box as all the names and details of the airline and the dead man are written on the box."
He said arrangements were being made to repatriate the body on an Air India Express flight on Sunday.
20/02/12 VM Sathish/Emirates24/7

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Air India staffer held for helping currency smuggler at Chennai airport

Chennai: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence sleuths have seized US dollars worth Rs 20 lakh from inside a Singapore bound AI 346 Air India aircraft which was ready to board passengers early on Sunday.
The novel modus operandi used by smugglers point to a severe security breach. An Air India catering superintendent, MNVRK Prasad, took the small packet containing dollars in the high security area and into the flight. He kept it in the magazine pouch of seat 24A where the passenger, M Shajahan of Royapuram, was supposed to sit.
DRI additional director general C Rajan said that Prasad received the packet containing the currency on Saturday evening. "He hid the packet inside his reflector jacket, travelled along with a food cart, boarded the plane and kept it in the magazine pouch of the seat before passengers were boarded," Rajan said.
Shajahan seems to have informed him about his seat number after getting the boarding pass.
19/02/12 Times of India

Air India staff caught stealing at IGI airport

New Delhi: Two baggage assistants of Air India were apprehended while they were allegedly trying to steal laptops and mobile-phones inside the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) said on Friday.
The two AI staff have been identified as Deepak Nangia and Abhimanyu, a CISF officer said, adding that one laptop and three mobile-phones were recovered from the duo in separate cases.
While Nangia was handed over to police on February 14, Abhimanyu was intercepted and later handed over to Delhi Police on February 15.
"Both were intercepted when they were exiting the Terminal 3 of the IGI. The police is probing whether the laptops and other valuable were stolen from the baggage of passengers," a CISF officer said.
In yet another case, CISF troops today found a bag lying at Dwarka Sector-21 station of the Airport Metro which contained more than Rs 2 lakh in cash, a Blackberry mobile-phone and an iPod.
18/02/12 PTI/ZeeNews

Lufthansa opens self check-in kiosks at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: German national carrier Lufthansa today said it has introduced four self check-in kiosks at the Mumbai International Airport.
In this facility, a passenger can check-in using his/her booking code in combination with the first and last name, credit card number or Miles & Moreor Star Alliance mileage card numbers, individually or in groups of up to four persons.
19/02/12 Business Line

IGI cabbies get lessons on behaviour

New Delhi: Cab drivers at IGI Airport will soon be a better behaved lot. The airport management is conducting special workshops for drivers - of both radio cabs and regular taxis - and imparting lessons in safety, security, personal grooming and politeness.
A driver with a private cab company, Mohammed Anuddin, attended a session this week and said that the classes gave him and his colleagues an understanding of the specific needs of passengers at the airport. "This was like a refresher class. We were told how to behave with the passengers, be polite and open the door for them. We were also told that we should help out with the luggage, especially of women and senior citizens," he said.
12/02/12 Times of India

Traffic pile-up at BIA: 20 passengers miss flights

Bengaluru: Chaos prevailed at the Bengaluru International Airport on Saturday morning when at least 20 passengers, who were supposed to board Indigo Airline flights, missed their planes and accused the airport authorities and airline officials for the situation.
They also alleged that Indigo made them pay extra without any receipts to accommodate them on other flights, though the mistake was airport authorities’. The passengers alleged that they got late checking in due to a huge traffic hold-up inside the airport due to on-going construction and again at the entrance as only a few gates were open. The airline officials did not escort the passengers for a quick boarding.
19/02/12 Deccan Chronicle

IB takeover of Cochin airport by March 1

Kochi: The Intelligence Bureau is speeding up “takeover” of the immigration tasks at the Cochin International airport and the process is likely to be completed by March 1.
Final notification has been issued, directing takeover of immigration desks at the airport by this month end, sources said. The IB had earlier missed the deadline of February 1 as it failed to find adequate staff to be deployed on deputation.
In the initial stage, top level posts will be filled up. Already a Central Intelligence officer and a deputy Central Intelligence officer were posted to head the operations. Earlier the state had nominated Ch. H. Nagaraju (IPS) as the Foreign Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) in December.
19/02/12 Deccan Chronicle

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Kingfisher Airlines' Tier-II, III operations may be affected till March-end

Mumbai: The cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines' operations from tier-II and tier-III cities are likely to be affected until March end, industry sources said.
"The number of Kingfisher flights has come down to 160 a day from 240 flights a day. It is likely to continue like this. They seem to have shut down Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Srinagar, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Flights to more locations could be affected as they have lots of aircraft on ground," an industry source said here today.
The airline has not issued any statement on its Kolkata operations despite flights from Kolkata to Delhi, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, Bagdogra, Aizwal, Silchar, Dhaka and Bangkok being taken off the ticketing sites.
Incidentally, KA has been directed by its lenders including the State Bank of India to reverse the nearly Rs 100-crore guarantee commission it paid to promoter Vijay Mallya and UB Holdings, as a pre-condition to consider the second round of bailout.
18/02/12 PTI/Economic Times

CIAL plant work on sans nod

Kochi: It has now come to light that the Cochin Inter-national Airport Limited (CIAL) had not obtained clearance from the Kerala Pollution Control Board (KPCB) and the Nedumbassery panchayat before initiating work on the new sewage plant at the airport.
Answering a Right to Information query, the KPCB on January 28 said that the new treatment plant of the airport had not obtained its permission.
However, the KPCB said it had received an application from CIAL for creating a new waste water purification process on January 24.
The Nedumbassery panchayat, under whose jurisdiction the sewage treatment plant comes, also has said in reply to an RTI query on February 9 that it has not given a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the construction of the new sewage plant. The panchayat, surprisingly, added that for the existing plant also it had not given a licence to CIAL.
When contacted, CIAL official V. Sankar said that CIAL is not building a new sewage plant but was augmenting the capacity of the existing plant from 300 CMP to 750 CMP.
“Apart from capacity augmentation, we are going for modernisation of the plant and the documents for the same have been submitted to the KPCB in anticipation of approval,” he said. He added that he has to check the records to comment on the status with Nedumbassery panchayat.
18/02/12 Vinod Nedumudy/Deccan Chronicle

Kingfisher suspends Kolkata flights

Mumbai/ Kolkata: Kingfisher Airlines is suspending all operations at Kolkata and may shut its Hyderabad operations, too, after slipping further into the red, say sources.
Barely a day after posting a Rs 444 crore loss for the third quarter, the airline intimated its employees it was temporarily closing operations in Kolkata from Monday. A source said the upset staffers demanded their salary dues; on being told this could not be paid now, they walked out, leaving check-in counters unattended.
“There was chaos at the airport. Travel agents who had booked passengers on domestic flights and to Bangkok are upset and the airline has told them they will resume in 20 days,” said the source.
The airline has apparently sounded its employees that it may suspend operations from Hyderabad, too. The Kingfisher spokesperson did not respond to emails and text messages seeking comments.
From Kolkata, Kingfisher flies to New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Aizawl, Bagdogra (Siliguri), Chandigarh, Goa, Hyderabad and Pune.
18/02/12 Aneesh Phadnis & Probal Basak/Business Standard

Dry grass catches fire near RGIA

Hyderabad: Dry grass piled up in an open area near the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad caught fire on Friday afternoon.
Passengers noticed the flames around noon and alerted airport officials, who pressed into service three fire tenders from the airport fire station.
As it became difficult for them to douse the flames, fire-fighters from the Chandulal Baradari station rushed to the spot and controlled the fire in four hours.
Chandulal Baradari Station Fire Officer B. Suresh Reddy said that fire could have been caused due to careless smoking. “Casual attitude by smokers in extinguishing burnt cigarette butt might have led to the mishap,” he explained.
This is the second such incident that was reported near the airport.
Dry grass piled up in an open place opposite the airport caught fire in a similar manner last year.
18/02/12 The Hindu

Friday, February 17, 2012

Govt inks MoU with AAI to develop Deoghar airport

Ranchi: Jharkhand Government on Thursday singed an MoU with Airport Authority of India for developing airport at Deoghar, a town of immense religious importance.
As per the agreement, the airport would be developed within two years time, after land acquisition is done. About Rs350 crore would be spent on the project in which Rs300 crore would be coming from the Centre as grants, whereas the rest would be given to AAI by the Jharkhand Government.
The venture would require additional 675 acres of land that would be acquired with the help of State Government. Work on rehabilitation of the displaced people, arrangement for water and electricity and expenditure incurred on shifting the infrastructure facilities would cost about Rs90 crore and State Government would bear the cost. The land would be given to AAI for a period of 30 years as long term lease for developing the airport.
The Deoghar airport has existing runway of 1158x24 metres. The agreement would pave way for developing it to 1700x30 metres in the first phase and later, depending on the viability, second phase of development would take place. This would take the airport up to 2700x45 metre length. ATR-72 planes can be operated in the preliminary phase.
17/02/12 Daily Pioneer

Shimoga airport may be delayed by six months

Shimoga: People in Malnad region were hoping to see the first flight land in the newly built greenfield airport in Shimoga by March but their hopes have been dashed.
The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that monitors and approves work of airports and their airworthiness has raised air-safety concerns and directed the local administration to remove some high-rise buildings and power lines built close to the airport for them to give their consent.
One of the dream projects of beleaguered former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, Shimoga airport, may get delayed by another six months or more.
Officials said DGCA wanted the district administration to get at least 50-60 concrete structures removed from the industrial area nearby and shift the 7km stretch of high tension Sharavathi power lines. The power lines transmit high voltage power from Sharavathi power station in Shimoga to Mysore region.
17/02/12 Times of India

Air services to Jamshedpur resume from Feb 15

Kolkata: With the Northeast Shuttles announcing regular flights between Kolkata and Jamshedpur from February 15, the steel city made will make a comeback into the aviation map with non-scheduled operator on Wednesday. In the past five years, the sector has experienced a lot of turbulence with Air Deccan, Kingfisher, MDLR and Deccan Charters pulling out of services due to various reasons recording despite good loads.
"The day after Valentine's, we will start six days-a-week charter flights between Kolkata and Jamshedpur. After a fortnight, we will increase operations to twice daily flights, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon," Northeast Shuttles managing director Shoba Mani said on Monday.
Though schedules were not published, the operator is not allowed to publish schedules. The Dornier 228 took off at 9am and returned around 10.30am on Wednesday, sources said. The flight time to Jamshedpur is 35 minutes; the turnover time 15 minutes. The afternoon flight is likely to took off around 3pm.
17/02/12 Times of India

Patna airport safety: Over 3000 trees to be felled

Bihar's capital city will lose its green cover to ensure smooth air traffic operations at the Patna airport. More than 3000 trees will be felled in Patna as they pose a threat to air traffic.
For the safety of Patna airport, trees in the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park (Patna zoo) are likely to be cut or pruned soon, officials said on Thursday.
The Airport Authority of India and other airlines operators have decided to request the state government to cut trees.
"AAI has identified over 3000 trees spread across 17 acres in the Patna zoo as unsafe for flight operations at the Patna airport," Divisional commissioner K P Ramaiah said.
The Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park has a rich and diverse variety of trees such as semal, bamboo, amaltas, banyan, kusum, arjun and putranjiva.
He said the AAI raised the issue during its airport environment management committee meeting at Patna.
The Patna airport director Arvind Dubey admitted that trees in the Patna zoo were proving to be operational hazards. Some of the trees can be dangerous to flights while landing.
16/02/12 Rediff.com

Virgin Atlantic urges Delhi airport to go slow on tariff hikes

New Delhi: The British carrier Virgin Atlantic has urged the operators of Delhi airport to “think very carefully” about the proposed decision to increase tariffs at the airport. The Delhi airport operator has proposed a seven-fold increase in its tariff pointing out that another year at the existing tariff would completely erode its net worth.
“We urge them to think very carefully and make sure that they remain value for money. But at the moment we need to see how it pans out,” Ms Julie Southern, the airlines Chief Commercial Officer, told Business Line.
She added that a sad factor of aviation around the world was the airports were expensive places to operate to. “Very often you are in a position where like in Heathrow there is no other choice you have almost a monopoly provider who is able to raise charges in a way that perhaps is not necessarily linked to the economic reality of the world around them,” she pointed out.
16/02/12 Business Line

New CIAL terminal offers more facilities

Kochi: The new state-of-the-art international terminal coming up at the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) will have 16 aero-bridges and an additional 30 parking bays besides the capacity to handle 4,000 passengers at any given point of time.
Expected to be commissioned by the last quarter of 2014, the new terminal wil also have 10 baggage carousels and increased immigration facilities.
“The building spread over 93,000 m-square will have three levels with the departure section located on the second, the arrival on the first and the immigration, customs and baggage screening on the ground floor,” airport director ACK Nair told the Deccan Chronicle.
17/02/12 Krishna Kumar KE/Deccan Chronicle

Govt told to conduct comprehensive probe into Aranmula airport issue

The ongoing public agitation against the proposal to construct a private international airport, converting the water-rich Aranmula Puncha (paddy fields) and wetlands in Aranmula should be viewed as a crucial people’s movement to protect the remaining paddy fields and wetlands in the State, said former Agriculture Minister, Mullakkara Ratnakaran, MLA.
Mr Ratnakaran was inaugurating the day-long fast of 101 Bharatiya Kheth Mazdoor Union (BKMU) attached to Communist Party of India, protesting against conversion of paddy fields and wetland in the name of a private airport project at Aranmula on Thursday.
He alleged that the anti-nature attitude and approach towards development in the modern times have already started its far-reaching negative impacts on the environment and nature.
The Left Democratic Front Government had enacted the Kerala Conservation of Paddyland and Wetland Act in 2008 at a time the land under paddy cultivation in the State had gone even below 2 lakh ha with the sole intention of checking conversion and misuse of paddy fields and wetlands, he said.
16/02/12 The Hindu

Cargo flights from Surat soon

Surat After Union government's decision to allow even private airlines to fly to international destinations from different parts of the country without insisting on Air India's first use right, talks of bonded cargo operations from Surat to places like Antwerp in Europe via Mumbai have started to pick up pace.
After Air India, it was SpiceJet that began its domestic operations connecting Surat with Mumbai and Delhi directly. This improved the diamond city's connectivity with a number of other places. Thus, South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SGmade a strong pitch for starting cargo operations, too, from Surat.
"We have made a representation for cargo operations from Surat," SGCCI president Rohit Mehta said. Cargo in charge, SpiceJet, Raghu Raman, who is based in Delhi, will be visiting Surat for discussions with industries. He told TOI, "There are some points that need to be discussed like insurance factor. Our load will be little and only up to Mumbai. The cargo from there will be in the possession of an international airline. If it is commercially viable, we will go for it."
16/02/12 Times of India

Woman gives birth to stillborn baby at Chennai airport

Chennai: In a tragic incident, a 36 year-old Malaysia-bound woman gave birth to a stillborn baby boy at the airport on Thursday, minutes after she was denied permission to fly a private airliner on fitness grounds.
Shyamala, hailing from Rajamundhry in Andhra Pradesh, was scheduled to fly to Kualalumpur to meet her husband there, airport sources said.
She was however denied permission to fly as she did not possess a valid fitness certificate, sources said, adding she later developed pre-natal pain before delivering a stillborn baby boy inside a restroom.
16/02/12 Times of India

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

390 flights delayed one in five times at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: Delays at the Mumbai airport do not appear to lessen. The monthly list of flight delays for January sent to the ministry of civil aviation shows that a total of 390 flights were delayed one out of five times they operated in and out of the Mumbai airport. More arrivals were delayed in comparison to departing flights.
According to the data, 167 flights departing from the Mumbai airport were delayed on more than 20% of the occasions they were to take off from the city. There were more arrival delays with 223 flights landing late once every five times they were scheduled to land in Mumbai. According to the data, which was compiled by Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL), 62 Jet Airways flights landed late in Mumbai, followed by Air India (AI) with 51 flights repeatedly arriving late, and Kingfisher with 33 flights landing late one in five times.
15/02/12 Times of India

Air India flight lands sans luggage as authorities fail to load it

Bangalore: At least 70 passengers who flew from Mumbai to Bangalore on Air India flight AI-607 on Tuesday evening had a rude shock waiting for them on arrival at Bengaluru International Airport (BIA). When they went to the conveyor belt to collect their luggage, they were informed that their cargo was not loaded on the plane at all.
The flight had taken off from Mumbai at 6.15pm.
“After alighting from the aircraft at about 7.30pm, we went to the terminal to claim our luggage from the conveyer belt, but found that our luggage was missing. After waiting patiently for a few minutes, we inquired with the airport officials and found that the luggage which the passengers had checked in was not loaded into the aircraft,” said K Jayaprakash Rao, regional PRO, DRDO (South), a passenger. “I have kept many important documents and my house keys in my suitcase which I had checked in before boarding the flight. I am not sure when I will receive it. The airline staff were not helpful as they, too, were clueless about our luggage.”
Worse, when the passengers raised a hue and cry, “senior airlines officials asked us to fill a form and conveyed to us that our luggage would be delivered to our residences only tomorrow,” Rao said.
15/02/12 Daily News & Analysis

Cargo service at Bengaluru International Airport wins award

Air India-SATS, the joint venture of AI, providing ground handling and cargo handling services at the Bengaluru International Airport, has been awarded the Air Cargo Terminal Operator of the Year award at the Indian Supply Chain and Logistics Summit and Excellence Awards, 2012, organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in New Delhi.
The award was based on the excellence of service provided by AI-SATS in its Bangalore cargo terminal capacity utilisation, level of mechanisation, range of specialised and value-added services, IT and Electronic Date Interchange (EDI) system, customer satisfaction and responsiveness, security management, energy conservation and innovation.
The Excellence Awards have been instituted to honour and recognise efforts of the Indian logistics and supply chain organisations in creating industry benchmarks and adopting best practices.
15/02/12 Daily News & Analysis

BIAL clarifies on safety, efficiency

Bangalore: The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has issued a clarification with reference to the report ‘Public plundering partnerships in infrastructure projects,’ that appeared in the February 6 edition of Deccan Herald.
The BIAL said it has taken consistent initiatives to keep the airport safe and passenger-friendly. The runway is closed for 24 days for the ongoing expansion work and not 55 days as reported in the article, it said.
“As regards safety issues and the crack that could lead to a crash as mentioned, we would like to clarify that runway quality can never lead to a crash. Crash is always caused by aircraft failure, collision or due to inclement weather. Currently, the runway is safe for operation and does not compromise on safety. The work being taken up by BIAL showcases the organisation’s focus on its ‘safety first’ philosophy and it will be completed before the onset of monsoon.”
BIAL is committed to establishing the Bengaluru International Airport as one of India’s leading airports in terms of quality and efficiency and set a benchmark for future development of airports in the country, it said.
14/02/12 Deccan Herald

Indigo's daily direct flight from Coimbatore to Mumbai from tomorrow

Coimbatore: Reinforcing its commitment to the South India market, low fare carrier, IndiGo, today announced its new direct flight from here to Mumbai from tomorrow.
The company will operate daily flight from Coimbatore to Mumbai, with a starting fare of Rs 3735 from February 16. It marks a double milestone this year, by inducting 50th brand new aircraft into its existing fleet, which will be operational on this new route, a company release said today.
Flight 6E294 will depart from Coimbatore at 2.05 PM to reach Mumbai at 3.50 PM and leave Mumbai at 11.50 AM to reach the city at 1.35 PM, the release said.
14/02/12 PTI/Economic Times

Airport cargo caught in clash of the Senas

Mumbai: Months after Sena-led trade union begins charging Rs 500 from every vehicle for entry at airport cargo complex, MNS counterpart does the same; traders allege authorities are aware of the malpractice but haven't taken any action
The Shiv Sena-MNS rivalry seems to have spilled out from rallies and election campaigns into the airport complex. Sample this: sometime in the middle of last year, Maharashtra Maal Vahatuk Sena (MMVS), a Shiv Sena offspring, started collecting Rs 500 from traders, for every vehicle that enters the Mumbai Airport Cargo Complex in Sahar. Last month, the MNS-affiliate trade union Hawai Karamchari Sena, in a sort of delayed reflex, started collecting an equal amount per vehicle.
When the hapless traders inquired on what authority or rationale the collection is made, the reply is straightforward, "The other party's union is charging you, so we are charging you. If they stop the practice, we would stop it too."
"About six months ago, the Sena-supported union (MMVS) started charging Rs 500. Now, the MNS-led Hawai Karamchari Sena has started the same. We have to pay Rs 500 to each of the unions. The MNS workers said they would do stop the collection only if the Sena-backed trade union stopped it," a top trader said on the condition of anonymity.
MiD DAY is in exclusive possession of some of the receipts the two parties' unions furnished to tempo operators against a collection of fee of Rs 500.
15/02/12 Bipin Kumar Singh/MiD DAY

Copper pipes worth over 1 lakh stolen from IGI

New Delhi: Thieves have struck twice at the high-security air traffic control building at IGI Airport this month, stealing copper pipes worth Rs 1.10 lakh from airconditioners.
The first theft occurred on the night of February 4/5 and the second on the night of February 10/11. In a complaint lodged with police, Airports Authority of India has asked for a probe into the role of CISF, which is in-charge of security at the complex.
15/02/12 Times of India

Delhi, Mumbai airports bag global awards

Mumbai: The international airports here and at New Delhi have secured global rankings at the Airport Council International's (ACI's) airport service quality awards. While the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi has listed second, the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport stands at fourth position among 180 airports surveyed by the ACI for their performance in 2011, statements issued by managements of both the airports said. Both the airports fall under the 25-40 million passengers per annum category.
15/02/12 PTI/IBN Live

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

KPMG to frame regulatory approach for Airports Authority of India airports

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has appointed consultancy firm KPMG to recommend an appropriate regulatory approach for its airports, keeping in mind its unique operating environment and socio-economic obligations.
The AAI manages 125 airports and is the sole provider of air traffic navigation services in Indian air space. The Airports' Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has oversight on 10 major AAI airports, while the civil aviation ministry regulates other AAI airports.
The authority had initially supported the 'single till' regulatory approach for airports adopted by AERA, under which an airport is treated as an integrated business and non-aeronautical income streams like retail are clubbed together with user charges like landing and parking fees.
AAI chairman VP Agarwal told ET that he still believes in the 'single till' approach, but hired consultancy firm KPMG to assist in the process of suggesting the appropriate regulatory till due to some 'divergences.'
KPMG's report would be put up to the AAI board for approval soon. However, an initial version mooting a 'dual or hybrid till' approach, under which cross-subsidy from non-aeronautical services to aeronautical services is restricted, has been returned.
14/02/12 Vikas Dhoot/Economic Times

Airline refuses to fly ailing MLA

Patna: Ugly scenes were created at the city airport on Tuesday evening when an ailing JD (U) MLA from Maharajganj assembly constituency, Damodar Singh, was disallowed from boarding Go Air's G8-344 Patna-Delhi flight.
The airline staff refused to carry the ailing MLA even as he was issued a boarding pass. Doctors at PMCH had referred Singh to Delhi for better treatment. The MLA is suffering from diabetes and hypertension and is undergoing treatment at PMCH.
"A police complaint has been filed in this case. The patient was not allowed even when doctors had said that the patient was able to travel in a sitting position," Patna DM Sanjay Kumar Singh said.
14/02/12 Times of India

Air passenger outrages modesty of female staff

New Delhi: In yet another case of misbehaviour, the modesty of a female employee of a private airline was outraged by a disgruntled passenger.
The accused, Kapil Singhal, not only used derogatory language directed at her, but also pushed and shoved her. On complaint of the victim, Avinash Kaur, Delhi Police has registered a case under sections 354 and 509 for outraging the modesty of a woman and using obscene gestures.
Kaur, who is employed with the Kingfisher Airlines, stated in the FIR, “I was allocated the boarding gate of the Delhi-Mumbai flight IT 312, which was delayed on February 13. All the passengers were seated in the aircraft and the moment I was about to announce the boarding, the passenger seated on 27 F, started shouted and created a scene.
He even asked the CISF personnel to shut the gate of the aircraft and tried to obstruct other passengers from entering. While I was busy carrying out my duty, Singhal persisted with his shouting and started hurling abuses too. He then went a step further and caught hold of my hand and then shoved it away.”
15/02/12 Daily Pioneer

Taxi owners, drivers protest against toll collection at BIA Road

Bangalore: Day three of toll collection on BIA Road saw stiff resistance from taxi owners and drivers; about 350 of them sat on a dharna at the toll plaza at Devanahalli.
Radhakrishna Holla, general secretary of Bangalore Tourist and Taxi Owners’ Association, said most of the taxis going towards the airport make two-four trips to and from the airport every day. He said paying toll for each trip would be a grave financial burden for the operators and they wanted concessions for taxis.
Jose Francis, a travel agent, said it was not fair that the toll was collected for each trip. He said considering that taxis do multiple trips every day, the burden of the toll would fall on the passengers.
“Most toll booths in the city collect toll for a period of one day. Why is toll being collected per trip in this case?” he said.
14/02/12 Daily News & Analysis