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

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

GMR Infra posts Rs 366 cr loss in Q4

New Delhi: GMR Infrastructure today reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 366.16 crore for the January- March quarter of the last fiscal, hit by losses incurred by its subsidiary DIAL, which is the operator of Delhi Airport.
However, the losses have narrowed down by about 64% in the fourth quarter as compared to loss of Rs 1,006.74 crore of the January-March period of FY'11.
"Delay in tariff revisions on Delhi Airport has led to DIAL reporting a loss of Rs 573 crore in 2011-12. It was an exceptional situation," GMR's group Chief Financial Officer A Subbarao told PTI.
Stating that Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has notified the revision in tariff rates, including User Development Fees, for Delhi Airport from May 15, he said that "overall situation will be much more different post revision. All of this (DIAL making losses) would be history."
According to the AERA order, the tariff revision amounts to 346% increase in airport charges for two years.
30/05/12 PTI/Business Standard

Draft CAG report erroneous, benefits were available to all: GMR

New Delhi: Terming the draft CAG report on Delhi International Airport (DIAL) "erroneous", GMR Infrastructure Wednesday said that land at concessional rates and other benefits available to it to run the Delhi airport were part of the bid document and were available to every bidder.
"It is a draft report, which we have not seen it. However, Rs 1.63 lakh crore figure, as quoted by the media, as potential earning for us over a 58-year period for the land given is erroneous calculations," a company spokesperson said.
GMR Infrastructure is the majority stakeholder in DIAL with 54 percent stake and had won the bid in a consortium in 2006 to develop and modernise the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The spokesperson added that "there was no concessional land as part of Operations, Maintenance and Development Agreement. Only 5 percent of the total land (5,000 acres) at Delhi airport is supposed to be available for commercial operations.
30/05/12 PTI/ZeeNews

Plan panel roped in for Navi Mumbai airport

Mumabi: The development of the Navi Mumbai airport seems to be picking up pace with the civil aviation ministry on Tuesday saying that it has approached the Planning Commission to work out the modalities of developing the new airport and all other related work.
According to the ministry, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh on Tuesday met the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Planning Commission advisor Gajendra Haldea, to discuss the development of the Navi Mumbai airport under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
30/05/12 Daily News & Analysis

Govt looking at PPP for Chennai, Kolkata airports

After privatisation of four major airports of the country, the government is now set to explore the possibility of development, operation and maintenance of state-owned Kolkata and Chennai airports through a public private partnership (PPP) model.
The state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) is developing airports at Chennai and Kolkata at costs of Rs 2,100 crore and Rs 2,350 crore respectively. The modernisation of these two airports has fallen behind schedule, with Chennai airport likely to be operational by June and Kolkata by October.
In a meeting with the Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman, Planning Commission and Gajendra Haldea, Advisor in the Planning Commission, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh discussed the modalities for putting these two airports on a PPP mode.
30/05/12 Indian Express

Flying high, but not too far

Ahmedabad: In 2009-10, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) International Airport was among the country's fastest growing with foreign passenger traffic seeing a year-on-year growth of more than 20 per cent. Today, almost two years after the airport got a Rs 350-crore swanky makeover, it has seen one of the sharpest dips in the number of foreign passengers.
The city's SVP international airport has hit an air pocket in 2011-12 as it keeps longing for new international flights. In stark contrast, domestic passenger traffic continued to grow. All private airlines did good business at the Ahmedabad airport last year and will soon add additional flights to meet the demand.
But what no one is able to explain is the sorry picture for international flights. "Hardly any aircraft went empty when international flights to the US and the UK were introduced from Ahmedabad after 2007. Even the incoming traffic was healthy. But in a span of two years, Air India and Jet Airways shut down international operations," said an Ahmedabad airport official.
30/05/12 Ankur Jain/Times of India

VATA seeks round-the-clock operations

Visakhapatnam: The Visakhapatnam Air Travellers' Association (VATA) has appealed to the government to provide the necessary manpower support for round-the-clock operations at the Visakhapatnam Airport.
In letters to Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ajit Singh and Union Minister of State for Defence Pallam Raju and Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development D. Purandeswari and Minister for Infrastructure and Investments Ganta Srinivasa Rao, VATA representative O. Naresh Kumar has said that the Singapore airlines announced its decision to start direct flights to Singapore from October 1, three times a week.
30/05/12 The Hindu

Immigration fraud: One held at IGI

New Delhi: A man travelled to Paris two years ago on a fake French passport and had to serve 23 months in jail after being caught by the French police. The man was arrested again from the IGI airport on Tuesday for cheating Indian immigration, police said.
"Naina M Mohamed Anwar Ali, resident of River Bank road in Sirkali, Tamil Nadu was arrested after he arrived by an Air France flight as a deportee," an official said.
30/05/12 Times of India

Mango unit opened near BIAL

Kolar: A private mango selling unit has been started near the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) for the benefit of mango growers, said State Agriculture Market director C Somashekar.
Chairing a meeting of the Mango Growers Association members and the mandi agents held at the Deputy Commissioner office here on Tuesday, he said the government was committed to protect the interest of the mango growers.
30/05/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

IGI radar system fails to revive partially affecting operation

New Delhi: Flight operations were partially affected at the IGI airport here today when the radar system failed to revive during a test, forcing the authorities to switch over to the back up system to normalise operations.
"The AutoTrack III radar system was undergoing test around 11.44 AM, during which it was to be switched on to safety mode and then revived to normal mode. But the system failed to revive as expected, so the system had to be put on AutoTrack II radar system, which is used as back up," sources said.
The situation remained so for about an hour and it was finally revived after rebooting of the system, they said, adding some of the flights were delayed due to this.
28/05/12 PTI/Economic Times

Truncated air op by Indian Coast Guard a recipe for disaster

Gandhinagar: Indian Coast Guard, which has been running a truncated air operation in the north-west region in the absence of night flights from its air enclave in Porbandar since 2008, is grappling with another major problem, which could further affect the coastal security of Gujarat in a big way.
A high-rise building in the funnel of Daman airport has put a big question mark on the very existence of Indian Coast Guard's air station in the Union Territory. Daman air station of Indian Coast Guard is responsible for maritime reconnaissance and search and rescue coverage in north-west region. However, because of the high rise building, the runway at the airport has got notionally reduced from 1,800 metres to 1,550 metres, sources said.
28/05/12 Anand McNair/Times of India

Bangalore airport get certificate for carbon reduction

New Delhi: The next time you fly into or out of Bangalore airport you will have done your bit to save the environment as the airport has been globally recognised for managing and reducing their carbon emissions.
Bangalore, along with Mumbai airport, have been presented with certificates in recognition of their achievements under the various levels of Airport Carbon Accreditation by Airports Council International (ACI).
Bangalore airport, which is the busiest in South India, has been given a certificate for carbon reduction. Mumbai airport on the other hand has been awarded the certificate for mapping carbon emissions.
The ‘mapping' step of the Airport Carbon Accreditation, is the first and most basic step which requires measuring the carbon footprint of the airport while the ‘reduction' step of the Airport Carbon Accreditation requires carbon management and progress towards a reduced carbon footprint.
29/05/12 Business Line

Algerian gets a year in jail for ‘carrying bullet’

Bhopal: An Algerian tourist who was allegedly found carrying a live bullet in his baggage while boarding a Delhi-bound flight at the Khajuraho airport on May 11 has been awarded one-year rigorous imprisonment by a court after a quick trial that lasted just 11 days.
Algerian embassy officials were also present during the trial that took place in the court of judicial magistrate (first class) in Chhatarpur, the district in which the temple town of Khajuraho falls.
During the trial, the prosecution underlined 32-year-old Nehar Redouane’s Algerian nationality to argue that he could be testing the security standards at the Khajuraho airport for a possible terror strike in future. The prosecution also pressed for a quick trial and pleaded against “granting bail to a foreigner”, arguing that if he jumped bail, it would be difficult to get him back to India to face the trial.
Countering the prosecution theory that Nehar had picked up the bullet in a street in Jaipur from where he visited Varanasi before landing in Khajuraho, defence lawyer Pawan Mishra argued that the bullet made its way to the Algerian’s luggage after he had a fight with CISF officials who spoke to him loudly since he had reported late for boarding and could not understand their instructions.
29/05/12 Milind Ghatwai/Indian Express

Mohali airport gets Chandigarh surname to please Haryana

New Delhi: A controversy over the naming of a proposed international airport at Mohali, which led to a slugfest between Punjab and Haryana, could find a resolution following the Centre’s intervention.
Civil Aviation minister Ajit Singh has suggested that the upcoming airport be named Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali-Chandigarh, partly addressing concerns of both the states. While the Punjab government has been pushing hard to ensure the airport be named after the legendary freedom fighter from the state, it also wanted the location be identified as Mohali — a satellite city, adjoining Chandigarh that falls within the geographical boundaries of Punjab. The Haryana government, on the other hand, has resisted the location being put as Mohali and was insisting on it being identified as Chandigarh, since the latter is the joint capital of the neighbouring states.
29/05/12 Smita Aggarwal/Financial Express

DGCA to complete probe in Jet fire incident in month's time

Mumbai: Aviation regulator DGCA is expected to complete in a month's time its detailed investigation in the Jet Airways plane fire incident at the international airport here, DGCA sources said today. "We have started investigation into the Jet Airways' plane fire incident. The probe is likely to be completed in a month time," the sources said.
The preliminary information about the incident has already been collected and the investigation team would now analyse it to ascertain the causes of fire and fix responsibility, they said.
About 159 passengers on board the Jet flight from Riyadh had a close shave yesterday when fire broke out in the left engine of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft during taxiing after landing at the Mumbai International Airport.
29/05/12 Business Standard

Air Arabia ups frequency on Nagpur-UAE sector to 4 per week

Mumbai: The Gulf-based low-cost carrier Air Arabia today said it will increase services on the UAE-Nagpur sector to four flights a week from June 15.
Currently, the airline, which was the first international carrier to offer air connectivity to the city, operates three flights a week on this route.
With the proposed launch of one more air service between the UAE and Nagpur, Air Arabia now offers 105 flights a week from 13 destinations in the country to the UAE, a press release said here.
Since this market attracts a lot of passenger traffic from Raipur, the increase in flight frequency will prove beneficial for the travellers from Raipur as well, it said.
29/05/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

Air passenger held for bid to smuggle gold biscuit, saffron

Mumbai: An Indian passenger arrived from Dubai was today arrested from Mumbai international airport for allegedly trying to smuggle a gold biscuit and saffron collectively worth Rs 6.78 lakh, a senior customs official said. The passenger Mohammed Niyas Nellikkunnu was intercepted after he cleared through the green channel at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus airport in Andheri on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, the official said.
29/05/12 PTI/IBN Live

Monday, May 28, 2012

Fire in Jet Airways' Riyadh-Mum flight

Mumbai: About 158 passengers on board Jet Airways Riyadh-Mumbai flight on Monday escaped unhurt after a fire broke out in the left engine of the aircraft on its landing.
The incident took place when the flight arrived around 5.40 am, airport sources said.
The Jet plane was on the taxiway when the follow me up vehicle saw a fire in the left engine of the aircraft. The pilot was told to hold and shut the engine, they said.
“However, the fire was immediately put out and all the passengers were deplaned safely,” they added.
In a statement, Jet Airways said the flight 9W523 (Riyadh-Mumbai) was advised by the ATC to return to base as there was slight visibility of smoke from the engine as also observed by the cockpit crew.
28/05/12 Financial Express

Sonepur in airport site race

Patna: Space constraint at Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport in Patna has forced the state government to look north of the Ganga.
The government is mulling to develop a new airport for Patna in Sonepur, near the northern end of under-construction Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge. This is the first time that the name of Sonepur has been mentioned as a prospective site for developing a new airport for the state capital.
“The existing airport is facing location constraints and it would not be possible to make it compatible for future requirements. The upcoming rail-cum-road bridge (Digha-Sonepur) would play a major role in charting the future of the state capital. The government is mulling to develop the new airport for Patna near the northern end of Digha-Sonepur bridge. The bridge, once completed, would cut down the distance between Patna town and Sonepur airport site to 15km (at present, it is 30km via Gandhi Setu). Moreover, this airport would be free from impediments of land acquisition and obstructions in the runway funnel, as the site is a non-cultivable land owned by the government and has minimal constructions in and around,” a senior state government officer told The Telegraph.
28/05/12 Piyush Kumar Tripathi/The Telegraph

Short runway hits flights at Jaya Prakash Narayan International Airport

Patna: The Jaya Prakash Narayan International airport here is facing problems in the operation of flights due to its short runway. The four major airlines operating here are forced to fly with lesser number of passengers than their capacity to ensure safe take-off from the airport.
According to airlines sources, the situation has deteriorated during this peak summer season. The length of the airport is 7,500ft, but the maximum landing distance available is only 6,330ft. High temperature is increasing the problem of pilots taking off from the Patna airport.
During pre-monsoon season, the atmospheric air pressure reduces along with the density of oxygen. Flights need full take-off roll to generate the required energy and force. But the relatively short airstrip is impeding the process, forcing the airlines to compromise with the number of passengers.
28/05/12 Sayantanee Choudhury/Times of India

Consumer panel hikes compensation for woman

Panaji: The Goa state consumers disputes redressal commission has enhanced the compensation to a 79-year-old woman, who suffered a hipbone fracture after the wheelchair, on which she was being taken to board an Indian Airlines/Air India flight from Goa to Mumbai, broke and she fell to the ground.
The Goa state consumer disputes redressal commission heard the counsels for the woman and Air India. In their recent order, Justice N A Britto, president and Vidhya Gurav, member, likened the compensation of 20,000 awarded by the district forum to "peanuts."
The commission awarded her medical bill reimbursement of 1,03,680, enhanced her compensation from 20,000 to 2,00,000 and also awarded her 5000 in costs. The commission also ruled that the woman was entitled to interest at the rate of nine percent for the first two sums from the date of complaint till payment.
28/05/12 Times of India

Patna airport told to cut trees for safety

Patna: The civil aviation ministry has threatened to declare the Patna airport unfit for Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 aircraft unless trees near the airport are cut or pruned for aviation safety.
The ministry has sent a communication to this effect to the Bihar government, giving a deadline of June 15, official sources said Monday.
Airports Authority of India chairman V.P. Agrawal's letter to the Bihar chief secretary has made it clear that aviation safety is of paramount importance.
28/05/12 IANS/New Track India

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Fresh pressure to rename airport after Tipu Sultan

Bangalore: Criticising the government for not naming the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) after Tipu Sultan, various organisations, under the aegis of the Tipu Sultan United Front, will hold a protest here on May 29.
Referring to Union government's decision to name the airport as Kempe Gowda International Airport, front president Sardar Ahmed Qureshi pointed out that there were several statues of Bangalore's founder and many locations were also named after him.
27/05/12 The Hindu

Grounded due to snag, Jet flight leaves for Mumbai from Diu

Vadodara: A Jet Airways return flight for Mumbai, which was grounded at the Diu airport on Friday after it developed a technical snag while landing, on Saturday took off for its destination after necessary repairs were carried out, sources said.
The empty aircraft left for Mumbai today afternoon from the Diu airport after a technical team of the Jet Airways fixed the problem, they said. The flight 9W2500 with 32 passengers on board took off from Mumbai airport at 1:35pm yesterday and was supposed to land at 2:40 PM at the Diu airport. However, it developed a technical snag at the time of landing, the sources said, adding all the passengers were safe.
26/05/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

Mock Drill Portrays Plane-Hijack at Sgr Airport

Srinagar “It’s 8:30 am. GoAir flight G8-123 hijacked. Pilot thrown out the cabin, dead,” reads a first emergency text flashed to Air Traffic Control at Srinagar’s International Airport Saturday morning. The aircraft was, actually, part of the carefully planned mock drill by state authorities to ensure preparedness during such a worst scenario. The loudspeakers at the crowded airport aired a different message: “GoAir G8-123 has been diverted back due to bad weather; inconvenience to the passengers is regretted.”
For the first time in two decades of insurgency and intermittent peace, Srinagar airport witnessed such a huge anti-hijack preparation that involved Police, airport authorities, intelligence officials and above all the India’s elite National Security Guard (NSG).
The second mock message to ATC confirmed that the highjackers spoke Tamil and had “killed” seven passengers besides Pilot who was “hacked” in the first attack. “Tamil translators arranged at ATC,” the co-pilot received the feedback. Police and security forces were asked to gear up for a more vigorous contingency that would see them seal off the airport and a senior police officer deployed at the main entry to “control the press”. Firefighters and ambulances were kept ready besides the control room was set up at the airport to coordinate with the relatives of the hostages.
Police sources said the plan was conceived few months ago after intelligence inputs were collated from across the country about a possibility of militants, Kashmiris or Indian Maoists, might attempt a hijack at any of country’s sensitive airports.
26/05/12 Kashmir Observer

Five-hour ordeal for 350 London-bound passengers

New Delhi: Itinerary of at least 350 London-bound air travellers has gone awry after a British Airways flight from Delhi to London (flight number BA 256) failed to take off on the second consecutive day due to a technical snag in the aircraft on Saturday.
They had a harrowing time as they were made to sit in the aircraft on Friday for five hours without AC even as the Capital was sizzling in 44° Celsius temperature, the hottest day of the season. The ordeal was even greater for wheelchair-bound passengers and children.
The flight was originally scheduled to depart on Friday morning. Passengers of the grounded flight said as there was no official of the airline to brief about the real cause of the delay and later cancellation of the trip, they remained stranded at the Indira Gandhi International Airport for hours on Friday and Saturday. They were served warm water.
27/05/12 Daily Pioneer

Afghan Hindu family held with fake passports

Ahmedabad: A Hindu couple, from Afghanistan, who had come to India in a refugee camp after the war in Afghanistan in 1992, was arrested by the Sardarnagar police station. The duo was trying to flee to Italy on fake passports. The police have primarily found that the couple had used the identity of one Mohan Sharma and his family to flee the country.
The couple was identified as Vinod Virvani and Anita Virvani. Their son, Akshay Virvani (19) who is an Indian citizen, too was arrested by the police. During interrogation, police found that all the three were trying to leave the country on passports made using fake documents. According to sources, the family was living in Delhi but had chosen to fly from Ahmedabad airport, indicating that they believed it would be easier to leave from here.
Talking to DNA, inspector of Sardarnagar police station VS Sarvaiya said that after during primary investigation it was found that the couple hailed from Afghanistan. They had come to Delhi in 1992 and lived in a refugee camp. Their son was born in India. All these years, they had been doing petty jobs in Delhi and Faridabad. Now, they were trying to go to Italy using fake passports.
27/05/12 Daily Bhaskar.com

Saffron worth` 12.4 lakh seized from air passenger

Mangalore: The sleuths of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Mangalore have seized 498 packets (each weighing 25 gms) of saffron from Dubai-Mangalore Air India Express passenger when he arrived at Mangalore airport on Friday and arrested him.
The Iranian saffron of brand “Behrang Saffron,’ weighing 12.5 kgs is said to be valued at Rs 12.45 lakh in the international market.
According to DRI?officials, the arrested person is Abdul Saram (33), a resident of Kanhangad. The accused had passed immigration clearance, collected his checked in baggage from the conveyor belt and opted to come out through Customs Green Channel (the Channel used for passengers without any dutiable items) and proceeded towards the exit point of the arrival hall of the Airport, when the DRI?officials stopped him, following a specific intelligence information.
26/05/12 Deccan Herald

American arrested with cartridges at IGI airport

New Delhi: An American national has been arrested at the IGI airport allegedly with 23 live cartridges, which police on Sunday claimed was brought from the United States without any valid documents.
Police said no firearms were recovered from Jeffrey Jinnin Worn, who was about to board a Turkish Airlines flight yesterday.
"During security check at the time of boarding, some suspicious items were found in Worn's baggage. It was found that 23 live cartridges were in the bag. He admitted that the cartridges were his.
27/05/12 PTI/ZeeNews

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Upgrading Tulihal airport : Mobile towers, ISKCON temple pose hazards

Imphal: Even as the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has started development work of Tulihal Airport in phases, mobile towers and the nearby ISKCON temple have been hampering the same work.
A high-ranking official of the AAI informed The Sangai Express that aircrafts can land on the airport's runway from only one direction.
On the northern side of the runway which runs North-South many mobile towers have been erected. Moreover, there is the ISKCON temple.
26/05/12 The Sangai Express/E-PAO

Decision to levy Development Fees has vitiated sanctity of bidding process: CAG

New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) has accused the Ministry of Civil Aviation of allowing the GMR-run Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) to levy Development Fees (DF) in contravention of various provisions of the Operation Management Development Agreement (OMDA), thereby vitiating the sanctity of the bidding process.
In the executive summary in the draft report, the CAG said: “This decision to levy DF after the effective date has vitiated the sanctity of the bidding process, as the draft OMDA, which was part of the bid documents, does not mention funding of the project cost of the airport through levy of development fees. In case the JV [joint venture] was to have been permitted to levy DF to finance the project after the signing of the OMDA, this important condition should have been known upfront to all the bidders at the time of bidding.”
26/05/12 Sujay Mehdudia/The Hindu

Investment for Idukki airport pegged at Rs 200 cr

Kochi: The proposed greenfield airport at Anakkara in Idukki district will require estimated investments of Rs 200 crore, including provisioning for future expansion, said sources associated with the development.
"The airport will have a single 5,000-ft runway catering to smaller transport and cargo aircraft like ATRs and the Phenom from Brazilian aircraft company Embraer. These aircraft are ideal for remote locations and require limited runway length. Hence, they are ideal for operating services to the proposed Idukki airport," sources said.
The state government had identified 450 hectares (roughly 1,100 acres) of land for the airport and a feasibility study by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) in 2009 found the area ideal for the airport. However, it is understood that local opposition to large-scale land acquisition of what is claimed to be agricultural land, has forced the state government to reduce the scope of the project to 200 acres.
26/05/12 Ravi Menon/Times of India

Delayed touchdown led to plane crossing runway at Kanpur: DGCA

New Delhi: Delayed touchdown, caused by bad weather and a wet runway, was the prime reason for an Alliance Air plane to overshoot the runway at Kanpur's Chakeri airport last year, a DGCA probe has found.
None among the 55 passengers or four crew members on board the Canadian Regional Jet CRJ-700 were hurt when the plane crossed the runway and rolled over into the soft ground.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, after an inquiry into the July 20, 2011 incident, said the aircraft hovered over for about 20 minutes as air traffic control (ATC) reported thunderstorm and high-speed winds.
Once ATC clearance was granted as the weather improved,
While landing, the aircraft floated on the 9,000 feet runway due to heavy cross and tail winds and made a delayed touchdown past the centre-marker on the wet runway. Thereafter, it overshot the overrun area and entered the soft ground, the report said.
26/05/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

‘International’ airport, still a distant dream for Indore

Indore: Stinking washrooms, not many chairs in the lounge, glass panes falling down randomly in the front entrance section and not to forget occasional intrusion by monkeys… that is the ‘ground reality’ frequent flyers face at Devi Ahilyabai airport, which a lot of Indoreans love to call international airport after its new terminal building was opened a few months back.
“There is nothing in this airport for which one can call it ‘international’. Airports in other cities like Hyderabad, built at least a decade ago, are outstanding while out here a lot of things —- be it design of the building or facilities for passenger ——- are just bad copies of other airports,” said A. Rodricks, a frequent flier.
Built at a cost of Rs 132 crore, the new airport terminal finally became operational from February 14 this year after its inauguration was delayed for months due to political bickering between the ruling BJP and Congress leaders.
26/05/12 Aditya Singh Parmar/Daily Bhaskar

Air India flies out stranded British Airways passengers

New Delhi: Air India may have failed to fly its passengers in recent days due to the ongoing pilots' strike, but the carrier came to the rescue of passengers of a 30-hour delayed British Airways (BA) flight stranded at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport here and flew them to their destination in Britain.
"We have managed to help some of the stranded passengers of the BA flight which was scheduled to operate between Delhi-London yesterday (Friday) but never took off due to some technical reasons," a senior Air India official on the operations arm of the airline told IANS.
According to airport sources, the BA flight scheduled to fly out of New Delhi Friday morning had developed some technical snags. The flight was not operated after a section of the passengers protested.
26/05/12 IANS/News Track India

Friday, May 25, 2012

Other cities in Uttar Pradesh need to be connected to Air Traffic says CM Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh chief minister Shri Akhilesh yadav on Saturday stressed the need of connecting important cities of the state to air traffic. Assuring of full support to any and all projects in the civil aviation sector for the state mooted by the Union government, the chief minister requested the central government to upgrade the existing airports in the state.
The chief minister said that when the proposal to open up a National Aviation University in the state would come before his government, all support and help would be extended to it on priority basis. Other than this, he announced, all villages adjoining the Amausi airport in Lucknow would be developed as role model villages under the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Samagra Gram Vikas Yojna.
The chief minister made these announcements during his address at the inauguration of the new terminal at the Chaudhary Charan Singh airport at Amausi in Lucknow. The sprawling terminal spread across 20,000 square meters was inaugurated by the union civil aviation minister Shri Ajeet Singh in presence of the Hon'ble governor his Excellency BL Joshi and the chief minister Shri Akhilesh Yadav.
25/05/12 Orissa Diary

CIAL to deploy ERP solution for integrated function

Bangalore: Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has adopted SAP AG’s ERP ECC 6.0 solution.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will implement the project and it is expected to go live in 18 months. The deployment will also include other solutions such as SAP SRM, Real Estate Management and BU-BI Analytics.
“Airports today want the right competitive advantage; real-time business processing drives stronger outcomes and helps increase bottom lines. SAP has been aiding airports in India and across the world to get up-to-speed, become transparent and achieve greater profitability by enabling sound management,” said Mr Mathew Thomas, Vice President – Strategic Industries, SAP India.
25/05/12 Business Line

New norm, AI stir spoil Gulf jobs

Thiruvananthapuram: With Kerala accounting for almost one-fourth of the Air India flight cancellations following the pilot strike, the state’s Gulf job aspirants face a bleak scenario.
Adding to their woes is a new system introduced by Gulf Cooperation Council Approved Medical Centres’ Association (GAMCA) to obtain medical fitness certificates.
Gulf sector fares have gone up by 50 to 60 per cent following the AI strike. About 200 AI flights have been cancelled in the last 17 days of strike, of which 50 were from Kerala and majority, Gulf services.
25/05/12 Arjun Raghunath/Deccan Chronicle

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Men preferred to machines to check smuggling at BIA

Bangalore: The City is slowly becoming a hub of smuggling, especially through the airport route, forcing officials of Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) and the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to effect some changes in the security system.
Goods that were earlier being smuggled out of other routes and airports in South India, including protected animals from the waters of the east coast, are now being stealthily whisked out of the BIA.
Having intercepted many such culprits in the past year, the Customs department has advised BIAL authorities to convert their departure checking systems from automated to manual, since automated systems do not detect live goods like sea cucumber or tortoises.
A well-placed source in the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs told Deccan Herald: “About 70 per cent of the checking in the departure section was automated. Now, we have converted that to 40 per cent and 60 per cent is manual. We feel that this will help us curb outward movement of contraband from the City.”
24/05/12 Chethan Kumar/Deccan Herald

SpiceJet anniversary leaves flyers in 7th hell

Chennai: Chennai airport is usually busy at 5 am, courtesy international flights. But it’s an unusual sight to see close to 600 people lining up outside the ticket counter at the domestic terminal. After SpiceJet announced that all ticket sales for flights in any sector would only cost Rs 777 for 77 minutes from 7 am — a promotional venture from the airline as they turned seven — there was little doubt as to why a crowd was forming. However, by the time the clock struck seven, it was evident that chaos would ensue. The scene was pretty much the same at all Spicejet booking counters in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi, among others. “There were people queuing up outside the counter from 11 pm on Tuesday night,” said an airline source from Delhi.
All the rush, despite being great business for the airline, peeved customers who were seeking last-minute tickets. “This is ridiculous. I had exactly an hour and a half before my flight to Hyderabad but I could not buy a regular-priced ticket. The crowd was just too large. I had to take a higher priced flight from another airline because it was an emergency,” said Suresh Krishna (name changed), a business consultant. Passengers who had queries about their PNR and those who needed help getting their tickets printed also had trouble, added the frequent flyer.
24/05/12 Daniel Thimmayya/IBN Live

Ahmedabad airport to get cargo complex soon

Ahmedabad: The exporters of perishable products from Gujarat will not be required to go to Mumbai to export their products after a couple of weeks. In a bid to tap the export market of perishable products, the Gujarat Agro Industries Ltd (GAIL), a Gujarat government undertaking, has decided to launch the state’s first well-equipped perishable air cargo complex at the Ahmedabad airport.
From Gujarat a large quantity of vegetables including capsicum, tomato, ladies finger, exotic flowers, fruits like mangoes and many frozen edibles are exported to foreign countries every year. The Middle East countries especially Dubai and United Kingdom are some of the biggest importers of perishable products.
As of now, the export of perishable products from Gujarat to foreign countries take place via Mumbai airport which is said to have 50 per cent of the market share in the nation.
24/05/12 Indian Express

IndiGo starts 2 new flights on Delhi-Mumbai route

Budget airline IndiGo has operationalised two new flights in the Delhi-Mumbai route from today.
With this addition, IndiGo will operate 11 daily and direct flights between New Delhi and Mumbai, the company said in a statement.
24/05/12 PTI/Economic Times

Liquor is most sought-after item in duty-free shops

Chennai: Liquor is the most sought after item in duty-free shops at Indian airports.
It accounted for 63 per cent of total sales across airports compared to 17 per cent globally, according to Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA).
For example, malts and premiums, which used to account for 41 per cent of the volume of whisky sold at airports, now account for 57 per cent. This is a function of supply as earlier there were limited products on offer.
Indian nationals are more likely to shop on arrival. In fact, Indian airports are unique in that arrivals stores generally outperform departures in terms of retail revenue, particularly as the best selling category is liquor, which passengers prefer to purchase when they return.
23/05/12 TE Raja Simhan/Business Line

Bangalore Airport to offer culinary choices to mark its 4th anniversary

Bangalore: Starting June, Bangalore International Airport would offer a host of culinary choice for both domestic and international passengers.
A press release from BIAL said that the company has announced a host of services to mark its fourth anniversary.
Among them would be the Pause Lounge Bar and Restaurant at the domestic departure terminal, which will offer signature dishes from a pan-Indian cuisine, and the resto bar will offer the best of liquors, beers and wines for passengers.
The airport will also have a “Chai Point” and a renewed “Hatti Kaapi” outlet.
24/05/12 Business Line

Alight at Tirusulam for the airport

Chennai: Train passengers bound for Chennai airport from the south of Tamil Nadu may soon be able to alight at the railway station diagonally opposite the aerodrome.
Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa has ordered authorities to augment for a stop at Tirusulam Railway Station for express and mail trains, allowing passengers to proceed directly to the city airport. He was addressing the gathering on the occasion of Anti-Terrorism Day at the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial in Sriperumpudur in neighbouring Kanchipuram district on Monday.
The Minister’s stress on a stop at Tirusulam is expected to end the hardship of passengers and visitors from southern districts who are forced to break their journey at the crowded Tambaram station to head for the airport.
Outbound travellers to different countries from central and southern parts of the State prefer to commute by train to Chennai, thanks to the convenience and the reasonable fare.
23/05/12 Yogesh Kabirdoss/IBN Live

Airports Authority of India makes new safety commitment

Airports Authority of India (AAI) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to join ACI's Airport Excellence (APEX) in Safety programme.
As part of the MOU, ACI will provide assistance to AAI to improve safety performance through safety assessment and reviews, implementation of safety management systems, gap analysis, recommending solutions and designing action plans to enhance the level of safety at Indian Airports identified by AAI.
The MoU was signed at ACI Asia-Pacific region's annual Assembly, Conference & Exhibition in Singapore earlier today.
24/05/12 Aviation Media

Work on airport metro station to begin soon

Chennai: Chennai airport will soon be the second in the country to be connected to a metro station. The station building spanning 17,300 sq. m. will be a five-level terminal comprising of a basement, ground floor, metro ground floor, concourse, and a platform.
The ‘bhoomipooja' for the construction of the station was performed on Thursday. While the architectural and structural design of the station will be carried out by AAI in consultation with M/S Creative Group, the interiors of the station will be designed by CMRL, said S. Bhaduri, Executive Director (engineering), Chennai Airport Project.
“The time frame for constructing the metro station is 14 months and the work has been awarded to M/s URC Construction Co. Pvt. Ltd. Erode, at a cost of Rs. 48 crore,” he said.
24/05/12 Asha Sridhar/The Hindu

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Uncertainty looms over Aranmula airport project

Pathanamthitta: The future of Aranmula airport project, promoted by KGS Group, is facing uncertainty, following the Mount Zion Group decision not to give the required land to set up the airport.
Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday, Mount Zion Group chairman Kalamannil Abraham said that the KGS Group violated the agreement which it entered with him on December 10, 2010. Abraham said that it failed to comply with the terms of the agreement, which expired on March 31, 2012, including the non-payment of the balance amount of `32 crore as the price of land measuring 232 acres, chairmanship of the airport company and transfer of 30 per cent of the company’s share.
He said that the KGS Group did not have the financial capability to undertake such a mega project.
Abraham said the furore over the airport project was a plan of the KGS Group to make money through real estate.
Abraham said that the Mount Zion Group would implement the airport project for flight training for the aeronautical engineering students of the Mount Zion Engineering College, air taxi services and for packaged tour operators.
23/05/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

Sahnewal airport to be extended?

Ludhiana: Following Punjab government’s request, Airports Authority of India(AAI) has conducted a survey to check feasibility of extending runway at Sahnewal airport(Ludhiana).
Punjab had requested AAI to survey whether the runway be extended from 4,800 feet to 7,500 feet. The report is expected to arrive this week. If the runway is extended, big planes will land at Sahnewal airport and residents will also save their time and money as they would not have to change flights at Delhi.
23/05/12 Sukhpal Kaur/Punjab News Line

CAG says DIAL to earn Rs 1,63,557 crore from concessional land

New Delhi: The CAG has found that the company, which runs the Delhi International Airport, has a potential to earn Rs 1,63,557 crore over a 60 year period from the land given to it on a lease rent of Rs 100 per annum, hurting the interest of the government.
A draft report on the public private partnership for the Indira Gandhi International Airport has also come down heavily on Delhi International Airport (DIAL), which runs the utility, on the issue of levy of user charges on passenger which was not part of the original agreement when the land was given to it.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India found that whenever DIAL had raised an issue regarding revenue to accrue to it or expenditure to be debited to the government in contravention of the agreement, the Civil Aviation Ministry and Airport Authority of India have always ruled in favour of operators and against the interest of the government.
23/05/12 PTI/ZeeNews

Not possible to shift ILS equipment: AAI

Vijayawada: Rejecting the proposal by people of the city to shift the Instrument Landing System (ILS) equipment at Gannavaram to ensure smoother flow of traffic on National Highway No.5 the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has said that shifting of antenna of the ILS would effectively reduce the runway length for landing using ILS.
AAI Executive Director S. Sundara Ramaman said that only a minor regulation of traffic was required to ensure its proper working.
The ILS has a defined area towards the front and rear of the antenna called the ‘critical area' which has to be free from obstructions and structures.
23/05/12 The Hindu

Jet pilot calls for security as passengers protest

A Jet Konnect pilot refused to come out of the cockpit after some passengers created a ruckus demanding an explanation from him regarding low air conditioning inside the aircraft. The incident occurred at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Monday afternoon. The pilot asked for a security team’s help to come out of the aircraft as he felt threatened by the agitated passengers.
Security officials said this created a major scare at the airport, and quick reaction teams and other security agencies, including police, had to be rushed towards the aircraft to control the situation.
The Jet Konnect flight (9W 2461) was taxiing on the runway after arriving from Varanasi. After landing at the airport around 3:50 pm, the aircraft was taxiing towards the parking area and was in motion for 20 minutes before it came to a complete halt. Officials said the passengers did not find the cooling inside the aircraft sufficient.
23/05/12 Indian Express

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

AAI pilot grounded for negligence

An Airport Authority of India (AAI) pilot, involved in inspection of navigational aids in Vietnam, Nepal, Laos, Maldives, Bangladesh and Bhutan, has been grounded for negligence by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and sent for a refresher’s training.
Around 200 passengers escaped a major tragedy at the Thiruvananthapuram airport a month ago when a near collision was averted as Airport Authority of India pilot Captain Rajesh Johar did not wait for a clearance from the Air Traffic Controller and proceeded on the runway where another aircraft was about to land. A thorough probe was ordered by the DGCA, and it was conducted by DGCA chief E K Bharat Bhushan.
The incident rang alarm bells as the pilot headed the flight inspection unit of the AAI and was required to inspect the communication and navigation surveillance facilities at all airports across the country.
22/05/12 Indian Express

DMK MP S R Jayadurai misses flight, creates ruckus

Chennai: DMK Tuticorin MP S R Jayadurai and his supporters kicked up a furore and allegedly abused Kingfisher airlines staff at Tuticorin airport after he missed his flight on Monday. Jayadurai was scheduled to fly from Tuticorin to Chennai by a Kingfisher flight but he arrived late at the airport. The flight departed on time at 3.30 pm.
Sources said Jayadurai arrived at the airport only at 3.30 pm and picked up a quarrel with airline staff for not holding back the aircraft till he reached. His supporters who came to see him off got enraged and attempted to manhandle the airline's manager. The police interve8ned, whisked the manager away and confined him to a room to save him from the wrath of the politician and his supporters.
22/05/12 Times of India

Monday, May 21, 2012

Government bid to boost regional air links

New Delhi: In a move that could boost connectivity, the government plans to make it mandatory for airlines to operate feeder flights into big cities from nearby places. Such a move would, in turn, make it mandatory for all scheduled carriers to have small turboprop aircraft in their fleet.
Aviation minister Ajit Singh recently said: "The idea is to have regional connectivity to the local hub. For example , there is a huge market around Delhi that would like to fly into the capital and then take connecting flights. We are planning to make it a must for airlines to have such flights." These feeder flights would be in addition to the existing norm of flying to the northeast and Kashmir. But would Indian airlines, all of whom are facing serious financial troubles and struggling to survive , be able to afford this move if it means buying small planes? At present, airlines like IndiGo and GoAir operate an all-Airbus fleet with no turboprops .
21/05/12 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

Latest payout options in Mihan confuse farmers

Nagpur: It is bureaucratic ambiguity at its best in Mihan. A peculiar arithmetical formula to decide the quantum of compensation for project affected persons (PAPs) has created disparity in the compensation that will be received by people in the second round of payouts by the state government.
After a series of agitations demanding a better deal, the government had come up with a new scheme a couple of months ago. It offered PAPs a choice of getting plots of developed land measuring 12.5% of their holdings acquired, or opt for cash compensation. Friday was the last date for the PAPs to indicate their options.
Strangely, the developed land has to be 'purchased' from the government and the price is almost as much as the money some locals received as compensation earlier.
21/05/12 Shishir Arya/Times of India

Jharkhand air crash questions still unanswered

Ranchi: It was not only Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda who survived crash-landing of their helicopter recently, but about 100-odd passengers of Jet Airways also had a narrow escape on the same day.
The Jet flight had already got the Air Traffic Controller’s permission for landing but was diverted to Kolkata at the eleventh hour to accommodate the helicopter carrying Munda.
A major untoward incident was evaded. But the question is - what safety measures were exercised to deal with a possible eventuality?
The disaster management team was neither taken into confidence before the crash landing of the helicopter nor after. Soon after take-off, the helicopter developed a technical snag and struggled in the air for about half-an-hour. The airport authority that is supposed to have got the information did not contact the disaster management team. The team is available under the leadership of the Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi and comprises Army personnel too.
If Ranchi DC KK Soan is to be believed, there were other options too but the pilot opted for the worst one - crash landing, albeit though it turned out to be successful.
21/05/12 DP Sharan/The Pioneer

Customs dept for screening of IGI staff

New Delhi: Noting involvement of airport ground staff in smuggling cases, the customs department has sought stricter measures and regular screening of such personnel. Besides, it has suggested a similar check on employees engaged by all airlines and cargo carriers operating under Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).
The move assume significance after customs officials found involvement of airport ground staff, including those responsible for collecting garbage, loading and unloading cargo, maintaining inventory, cleaning and supervising other maintenance works, in illegal activities.
21/05/12 PTI/AsianAge

Biju Patnaik Airport to be suitable for International Operations after renovation of terminal

New Delhi: Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ajit Singh said after commissioning of the new domestic terminal building, modification of the existing domestic terminal building will be undertaken to make it suitable for international operations. Minister Ajit Singh said this in Rajya Sabha in reply to question asked by BJD member Rabinarayan Mohapatra.
Minister Ajit Singh said that declaration of airport as international is subject to airport modernization underway. It includes construction of a new terminal building with all modern amenties including two aerobridges for handling 800 passenger at a time.
20/05/12 Orissa Diary

Sunday, May 20, 2012

AAI asks states to prepare plans for setting up new airports

New Delhi: Aiming to operationalise 225 airports across the country by 2020, the Airports Authority of India has asked all state governments to prepare plans and create inventory of airports, helipads or even unused airstrips which they want to develop and upgrade.
India has 456 airports and airstrips spread all over, with many of them built before or during World War II.
Developing these non-metro airports to enhance air connectivity in the hinterland is part of Airports Authority of India's (AAI) plan to reactivate, upgrade and modernise at least 225 airports by 2020, way up from 84 airports which are currently operational, AAI Chairman V P Agrawal said.
The state governments have been asked to prepare prospective plans to develop airports or helipads in their respective regions, prepare an inventory of airstrips, helipads and airports and forward them to AAI.
20/05/12 PTI/ZeeNews

Flight to Dharamshala in the wings

Chandigarh: City Beautiful is all set to get connected to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, as one of the private airlines has offered to launch Dharamshala-Chandigarh flight. Initially, it will be an 18-seater aircraft. Director Chandigarh Airport, Captain H S Toor, said they have received a proposal from Religare airlines, which has expressed its keeness to start a flight between Gaggal airport, Kangra, in HP to Chandigarh airport. "While Chandigarh airport is fully prepared to accommodate the flight for the new destination, the proposal is now lying with the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) for final its approval," Toor added.
20/05/12 Ajay Sura/Times of India

Steps to develop operational area of Kannur airport

Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL) is to float prequalification tenders for selecting the agency for developing the operational area of the proposed fourth international airport in the State at Mattannur in Kannur.
The agency being selected by KIAL will be entrusted with the preparatory works connected with the construction of a 3400-metre runway, parallel taxiway, apron, fire station, fuel farm, and ancillary infrastructure facilities for the airport.
Official sources told The Hindu that the agency selected would be given the job of the earthwork and the tenders for the construction of the runway would be floated after this preparatory work and clearing of the ground profile. KIAL had announced that the tenders for the construction of the runway would be floated this month in the wake of the submission of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the airport by Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL).
20/05/12 S Anil Radhakrishnan/The Hindu

Tension as aircraft has trouble landing

Vijayawada: A Spicejet aircraft hovered for nearly 40 minutes in the sky creating some nervous moments for passengers as well as well as those waiting for them at the Gannavaram airport, due to low visibility on Saturday morning.
According to sources, the aircraft arrived at the airport around 8.50 am and made rounds in the sky till 9.30 a.m due to poor visibility. Minister Kanna Lakshiminarayana and MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao were among the 60 passengers on board the aircraft.
Speaking to Express, MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao said that he had developed anxiety as the aircraft was hovering around the airport and inquired the matter with flight crew. “I was told that due to low visibility at the airport, they were just hovering around the airport. They allayed my fears and said that there was no technical problem in the aircraft” he added.
20/05/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

Customs dept for regular screening of airport ground staff

New Delhi: Noting involvement of airport ground staff in smuggling cases, the Customs department has sought stricter due-diligence measures and regular screening of such personnel.
Besides, it has suggested a similar check on employees engaged by all airlines and cargo carriers operating under Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).
The move assume significance after customs officials found involvement of airport ground staff, including those responsible for collecting garbage, loading and unloading cargo, maintaining inventory, cleaning and supervising other maintenance works, in illegal activities.
20/05/12 PTI/ZeeNews

Without airport, Noida real estate prices crash

Going by industry estimates, property prices around Noida and Greater Noida slumped by 25-30 per cent after the Uttar Pradesh Government cancelled the greenfield airport project at Jewar in Greater Noida.
The Yamuna Expressway is a fast-lane highway connecting Delhi and Agra via Noida and Greater Noida. Realtors had reportedly invested over Rs 7,000 crore in the zone, hoping to gain from the development there.
Mr Shobhit Agarwal ,Managing Director, Protiviti Consulting Pvt Ltd, says, “The Yamuna Expressway's returns would be linked to a large part on the development of the airport at Jewar and the consequent traffic generated on this highway. Investment in the Yamuna Expressway is expected to be in excess of Rs 10,000 crore. Investments done by real estate developers along the Yamuna expressway will be hit.
20/05/12 Bindu Menon/Business Line

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Kanpur to get its own airport soon

Kanpur: Survey of land for a new airport in city will start soon. Till now domestic flights were operational from an airport of Indian Air Force. A meeting in this regard was held in New Delhi on Thursday, where Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal met Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and put forth his demand of developing a new airport in the Industrial city before him.

"Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has assured Union Coal Minister Shriprakash Jaiswal of soon conducting a survey in this regard. Civil Aviation Minister will direct AAI (Airports Authority of India) soon to conduct a survey for selection of land within the periphery of 20-25 km from the city for developing a new airport to expand the services at the earliest. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will later asked the state government to provide the land surveyed for developing an airport," informed Arun Dwivedi, spokesperson of Union Coal Minister. "The airport will promote air connectivity and help in boosting the economy of the city," he said.
19/05/12 Times of India

Aviation sector needs to be developed in UP: Ajit Singh

Lucknow: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh today emphasised on the need of development of aviation sector in Uttar Pradesh.
"In UP, which has 16.1% population of the country, only two% of total flights operate and only 2.5% people fly. This situation needs to be improved," Singh said after inaugurating the newly constructed integrated terminal at Chaudhary Charan Singh airport here.
The minister said UP has only two customs airport at Lucknow and Varansi and they would be given status of international airports soon.
Emphasising on better connectivity, he said small planes should be introduced so that people from Azamgarh and tier II and tier III cities could be connected with international flights via Lucknow.
19/05/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

Mumbai airport parking costliest in the country

Parking at Mumbai’s domestic and international airports is now the costliest in India. The revision in parking rates has, however, not gone down well with passengers, who slammed the airport authorities’ move as “daylight robbery”.
The parking charges at the domestic airport has been revised to `90 for half-an-hour. The subsequent rate for every additional time parked is `150 for half-an-hour to two hours, `230 for two to three hours,`300 for three to four hours and `90 for every subsequent hour. A flat `1,000 will be charged for vehicles parked for eight to 24 hours.
Similarly, at the international airport, `100 will be charged for every half-an-hour.
According to MNS activist Akhil Chitre, the parking charges at the Bengaluru airport is `60 for two hours, while at Delhi and Hyderabad it is `70 for an hour. “Even the Changi International Airport at Singapore charges $1.50 (`63) for their executive class and $2.40 (`99.8) in the business class for one hour. Why is only Mumbai being fleeced? I will write a letter to the concerned authorities on Friday,” he added.
19/05/12 Asian Age

Dabolim won’t be grounded: CM

Vasco: Dismissing any uncertainty over Dabolim airport, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had agreed to transfer 2.5 acres of disputed land for the Dabolim airport’s expansion plans.
“The prime minister has in principle agreed to transfer this land to the Airport Authority of India. As this land was in dispute, both the Goa government and Indian Navy had staked claim to this land,” said Parrikar.
Parrikar made the statement after he was accompanied by officials of Airport Authority of India (AAI) and government officials to jointly inspect the Dabolim airport expansion work.
Allaying fears over the future of Dabolim airport, Parrikar said: "In the recent past, statements have been made that the fate of Dabolim airport hangs in balance. I will ensure and repeat it again that Dabolim airport will not be closed down.”
19/05/12 Herald

Wait till June to fly from new terminal

Lucknow: Flyers will have to wait till June to fly from the new terminal of Lucknow airport which is though scheduled to get inaugurated by civil aviation minister Ajit Singh on Saturday. The fact came to light during its inspection by top brass of Airport Authority of India (AAI) on the eve of its inauguration on Friday.
Speaking to reporters, AAI chairman V P Agarwal said that the terminal will get operational probably in the first week of June. "The shifting of offices of the airlines and the airport staff will take some more days," he said. He maintained it to be more of a compulsion than a practice. "We also need to check all security measures before the new terminal gets finally operational,'' Agarwal said. It is the old building which houses the office of airport staff including the director and the commandant of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He said that the authority will also be assessing the possibility of expansion of the new terminal as per the requirement. The old terminal, he said, will also be renovated subsequently.
19/05/12 Times of India

Airport land acquisition process under way

Coimbatore: Even as the process for acquisition of land for upgrading the Coimbatore Airport into an international airport is progressing, the land acquisition process seems to await allocation of funds for disbursement of compensation to the land owners.
Airport Authority of India (AAI) embarked on upgrading the Coimbatore Airport into an international airport as the present airport with 9,900 ft runway is situated on 444 acres land.
The original plan was to acquire 840-odd acres and following public opposition to acquisition, administration reduced the extent of acquisition by 170 acres. Then, the plan was to acquire 630 acres.
19/05/12 VS Palaniappan/The Hindu

Kozhikode-Lakshadweep air, sea connectivity hit

Kozhikode: The air and sea connectivity between Kozhikode and Lakshadweep, which share a thriving trade and social link, has been severely hit owing to the cancellation of the sole flight from Karipur Airport to Agatti, and the sharp reduction in the frequency of passenger ship services from Beypore Port to the island.
Thousands of islanders depend on Kozhikode for their education, as well as medical and employment needs. And the import and export of goods through the Beypore Port serve as an economic lifeline for the people in the union territory. The Air India Regional , formerly Alliance Air,
stopped its budget flight from Kozhikode and Agatti via Kochi from May 1. It's now operational only in the Kochi-Agatti sector. Air India officials said the route had been changed because the base of the flight had been moved to Kochi in line with crew requirements.
19/05/12 KR Rajeev/Times of India

New terminal in Lucknow airport inaugurated

Lucknow: The new terminal at Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport was inaugurated by Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Saturday.
The 20,000 square metre, three-tier building has departure and arrival ports on the ground level. The first floor has a swanky lounge connected to two aerobridges, enabling passengers to walk straight into the waiting aircraft on the tarmac. The new terminal has six check-in counters.
The new terminal has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 120 crore. It can accommodate around 800 passengers at a given time and has duty free shops, cyber cafes, eateries, snack bars, shopping arcade and book shops.
19/05/12 IANS/Zee News

Start international flights, urges merchants body

Madurai: The Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association has urged the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to press Air India to launch international flights from Madurai.
Dindigul Member of Parliament N.S.V. Chitthan submitted a memorandum on behalf of the trade body to the Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh recently. The association urged the national carrier to immediately launch flight services to destinations such as Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Sri Lanka.
It pointed out that though the Madurai Airport had been declared as an ‘international airport' and with the necessary infrastructure already in place, the airport was yet to get international connectivity. Coimbatore and Tiruchi continue to remain the only internationally-connected airports in Tamil Nadu outside Chennai.
19/05/12 The Hindu

Friday, May 18, 2012

Elders oppose heavy user charges on passengers at IGI Airport

New Delhi: The imposition of the new User Development Fee(UDF) on passengers at Delhi airport came under attack in the Rajya Sabha on Friday with members saying it was high, especially questioning the levy for incoming passengers.
From May 15, passengers departing or arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport(IGIA) here are shelling out more money with the introduction of UDF brought through an executive order last year amid criticism it was high.
Raising the issue through a statutory motion, KN Balagopal (CPI-M) sought modifications in the Airports Authority of India (Major Airports) Development Fees Rules. It was for the first time that incoming passengers are being asked to pay UDF.
He demanded that money already collected to the tune of Rs 1,481 crores by the airport management, which is being run in a PPP model, should be deposited in a separate account and utilised for improving facilities of airports run by Airports Authority of India. The member also sought a thorough audit of such funds by the CAG.
18/05/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

Snag forces flight to return

Thiruvananthapuram: An Air India Express (AIE) flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Sharjah with 170 passengers on board had to return to the airport here following a snag in an avionics gadget.
The IX 535 flight that took off from here at 8.15 a.m. retuned to the airport at 11.10 a.m. Airport sources here said that the commander informed the Air Traffic Control of the snag and his decision to return to Thiruvananthapuram. The flight landed after dumping the ATF.
The airline managed to arrange another aircraft to operate the service and the flight left for Sharjah at 1.45 p.m., sources said.
18/05/12 The Hindu

Thursday, May 17, 2012

AAI studying report on hiving off Air Navigation Services: Ajit Singh

New Delhi: Airports Authority of India (AAI) is examining the recommendation of a study to hive off Air Navigation Services (ANS) to focus on these crucial operations in the face of burgeoning air traffic in the country.
AAI had undertaken a detailed study of the process of hiving off the ANS entity through experts, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh informed the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.
"Various alternatives suggested by the study so far are being examined in the Board of AAI," he said.
The issue of separating Air Traffic Control (ATC) services from aerodrome operator had been pending before the government for a long time.
17/05/12 PTI/Economic Times

China Airlines launches freighter service to Chennai

Chennai: China Airlines of Taiwan, on Wednesday, announced the launch of its bi-weekly freighter service to Chennai.
“This is a very valuable route,” China Airlines Senior Vice-President Brian Chou said, about the Taipei-Kuala Lumpur-Chennai-Luxemburg service. The stopover here, on Wednesday and Sunday mornings, would be for 2 hours and 10 minutes. In the return direction, from Luxemburg, the freighter would directly go to Taipei.
Briefing press persons here on Wednesday, he said the service would further strengthen the ties between Taiwan and India. The service, Mr. Chou explained, was important for Indian exim trade as it connected Luxemburg, a hub for cargo to all destinations in Europe and Taipei, which provides connections to 25 locations in mainland China. Kuala Lumpur, he added, attracts cargo from Indonesia and other South East Asian countries.
16/05/12 The Hindu

Demand for airport at Raxaul in Bihar to be considered: Govt

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh today indicated that there was no possibility of starting airlines' operations from Raxaul in Bihar but promised to look into the matter as BJP and JD-U members in the Rajya Sabha made a strong pitch for the same.
"There is no airport there for the last 30 years...There is no demand for any airline...I do not feel that there is any possibility for operations there," Singh said amid vociferous demands for it from members from Bihar.
Raising the issue, Sabir Ali (JD-U) said that long back, the Aviation Ministry had announced opening of an airport at Raxaul but the reply of the minister today has reversed the earlier position.
At this, Singh said for last 30 years there is no airport for flights connecting Raxaul but expressed his readiness to "discuss" the matter.
17/05/12 PTI/Business Standard

AAI to recruit jr executives in ATC

New Delhi: To meet shortage of officers in Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) wing, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) will recruit 200 junior executives, the government today said.
"The actual strength of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) at present is 2,191 against the sanctioned strength of 2,417...The AAI has initiated necessary steps for recruitment of 200 junior executive in the ATC discipline," Civil Aviation minister Ajit Singh told Rajya Sabha in reply to a question.
In reply to another query, he said, "The ministry of Civil Aviation has accepted recommendation of M/S KPMG for hiving off Air Navigation Services as a separate entity."
17/05/12 Financial Express

IPG awaiting invite to attend unions meeting with Ajit

Mumbai: Welcoming the Civil Aviation Minister's move to convene a meeting of all recognised AI unions next week to discuss labour issues, the striking Indian Pilots Guild on Thursday said they will attend the meeting if invited.
"We will certainly attend the meeting called by the minister. However, we are yet to receive any formal communication in this regard," joint secretary and spokesperson of the now de-recoginsed IPG, Tauseef Mukkadam said.
However, it is not clear whether the IPG will be invited for the meeting in wake of its de-recognition by the AI management last week following its decision to go on strike without serving the mandatory 14-day notice.
On whether they are contemplating to call off the 10-day-old agitation in view of the fresh offer of talks by the government, Mukkadam said there is no such move in the offing as of now.
17/05/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

Meerut admin bars private flights from Partapur

Ghaziabad: District administration in Meerut has barred private flights from Partapur airstrip, four days after a Delhi-based businessman was fatally hit there by his light plane while clicking pictures from close range.
"Private flights will not be entertained on Bhim Rao Ambedkar air strip at Partapur," said Vikash Godelwal, District Magistrate Meerut.
The decision was taken after getting an inquiry report of city magistrate Meerut into the death of businessman Yogesh Garg, who ran a consultancy company at New Delhi.
16/05/12 PTI/Zee News

Passengers at airport taken for a ride

Chennai: A family of four who were standing outside the arrival gate of the domestic terminal, Chennai Airport, with a trolley full of luggage, looked harried. Travelling for the first time by flight, this family from Kolkata wanted to get to T. Nagar without burning a hole in their pocket. While one taxi operator asked for a flat rate of Rs. 500, another said he would charge them Rs. 100 less than the fare demanded by the first operator. The family finally settled for the operator who offered them a ride for Rs. 330. With each operator charging different rates, some with booking counters inside the terminals and no comprehensive system in place, it is harder than it seems for a traveller to get a fair deal.
The airport has three taxi services functioning from its premises — Chennai Airport Prepaid Taxi Owners-Drivers Association, Fast Track Pvt. Ltd and Aviation Express. Getting to Adyar from the airport will cost you Rs. 600 by Aviation Express; Rs. 450 by Fast Track and Rs.300 or Rs.400 by the black and yellow taxis operated by the Association, depending on whether one chooses an A/C or a non-A/C car.
Rates are fixed depending on the area, not on the distance.
17/05/12 Asha Sridhar/The Hindu

CIAL duty free shop records 30% growth in turnover

Kochi: The duty free shop operated by Cochin International Airport Ltd has registered a 30 per cent growth in its sales turnover to Rs 97 crore for FY 12. The turnover for the previous financial year was Rs 73.36 crore.
Mr V.J. Kurian, managing director, CIAL, said the improved performance has come on the back of keen focus maintained in enhancing non-aeronautic revenue of the airport.
The company has from the beginning focused on non-aeronautic revenue and has initiated a slew of measures to drive growth through sources such as duty free shop, lease for shopping space inside and outside the terminals, convention centre, MRO services, he said.
Around 2.59 million international passengers (arriving and departing) travelled through CIAL during the last financial year. The growth in international passengers was around 10 per cent compared with the previous year, he added.
17/05/12 Business Line

Rajahmundry airport terminal operational

Rajahmundry: The new terminal at Madhurapudi airport here has become functional after a delay of five months. The construction of the terminal was completed five months ago but the inauguration was put off waiting for the Chief Minister. Due to unavoidable circumstances, according to the airport officials, the programme got delayed and finally on Wednesday evening the terminal was inaugurated.
The new control tower, terminal building and other buildings were constructed at a cost of Rs. 38 crores. The airport authorities shifted the equipment from the old terminal to the new one. According to Mr. Dhananjaya Rao, the airport director, the construction was done to the best technical specifications.
17/05/12 Business Line

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

9 emergency landings between April '11-March '12

New Delhi: There were nine incidents of aircraft of the scheduled airlines landing under emergency condition from April last to March this year.
Between April to December last year there were seven such incidents, while this year two have been reported, Civil Aviation Minister said in the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
All these incidents except emergency landing due to onboard medical emergencies and the one in which the tail of an Air India plane scraped on the runway in Mumbai when landing were being investigated by Permanent Investigation Board (PIB), he said.
16/05/12 PTI/ZeeNews

Construction of New Airports

Shri Ajit Singh, the Minister of Civil Aviation informed Lok Sabha today in a written reply that Government of India has received proposals for setting up of Greenfield Airports at Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh; Greater Noida/Jewar in Uttar Pradesh; Dholera region and Dwaraka in Gujarat; Machhiwara near Ludhiana in Punjab; Ongle, Prakasham district in Andhra Pradesh; Aranmula-Pathamathitta district in Kerala; Solapur and Bolera in Maharashtra; Rohtak in Haryana; Alwar in Rajasthan; Bellari in Karnataka; Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and Rumari village in Assam which are at the different stages of examination in accordance with the Policy for Greenfield Airports.
The Minister further informed that keeping in view the enormous growth in air passengers and to encourage infusion of great investment in airport sector preferably through Public Private Partnership (PPP), Government had pronounced a Policy for Greenfield Airports in April, 2008. Involvement of participation of private players depends on the commercial decision of individual airport promoter and many other factors.
16/05/12 Press Information Bureau

Kolkata airport official faces threat from within

Kolkata: The city airport could be one of the most highly protected zones in the state, but the security measures aren't enough convince an Airports Authority of India (AAI) employee, who is facing threats from a gangster.
Dipankar Ghosh, who is also the regional secretary of the Airports Authority Employees Union, has been forced to hire an armed security guard because he fears his assailants have easy access inside the airport even in daylight. Police say that the gangster Ghosh fears is absconding.
"Unable" to track the criminal, it was police who advised Ghosh to get an armed bodyguard. Sources say that the gangster Shankar Ram - known in the underworld as Lyangra (lame) Shankar - is a frequent visitor to the airport premises. Thanks to his links, he even has easy access into the cargo terminal, retiring rooms and other core areas of airport where outsiders are restricted, say the sources.
16/05/12 Caesar Mandal/Times of India

Monday, May 14, 2012

Mumbai airport's runway safety report bogus?

Mumbai: Even as aviation authorities are making a bid to revive the Juhu aerodrome, certain officials, it appears, are taxiing in the opposite direction. MiD DAY is in possession of documents that indicate an unholy nexus between some Airports Authority of India (AAI) bigwigs and the builders’ lobby, endeavouring to shut down one of the runways at the aerodrome for furtherance of building projects. The records suggest the officials attempted to mislead the appellate committee of aviation ministry, Government of India, through their report, stating that runway 16/34 of Juhu aerodrome is not fit for operations. In response to this, the aviation safety department of AAI said that the two officials – JMS Negi (now retired, but working as a consultant for special projects) and VK Dutta – have blatantly lied in their report to the committee.
15/05/12 MiD Day/IBN Live

Airport projects fail to take wings in Kerala

Kochi: Lack of a dedicated department for Civil Aviation at the state government level may affect the ambitious airport projects in the state.
Finance Minister K M Mani had in his budget speech for 2012-13 proposed mini airports and airstrips in every district.
But it will be difficult for the project to take off without a Civil Aviation Department at the state level, say experts.
“It will be almost impossible for the state to implement the projects without a department for aviation,” says Kochi-based aviation expert Jacob Philip.
“Fourteen states have Departments of Civil Aviation while in Kerala the aviationrelated matters are still handled by the different departments,” he said.
Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Sikkim, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and West Bengal have civil aviation departments.
15/05/12 Babu K Peter/ExpressBuzz

Govt should decide on Mopa airport before polls: Cong

Panaji: With the Cortalim byelection fast approaching, the Congress party has demanded that the BJP government take a decision on the medium of instruction (MoI) issue and clarify its stand on Mopa airport and regional plan controversies before the elections.
Speaking to media persons on Monday, Congress spokesperson Jitendra Deshprabhu said that although the Regional plan 2021 presented by the Congress party needed some corrections, the BJP intention to denotify the same will benefit the land sharks.
"In reality this decision will benefit the land sharks because BJP will go back to the Regional Plan 2001," said Deshprabhu, adding that with this move the government would be breaking the promise made to the people during the recent assembly election.
15/05/12 Times of India

Be ready for more ‘intrusive’ pat-down searches at airport

The pat-down search at the airport is all set to be a little more intensive and intrusive, all for security of course.
A recent circular issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security that terrorists might use surgically implanted explosive devices at airports has made the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which guards airports in the country, give its pat-down search mechanism a thorough shake.
CISF personnel have been handed over a set of questions to screen passengers for presence of any such implantable device, with instructions that passengers unable to prove that nothing is amiss be subjected to an ‘intensive’ ‘full body’ pat-down search which will concentrate on the upper legs and torso, chest and abdomen region, with personnel asked to look for abnormalities on the skin surface and wires or tubes exiting the body, said sources.
15/05/12 Mumbai Mirror

ATC system at Nagpur can save 1.28 crore litres aviation fuel

Nagpur: About 600 nautical miles around Nagpur is now safe from mid-air mishaps, thanks to the new Air Traffic Control (ATC) automation system 'Indra' at the international airport here, which will also help saving up to 1.28 crore litres of aviation fuel every year, top airport officials said.
The Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport is the first to rationalise the new ATC Automation System imported from Spanish company Indra, among the 38 airports in the country, which are also installing the system commissioned in last February.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) recently made it operational here. Following this, Bhopal and Hyderabad airport radars have been integrated with the airport here, Ashok Kumar Verma, Airport Director, Nagpur told PTI.
15/05/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

Sikkim airport wins International Project of the Year Award

London: Earlier the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had bagged the Greentech Corporate Social Responsibility Award for its greenfield airport at Pakyong in Sikkim. Now Belfast-based geotechnical company Maccaferri has won an international award for its challenging work to construct reinforced soil walls and slopes at the new airport at Pakyong in Sikkim.
The company, which completed the project with partners Mott MacDonald and Punj Lloyd, was given the ‘International Project of the Year’ award at the Ground Engineering Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel here on Friday.Attended by nearly 400 leaders in consultancy and contracting in the geotechnical engineering industry, the awards brought together the key players in the industry, a press release on the event said. Maccaferri worked on the 31 million pounds project that featured a 550m wide, 1.7 km long corridor in which the runway and airport buildings are constructed for the Airports Authority of India.
15/05/12 iSikkim

Magisterial inquiry begins in micro-light aircraft accident

Meerut: A magisterial inquiry was on Sunday initiated into the Partapur airstrip accident in which a Delhi-based businessman was killed after being hit by a two-seater micro-light private plane when he came close to the aircraft at the runway while it was landing.
Following the orders of district administration, City Magistrate today started the probe into the incident, SP City Omprakash said today.
The pilot, Anil Gupta, was arrested late last night and later released on bail. The businessman, Yogesh Garg, was clicking pictures of the private plane he owned when he was hit by one of its wings yesterday morning at the Partapur airstrip on the outskirts of the city.
Yogesh, who ran a consultancy company at New Delhi, died on the spot. The pilot and his colleague Purvi escaped unhurt in the accident.
"Though the pilot has the license for flying, the probe team is trying to collect further details from Directorate General of Civil Aviation office. Any further action would be taken after the magisterial probe is over," Omprakash said.
13/05/12 ZeeNews

Runway extension stuck in safety scan

Calcutta airport can’t extend the length of a runway by 400 metres in the time earth orbits 6.5 billion kilometres around the sun.
Seven years and counting — that’s how long the secondary runway extension project has been stretched for reasons ranging from delayed eviction of encroachers to obstacles on the flight path that weren’t accounted for in the original feasibility report.
The shorter length of the secondary runway was the reason why airport officials were in a tizzy after a pothole was spotted on the main tarmac on the eve of Hillary Clinton’s arrival last Sunday. Under aviation guidelines for VVIPs, the Boeing C-32 aircraft carrying Hillary couldn’t have been cleared for landing on the alternate runway because of its length.
Sources said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had withheld safety clearance for the southern extension of the secondary runway based on the first report sent by the airport authorities last year.
14/05/12 Sanjay Mandal/The Telegraph

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Tiruchy airport gets automated ATS

Tiruchy: The Tiruchy airport on Sunday became the first of the 38 ‘Type A’ airports in the country to have an Air Traffic Services (ATS) automation facility.
It has well-established aerial connections with major Indian airports as well as international destinations such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The the commissioning of the automated ATS system would bolster air traffic management to meet the growing demand effectively and safely.
The automation improves air traffic management through timely information on aircraft movement, integration of met and aeronautical data. It facilitates flight information between Tiruchy and Chennai and Trivandrum Area Control Centres.
14/05/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

Air India ground handling move to hit revenue

Thiruvananthapuram: Air India will now have to share 50% of the revenue earned from Thiruvananthapuram after the company decided to transfer ground handling activities at the Trivandrum International Airport to its joint-venture company Air India- Singapore Airport Terminal Services (AI-Sats). Air India earns around Rs 45 crore a year from airport operations.
Air India(AI) and Air India Express(AIE) together operates around 3,400 flights a year and these flights are handled by employees of Air India and AIATSL- a wholly-owned AI subsidiary - at no additional cost. If AI-Sats takes over ground handling in Trivandrum airport, AI will have to pay the company a sum of Rs 8.5 crore per annum as handling charges for its own aircrafts.
14/05/12 Sangeetha Nair/Times of India

Passenger jumps out of a plane in Chennai

Chennai: A 28-year-old man jumped out of an Air India aircraft through the emergency exit shortly before the passengers were to disembark on landing at the international airport in Chennai on Monday.
The flight from Dubai landed and passengers were waiting for the aerobridge to be opened when the man managed to open the emergency exit door and jumped out, airport sources said.
14/05/12 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

Retd cop’s son arrested with bullet at RGI airport

Hyderabad: A retired head constable's son was arrested on Sunday while he was trying to board a Dubai-bound flight allegedly with a live bullet in his baggage.
Police nabbed Jitesh Kumar, 27, a student from Lothkunta near Alwal. Jitesh was caught for possessing the bullet by CISF personnel at the passenger screening point while he was trying to board his flight at around 4.30 am on Sunday.
However, police have not yet booked a case against Jitesh and refused to give any details about the incident.
14/05/12 Times of India

Work on runway for Kannur airport to be delayed further

Kannur: The fate of Kannur airport continues to remain under clouds of uncertainties.
The plan to float tender for construction of runway for proposed airport this month is unlikely to take off as officials of the Kannur International Airport Limited (Kial) seems to be unhappy over the detailed project report (DPR) prepared by the Cochin International Airport Limited (Cial).
Kial officials said the DPR needs many rectifications. After Cial submitted the DPR, a team of aviation experts had visited the airport site at Mattannur on behalf of Kial.
They felt that several technical parameters need to be corrected.A Kial official said even if the tender is floated, a final decision on awarding the tender could be taken only after the corrections are made in the DPR.
13/05/12 Times of India

Now, airstrips, stadiums to double up as granary

Lucknow: Owing to acute shortage of storage space, the state government will utilise airstrips in the state to stack wheat. The government is also planning to convert stadiums into temporary storage places.
Confirming this, Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies, Balwinder Kumar said a letter has been sent to the Civil Aviation department of the state for necessary permission to stock wheat at airstrips under its control. “The state has witnessed a bumper crop and we need to adjust the wheat stock. Though the airstrips will not be able to accommodate much stock, we hope 30-40 thousand metric tonne of wheat can be stored,” said Kumar.
The state has 15 airstrips situated in Ambedkar Nagar, Ghazipur, Sultanpur, Aligarh, Meerut, Farrukhabad, Faizabad, Kushinagar, Sonbhadra, Kheri, Etawah, Shrawasti, Moradabad, Azamgarh and Chitrakoot. “We are planning to use seven airstrips for storing wheat,” the Principal Secretary said.
Currently, the Food and Civil Supplies department is on the lookout for any open space which is surrounded by a boundary wall for the storage.
13/05/12 Faisal Fareed/Express India

NRK dies aboard flight

Thiruvananthapuram: A non-resident Keralite (NRK) who was returning from Dubai died onboard an Air Arabia flight which arrived at the international airport here at 7.55 am on Friday.
The Valiyathura Police said that the deceased was one Sreekandan, 61, hailing from Mulloor at Vizhinjam in the district. Sreekandan, who was reportedly suffering from some ailments, including diabetes and a growth in his throat, had left for Kerala to undergo advanced treatment.
13/05/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

Saturday, May 12, 2012

High-tech scanners at Indian airports to combat threat of human bombs

New Delhi: In an ambitious move that could change the way airport security in India works, the Cabinet Committee on Security will soon discuss a proposal to acquire sophisticated state-of-the-art equipment for scanning and checking both passengers and baggage at all leading airports.
Highly-placed Government sources said the equipment, in particular will, be highly useful in detecting 'human bombs' where explosive devices are surgically implanted in
a human body.
The move, sources added, has been necessitated in wake of a recent alert issued by the Intelligence Bureau through the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security that Indian airports could be targeted by human bombs where sophisticated surgical procedures plants explosives inside the human body - just beneath the skin.
11/05/12 Rajnish Sharma/Deccan Chronicle

Idukkis dreams to take wings soon

Kochi: The prospect of an airport in Idukki looks bright as the nod from the Defence Ministry is the only procedure to be completed. Rest of the ground work for the airport at Anakkara has been completed and approval from the Defence Ministry is expected within three months.
The district administration has completed all the required procedures for the proposed airport. “We first conducted the feasibility study and submitted the report before the Airports Authority of India. The Civil Aviation Ministry has also approved the proposal. Later the Survey of India conducted a study and gave the nod for the project. Now, the only approval required is from the Defence Ministry. The report for the airport was handed over to Defence Ministry at a meeting held last week. We hope it will be a positive one,” Idukki Collector, P Bhaskaran said.
A district administration official said that there is an advantage with A K Antony as the Defence Minster,as he might help realise the project.
12/05/12 Toby Antony/New Indian Express/IBN Live

Passengers will have to slump up more for using Delhi airport

New Delhi: From May 15 onwards, passengers departing or arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here will have to shell out more, with the introduction of a User Development Fee (UDF), making Delhi as one of the most expensive airports in the world.
Airlines will also have to slump up more for landing, parking, navigation, fuel throughput and the usage of the common user terminals. This increase is likely to jack up passenger fares.
Any international passenger departing from the airport and travelling over 5,000 km will have to pay Rs.1,068 as user development fee. In the case of an arriving passenger, it will be Rs.881.10. For travelling 2,000-5,000 km, a departing passenger will have to pay Rs. 845.50 and an arriving passenger Rs. 699.17.
12/05/12 Sujay Mehdudia/The Hindu

New terminals at Chennai airport will be staffed soon, says official

Chennai: Manpower recruitment for the new domestic and international terminals at the Chennai airport is being worked out, said Krishna Kant Jha, Member (HR), Airports Authority of India (AAI), here on Friday.
Talking to reporters after inaugurating a Regional Training Centre at the new cargo complex at Meenambakkam, Mr. Jha said that the AAI had advertised in newspapers for recruiting junior executives. While it was a certainty that a large number of specialist workers would be required, the number had not been arrived at. “There are more than 20 departments such as service, operations, technical and so on. It is a long process that we will complete soon.”
The prospect of recruitment for the service sector in the airport has been a cause for concern among members of the AAI employees union. Airport sources said that a majority of the additional services were likely to be outsourced to private contractors.
12/05/12 The Hindu

Owner hit by plane on runway, dies

Meerut: A 40-year-old man was killed on Saturday at the Partapur air strip here after being hit by a micro-lite plane he owned as he clicked its pictures.
Police said the four-seater plane - VT-UAG - belonged to local businessman Mukesh Garg, the victim.
Official sources say the BR Ambedkar air strip was not used for commercial purposes and was off and on used for joy rides by businessmen and real estate owners whose small planes were parked in the hanger.
The deceased came to the airport for a joy ride with two friends on Saturday. But he chose not to fly but asked his friends to take the small flight as he shot their pictures from the ground.
12/05/12 ZeeNews

Fewer CISF men at Juhu

Mumbai: The Juhu aerodrome is likely to remain unsecured for the next few months, as authorities plan to scale down the strength of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel even before they are posted at the airport.
According to sources, given the Airport Authority of India’s (AAI)failure to find and fund suitable accommodations for CISF personnel,the sanctioned strength of 174 troops will now be brought down to around 80. The induction of CISF men has already overshot the deadline of April 1 because of pending accommodation arrangements.
This comes in the backdrop of government agencies expediting the process of providing security cover at the airport after several
terror alerts by intelligence agencies. The ministry of home affairs and Intelligence Bureau had gone into an overdrive to get the security plan sanctioned.
12/05/12 Parth Satam/Asian Age

5 year on, 'not an inch' of airport land freed

Mumbai: India's largest urban relocation programme, the Mumbai airport slum clearance projectis a virtual non-starter five years after its commencement. Till today, barely any shanties have been cleared from the airport's encroached land and yet the builder appointed to remove the shanties and rehouse slumdwellers has earned an estimated Rs 2,000 crore from the project.
The Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL) was in 2007 given the task of rehabilitating around 85,000 slum families encroaching on 276 acres of airport land on its own plots a few kilometres from the airport site. So far, the developer has built about 10,000 tenements in Kurla. For this, it has received transfer of development rights (TDR), which it sold and reaped a windfall of Rs 2,000 crore.
12/05/12 Nauzer K Bharucha/Times of India

Man robbed of Rs1.8 lakh at Pune airport

Pune: The Airport police on Wednesday booked an unidentified person for allegedly stealing Rs1.8 lakh in cash from the luggage bag of Wardha-based businessman, Amar
Dipakrao Bhandarwar (33). The incident took place at the Lohegaon airport after he checked in his baggage to catch a Nagpur-bound flight on Tuesday.
The police said that Bhandarwar had kept Rs1.8 lakh in his bag, which he gave for scanning at the Indigo Airlines counter and procured his boarding pass.
12/05/12 Daily News & Analysis

Monkey strikes again at airport

Indore: The monkey menace returned to haunt the Devi Ahilya airport administration and the CISF personnel again on Friday. The troublesome simian kept hassling security personnel and other employees for over three hours before finally landing into forest officials’ trap.
The unwanted airport visitor injured half a dozen children in the nearby residential area before intruding into the airport’s old terminal building.
The monkey had given a tough time to the security personnel on Wednesday by running around on the airstrip and scaring passengers boarding flights.
The terrible monkey once again turned up at the airport on Friday afternoon.
12/05/12 Daily News & Analysis

Friday, May 11, 2012

Jeddah-bound AI flight detained

Kochi: Bringing in more trouble for passengers of Air India, the Kochi-Kozhikode- Jeddah AI963 flight, which was supposed to leave Nedumbassery on Thursday, was detained at the Cochin International Airport.
The flight was detained due to the strike by the Air India pilots.
The flight, which was supposed to leave Kochi at 3.30 pm, was to board passengers bound for Jeddah from Kozhikode.
But owing to the strike, at least 100 passengers were stranded at the Kochi and Kozhikode airports.
The passengers were accommodated in hotels by the airport officials.
11/05/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

Man held with 50 live cartridges at IGI airport

New Delhi: A man has been arrested with 50 live cartridges in his baggage at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport here, police said on Thursday.
Gautam Gianchandani, who was to board Air India flight (AI 893) to Hyderabad, was arrested late last night after 50 live cartridges were found in his checked-in baggage by the baggage handling team of the airport operator DIAL at Terminal 3, a senior official said.
Gianchandani had neither declared at the airline's check- in counter that he had 50 cartridges in his luggage nor did he produced any valid documents of the same. The passenger was arrested under Arms Act, 1959 and Airport Act, 1954 as per the directive of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.
11/05/12 Zee News

Woman held with gold at Kochi Airport

Kochi: A woman was detained by Customs officials at Nedumbassery airport for carrying 426 grams of gold on her body. According to the officials, the woman, identified as Bincy Mathew, was disguised in a purdah, when they detained her.
The officials grew suspicious as the woman was a Christian and yet was wearing a purdah. On checking, they discovered that she was wearing gold worth 12.25 lakh.
11/05/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

AP to unveil new airports development policy next month

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Government is likely to come out with a new Greenfield Airports Development Policy by June 2012.
As part of its initiatives to speed up development of new airports in the State, the Government has been working on a new policy that will include a new land policy for this sector.
“Action has already been taken to provide funds from the State Budget for development of existing airports at Vijayawada and Tirupati,” Mr Ganta Srinivasa Rao, AP Minister for Infrastructure, Investments, Ports, Airports and Natural Gas, said.
11/05/12 Business Line