Manipur-based promoter moots pvt airlines solely for NE states

Guwahati: A Manipur-based promoter has proposed to set up a private airline solely for the North East.
"The DONER and the NEC will be approached for funding of the project called the North-East Airlines, which will cover the major towns of the region", Ch Jaichander Singh told reporters here today.
Based on a survey to find a suitable aircraft, it was found that one with 70-90 seating capacity would be ideal and therefore the acquisition of Embraer 170 is planned, he said.
"The plan is to acquire two of these aircraft, which are manufactured in Brazil, the cost of which will be around Rs 250 crore, for which we plan to raise the amount from promoters, eight NE state governments, North-Eastern Council and DONER," Singh said.
"There are lot of students and working people of the North East residing in other parts of the country and a conservative estimate points out that approximately 90,000 of them travel by air annually," Singh said.
Singh said he had 18 years of experience in travel and tourism, including three years in aviation and added that Captain A K Singh, who has 25 years of flying experience with the Indian Air Force, would head the operations.
23/02/09 ZeeNews

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Unused airstrips remain unguarded

Chennai: In spite of a ministry direction to upgrade the security on all airstrips owned by the Airports Authority of India almost three months ago, in view of the terror attacks in Mumbai, almost nothing seems to have been done.
In a directive to all airports, Civil Aviation ministry had sighted the importance of manning of airspace and airstrips to avoid any intrusion or misuse by terror elements. In view of this, the ministry had made a list of all private, military, government and AAI airstrips that needed to be brought under strict vigilance.
About five unused airstrips fall in the southern region and due to lack of adequate security personnel from within AAI, the Director General of Resettlement (DGR) was approached to provide ex-serviceman to fulfil the requirements. But no action has been coming forth after that.
“There is a need for at least 15 security men at each of the airstrips.
We currently have only three on each of them. There are no men to replace these men either. The situation is so bad that if one of the men go on leave, then the other two have to work continuously to cover the absentee’s shift. In such a scenario, ex-servicemen were our best bet, a request for whom has already been made a month back but there is no response yet,” an airline official told Express.
The security in southern region is controlled from Chennai and the need for tighter control on Rajmundari airstrip is being cited considering the naxalite influence on that area. But the ministry and the DGR seem to be showing all words and no action.
24/02/09 Mamta Todi/ExpressBuzz

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Finnair to increase flights to India

Finland's national airline Finnair, which plans to acquire five new Airbus A330 this year to renew its fleet and cut emission levels, will fly one of the new aircraft to India. "We will be inducting five Airbus A330 aircraft this year and will fly one of them to India by April-May," Finnair Vice President Sustainable Development Kati Ihamaki told reporters in New Delhi on Monday (February 23).
Finnair has been flying to India since 2006 with daily flights to Delhi and five flights in a week to Mumbai. The airline plans to replace its McDonnell Douglas aircraft with the new fleet in an attempt to achieve greater fuel efficiency and reduce emission levels. "We will replace all our McDonnell Douglas aircraft by January 2010. We also plan to acquire Airbus A350 by 2014," Ihamaki said adding that the number of A350 aircraft will depend on the situation.
Finnair's fleet has an average age of five years. With the deployment of A340s, the airline has cut emission by 11% and by the year-end emission will come down to 80% due to A330s. "The induction of extra wide body aircraft Airbus A350 will bring down the emission level to 69 per cent," she said. The global aviation industry, contributing 2 per cent to the carbon emission and growing, has taken up the initiative for zero emission by 2050, she said.
23/02/09 TimesNow.tv

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Assam near-miss blame game is on

New Delhi: The blame-game over the February 11 near-miss involving Air India and Aviation Research Centre (ARC) aircraft over Jorhat in Upper Assam continues, with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) blaming the incident on "miscommunication" by air traffic control (ATC).
In a missive to the civil aviation ministry and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last week, an IB officer of the deputy director rank squarely put the blame on ATC, Jorhat, which is under the Indian Air Force. Sources said the IB claim is based on findings of an internal probe that checked all relevant records.
The findings will, however, have no bearing on a separate DGCA probe under way.
On February 11, AI's IC-206 carrying 43 passengers from Dibrugarh to Kolkata and ARC's IL-76 Gajraj came 300 feet of each other. But the pilot of IC-206 immediately dropped altitude and a deadly collision was averted.
Preliminary investigation revealed IL-76 had been told to fly at 19,000 feet, but it came down to 17,000 feet, forcing IC-206 to fly low to avoid collision. In aviation parlance, the incident is called breach of vertical separation limit that is 2,000 feet.
24/02/09 Yogesh Kumar/Daily News & Analysis

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Compensation paid for airport expansion

Dharwad: The process of land acquisition for the expansion and upgrading of Hubli airport was set in motion on Sunday with the state government paying a compensation amount to the owners of houses that were acquired.
Assembly speaker Jagadeesh Shettar, MP Prahlad Joshi and MLA Chandrakant Bellad distributed cheques for a total amount of Rs 13.66 crore to 50 families at a function held at PWD meeting hall here on Sunday evening.
Residents of Unkal, Kumar Park, Mandar Park, Saraswatipura and Renuka Nagar received the cheques.
Speaking on the occasion, Jagadeesh Shettar said the government had in the first phase released Rs 20 crore for payment of compensation to the evacuees.
The government has agreed to provide 700 acres of additional land adjoining Hubli airport to Airport Authority of India for the expansion of airport.
23/02/09 Times of India

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Lower air fares are here to stay

According to Dhruv Shringi, CEO and co-founder, yatra.com: “Lower air fares are here to stay, for this year at least. To get the volumes, fares have to be in the Rs 3,000-3,500 range, and that is starting to happen. Also, in 2009, we will see surcharges being lowered and extra taxes being waived.”
The Rs 200-400 shaved off the fuel surcharge, the pruning of base fares by 20-80% and a free or discounted in-flight menu on even the no-frills airlines make for excellent news. You can maximise these gains by following this comprehensive guide to flying smart.
There are travellers who swear that last-minute booking gets you the best deal. Experts, however, disagree. They say that with airlines restarting the zero fare concept, it pays to book early. Airlines offer a better deal to early birds-apex or advance purchase fares in industryspeak- because it helps them to manage their inventories better.
Says Vikas Jawa, director, zoomtra.com, a travel search engine: “If airlines were to lower fares just before flight time, there would be a flood of people at the last minute. But airlines need an accurate estimate of the number of people and amount of baggage on a flight so that they can load the proper amount of fuel, meals and beverages. Hence, booking early is beneficial for both the airlines and the passengers.”
In fact, if you book late, you may have to shell out a higher price. Says Michael Burke, general manager, Virgin Atlantic India: “Last-minute bookings typically end up increasing your total costs.” That's not to say that you'll never get a good deal on a last-minute booking. It's a gamble and you can lose if the load factor of the flight is good. An impromptu survey conclusively puts this debate to rest.
24/02/09 MoneyToday.in/Sify

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Cabinet approves NACIL, SATS joint venture

The Union Cabinet today approved the proposal to the National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL) for setting up of a Joint Venture Company with M/s. Singapore air Terminal Services (SATS) for undertaking Ground Handling / Cargo Handling activities at various airports in India. NACIL and SATS would hold 50:50 equity ratio in the Joint Venture Company. The JVC would be managed by the Board of Directors consisting of representatives from NACIL and SATS in equal proportion. The Chairman of the Board and CEO of JVC would alternate between NACIL and SATS for a fixed tenure. All profits and losses of the business would be shared by NACIL and SATS in the ratio of the equity structure. The approximate total investment in the project would be :
Bangalore- Cargo handling Rs. 99 crores, Ground Handling Rs. 73 crores
Hyderabad: Ground Handling Rs. 80 crores

National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL), into which the erstwhile Air India Limited and Indian Airlines Limited have amalgamated, today holds a major share of the ground handling business at Airports in India. With the introduction of independent world class handling agencies at the airports, there would be induction of modern equipment, technology and resource management tools leading to very high level of competition in the field. In order to succeed in retaining majority of the business, NACIL is required to take proactive measures to upgrade its services by induction of modern technology with special focus on customer services and quick response to customer needs.
Establishing a Joint Venture partnership with a company, which is reputed in the field of ground handling services, would be an important step towards establishing a world class handling facility. While the ramp handling remains to be a strong point of NACIL, their customer service, passenger handling and cargo handling areas will get the required boost in quality, to face the competition effectively. The JV will contribute towards improved efficiency, better resource utilization and induction of human resource at lower cost. In short, establishing a Joint Venture for Ground Handling will be a significant step to retain and increase the market share of NACIL in the years to come.
23/02/09 Press Information Bureau

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Gulf Air Signs Agreement to Lease Four Boeing 777 Aircraft

Manama: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, today signed an agreement to lease four new Boeing 777 ER aircraft as part of the airline's re-fleeting and product-enhancement strategy. Three of the new aircraft will join the airline during March 09 while the fourth one will join in May.
The aircraft, leased from Jet Airways, will be used on a number of routes including London, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and intra Gulf Routes, gradually replacing the Airbus 340s.
"The introduction of these four aircraft is another important step in our strategic direction towards re-fleeting, enhancing our product and strengthening our presence as the carrier of choice in the Middle East and beyond," says Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Mr. Björn Näf.
" In addition it will further strengthen our successful hub-and-spoke network and our operational efficiency while offering enhanced passenger comfort and flying experience"
"The addition of the Boeing 777's to our fleet is a major coup for us; the product they offer is one of, if not, the best in the world. I am confident that this will once again make Gulf Air the airline of choice and leave our passengers with an easy decision when deciding which airline to fly," he concluded.
The wide body Boeing 777-300ER is the largest long-range twin-engine commercial airplane in the world. It extends the 777 family's span of capabilities, bringing twin-engine efficiency and reliability to the long-range market. The aircraft come with a luxurious interior and a host of amenities providing the most comfortable travel experience to both premium and economy class passengers in a three-class configuration, i.e., First, Business and Economy with a capacity of 312 seats.
First class passengers on these aircraft can enjoy the luxury of a private suite with bespoke furnishing and a fully flat bed complete with a personal wardrobe. The herring-bone design business class offer a lie-flat bed with 180 degree recline, a privacy wall for personal space and world-class linens. Economy class passengers will not be disappointed as the seats come with more leg space to stretch out, a 130-degree recline and a hammock headrest to support head and neck.
Gulf Air Deputy CEO Ismail Karimi commented, "As the national carrier of the Kingdom, we are constantly looking at opportunities, where we can offer enhanced products and services for our customers. Ultimately, we want Gulf Air to be the airline of choice."
These almost-new aircraft with state-of-the-art cabin features will, I am sure, give our customers a luxurious and relaxing travel experience, concludes Mr Karimi Gulf Air already has two A330 aircraft on short-term wet-lease from Jet Airways.
23/02/09 PRESS RELEASE/Gulf Air

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Jet Airways to lease 4 Boeing-777 aircraft to Gulf Air

Mumbai: Hit by economic slowdown, private air-carrier Jet Airways will be leasing out four of its wide-bodied Boeing 777 aircraft to Gulf Air.
"We are leasing out four of our Boeing 777-300 (ER) aircraft to Gulf Air for three-and-half-year period," Jet Airways Executive Director Saroj Datta said here on Monday.
A lease agreement has been signed for this purpose, Datta said adding, "The lease period would be for 42 months."
The aircraft would be on wet lease for first six months and for the remaining three years they would be on dry lease, he said.
Under wet lease, an airline provides its aircraft with complete crew, maintenance and insurance to another airline. However, under dry lease, only an aircraft is leased out.
The Bahrain-headquartered air-carrier would be taking three of the four leased aircraft next month, and the fourth in May.
Earlier too, Jet Airways had leased out two of its A330 aircraft to Gulf Air for four months from December last.
23/02/09 PTI/Times of India

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Gurgaon airhostess found dead in Munich

New Delhi: Mystery continues to surround the death of a 30-year-old Gurgaon-based flight attendant three weeks after her body was found on a railway track near Munich, Germany.
Authorities in Germany are still investigating the case, and are yet to zero in on the circumstances leading to Shalini Yadav’s death. Her employers have refused to comment.
Yadav, a flight attendant with the Germany-based Lufthansa Airlines, was on a stopover at Munich after a Mumbai-Munich flight on February 2.
She was on duty, and was supposed to take the Munich-Mumbai flight on February 5.
But, according to the investigating officers in Munich, Yadav was found dead on the railway tracks around 10 kilometres from Munich.
“The case is still under investigation. She was killed by the train, and parts of the body was found till 100 metres on the train’s course,” M Titz, the senior public prosecutor in Munich and head of the department investigating the case, told Newsline on Monday.
While her family in India could not be contacted for more details, German authorities are now finding it hard to get to any conclusion in the absence of vital clues.
“While the investigations are still on, a case of death for unknown reason has been registered here,” Titz said. “We do not suppose it is a capital crime, murder or manslaughter. It seems she killed herself — having investigated so far, we do not suppose it to be a murder.” But the investigators are keeping all avenues open, Titz added.
24/02/09 Geeta Gupta/Express India

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SpiceJet investor Wilbur Ross to be named director

Mumbai: Low-cost carrier SpiceJet Ltd on Tuesday said investor Wilbur Ross will be appointed as a director on the board in the near term, after obtaining necessary clearances from the government.
U.S.-based WL Ross & Co LLC along with Goldman Sachs (GS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) had committed an investment of 4.21 billion rupees in SpiceJet in August 2008.
24/02/09 Aniruddha Basu/Sunil Nair/Reuters

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Kerala tour operators peeved at government ad

Thiruvananthapuram: Tour operators and hoteliers are peeved with an advertisement issued by the ministry of civil aviation, which doesn't indicate the presence of Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode airports on the aviation map.
The ad, the ministry's share of the pre-election PR drive of the UPA government, mentions only the Cochin International Airport.
The ad, which depicts the five-year growth of the sunrise sector through a comparison chart of major international air routes, claims that even the "smallest cities are connected to the world".
A press release by the Confederation of Tourism Industry in Kerala, Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and South Kerala Hotel Federation reads: "Unfortunately, the air connectivity map given in the ad has left out the leading airports like Trivandrum and Calicut in Kerala.
The trade bodies have demanded an apology from aviation minister Praful Patel for discriminating against the two airports in Kerala and urged for action against the officials who released the ad in major newspapers on Monday.
24/02/09 Don Sebastian/Daily News & Analysis

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Patna Airport Gets a New Information Display System

Patna: A spanking new, snazzy computerized electronic information display system was installed at Patna's Jai Prakash Narain International Airport to provide real time flight information to the passengers without having to stand in a long queue in front of a ticket counter.
The new sign was inaugurated by K. K. Jha, a senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) official in the presence of Patna airport officials including Airport Director J. N. Dixit.
While the old information system had to depend on human intervention for the current flight information, the new system is fully automatic and is accurate to the minute in terms of flight arrivals and departure, Jha said.
Dixit said the system is also connected with a phone number (0612-2226439) for those seeking up-to-the minute flight information over the phone.
Besides, travelers can now also get information on their cell phones by sending an SMS to 9431014605, Dixit said.
23/02/09 Patna Daily

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Helicopter stops play in cricket match

Mumbai: A helicopter stopped play in a domestic cricket game in India after the pilot mistook the pitch for a landing pad, local media reported on Sunday.
Players were forced to abort Saturday's one-day game and scurry for cover when the hapless pilot set the chopper down on the letter 'H' painted in the corner of the cricket ground.
The 'H' stands for the name of the Himachal Pradesh team in the north-west Indian state.
A fire near the stadium also added to the confusion of the pilot, who misinterpreted it for smoke signals, according to the Hindustan Times.
The unscheduled arrival of the helicopter, owned by a private airline, halted play for almost half an hour before the red-faced pilot buzzed off again.
23/02/09 Sanjay Rajan/Alastair Himmer/Reuters

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International buyers give Enstrom a boost

Enstrom Helicopter, which saw 12 of its 20 deliveries last year go to customers outside the U.S., is seeing a continuation of the trend in 2009.
The Menominee, Mich.-based OEM recently delivered its first 480B destined for Bulgaria to Fortuna Air of Veliko Tarnovo.
Earlier this year Enstrom also delivered a 480B to Rotor Ukraine, its newest European dealer. It will fly from the city of Kikolayev as a sales demonstrator and will be available for commercial purposes such as tours and photography.
Rotor Ukraine will be fully equipped to offer sales and service for Enstrom piston and turbine helicopters throughout the Ukraine and other eastern European countries.
Enstrom and Monarch Aviation also announced at Heli-Expo the sale of two more 480B turbine helicopters in India. The first went to Ashok Sawhny, CEO of Monarch International, and will be used by Monarch as a demonstrator as well as in a commercial role. The second aircraft was sold to Orissa Stevedores to be used as a corporate transport.
Monarch has proven especially adept at navigating India’s unique paperwork requirements and regulations,” said Enstrom director of sales and marketing Tracy Biegler. “Mr. Sawhny was the first private individual in India to receive a nonscheduled operating certificate.”
“There are a lot of people in India, but only a handful of helicopters,” said Monarch pilot M.K. Labroo. “The market must grow and it is growing.”
23/02/09 AINonline

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Slip road for easy airport access

Calcutta: A slip road that allows vehicles approaching the airport from the north to bypass the traffic congestion on VIP Road was inaugurated on Monday. It will be opened to traffic on March 4.
“Vehicles can now enter the airport directly from Jessore Road, via Airport Road. Fliers will thus be able to avoid the congestion at the VIP Road-Jessore Road and VIP Road-Airport Road crossings,” said V.K. Monga, the director of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.
“The launch of the 30m long, one-way slip road is the first step towards clearing the traffic chaos in and around the airport and part of the larger plan of modernisation and expansion,” he added
Another slip road — linking VIP Road to Airport Road — is slated to be ready by the end of March. It will allow vehicles on VIP Road to reach the airport without congesting the Jessore Road crossing.
Inaugurating the slip road, MP Amitava Nandi said: “The two slip roads were proposed in a meeting between the Airport Advisory Committee, police and the public works department. The suggestions were conveyed to the Airports Authority of India and a proposal was sent to Delhi.”
Work left on the slip road, such as levelling of drains and construction of a rotary, will be completed before March 4, added Nandi.
According to traffic police, about 16,000 vehicles, including trucks, use the Jessore Road stretch between Barasat and Lake Town during peak hours (9am to 11am and 5pm to 8pm). About 700 vehicles travel the stretch at other times of the day.
24/02/09 The Telegraph

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Singapore Airlines offers freebies, discounts; struggles with demand

Mumbai: With nearly two months of boycott by travel agents in India, Singapore Airlines Ltd and the island nation are directly approaching passengers and tourists with promotional fares and freebies.
To counter the boycott, Singapore Airlines, the world’s largest carrier by market value, is offering discounts on tickets booked online.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has announced an India-specific promotional scheme. “STB has dedicated up to S$500,000 (Rs1.65 crore) worth of free air tickets to be won before the closing date of 31st May,” the board said in a statement on Wednesday.
SOTC, a unit of travel firm Kuoni Travel (India) Pvt. Ltd, has announced packages starting at Rs22,950 for a three-night stay at Singapore. This includes return airfare and city tours, as well as free tickets to tourist spots for the first 100 customers.
Travel agents started the boycott late last year after several airlines, led by the National Aviation Co. of India Ltd, which runs Air India, stopped paying them a 5% commission on tickets sold. Reeling under the impact, many retracted their earlier stance, except Singapore Airlines and some other foreign carriers.
The agents then intensified protests and stopped selling Singapore as a tourist destination. India ranks as the fourth-largest tourist source for Singapore, with 770,000 visitors in 2008, or 7.6% of the visitors to the island last year.
Singapore Airlines executives were unwilling to go on record, but an executive said on condition of anonymity that the carrier would not roll back its decision to do away the commission to travel agents.
But the impact is showing already.
Singapore Airlines has already reduced operations out of India. Since we are switching passengers to other carriers, its load factor has declined, said Biji Eapen, president of the Iata Agents Association of India.
A 17 February report by brokerage firm CLSA quotes Singapore Airlines as saying India was among the airline firm’s worst performing markets with load factors on its India routes declining by 10% to 66% in the past two months.
Singapore Airlines is already struggling with falling demand, as reflected in advanced bookings, and reducing its capacity by 11% for fiscal 2010. On Friday, the airline also said it may postpone deliveries of new aircraft because of poor demand.
23/02/09 P.R. Sanjai/Livemint

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Jharkhand farmers to have cargo facility at airport

Farmers in Jharkhand would soon get a cargo facility at Ranchi airport to despatch farm produce to the world market. “The cargo facility would come soon at Ranchi airport,” Union Civil Aviation Minister Mr Praful Patel said after Governor Mr Syed Sibtey Razi and Union Food Processing Minister Mr Subodh Kant Sahay drew his attention on difficulty faced by Jharkhand farm ers to find a world market for their produce.
“Eighty per cent of Jharkhand's population depend on agriculture and there is lack of proper irrigation facility. A world market will immensely benefit the farmers,” Mr Razi said last night after the foundation laying ceremony of the new integrated termi nal building at Ranchi airport.
Jharkhand produces several types of agriculture and horticulture products, Mr Sahay said, adding a cargo facility at the airport would help farmers sell their perishable vegetables. Though rich in forests, rivers and rivulets, the poor irrigation system in the state has been causing difficulties for the farmers in a state having 29.74 lakh hectare of farm land.
23/02/09 Business Line/Fresh Plaza.com

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Crown tells B.C. Appeal Court acquitted in Air India case should repay legal fees

Vancouver: A man acquitted in the 1985 terrorist bombing of Air India says he has assets worth $20 million - but he believes he shouldn't have to pay back millions of dollars in legal fees he owes the government.
Ripudaman Singh Malik has said he doesn't have any money to repay the $7.5 million he received to cover his legal costs for the massive Air India trial.
The trial ended in March 2005 with not-guilty verdicts for Malik and his co-accused Ajaib Singh Bagri.
Bruce McLeod, Malik's lawyer, told B.C. Appeal Court on Friday that his client has millions in assets from two properties, including a business in Vancouver and a hotel in Harrison Hot Springs, B.C.
The government froze Malik's assets in an attempt to get the money and Malik is appealing that decision.
Malik's lawyers missed a deadline for filing documents in the appeal but the judge said Friday the appeal can continue. The court is scheduled to hear the case for three days in March.
Crown lawyer Frank Potts said the fresh evidence McLeod will introduce at that hearing "is doomed to fail" because it wasn't brought up earlier.
Potts told the court that Malik says he's a millionaire when it suits him, and that he isn't when it doesn't.
He also called the assessed value of the two properties belonging to Malik and his wife "opinion evidence" that wouldn't hold up in court.
Meanwhile, Malik is suing the B.C. and federal governments for malicious prosecution, saying the charges stemming from the Air India case smeared his reputation and caused him financial loss.
Malik and his co-accused were charged in the mass murders of 331 people in two separate bombings on June 23, 1985, in what was the deadliest case of aviation terrorism before the 9-11 attacks in the United States.
Most of those killed were Canadian citizens who transferred to an Air India flight in Toronto after boarding a plane in Vancouver, where the Crown contends the bomb-laden suitcases originated.
The government paid Malik's legal bills for his 11-member defence team under an agreement that required him to repay the money after his trial, but Malik then said he couldn't afford to pay the debt.
23/02/09 Link, Canada

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