GoAir, SpiceJet deal enters air pocket

A possible merger between low-cost carriers SpiceJet and Wadia Group-owned GoAir has hit a roadblock after the two sides failed to arrive at a consensus on valuation and branding related issues, two persons familiar with the development, told ET NOW.
SpiceJet and GoAir have an agreement of exclusive negotiations till March 2010 to execute the deal. One of the key stumbling blocks was the amount of unsecured loans on GoAir’s balance sheet, said the first person on conditions of anonymity. The other executive said the two companies were close to signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) three weeks ago, but could not agree on a share swap ratio to execute the transaction.
A spokeswoman for GoAir said the talks of a proposed merger were baseless. She said, GoAir has categorically stated that the decision taken by the board of the company is not to proceed with any such proposal and focus on its plan of inducting to its existing new fleet of 8 aircraft another 12 aircraft completing its order of 20 Airbus, which the company bought in 2007 for $1.2 billion. Repeated attempts to contact SpiceJet officials and a detailed e-mail query to the company did not elicit any response.
ET NOW has learnt the cashless transaction was to be executed through a share swap agreement between the promoters of GoAir and its shareholders and the promoters of SpiceJet and its shareholders.
17/11/09 Mohit Bhalla & Paramita Chatterjee/Economic Times

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Finger-pointing continues over runway fiasco

Mumbai: What is causing mishaps at the Mumbai airport on Tuesdays? Is it just the short runway or is it a worrying lack of coordination between airlines, the airport operator and the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA)?
Even as four pilots-- two each from the Kingfisher and Air India flights involved in Tuesday's incidents (GoAir pilots were cleared by the DGCA on Wednesday evening)-- and two air traffic control (ATC) officials were de-rostered following Tuesday's events, the buck is still being passed over who is to blame for the accident-prone operations at the airport.
The DGCA said it issued instructions over the telephone to airlines and MIAL (Mumbai International Airport Limited) on Monday that they should suspend operations on the shortened runway "under wet conditions". But the airport operator and the ATC said they had not received any directive till late on Wednesday. Reportedly, the DGCA's directive was also issued in writing (on Tuesday evening).
"The ATC officials should have informed the Kingfisher pilot about the ground conditions -- that the runway was wet and the Air India flight mishap -- which they did not," says a DGCA official.
The Mumbai air traffic control, however, said that it was the Kingfisher pilot's fault."The Kingfisher pilot should have touched-down at the beginning of the runway.But he over-shot by 500 metres thus getting only 1,200 metres for braking action," said a senior ATC official.
The Mumbai ATC officials said that just before the Kingfisher flight, there were 22 landings on the same 'short runway' but there was no problem (apart from the Air India flight).
12/11/09 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Six pilots de-rostered a day after plane-skid in Mumbai

New Delhi: The aviation regulator on Wednesday de-rostered six pilots of Kingfisher Airlines, Air India and Go Air for violating norms and landing on a short runway under rainy conditions at the Mumbai airport.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) initiated action on a day after a Kingfisher aircraft skidded off the runway at the airport.
The DGCA has also asked the three airlines to explain why their pilots violated norms when operating on a wet and short runway, despite the guidelines of the Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), the airport developer.
MIAL is currently working on overlaying a runway at Mumbai airport. The work started Oct 1 and is expected to end by January. During this period, this tarmac is available on Tuesdays only for six hours for short runway operations till March next year.
11/11/09 IANS/Economic Times

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Kingfisher, AI and GoAir get DGCA notice

Mumbai: Expressing ignorance about the DGCA's ban on operations on shortened runways if they are wet, an official said, "There were 23 landings and 17 departures on the runway while it rained in Mumbai, and no one told us about the DGCA's instructions.'' He added that two DGCA officials were also stationed at the airport to observe flight operations and neither interrupted the operations till the Kingfisher flight skidded off the tarmac.
"The only communication that DGCA had with ATC was on Friday when it sanctioned the `localiser approach' of landing. There was no communication after that regarding runway operations on Tuesday. Traffic controllers should have been made aware of the instructions to make them binding on airlines,'' an ATC official said. An MIAL spokesperson also denied having received any circular or intimation from DGCA.
Besides the six pilots from three airlines, a traffic controller and a surface movement centre staffer at the airport have also been derostered pending investigation. DGCA also issued a showcause notice to Kingfisher, AI and GoAir for violating instructions, insisting that it had served clear instructions to all airlines and the MIAL not to operate flights on a wet shortened runway. In a statement to the media, director-general of civil aviation Naseem Zaidi also said DGCA had directed MIAL to carry out videography of flight operations every Tuesday.
But Kingfisher, too, stuck to its guns, insisting it had taken the necessary precautions. "On Monday, following a verbal notification received by Kingfisher Airlines (around 6.30 pm) from the authorities, we proactively located the notification, studied the guidelines specified for operation of C-class aircraft (Boeing and Airbus), and our flight operations department issued a circular to all pilots specifying the precautions to be taken for Tuesday's shortened runway operations at Mumbai...,'' a spokesperson said.
12/11/09 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India

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Private airlines increase fuel surcharge

Mumbai: Beginning midnight Friday, at least three private carriers revised the aviation turbine fuel surcharge on domestic travel by Rs100 for routes of less than 1000 kilometres and by Rs200 for routes of at least 1000 km, beginning midnight.
Jet Airways (India) Ltd, Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, and GoAirlines India Pvt. Ltd announced the new charges on Friday, apparently in a bid to make the most of the peak tourism season that last November through mid-February.
“Due to rise in ATF prices we have increased fuel surcharge by Rs100 for sectors less than 1000 kms and Rs200 for sectors more than 1000 kms. This hike is applicable on all domestic Jet Airways, Jet Airways Konnect and JetLite flights,” a Jet Airways spokeswomen said on Friday.
State run National Aviation Co of India Ltd or Nacil, that runs Air India, said it was still considering such a move.
06/11/09 PR Sanjai/Live Mint

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Plane grazes workers' heads at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: Workers conducting repairs at the intersection of the cross-runway at the city airport on Tuesday afternoon got the shock of their lives. A GoAir flight almost "grazed" them, passing just 50 feet over the ground as it came in for landing.
It was a close shave for both the passengers aboard the aircraft and the workers at the site. The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) ordered an inquiry. GoAir derostered the pilot till the completion of the probe.
At 3.40 pm on November 3, the New Delhi-Mumbai flight G8 105, an Airbus 320 with more than 154 passengers on board, was coming in to land at the airport. Because of the repair work at the intersection of cross-runways 09-27 and 14-32, a shortened stretch of 1,700 metre on the western end of runway 27 was being used for takeoff and touch down by smaller planes, such as ATRs, A319s and A320s.
"The plane was just 50 foot over the site when the ATC asked the pilot to abort landing and do a go-around."
After the go-around, the pilot was again given the permission to land. Again, he made the same mistake. And again, he was told to do a go-around. It was 4.05 pm when the plane finally landed safely on the short runway.
06/10/09 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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GoAir plane aimed short of runway twice

A GoAir Airbus A320-200, flight G8-105 from New Delhi to Mumbai (India) with 154 passengers, was cleared to land on runway 27A, which has a threshold 1262 meters (4140 feet) displaced from the original threshold runway 27 due to reconstruction work. The crew however approached the original runway 27 prompting around 600 workers, who became aware of the oncoming plane, to run for cover. The crew initiated a go-around and was revectored for another approach, but again came in too low in approach for runway 27 instead of 27A. The crew initiated another go-around and finally landed safely on their third approach.
India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA have initiated an investigation. GoAir confirmed the incident stating, that the pilots have been derostered to speed up the investigation.
05/11/09 Simon Hradecky/The Aviation Herald

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