SpiceJet, GoaAir incident: Beginning of 2016 saw 10 such incidents, 25 in 2015

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a probe, sources said, into a near miss incident between SpiceJet's Hyderabad-bound plane from Goa and a GoAir aircraft operating on Nagpur-Mumbai route in Goa airspace on Saturday, according to media reports.

The incident triggered the planes' traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) and forced their respective pilots into action to take corrective measures.

Sources told news agency PTI that SpiceJet's flight SG-3604 experienced a TCAS warning when it breached the minimum required vertical separation distance with GoAir flight G8-141, while in Goa airspace.

India's most successful budget carrier, IndiGo, had a scare in August this year when two of its planes averted a mid-air collision over Dhaka airspace.

The civil aviation ministry had ordered a probe into the incident involving the two aircraft, which were carrying over 225 passengers and crew.

The incident involved IndiGo's Mumbai to Guwahati flight 6E-813 and Chennai flight 6E-136.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju had said that the incident would be probed by the aviation regulator.

"Incident involving @IndiGo6E planes at Guwahati will be probed," Raju had tweeted.
24/10/16 Business Standar

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Pilot takes last-minute detour in Goa, averts midair collision

A midair disaster was averted over the Goan skies on Saturday when two aircraft came dangerously close to each other and the pilots of one of them took a last- minute detour to avoid a possible collision.
The incident happened when SpiceJet's flight SG 3604 took off from Goa for Hyderabad and GoAir's G8 141 Mumbai-Goa flight was descending to land. "Seconds after taking off, the traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) alarm went off in the cockpit of the SpiceJet Bombardier Q400 (a turboprop cockpit). The system issued a 'resolution advisory' and the pilots took evasive action as directed." said a SpiceJet official. "The alertness of our crew saved the day," he said.
Both the airlines did not say how many passengers were in aircraft involved in the near miss. GoAir A-320s have 180 to 186 seats and Spicejet Q400s have 78 seats.
Goa airport's radar was down at the time of this incident and a notice to the airmen was issued. SpiceJet officials alleged that the GoAir crew did not follow the procedure to be adopted in such circumstances and that the Go aircraft was in a place where it should not have been. A GoAir spokesman said, " The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is conducting an inquiry in this incident." Goa airport officials also claimed that both the pilots of the GoAir Airbus A320 were expats and there may have been language problems.
24/10/16 Saurabh Sinha/The Times Of India

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Centre’s regional connectivity proposal may face turbulence

The government’s plans to boost regional air connectivity could hit a legal air pocket as leading domestic airlines have opposed the proposal to charge a levy on flights on major routes to fund subsidies for regional flights and are likely to challenge it in the courts.

The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which represents IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and GoAir, has written to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry terming the proposed regional connectivity levy as “illegal” and “in contravention to the Constitution of India.” It said the government is not empowered to levy a tax on airlines to fund the regional connectivity scheme under the Aircraft Act of 1934.

As a part of its proposed regional connectivity scheme, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry had mooted amendments to the Aircraft Rules of 1937 in August to set up a regional connectivity fund to subsidise the losses of airlines that wanted to fly on regional routes. The fund was proposed to be financed by a levy on domestic flights along with contribution from states and credit proceeds from other sources.

Passengers will be able to fly to unserved and underserved airports for a fare of Rs 2,500 an hour, under the scheme which is slated to be launched on October 21.
18/10/16 Somesh Jha/The Hindu

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GoAir poised to take off, explore new horizons

Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO of Go Airlines (India) Limited, has set an ambitious growth path with the airline set to add one aircraft per month over the next decade — a hectic pace by any standards.

GoAir, one of the fastest-growing low-cost airlines, expects to ride the Indian aviation growth story with the 144 Airbius aircraft it has ordered. They are to be delivered by 2025.

The country's aviation sector is growing at about 20 per cent, and even if it grows 10-15 per cent, it a great opportunity, Prock-Schauer says.

The aviation veteran says “one of the challenges the aviation sector faces is to be profitable in an environment where the fares have fallen about 25 per cent in the last one year”.

Drawing from his experience working with Austrian Airlines, Jet Airways, British Midland Airways and Air Berlin, Wolfgang has been instrumental in crafting the expansion of GoAir, not only in the domestic market, but also abroad as the airline starts services to a few overseas destinations next summer.

These could be to Teheran, Central Asia, South China and Far East, among others.
18/10/16 V Rishi Kumar/The Hindu Business Line

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GoAir offers students 5% off, extra baggage allowance for students

Low-cost carrier GoAir has launched a new promotion — Smart Student Fare– which offers discounts and extra baggage allowance for students.

Students will get 5% discount on base fare and excess baggage allowance up to 25Kgs while travelling on GoAir carriers.

The scheme is applicable only for students above the age of 12 years who belongs to a bonafide school/university and it is mandatory for the students to carry a valid ID card and display it at the time of check-in at the airport.

“The Student fare will be available for bookings done online on www.goair.in by opting in for student fare. The discount will be provided on base fare only for all domestic flights and all applicable fees/taxes should be paid by the student. The offer is also applicable for international students,” said the airlines company.
18/10/16 Devika Nithin/RTN.Asia

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New Delhi's T1D May Go All IndiGo

In a first-of-its-kind agreement, budget carrier IndiGo, India's biggest airline by market share, may get Delhi airport's domestic terminal, better known as Terminal 1D, for its exclusive use.

Civil aviation secretary RN Choubey confirmed to HT that talks between GMR-led Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), the consortium that operates the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, and IndiGo were at an "active" stage. "Talks are now at a very active stage between the airport operator and airlines."

Besides IndiGo, T1D is used by low-cost carriers SpiceJet and GoAir for domestic operations. IGI's T3 handles all international, as well as some local flights.

"This discussion has got an operational and a commercial dimension so the airport operator and airlines have to sit together. They are doing so and talking about the details," said Choubey.

The exercise, however, is unlikely to be a smooth one. Both SpiceJet and GoAir have resisted the move to shift out of T1D.

"We have opposed the move to shift us out of T1," said SpiceJet spokesperson Ajay Jasra.

Sources said both SpiceJet and GoAir have argued that no single airline should be favoured and, if need be, all three should be moved out.
13/10/16 Tushar Srivastava/Mcclatchy/AviationPros

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GoAir to take fleet strength to 26 by March, to fly overseas by summer

Hyderabad: Low-cost carrier GoAir today outlined plans to consolidate its domestic market presence with the addition of six Airbus aircraft to its fleet of 20 by March next, while connecting to select overseas destinations by next summer.

Announcing Hyderabad as its 23rd destination in the domestic network, Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, Chief Executive Officer of GoAir, said the airline would introduce daily flights connecting Hyderabad to Chennai, Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar and Kolkata. Hyderabad will also be connected to Port Blair via Bengaluru, which is seen to provide leisure travellers additional options.

He said Hyderabad is a key market in south and central India and a significant base for business and tourism in the region. “Adding Hyderabad, with its ideal geographical locations, we reinforce our commitment towards connectivity across the country,” he said.

The airliner, which operates with 20 aircraft now, expects to add one aircraft per month and take its strength to 26 by March 2017. This will enable the airliner to expand its services from the present 144 to 180-190 per day by March 2017.

“Apart from strengthening the domestic network, we are looking at operating to some international destinations by next summer. We have identified a couple of locations in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and some locations in the Far East to offer our services,” he said.
13/10/16 Business Line

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Bombay High Court judge writes witty order in GoAir-Indigo-Google suit

If you are not a party, judicial proceedings in India are usually anything but dull and boring. However, a judge in the Bombay High Court has taken the funny route of delivering brilliantly worded orders to add a little spice to the often dull judicial orders.
Justice G.S. Patel of Bombay High Court has proved himself as one of the wittiest judges in the country with his brilliant puns, witticism and raillery. A recent order passed by the justice in an intellectual property suit between GoAir and the defendants Indigo & Google, Justice Patel wrote a sarcastic order that will tickle your funny bones.
GoAir filed a litigation against Indigo’s use of domain name as GoIndigo.in. The airline raised issue with the prefix used by Indigo over intellectual property issues. The judge said that the Plaintiff (GoAir) “has declared litigation war on the defendant, its rival that owns and operates Indigo Airlines.” Introducing the case, the Justice wrote: “GoAir believes that Indigo should not use the domain name GoIndigo.in; it has intellectual property issues with Indigo’s chosen prefix Go in its domain name (though apparently not with the trailing go<, a small mercy as it happens, for that might be a demand that Indigo should be rechristened Indi.”
06/10/16 Kanishka Singh/Indian Express

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GoAir challenges use of 'go' in rival IndiGo's domain name

Mumbai: Taking carrier rivalry to a new level, the owner of GoAir airlines moved the Bombay High Court seeking direction to rival Interglobe Aviation Ltd to remove the prefix 'go' from their airline's web address 'goindigo.in' but the hearing also saw some lighter moments.
Justice Gautam Patel was left flummoxed on why Google India Limited was also made a defendant party in the suit by Go Holdings Private Limited and quipped tongue-in-cheek that it was good that the petitioner was not seeking that the online giant also change its name to 'ogle'.
"For reasons that are presently unclear so far, Google India Limited, the 2nd Defendant, is also said to be liable. Advocate Amit Jamsandekar for the plaintiff grants that this is not because the word 'Go' is also part of Google's corporate and domain name.
"That is all to the good, for the alternative is unthinkable -- we might otherwise be forced to ogle the Web," Justice Patel quipped.

The court directed the defendants to file their reply affidavits and the plaintiff to file its rejoinder to the affidavits by January 31 next year.

The Wadia group-led GoAir challenged the use of the word 'Go' in the domain name goindigo.in.
06/10/16 PTI/Economic Times

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You are in my ‘domain,’ GoAir dares rival Indigo airlines

Taking carrier rivalry to a new level, the owner of GoAir airlines moved the Bombay High Court seeking direction to rival Interglobe Aviation Ltd to remove the prefix ‘go’ from their airline’s web address ‘goindigo.in’ but the hearing also saw some lighter moments.

Justice Gautam Patel was left flummoxed on why Google India Limited was also made a defendant party in the suit by Go Holdings Private Limited and quipped tongue-in-cheek that it was good that the petitioner was not seeking that the online giant also change its name to ‘ogle’.

“For reasons that are presently unclear so far, Google India Limited, the 2nd Defendant, is also said to be liable.

Advocate Amit Jamsandekar for the plaintiff grants that this is not because the word ‘Go’ is also part of Google’s corporate and domain name.

“That is all to the good, for the alternative is unthinkable we might otherwise be forced to ogle the Web,” Justice Patel quipped.

The court directed the defendants to file their reply affidavits and the plaintiff to file its rejoinder to the affidavits by January 31 next year.

The Wadia group-led GoAir challenged the use of the word ‘Go’ in the domain name goindigo.in.
06/10/16 PTI/Janta Ka Reporter

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