Airtel joins ‘Seamless Alliance’ to bring uninterrupted in-flight connectivity to customers

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Kolkata: Bharti Airtel on Monday said that it has joined the ‘Seamless Alliance’– which will usher in a new era of open innovation for mobile operators and airlines by empowering mobile operators to extend their services into airline cabins.

Member operators, including Airtel, will be able to continuously provide their customers - via satellite technology - the same high speed, low latency connectivity from ground, to air and back again. It will also significantly reduce costs for everyone involved while creating a smooth, positive user-experience.

The formation of ‘Seamless Alliance’ was announced today in Barcelona. Other founding members include OneWeb, Airbus, Delta and Sprint.  The global alliance – which aims to attract additional industry operators beyond the five founding members – will eliminate the immense costs and hurdles commonly associated with acquisition, installation, and operation of data access infrastructure by streamlining system integration and certification, providing open specifications for interoperability, increasing accessibility for passengers, and enabling simple and integrated billing.

Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel said: “We are delighted to be a founding member of this innovative technology platform to bring seamless connectivity to customers in the true sense. Over 370 million mobile customers across Airtel’s global network will be able to enjoy uninterrupted access to high speed data services even while they are in-flight. We look forward to collaborating with all partner members to ensure this platform goes LIVE at the earliest.”

Airtel is the third largest mobile operator in the world with operations in 16 countries across Asia and Africa.
26/02/18 India Blooms

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Saras taking wing

Encouraging reports after the second test flight of the indigenous light aircraft Saras would point to the wisdom of reviving the project that had come close to being abandoned after a prototype had crashed eight years ago.

Hopefully the shortcomings have been rectified and the design upgraded ~ there is little point in trying to project unrealistic success stories ~ so that the National Aerospace Laboratory’s effort will bear fruit in the shape of commercial production.

There would be little point in thinking merely in terms of production for the armed forces, paramilitary and other sections of the “captive market”. With regional connectivity the current “buzz”, the projection of the Saras as costing 20-25 per cent less than an imported equivalent does raise exciting prospects.

As the civil aviation network reaches out to smaller towns, a 19-seater plane does cater to a certain space waiting to be filled. Provided, of course, that the plane actually competes with equivalents on the international market, and the courage is displayed not to try and push sales on the grounds of “patriotism”, “self-reliance”, or in the present climate, proof of the present government doing more than its predecessor with its emphasis on “make in India.”
The future of the Saras heavily depends on how efficiently it will perform, its cost-effectiveness, and whether the paying-passenger “accepts” it. The days of unviable products being shoved down the throat of official agencies are over. It was that obsolete attitude that had made “socialism” a dirty word, and had prevented public sector agencies from coming up with products that buyers willingly accepted. The story of the HS-748 needs no repetition, nor indeed that of the Dornier 228 ~ the production units never kept pace with advancing technologies, in much the same way that Ambassador and Premier cars drove themselves off the market.
26/02/18 Statesman

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Bengaluru, now check in your flight using your web kiosk in airport buses

In a bid to increase the ridership in its airport buses, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has started providing a web check-in kiosk inside the bus on a test basis.

Currently, buses from Electronic City to the airport (KIAS-8) have been installed with this facility as part of BMTC’s second pilot project. The first such pilot project was undertaken on buses plying from Majestic (Kempegowda Bus Station) to the airport.

With this facility, passengers can print their boarding passes beforehand and head straight for security checks, skipping the long queues at airline counters. This will be especially beneficial to those customers who do not have any check-in luggage and are travelling only with hand baggage.

“The pilot is currently going on. We are getting a very good response. The previous pilot which had gone for 20 days also showed good response. We will gradually introduce this facility in all the routes,” Ramesh, Divisional Controller, BMTC told TNM.
“On an average, our esteemed customers spend close to an hour during their travel to the airport. So, if they can use this facility to save time. Our conductors are educating customers about this facility,” he added.

The ongoing pilot is applicable to people flying to different locations in India using five airlines— Air Asia, GoAir, IndiGo, Jet Airways and SpiceJet.

In addition to check-in services, BMTC is also in talks with the airport authorities to streamline luggage handling facilities.
26/02/18 News Minute

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India’s light transport aircraft Saras completes second test-flight

India’s indigenous light transport aircraft `Saras’ has been successfully flight-tested for a second time today, thus completing the second of 20 test-flights planned before finalising the production version.

The flight commanded by Wing Commander UP Singh, Group Captain RV Panicker and Group Captain KP Bhat of Indian Air Force- Aircraft and System Testing Establishment, took off from HAL’s airport in Bengaluru for a textbook flight, says a science and technology ministry release.

Saras PT1N was first successfully test-flown on 24 January, this year. The aircraft has been designed and developed by CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL).
According to NAL, the production model design is expected to be ready by June-July this year.

Congratulating the CSIR-NAL scientists and the commanders of Indian Air Force,  science and technology minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said the flight commanders deserve special appreciation for their courage to fly an aircraft, which was rejected earlier.

The minister also announced commendation award for the commandant and the test crew of ASTE.

”The project was dumped by the previous government, after an accident during test flight in 2009. Though the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had exonerated the aircraft from any design flaw or poor-quality production, no effort was made to revive the project,” said Dr Harsh Vardhan, who was present during the second test flight today. ”The credit for reviving the indigenous project goes to the present government headed by Narendra Modiji, who had given a thrust to ‘Make in India’ mission. It is the culmination of joint team efforts of ASTE, DGAQA, CEMILAC and HAL”, the minister said.
After the project was revived by the present government, NAL has incorporated design modifications and improvements on the Saras PT 1 model, like 2×1200 HP engines and 104-inch diameter propeller assembles to cater to second segment climb gradient requirements, improved flight control system, rudder area, main wheel and brakes to cater to 7100 kg AUV, indigenously developed stall warning system, etc.

Dr Vardhan said, CSIR-NAL proposes to get the Saras-Mk 2 version certified initially for military and subsequently for civil version. He said, Saras will be 20-25 per cent cheaper than any imported aircraft in the same category. The improved version will be a 19-seater aircraft instead of 14-seater.

”The unit cost of the aircraft, with more than 70 per cent indigenous content, will be around Rs40-45 crore as against Rs60-70 crore for imported ones and has far more benefits than what the imported aircraft offer,” said Dr Harsh Vardhan.
23/02/18 Brinkwire

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Mahindra Aerospace, Canada’s Viking Air sign MoU to manufacture small aircraft

Mahindra Aerospace and Canada’s Viking Air have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a strategic alliance for making smaller aircraft to support regional air connectivity in India.

The pact was signed during the ongoing India visit of Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, to India.

“Under this alliance, Mahindra Aerospace and Viking will work together to support each other’s non-competing aircraft business to boost market penetration in identified territories and provide potential customers with multiple options based on specific operational requirements,” said a statement from Mahindra Aerospace.

Viking produces the Twin Otter Series 400, a 19-passenger, twin-engine utility turboprop aircraft that is capable of operating from multiple surfaces (including water). Mahindra Aerospace produces the 8-seat utility piston aircraft, the Mahindra Airvan 8, and the 10-seat turboprop utility aircraft, the Mahindra Airvan 10 and will in due course also launch these aircraft in Ski and Float versions

“In India, this portfolio can address the much needed requirements of regional connectivity, where this range of aircraft offers a very suitable solution and desired boost to the UDAN scheme introduced by theGovernment of India,” said SP Shukla, Chairman, Mahindra Aerospace.
23/02/18 Anirban Chowdhury/Economic Times

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Uber CEO Talks Flying Cars With India’s Aviation Minister

Uber Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi met with India’s Minister of State for Civil Aviation earlier this week to talk about possible partnerships between the startup and the South Asian country, including a flying car collaboration. The 48-year-old tweeted about the meeting with Jayant Sinha on Thursday, saying the duo discussed both airport partnerships and what they deem is “the future of commercial air travel” – flying vehicles. The contents of the gathering weren’t disclosed but the move itself is largely in line with long-term ambitions of both parties; Mr. Khosrowshahi has been touting flying cars as part of Uber’s endgame for several months now, giving extremely optimistic predictions about their commercialization that he estimates could happen in as little as five years. Mr. Sinha, a former venture capitalist with vast experience in the tech industry, previously promised flying vehicles will make transportation accessible to every Indian, vowing to create a political and economic climate in which such technologies could thrive.

Last month, India’s aviation minister said the government department he leads is actively discussing the concept of an “air rickshaw” to solve the issue of transportation in the country, describing what’s essentially a large drone for moving people. New Delhi’s official repeatedly touted flying taxis as the ultimate mobility solution, claiming existing technologies can already enable drone-based transportation that isn’t more expensive than traveling by car or an airplane. Uber is presumably looking to partner with India on testing such contraptions with the ambition to eventually commercialize them in the country. The ride-hailing startup announced a flying car partnership with NASA late last year, revealing it will start testing such solutions in 2020. The company is already understood to be working on a prototype capable of carrying four passengers and flying at up to 200mph (322kmph). The taxi is planned to be tested at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport before its trials move to Los Angeles.

In response to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s recent online criticism of the idea of flying cars that he said will be “1,000 times bigger and noisier” than drones, Mr. Khosrowshahi took to Twitter to say improved battery tech and multiple smaller rotors should make such aircraft as inconspicuous and environment-friendly as possible. Uber‘s top official even explicitly thanked Mr. Musk for Tesla’s advancements in battery R&D, suggesting silent aircraft wouldn’t be possible without it. Mr. Khosrowshahi previously indicated Hyperloop One and the convoluted infrastructure it requires may not be needed if the industry can simply deliver a convenient and affordable flying transportation solution.
22/02/18  Dominik Bosnjak/Android Headlines

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100% reimbursement of State GST to airlines setting up global hub in Nagpur

Maharashtra Government, which is the first State in the country to have in place its own Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Policy, is offering sops to attract various airlines to Nagpur, which is fast coming up as an aviation and aerospace hub. Among the sops are 50 per cent reimbursement of Value Added Tax (VAT) on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) and 100 per cent reimbursement of State Goods and Service Tax (GST) on service parts.


The detailed policy document that was released on February 14 emphasises on promoting maintenance-repair-overhaul (MRO) base at Nagpur. To promote Nagpur as a ‘Global Hub’, any airline that sets up its global hub at Nagpur and utilises its MRO facilities will be provided with 50 per cent reimbursement of VAT on ATF and 100 per cent reimbursement of State GST on service parts. Nagpur has been chosen because of its strategic location and existing MRO facility. The incentives are being offered to make Nagpur not only a ‘Global Hub’ but also a preferred choice for low-cost carriers.


The Government also aims at establishing ‘Defence Hub’ in Nagpur. Besides, similar ‘Defence Hubs’ are proposed to be established in Pune, Ahmednagar, Nashik, and Aurangabad.
The policy adopts a cluster development approach. The Government has identified clusters for the purpose.

A cluster is led by one or more anchor units and supported by multiple micro, small, and medium enterprises. The Government treats this approach as key to growth of any sector. Keeping this in mind, the Government has identified Nagpur, Nashik, Pune, and Mumbai as clusters with great potential. Nagpur’s potential as aerospace hub is growing with availability of facilities including a well-equipped MRO, Nashik has presence of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Pune has industrial units producing defence components, and Mumbai has several vital installations including Mazagaon Dock which is prime shipyard of the country for manufacturing warships and submarines.


Under the policy, the Government is offering incentives to the units manufacturing defence or aerospace products/equipments/contraptions as Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and supplying them to defence establishments, armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force and others), para-military forces, provincial forces of the Government of India or State Governments or to other countries/State-sponsored organisations by way of exports through approved official channels of supply.
20/02/18 The Hitavada

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Abhishek Verma owned Olialia India bags Maldives International Airport construction award

A global conglomerate owned by billionaire Abhishek Verma, 'Olialia' (pronounced as Oooh La La) has signed an MoU for building an international airport with the Government of Maldives.

Olialia has been sanctioned a huge lagoon by the Government of the Maldives for this purpose. Located far from the capital city Male, the designated water body was in much need of an international airport.

The second lagoon identified by Olialia is for development of a seven star resort close to the airport development.

The planned airport is going to be named Olialia International Airport for a minimum period of 50 years. Olialia was invited by the island nation’s government for the construction of the airport by issuing a formal invitation letter / Expression of Interest.

This letter addressed to Mrs Anca Verma the wife of Abhishek Verma was signed by the Maldives’ Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer.

A special purpose company (Olialia International Airport Maldives Private Limited) is now been registered in Maldives which has already received sanction to bring in FDI (foreign direct investment) into the country for this airport project.

The airport will be built upon the ‘build, own and transfer’ model, which means that Olialia build and run the airport for 50 years, after which the operations and management would be handed over to the government of Maldives.

As decreed by the model, the government is not liable for any finance, which means that Olialia would be the sole investor in the project.

An Olialia spokesperson has revealed that the company will hand over the airport to the Maldives government after developing and running it for a period of 50 years. The airport’s net worth is expected to rise to a whopping $6 billion by the said time. The airport project is also expected to generate approximately 5,000 employment opportunities for the people of Maldives.

Olialia World is a Lithuanian multinational corporation with US$ 2 billion annual sales. It is a FMCG company with interests in hospitality, aviation, infrastructure, financial services and tourism.

Olialia World is owned by India's Verma Family scion Billionaire Abhishek Verma with Mrs. Anca Verma being the Chairperson of the Conglomerate. The Co-Founders of Olialia brand are Justas Tomkus, Rasa Tomkiene and Rytis Tomkus.
19/02/18  Olialia World/OpenPR

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Apps here; Chopper rides soon

With the chopper ride between Electronics City and Kempegowda International Airport expected to start in a few days, booking tickets for a ride has just got easier.
The HeliTaxii App is now available for customers to pre-book their seats.

The App is available on Google Play Store and App Store.

Thumby Aviation Private Ltd, which will operate the shuttle services said that the commute time between the Electronics City and Kempegowda International Airport, would be reduced to a mere 15 minutes. By road, it takes about three-plus hours to travel to the airport in Devanahalli.

Thumby Aviation will press two Bell helicopters into service. Each will have a seating capacity of 6 to 13 passengers. While one will be used for the shuttle services, the other will be kept on standby.

Three helipads will be operational once the services start.

The helipads are at the airport, Electronics City and HAL airport.

Govind Nair, director-Business Development, Thumby Aviation Private Ltd said that all necessary arrangements for starting the services are in place and that it could start any time in the next few days.
20/02/18 Bangalore Mirror/Bangalore Mirror

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PadMan effect: AAI installs sanitary pad vending machines at airports across India

As if taking a cue from Akshay Kumar starrer movie PadMan, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has started initiatives to make airports more woman-friendly by installing sanitary napkin vending machines at airports across the country. The authority has already installed the pad vending machines in 19 airports, including three in northeast India -- Guwahati, Agartala, and Imphal.

By providing sanitary napkins at affordable prices inside the airport terminals, the authority plans to promote the hygienic practices among women passengers during menstruation.

The movie PadMan, based on the true-life story of a Tamil Nadu man who invented the low-cost machine to make sanitary pads, challenged the social taboos related to menstruation and menstrual hygiene prevailing in the society.

Even though the AAI had started installing pad vending machines much earlier, now the authority is using the hype created by PadMan movie to carry forward the mission with renewed vigor and to enhance the traveling experience, comfort, and convenience of lady passengers. 

The first sanitary pad machine was installed at Indore Airport in October 2017.  Several airports followed suit, including the airports in Kolkata, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Port Blair, Thiruvananthapuram, Mangalore, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Vadodara, Aurangabad, Rajkot, Pune, Shimla, Varanasi, and Surat, besides three in the Northeast got these machines, according to The Telegraph. The cost of sanitary napkin range from Rs 1 to Rs 5 in these airports.
19/02/18 Nithya Nair/IBTimes

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New IoT device makes pet transit by air easy

Mumbai: It firm Unisys Corporation has introduced an IoT (Internet of Things) device that provides the ability to pet owners to continuously monitor and talk to their pets through their smartphone or other personal devices while the pets are transported as air cargo.

Called Digi-Pet, the device was developed at the company’s innovation centre in Bengaluru, and uses IoT technology via smart sensors attached to the pet’s kennel or carry case to monitor and transmit key metrics such as temperature, oxygen levels, vibration and light and automatically alert the pet owners and the airline’s staff to take immediate action for the comfort of the pet as well as owners.

Loss and injury caused to pets while on transit as air cargo is a heartbreaking experience for pet owners. There have been instances where in pets do not make it to the final destination due to intense heat at the tarmac or travel related stress inside the cargo hold. Owners also remain anxious through out the journey causing emotional situations. Unisys said its new and first of its kind product will address all these concerns.
Pet owners can also avail live video streaming, photos and voice exchanges so that they can see and talk to the pets via on a mobile app on their smartphones. “I am emotionally attached to this product and with this we are providing emotion to cargo that has been missing so far,” said Dheeraj Kohli, vice president & Global Head Travel & Transportation, Unisys Corporation in an interview.

“It has always been a painful experience for pet owners to remain separated from their pets for long hours while on transit. People are emotionally attached to their pets and staying away without knowing the exact condition is quite distressing. And the full visibility of the pet will help,” he said.
20/02/18 Lalatendu Mishra/The Hindu

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Qatar Airways reiterates it will launch airline in India with 'at least 100 planes'

New Delhi: Qatar Airways on Tuesday reaffirmed its plans to start an airline in India. The airline’s CEO, Akbar Al Baker, told the media in France “we will launch an airline in India which will have a fleet of at least 100 aircraft”. He did not specify what type of planes will be deployed in India. Baker made this statement while taking delivery of Airbus A350-1000 in Toulouse on Tuesday.
The reiteration comes exactly a year after Al Baker had said that he along with Qatar government’s investment arm will start a domestic airline in India.
Till recently, Qatar had not made an application to start an airline in India. Last March, he had made that statement in Berlin. An airline spokesperson had then said the application will be made soon.
Qatar Airways has been keen to pick up a stake in IndiGo for years but the Indian low cost carrier has been “politely declining” the same. Now with Air India being privatised, industry insiders think there are chances of Qatar Airways tying up with an Indian carrier to bid for the Maharaja. The airline has not commented on this issue so far.
20/02/18 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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The Indian female pilots ruling skies across the globe

Teacher and flying instructor, Audrey Deepika Maben, 42, has never ventured out of India before. Yet she seems like the perfect candidate to undertake an epic journey that will make her an instant member of that small club of women who have circumnavigated the globe in single-engine planes. This month, Audrey will take off from Delhi in the dinky motor glider Pipistrel Sinus 912 that weighs less than a family of four and whose wings hover just slightly over her 5ft3in frame.

Between teaching and flying and bringing up her children, Audrey never really had any time or money left for international travel. “Yet mummy always said the day she steps out, she’ll see the world,” says her 18-year-old daughter Amy, the eldest of three siblings, who will join her mother as they fly 50,000km through 21 countries in 54 sorties on a historic 80-day flight on a microlight plane. So far, the longest Audrey’s own is 2,500km in five days in 2003, the centenary year of man’s first flight. It was a record for an Indian woman.

Amy was named after Amy Johnson, the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain to Australia. She started flying when she was in her mother’s womb, and has often been her mother’s co-pilot on cross-country flights. Now she’s planning the playlist for this journey. Should she introduce her mother to British rock bank Arctic Monkeys and 1990s cult rapper Tupac Shakur? How many ABBA songs is too much? Pink Floyd will definitely make the cut.

The two women won’t be able to carry much more than music and some chocolate. They’ll have to depend on the ground team tracking their flight for a fresh set of clothes at every stop. They will fly not more than six hours every day, with one pitstop. Flying even for a couple of hours in an unpressurised microlight can get tiring. “Imagine throwing a paper plane on a windy day and see the way it gets tossed around,” says Audrey about flying this plane.

Flying first entered Audrey’s consciousness when fighter planes from Ozar Airport flew over her school in Nashik. That was her cue to start running wildly in the direction of the aircraft, eyes glued to the sky. By 15, she was an NCC cadet, a wisp of a girl, going on training sorties in open-cockpit, two-seater planes such as the Sedbergh, her pockets weighed down with coins to increase her weight and balance the plane better.
We meet at Bengaluru’s Jakkur Aerodrome, where Audrey flew her first microlight shortly after Amy was born. Back then, Audrey had a routine. After parking the baby under the shade of a peepal tree, she’d feed Amy, fly, come back to feed, fly again. The ground staff would raise a flag if the baby cried while her mother was in the air.
18/02/18 Priya Ramani/Vogue

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Biren mulls chopper service for hills

Imphal: Manipur will soon start helicopter services, after Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, in its hill districts to facilitate transportation of people residing in far-flung areas.

"Officials of the transport department and civil aviation ministry will finalise the details for introduction of a helicopter service for the hill districts. Two government officials will visit Delhi for the purpose in a couple of days," chief minister N. Biren Singh, who is the leader of the House, told the Assembly on Wednesday.

Neighbouring states Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh already operate helicopter services.

Replying to a question raised by Congress member Chaltonlien Amo, who was elected from the interior constituency of Tipaimukh in the newly created Pherzawl district, Biren said his government's demand to the home and civil aviation ministries is to provide a helicopter service for Manipur.
"Our proposal is the service will be introduced first between Imphal and Moreh (border town) and on the Imphal-Tamenglong-Jiribam route (bordering Assam's Cachar district). In the second phase, services will be operated on the routes of Imphal-Tipaimukh, Imphal-Henglep, Imphal-Thanlon and Imphal-Parbung (in Pherzawl and Churachandpur districts). The Centre has agreed in-principle to our proposal," Biren Singh said.

Stating that the approval of the Centre was awaited, the chief minister said he has been pressing Delhi on the need to introduce helicopter services in the state in view of the poor road communication network.
15/02/18 Khelen Thokchom/Telegraph

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Inline baggage screening soon at Bhubaneswar airport

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here would soon have an inline baggage screening system for passengers’ convenience.

The decision was taken since the airport is witnessing a surge in passenger traffic after the first international flight took off from here in April, 2017, said a senior airport official.

“The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has agreed and we are planning to have the inline baggage checking) at BPIA by end of September or at best by end of this year,” said BPIA Director Suresh Chandra Hota.

He said that introduction of inline screening would not only upgrade the security system with automated screening but also speed up the baggage movement as well.

Further explaining about the advantages of the technology, Hota said that the system would do away with baggage screening before check-in. The baggage screening will be done after check-in once the facility is installed. It will allow the AAI to integrate screening machines, including explosives detection systems (EDS), with the airport’s baggage conveyor system.

The screening system, considered one of the biggest security upgrades in civil aviation since 9/11, will scan the baggage many times faster than the current system. The current system screens baggage piece by piece.

The check-in baggage, gliding along the conveyor, will be screened automatically by a machine fixed to the system. The machine will clear more than 70 per cent of the baggage without any manual intervention.

The baggage rejected by the first machine will be manually screened in another machine integrated to the conveyor.
15/02/18 Daily Pioneer

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Soon, check-in kiosks in airport buses

Bengaluru:: Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which manages Kempegowda International Airport, on Wednesday said it was working with Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to introduce check-in kiosks in Vayu Vajra buses.
Addressing members of Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) here, BIAL managing director Hari Marar said: “Commuters will soon be able to print their boarding passes and get luggage tags in the bus itself.” Currently, BMTC operates around 100 Vayu Vajra Volvo buses from different parts of the city to KIA and some buses display flight timings and schedules.
Marar said second terminal (T2) will be operational from June 2021 and the building design will incorporate themes such as technology, environmental sustainability and the culture of the state.
14/02/18 Times of India

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'Flying doctors' for NE on radar

Imphal: Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh on Monday informed the Assembly that mobile air dispensaries would soon be introduced in the Northeast with Shillong and Imphal as the Airports Feb 2018  proposed bases.

The services will be on the line of Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, popularly known as "flying doctors", which is meant to provide aid and primary healthcare services in rural and remote areas.

"Everything is almost finalised barring some technicalities. Two Pawan Hans helicopters will be used for the service. One chopper has been proposed to be stationed at Imphal and the other at Shillong," Biren Singh said while replying to a question raised by Opposition Congress member K. Ranjit Singh during question hour.

Stating that the demand for mobile air dispensaries was first made by state governor Najma Heptulla, Singh said he also had requested the civil aviation ministry for the services, with a one-time financial assistance of Rs 120 crore for the services.
"The finance ministry wrote to Pawan Hans Ltd in October last year with the proposal for using two choppers of the company in the service. The Centre has also been requested to introduce the scheme on a 90:10 funding ," the chief minister said.
12/02/18 Khelen Thokchom/Telegraph

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Singapore aviation co announces JV with MRO in Mihan

Nagpur: Singapore-based AAR Corp has announced a joint venture with Indamer Aviation which is coming up with an aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) depot, at Mihan-SEZ.
Indamer has been allotted 30 acres of land in the SEZ and construction is under way at the site, said sources in Maharashtra Aviation Development Company (MADC).
Agencies have reported that AAR has announced the joint venture with Indamer Aviation for a new airframe MRO facility at Nagpur.
AAR has posted in its website that the facility being built in India is scheduled to be open in fall 2018 with certification from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This means that the company hopes to start the project by mid 2018.
The world class facility is designed to conduct heavy maintenance on all narrow body platforms including new generation aircraft, says the website post.
09/02/18 Times of India

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Kochi Airport Grows Tons of Veggies With Solar Farming

If you are returning after a long overseas trip, there is a good chance that you may be out of groceries when you reach home. But no need to fret, well at least if you live in Kochi. Fresh vegetables and fruits can be bought from an outlet near the arrivals area at the Cochin international airport.

You can choose from a healthy selection of hand-picked ash gourd or white pumpkin, okra, cucumber and fresh beans.

It is quite convenient and useful if we are to get organic vegetables from the farm inside the airport premises itself.
Anil Manimala, passenger
Another passenger Ansari Thankappa says he was surprised to see fresh vegetables being sold at the airport. An estimated 30,000 air passengers pass through the airport daily.

Cochin International Airport is the first solar-powered airport in India that meets all its energy needs with the help of a 12 MW solar power plant built with German engineering technology.

The commercial cultivation of organic vegetables is being done on the area covered by the photovoltaic panels of the airport's solar plant.

Using a combination of crop management and drip irrigation, a variety of vegetables are grown over approximately 45 acres of land in between the panels.

The moisture retained in the soil by the plant roots also helps keep the panels dust free and saves the cost of de-weeding the land. Authorities say they plan to extend the commercial cultivation to more vacant land available at the airport in a phased manner.

The Managing Director of Cochin International Airport, VJ Kurian, says the output of vegetables grew to nearly 80 tons in 2017.
06/02/18 The Quint

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No more in airplane mode

It was an idea that was being nurtured by many carriers – and when the government decided to liberalise the rules and allow airlines to offer Wi-Fi services in the Indian airspace – both domestic and international carriers welcomed the move.

Days after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended that both telephony and internet services be permitted on domestic flights, Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, set the ball rolling when he told a television channel that SpiceJet would “absolutely and most definitely” look at having Wi-Fi on board its aircraft, and that it would try and put it on board “as soon as possible”.

The response was equally enthusiastic from other domestic carriers such as Vistara, which said: “We continually review our product offerings, and this will be reviewed as part of that process as well.”

International airlines such as Emirates, Singapore and Lufthansa, too, welcomed the move – these airlines offer Wi-Fi services on their other international networks.

Patrick Brannelly, Divisional Vice-President Customer Experience (IFEC), Emirates, said: “The TRAI recommendation to allow in-flight Wi-Fi and mobile services on flights within the Indian airspace is good news for our customers.”

The reasons for such a response are not difficult to find. A study by the consultancy Roland Berger on internet connectivity on airlines globally points out that internet access is one of the top three criteria people look for when choosing a flight, adding that 2-3 passengers are prepared to pay more to have internet access in the air.

Emirates’ data on Wi-Fi usage on board its flights indicates that laptop usage is at about 4 per cent and tablets at 4 per cent, but most of its passengers prefer to get connected through their smartphones . “Over 90 per cent of the connections are now through smartphones,” said Brannelley.

According to Emirates, last year, 10 million customers used Wi-Fi, which works out to about 1 in 5 customers. “The numbers are increasing month-on-month. In December 2017 alone, we had an unprecedented 950,000 connections from our customers, and we expect this number to exceed 1 million in January 2018,” said Brannelley.
06/02/18 Ashwini Phadnis and Tanya Thomas/Business Line

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