Delhi HC constitutes special bench to hear plea against AirAsia, Tata-SIA

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday said that it will constitute a special bench to hear the plea of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) seeking a stay on the commencement of operations of two new aviation ventures, namely, AirAsia and Tata-SIA Airlines.
The special bench constituted by the High Court will hear the matter on July 11.
Earlier in April, the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) had moved the court against the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and the aviation ministry approvals granted to the new airline joint venture between the the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines called Tata-SIA.
FIA is an airlines lobby group that represents Jet Airways, GoAir, SpiceJet, IndiGo and Kingfisher Airlines, which had earlier filed a petition in the Delhi High Court against the approvals granted to AirAsia as well.
The High Court on April 23 has allowed Swamy's plea seeking to implead DGCA as a party to a PIL seeking quashing of approvals being granted by the Centre to operationalise the USD 30 million deal between Tata Sons and Malaysia-based AirAsia.
01/05/14 Kaushal shroff/Financial Express

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Tata SIA applies for air operators permit, three weeks after getting NoC from aviation ministry

New Delhi: The Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines joint venture airline Tata SIA Airlines Ltd, has entered the final stretch, when it applied for an air operator's permit with the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
"The joint venture submitted the application for an air operator's permit this week," said a senior official at the DGCA. "It is too early to say when the permit will be granted, but typically it takes 2-3 months."
Tata SIA, a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, was able to go ahead with the application of the air operator's permit after it received a no-objection certificate from the civil aviation ministry on April 3. The airline has also sought permission to import 20 Airbus A320 aircraft which it will acquire on a lease.The venture aims to operate a full service airline in India and wants to start operations by October.
24/04/14 Economic Times

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Subramanian Swamy, Federation of Indian Airlines drag Tata Group-Singapore Airlines joint venture to court

Mumbai: The Federation of Indian Airlines and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy have now dragged the venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines to court by appealing against the aviation ministry's recent nod to it.
While the FIA, a lobbying body of local carriers filed a fresh application on April 15, Swamy on April 20 filed an impleadment application on April 20 including the Tatas and Singapore Airlines in an earlier appeal against the government.
To implead is to sue in court in response to an earlier pleading. Swamy had in end February filed an application that the government had violated the FDI policy by allowing investment in a new carrier. That appeal was in relation to the Tata Group's venture with Malaysian carrier AirAsia.
The next hearing for the appeal is tomorrow. The venture got the NOC on April 2 and will now apply to the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation for an air operator's permit.
22/04/14 Anirban Chowdhury/Economic Times

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Tata-SIA airline applies for permit to import aircraft

New Delhi: The Tata-SIA joint venture has decided to start the airline with a fleet of 20 aircraft and will soon apply to the civil aviation ministry for permissions to import the jets.
“We will apply for permissions to import 20 aircraft as soon as we get our No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the government. All these aircraft will be Airbus A320 and will be imported on lease,” said an executive with the airline.
The number of aircraft sought to be imported is an indication that the airline would launch international operations as early as possible. The current rules do not allow domestic airlines with less than five years in operations and with a fleet of less than 20 aircraft to start international operations.  The civil aviation ministry has mooted a proposal to abolish this rule, but that has been held in abeyance due to the elections.
Tata-SIA had last week got a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the civil aviation ministry to start a full-service airline. The airline company will now have to apply to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for a flying licence.
The airline is likely to apply for air operator’s permit the moment they receive their NOC letter from the ministry, which may take a week or two.
Tata-SIA is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines.
07/04/14 Mihir Mishra/Indian Express

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Twice shy Tata ticks all SIA boxes

New Delhi: Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines (SIA), which recently received a no-objection certificate from the ministry of civil aviation to start a full-service airline (Tata-SIA Airlines), are in the process of securing an import licence for 20 Airbus A320 aircraft.
The airline is also talking with the ministry of home affairs (MHA) for security clearances for foreigners to be appointed in the core project team, after which it would apply to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for a scheduled air operator’s permit.
A source in the airline said, “Our domain heads meet every fortnight to assess the preparedness to begin operations. We are 70-90 per cent ready. We will now apply for an import licence for 20 aircraft. We want to have our documentation in place and procedural requirements in order before applying to DGCA. It would take a couple of weeks.”
MHA has okayed appointment of three board members — Chairman Prasad Menon and directors Mukund Rajan and Mak Swee Wah. However, the airline is yet to receive clearances for Phee Teik Yeoh (tipped to be the chief executive) and Glamming Toh (expected to be the chief of commercial operations).
“We have not yet appointed the CEO formally because he is yet to get a clearance from the ministry of home affairs,” the source said.
07/04/14 Sharmistha Mukherjee/Business Standard

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NOC to Tata-SIA venture violates code of conduct, says Swamy

Mumbai: Troubles have begun for the joint venture (JV) airline between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines just as it reached the last round of regulatory clearances.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has written to the officials at India's election commission and the aviation ministry stating that the no-objection certificate given to the airline violates the currently enforced electoral code of conduct .
The code is a set of rules that political parties and by extension, the government, as it is run by the ruling party or alliance, are barred from taking certain decisions or actions.
Swamy, who has filed a case against the government's nod to Tata's other planned airline venture with Malaysian carrier AirAsia, had not officially opposed Tata-SIA's airline proposal before this.
"I draw your attention to the announcement of "No Objection Certificate" made by the civil aviation ministry.
This, in my opinion, attracts model code of conduct and therefore, please issue notice to the ministry.
I am willing to lead evidence to show that the violation of model code has taken place if you decide to hear for the same," Swamy wrote to the election commission in the short letter, which ET read.
17/03/14 Anirban Chowdhury/Times of India

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Govt grants no objection certificate to Tata-Singapore Airlines

New Delhi: Clearing the final hurdle for the Tata-Singapore Airlines (SIA) JV full service airline, aviation minister Ajit Singh Wednesday gave it the initial no objection certificate (NOC). Now the JV will have to approach the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) for getting the airline licence, a process that is in final stages for the Tata's other JV with low-cost AirAsia for creating a budget airline here.
"Now it is up to Tata-SIA to approach DGCA and complete the paper work and other formalities to get their air operator permit (AOP) or licence," said a senior official. With an internationally renowned airline like SIA as their partner, the JV is certain to clear the DGCA last mile very soon.The ministry's NOC comes five days after the home ministry gave security nod to the three members of this proposed airline's board — chairman Prasad Menon of the Tata group, Tata Sons brand custodian and chief ethics officer Mukund Rajan and SIA EVP (commercial) Mak Swee Wah.
03/04/14 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Y P Teik might be Tata-SIA chief

Mumbai: Tata-Singapore Airlines is putting together a management team as it awaits clearance from the civil aviation ministry to start its India operations. The airline is a joint venture of Tata Group and Singapore Airlines (SIA), with a 51:49 shareholding. It will run on a full-service model, with its base in Delhi.
Yeoh Phee Teik, an SIA executive who is director of the project office in India, is tipped to be the new airline’s chief executive. He was the divisional vice-president of information technology at SIA, before moving to India.
S Varadarajan, former head of human resources at Tata Teleservices, is heading human resources at the new airline. Tata-SIA is searching for a chief financial officer and someone from within the Tata group might get selected.
Roshan Joshi, former head  of the flight operations, safety and security department at SIA, has been appointed senior vice-president (operations) of the new airline.G M Toh, a former general manager of SIA in India, is part of the airline’s launch team and might be assigned a commercial role.
01/04/14 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard

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