Mumbai: Government-owned banks have sought to wrest control of part of the cash flows of Kingfisher Airlines that is currently controlled by three of their private sector counterparts.
The bone of contention is money received by the loss-making airline from tickets bought through credit cards, said senior bank officials.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter was still under discussion, said government run banks had argued that they had a stronger claim to credit card receivables as their exposure to the Vijay Mallyaowned airline was more than that of private banks. But the proposal has been rejected by the three private sector banks - ICICI, Axis Bank and IndusInd - whose loan agreements with Kingfisher stipulate that proceeds of tickets booked through credit cards go to them.
At a recent meeting, officials of public sector banks proposed the opening of a dedicated account, known as an escrow, at the State Bank of India (SBI) where the airline would deposit the proceeds of tickets bought through credit cards. The airline would have to reach an agreement with the settlement agencies such as Visa and MasterCard - to operationalise the escrow account, essentially overturning the loan contracts between the private sector banks and Kingfisher Airlines.
State Bank of India has lent about Rs 1,400 crore to Kingfisher Airlines as against Rs 450 crore by ICICI Bank and Rs 50 crore of Axis Bank. ICICI Bank did not respond to the email enquiry.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Rolls-Royce, HAL setting up aero engines production facility
New Delhi: India's public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and British aero engines manufacturer Rolls-Royce Wednesday commenced construction of a new joint manufacturing facility in Bangalore, where components of Trent family of civil aero engines, marine, and energy gas turbines will be produced beginning 2012.
The production facility, about 7,200 square metres in size, is owned by International Aerospace Manufacturing Private Limited (IAMPL), a joint venture between HAL and Rolls-Royce formed in 2010, according to a release from the company.
IAMPL will incorporate the latest Rolls-Royce manufacturing techniques and create job opportunities for highly-skilled technicians and engineers in India.
The production facility, about 7,200 square metres in size, is owned by International Aerospace Manufacturing Private Limited (IAMPL), a joint venture between HAL and Rolls-Royce formed in 2010, according to a release from the company.
IAMPL will incorporate the latest Rolls-Royce manufacturing techniques and create job opportunities for highly-skilled technicians and engineers in India.
India May Cancel Fighter Competition
Langkawi, Malaysia: Victor Komardin, the deputy director of Russia’s arms export agency Rosoboronexport, contends that the two short-listed candidates for India’s Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition have effectively ruled themselves out by putting too high a price on their fighters.
India’s politicians told the local press earlier this year that the MMRCA contract was a $10 billion deal, but reports from India in recent weeks say the manufacturers of the two finalist aircraft, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale, are each asking for around $20 billion to fulfill the 126-aircraft order, Komardin says.
“Against the backdrop of the [financial] crisis [sweeping the world], it is hard to see how any government would allow such a waste of money, particularly when there are social problems” to deal with, Komardin says. “And there is no imminent threat to India’s [sovereignty]. My prediction is that this tender will be canceled.”
India’s politicians told the local press earlier this year that the MMRCA contract was a $10 billion deal, but reports from India in recent weeks say the manufacturers of the two finalist aircraft, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale, are each asking for around $20 billion to fulfill the 126-aircraft order, Komardin says.
“Against the backdrop of the [financial] crisis [sweeping the world], it is hard to see how any government would allow such a waste of money, particularly when there are social problems” to deal with, Komardin says. “And there is no imminent threat to India’s [sovereignty]. My prediction is that this tender will be canceled.”
Air India introduces marriage gift vouchers
New Delhi: Air India has come up with a "gift" this marriage session--'Shagun Vouchers'.
Valid from today till March 31 next year, the vouchers priced between Rs 901 and Rs 9001, can be redeemed against tickets or holiday packages on any domestic or international sector of the airline.
"Valid from December 7, 2011 to March 31, 2012, the 'Shagun Vouchers' would be valid for a period of one year from the date of issue," an airline spokesperson said.
The vouchers would be issued at Air India reservation offices after presenting a copy of the wedding invitation card and that the wedding date should be within a month from the date of purchase," the spokesperson said.
The vouchers would be available in five different price denominations -- 'face value' with an inbuilt discount -- 'sale value'.
Valid from today till March 31 next year, the vouchers priced between Rs 901 and Rs 9001, can be redeemed against tickets or holiday packages on any domestic or international sector of the airline.
"Valid from December 7, 2011 to March 31, 2012, the 'Shagun Vouchers' would be valid for a period of one year from the date of issue," an airline spokesperson said.
The vouchers would be issued at Air India reservation offices after presenting a copy of the wedding invitation card and that the wedding date should be within a month from the date of purchase," the spokesperson said.
The vouchers would be available in five different price denominations -- 'face value' with an inbuilt discount -- 'sale value'.
Safety: DGCA follows zero tolerance policy
DGCA follows a zero tolerance policy on safety norms. In order to ensure this DGCA has following processes:-
• DGCA makes annual program for surveillance/safety checks to be carried out by each Directorate and the same is displayed on the website of DGCA.
• The deficiencies observed are categorized depending upon the level of severity as Class 1 and Class 11 deficiencies. All the findings are discussed for appropriateness of the action taken.
• In addition, all the airlines are required to carry out Internal Safety Audit and monthly Surveillance Checks. Report of such Audit and Surveillance checks are to be submitted to DGCA along with the action taken by the organization. Safety Inspections by the operator are also examined during safety checks by the DGCA officers.
All the Airlines including Government owned Airlines have Flight Safety Manual and Chief of Flight Safety. Chief of Flight Safety of all the Airlines including the Government owned Airlines are approved by DGCA. Requirements for Flight Safety Manual and Chief of Flight Safety are given in CAR Section 5, Series F Part 1.
• DGCA makes annual program for surveillance/safety checks to be carried out by each Directorate and the same is displayed on the website of DGCA.
• The deficiencies observed are categorized depending upon the level of severity as Class 1 and Class 11 deficiencies. All the findings are discussed for appropriateness of the action taken.
• In addition, all the airlines are required to carry out Internal Safety Audit and monthly Surveillance Checks. Report of such Audit and Surveillance checks are to be submitted to DGCA along with the action taken by the organization. Safety Inspections by the operator are also examined during safety checks by the DGCA officers.
All the Airlines including Government owned Airlines have Flight Safety Manual and Chief of Flight Safety. Chief of Flight Safety of all the Airlines including the Government owned Airlines are approved by DGCA. Requirements for Flight Safety Manual and Chief of Flight Safety are given in CAR Section 5, Series F Part 1.
Power, telecom, aviation sectors in various states of crisis
India's power, telecoms and aviation sectors, core to sustaining the country's growth, are in various states of crisis. That may prove a good thing, if it forces government to act.
Regulations in all three industries have kept prices low and brought power, cellphone service and even air travel to millions of Indians for the first time. The same policies have left many operators battered by losses, debt, and plunging share prices.
Power, telecoms and airlines are capital-intensive sectors that attracted heavy investment when the regulatory environment was more favourable and global capital was plentiful and cheap.
That has left India crowded with more than a dozen cellular carriers, loss-making airlines with too many planes and billions of dollars of investments in a power sector made uneconomic by high global prices of coal and low domestic tariffs.
Many investors once keen on India's long-term growth have had enough as global and domestic economic conditions worsen, making Indian stocks among the world's worst performers of 2011.
Despite passenger growth of nearly 20 percent, shares in India's three listed airlines are down between 62 and 72 percent in 2011. The index of power stocks is down 32 percent even as electricity demand far outstrips supply.
Regulations in all three industries have kept prices low and brought power, cellphone service and even air travel to millions of Indians for the first time. The same policies have left many operators battered by losses, debt, and plunging share prices.
Power, telecoms and airlines are capital-intensive sectors that attracted heavy investment when the regulatory environment was more favourable and global capital was plentiful and cheap.
That has left India crowded with more than a dozen cellular carriers, loss-making airlines with too many planes and billions of dollars of investments in a power sector made uneconomic by high global prices of coal and low domestic tariffs.
Many investors once keen on India's long-term growth have had enough as global and domestic economic conditions worsen, making Indian stocks among the world's worst performers of 2011.
Despite passenger growth of nearly 20 percent, shares in India's three listed airlines are down between 62 and 72 percent in 2011. The index of power stocks is down 32 percent even as electricity demand far outstrips supply.
Near-miss may have involved third jet
Dubai: A third aircraft may have been involved in triggering alarms last week when the flightpaths of an Air Arabia and Qatar Airways jet almost crossed.
Indian authorities said yesterday that their investigation found that another plane had been flying nearby.
There were "two aircraft going up and another one also which was on its level", said a senior official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), who stressed the findings were preliminary.
The Air Arabia and Qatar Airways aircraft were initially believed to have violated the 1,000foot minimum vertical distance allowed between planes last Wednesday. The Qatar Airways jet had been flying from Doha to Kozhikode in southern India, and the Air Arabia plane from Kozhikode to Sharjah, the Hindustan Times of India reported.
Indian authorities said yesterday that their investigation found that another plane had been flying nearby.
There were "two aircraft going up and another one also which was on its level", said a senior official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), who stressed the findings were preliminary.
The Air Arabia and Qatar Airways aircraft were initially believed to have violated the 1,000foot minimum vertical distance allowed between planes last Wednesday. The Qatar Airways jet had been flying from Doha to Kozhikode in southern India, and the Air Arabia plane from Kozhikode to Sharjah, the Hindustan Times of India reported.
Chennai airport to hire agency to study spike in late night bird-hits
Chennai: The Airports Authority of India will hire a wildlife agency to study the spike in bird-hits at night in Chennai airport and suggest remedies.
"Pilots have been reporting bird-hits at night while approaching the airport. This is the first time we have heard about night-time bird-hits in Chennai. So, we have decided to conduct a study by engaging an ornithologist," said airport director E P Hareendranathan.
Chennai airport has identified an agency, Via Life Science, from a panel of ornithologists suggested by the National Bird Control Committee, which is under the Union ministry of civil aviation. The committee has instructed all airports where bird-hits have been reported to study the problem and take preventive measures.
"We have contacted the agency and they are ready to do a bird survey. They have also suggested some equipment that needs to be installed to prevent bird-hits. A final decision will be taken very soon after working out the project cost," said a senior AAI official.
The official said, majority of the bird-hits fell in the suspected category because they didn't have strong evidence to prove it.
"Pilots have been reporting bird-hits at night while approaching the airport. This is the first time we have heard about night-time bird-hits in Chennai. So, we have decided to conduct a study by engaging an ornithologist," said airport director E P Hareendranathan.
Chennai airport has identified an agency, Via Life Science, from a panel of ornithologists suggested by the National Bird Control Committee, which is under the Union ministry of civil aviation. The committee has instructed all airports where bird-hits have been reported to study the problem and take preventive measures.
"We have contacted the agency and they are ready to do a bird survey. They have also suggested some equipment that needs to be installed to prevent bird-hits. A final decision will be taken very soon after working out the project cost," said a senior AAI official.
The official said, majority of the bird-hits fell in the suspected category because they didn't have strong evidence to prove it.
Airport Hotel in Mumbai Becomes a Two-Time Award Winning Business Hotel
Mumbai: Setting the pace for hospitality in India, the impressive Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport Hotel recently was honored with its second award this year for its excellence in the fields of travel and tourism.
The Courtyard was recognized as "Best Business Hotel" in the four-star category at the 7th Annual International Awards ceremony held October 28, 2011 at the Hotel Ashok, New Delhi. Sponsored by Hospitality India and Explore the World, the gala event drew noted Indian dignitaries as guests of honor and was graced in attendance by ambassadors to India from Egypt, Jordan and the Republic of Turkey.
"It is a great honor to be recognized on a national platform as Best Business Hotel in the 4-star category," said Sanne Emborg, General Manager of the distinctive Courtyard hotel in accepting the award. "It is also special to receive our second award of the year and be recognized for business excellence."
The event was followed by the Hospitality India Tourism and Travel Trade Fair on Saturday, which drew participation from several tourism state boards of India, tour operators and travel agencies and included interactive sessions and presentations between participants and attendees addressing the growth and challenges of the industry.
The Courtyard was recognized as "Best Business Hotel" in the four-star category at the 7th Annual International Awards ceremony held October 28, 2011 at the Hotel Ashok, New Delhi. Sponsored by Hospitality India and Explore the World, the gala event drew noted Indian dignitaries as guests of honor and was graced in attendance by ambassadors to India from Egypt, Jordan and the Republic of Turkey.
"It is a great honor to be recognized on a national platform as Best Business Hotel in the 4-star category," said Sanne Emborg, General Manager of the distinctive Courtyard hotel in accepting the award. "It is also special to receive our second award of the year and be recognized for business excellence."
The event was followed by the Hospitality India Tourism and Travel Trade Fair on Saturday, which drew participation from several tourism state boards of India, tour operators and travel agencies and included interactive sessions and presentations between participants and attendees addressing the growth and challenges of the industry.
Sip a mug of kaapi before take-off at BIA
Bangalore: 'Kaapi Trail', a 10-day coffee festival, kicked off at Bangalore International Airport (BIA) on Monday. It is a first for an Indian airport, where different facets of South Indian coffee is being showcased.
Organized in collaboration with The Coffee Board of India and the Karnataka tourism department, the coffee fest will serve special coffee from the nine regions of Araku Valley, Bababudangiri, BR Hills, Chikmagalur, Coorg, Nilgiris, Shevaroy Hills, Travancore, Nelliyampathy and Pulneys. Coffee from all these regions has been carefully extracted and blended to extract their original flavour. The highlight of this festival is the interaction passengers can have with coffee experts, engaged in live coffee making demonstrations.
The objective of the festival is to contribute to the development of coffee and improve its potential in promoting and developing the territory's tourism.
Organized in collaboration with The Coffee Board of India and the Karnataka tourism department, the coffee fest will serve special coffee from the nine regions of Araku Valley, Bababudangiri, BR Hills, Chikmagalur, Coorg, Nilgiris, Shevaroy Hills, Travancore, Nelliyampathy and Pulneys. Coffee from all these regions has been carefully extracted and blended to extract their original flavour. The highlight of this festival is the interaction passengers can have with coffee experts, engaged in live coffee making demonstrations.
The objective of the festival is to contribute to the development of coffee and improve its potential in promoting and developing the territory's tourism.
Airlines training pilots to land in poor visibility
New Delhi: Foreseeing trouble caused due to dense fog conditions that throw airline schedules haywire, major airlines have started training their senior pilots for landing in low visibility conditions. Trained cockpit crew — the commandant as well as the co-pilot — are important when the CAT-IIIB conditions are initiated. These conditions are normally initiated for a month’s period (December 15- January 15).
According to the statistics available with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a total of 580 Indian pilots covering 10 airlines are trained for CAT IIIB operations covering a variety of aircraft. Air India has the highest number of trained pilots in command (395) and co-pilots (282). Kingfisher has 152 trained commandants and 120 co-pilots, whereas Jet Airways has 132 trained pilots in command and 51 co-pilots for CAT IIB conditions.
According to the airport officials, Air India is pioneer in training their pilots and due to this, their schedules were the least affected last year. Private airlines, too, have realised that the shortage of trained cockpit crew may come in the way of smooth operation of flights if schedules go haywire from Delhi. A spokesperson of Jet Airways said, “Even due to huge investment of `5 lakh per year per pilot, the airline is training pilots for the latest technology. However, looking at the costs involved, we are bound to be choosy and select only senior pilots for training.”
According to the statistics available with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a total of 580 Indian pilots covering 10 airlines are trained for CAT IIIB operations covering a variety of aircraft. Air India has the highest number of trained pilots in command (395) and co-pilots (282). Kingfisher has 152 trained commandants and 120 co-pilots, whereas Jet Airways has 132 trained pilots in command and 51 co-pilots for CAT IIB conditions.
According to the airport officials, Air India is pioneer in training their pilots and due to this, their schedules were the least affected last year. Private airlines, too, have realised that the shortage of trained cockpit crew may come in the way of smooth operation of flights if schedules go haywire from Delhi. A spokesperson of Jet Airways said, “Even due to huge investment of `5 lakh per year per pilot, the airline is training pilots for the latest technology. However, looking at the costs involved, we are bound to be choosy and select only senior pilots for training.”
Canadian aerospace industry braces for competition
Montreal: An aerospace conference heard Monday that emerging powers like China and India will eventually compete in aircraft manufacturing -- but it might take a while.
The head of one industry think-tank noted that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, India's state-owned company, is heavily involved in building helicopters and plans to eventually develop its own fighters and commercial aircraft.
But Suzanne Benoit, CEO of Aero Montreal, added that India still has some catching up to do.
"It's not really a commercial company, it's a government-owned company so maybe the pace of development may not be as fast as other airframers," Benoit said Monday.
"It's not going to happen tomorrow, but you never know in India -- the government may decide to put a lot of money into it."
Benoit made her comments at a two-day forum on aerospace innovation organized by Aero Montreal, a think-tank for Quebec's aerospace sector.
The head of one industry think-tank noted that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, India's state-owned company, is heavily involved in building helicopters and plans to eventually develop its own fighters and commercial aircraft.
But Suzanne Benoit, CEO of Aero Montreal, added that India still has some catching up to do.
"It's not really a commercial company, it's a government-owned company so maybe the pace of development may not be as fast as other airframers," Benoit said Monday.
"It's not going to happen tomorrow, but you never know in India -- the government may decide to put a lot of money into it."
Benoit made her comments at a two-day forum on aerospace innovation organized by Aero Montreal, a think-tank for Quebec's aerospace sector.
Move permitting 26% FDI in aviation gets FinMin nod
New Delhi: In what may help beleaguered airlines Kingfisher, the finance ministry has approved a draft Cabinet note floated by the commerce and industry ministry allowing foreign fliers to acquire up to 26 per cent stake in India’s aviation companies.
However, there is a hitch. The finance ministry wants the commerce and industry ministry to see that any such policy conforms to a new takeover code, where companies have to go for an open offer if they acquire at least 25 per cent stake.
In this regard, the finance ministry wants the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the commerce and industry ministry to consult Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), as some airlines like Kingfisher and Jet Airways are listed companies, officials said on Monday.
The new takeover code, effected by Sebi from October 22, prescribes that any acquirer taking at least 25 per cent stake in a company has to go for an open offer for another 26 per cent. Thus, foreign airlines’ stake, in case this policy is allowed, can go up to 52 per cent, which would make them majority owner.
The officials said DIPP can, after consultations with Sebi, start working on the Cabinet note. A Cabinet meeting slated for Wednesday, though, is unlikely to take up this issue. It may come up only either next week or thereafter, depending on a solution to a more pressing and vexed issue before the Cabinet: Foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail. There is another hurdle to the proposal: The civil aviation ministry still favours 24 per cent cap in this regard, which many say will not attract foreign airlines to pick stake in Indian fliers.
However, there is a hitch. The finance ministry wants the commerce and industry ministry to see that any such policy conforms to a new takeover code, where companies have to go for an open offer if they acquire at least 25 per cent stake.
In this regard, the finance ministry wants the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the commerce and industry ministry to consult Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), as some airlines like Kingfisher and Jet Airways are listed companies, officials said on Monday.
The new takeover code, effected by Sebi from October 22, prescribes that any acquirer taking at least 25 per cent stake in a company has to go for an open offer for another 26 per cent. Thus, foreign airlines’ stake, in case this policy is allowed, can go up to 52 per cent, which would make them majority owner.
The officials said DIPP can, after consultations with Sebi, start working on the Cabinet note. A Cabinet meeting slated for Wednesday, though, is unlikely to take up this issue. It may come up only either next week or thereafter, depending on a solution to a more pressing and vexed issue before the Cabinet: Foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail. There is another hurdle to the proposal: The civil aviation ministry still favours 24 per cent cap in this regard, which many say will not attract foreign airlines to pick stake in Indian fliers.
Domestic air passenger traffic registers 18.8% growth
New Delhi: Domestic air passenger traffic recorded in April to September 2011 registered a growth of 18.8 per cent from the corresponding period last year, government said on Wednesday.
In reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, civil aviation minister Vyalar Ravi said that domestic passenger traffic which was 8.9 crore in 2009-10 had moved up to 10.5 crore in 2010-11.
Air India's market share has shown a decline in the last few years. In years 2007-08, Air India had a market share of 17.9 per cent which had fallen to 17.1 percent in 2010-11.
In reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, civil aviation minister Vyalar Ravi said that domestic passenger traffic which was 8.9 crore in 2009-10 had moved up to 10.5 crore in 2010-11.
Air India's market share has shown a decline in the last few years. In years 2007-08, Air India had a market share of 17.9 per cent which had fallen to 17.1 percent in 2010-11.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Jet Airways signs MOU with Vietnam Airlines
Mumbai/New Delhi: Marking the state visit of Vietnam President Truong Tan Sang's to India, Jet Airways and Vietnam Airlines have signed a memorandum of understanding which covers the areas of commercial services, technical and training, a Jet Airways official said.
This agreement was signed in the presence of Truong, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) president B. Muthuraman and members of the Vietnamese delegation in New Delhi Wednesday, the official said here.
"This agreement with Vietnam Airlines is an integral part of our strategy for increased international growth and providing seamless service for travellers between India and Vietnam. We look forward to the future of cooperation and collaboration with Vietnam Airlines, bringing greater benefits to our distinguished passengers," said Naresh Goyal, chairman of Jet Airways.
Truong said he believes the agreement will be translated into a fruitful cooperation between the two airlines. He also stressed that the development of the relationship between the two countries needs such partnerships.
This agreement was signed in the presence of Truong, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) president B. Muthuraman and members of the Vietnamese delegation in New Delhi Wednesday, the official said here.
"This agreement with Vietnam Airlines is an integral part of our strategy for increased international growth and providing seamless service for travellers between India and Vietnam. We look forward to the future of cooperation and collaboration with Vietnam Airlines, bringing greater benefits to our distinguished passengers," said Naresh Goyal, chairman of Jet Airways.
Truong said he believes the agreement will be translated into a fruitful cooperation between the two airlines. He also stressed that the development of the relationship between the two countries needs such partnerships.
Plane skids off Surat runway while landing
Surat: Four persons including an instructor and three trainee pilots had a narrow escape when their plane skid off the runway here after landing, police said.
Nobody was injured in the incident. A trainee pilot was flying the plane which belonged to a flying school Club One Air from Mumbai, they said.
According to police, the plane was damaged but nobody was injured.
"Nobody was hurt in the incident and every thing was alright," Surat police commissioner Rakesh Asthana said.
Airport authorities at Surat refused to divulge details as to how the accident took place.
Nobody was injured in the incident. A trainee pilot was flying the plane which belonged to a flying school Club One Air from Mumbai, they said.
According to police, the plane was damaged but nobody was injured.
"Nobody was hurt in the incident and every thing was alright," Surat police commissioner Rakesh Asthana said.
Airport authorities at Surat refused to divulge details as to how the accident took place.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
ATF prices hiked again; Air fares to go up?
New Delhi: For the second time this month, state-owned oil companies on Friday hiked jet fuel, or ATF, price by 1.5 percent as falling rupee made oil imports costlier.
Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) price at Delhi's T3 airport was hiked by Rs 899 per kilolitre (kl), or 1.5 percent, to Rs 58,578 per kl with effect from midnight tonight, an official of Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest fuel retailer, said.
IOC and other state retailers, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum, had on September 16 raised jet fuel price by 2.5 percent.
ATF in Mumbai, home to the nation's busiest airport, will cost Rs 907 per kl more at Rs 59,359 per kl from tomorrow as against the old price of Rs 58,452.31 per kl.
Jet fuel makes up for 40 percent of an airlines' operating cost and no immediate comments were available from airlines on the impact of the price hike on passenger fares.
Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) price at Delhi's T3 airport was hiked by Rs 899 per kilolitre (kl), or 1.5 percent, to Rs 58,578 per kl with effect from midnight tonight, an official of Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest fuel retailer, said.
IOC and other state retailers, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum, had on September 16 raised jet fuel price by 2.5 percent.
ATF in Mumbai, home to the nation's busiest airport, will cost Rs 907 per kl more at Rs 59,359 per kl from tomorrow as against the old price of Rs 58,452.31 per kl.
Jet fuel makes up for 40 percent of an airlines' operating cost and no immediate comments were available from airlines on the impact of the price hike on passenger fares.
Despite problems, Air India wins Asia's leading airline award
Despite the increasing problems, including debts and huge daily operational losses, the national carrier Air India has won two awards at the World Travel Awards.
The ailing Maharaja has been selected as Asia's leading airline in the Economy class and the country's leading airline at WTA awards function in Bangkok over the weekend. Airlines from over 30 countries participated in the competition.
"The awards reaffirm the trust reposed by passengers in the national carrier's proactive approach, persistent performance and undeterred commitment to customer satisfaction," the airline said in a statement.
The ailing Maharaja has been selected as Asia's leading airline in the Economy class and the country's leading airline at WTA awards function in Bangkok over the weekend. Airlines from over 30 countries participated in the competition.
"The awards reaffirm the trust reposed by passengers in the national carrier's proactive approach, persistent performance and undeterred commitment to customer satisfaction," the airline said in a statement.
Grounded plane a threat to air safety at city airport
Nagpur: The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) have several times raised objection to presence of a grounded aircraft within kissing distance of main runway of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport.
The plane is seen as a threat to the flights taking off and landing here. Still, the airport operator Mihan India Ltd (MIL) is refusing to do anything about it. Strangely, it expressed its inability to do anything. "The aircraft has been abandoned at the airport and a case is pending in the Bombay high court," a senior MIL official told TOI.
The aircraft of Continental Aviation Private Limited (CAPL) and owned by US-based NRI Sam Verma made an emergency landing at the city airport after developing an engine snag on July 21, 1991. It has remained here since then as its owner never paid up the parking charges. Earlier, Airports Authority of India (AAI) had planned to convert it into a unique restaurant after moving it to a site near Wardha Road. Nagpur Municipal Corporation also planned to acquire it and use it for education purpose at its Aero Park project near Swawlambi Nagar. However, both plans never materialised.
The plane is seen as a threat to the flights taking off and landing here. Still, the airport operator Mihan India Ltd (MIL) is refusing to do anything about it. Strangely, it expressed its inability to do anything. "The aircraft has been abandoned at the airport and a case is pending in the Bombay high court," a senior MIL official told TOI.
The aircraft of Continental Aviation Private Limited (CAPL) and owned by US-based NRI Sam Verma made an emergency landing at the city airport after developing an engine snag on July 21, 1991. It has remained here since then as its owner never paid up the parking charges. Earlier, Airports Authority of India (AAI) had planned to convert it into a unique restaurant after moving it to a site near Wardha Road. Nagpur Municipal Corporation also planned to acquire it and use it for education purpose at its Aero Park project near Swawlambi Nagar. However, both plans never materialised.
Advanced tech to help streamline air traffic
Chennai: The Chennai region will soon be equipped with an advanced aviation system to help regulate fuel consumption of aircraft and ensure passenger safety. The cost of flying per minute for a plane is now estimated to be around $100.
Under the 'Gate to Gate Flow Management' system, the delay at the airport where a plane is supposed to land will be informed to navigators and air traffic controllers (ATCs) at the departure airport to help the latter hold the plane for a while longer. This will help the plane avoid circling the airport at the destination, wasting precious fuel. An 'En-route Safety Monitoring Agency' to monitor oceanic movements covering seven countries is also effective in Chennai.
Chennai Air Traffic Control (ATC) general manager N Ganesh said the aviation sector had to make use of the latest technology and infrastructure. "The integration of radar, enhancement in VHF-radar coverage, data link initiatives, air traffic flow management should all be used to cut down the overall operational costs of aircraft. It will benefit the industry and the public by making the aviation sector sustainable and safe," he told the media after an Air Traffic Services (ATS) coordination meeting here.
Under the 'Gate to Gate Flow Management' system, the delay at the airport where a plane is supposed to land will be informed to navigators and air traffic controllers (ATCs) at the departure airport to help the latter hold the plane for a while longer. This will help the plane avoid circling the airport at the destination, wasting precious fuel. An 'En-route Safety Monitoring Agency' to monitor oceanic movements covering seven countries is also effective in Chennai.
Chennai Air Traffic Control (ATC) general manager N Ganesh said the aviation sector had to make use of the latest technology and infrastructure. "The integration of radar, enhancement in VHF-radar coverage, data link initiatives, air traffic flow management should all be used to cut down the overall operational costs of aircraft. It will benefit the industry and the public by making the aviation sector sustainable and safe," he told the media after an Air Traffic Services (ATS) coordination meeting here.
Maran to up stake in SpiceJet
SpiceJet, the low-cost air carrier, on Thursday got its shareholders' approval to issue additional equity shares to promoter Kalanithi Maran, who in turn will infuse Rs 130 crore (Rs 1.3 billion) into the airline. Maran's equity holding would go up from 38 per cent to 43 per cent of the company's shares.
At the sidelines of its annual general meeting, Neil Raymond Mills, chief executive officer, said: "He (Maran) will be paying 50 per cent more compared to the price quoted in the market. He could have saved Rs 50 crore by buying these shares from the open market, but he was ready to pay the premium, which shows the confidence of the promoter in the airline."
The shares were trading at Rs 22 each on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Thursday, down by 2.65 per cent from yesterday's close.
The fresh shares will be issued by the first week of next month. Mills said the money would help in covering losses, as well as fund expansion.
A senior official from the airline said Canada's export finance agency, Export Development Canada, is funding SpiceJet's purchase of planes and had sanctioned $270 million of credit for this, 85 per cent of the total value for the 11 Q400 turboprop aircraft the company has planned to add by the end of March 2012.
At the sidelines of its annual general meeting, Neil Raymond Mills, chief executive officer, said: "He (Maran) will be paying 50 per cent more compared to the price quoted in the market. He could have saved Rs 50 crore by buying these shares from the open market, but he was ready to pay the premium, which shows the confidence of the promoter in the airline."
The shares were trading at Rs 22 each on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Thursday, down by 2.65 per cent from yesterday's close.
The fresh shares will be issued by the first week of next month. Mills said the money would help in covering losses, as well as fund expansion.
A senior official from the airline said Canada's export finance agency, Export Development Canada, is funding SpiceJet's purchase of planes and had sanctioned $270 million of credit for this, 85 per cent of the total value for the 11 Q400 turboprop aircraft the company has planned to add by the end of March 2012.
Mallya has done a good thing by having one brand: Gopinath
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/mallya-has-donegood-thing-by-having-one-brand-gopinath/451116/
Bangalore: Captain Gopinath, the pioneer of low-cost aviation model in India, is known to be a straight talker. He is always to the point. And, he was in full swing when he spoke exclusively to Business Standard about Vijay Mallya’s recent decision to ground the low-cost service offering of Kingfisher Airlines.
Mallya, chairman and managing director, Kingfisher Airlines, entered the low-cost aviation business when he acquired Capt Gopinath’s Air Deccan during 2007 in a $300-million deal. Following this, Mallya merged the two airlines and then rebranded Air Deccan as Kingfisher Red to offer low-cost service in addition to the full service offering.
“It is probably a good decision by Mallya to have one brand now. But I would have probably said that he should have made all the domestic service as low-cost offering and all international as full service,” said Gopinath, late on Saturday evening at his sprawling bungalow, just yards away from Mallya’s home in Bangalore.
According to Gopinath, having almost a similar looking brand and then when the offerings are just a little bit different there are bound to have been problems. “And that is what happened. You just cannibilise your existing customer base. When companies were merged and almost a single branding came in to existence, it was sort of a double whammy for Kingfisher. First, the economy passengers of Kingfisher started to look at Kingfisher Red as the offerings were almost same while the price was cost effective. And when Mallya decided to raise the fares of Kingfisher Red, customers switched over to other LCCs such as Indigo or Spicejet,” Gopinath said.
Bangalore: Captain Gopinath, the pioneer of low-cost aviation model in India, is known to be a straight talker. He is always to the point. And, he was in full swing when he spoke exclusively to Business Standard about Vijay Mallya’s recent decision to ground the low-cost service offering of Kingfisher Airlines.
Mallya, chairman and managing director, Kingfisher Airlines, entered the low-cost aviation business when he acquired Capt Gopinath’s Air Deccan during 2007 in a $300-million deal. Following this, Mallya merged the two airlines and then rebranded Air Deccan as Kingfisher Red to offer low-cost service in addition to the full service offering.
“It is probably a good decision by Mallya to have one brand now. But I would have probably said that he should have made all the domestic service as low-cost offering and all international as full service,” said Gopinath, late on Saturday evening at his sprawling bungalow, just yards away from Mallya’s home in Bangalore.
According to Gopinath, having almost a similar looking brand and then when the offerings are just a little bit different there are bound to have been problems. “And that is what happened. You just cannibilise your existing customer base. When companies were merged and almost a single branding came in to existence, it was sort of a double whammy for Kingfisher. First, the economy passengers of Kingfisher started to look at Kingfisher Red as the offerings were almost same while the price was cost effective. And when Mallya decided to raise the fares of Kingfisher Red, customers switched over to other LCCs such as Indigo or Spicejet,” Gopinath said.
Already bleeding, airlines set to take another 6% hit in profits
New Delhi: Cash-strapped domestic airlines could see their margins eroding with the rupee weakening by 11% against the dollar since the beginning of August.
Indian carriers will take a hit of at least 6% in profitability as dollar-linked expenses, such as lease rentals, maintenance and expat salaries, would cost more now in rupee terms, say industry heads and experts. This burden comes at a time when most carriers are already incurring losses.
Low-cost airlines, such as IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, which serve nearly half of the 50 million annual domestic traffic, have one-third of their quarterly cash outgo in foreign currency. “Weakening of the rupee has just begun. Its impact would be felt later,” said SpiceJet CEO Neil Mills.
“The high-cost aviation turbine fuel, coupled with a weakening rupee, is the biggest challenge that the aviation industry in India is currently dealing with and we are no exception,” Kingfisher Airlines chairman Vijay Mallya said.
Indian carriers will take a hit of at least 6% in profitability as dollar-linked expenses, such as lease rentals, maintenance and expat salaries, would cost more now in rupee terms, say industry heads and experts. This burden comes at a time when most carriers are already incurring losses.
Low-cost airlines, such as IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, which serve nearly half of the 50 million annual domestic traffic, have one-third of their quarterly cash outgo in foreign currency. “Weakening of the rupee has just begun. Its impact would be felt later,” said SpiceJet CEO Neil Mills.
“The high-cost aviation turbine fuel, coupled with a weakening rupee, is the biggest challenge that the aviation industry in India is currently dealing with and we are no exception,” Kingfisher Airlines chairman Vijay Mallya said.
India rallies 30 other nations vs EU airline emission tax
Manila: India is working with more than 30 nations to draw up a strategy to counter the European Union’s plan to impose emission charges on airlines flying into the region starting next year.
“How can they dictate terms to us and why should we accept it?” Vayalar Ravi, India’s civil aviation minister, said in an interview in New Delhi Saturday before a meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization on the EU’s plan. “This is their fantasy.”
Measures by the 27-nation bloc to impose carbon curbs on flights to and from the region have sparked protests from China’s airline association and carriers including American Airlines and Continental Airlines. The EU plans “contravene” international law and “is an attack on sovereignty,” the International Air Transport Association said this week.
More than 30 members of the International Civil Aviation Organization started their meeting on the EU’s emission trading system in India’s capital Sunday. The Montreal-based ICAO has 190 member states, including the U.S. and China, according to its website. India’s aviation ministry is hosting the two-day meeting, Ravi said, without naming the countries that are participating.
“How can they dictate terms to us and why should we accept it?” Vayalar Ravi, India’s civil aviation minister, said in an interview in New Delhi Saturday before a meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization on the EU’s plan. “This is their fantasy.”
Measures by the 27-nation bloc to impose carbon curbs on flights to and from the region have sparked protests from China’s airline association and carriers including American Airlines and Continental Airlines. The EU plans “contravene” international law and “is an attack on sovereignty,” the International Air Transport Association said this week.
More than 30 members of the International Civil Aviation Organization started their meeting on the EU’s emission trading system in India’s capital Sunday. The Montreal-based ICAO has 190 member states, including the U.S. and China, according to its website. India’s aviation ministry is hosting the two-day meeting, Ravi said, without naming the countries that are participating.
Vayalar Ravi inspects Air Traffic Control Tower at Chennai
Chennai: Union Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi on Saturday inspected various units at the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower at the Chennai airport.
Airport sources said the Minister arrived at the Chennai airport around 8.45 a.m. Soon after landing he came to the Air Traffic Services Complex, where the ATC tower is situated. Accompanied by Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman V.P. Agrawal, V. Somasundaram, Member, Air Navigation Services, AAI, Airport Director E.P. Hareendranathan, Regional Executive Director D. Devaraj and Executive Director (Project) S. Bhaduri, the Minister visited the tower complex.
The Minister spent nearly an hour at the tower, inspecting various units functioning there.
Airport sources said the Minister arrived at the Chennai airport around 8.45 a.m. Soon after landing he came to the Air Traffic Services Complex, where the ATC tower is situated. Accompanied by Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman V.P. Agrawal, V. Somasundaram, Member, Air Navigation Services, AAI, Airport Director E.P. Hareendranathan, Regional Executive Director D. Devaraj and Executive Director (Project) S. Bhaduri, the Minister visited the tower complex.
The Minister spent nearly an hour at the tower, inspecting various units functioning there.
Bombardier Breaks Into Indian Market with Q400s
Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet took delivery of its fourth Q400 NextGen on September 7 and planned to deploy it late last month along with three others it received starting in late August. A delay in clearance from the Reserve Bank of India forced a postponement of first deliveries from July to the last week of August.
“We decided to strategically focus on improving air connectivity in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns as we believe there is a large market in India that is yet to be touched by the benefits of the aviation revolution,” SpiceJet CEO Neil Mills told AIN. “We chose the Bombardier Q400 because it is the aircraft best suited to the available infrastructure in India. It can operate from small runways and will be the game-changing aircraft for the Indian aviation industry,” he said.
The deliveries to SpiceJet represent Bombardier’s first foray in the fast-growing Indian commercial aviation market, where rival ATR has already made significant inroads.
SpiceJet planned to launch the first phase of its regional connectivity strategy on September 21 with the 78-seat turboprops, connecting Hyderabad to Aurangabad, Bhopal, Indore, Mangalore, Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Vijayawada.
SpiceJet also plans to add service within its existing destinations using the Q400 and will now operate direct flights from Hyderabad to Goa, Madurai, Nagpur and Pune and Bangalore to Vizag
“We decided to strategically focus on improving air connectivity in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns as we believe there is a large market in India that is yet to be touched by the benefits of the aviation revolution,” SpiceJet CEO Neil Mills told AIN. “We chose the Bombardier Q400 because it is the aircraft best suited to the available infrastructure in India. It can operate from small runways and will be the game-changing aircraft for the Indian aviation industry,” he said.
The deliveries to SpiceJet represent Bombardier’s first foray in the fast-growing Indian commercial aviation market, where rival ATR has already made significant inroads.
SpiceJet planned to launch the first phase of its regional connectivity strategy on September 21 with the 78-seat turboprops, connecting Hyderabad to Aurangabad, Bhopal, Indore, Mangalore, Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Vijayawada.
SpiceJet also plans to add service within its existing destinations using the Q400 and will now operate direct flights from Hyderabad to Goa, Madurai, Nagpur and Pune and Bangalore to Vizag
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Integrated air space management from Chennai today
New Delhi: Today the air space between 26,000 feet and 46,000 feet in the Chennai Flight Information Region (FIR) will be handled by Chennai control, instead of four different controls as is being done now. At present, individual controls in various cities, including Bangalore, Mangalore, Vizag, and guide aircraft through their flight.
The integration of various ATC radars into one in Chennai will also mean that the cockpit crew flying in the higher zones will have to communicate with only one person rather than various people as happens when they are transferred from one ATC to another during a flight.
“Aircraft flying from the Far East and going to the West will benefit from the introduction of the system. For domestic airlines, the real benefit will be on the Delhi-Mumbai routes,” a senior pilot with Air India said.
A senior pilot with a private airline points out that the real benefit of the system will start coming in when there is an integrated air space management system throughout the Indian airspace. AAI is already working on this and expects it to happen by next year.
The integration of various ATC radars into one in Chennai will also mean that the cockpit crew flying in the higher zones will have to communicate with only one person rather than various people as happens when they are transferred from one ATC to another during a flight.
“Aircraft flying from the Far East and going to the West will benefit from the introduction of the system. For domestic airlines, the real benefit will be on the Delhi-Mumbai routes,” a senior pilot with Air India said.
A senior pilot with a private airline points out that the real benefit of the system will start coming in when there is an integrated air space management system throughout the Indian airspace. AAI is already working on this and expects it to happen by next year.
The Economic Growth to Drive the Indian Aerospace Industry: MM Pallam Raju
New Delhi: The economic growth in the country and rest of Asia will drive the Indian aerospace industry growth, said Mr MM Pallam Raju, Minister of State for Defence during the inaugural session of 6th International Conference on "Energising Indian Aerospace Industry: Emerging Opportunities, Enduring Partnerships" jointly organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) here today.
Other key drivers and enablers are huge domestic demand, defence offsets, Information Technology prowess of Indian industry and track record of honouring Intellectual Property Rights. There exist a lot of potential for the Indian industry not only in the defence sector but also in the civil aerospace sector. Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul activities will further propel the growth of aerospace industry.
Indian Air Force expects life long commitment from the Indian Industry: Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne. While speaking in the inaugural session of 6th International Conference on "Energising Indian Aerospace Industry: Emerging Opportunities, Enduring Partnerships," Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne observed that Indian Air Force expects life long commitment from the Indian Industry for its short term and long term requirements. We cannot keep relying on the foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers forever. Therefore, Indian Industry has the support of the Indian Air Force as IAF is ready to lead the race. By giving a special emphasis on the importance of Indian private sector industry's participation in the major upcoming projects, he said that IAF expects larger participation in the Multi-Role Transport Aircraft (MTA)
New Delhi: The economic growth in the country and rest of Asia will drive the Indian aerospace industry growth, said Mr MM Pallam Raju, Minister of State for Defence during the inaugural session of 6th International Conference on "Energising Indian Aerospace Industry: Emerging Opportunities, Enduring Partnerships" jointly organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) here today.
Other key drivers and enablers are huge domestic demand, defence offsets, Information Technology prowess of Indian industry and track record of honouring Intellectual Property Rights. There exist a lot of potential for the Indian industry not only in the defence sector but also in the civil aerospace sector. Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul activities will further propel the growth of aerospace industry.
Indian Air Force expects life long commitment from the Indian Industry: Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne. While speaking in the inaugural session of 6th International Conference on "Energising Indian Aerospace Industry: Emerging Opportunities, Enduring Partnerships," Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne observed that Indian Air Force expects life long commitment from the Indian Industry for its short term and long term requirements. We cannot keep relying on the foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers forever. Therefore, Indian Industry has the support of the Indian Air Force as IAF is ready to lead the race. By giving a special emphasis on the importance of Indian private sector industry's participation in the major upcoming projects, he said that IAF expects larger participation in the Multi-Role Transport Aircraft (MTA)
One missed chance to land led to 30-min wait
Kolkata: A problem in the Boeing 737-800 aircraft's controls in which chief minister Mamata Banerjee was travelling from Bagdogra to Kolkata on Thursday forced the pilot to let go of the first opportunity to land at 2.58pm.
Though the snag was sorted out within a couple of minutes and the pilot was ready to steer the aircraft back to align with the runway, the situation had changed dramatically.
Bad weather, an emergency in the air and a missed approach by a freighter in the turbulent 30 minutes that followed kept the Jet Airways flight carrying Mamata on hold. It was only after the cascading events concluded that flight 9W-2481 had the chance to approach the runway once again and land. The Jet Airways pilot did not contact the ATC to seek a priority landing, citing the presence of CM on board. And the controller in touch with him did not impose any restrictions.
These are the findings of the investigation into why the flight carrying Mamata had hovered over Kolkata for over 30 minutes despite reaching Kolkata on time. Though there was nothing unusual in the sequence of events on Wednesday afternoon, the probe was conducted following a formal complaint from the state government. An angry Mamata had on Wednesday claimed that her flight had been deliberately delayed till it was low on fuel. "A disaster could have happened any moment," she had alleged.
Though everyone in the aviation industry was shocked at her outburst and the accusation, airport officials said that while an error could have happened, suggestion of an intentional act that would jeopardise safety of a flight was preposterous. Officials hope the probe report, that is expected to be submitted to the state government and civil aviation ministry on Friday, will clear the air.
Though the snag was sorted out within a couple of minutes and the pilot was ready to steer the aircraft back to align with the runway, the situation had changed dramatically.
Bad weather, an emergency in the air and a missed approach by a freighter in the turbulent 30 minutes that followed kept the Jet Airways flight carrying Mamata on hold. It was only after the cascading events concluded that flight 9W-2481 had the chance to approach the runway once again and land. The Jet Airways pilot did not contact the ATC to seek a priority landing, citing the presence of CM on board. And the controller in touch with him did not impose any restrictions.
These are the findings of the investigation into why the flight carrying Mamata had hovered over Kolkata for over 30 minutes despite reaching Kolkata on time. Though there was nothing unusual in the sequence of events on Wednesday afternoon, the probe was conducted following a formal complaint from the state government. An angry Mamata had on Wednesday claimed that her flight had been deliberately delayed till it was low on fuel. "A disaster could have happened any moment," she had alleged.
Though everyone in the aviation industry was shocked at her outburst and the accusation, airport officials said that while an error could have happened, suggestion of an intentional act that would jeopardise safety of a flight was preposterous. Officials hope the probe report, that is expected to be submitted to the state government and civil aviation ministry on Friday, will clear the air.
No clause in pact violated, Swiss airlines tells India
New Delhi: Switzerland has responded to a move by the Indian government to stop all services of Swiss International Airlines (Swiss) to and from India, saying that the airlines, held by Air Trust, is incorporated under the laws of of the Western European country and run mostly by its own nationals.
India had threatened to stop Swiss, which, as the designated airline of that country, “violated” a vital clause called the substantial ownership and effective control (SOEC), mandated under the bilateral air services agreement between the two countries.
Under the SOEC clause, the government has the right to designate one or more airlines. However, its substantial ownership and effective control should be vested in the party designating the airline (in this case, the Swiss government) or its citizens (the Swiss people). In the case of Swiss, a majority stake is with Lufthansa.
The Swiss aviation authorities have contended that Swiss met all the ownership requirement of the bilateral pact. They say they are satisfied with the present structure of the Swiss management and the board of directors, which guarantee that effective control of the airlines is mainly with nationals of Switzerland. Also, 100 per cent of the shares of Swiss since July 1, 2007, are —and remain — to be directly owned by a Air Trust. India has, for the past four years, accepted the ownership and control of Swiss, they point out, adding it continues to be so on Thursday.
India had threatened to stop Swiss, which, as the designated airline of that country, “violated” a vital clause called the substantial ownership and effective control (SOEC), mandated under the bilateral air services agreement between the two countries.
Under the SOEC clause, the government has the right to designate one or more airlines. However, its substantial ownership and effective control should be vested in the party designating the airline (in this case, the Swiss government) or its citizens (the Swiss people). In the case of Swiss, a majority stake is with Lufthansa.
The Swiss aviation authorities have contended that Swiss met all the ownership requirement of the bilateral pact. They say they are satisfied with the present structure of the Swiss management and the board of directors, which guarantee that effective control of the airlines is mainly with nationals of Switzerland. Also, 100 per cent of the shares of Swiss since July 1, 2007, are —and remain — to be directly owned by a Air Trust. India has, for the past four years, accepted the ownership and control of Swiss, they point out, adding it continues to be so on Thursday.
New aeronautical telecom network system to enhance air safety
New Delhi: With a satellite-based navigation system in place to enhance air safety, experts from Asia- Pacific nations would next week discuss ways to implement an aeronautical telecom network (ATN) system for seamless exchange of messages for planes flying in the region.
The new system would complement and later replace voice communication between air traffic control, pilots and others by providing all flight data and information through messages.
Messages containing graphic texts like charts and weather maps can also be sent to end users across the high seas and countries from Singapore to those on the African coasts, apart from almost the entire Asia.
The Airports Authority of India, which is organising a meet of the taskforce of International Civil Aviation Organisation group in Jaipur from Monday, has installed AMHS at Mumbai and established linkage with Singapore in March this year. Regular traffic is already being exchanged on this channel, an AAI spokesperson said.
The new system would complement and later replace voice communication between air traffic control, pilots and others by providing all flight data and information through messages.
Messages containing graphic texts like charts and weather maps can also be sent to end users across the high seas and countries from Singapore to those on the African coasts, apart from almost the entire Asia.
The Airports Authority of India, which is organising a meet of the taskforce of International Civil Aviation Organisation group in Jaipur from Monday, has installed AMHS at Mumbai and established linkage with Singapore in March this year. Regular traffic is already being exchanged on this channel, an AAI spokesperson said.
Fuel price hike adds to Air India woes,incurs Rs650 cr additional expense
New Delhi: Rising fuel prices have imposed an additional burden of Rs 650 crore on the state-owned carrier Air India during April-August, which is struggling to keep afloat.
"On account of the increase in fuel prices the airline incurred an additional expense on fuel of Rs 650 crore in the period April-August 2011, vis-a-vis last year," a statement issued after the performance review of Air India by Civil Aviation Minister Vyalar Ravi said.
According to the review, the airline managed to reduce its operational losses from Rs 507 crore in April 2011 to Rs 266 crore in August 2011.
The airline's operational performance in August 2011, showed a significant improvement over the corresponding month last year, while passenger revenue went up by 12.3 per cent, from Rs 889 crore to Rs 998 crore.
"On account of the increase in fuel prices the airline incurred an additional expense on fuel of Rs 650 crore in the period April-August 2011, vis-a-vis last year," a statement issued after the performance review of Air India by Civil Aviation Minister Vyalar Ravi said.
According to the review, the airline managed to reduce its operational losses from Rs 507 crore in April 2011 to Rs 266 crore in August 2011.
The airline's operational performance in August 2011, showed a significant improvement over the corresponding month last year, while passenger revenue went up by 12.3 per cent, from Rs 889 crore to Rs 998 crore.
Frequent flyers feel airlines must do more to repay loyalty
Mumbai: The number of ways to earn and spend frequent flyer mileage points may have gone up, but so have the grievances of frequent flyers, who feel airlines aren't doing enough to pamper them for being loyal to a full-service carrier despite the lure of low-cost fares.
"The three main add-ons offered by frequent flyer programmes are ticket upgrades, lounge access and free tickets," says Kapil Arora of global consultancy firm Ernst and Young. Of the three incentives, the only incentive exclusive to the frequent flyer programme these days is that of redeeming mileage points to buy a free ticket. The other two incentives can be had without a frequent flyer mile card. Many credit card companies offer lounge access and there are varied ways to get ticket upgrades - like from economy to business -- be it for government or private airlines. This seems to have created some problems.
"Also, a frequent flyer feels cheated when he has redeemed his points for an upgrade to business class only to see an economy class flyer take the adjacent seat as the flight was overbooked," says Sudhakara Reddy, president, Air Passengers Association of India and a frequent flyer based in Chennai. "It is a common occurrence on Colombo-Chennai, Colombo-Mumbai flights," he says, adding that in the last four to five years instances of overbooking and subsequent free upgrades have gone up greatly.
"The three main add-ons offered by frequent flyer programmes are ticket upgrades, lounge access and free tickets," says Kapil Arora of global consultancy firm Ernst and Young. Of the three incentives, the only incentive exclusive to the frequent flyer programme these days is that of redeeming mileage points to buy a free ticket. The other two incentives can be had without a frequent flyer mile card. Many credit card companies offer lounge access and there are varied ways to get ticket upgrades - like from economy to business -- be it for government or private airlines. This seems to have created some problems.
"Also, a frequent flyer feels cheated when he has redeemed his points for an upgrade to business class only to see an economy class flyer take the adjacent seat as the flight was overbooked," says Sudhakara Reddy, president, Air Passengers Association of India and a frequent flyer based in Chennai. "It is a common occurrence on Colombo-Chennai, Colombo-Mumbai flights," he says, adding that in the last four to five years instances of overbooking and subsequent free upgrades have gone up greatly.
DGCA officer taken off duty preparing safety manuals
Senior DGCA officer R S Passi, who was stripped of responsibilities as Director (Air Safety) five months ago, has been asked to prepare safety manuals as the government is yet to decide on the action to be taken against him on charges of nepotism.
"Passi is a Class-I Officer of the government. He was neither suspended nor sacked, but was taken off duties with immediate effect in April. As he has been drawing his salary and doing nothing, some work like preparing safety manuals has been given to him. His work is completely unrelated to anything concerning airlines," top officials of the aviation regulator said.
Passi was removed from his position in DGCA's Air Safety Directorate this April following investigations into the fake licence scam which revealed that his daughter had not cleared a flight test in the US but was working in an Indian carrier as pilot after getting a Commercial Pilot License. She quit after the probe began
"Passi is a Class-I Officer of the government. He was neither suspended nor sacked, but was taken off duties with immediate effect in April. As he has been drawing his salary and doing nothing, some work like preparing safety manuals has been given to him. His work is completely unrelated to anything concerning airlines," top officials of the aviation regulator said.
Passi was removed from his position in DGCA's Air Safety Directorate this April following investigations into the fake licence scam which revealed that his daughter had not cleared a flight test in the US but was working in an Indian carrier as pilot after getting a Commercial Pilot License. She quit after the probe began
Air India on-time performance improving; losses coming down
Struggling hard to tide over the financial crisis , the State-owned Air India has made valiant efforts to improve its on-time performance (OTP), achieving 100 per cent on-time performance of its flights on September 20 and 21 from Mumbai and Delhi. Overall OTP of Air India this month has been over 80 per cent on the domestic and international networks.
At a review meeting taken by Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi here on Friday, the new Air India Chairman and Managing Director Rohit Nandan gave a broad view on the overall improvement in the operational and financial performance of the carrier. The meeting was also attended by Civil Aviation Secretary Nasim Zaidi and other senior ministry officials.
Mr. Nandan said that on-time performance of Air India flights was being continuously monitored at the highest level. All executive directors of the regions have been made responsible for monitoring, analysing the causes of the delay and taking adequate measures to resolve the problem.
At a review meeting taken by Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi here on Friday, the new Air India Chairman and Managing Director Rohit Nandan gave a broad view on the overall improvement in the operational and financial performance of the carrier. The meeting was also attended by Civil Aviation Secretary Nasim Zaidi and other senior ministry officials.
Mr. Nandan said that on-time performance of Air India flights was being continuously monitored at the highest level. All executive directors of the regions have been made responsible for monitoring, analysing the causes of the delay and taking adequate measures to resolve the problem.
Close shave for 3 jets at Chennai airport
Chennai: Three aircraft came too close for comfort at Chennai airport on Saturday morning, forcing a Jet Airways flight to abort take-off at the last minute.
The pilot of the Jet Airways flight, which was moving to take-off on runway 25 at 8.40am with 120 passengers, saw an Indigo aircraft had not vacated the farther end of the runway, and stopped. Meanwhile, an Air India flight from Delhi was on its way to land. Seeing that the Jet flight was still on the runway, the Air India plane which was descending, did a 'go around', pulling up again. With the Air India plane hovering in the vicinity, the air traffic control asked the Jet pilot to reject take-off. The Air India flight landed 22 minutes later, at 9.02am.
"A miscalculation on the part of the ATC in measuring the distance between the flights and the time caused the problem," an aviation official said. An ATC source said such instances happen, but often go unreported. "There was a possibility of a collision if the Jet aircraft was allowed to take off as the Air India flight, carrying 160 passengers, was above the airport. It could also have proved tough for the Jet flight to maintain a lower height immediately after take-off," said a pilot who was present at the airport.
A minimum distance of three miles (5 km) is to be maintained between two aircraft in motion near Indian airports and this is often kept at 5 to 10 miles in Chennai.
The pilot of the Jet Airways flight, which was moving to take-off on runway 25 at 8.40am with 120 passengers, saw an Indigo aircraft had not vacated the farther end of the runway, and stopped. Meanwhile, an Air India flight from Delhi was on its way to land. Seeing that the Jet flight was still on the runway, the Air India plane which was descending, did a 'go around', pulling up again. With the Air India plane hovering in the vicinity, the air traffic control asked the Jet pilot to reject take-off. The Air India flight landed 22 minutes later, at 9.02am.
"A miscalculation on the part of the ATC in measuring the distance between the flights and the time caused the problem," an aviation official said. An ATC source said such instances happen, but often go unreported. "There was a possibility of a collision if the Jet aircraft was allowed to take off as the Air India flight, carrying 160 passengers, was above the airport. It could also have proved tough for the Jet flight to maintain a lower height immediately after take-off," said a pilot who was present at the airport.
A minimum distance of three miles (5 km) is to be maintained between two aircraft in motion near Indian airports and this is often kept at 5 to 10 miles in Chennai.
SpiceJet Bomb Scare Creates Chaos in Kathmandu
Kathmandu: Close on the heels of all 19 people on board a domestic flight in Nepal perishing in a plane crash, Indian budget airline SpiceJet's Delhi flight was delayed due to a bomb scare, unleashing chaos at Katmandu's lone international airport Sunday.
The flight, scheduled to take off at 10.55 a.m. from Kathmandu, was halted after rumours that a bomb had been stowed away on board.
A private television channel said the bomb scare arose after an altercation among three Indian women and an American Buddhist nun.
The pilot reportedly heard the nun saying she had a bomb and the aircraft came to a halt on the runway.
The flight, scheduled to take off at 10.55 a.m. from Kathmandu, was halted after rumours that a bomb had been stowed away on board.
A private television channel said the bomb scare arose after an altercation among three Indian women and an American Buddhist nun.
The pilot reportedly heard the nun saying she had a bomb and the aircraft came to a halt on the runway.
Flights resume at TIA after bomb hoax
International flights to and from the Tribhuvan International Airport have resumed after half-hour closure of air traffic following a false bomb alert on an aircraft of SpiceJet, an Indian passenger airlines, that was preparing to fly to New Delhi, Sunday.
The airport was sealed off after a "suspicious object" was found inside the plane when it was preparing to take off at 10:45 am. The passengers were evacuated immediately after the object was found. Planes arriving to TIA were diverted to other routes due to the emergency situation at the airport.
Airport officials have confirmed that no explosive has been found inside the plane, but they are yet to reveal what the suspicious object was or where the 'rumour' came.
The airplane has been kept under surveillance at the TIA.
The airport was sealed off after a "suspicious object" was found inside the plane when it was preparing to take off at 10:45 am. The passengers were evacuated immediately after the object was found. Planes arriving to TIA were diverted to other routes due to the emergency situation at the airport.
Airport officials have confirmed that no explosive has been found inside the plane, but they are yet to reveal what the suspicious object was or where the 'rumour' came.
The airplane has been kept under surveillance at the TIA.
Dead bodies of Buddha Air crash victims recovered
All 18 dead bodies of the Buddha Air crash victims have been recovered from the crash site at Kotdanda hill, Lalitpur. One passenger had died while being rushed to B&B Hospital at Lalitpur.
The Buddha Air plane crash scene at Kotdanda, Lalitpur, Sunday morning, 25 Sept 2011. All 19 people on board including three crew members were killed in the crash.
Parts of the aircraft are scattered within a periphery of about 200ft. A portion of the aircraft has burnt.
Ten of the crash victims are three Nepali crew members, ten Indians, three Nepali passengers, two Americans and one Japanese tourist.
Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police are collecting the wreckages after collecting the dead bodies.
According to eyewitnesses, there was fire on the plane as it fell from the sky and slammed on the ground.
The Beechcraft 1900-D, which was returning after a mountain flight, crashed soon after it lost contact with the tower at around 7:30 am.
Name list of the plane crash victims:
Captain JB Tamrakar (Crew member)
Co-pilot Padma Adhikari (Crew member)
Air Hostess Asmita Shrestha (Crew member)
Sharada Karmacharya (Nepal)
Jagan Karmacharya (Nepal)
Nirajan Karmacharya (Nepal)
Pankaj Mehta (India)
Chhaya Mehata (India)
S Nagaraja (India)
T Nagaraja (India)
L Nagaraja (India
HD Nagaraja (India)
D Jalosubrisum (India)
DP Jalosubrisum (India)
P Jalosubrisum (India)
Nagraja Talosubrisum (India)
J Toshinori (Japan)
Natali Nailun (USA)
Andrew Wade (USA)
The Buddha Air plane crash scene at Kotdanda, Lalitpur, Sunday morning, 25 Sept 2011. All 19 people on board including three crew members were killed in the crash.
Parts of the aircraft are scattered within a periphery of about 200ft. A portion of the aircraft has burnt.
Ten of the crash victims are three Nepali crew members, ten Indians, three Nepali passengers, two Americans and one Japanese tourist.
Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police are collecting the wreckages after collecting the dead bodies.
According to eyewitnesses, there was fire on the plane as it fell from the sky and slammed on the ground.
The Beechcraft 1900-D, which was returning after a mountain flight, crashed soon after it lost contact with the tower at around 7:30 am.
Name list of the plane crash victims:
Captain JB Tamrakar (Crew member)
Co-pilot Padma Adhikari (Crew member)
Air Hostess Asmita Shrestha (Crew member)
Sharada Karmacharya (Nepal)
Jagan Karmacharya (Nepal)
Nirajan Karmacharya (Nepal)
Pankaj Mehta (India)
Chhaya Mehata (India)
S Nagaraja (India)
T Nagaraja (India)
L Nagaraja (India
HD Nagaraja (India)
D Jalosubrisum (India)
DP Jalosubrisum (India)
P Jalosubrisum (India)
Nagraja Talosubrisum (India)
J Toshinori (Japan)
Natali Nailun (USA)
Andrew Wade (USA)
Nepal plane crash: Builders' holiday turns into mourning for Trichy
Kathmandu: When eight friends and colleagues from the Tiruchirappalli Centre Builders' Association of India decided to give themselves a well-deserved break in Kathmandu, little did they dream that the date with Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world, and Lord Pashupatinath, would lead to tragedy and mourning.
The eight men as well as an Indian couple working for the UN in Kathmandu were among the 19 people killed in Kathmandu valley on Sunday morning when their mountain flight to view Mt Everest and other Himalayan ranges in the east ended in a crash in the Kotdanda village area in Lalitpur city, about 20 km away from the capital.
Adding to the chaos, Nepal's aviation authorities initially released a wrong set of victims' names, reviving memories of another air crash last year when the victims, mostly Bhutanese pilgrims, were at first declared to be Nepalis.
Finally, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu released the correct names of the 10 Indian victims, who included a woman.
They are Pankaj Mehta, who worked for the UN in Kathmandu, and his wife Chaya Mehta, and eight builders from Tamil Nadu's Trichy: K Thiyagarajan, RM Meenatchi Sundaram, Kattoov Mahalingam, D Hanasekaran, MV Maruthachalam, AK Krishnan, VM Kankasabesan and M Maniraran.
"They checked into our hotel Saturday evening," said Furpa Sherpa, sales manager at Kathmandu's Grand Hotel. "They had come on a SpiceJet flight from Delhi and were to have left on Oct 27. We put them to a local travel agency, Losar Tours and Travels and they booked a mountain flight for Sunday morning."
The flight took off from Kathmandu around 6.30am and was returning from the Everest region an hour later when it lost contact with the control room. Minutes later, it crashed, killing 18 people. The 19th, 36-year-old Nirajan Karmacharya, was rescued from the wreck by a team of locals and security personnel but died of his injuries while being treated at the B & B Hospital in Lalitpur.
The dead included the three-member Nepali cabin crew of Captain J B Tamrakar, co-pilot Padma Adhikari and airhostess Asmita Shrestha. The others killed were two American tourists, Andrew Wade and Natalie Neilan, Japan's Uejima Toshinori and two Nepalis, Sarda Karmacharya and Jagjan Karmacharya
The eight men as well as an Indian couple working for the UN in Kathmandu were among the 19 people killed in Kathmandu valley on Sunday morning when their mountain flight to view Mt Everest and other Himalayan ranges in the east ended in a crash in the Kotdanda village area in Lalitpur city, about 20 km away from the capital.
Adding to the chaos, Nepal's aviation authorities initially released a wrong set of victims' names, reviving memories of another air crash last year when the victims, mostly Bhutanese pilgrims, were at first declared to be Nepalis.
Finally, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu released the correct names of the 10 Indian victims, who included a woman.
They are Pankaj Mehta, who worked for the UN in Kathmandu, and his wife Chaya Mehta, and eight builders from Tamil Nadu's Trichy: K Thiyagarajan, RM Meenatchi Sundaram, Kattoov Mahalingam, D Hanasekaran, MV Maruthachalam, AK Krishnan, VM Kankasabesan and M Maniraran.
"They checked into our hotel Saturday evening," said Furpa Sherpa, sales manager at Kathmandu's Grand Hotel. "They had come on a SpiceJet flight from Delhi and were to have left on Oct 27. We put them to a local travel agency, Losar Tours and Travels and they booked a mountain flight for Sunday morning."
The flight took off from Kathmandu around 6.30am and was returning from the Everest region an hour later when it lost contact with the control room. Minutes later, it crashed, killing 18 people. The 19th, 36-year-old Nirajan Karmacharya, was rescued from the wreck by a team of locals and security personnel but died of his injuries while being treated at the B & B Hospital in Lalitpur.
The dead included the three-member Nepali cabin crew of Captain J B Tamrakar, co-pilot Padma Adhikari and airhostess Asmita Shrestha. The others killed were two American tourists, Andrew Wade and Natalie Neilan, Japan's Uejima Toshinori and two Nepalis, Sarda Karmacharya and Jagjan Karmacharya
Saturday, September 17, 2011
India sees 25 pc rise in air traffic in last 2 years
New Delhi: India has witnessed an over 25 per cent increase in air traffic in the last two years with Kingfisher emerging as the number one carrier.
According to the data received by an RTI filing with the DGCA, the number of passengers travelling by air are increasing and there has been an increase of 25.42 per cent over the last two years.
Among all the air carriers in India, Kingfisher topped the list carrying nearly 9.61 lakh passengers for the month of July 2011, followed by IndiGo.
"Kingfisher faces stiff competition from IndiGo, which has consistently been battling for the top spot since December 2010," Medianama.com Founder Nikhil Pahwa said.
IndiGo carried 10.91 lakh passengers in May 2011. Besides, in the three months period between September-December 2010, it has risen from the fourth spot to the second.
According to the data received by an RTI filing with the DGCA, the number of passengers travelling by air are increasing and there has been an increase of 25.42 per cent over the last two years.
Among all the air carriers in India, Kingfisher topped the list carrying nearly 9.61 lakh passengers for the month of July 2011, followed by IndiGo.
"Kingfisher faces stiff competition from IndiGo, which has consistently been battling for the top spot since December 2010," Medianama.com Founder Nikhil Pahwa said.
IndiGo carried 10.91 lakh passengers in May 2011. Besides, in the three months period between September-December 2010, it has risen from the fourth spot to the second.
US embassy felt ai-boeing deal was 'well-scripted'
New Delhi : The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) may not agree, but for the US embassy in New Delhi, the Air India–Boeing aircraft purchase agreement of 2005 was perfect, a scripted plan, jointly executed by its officials and those of the US aircraft manufacturer.
The Boeing deal, worth $8.5-billion (Rs 39,500 crore), was to supply 50 wide-body B777-B787 aircraft, powered by GE engines, to government-owned AI. The embassy observations are part of a confidential official cable released by whistleblower website Wikileaks on August 30(http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2005/04/05NEWDELHI3147.html).
Extracts of the embassy communication, dated April 27, 2005, credited the success of the deal to the multi-pronged advocacy efforts carried out by the economic, political, public affairs and foreign commercial service arms of the US government. “This USG-Boeing effort was well-scripted and provided a new paradigm in how to marry USG advocacy with a commensurate level of company commitment at the highest levels,” the communication from Robert O Blake stated.
The embassy notes indicate Boeing officials had informed them that the lessons learned (from the India deal) would be used in developing a new world wide sales strategy to counter Airbus' inroads on commercial aircraft sales.
The Boeing deal, worth $8.5-billion (Rs 39,500 crore), was to supply 50 wide-body B777-B787 aircraft, powered by GE engines, to government-owned AI. The embassy observations are part of a confidential official cable released by whistleblower website Wikileaks on August 30(http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2005/04/05NEWDELHI3147.html).
Extracts of the embassy communication, dated April 27, 2005, credited the success of the deal to the multi-pronged advocacy efforts carried out by the economic, political, public affairs and foreign commercial service arms of the US government. “This USG-Boeing effort was well-scripted and provided a new paradigm in how to marry USG advocacy with a commensurate level of company commitment at the highest levels,” the communication from Robert O Blake stated.
The embassy notes indicate Boeing officials had informed them that the lessons learned (from the India deal) would be used in developing a new world wide sales strategy to counter Airbus' inroads on commercial aircraft sales.
Ravi defends AI aircraft purchase decision
Notwithstanding the criticism by CAG over the acquisition of aircraft for Air India, Civil Aviation minister Vayalar Ravi on Tuesday defended the decision, saying due process was followed and that it was needed to replace the ageing fleet of the national carrier.
Mr. Ravi said the order for the acquisition was placed after a series of negotiations and only after the decision passed through four stages of discussion, including by a Group of Ministers and by an oversight committee appointed by the Prime Minister.
The Comptroller and Auditor General has come down heavily on the Ministry over the decision to acquire 111 planes through debt, calling it “a recipe for disaster” besides terming the merger of the two national carriers “ill-timed.”
While defending the decision, Mr. Ravi also pointed out that the process of acquisition had started in 2002 during the NDA government’s tenure.
“Indians need to travel abroad and they need Air India as well as other carriers. The (erstwhile) Indian Airlines aircraft were old and the (former) Air India fleet was also not that good. It was necessary to go for acquisition,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a function
Mr. Ravi said the order for the acquisition was placed after a series of negotiations and only after the decision passed through four stages of discussion, including by a Group of Ministers and by an oversight committee appointed by the Prime Minister.
The Comptroller and Auditor General has come down heavily on the Ministry over the decision to acquire 111 planes through debt, calling it “a recipe for disaster” besides terming the merger of the two national carriers “ill-timed.”
While defending the decision, Mr. Ravi also pointed out that the process of acquisition had started in 2002 during the NDA government’s tenure.
“Indians need to travel abroad and they need Air India as well as other carriers. The (erstwhile) Indian Airlines aircraft were old and the (former) Air India fleet was also not that good. It was necessary to go for acquisition,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a function
Forget it; the airline won't be sold
For cash-strapped Air India (AI), figures do not matter: whether it is the 43,000 crore debt that includes a working capital loan of 22,000 crore, accumulated losses of 18,000 crore, or other dues and employees' salaries of around 8,000.
The CAG has found nothing new taking a dig at the very basis of merger, acquisition of aircraft beyond its requirement, giving away bilateral routes without enhancing the indigenous capacity of airlines in India including AI. The merger and fleet acquisition completely destroyed the airline. The government is now mulling a new turnaround proposal.
Reforms unleashed during the NDA regime benefited the aviation sector - be it the low-cost carriers or privatisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports, or greenfield airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore. Strangely, reforms to foster growth left AI untouched. This prompts every taxpayer to ask why they are compelled to sustain AI's burgeoning losses of 20 crore everyday. Someone has to do the answering, raising a frenzied pitch for outright privatisation of AI
The CAG has found nothing new taking a dig at the very basis of merger, acquisition of aircraft beyond its requirement, giving away bilateral routes without enhancing the indigenous capacity of airlines in India including AI. The merger and fleet acquisition completely destroyed the airline. The government is now mulling a new turnaround proposal.
Reforms unleashed during the NDA regime benefited the aviation sector - be it the low-cost carriers or privatisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports, or greenfield airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore. Strangely, reforms to foster growth left AI untouched. This prompts every taxpayer to ask why they are compelled to sustain AI's burgeoning losses of 20 crore everyday. Someone has to do the answering, raising a frenzied pitch for outright privatisation of AI
Al-Qaeda’s bombs from sky threat adds to vigil at airports
Mumbai: Security agencies are on high alert after receiving inputs from central intelligence agencies that al-Qaeda could carry out an attack in the city. The inputs assume high significance as they come in the wake of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Three alerts came in three days prompting authorities to beef up security.
Union home minister P Chidambaram, who was in town on Monday, held a meeting with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, senior ministers and police officials, a day before the completion of the second month after the 13/7 Mumbai blasts.
According to sources, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) sent inputs that the al-Qaeda planned to carry out an attack using small aircraft and charter planes. The input said Qaeda wanted to send a message that the outfit was alive and kicking.
“It says that nations friendly to the US can be targeted by Qaeda,” said an intelligence official. He refused to elaborate.
Union home minister P Chidambaram, who was in town on Monday, held a meeting with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, senior ministers and police officials, a day before the completion of the second month after the 13/7 Mumbai blasts.
According to sources, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) sent inputs that the al-Qaeda planned to carry out an attack using small aircraft and charter planes. The input said Qaeda wanted to send a message that the outfit was alive and kicking.
“It says that nations friendly to the US can be targeted by Qaeda,” said an intelligence official. He refused to elaborate.
Al-Qaeda’s bombs from sky threat adds to vigil at airports
Mumbai: Security agencies are on high alert after receiving inputs from central intelligence agencies that al-Qaeda could carry out an attack in the city. The inputs assume high significance as they come in the wake of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Three alerts came in three days prompting authorities to beef up security.
Union home minister P Chidambaram, who was in town on Monday, held a meeting with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, senior ministers and police officials, a day before the completion of the second month after the 13/7 Mumbai blasts.
According to sources, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) sent inputs that the al-Qaeda planned to carry out an attack using small aircraft and charter planes. The input said Qaeda wanted to send a message that the outfit was alive and kicking.
“It says that nations friendly to the US can be targeted by Qaeda,” said an intelligence official. He refused to elaborate.
Union home minister P Chidambaram, who was in town on Monday, held a meeting with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, senior ministers and police officials, a day before the completion of the second month after the 13/7 Mumbai blasts.
According to sources, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) sent inputs that the al-Qaeda planned to carry out an attack using small aircraft and charter planes. The input said Qaeda wanted to send a message that the outfit was alive and kicking.
“It says that nations friendly to the US can be targeted by Qaeda,” said an intelligence official. He refused to elaborate.
Finnair Not Averse to Kingfisher's Direct Flights to Helsinki
Helsinki: Despite a pact with Vijay Mallya-led Kingfisher Airlines, Nordic carrier Finnair said it has no objection to the Indian carrier connecting directly with Helsinki from other Indian cities as it saw huge possibilities in their partnership.
"I cannot rule out Kingfisher connecting Helsinki with some of the major Indian cities. But it is up to them," said Mika Vehvilainen, chief executive of Finnair. "I would love to see our partnership develop further," Vehvilainen told IANS here.
His reference was to the recent pact with Kingfisher that enabled the carrier to add seven more Indian destinations to its network in India by quick transfers for pasengers on the Indian carrier to Finnair's own direct flights between New Delhi and Helsinki.
"We area already doing a lot of code-sharing and this will only grow," he said. The pact covers Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur and Ahmedabad, and allows the passengers to also redeem points on any of the two carriers.
Vehvilainen said Finnair also saw a huge opportunity to transfer traffic between India and North America, but said the collaboration with Kingfisher on that may happen only after Kingfisher formally joins the OneWorld alliance of 12 global carriers.
"Kingfisher is a first class, high quality airline. It fits into the OneWorld image," said the airline's chief executive.
"I cannot rule out Kingfisher connecting Helsinki with some of the major Indian cities. But it is up to them," said Mika Vehvilainen, chief executive of Finnair. "I would love to see our partnership develop further," Vehvilainen told IANS here.
His reference was to the recent pact with Kingfisher that enabled the carrier to add seven more Indian destinations to its network in India by quick transfers for pasengers on the Indian carrier to Finnair's own direct flights between New Delhi and Helsinki.
"We area already doing a lot of code-sharing and this will only grow," he said. The pact covers Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur and Ahmedabad, and allows the passengers to also redeem points on any of the two carriers.
Vehvilainen said Finnair also saw a huge opportunity to transfer traffic between India and North America, but said the collaboration with Kingfisher on that may happen only after Kingfisher formally joins the OneWorld alliance of 12 global carriers.
"Kingfisher is a first class, high quality airline. It fits into the OneWorld image," said the airline's chief executive.
Air India doesn't have money for 27 Boeing 787 Dreamliners: Vayalar Ravi
Delhi/Mumbai: The ministry of civil aviation is having second thoughts on plans by Air India to take delivery of 27 Boeing 787 aircraft, better known as the Dreamliner, as it would aggravate the debt burden of the financially stressed national carrier.
"Air India does not have the money to pay for the 27 Boeing planes. Air India will not increase its debt burden right now," said civil aviation minister Vayalar Ravi Tuesday at a public event in Delhi. Air India had ordered 27 Dreamliners in 2005 from US aerospace giant
Boeing was part of a massive fleet programme in which the state-owned airline decided to acquire 68 aircraft worth Rs 30,000 crore. This plan was questioned by the Comptroller and Auditor General ( CAG) in a report submitted last Thursday on the ground that the orders were based on unrealistic assumptions about growth.
Air India, which faces the daunting task of repaying debt of Rs 43,000 crore, may have to bear an additional debt burden of Rs 17,000 crore to finance the Dreamliners, the newest aircraft from Boeing.
"Air India does not have the money to pay for the 27 Boeing planes. Air India will not increase its debt burden right now," said civil aviation minister Vayalar Ravi Tuesday at a public event in Delhi. Air India had ordered 27 Dreamliners in 2005 from US aerospace giant
Boeing was part of a massive fleet programme in which the state-owned airline decided to acquire 68 aircraft worth Rs 30,000 crore. This plan was questioned by the Comptroller and Auditor General ( CAG) in a report submitted last Thursday on the ground that the orders were based on unrealistic assumptions about growth.
Air India, which faces the daunting task of repaying debt of Rs 43,000 crore, may have to bear an additional debt burden of Rs 17,000 crore to finance the Dreamliners, the newest aircraft from Boeing.
Mahindras take to skies with 5-seater aircraft
Mumbai: In what is being described as a milestone for both the country's indigenous civil aviation and the public-private partnership programmes, the software-to-transportation Mahindra group in collaboration with CSIR National Aerospace Laboratories has successfully test-flown a five-seater aircraft. The project, which took three years to move from the drawing board to the skies, is billed to revolutionize Indian transportation over the next decade.
The aircraft has completed five tests in the last ten days and it could take six months or more before it gets the FAR 23 certification, which guarantees the highest standards of safety. It could then go for commercial development. Once ready, each aircraft is expected to cost around $400,000 (about Rs 2 crore) and would also be the first such commercial aircraft in the world which offers a five seat configuration.
For the Mahindra group, it is the second leap into aviation after it acquired the Australia-based aircraft maker Gippsland Aviation about two years ago.
The running cost of the aircraft (in terms of per seat km) would be only 30% more expensive than a car, Hemant Luthra, chairman of Mahindra Aerospace said. The market for small aircraft (20 seats and below) started to de-grow in 2007 and stands at roughly 2000 a year and is expected to turn the corner in 2011 with a small growth, he said. The main competitors for Mahindra in the segment include Cessna and Piper.
The aircraft is ideal as an air taxi operator and for distances of about 300 km, Mahindra Aerospace CEO Arvind Mehra said.
The aircraft has completed five tests in the last ten days and it could take six months or more before it gets the FAR 23 certification, which guarantees the highest standards of safety. It could then go for commercial development. Once ready, each aircraft is expected to cost around $400,000 (about Rs 2 crore) and would also be the first such commercial aircraft in the world which offers a five seat configuration.
For the Mahindra group, it is the second leap into aviation after it acquired the Australia-based aircraft maker Gippsland Aviation about two years ago.
The running cost of the aircraft (in terms of per seat km) would be only 30% more expensive than a car, Hemant Luthra, chairman of Mahindra Aerospace said. The market for small aircraft (20 seats and below) started to de-grow in 2007 and stands at roughly 2000 a year and is expected to turn the corner in 2011 with a small growth, he said. The main competitors for Mahindra in the segment include Cessna and Piper.
The aircraft is ideal as an air taxi operator and for distances of about 300 km, Mahindra Aerospace CEO Arvind Mehra said.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Huge traffic rights to gulf hit AI
New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Thursday criticised the civil aviation ministry for granting “massive increases” in bilateral air traffic rights to Gulf nations in 2004-05, despite Air India’s (AI) “strong reservations”, as this was its most profitable international sector. Between May 2007 and March 2010, the Dubai sector saw the number of seats per week rise from 18,400 to 54,200.
The government’s apex auditor said as a result of liberalisation of the bilateral rights, Indian carriers did not get any increase in the number of destinations in the Gulf countries, while airlines from that region got the right to operate to 14 destinations in India, four more than before.
“Despite repeated protestations of AI on the lack reciprocity and the funnelling of the sixth freedom traffic by Emirates through Dubai from interior locations in India, even change of gauge facility was not adequately pursued, nor linked to additional benefits.
This resulted in vague commitments for such facility, not at Dubai airport, but at the upcoming Jebel Ali Airport (an impractical solution for AI and other Indian carriers) and that too with distant time frames between 2012 and 2018,” the CAG said in its report placed before Parliament on Thursday.
The government’s apex auditor said as a result of liberalisation of the bilateral rights, Indian carriers did not get any increase in the number of destinations in the Gulf countries, while airlines from that region got the right to operate to 14 destinations in India, four more than before.
“Despite repeated protestations of AI on the lack reciprocity and the funnelling of the sixth freedom traffic by Emirates through Dubai from interior locations in India, even change of gauge facility was not adequately pursued, nor linked to additional benefits.
This resulted in vague commitments for such facility, not at Dubai airport, but at the upcoming Jebel Ali Airport (an impractical solution for AI and other Indian carriers) and that too with distant time frames between 2012 and 2018,” the CAG said in its report placed before Parliament on Thursday.
Praful Patel denies helping private airlines
On a day when former civil aviation minister Praful Patel is being blamed for benefiting private airlines in the wake of a CAG report, he came out to defend himself, saying these are "conspiracy theories" that should be "rubbished".
"The hallmark of civil aviation is opening up of the sky. Earlier, people were ashamed of talking about Indian airports. Now, look at the change that has come about in the aviation sector. When Manmohan Singh (who was the finance minister in the P.V. Narasimha Rao cabinet) liberalized the economy, he faced similar allegations," Patel, who is in the eye of a storm over the CAG report that has called the Air India expansion plan a huge waste, told Headlines Today on Thursday.
"People will always say something. Show me a single route where the AI was stopped from flying, giving space to private jets," Patel said.
Asking why people of India should be "denied the right to fly", Patel said at a time when the domestic sector has seen 300% growth and the international sector has witnessed 200% growth, it was but natural to think of the modernization of the AI fleet, some of whose aircraft were "20-years-old".
"The hallmark of civil aviation is opening up of the sky. Earlier, people were ashamed of talking about Indian airports. Now, look at the change that has come about in the aviation sector. When Manmohan Singh (who was the finance minister in the P.V. Narasimha Rao cabinet) liberalized the economy, he faced similar allegations," Patel, who is in the eye of a storm over the CAG report that has called the Air India expansion plan a huge waste, told Headlines Today on Thursday.
"People will always say something. Show me a single route where the AI was stopped from flying, giving space to private jets," Patel said.
Asking why people of India should be "denied the right to fly", Patel said at a time when the domestic sector has seen 300% growth and the international sector has witnessed 200% growth, it was but natural to think of the modernization of the AI fleet, some of whose aircraft were "20-years-old".
India Refuses Lufthansa A380 Landing Rights
India has refused to grant New Delhi landing rights for Lufthansa’s Airbus A380, a German daily said on Friday.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper reported in a pre-release of its Saturday edition that the Indian government’s decision apparently was made because the Star Alliance, of which Lufthansa is a member, had rejected Air India’s bid to become a Star Alliance member.
It said Star Alliance last month decided to turn down the request of state-owned Air India to become a member because of the latter’s weak financial situation.
The report said the denial of landing rights would be a blow to Lufthansa’s ambition to expand its flight offers to India.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper reported in a pre-release of its Saturday edition that the Indian government’s decision apparently was made because the Star Alliance, of which Lufthansa is a member, had rejected Air India’s bid to become a Star Alliance member.
It said Star Alliance last month decided to turn down the request of state-owned Air India to become a member because of the latter’s weak financial situation.
The report said the denial of landing rights would be a blow to Lufthansa’s ambition to expand its flight offers to India.
Airfares to Delhi zoom up to 200% ahead of F1
Mumbai: If you want to witness the action at the 2011 Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix in October, be prepared to shell out more moolah. Airfares to Delhi across all sectors have shot through the roof for travel in the last week of October (October 28-31), which is still one-and-a-half months away.
A return trip from Mumbai to Delhi has shown the highest spurt, with fares up by 100-200% to Rs 15,000-22,000 from the average Rs 7,000. These fares are mostly for low-cost carriers, and for travel on October 28 morning (in time to reach the F1 venue) and on October 30 late night, right after the event is over.
For the same period, the average hike for other sectors (Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai) to Delhi ranges from 20-25%, while flight and hotel packages are up by 50%.
Bookings through travel agents and online websites have gone up by around 30% as of now. "The market is still warming up. We have seen a spurt of 15-20% in bookings till now. We expect a further spike over the next week or so," says Manmeet Ahluwalia marketing head, Expedia India, an online travel website.
A return trip from Mumbai to Delhi has shown the highest spurt, with fares up by 100-200% to Rs 15,000-22,000 from the average Rs 7,000. These fares are mostly for low-cost carriers, and for travel on October 28 morning (in time to reach the F1 venue) and on October 30 late night, right after the event is over.
For the same period, the average hike for other sectors (Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai) to Delhi ranges from 20-25%, while flight and hotel packages are up by 50%.
Bookings through travel agents and online websites have gone up by around 30% as of now. "The market is still warming up. We have seen a spurt of 15-20% in bookings till now. We expect a further spike over the next week or so," says Manmeet Ahluwalia marketing head, Expedia India, an online travel website.
Tragedy averted: Plane lands safely after bird-hit
Bhopal: Passengers of Air India flight AI 633 travelling from Mumbai to Bhopal had a miraculous escape when the airplane was hit by a bird while it was about to land at the Raja Bhoj Airport here on Friday. No casualty was reported in the incident.
According to reports, the flight from Mumbai via Indore was scheduled to land at the airport at 8.35 am. At the time of touchdown, pilot reported a bird hit due to which one of the engines of the aircraft developed some technical snag.
According to reports, the flight from Mumbai via Indore was scheduled to land at the airport at 8.35 am. At the time of touchdown, pilot reported a bird hit due to which one of the engines of the aircraft developed some technical snag.
Aircraft snag, poor visibility disrupt operations at Kolkata airport
Kolkata: Flight operations at Kolkata airport were suspended twice on Friday, first when an aircraft was stranded on the runway and again when heavy rain reduced visibility.
While the shutdown caused by aircraft snag could not be averted, the rain-led disruption occurred because the primary runway that is equipped with instrument landing system was shut for maintenance. A notice to airmen had been issued, alerting pilots that the primary runway would be shut from noon till 2.45pm and that the secondary runway would be in operation during this period.
Though the secondary runway has category-I ILS that allows flight operations till 550-metre visibility, pre-commissioning procedural delays has prevented its use. Airport officials said they were hopeful of completing the procedures before November to commission it before fog sets in.
The first disruption in operation took place between 12.42pm and 12.56pm when an Air India flight arriving from Guwahati got stranded on the runway after touchdown. The pilot noticed a problem in the nose wheel hydraulic system and alerted the ATC before landing. After the plane landed, it could not steer off the runway and had to be towed along the taxi track.
While the shutdown caused by aircraft snag could not be averted, the rain-led disruption occurred because the primary runway that is equipped with instrument landing system was shut for maintenance. A notice to airmen had been issued, alerting pilots that the primary runway would be shut from noon till 2.45pm and that the secondary runway would be in operation during this period.
Though the secondary runway has category-I ILS that allows flight operations till 550-metre visibility, pre-commissioning procedural delays has prevented its use. Airport officials said they were hopeful of completing the procedures before November to commission it before fog sets in.
The first disruption in operation took place between 12.42pm and 12.56pm when an Air India flight arriving from Guwahati got stranded on the runway after touchdown. The pilot noticed a problem in the nose wheel hydraulic system and alerted the ATC before landing. After the plane landed, it could not steer off the runway and had to be towed along the taxi track.
Diamond-studded haul at airport
Nihar Mehta, a Mumbai-based jeweller, thought declaring part of the jewellery he was carrying would help him get away with diamonds worth crores stashed away in his blazer pockets.
But he was grossly mistaken. For Mehta had not reckoned that by now the Mumbai Customs officials were quite adept in discerning suspicious body language.
Mehta, who was a passenger on the Frankfurt-Mumbai Lufthansa flight, had entered the Customs zone at 1.20 am yesterday.
While attempting to make a safe exit he was intercepted by the Deputy Commissioner of Customs Sameer Wankhade.
"After reaching the Customs screening point he produced the document for his declared jewellery worth $44,000, which he had carried from India.
The official on duty asked him to stop and carried out a detailed search. Large amount of diamond jewellery running into crores was found hidden inside his blazer," said an Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) official of Mumbai Airport Customs.
But he was grossly mistaken. For Mehta had not reckoned that by now the Mumbai Customs officials were quite adept in discerning suspicious body language.
Mehta, who was a passenger on the Frankfurt-Mumbai Lufthansa flight, had entered the Customs zone at 1.20 am yesterday.
While attempting to make a safe exit he was intercepted by the Deputy Commissioner of Customs Sameer Wankhade.
"After reaching the Customs screening point he produced the document for his declared jewellery worth $44,000, which he had carried from India.
The official on duty asked him to stop and carried out a detailed search. Large amount of diamond jewellery running into crores was found hidden inside his blazer," said an Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) official of Mumbai Airport Customs.
Probe Patel, Chidambaram roles in AI plane buys: CPM
New Delhi: CPM on Friday demanded an investigation into the role of former civil aviation minister Praful Patel and former finance minister P Chidambaram who chaired the Empowered Group of Ministers in the purchase of 68 aircraft for Air India. The party also said the whole matter should be investigated by the CBI.
In a detailed reaction to the CAG report on Air India, CPM said it clearly indicted the then civil aviation minister for the state of affairs of Air India, whose accumulated losses since 2006 have crossed Rs 20,000 crore and its current debt burden amounts to over Rs 46,000 crore.
CPM said the CAG report only confirmed the findings of the parliamentary Committee on Public Undertakings (CoPU) which had noted in its March 2010 report, "The Committee notes with concern that the merger of the erstwhile Indian Airlines and Air India was an ill-conceived and erroneous decision neither arrived at by the two airlines on their own accord nor mutually considered by them to be in their best interests." The CoPU report further recommended that the loss attributable to the merger of IA and AI should be recouped by the government "as the decision of merger was a policy decision spearheaded by the ministry-in-charge"
In a detailed reaction to the CAG report on Air India, CPM said it clearly indicted the then civil aviation minister for the state of affairs of Air India, whose accumulated losses since 2006 have crossed Rs 20,000 crore and its current debt burden amounts to over Rs 46,000 crore.
CPM said the CAG report only confirmed the findings of the parliamentary Committee on Public Undertakings (CoPU) which had noted in its March 2010 report, "The Committee notes with concern that the merger of the erstwhile Indian Airlines and Air India was an ill-conceived and erroneous decision neither arrived at by the two airlines on their own accord nor mutually considered by them to be in their best interests." The CoPU report further recommended that the loss attributable to the merger of IA and AI should be recouped by the government "as the decision of merger was a policy decision spearheaded by the ministry-in-charge"
For AI, customer not king, everyone else is
New Delhi: Besides questionable government decisions, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found that treating everything else - not the passengers - as the real Maharaja has also contributed to Air India's decline. The cash-strapped airline spent more on its employees, aircraft and financing but cut cost where it matters most: Providing amenities to the flyer, which fell by almost 15% from Rs 566 crore in 2005-06 (for both AI and Indian Airlines) to Rs 483 crore in 2009-10 for the merged entity.
On the other hand, the combined workforce of IA and AI fell 12% from 33,575 in 2005-06 to 29,630 in 2009-10. But the employee cost shot up by 43% from Rs 2,352 crore to Rs 3,357 crore in the same period. Despite this, the CAG report quotes a market survey that AI got conducted to compare itself with Jet, Kingfisher, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and British Airways in early 2009 where its personnel were found "elderly and unpleasant". The customer perception for service on AI planes was found "apathetic, grudging" and the ambience "ordinary, outdated".
Terming the decline in expenditure on passenger amenities like food and accommodation provided in event of flight delays and cancellations, the CAG says: "This is a disturbing trend as passenger service is critical to the image of a commercial full service airline. Instead of excessive cost-control in this area (which is apparently easy to cut but could adversely affect customer satisfaction, (the airline) should focus more on cost-cutting in other areas."
On the other hand, the combined workforce of IA and AI fell 12% from 33,575 in 2005-06 to 29,630 in 2009-10. But the employee cost shot up by 43% from Rs 2,352 crore to Rs 3,357 crore in the same period. Despite this, the CAG report quotes a market survey that AI got conducted to compare itself with Jet, Kingfisher, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and British Airways in early 2009 where its personnel were found "elderly and unpleasant". The customer perception for service on AI planes was found "apathetic, grudging" and the ambience "ordinary, outdated".
Terming the decline in expenditure on passenger amenities like food and accommodation provided in event of flight delays and cancellations, the CAG says: "This is a disturbing trend as passenger service is critical to the image of a commercial full service airline. Instead of excessive cost-control in this area (which is apparently easy to cut but could adversely affect customer satisfaction, (the airline) should focus more on cost-cutting in other areas."
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Plane skid due to speeding pilot: DGCA
Mumbai: According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Friday's incident is the second in the last four days in which the pilot was found to have made an error of judgement. "On the basis of preliminary findings, we can tell that this has not happened because of rain but as a result of error in judgement by the pilot. The first mistake was that the flight headed towards the taxiway at a high speed, and the second was the application of emergency brakes at that speed due to which the plane veered off and got stuck in the mud," a senior DGCA official said.
Officials from Turkish Airways said there were no casualties. But the skid partially blocked the runway and caused it to be closed, which delayed flights. An airport official said the runway would remain closed till 8 pm yesterday. Joint DG, DGCA, AK Sharan, said, "We have constituted a three-member investigation team that is investigating all the aspects related to the incident."
The airport operator, MIAL, issued a statement saying they had carried a runway check at 3.58 am and "all infrastructure and facilities were found functional". A landing and takeoff took place after that. A statement released by Turkish Airlines blamed the skid on the rains
Officials from Turkish Airways said there were no casualties. But the skid partially blocked the runway and caused it to be closed, which delayed flights. An airport official said the runway would remain closed till 8 pm yesterday. Joint DG, DGCA, AK Sharan, said, "We have constituted a three-member investigation team that is investigating all the aspects related to the incident."
The airport operator, MIAL, issued a statement saying they had carried a runway check at 3.58 am and "all infrastructure and facilities were found functional". A landing and takeoff took place after that. A statement released by Turkish Airlines blamed the skid on the rains
Night-landing facilities installed at Puduchery
Puducherry: Commercial flights are scheduled to resume operations from the? airport here from Oct 10.
The runway length of the airport has been extended from 1222 metres to 1482 metres and? night landing facilities have been installed. A new terminal building which can handle 300 passengers is under consideration, said Rajavelu.
It is expected that the Airport Authority of India will complete all work by December. These works had been taken up following a memorandum of understanding between government of Puducherry and Airports Authority of India on June 16, 2007 for expansion of Puducherry Airport in two phases. Phase -I was the extension of the runway by 260 metres to enable landing of ATR aircraft along with ground support facilities. Land 19.92 hectares of land was acquired in Puduchery at a cost of `18.95 crore and handed over to AAI on February 25, 2007 for first phase development.
Phase II comprising the extension of an additional 1100 metres of runway to facilitate operating large Jet Aircraft by acquiring another 200 acres of adjacent land in the state of Tamil Nadu.
So far the government had spent Rs 18.95 crore for land acquisition? and `9.83 crores for construction of a box culvert for the sewage pipe lines crossing the runway.
The runway length of the airport has been extended from 1222 metres to 1482 metres and? night landing facilities have been installed. A new terminal building which can handle 300 passengers is under consideration, said Rajavelu.
It is expected that the Airport Authority of India will complete all work by December. These works had been taken up following a memorandum of understanding between government of Puducherry and Airports Authority of India on June 16, 2007 for expansion of Puducherry Airport in two phases. Phase -I was the extension of the runway by 260 metres to enable landing of ATR aircraft along with ground support facilities. Land 19.92 hectares of land was acquired in Puduchery at a cost of `18.95 crore and handed over to AAI on February 25, 2007 for first phase development.
Phase II comprising the extension of an additional 1100 metres of runway to facilitate operating large Jet Aircraft by acquiring another 200 acres of adjacent land in the state of Tamil Nadu.
So far the government had spent Rs 18.95 crore for land acquisition? and `9.83 crores for construction of a box culvert for the sewage pipe lines crossing the runway.
No sign yet of ILS equipment at Pune airport
Pune: The disruption of flight operations at the Lohegaon airport on Saturday morning once again brings the focus back on the long-pending proposal to install a modern instrument landing system (ILS) at the airport.
The ILS refers to a ground-based instrument approach system. It provides precision guidance to aircrafts approaching the runway for safe landing during inclement weather conditions, like low ceilings or reduced visibility caused by fog or heavy rains.
It will help avoid situations like delays or flight diversions. The need for such equipment is more pronounced during monsoon and winter seasons, when flight disruptions owing to heavy rains/fog are often reported, throwing plans of air travellers as well as airlines out of gear.
The ILS refers to a ground-based instrument approach system. It provides precision guidance to aircrafts approaching the runway for safe landing during inclement weather conditions, like low ceilings or reduced visibility caused by fog or heavy rains.
It will help avoid situations like delays or flight diversions. The need for such equipment is more pronounced during monsoon and winter seasons, when flight disruptions owing to heavy rains/fog are often reported, throwing plans of air travellers as well as airlines out of gear.
Puducherry airport to go on stream in October
Puducherry: The Puducherry airport will go on stream from October 10 with the Spice Jet Airlines operating an ATR flight to Bangalore, Welfare and Tourism Minister P Rajavelu told the territorial assembly today.
The Airlines had obtained clearance from the Civil Aviation Ministry to operate the flight, he said in response to a query by P.Karthikeyan (AINRC).
Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfishers had also informed that they would depute their technical team to study feasibility of operating flights from Puducherry to other destinations.
Giving details of the progress of work in the airport at Lawspet near here, he said a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Puducherry Administration and Airports Authority of India in June 2007 for expansion of the airport in two phases
The Airlines had obtained clearance from the Civil Aviation Ministry to operate the flight, he said in response to a query by P.Karthikeyan (AINRC).
Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfishers had also informed that they would depute their technical team to study feasibility of operating flights from Puducherry to other destinations.
Giving details of the progress of work in the airport at Lawspet near here, he said a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Puducherry Administration and Airports Authority of India in June 2007 for expansion of the airport in two phases
Intra-state air service to take off next week
Indore: The much awaited intra-state air service, connecting Bhopal-Indore-Jabalpur-Gwalior, is likely to commence next week.
"The air service will commence next week for sure. The airline - Ventura Airconnect Private Ltd - is likely to get clearance soon from Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to fly Cessna Grand Caravan Aircraft and the service will begin next week," Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC) chairman Dr Mohan Yadav told TOI.
"All preparations have been completed for the launch of the air service," Dr Yadav said. MPTDC and Ventura Airconnect Pvt Ltd have inked an agreement to start the air service to boost tourism in Madhya Pradesh. Ventura will fly 9-seater Cessna aircraft of which 3 to 4 seats would be bought by the state government for its officials to ensure that the project is viable, an MPTDC official said.
After starting the air services between four cities, MPTDC and Ventura will connect smaller cities and tourist places like tiger reserves and Khajuraho, he added.
"The air service will commence next week for sure. The airline - Ventura Airconnect Private Ltd - is likely to get clearance soon from Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to fly Cessna Grand Caravan Aircraft and the service will begin next week," Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC) chairman Dr Mohan Yadav told TOI.
"All preparations have been completed for the launch of the air service," Dr Yadav said. MPTDC and Ventura Airconnect Pvt Ltd have inked an agreement to start the air service to boost tourism in Madhya Pradesh. Ventura will fly 9-seater Cessna aircraft of which 3 to 4 seats would be bought by the state government for its officials to ensure that the project is viable, an MPTDC official said.
After starting the air services between four cities, MPTDC and Ventura will connect smaller cities and tourist places like tiger reserves and Khajuraho, he added.
Capt Gopinath to sell Deccan 360
Bangalore/Mumbai: A final effort is on to salvage whatever little is left of Deccan 360, the air & ground cargo service launched by low-cost aviation pioneer G R Gopinath. Discussions have been initiated to sell the company to a Mumbai-headquartered, highly diversified, multi-billion dollar corporate group which has interests in retail and logistics, among various others.
Since early May, Deccan 360 had stopped its services because the volumes did not pick up to service the lease for the three Airbus 310s. The aircraft has since been taken back by the lessors.
Deccan 360 now has only two ATRs, which is grounded as the company is not taking any orders. Close to 1,000 employees have been asked to look-out for jobs and the majority have left the company in the past couple of months.
Deccan 360, launched during May 2009, had raised Rs 115 crore equity investment from Reliance Industries early last year, with a commitment to invest further as the operations expand. With operations of Deccan 360 not going according to plans, RIL stopped investments and is understood to have expressed willingness to exit or pare down its stake.
According to investment bankers close to RIL, Reliance Industries has since structured a transaction to move its investment in Deccan 360 to RIL’s CMD Mukesh Ambani’s personal investment portfolio.
Ever since May 2011, Capt Gopinath has been trying in vain to raise resources from various private equity funds and other global players to raise fresh investment through companies which would buyout RIL’s stake and invest further to take the operations further.
The search seems to have led him to the large corporate house and talks are understood to have progressed well.
Since early May, Deccan 360 had stopped its services because the volumes did not pick up to service the lease for the three Airbus 310s. The aircraft has since been taken back by the lessors.
Deccan 360 now has only two ATRs, which is grounded as the company is not taking any orders. Close to 1,000 employees have been asked to look-out for jobs and the majority have left the company in the past couple of months.
Deccan 360, launched during May 2009, had raised Rs 115 crore equity investment from Reliance Industries early last year, with a commitment to invest further as the operations expand. With operations of Deccan 360 not going according to plans, RIL stopped investments and is understood to have expressed willingness to exit or pare down its stake.
According to investment bankers close to RIL, Reliance Industries has since structured a transaction to move its investment in Deccan 360 to RIL’s CMD Mukesh Ambani’s personal investment portfolio.
Ever since May 2011, Capt Gopinath has been trying in vain to raise resources from various private equity funds and other global players to raise fresh investment through companies which would buyout RIL’s stake and invest further to take the operations further.
The search seems to have led him to the large corporate house and talks are understood to have progressed well.
Turkish plane skids off taxiway, flights disrupted in Mumbai
Mumbai: A Turkish Airlines plane with 104 people on board today skidded off the airport taxiway with its landing gear getting stuck in the mud near the main runway leading to flight disruptions, in the second such incident involving a foreign carrier this week.
All the 93 passengers and 11 crew members on board the flight from Istanbul have been safey evacuated, a Mumbai International Airport spokesman told PTI.
Turkish Airlines flight TK970 to Mumbai veered off the rapid exit taxiway at 4.13 AM after landing. The landing gear of Airbus 340-300 aircraft got stuck in mud, immobilising it, an airport official said.
Aviation regulator DGCA has ordered an inquiry.
"The main runway has been closed till 8 PM as a precautionary measure as the affected aircraft is very close to the runway. We are managing with the secondary runway and there is an average delay of 30 minutes in operations. The landing gear of the aircraft is stuck in the mud," the official said.
"We consider this as a serious incident and have ordered an inquiry," Director General of Civil Aviation E K Bharat Bhushan said.
In a statement from Istanbul, the Turkish Airlines blamed excessive rainfall in the city for the incident.
This is the second such incident involving foreign carriers this week.
On Monday, a Gulf Air plane with 137 on board, had skidded off the runway and got stuck in the mud at Kochi airport in bad weather, injuring seven passengers.
All the 93 passengers and 11 crew members on board the flight from Istanbul have been safey evacuated, a Mumbai International Airport spokesman told PTI.
Turkish Airlines flight TK970 to Mumbai veered off the rapid exit taxiway at 4.13 AM after landing. The landing gear of Airbus 340-300 aircraft got stuck in mud, immobilising it, an airport official said.
Aviation regulator DGCA has ordered an inquiry.
"The main runway has been closed till 8 PM as a precautionary measure as the affected aircraft is very close to the runway. We are managing with the secondary runway and there is an average delay of 30 minutes in operations. The landing gear of the aircraft is stuck in the mud," the official said.
"We consider this as a serious incident and have ordered an inquiry," Director General of Civil Aviation E K Bharat Bhushan said.
In a statement from Istanbul, the Turkish Airlines blamed excessive rainfall in the city for the incident.
This is the second such incident involving foreign carriers this week.
On Monday, a Gulf Air plane with 137 on board, had skidded off the runway and got stuck in the mud at Kochi airport in bad weather, injuring seven passengers.
Turkish plane skids off taxiway, flights disrupted in Mumbai
Mumbai: A Turkish Airlines plane with 104 people on board today skidded off the airport taxiway with its landing gear getting stuck in the mud near the main runway leading to flight disruptions, in the second such incident involving a foreign carrier this week.
All the 93 passengers and 11 crew members on board the flight from Istanbul have been safey evacuated, a Mumbai International Airport spokesman told PTI.
Turkish Airlines flight TK970 to Mumbai veered off the rapid exit taxiway at 4.13 AM after landing. The landing gear of Airbus 340-300 aircraft got stuck in mud, immobilising it, an airport official said.
Aviation regulator DGCA has ordered an inquiry.
"The main runway has been closed till 8 PM as a precautionary measure as the affected aircraft is very close to the runway. We are managing with the secondary runway and there is an average delay of 30 minutes in operations. The landing gear of the aircraft is stuck in the mud," the official said.
"We consider this as a serious incident and have ordered an inquiry," Director General of Civil Aviation E K Bharat Bhushan said.
In a statement from Istanbul, the Turkish Airlines blamed excessive rainfall in the city for the incident.
This is the second such incident involving foreign carriers this week.
On Monday, a Gulf Air plane with 137 on board, had skidded off the runway and got stuck in the mud at Kochi airport in bad weather, injuring seven passengers.
All the 93 passengers and 11 crew members on board the flight from Istanbul have been safey evacuated, a Mumbai International Airport spokesman told PTI.
Turkish Airlines flight TK970 to Mumbai veered off the rapid exit taxiway at 4.13 AM after landing. The landing gear of Airbus 340-300 aircraft got stuck in mud, immobilising it, an airport official said.
Aviation regulator DGCA has ordered an inquiry.
"The main runway has been closed till 8 PM as a precautionary measure as the affected aircraft is very close to the runway. We are managing with the secondary runway and there is an average delay of 30 minutes in operations. The landing gear of the aircraft is stuck in the mud," the official said.
"We consider this as a serious incident and have ordered an inquiry," Director General of Civil Aviation E K Bharat Bhushan said.
In a statement from Istanbul, the Turkish Airlines blamed excessive rainfall in the city for the incident.
This is the second such incident involving foreign carriers this week.
On Monday, a Gulf Air plane with 137 on board, had skidded off the runway and got stuck in the mud at Kochi airport in bad weather, injuring seven passengers.
IAF wants Indian private sector to manufacture aircraft
New Delhi: If the Indian Air Force has its way, then India could see a private consortium coming up for the first time in military aviation. Until now, military aviation business is dominated by the state owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne on Thursday said the air force was keen to exploit the Indian private industry for the programme to replace ageing Avro aircraft. "All the 56 Avros in service are scheduled to be phased out. IAF has given a proposal to MoD that they should exploit private industry in finding a replacement for these aircraft. The response has been positive," he said.
An official familiar with the programme said they had received the air force's suggestion and were deciding the final contours of the programme categorization - if it should be bought off-the-shelf from abroad, purchased from abroad with transfer of technology or be made by Indian companies. After the categorization is made, the tender would be issued accordingly.
According to market estimates, the entire Avro replacement programme would be in the range of about $3 billion (approx Rs 13,500 crore) with the IAF's requirement of about 60 planes
IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne on Thursday said the air force was keen to exploit the Indian private industry for the programme to replace ageing Avro aircraft. "All the 56 Avros in service are scheduled to be phased out. IAF has given a proposal to MoD that they should exploit private industry in finding a replacement for these aircraft. The response has been positive," he said.
An official familiar with the programme said they had received the air force's suggestion and were deciding the final contours of the programme categorization - if it should be bought off-the-shelf from abroad, purchased from abroad with transfer of technology or be made by Indian companies. After the categorization is made, the tender would be issued accordingly.
According to market estimates, the entire Avro replacement programme would be in the range of about $3 billion (approx Rs 13,500 crore) with the IAF's requirement of about 60 planes
DIAL, HIAL threaten to snap credit line to AI
New Delhi: GMR group companies Delhi International Airport (DIAL) and Hyderabad International Airport (HIAL) have told the aviation ministry that they would start charging Air India on cash-and-carry basis as the government-owned airline had not paid airport charges on time for the last several months.
Air India owes about R350 crore to the two airport companies. The airport operators have continued to give credit line to the cash-starved airline since last September on instructions from the aviation ministry to go soft.
“We have informed the aviation ministry that we cannot now further give credit to Air India. We share revenue with Airports Authority of India (AAI) on the basis of projections and not on cash received. So, we have already shared almost R170 crore with AAI by market borrowings even as if we have not received payment from AI,” said a GMR official.
Air India owes about R350 crore to the two airport companies. The airport operators have continued to give credit line to the cash-starved airline since last September on instructions from the aviation ministry to go soft.
“We have informed the aviation ministry that we cannot now further give credit to Air India. We share revenue with Airports Authority of India (AAI) on the basis of projections and not on cash received. So, we have already shared almost R170 crore with AAI by market borrowings even as if we have not received payment from AI,” said a GMR official.
Finnair to expand its network to more Indian cities
New Delhi: Terming India as a "priority destination", Nordic carrier Finnair on Thursday said that in addition to Delhi, it would soon link more cities directly with Finland.
Important cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad are under consideration for starting Finnair services, Kari Stolbow, Director, Indian Sub-continent, Finnair, told reporters here.
He said, meanwhile, Finnair Cargo will launch services between Mumbai and Helsinki in co-operation with Nordic Global Airlines from September 16 this year.
Terming Delhi-Helsinki route as profitable, he said the airline's commercial income increased by around 25 per cent in the first six months of this year compared to corresponding period last year.
Finnair had launched direct flight between Delhi and Helsinki on October 30, 2007.
It is running a flight on the route six days a week except for Tuesday, Stolbow said.
Important cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad are under consideration for starting Finnair services, Kari Stolbow, Director, Indian Sub-continent, Finnair, told reporters here.
He said, meanwhile, Finnair Cargo will launch services between Mumbai and Helsinki in co-operation with Nordic Global Airlines from September 16 this year.
Terming Delhi-Helsinki route as profitable, he said the airline's commercial income increased by around 25 per cent in the first six months of this year compared to corresponding period last year.
Finnair had launched direct flight between Delhi and Helsinki on October 30, 2007.
It is running a flight on the route six days a week except for Tuesday, Stolbow said.
DGCA to inspect Juhu airport
Mumbai: Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Bharat Bhushan will inspect the Juhu airport in Mumbai on Friday, following complaints from operators about lack of infrastructure.
Helicopter operations were shifted to Juhu in January after Mumbai airport authorities banned chopper movements. However, the move has led to protests from helicopter operators and corporates, who said the Juhu facility did not have adequate hangars.
“There are several operational and infrastructure issues. The number of hangars is not sufficient and helicopters are parked in the open. With Mumbai airport not allowing helicopter operations an additional 10-12 helicopters have moved to Juhu. The Airport Authority of India had planned an investment of Rs 48 crore to upgrade the airport but nothing has happened so far,” Uday Geli, regional president of Rotary Wing Society of India, said.
Sources said corporate houses such as Reliance Industries Limited and Reliance ADAG and Essar do not have their own hangar space in Juhu and have to park choppers in open or in hangars owned by other companies.
“Exposing helicopters in rain can affect their performance over a period of time. Also, operators are unable to carry out maintenance if the helicopter is parked in the open,” an Airport Authority of India official said
Helicopter operations were shifted to Juhu in January after Mumbai airport authorities banned chopper movements. However, the move has led to protests from helicopter operators and corporates, who said the Juhu facility did not have adequate hangars.
“There are several operational and infrastructure issues. The number of hangars is not sufficient and helicopters are parked in the open. With Mumbai airport not allowing helicopter operations an additional 10-12 helicopters have moved to Juhu. The Airport Authority of India had planned an investment of Rs 48 crore to upgrade the airport but nothing has happened so far,” Uday Geli, regional president of Rotary Wing Society of India, said.
Sources said corporate houses such as Reliance Industries Limited and Reliance ADAG and Essar do not have their own hangar space in Juhu and have to park choppers in open or in hangars owned by other companies.
“Exposing helicopters in rain can affect their performance over a period of time. Also, operators are unable to carry out maintenance if the helicopter is parked in the open,” an Airport Authority of India official said
Airfares of India show no signs of slowing
Despite recent volatility in global share markets, airfares in the Asia-Pacific region are continuing their steady trend upwards according to the most recent American Express Business Travel Monitor. Airfares within the region are up 3 percent in the second quarter of 2011, and 4 percent higher compared to the same period in 2011.
Mr. Sandeep Shastri, Vice President and General Manager of Global Business Travel in India said “In global aviation market, India is a high growth and high potential market for travel because the economy is growing on the back of a strong internal demand and rising middle class. We are witnessing a double digit growth in travel spending and frequencies among some of our clients in the region and in India. Indian companies are growing and traveling, making it important for them to look at a strategic management of their business travel and not only focus on LCC strategy for their business travel program.
Mr. Sandeep Shastri, Vice President and General Manager of Global Business Travel in India said “In global aviation market, India is a high growth and high potential market for travel because the economy is growing on the back of a strong internal demand and rising middle class. We are witnessing a double digit growth in travel spending and frequencies among some of our clients in the region and in India. Indian companies are growing and traveling, making it important for them to look at a strategic management of their business travel and not only focus on LCC strategy for their business travel program.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Passengers on delayed low-cost flights should get free meal: SC
New Delhi: Low-cost airlines cannot hide behind the "no free meal" clause printed on tickets to refuse food to passengers if the flight gets delayed by three hours.
In an important judgment, the Supreme Court ruled that the exclusion clause not to provide meals would apply only to passengers who had not boarded the flight and were free to purchase food in the airport.
"It will not apply to passengers who are on board and the delay in flight taking off denies them access to food and water," said a bench of Justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik while absolving IndiGo of any wrongdoing in a case of alleged ill-treatment of passengers on a fog-delayed flight in 2007.
"In the extraordinary situation where the passengers are physically under the complete care and control of the airline, as it happens when they have boarded the aircraft and have no freedom to alight, the duty of the airline to protect and care for them, and provide for basic facilitation would prevail over any term of contract excluding any facilitation, except when the carrier itself cannot access food due to emergency situation," the bench said.
"No public utility service can say that it is not bound to care for the health, welfare and safety of the passengers because it is a low cost carrier," said Justice Raveendran, who authored the judgment.
In an important judgment, the Supreme Court ruled that the exclusion clause not to provide meals would apply only to passengers who had not boarded the flight and were free to purchase food in the airport.
"It will not apply to passengers who are on board and the delay in flight taking off denies them access to food and water," said a bench of Justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik while absolving IndiGo of any wrongdoing in a case of alleged ill-treatment of passengers on a fog-delayed flight in 2007.
"In the extraordinary situation where the passengers are physically under the complete care and control of the airline, as it happens when they have boarded the aircraft and have no freedom to alight, the duty of the airline to protect and care for them, and provide for basic facilitation would prevail over any term of contract excluding any facilitation, except when the carrier itself cannot access food due to emergency situation," the bench said.
"No public utility service can say that it is not bound to care for the health, welfare and safety of the passengers because it is a low cost carrier," said Justice Raveendran, who authored the judgment.
Captain G R Gopinath's Deccan 360 to lay off jobs
Bangalore: Deccan 360, the logistics firm launched by India's budget airline pioneer Captain G R Gopinath, has asked its employees to start looking for jobs elsewhere. In an email to its 600-odd staff, a copy of which was seen by ET on Friday, the HR department of Deccan 360 cited lack of funds as the reason for this restructuring.
"While we have done our best to hold the company with the minimal operations, but could not succeed due to business and funding constraints. Hence, we opted for restructuring and are in the process of discussing with investors and lenders," the email said.
In April last year Gopinath raised Rs 110 crore from Reliance, most of which is already gone, according to the company insiders. According to a May article published by Forbes Magazine , Deccan 360 had revenues of Rs 43 crore during year ending July 2010 and losses of nearly Rs 200 crore. However, according to Gopinath, the energy-to-telecom behemoth is now reluctant to up its stake in the business, largely due to the fact that it plans on focusing on core sectors such as telecom and retail, which it has identified as more critical to its growth. Further, a raise in stakes will also mean that Reliance will have to assume management control in Deccan 360, a position it does not want to be in.
Hence, the search for a third investor. However, there is no clarity yet that once additional investors are identified, Gopinath and Reliance will exit the venture. The communique also stated that the company is currently working on a deferred salary plan for remaining employees, and as and when funding becomes available, the employees choosing to leave immediately, will be paid their outstanding amounts
"While we have done our best to hold the company with the minimal operations, but could not succeed due to business and funding constraints. Hence, we opted for restructuring and are in the process of discussing with investors and lenders," the email said.
In April last year Gopinath raised Rs 110 crore from Reliance, most of which is already gone, according to the company insiders. According to a May article published by Forbes Magazine , Deccan 360 had revenues of Rs 43 crore during year ending July 2010 and losses of nearly Rs 200 crore. However, according to Gopinath, the energy-to-telecom behemoth is now reluctant to up its stake in the business, largely due to the fact that it plans on focusing on core sectors such as telecom and retail, which it has identified as more critical to its growth. Further, a raise in stakes will also mean that Reliance will have to assume management control in Deccan 360, a position it does not want to be in.
Hence, the search for a third investor. However, there is no clarity yet that once additional investors are identified, Gopinath and Reliance will exit the venture. The communique also stated that the company is currently working on a deferred salary plan for remaining employees, and as and when funding becomes available, the employees choosing to leave immediately, will be paid their outstanding amounts
Air India appeal challenging compensation for air crash dismissed
Ahmedabad: Twenty three years after a gruesome plane crash of 1988 near Ahmedabad, in which 130 persons were reportedly killed, the family of a deceased get relief as Gujarat High Court has dismissed Air India Limited’s appeal challenging an order to pay compensation to them.
The bench comprising Justices Jayant Patel and RM Chhaya has dismissed the airline’s appeal against judgment and decree passed by the trial court in September, 2009. The trial court had ordered the company to pay Rs 7.80 lakh with 9 percent interest to each of families of the deceased.
Air India Limited {which was previously known as National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL)} challenged the trial court’s order on grounds of limitation.
However, the bench said the petition was meritless and deserved to be rejected.
The case concerns the claim filed by legal representatives of deceased Tejraj Jain, who was travelling from Bombay to Ahmedabad on 10 October 1988, by Indian Airlines, run by NACIL. The flight met with an accident near Ahmedabad in which many persons died. Soon after the accident, the airline authorities asked legal heirs of the deceased to supply information and to draw the claim. The company offered to pay Rs. 2 lakhs towards the full and final settlement for death of the deceased. However, the families of the deceased suggested that the sum should be paid subject to the final decision by competent court. As the airline didn’t accept it, the families refused to take the amount offered to them.
The families then approached the high court for recovery of damages as well as challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of Carriage by Air Act, 1972. Their petitions were ordered to be converted into civil suits for claim of compensation and were remitted to civil court.
The bench comprising Justices Jayant Patel and RM Chhaya has dismissed the airline’s appeal against judgment and decree passed by the trial court in September, 2009. The trial court had ordered the company to pay Rs 7.80 lakh with 9 percent interest to each of families of the deceased.
Air India Limited {which was previously known as National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL)} challenged the trial court’s order on grounds of limitation.
However, the bench said the petition was meritless and deserved to be rejected.
The case concerns the claim filed by legal representatives of deceased Tejraj Jain, who was travelling from Bombay to Ahmedabad on 10 October 1988, by Indian Airlines, run by NACIL. The flight met with an accident near Ahmedabad in which many persons died. Soon after the accident, the airline authorities asked legal heirs of the deceased to supply information and to draw the claim. The company offered to pay Rs. 2 lakhs towards the full and final settlement for death of the deceased. However, the families of the deceased suggested that the sum should be paid subject to the final decision by competent court. As the airline didn’t accept it, the families refused to take the amount offered to them.
The families then approached the high court for recovery of damages as well as challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of Carriage by Air Act, 1972. Their petitions were ordered to be converted into civil suits for claim of compensation and were remitted to civil court.
Low fares for Delhi-Kanpur-Kolkata flight attracts passengers
Kanpur: The low fares had swiftly increased the number of passengers on the Delhi-Kanpur-Kolkata flight.
Though the Delhi-Kanpur-Kolkata flight is just 45 days old and was launched on May 24 at Chakeri Airport, the passenger rush is increasing with each passing day. The important fact being that the number of passengers for Delhi from Kanpur has been substantially contributing to the passenger strength on the Kolkata-Kanpur-Delhi flight and vice versa. The reason for this surge is the lowest air fare of Rs 1,585 between Kanpur and Delhi. The lowest fare for Kanpur-Kolkata stands to be around Rs 5,000.
The data provided by Air India authorities revealed that in last 10 days, around 268 passengers arrived from Delhi and 277 boarded flight No 9802 from Chakeri Airport for reaching Delhi. On Saturday, as many as 48 passengers arrived at Chakeri Airport from Delhi and 53 passengers left for the capital.
Same is the case with the Kanpur-Kolkata journey, where 850 people left for Kolkata from Chakeri Airport and 820 reached Kanpur from there since the launch of the Delhi-Kanpur-Kolkata flight. Also, in the past 45 days, around 2,152 passengers have travelled between Kanpur and New Delhi and vice versa.
Though the Delhi-Kanpur-Kolkata flight is just 45 days old and was launched on May 24 at Chakeri Airport, the passenger rush is increasing with each passing day. The important fact being that the number of passengers for Delhi from Kanpur has been substantially contributing to the passenger strength on the Kolkata-Kanpur-Delhi flight and vice versa. The reason for this surge is the lowest air fare of Rs 1,585 between Kanpur and Delhi. The lowest fare for Kanpur-Kolkata stands to be around Rs 5,000.
The data provided by Air India authorities revealed that in last 10 days, around 268 passengers arrived from Delhi and 277 boarded flight No 9802 from Chakeri Airport for reaching Delhi. On Saturday, as many as 48 passengers arrived at Chakeri Airport from Delhi and 53 passengers left for the capital.
Same is the case with the Kanpur-Kolkata journey, where 850 people left for Kolkata from Chakeri Airport and 820 reached Kanpur from there since the launch of the Delhi-Kanpur-Kolkata flight. Also, in the past 45 days, around 2,152 passengers have travelled between Kanpur and New Delhi and vice versa.
Airport lok adalat settles 213 cases, 20L fine collected
New Delhi: Raj Singh Dhuriya got some unexpected visitors at his Punjab residence last month.
Fourteen years after booking him for carrying a forged resident permit at IGI Airport, a Delhi police team finally apprehended Dhuriya and within weeks, his case was settled at a lok adalat held on Saturday at the airport.
The lok adalat disposed of 213 cases in one day, exceeding the 172 that were settled in a Gujarat court earlier. "We had listed 219 cases to be heard on Saturday. But even 213 is quite an achievement. A total of Rs 20 lakh was collected in fines from offenders.
"Cases all the way from 1997 to 2010 were dealt with," said RA Sanjeev, DCP, IGI Airport.
Most of the cases dealt with on Saturday were those where the accused had pleaded guilty. Sources said they had made a list of possible cases that could be dealt with in the lok adalat and had started sending out summons since the past couple of months.
The IGI Airport police station had 2,157 registered cases towards the end of 2010. In the past seven months 1,390 cases have been settled.
Fourteen years after booking him for carrying a forged resident permit at IGI Airport, a Delhi police team finally apprehended Dhuriya and within weeks, his case was settled at a lok adalat held on Saturday at the airport.
The lok adalat disposed of 213 cases in one day, exceeding the 172 that were settled in a Gujarat court earlier. "We had listed 219 cases to be heard on Saturday. But even 213 is quite an achievement. A total of Rs 20 lakh was collected in fines from offenders.
"Cases all the way from 1997 to 2010 were dealt with," said RA Sanjeev, DCP, IGI Airport.
Most of the cases dealt with on Saturday were those where the accused had pleaded guilty. Sources said they had made a list of possible cases that could be dealt with in the lok adalat and had started sending out summons since the past couple of months.
The IGI Airport police station had 2,157 registered cases towards the end of 2010. In the past seven months 1,390 cases have been settled.
Fly directly to Hyderabad,Patna, Lucknow soon
Indore: The city is poised to get a slew of new air services in the next few months, bringing more options for air travellers here.
After Indigo, now its turn for another low- cost carrier Spice Jet, which will introduce its services from the city. The air company will operate flights for Hyderabad, according to sources.
Need for a south- bound flight has been felt for a long time in the city. Till now there is only one flight for Hyderabad by Jet airways.
With introduction of this new flight, there will be options for the citizens. There are reports that it will be afternoon flight.
The company has decided to include Bombardier plan known for its high speed services and reduces travelling time significantly.
"India has only 36 runways where a Boeing 737 can land. If you want to grow beyond that, you will have to access tier II and III cities and for that you need a different machine," an official from Spice jet airlines said. "With Bombardier Q400s, we will be able to land on 97 runways in India."
The Akash Ganga will start its services for Lucknow and Patna. With introduction of these flights first time city will connect to UP and Bihar via air route. Akash Ganga Airlines, which operates from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, has been launched with Lucknow as main base
After Indigo, now its turn for another low- cost carrier Spice Jet, which will introduce its services from the city. The air company will operate flights for Hyderabad, according to sources.
Need for a south- bound flight has been felt for a long time in the city. Till now there is only one flight for Hyderabad by Jet airways.
With introduction of this new flight, there will be options for the citizens. There are reports that it will be afternoon flight.
The company has decided to include Bombardier plan known for its high speed services and reduces travelling time significantly.
"India has only 36 runways where a Boeing 737 can land. If you want to grow beyond that, you will have to access tier II and III cities and for that you need a different machine," an official from Spice jet airlines said. "With Bombardier Q400s, we will be able to land on 97 runways in India."
The Akash Ganga will start its services for Lucknow and Patna. With introduction of these flights first time city will connect to UP and Bihar via air route. Akash Ganga Airlines, which operates from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, has been launched with Lucknow as main base
Relatives angered by federal Air India offer
Vancouver: Relatives of the victims of the Air India tragedy say they are hurt and insulted by a federal government offer to pay $24,000 for each person killed in the June 1985 terrorist attack.
The offer of a one-time ex gratia payment was made at a meeting in Toronto Thursday attended in person and via teleconference by about 40 family members of the 329 bombing victims. Most of the families settled their legal claims for compensation in the early 1990s, according to a government spokesman.
An ex gratia payment is given where no legal obligation exists.
"We are just seething," said Anil Singh Hanse, an Australian whose father Narendra piloted the flight that was brought down by a B.C.made bomb. "This is insulting. Where the hell did they pull this figure from?"
Retired judge John Major suggested some form of payment be made to families in his Air India inquiry report in June 2010, although he made no official recommendation. The $32-million inquiry showed that numerous warning signs of the pending terrorist attack were missed by Canada's security agency and that missteps hampered the subsequent RCMP investigation.
Major also said the families were treated with "administrative disdain" for years by the Canadian government and deserved more than just an apology
The offer of a one-time ex gratia payment was made at a meeting in Toronto Thursday attended in person and via teleconference by about 40 family members of the 329 bombing victims. Most of the families settled their legal claims for compensation in the early 1990s, according to a government spokesman.
An ex gratia payment is given where no legal obligation exists.
"We are just seething," said Anil Singh Hanse, an Australian whose father Narendra piloted the flight that was brought down by a B.C.made bomb. "This is insulting. Where the hell did they pull this figure from?"
Retired judge John Major suggested some form of payment be made to families in his Air India inquiry report in June 2010, although he made no official recommendation. The $32-million inquiry showed that numerous warning signs of the pending terrorist attack were missed by Canada's security agency and that missteps hampered the subsequent RCMP investigation.
Major also said the families were treated with "administrative disdain" for years by the Canadian government and deserved more than just an apology
Flying rats and other air scares cloud India’s aviation industry
New Delhi: Pilots on an Air India flight from Mumbai to Saudi Arabia last August had an unexpected visitor in the cockpit: a rat.
The rodent crawled over the first officer’s leg and disappeared into the plane’s avionics bay. The aircraft arrived safely and was later fumigated.
Two months earlier, during a Pawan Hans helicopter flight in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, a door opened at 2,000 feet and a cabin attendant was sucked out and killed.
Also last summer, a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad lost contact with air traffic controllers for 10 minutes after it flew through precipitation. And an AirAsia services officer was killed after her arm was severed in a bizarre accident on the ramp leading to a plane.
How common are such safety mishaps? That’s not for the public to know, says an official with India’s airline regulator.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation in New Delhi has been destroying detailed safety records and, in many cases, keeping only a short description of serious inflight and on-ground security and safety incidents.
The directorate, which oversees India’s surging but recently troubled aviation sector, admits that safety records “prior to the year 2010 have been destroyed.” Bir Singh Rai, an official with the government regulator, made the declaration in a letter last month in response to a Right to Information Act request filed by the Star.
Following his written response to the Star’s information request, Rai specified that only paper records had been destroyed, and that electronic records were still being maintained by the directorate general.
But a review of 17 weeks’ worth of safety records revealed that the directorate general is keeping merely snippets of information about serious safety incidents in weekly incident reports.
Rai initially approved the Star’s request to review safety incident reports in person. He subsequently changed his mind and demanded the Star leave the building, saying documents relating to airline safety in India are secret.
The rodent crawled over the first officer’s leg and disappeared into the plane’s avionics bay. The aircraft arrived safely and was later fumigated.
Two months earlier, during a Pawan Hans helicopter flight in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, a door opened at 2,000 feet and a cabin attendant was sucked out and killed.
Also last summer, a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad lost contact with air traffic controllers for 10 minutes after it flew through precipitation. And an AirAsia services officer was killed after her arm was severed in a bizarre accident on the ramp leading to a plane.
How common are such safety mishaps? That’s not for the public to know, says an official with India’s airline regulator.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation in New Delhi has been destroying detailed safety records and, in many cases, keeping only a short description of serious inflight and on-ground security and safety incidents.
The directorate, which oversees India’s surging but recently troubled aviation sector, admits that safety records “prior to the year 2010 have been destroyed.” Bir Singh Rai, an official with the government regulator, made the declaration in a letter last month in response to a Right to Information Act request filed by the Star.
Following his written response to the Star’s information request, Rai specified that only paper records had been destroyed, and that electronic records were still being maintained by the directorate general.
But a review of 17 weeks’ worth of safety records revealed that the directorate general is keeping merely snippets of information about serious safety incidents in weekly incident reports.
Rai initially approved the Star’s request to review safety incident reports in person. He subsequently changed his mind and demanded the Star leave the building, saying documents relating to airline safety in India are secret.
Airport security on alert for human bomb with explosives under skin
New Delhi: If you are a patient and are travelling out of the Delhi airport, be prepared ready for stricter checking. After receiving specific input that a human bomb posing as a patient might try to blow up a plane, security agencies have alerted their staff to double check patients especially those who have undergone surgery recently.
The alert was issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which was passed on to security agencies last week. Sources at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) said the bomb could be planted under the skin of a passenger through surgery.
"We have sensitised our men to look for passengers who have recently undergone surgery. They have been given a set of questions to ask from the suspect passengers. During the questioning of suspected passengers, it can be judged through his behaviour if he is a human bomb or not," said a source in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the force which is responsible for airport security.
Earlier smugglers used to smuggle contraband by planting it under the skin and now the threat is terrorist group might do the same, say experts. "A normal patient would look like a patient and there wouldn't be behavioural changes during questioning. While a human bomb won't be able to answer questions about his surgery comfortably. To identify a human bomb we are dependent on profiling," the source added.
The alert was issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which was passed on to security agencies last week. Sources at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) said the bomb could be planted under the skin of a passenger through surgery.
"We have sensitised our men to look for passengers who have recently undergone surgery. They have been given a set of questions to ask from the suspect passengers. During the questioning of suspected passengers, it can be judged through his behaviour if he is a human bomb or not," said a source in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the force which is responsible for airport security.
Earlier smugglers used to smuggle contraband by planting it under the skin and now the threat is terrorist group might do the same, say experts. "A normal patient would look like a patient and there wouldn't be behavioural changes during questioning. While a human bomb won't be able to answer questions about his surgery comfortably. To identify a human bomb we are dependent on profiling," the source added.
15 mins, 15 flights, 1,500 birds, no bird-hits
Ahmedabad: Saturday morning was probably the most extraordinary day for officials on duty at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) in Ahmedabad.
The city airport, which has been notorious for bird-hits in the past few years, on Saturday witnessed a remarkable coordination by the AAI officials who successfully operated 15 flights by shooing away almost 1,500 birds from the entire runway. Not even a single pilot reported a bird-hit while takeoff or landing.
The flights were operated with a delay of 15 minutes to an hour, after reducing the bird-hit possibility to zero. The delay was welcomed by the pilots and airlines as they were aware of the problems, which would have arisen in case of a hit.
After it stopped raining on Saturday morning, birds descended on the 3.5-km long and 45-metre wide runway to feed on the insects that come out after the rain. The presence of birds in such large numbers, which probably was the biggest bird movement recorded at the airport this year, shocked the AAI officers.
The city airport, which has been notorious for bird-hits in the past few years, on Saturday witnessed a remarkable coordination by the AAI officials who successfully operated 15 flights by shooing away almost 1,500 birds from the entire runway. Not even a single pilot reported a bird-hit while takeoff or landing.
The flights were operated with a delay of 15 minutes to an hour, after reducing the bird-hit possibility to zero. The delay was welcomed by the pilots and airlines as they were aware of the problems, which would have arisen in case of a hit.
After it stopped raining on Saturday morning, birds descended on the 3.5-km long and 45-metre wide runway to feed on the insects that come out after the rain. The presence of birds in such large numbers, which probably was the biggest bird movement recorded at the airport this year, shocked the AAI officers.
New DGCA rule a breather to chopper pilots
New Delhi: Helicopter pilots will not be prosecuted now on if they refuse to fly or undertake unscheduled landings in case of bad weather or an emergency, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issuing instructions to this effect.
The DGCA has instructed that "no punitive action would be taken" if there was an unscheduled landing in case of an emergency, like bad weather, is faced by the pilot, official sources said.
In such a situation, the pilot should immediately land the chopper at a "suitable place", they said quoting the instructions.
The DGCA move followed a recommendation by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture that said pilots should be provided "adequate legal protection to decline to fly in absence of mandatory technical or weather clearances."
In its recent report, the committee headed by CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury also suggested that "some kind of penal provision may be considered against those putting such pressure on them without clearances."
The DGCA has instructed that "no punitive action would be taken" if there was an unscheduled landing in case of an emergency, like bad weather, is faced by the pilot, official sources said.
In such a situation, the pilot should immediately land the chopper at a "suitable place", they said quoting the instructions.
The DGCA move followed a recommendation by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture that said pilots should be provided "adequate legal protection to decline to fly in absence of mandatory technical or weather clearances."
In its recent report, the committee headed by CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury also suggested that "some kind of penal provision may be considered against those putting such pressure on them without clearances."
Nation's tallest ATC tower at Delhi airport
New Delhi: After the biggest terminal and the longest runway, Delhi airport is all set to have the tallest Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower in the country. At 100 metres, the new ATC tower will be much taller than the Qutab Minar (72.5 m) and almost double the airport's existing ATC tower.
The new ATC tower, initially planned to open by mid-2012, will now be commissioned only by November 2013, private airport developer Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said. DIAL has invited bids for the construction of the new ATC complex and tower.
Expected to cost R350 crore, the new ATC tower will be built at a more centralised location at the airport, so that air traffic controllers can have a clear view of all the three runways, aprons and taxiways.
The present ATC complex and 60 metre high tower was built in 1999 and is at a considerable distance from the third runway built in 2008.
"Even on a clear day, the new runway is not properly visible from the ATC tower," said a senior ATC official who didn't wish to be named.
The new ATC tower, initially planned to open by mid-2012, will now be commissioned only by November 2013, private airport developer Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said. DIAL has invited bids for the construction of the new ATC complex and tower.
Expected to cost R350 crore, the new ATC tower will be built at a more centralised location at the airport, so that air traffic controllers can have a clear view of all the three runways, aprons and taxiways.
The present ATC complex and 60 metre high tower was built in 1999 and is at a considerable distance from the third runway built in 2008.
"Even on a clear day, the new runway is not properly visible from the ATC tower," said a senior ATC official who didn't wish to be named.
Indian air cargo to Africa increasing
New Delhi: Indian air cargo to Africa is increasing at a steady rate of about 15-20 percent per year, with the country exporting approximately 6,000 tonnes of goods and merchandise by plane to the vast continent every month.
Most of the cargo is transported on African air carriers and some European airlines for the reason that there are practically no Indian airlines that have direct flights from India to African cities.
Almost 55 percent of the air cargo is flown by Africa-owned air companies while the rest is transported by Middle East and European airlines, with the export consignments transiting through a third country while on their onward journey to Africa, according to trade sources.
In earlier years, Indian air exports mainly went to South Africa and the East African region, India's traditional trading partners. But in recent years as exports have increased, Indian products have penetrated new markets in central and western Africa.
Pradeep Dixit, vice president international operations, Allied Aviation International, explained, "About 35 percent of Indian exports go to East Africa, 25 percent is bound for South Africa, another 25 percent goes to Central Africa and 20 percent reaches Central Africa."
Most of the cargo is transported on African air carriers and some European airlines for the reason that there are practically no Indian airlines that have direct flights from India to African cities.
Almost 55 percent of the air cargo is flown by Africa-owned air companies while the rest is transported by Middle East and European airlines, with the export consignments transiting through a third country while on their onward journey to Africa, according to trade sources.
In earlier years, Indian air exports mainly went to South Africa and the East African region, India's traditional trading partners. But in recent years as exports have increased, Indian products have penetrated new markets in central and western Africa.
Pradeep Dixit, vice president international operations, Allied Aviation International, explained, "About 35 percent of Indian exports go to East Africa, 25 percent is bound for South Africa, another 25 percent goes to Central Africa and 20 percent reaches Central Africa."
AI loss zooms to Rs 6,994 cr
New Delhi: Bleeding state-run carrier Air India (AI), burdened with overhead costs, has sunk deeper into losses in 2010-11. The carrier posted a post-tax loss of Rs 6,994 crore against Rs 5,552 crore in the previous fiscal, an increase of nearly Rs 1,500 crore of 26%, according to figures obtained by Hindustan Times from company sources.
While the company hasn't officially announced its results for 2010-11, they were presented to the top management at a meeting in the last week of June. When contacted, AI said the audit for FY 11 was nearly complete.
Pre-tax losses yawned to Rs 7,196 crore in the latest fiscal year from Rs 5,634 crore - a 28% jump.
"This is the time for alarm bells to be loudly rung so as to make all those in government turning a deafening ear to take immediate corrective action," said Jitender Bhargava, a former executive director of AI. "Air India has singularly failed to reap the benefit in a market witnessing double-digit growth."
AI's accumulated losses are estimated to be more than Rs 20,000 crore. The airline has 40,000 employees with a employee-aircraft ratio of 243:1, compared with an industry average of 150:
While the company hasn't officially announced its results for 2010-11, they were presented to the top management at a meeting in the last week of June. When contacted, AI said the audit for FY 11 was nearly complete.
Pre-tax losses yawned to Rs 7,196 crore in the latest fiscal year from Rs 5,634 crore - a 28% jump.
"This is the time for alarm bells to be loudly rung so as to make all those in government turning a deafening ear to take immediate corrective action," said Jitender Bhargava, a former executive director of AI. "Air India has singularly failed to reap the benefit in a market witnessing double-digit growth."
AI's accumulated losses are estimated to be more than Rs 20,000 crore. The airline has 40,000 employees with a employee-aircraft ratio of 243:1, compared with an industry average of 150:
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