Kingfisher Air woes: 34 pilots quit

At least 34 pilots of struggling Kingfisher Airlines have quit earlier this month, with the total number rising to about 80 since last October, industry sources said.
The sources said 34 pilots, both commanders and co-pilots, had put in their papers as of five days ago. Another over 40 cockpit crew had earlier resigned.
However, there was no confirmation from the airline about these resignations. Kingfisher has been suffering from a severe cash crunch that has culminated into the Income Tax authorities freezing its bank accounts last week on grounds of non-payment of tax dues.
Reports also suggested that a large number of ground staff, mostly on contract, were also put on notice by the cash-strapped carrier and their contracts not renewed.
Trouble had started in Kolkata last Friday when the airline announced it would stop operations for four days, leading the employees at the airport to demand their salaries and finally staging a walkout, leaving passengers in the lurch.
22/02/12 Indian Express

Kingfisher vitually blames I-T for flight disruptions

New Delhi: Beleaguered Kingfisher Airlines today virtually blamed the Income Tax authorities for the large-scale flight disruptions, saying freezing of its bank accounts by them had “severely affected” payment schedules that had led to the curtailment in its services.
“The prime reason for the current disruption in our flight schedules is the sudden attachment of our bank accounts by the I-T department. This has severely affected our ability to make operational payments leading to the present curtailment,” an airline spokesperson said in a statement.
It said the employees' “salaries can be paid and the grounded aircraft can be recovered quicker once the bank accounts are unfrozen and the schedule restored on priority.”
The spokesperson said the company was in talks with the I-T authorities “to agree (on) a payment plan and get the bank accounts unfrozen at the earliest. We are appealing to them to see reason that inconvenience to the travelling public is not in anybody's interests.”
20/02/12 Press Trust of India/The Statesman

High drama at Kochi airport

Kochi: Security officials at the Cochin airport late on Monday prevented three officials of the Italian Embassy who had been on board an Air India flight to Thiruvananthapuram from disembarking at Kochi.
According to official sources, the Embassy officials had boarded the flight AI 465 from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram via Kochi and were bound to de-board at Thiruvananthapuram. However, they insisted on disembarking at Kochi after the aircraft landed here for a brief stop over by 8.45 p.m.
And despite repeated warnings from the cabin crew, they managed to get out of the aircraft. However, they were stopped at the ladder point by the airport security personnel and were forcibly taken into the aircraft following negotiations with the airline authorities.
“The embassy officials appeared furious but the airline and security personnel were in no mood to yield and they finally returned to the aircraft,” an airport official said. According to him, the booking details of the passengers clearly showed that they had purchased tickets to a destination beyond Kochi.
21/02/12 The Hindu

SpiceJet probes offloading of disabled woman

New Delhi: No-frill carrier SpiceJet has begun an enquiry into an incident in which a differently-abled woman was off-loaded from its Kolkata-Mumbai flight yesterday after the crew claimed it was not safe to have her on board.
The airline, which expressed regret at the incident, said, "We are investigating the matter internally and action will be taken" in the matter in which Jeeja Ghosh, a 42-year- old teacher at Kolkata's Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy, was offloaded after she had boarded the flight.
Ghosh was to fly to Goa to attend a conference and to deliver a lecture on bringing the differently-abled to the mainstream.
Expressing concern over the incident, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh told reporters here, "We will ask SpiceJet and see what action they take against their pilot."
20/02/12 ZeeNews.com

Not helping any one airline, the whole sector is in crisis: Ajit Singh

New Delhi: The UPA government has done “all we could” to aid the country’s beleaguered aviation sector, according to Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh. As for the crisis emanating from the Kingfisher Airlines’ flight cancellations, it is now up to the airline to utilise those measures and come up with resources, he tells Kavita Chowdhury in an interview. Edited excerpts:

The sudden large-scale cancellation of scheduled flights by Kingfisher Airlines over the weekend, it seems, has snowballed into a full blown crisis...
Everyone knows that Kingfisher has been having a financial trouble for some time now. They have amassed huge debts, they hadn’t been able to pay the airport authority, they haven’t paid the oil company dues, they hadn’t paid salaries for the past few months. Even their accounts have been frozen. We, the government, have made it clear that there will be no bailout. However, we have taken three crucial steps to help the aviation sector. Firstly, we have allowed all airlines to directly import aviation fuel. Next, we are working on allowing FDI up to 49 per cent in the aviation sector. Thirdly, we have allocated traffic rights to private airlines on foreign routes. All these measures should help airlines.
There is an impression that the government is going all out to help out Kingfisher...
It’s not the question of helping any one airline; the whole aviation sector is in crisis. Only Indigo was able to pay the Airports Authority; no other airlines has managed it. The measures we have taken will help airlines to come up with fresh business plans to persuade banks to lend them money.
21/02/12 Kavita Chowdhury/Business Standard

GMR Hyderabad International Airport to divest 100% in HDFRL

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Duty Free Retail Ltd (HDFRL), a GMR Group company that owns and manages duty free outlets at the International Airport here, is up for sale, according to a senior official of GMR Group.
The GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), which manages the Airport, is mulling to divest 100 per cent equity in HDFRL and is on the lookout for a suitable buyer, the official said.
HDFRL came into being after the Nuance Group ( India) a joint venture company between Switzerland-based Nuance Group AG and Shoppers' Stop Ltd, severed 7-year contract with GMR Group to run the outlets at Hyderabad Airport, citing poor sales in 2010.
"We are looking at the 100 per cent divestment in HDFRL for the following reasons. We would like to bring in a specialist player in the Duty Free space.
20/02/12 PTI/Economic Times

All-new Global Fiesta on display at Jammu airport

Jammu: The All-new Global Fiesta today became the first ever car to be displayed at Jammu Airport.
The momentous event was celebrated with M Suresh, Director, Jammu Airport cutting the ribbon at the All-New Global Ford Fiesta display platform inside the Jammu Airport in presence of M.L Mehra, Superintendent Police, Jammu Airport. More than 400 people were present on the occasion.
Devinder Singh, Sales Manager, Jammu Ford on the occasion said, “We are excited with the opportunity to display the All New Ford Fiesta at Jammu Airport, this premium sedan engages with its eye-catching kinetic design and its many first-in-segment features, intuitive in-cabin technology for communication on the move that meets customers’ inclination and aspirations.”
19/02/12 Greater Kashmir

‘Pained’ Patel asks Ajit Singh to probe AI aircraft change

New Delhi: Union Minister Praful Patel today urged Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh for a complete probe into the change of aircraft by Air India allegedly to accommodate his family members on a trip to Maldives in 2010.
In a letter to Singh, Patel referred to news reports appearing today and some on earlier occasions relating to an RTI query wherein it has been alleged that some members of his family travelled from Bangalore to Male and back in an Air India Flight which had been changed to a larger aircraft so as to enable them to travel by business class.
Asked about this controversy, Singh told reporters, “They (Air India) should not have done this (changing the aircraft).”
According to documents supplied under RTI, Air India had deployed larger aircraft to apparently accommodate the family of Patel on their trip to Bangalore-Maldives in April 2010, file notings disclosed by the national carrier indicate.
It had earlier been claimed that since the seven business class seats were already booked on the IC-965, flying from Bangalore to Male, Air India switched to bigger aircraft A320, with 20 business class seats, to accommodate seven members of Deshpande family — in-laws of Patel’s daughter Avni.
21/02/12 First Post.India

HC upholds dismissal of 'fake' AI trainee pilot

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has upheld the dismissal of a trainee AI pilot who had joined the national carrier by producing fake results of his commercial pilot's licence (CPL) examinations.
Last June, the airline had nipped the flying career of Saurabh Lokhande, a 29-year-old Mumbai resident, before it could take off. AI dismissed Lokhande a month after the Delhi crime branch arrested him for allegedly using a fake CPL certificate to join the airline as a trainee pilot on a five-year contract in 2010. Lokhande, after three failed attempts to clear the examinations in India, had allegedly paid Rs 3 lakh to a tout in 2008 and secured a fake licence to fly. He was finally arrested last year and though released on bail, faces a cheating and forgery case and his CPL has been suspended.
He flew into the long arms of law finally last year and though released on bail faces a cheating and forgery case and his CPL is suspended.
21/02/12 Swati Deshpande/Times of India

Now, no mobile rule for regular air staff

Chennai: All contract workers who cried ‘foul’ after AAI banned them from using cell phones while on duty, will now be appeased.
A day after sleuths from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence nabbed a senior catering superintendent working with Air India after he took $300,000 USD into a parked aircraft and put it in a magazine pouch so that a passenger would pick it up, AAI has decided to come down hard on all ‘regular’ permanent employees and officers. Henceforth, they also will not be allowed to carry mobile phones on duty and cannot leave their work place without the permission of their supervisors, said the airport director.
Reacting to the incident, he said in an official statement that the “connivance of a senior employee is a point of concern. He had free access to all sensitive locations including the interiors of the aircraft. He connived with a porter (courier) for some pecuniary benefits.” After some contract workers with Jet Airways were apprehended trying to smuggle a huge haul of ephedrine into a flight, authorities came down hard on all non-permanent staff. Now, these norms are set to become standardised.
21/02/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

Move to levy UDF at Madurai airport flayed

Madurai: The move by the Airport Authority of India to impose an “exorbitant” user development fee (UDF) on passengers flying out of Madurai airport has been strongly opposed by the industry here. They say it was inappropriate to “penalise” passengers with the UDF when the airport in the tier II city was yet to be put to optimum usage.
Report says the AAI was planning to levy UDF of Rs. 400 for each domestic passenger and Rs. 750 for each international passenger. “Ideally, there should not be any UDF at all in Madurai airport for the initial period of three years with an aim to motivate people of the region to fly. The UDF of Rs. 400 will only discourage passengers from using the airport,” senior president of Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries, S. Rethinavelu, said.
Besides, the levy of Rs. 400 cannot be justified in a tier II city airport, which has no international flight operation. “We strongly oppose any such move,” he said.
A leading travel agent, N. Sriram, said that the UDF for domestic and international passengers taking off from metros like New Delhi and Bangalore was much lesser. It was Rs. 221 and Rs. 260 respectively.
21/02/12 S Sundar/The Hindu

PC’s ‘own little air force’ to take wing

New Delhi: P. Chidambaram’s “own little air force” is on course.
The Union home ministry has moved ahead with plans for an exclusive air wing that will boast an entire fleet of planes and choppers — except fighter jets of the kind used by the military.
The Rs 2,500-crore plan is said to be a brainchild of the home minister. It is seen as a key element of Chidambaram’s drive to boost the internal security apparatus, much like the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) that he is now fighting to keep on track in the face of opposition from several states.
Some of the groundwork for the air wing has been done. Tomorrow is the last date for companies to send in bids for being chosen as consultants who will advise the government on the “strategy” for the air wing, dubbed by officials as the ministry’s “own little air force”.
The wing will initially comprise eight planes and 16 choppers. These will include the C-130J and AN-32 transport planes, Embraer jets, advanced Mi-17 helicopters and smaller choppers, officials said.
They justified the need for such a wing, saying it was needed to reduce the time taken to respond to exigencies and save money spent on hiring planes.
20/02/12 Nishit Dholabhai/Telegraph

Toll booths halt traffic on BIA road

Bangalore: Travelling to the Bangalore International Airport (BIA) was always a tedious task for commuters. But BMTC’s Vayu Vajra’s service had sorted out traffic congestion to a large extent. However, with the toll collection beginning in full swing, the increased traffic woes have left Bangalorean’s with no space to breathe.
Not only have the pollution levels enroute to the BIA doubled, with the traffic inflow increasing, problems of traffic is only worsening. Moreover, with taxi and cab owners hiking up their fares from the city to the BIA, owing to payment of the toll, people are now preferring to travel either by private vehicles or by the satellite bus service. However, a closer look at the everyday traffic in the area reveals that almost 75 per cent of the commuters are travelling up to Yelahanka in their private cars and then taking a BMTC bus.
“This is not only increasing traffic congestion from the city to the BIA, but is disrupting normal traffic inflow in the area for regular commuters. In peak hours, there are hundreds of vehicles moving towards BIA but surprisingly more than half of these vehicles don’t even close in towards the airport. We figured out that private cars are causing main problems,” said Gurunath, a constable stationed near Hebbal junction.
When Express spoke to a few such private vehicle owners, they claimed that instead of paying almost Rs 1,000 to get from the heart of the city towards the airport, they preferred to take their private vehicles.
21/02/12 New Indian Express/IBN Live

Jamshedpur, Bokaro to have airports soon; Airports Authority of India signs MoU

New Delhi: Steel cities of Jharkhand, Jamshedpur and Bokaro will soon figure on the country's air map as the Airports Authority of India will set up airports there.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the AAI and the Jharkhand government for establishing airports in both the cities in the presence of AAI Chairman and Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda.
21/02/12 Economic Times

Chandigarh airport may take time to go international

Chandigarh: At a time when foreign airlines are keen to connect with Chandigarh on the international flight map by offering flights from the local airport, the higher authorities in Delhi are dashing all hopes by delaying necessary approvals. It's been almost five months since the low cost airline, Air Arabia was principally allowed to operate Sharjah-Chandigarh flight from local airport, but the airline is still waiting for an approval from the ministry of defence (MoD) and director general civil aviation (DGCA). Company has also been writing to authorities so that they can start their operations.
On Monday, commercial head of Air Arabia, A K Nizar, said, it's very unfortunate that higher authorities in India are taking a longer time in giving necessary approvals for operating international flights from Chandigarh. "The airline was principally allowed to operate from Chandigarh airport in October, but even after almost five months they are yet to receive the final approval," Nizar said.
21/02/12 Ajay Sura/Times of India

US airlines sue Exim Bank for giving loan guarantee to Air India

Washington : In a revised complaint filed before a US court on Friday last week, the Air Transport Association of America, Delta Air Line and Air Line Pilots Association International, alleged that Exim Bank’s decision to provide a loan guarantee of $3.4 billion to Air India, to help it buy 30 aircraft from Boeing, would badly affect several US airlines, the Delta in particular.
Arguing that without the financial support from Exim Bank, Air India, which in itself is in deep red, would not have purchased these aircraft and thus would deploy them on those routes where it gives a tough competition to US airlines.
"The Bank's support for foreign carriers puts ATA's operator members, including Delta, at a competitive disadvantage because, among other things, the Bank's foreign beneficiaries have access to cheaper capital to finance their aircraft purchases," the complaint said.
"Delta's experience is illustrative. In 2006, Delta offered nonstop service between New York and Mumbai. Between 2006 and 2009, the Bank gave Air India loan guarantees totaling approximately $3.3 billion.
"Those guarantees allowed Air India to flood the US-India market with extra capacity and crowd out competitors like Delta. Delta stopped flying from New York to Mumbai in October of 2008 due to the Bank's loan guarantees to Air India," the court affidavit said.
The Exim Bank’s subsidies to foreign carriers have forced US airlines to cut between 4,100 and 7,500 jobs. The loss of those jobs has led to $372 million to $684 million in lost employee income, it alleged.
The Air Transport Association of America also challenged the argument of the Obama Administration that orders placed by foreign airlines like Air India is creating jobs in the US.
20/02/12 Press Trust of India/Business Standard