Hijack threat: 3 passengers including a woman detained

New Delhi: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Sunday night (February 1) said three passengers including a woman onboard a Delhi-bound Indigo flight from Goa have been detained in connection with the mid-air threat to 'hijack' the aircraft. Chidambaram said the three passengers have been identified and at one stage it appeared to be a potential hijack situation.
The minister told reporters that no arms were found on the detained persons and more details would be known only after their investigation. "All actions were taken according to book and I am relieved and happy that the situation has been resolved and all the passengers are safe," Chidambaram said.
Chidambaram said the pilot of the Airbus A320 aircraft had correctly assessed the situation as a potential hijack which was communicated to the Air Traffic Control in New Delhi before making an emergency landing in New Delhi. The minister said he cannot rule out anything unless interrogation is complete.
"By tomorrow we will be able to tell you more about whether it was indeed a hijack or anything else and what was the role of the persons detained." "Three persons have been detained. We have names but unless they are interrogated and identity established, we can't release the names," he said, adding "all passengers are safe."
"The behaviour of these three passengers led to a situation where the crew reported that they thought it was potential hijack situation. The aircraft was anyway near Delhi and therefore landed at the airport here." He also said one of the three detained passengers moved around from one seat to another and had changed the seat at the last moment.
While Civil Aviation secretary M Madhavan Nambiar said a couple of passengers had threatened to 'hijack' the plane, unconfirmed reports said that a threat to blow up the plane was also made after one of them had an argument with an airhostess over change of seat.
01/02/09 Times Now.tv

Aviation fuel prices slashed 4%

New Delhi: Jet fuel prices touched a three-and-a-half-year low on Saturday. Oil companies reduced aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices by 4%, making it the ninth fall since the August 2008 record highs, barring a minor increase in January. ATF prices are now revised every fortnight.
Following the latest cut, ATF prices are now at the level of 2005 summer. In Delhi, for instance, the price per kilolitre is Rs 30,288 — a whopping 57% lower than the last August record price of Rs 71,028 per kl. The August record was set as global crude price that time was at a historic $147 per barrel.
Airlines, that had to hike fares due to higher oil prices last year, have slashed fares now. They have reintroduced low basic fares of Re 1 or Rs 99 that are topped by taxes and surcharge of nearly Rs 3,000. Some budget carriers are also offering all-inclusive fares of less than Rs 2,000.
"We may have lowered fares but the overall economic slowdown has meant that fewer people are travelling. The January-March period is anyway low travel season but this time it is even worse. We are trying to stimulate demand but with people unsure of their jobs and incomes, things look pretty bleak," admitted an airline CEO.
01/02/09 Times of India

No move by FAA to downgrade India's airports: Sources

New Delhi: There is no move by the US Federal Aviation Administration to downgrade India's airports, even though an action plan was being implemented to meet global aviation safety standards and regulations. "The FAA has not reached any decision to downgrade India to Category-2 countries (in terms of global standards). We are continuing our discussions as part of the agreement between India and the United States for development and modernisation of our civil aviation infrastructure," Civil Aviation Ministry sources said here.
The agreement, signed in November 2006, entailed that experts from both sides would work together on issues ranging from air traffic control training and procedures to aviation safety standards and regulations.
The agreement had come at a time when India became the second after China in terms of the fast-paced aviation traffic growth which was projected to maintain the pace of more than 25 per cent over the next four years. The massive growth in air traffic, both in passenger and aircraft numbers, had far outpaced the aviation infrastructure and skilled manpower availability, prompting India to get international help to meet global safety and security standards.
The FAA, after auditing various aspects of Indian regulatory system and infrastructure, had made a large number of recommendations, both short and long term, including strengthening of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
01/02/09 PTI/Economic Times

Boeing MRO at Nagpur on track

Nagpur: Aircraft manufacturer Boeing on Friday revealed that it was firm on its commitment to invest $100 million in the Nagpur Special Economic Zone and has signed a lease agreement with the developer of the SEZ, the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), for allotment of 50 acres of land. Boeing intends to set up a maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, a first of its kind for India, at the SEZ.
Boeing’s Vice-President (sales) Dinesh Keskar said that the deal should put to rest all speculations about the Boeing MRO at Nagpur. The Seattle-based company had first evinced interest in setting up the MRO at Nagpur in 2006.
However, as there was little progress after the announcement by the Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Vice Chairman and Managing Director of MADC R C Sinha, there were rumours about Boeing having abandoned the project.
A local organisation Vidarbha Economic Development Council (VED) moved the High Court for clarification from the authorities on the issue.
Expressing concern over the developments and the lack of clarity, the High Court had appointed an Amicus Curiae (friend of the court) to talk to Boeing on the matter and coordinate with the multiple agencies involved in the deal. Keskar explained the delay in signing the lease deed as the time required to finalise tie-ups. He said that the aircraft major expected to have the facility up and running by 2010. A former student of the city-based Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Keskar said that Nagpur was a logical choice for setting up the MRO base as the climate here suited such an endeavour. The generally dry weather of Nagpur was ideal for aircraft overhauling as parts do not corrode in a climate virtually without any humidity. Apart from this, Nagpur is the only airport in the country, which has an SEZ next to it.
01/02/09 Business Standard

Panel to study cargo traffic load

Mohali: To make cargo traffic from upcoming international airport a profitable venture, the tripartite committee constituted to steer the project
has decided that the consultant would take further inputs from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and apprise it about the feedback. It was also approved that Punjab, Haryana and Airport Authority of India (AAI) would make efforts for ensuring that land required for extension of runway in the second phase is frozen for this use by the UT Administration.
Recently, members of tripartite committee, besides representatives of project consultants, met at Delhi to mull over various issues. After detailed deliberations, it was decided that the consultant, after collecting inputs regarding goods that could be exported from these states through Chandigarh airport, would update the committee about the position.
The panel has decided to carry out a sensitivity analysis on the basis of proposal to charge User Development Fee (UDF) that is being felt necessary to improve project viability. It was highlighted during the meeting that Financial Internal Rate of Returns (FIRR) of the project is estimated to be 8.3%, subject to transfer of new civil enclave building that is presently under construction by AAI on the other side of the runway.
After discussing the issue, it was decided to analyse whether the new civil enclave building that is being built should be handed over to the joint venture company by AAI.
01/02/09 Anand Bodh/Times of India

Singapore Airlines may withdraw Kolkata flight

Kolkata: Hit by a fall in the number of passengers, Singapore Airlines will suspend 214 international flights, including three to India. One of these affected flights is likely to be a Kolkata connection. If the airline does withdraw one flight from the city, the frequency will be down from four-a-week to three.
"We will ensure that capacity is allocated to match demand across the global network," said the airline's general manager (India), C W Foo.
On India routes, the airline will cut one out of the four weekly flights on the Hyderabad-Singapore sector, one out of the five weekly ones on the New Delhi-Singapore sector and one out of five weeklies on the Mumbai-Singapore sector.
Industry sources said the drop in traffic in India was due to boycott from the travel agents, who have refused to sell Singapore Airlines tickets due to the latter's refusal to give commission.
"We sell around 90% of the airline's tickets in India. When we stopped selling Singapore Airlines tickets from December 29, the passenger load fell drastically," claimed Anil Punjabi, Travel Agents' Federation of India chairman (east).
Though airline officials refused to comment on the possible reduction of flights from the city, sources at the airport said one of the four weekly ones would be withdrawn.
01/02/09 Times of India

Emergency landing for Vinod Khanna's plane

Actor and sitting BJP MP from Gurdaspur, the charismatic Mr. Vinod Khanna had a miraculous escape, earlier this week, when his aircraft (belonging to Air India) was forced to land at Bhunter, the domestic airport near the picturesque Kullu-Manali valley in Himachal Pradesh. The emergency landing was done as the weather in the hill state was not fit for flying. Vinod Khanna was on a visit to his constituency, Gurdaspur, Punjab and was on way to Pathankot from Delhi. Pathankot is the nearest airport to Gurdaspur.
Due to climatic disturbances, Vinod Khanna was forced to spend around one hour and fifteen minutes at the Bhunter airport. The veteran actor enjoyed the beautiful Kullu valley and its scenic beauty and mingled freely with the staff of the airport and spoke to them about their problems. Later, he left for Pathankot as the weather improved.
31/01/09 Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network/Glamsham.com

Thailand on Kingfisher agenda

Kingfisher Airlines, dubbed India's five-star carrier, has included Thailand as part its first foray into international skies.
The airline intends to begin scheduled daily services from its base in Bangalore to Bangkok in March, using Airbus A321 jetliners.
Kingfisher plans to use an Airbus A321 for its first route to Bangkok. Kingfisher will be one of a handful of new carriers planning to make the Thai capital their port of call in the aftermath of the seizure of Bangkok's airports by the People's Alliance for Democracy.
The seizures stranded more than 300,000 travellers, scaring off many tourists and making some airlines reluctant to introduce flights to Thailand.
However, Kingfisher is setting up an office in Bangkok, appointing Success Aviation, a Thai travel agent, as its general sales agent, and contracting Bangkok Flight Services to provide ground handling services at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Bangkok is one of the seven new overseas destinations that Kingfisher intends to introduce in the first quarter of this year as it is quickly spreads its wings to become a global carrier. The airline's takeover of Air Deccan, India's first low-cost carrier, and its licence has enabled it to pass Indian regulatory hurdles that allow Indian carriers to offer only domestic services for five years before being permitted to embark on international services.
Kingfisher had been in existence barely three years when it launched its maiden international flight - Bangalore-London - in September last year.
It has since added three other international routes: Mumbai-London (Jan 5), Bangalore-Colombo (Jan 19), and Chennai-Colombo (Jan 19). On the schedule for launching in the first quarter are Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Dhaka, Dubai and the Maldives.
29/01/09 Boonsong Kositchotethana/Bangok Post

Malaysian Airlines told to pay for mishandling luggage

New Delhi: Holding Malaysian Airlines responsible for mishandling a passenger's baggage, a consumer court here has asked it to pay Rs.315,000 - the price of the damaged luggage - alongwith with the cost of litigation.
The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission headed by Justice J.D. Kapoor earlier this week upheld a District Consumer Forum order asking the airlines to compensate Rakesh Bawa, a resident of Gurgaon, for his damaged baggage.
The airlines had filed an appeal in the state consumer commission, challenging the 2007 district forum order.
The district forum had held the airlines deficient in service in not handing over the wheel chair purchased by Rakesh from the US, which was a check-in luggage upto New Delhi, in perfect condition.
As the electronic controller of the wheel chair was found missing, the consumer forum had directed the airlines to refund the full value of the wheel chair amounting to $6,668 (Rs.315,000) with additional compensation of Rs.20,000 and Rs.2,500 as cost of litigation. Rakesh had booked four pieces of baggage from the US to be delivered at New Delhi but only three pieces were delivered. Two pieces of baggage were damaged, the cost of one of the bag was claimed in the Property Irregularity Report to be equivalent of Rs.2,000 and the bag was stated to be two years old.
31/01/09 IANS/Mangalorean.com

Jet Airways revenue up, but costs are higher: Quarter Four results

Mumbai: Reporting its October to December 2008 Quarter results, Jet Airways in a release stated that while revenue was up, costs were up even more, therefore resulting in the airline reporting a Rs 2.1 billion (USD 42.9 million) loss. For its third financial quarter, Jet Airways reported a revenue jump of nearly 22 per cent to Rs 30.6 billion, but operating expenses lifted dramatically by 40 per cent to Rs 9.2 billion. “The domestic industry capacity will be flat for the next few quarters and with the increase in traffic over the next few months, we believe that the industry seat factors will trend up,” said Jet Airways in a statement.
“The incremental traffic, though, will be at lower yields. We have eliminated our highest loss making routes from the International network and have right sized our capacities on the North America routes,” added the statement. Jet Airways reports that its system wide seat factor in the December 2008 ending quarter dropped to 66.2 per cent from 69.1 per cent achieved in 2007. The majority of this was due to domestic service where the load factor dropped to 62.4 per cent, down from 2007’s 72.3 per cent. Internationally, load factors were up 1.4 per cent to 67.8 per cent. Jet Airways also adds that international revenues from international operations now account for 54.3 per cent of operating revenues.
31/01/09 TravelBizMonitor