Indian Pilots Guild ready to fund study on fatigue

Bangalore: With studies indicating that up to eight per cent of all accidents are caused by fatigue, the Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG) which represents the international pilots of India’s national carrier Air India, has volunteered to partially fund a study on the factor.
Members of the IPG are the only ones in India who fly ultra long haul (12-14 hour) flights, like flights between India and the United States.
The guild’s offer comes in the wake of a series of meetings during the last week of October, initiated by the Indian civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) with civil airline stake holders, including pilot associations and airline owners.
The DGCA which is facing a deadline by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) — a regulatory body under the UN — for all member states to formulate fatigue prevention rules that are founded on a “knowledge-based, scientific approach,” has proposed a review of the regulations that govern duty and rest periods.
Speaking to The Hindu, senior members of the IPG said the study should be conducted through impartial, independent bodies such as the Indian Air Force’s medical establishments, using doctors who are aviation medicine specialists.
The guild is of the view that the findings could “help resolve the historical conflict between the flight safety concerns of pilots and the commercial interests of airline operators.”
01/11/09 Ravi Sharma/The Hindu

Another Air India air hostess alleges abuse

New Delhi: Air India may have dismissed air hostess Komal Singh's complaint she was molested by a pilot, but that mid-air spat is leading to more inflight bad blood.
On Saturday, another airhostess filed a complaint with the airline against a senior flight crew supervisor's behaviour. It wasn't a sexual harassment charge but she alleged the supervisor made derogatory and crude remarks on a flight on Thursday.
This, she said, happened onboard IC 801 as it headed to Chennai from Delhi. According to the complaint, the supervisor asked what the unions were doing about the Komal case. He then went on to make derogatory remarks about airhostesses and their relationship with pilots within earshot of passengers.
01/11/09 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

ATF Fuel Prices Hiked by Rs 3,400 per kl

New Delhi: State-owned oil firms today hiked jet fuel prices by nine per cent to over Rs 39,000 per kilolitre following a spurt in international oil rates.
Aviation Turbine Fuel prices will be increased by an average of Rs 3,400 per kilolitre effective midnight tonight, an official of the Indian Oil Corp (IOC), the nation's largest oil firm, said.
IOC, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum had for three consecutive fortnights reduced ATF rates mostly because international oil prices had eased and rupee strengthened against US dollar.
In three cuts, jet fuel prices in Delhi came down to Rs 36,188.27 per kl from Rs 39,188 at the beginning of September.
The hike announced today would negate all the cuts and ATF prices would be back to their September levels.
The official said the new rates at the four metros were being worked out and will be announced later.
31/10/09 Outlook

GMR group completes Istanbul terminal

Istanbul: An Indian welcome awaits travellers arriving at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport. The Bangalore-based GMR group is a part of a consortium that has completed the new terminal here in record 18 months.
The completion of the project makes GMR the first Indian private sector company to successfully complete an airport project abroad.
The new airport project, being undertaken at a cost of more than Rs 3,100 crore, will have an eventual passenger handling capacity of 25 million annually. It will provide direct employment opportunities to over 1,500 people and indirectly to many more through outsourcing, GMR officials said. The airport currently handles 5 million passengers annually.
The new terminal was inaugurated by the Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, and the Malaysian Transport Minister, Mr Y. B. Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, were also present at the ceremony.
The new terminal will become operational on November 9, with Turkish Airlines starting operations to seven European destinations including London, Moscow, Amsterdam and Berlin.
31/10/09 Ashwini Phadnis/BusinessLine

Jet Airways flight makes emergency landing in Amritsar after engine failure

Amritsar: It was a narrow escape for 66 passengers on board Jet Airways Delhi-Amritsar flight, as the aircraft made an emergency landing at the Raja Sansi International Airport after one of the engines of the aircraft failed mid air.
A high alert was sounded at the airport after the ATC at the Raja Sansi International Airport got this information from the aircraft and all the fire fighting systems, medical helps and rescue arrangements were lined up at the airport.
It was 2:20 pm when this Jet Airways flight touched down safely at the airport. The pilot used the single engine to land this flight, as the second engine had failed.
All the modern fire fighting equipments, first aid arrangements and even security arrangements were lined up near the airstrip so that we are ready if anything goes wrong, he said.
But things went safely when at 2:20 pm the pilot using the second engine of the flight landed the aircraft safely. All the 66 passengers in this flight were taken out safely and the crew was also safe, said the Airport Director.
As per officials, the flight took off normally from New Delhi in the afternoon but developed the snag midway while approaching Amritsar.
31/10/09 Aseem Bassi/Hindustan Times

Air India establishments get terror attack threat; security beefed up

Mumbai: Air India has received an e-mail warning of a terror attack after which security around establishments of the national carrier across the country has been beefed up.
"We received an e-mail last week which we passed on to the security agencies concerned. The Bureau of Civil Aviation has also issued an alert. On our part, we are taking all the required security measures," an Air India spokesperson told PTI in Mumbai on Saturday.
The airline had received a similar e-mail in April, threatening to blow up its headquarters at Nariman Point in Mumbai.
31/10/09 Press Trust of India/Hindustan Times

One held at Cochin airport

Kochi: Police and security personnel at the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) here today took into custody a person who reached near an Air India Flight parked in the bay, without any entry pass or ticket.
Air India security personnel noticed one person, identified as Latheef hailing from valanchery in Malappuam district, standing near the Jeddah-bound AI Flight without possessing any ticket or duty pass, CIAL sources said.
He might have jumped over the compound wall of the airport or gained entry into the area with help of workers on daily wages, the sources said.
31/10/09 Press Trust of India

Haj pilgrim dies in airport

Kolkata: Airport sources said Masuda Bibi(70), a resident of Khidirpur area here, reached the Haj Centre of the NSC Bose International Airport at about 9.30 pm. She was to take an Air India flight to Jeddah at 12.30 pm.
However, she felt an acute chest pain and died shortly afterwards.
31/10/09 Daily News & Analysis

Newark airport aims to ease security lines

The $325 million renovation project at Newark Liberty International Airport's Terminal B is expected to continue for more than two years, but improvements that will ease overcrowding on passenger security-check lines during peak travel times will be completed much sooner.
An addition to the passageway that leads from the concourse to the B-1 gate area is expected to open this month, and expanded B-2 and B-3 passageways will soon follow, according to a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.
The expanded hallways will include shops, restaurants and lounges in addition to reconfigured security check points that add more lanes.
The work is part of the largest terminal improvement project at Newark since the $2 billion renovation of Continental Airlines' Terminal C was completed about six years ago.
"Modernizing Terminal B is a critical part of our modernization strategy for Newark," said Anthony Coscia, the Port Authority chairman. "This work is essential to improving customer service, updating security systems and meeting the growing needs of the international and domestic airlines that use this vital terminal."
Congestion has eased a bit on the security-check lines in recent months because of the travel slump, said the Terminal B Manager Patrick A. Bonner Jr.
About 20 international carriers — including Air France, Air India, British Airways, El Al, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic — operate from Terminal B. At that facility, the customs office can process 3,000 people per hour, said Roger Prince, senior program manager for the authority.
01/11/09 Richard Neman/NorthJersey.com, USA

Flights of fancy

Mumbai: It hasn't been a smooth ride for the aeromodelling enthusiasts who get together at the Mahalaxmi Race Course on Sunday mornings to fly model airplanes.
For one, it can only be accessed after 9.30am when the horses leave the grounds, and of course it becomes completely off limits during the races. Add to that increasing helicopter traffic with the Singhanias, Poonawalas and the Ambanis using it as their helipad, which means forced beer breaks each time a helicopter prepares to land. That leaves little flying time for the aero-modellers, who only have permission to stay on until noon. Besides, the uneven ground and tall grass make it difficult for the planes to taxi and take off.
So, five years ago, a few diehard aeromodelling fans of the Wings India club built a 40 x1000ft tarmac at Marve, with their own money, just so they could come out here and fly their model airplanes without any impediments. Now every Sunday morning you can see a bunch of aeromodellers driving down to the Marve runway, which they call the Phat Phish field on account of its proximity to the numerous fish found here. They come in their SUVs and MPVs with dismantled model airplanes in the trunk which they assemble and fly for several hours.
So how does one embark on an aeromodelling trip? Well, it is really easy if you're a studentat Bombay Scottish; aeromodelling is a subject offered there which Puneet Manaktala, an enthusiast, has been teaching on an honourary basis for the past nine years. "There has never been a dearth of enthusiastic students," says Manaktala. "Three students have gone on to become commercial pilots from here," he adds proudly.
Manaktala teaches his students the physics of aviation as well as building and flying planes: woodcutting, sandpapering, assembling, painting and finally fitting the engine and controls.
However, for those who aren't students of Bombay Scottish, there's another instructor: the Real Flight Simulator.
01/11/09 Rachna Tyagi/Daily News & Analysis

Air Pacific looking at starting flights to India by 2011

Mumbai: Fiji’s international airline, Air Pacific; is considering various options of starting a one-stop flight service on India – Fiji route in the next two years. Currently, working on a code-share with Air India, Jet Airways and Cathay Pacific Airlines; the carrier is receiving recordable amount of Indian traffic to Fiji. Starting December 3, 2009; the airline is introducing twice weekly service on Hong Kong – Fiji route which is expected to further boost the Indian traffic volume. The airline aims to offer connectivity for travellers from UK, Europe and Asian countries to Fiji, New Zealand and Australia through this service.
Talking about the Indian market and its future plans, Vivek Jain, Managing Director, Griffon Travels (General Sales Agent for Air Pacific in India) said, “India is becoming an important market for major carriers across the world. Due to an increased awareness of destinations like Australia and New Zealand, Fiji is fast emerging as a destination for Indian travellers to explore. More and more Indian travellers wish to explore the island country despite having no direct air connections between both the countries. With this growth prospects, Air Pacific is considering plans to introduce a one-stop service or a direct flight between India and Fiji by 2011. But it all depends on the market conditions and the gap between demand and supply."
31/10/09 Anita Jain/TravelBizMonitor