tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201961922012-01-27T16:37:38.135+05:30Aviation IndiaIndian Civil Aviation NEWSAv Indianoreply@blogger.comBlogger300761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-62953522559320917532012-01-27T16:33:00.002+05:302012-01-27T16:37:38.148+05:30Pilot of Indian Origin in fatal Denver crash was shooting photosThornton: A pilot who died when his Cessna aircraft crashed into an open field in June and burst into flames apparently was "shooting thousands of pictures" of residential and commercial real estate just prior to the wreck.A National Transportation Safety Board report released this month said pilot Salil Sinha, 41, was highly skilled, with a commercial pilot certificate. A flight instructor who Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-77721355411750754472012-01-27T16:32:00.000+05:302012-01-27T16:33:51.405+05:30MAHB expects to close 2 new deals by year-endAirport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) expects to close two new airport concession deals in Asia by the year-end in a drive to improve its earnings from overseas, its chief said.Managing director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad said MAHB is in preliminary discussions with local parties in China and Indonesia to form a consortium and bid for airport concessions in the two countries.Bashir Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-8505705109425592752012-01-27T16:30:00.000+05:302012-01-27T16:32:08.171+05:30Advanced aviation meteorological support for 46 more airports on cardsMumbai: The integrated Airport Meteorological Instrument System (AMIS), which is currently operational at eight airports in the country, will be extended to another 46 airports as part of the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) modernisation programme. The AMIS is operational at the Amritsar, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Jaipur, Mumbai and New Delhi airports. This facilitates Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-17890462087917740552012-01-27T16:27:00.000+05:302012-01-27T16:31:01.104+05:30Govt to spell out its stand on airport equity returns by FebruaryMumbai: The Civil Aviation Ministry will make its stand clear on the rate of return that airport operators can seek to generate on the equity brought in by them by early next month. The ministry has asked the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to hold talks with investment banks such as SBI Capital Markets Ltd to recommend a plausible return, according to two government officials who did not want Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-43996976227032580762012-01-27T16:11:00.000+05:302012-01-27T16:30:20.987+05:30Dancing flight attendants mark India's Republic DayThe crew of the Finnair flight AY201, which was flying from Helsinki to New Delhi on January 17, broke out into dance moves reminiscent of an Indian blockbuster.Around 24 of the airline's crew emerged in traditional Indian attire, then proceeded to dance in a highly choreographed fashion to Bollywood music.Finnair employees said the dance was intended to commemorate India’s 63rd Republic Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-2506189873472270262012-01-26T15:28:00.001+05:302012-01-27T15:31:20.636+05:30AI Express pilot defies ATC for take-off, puts flyers at riskMumbai: In the span of about 30 seconds, an Air India Express aircraft with about 90 passengers on board created a double scare at Singapore's Changi airport on Monday. First, its pilot did not wait for the vital take-off clearance from the air traffic controller concerned. As the Boeing 737-800 aircraft sped along the runway for a take-off, the alarmed air traffic control officials hauled up theAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-56979453380312879472012-01-26T15:28:00.000+05:302012-01-27T15:30:19.496+05:30Grounded for ‘forging marksheet’, pilot got Rs 1.2 lakh ‘relief’ a monthBeing grounded on charges of forgery didn’t hurt at least one Air India pilot, who took home a fat “sustenance allowance” each month, funded by his unpaid colleagues, for around six months, till his licence was revoked.Captain Arjun Giare, a commander on Airbus fleet, was grounded by the airline in March 2011 after an internal inquiry found that he had submitted a fraudulent marksheet to obtain Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-68113630467282562112012-01-26T15:25:00.000+05:302012-01-27T15:27:21.484+05:30Con posing as PMO official crashlands: Female 'IAS officer' asked DGCA to reinstate banned pilotsShe posed as a high-flying bureaucrat and crisscrossed the country to perpetrate con jobs to the tune of crores.But 51-year-old Sumangali Francina Easther Charles was finally grounded on Tuesday while trying to pass off as an officer on special duty (OSD) to the Prime Minister and seeking a favour for a tainted pilot from the director general of civil aviation (DGCA).Using the alias of Suman Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-89729466493291729432012-01-26T15:24:00.000+05:302012-01-27T15:28:48.640+05:30Delay in salaries puts pilots in miseryChennai: It was a dream come true for K Prakash (name changed) when he landed a job as a co-pilot with Jet Airways last year. He had started to repay the loan he had taken to fund his training abroad. However, when the airline failed to credit his salary on time this month, he was left in a quandary as he was unable to pay his EMI on time. The airline finally paid salaries on January 14. Junior Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-43520318888504915252012-01-26T15:22:00.000+05:302012-01-27T15:24:48.283+05:30Flying in and out of Delhi to get costlier, DIAL mulls new feeNew Delhi: Flying in and out of Delhi is going to get a lot more expensive from April. The Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) has proposed a new charge called user development fee (UDF) for all passengers - departing, arriving and even transiting.This will be in addition to the existing fees levied only on departing flyers - passenger service fee (PSF of Rs 207) and airport development Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-37380832900449908012012-01-26T15:20:00.001+05:302012-01-27T15:24:03.430+05:30Indian with suspicious passport arrested at Detroit Metro AirportThe Department of Homeland Security arrested an airline passenger from India who arrived at Detroit Metro Airport Monday with a suspicious passport: His Saudi Arabian visa had been burned and torn out of the booklet.Documents filed in U.S. District Court say Safdar Quddus told border officials he had held his Saudi Arabian visa over a fire to peel it out of the passport, and the visa burned, so Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-38340682544608155252012-01-26T15:20:00.000+05:302012-01-27T15:21:54.703+05:30Ministry seeks Rs 20k cr for AI in next PlanThe Union civil aviation ministry has asked for Rs 19,911 crore (Rs 199.11 billion) as budgetary support from the government for Air India in the 12th Plan (2012-17), a part of the Rs 23,000 crore (Rs 230 billion) a Group of Ministers (GoM) had said should be infused till 2020-21 in the ailing state-owned airline."But these recommendations are conditional and the airline will also have to meet Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-10532847626823014622012-01-26T15:18:00.001+05:302012-01-27T15:20:27.252+05:30Airport operators want opportunity cost for land security depositsNew Delhi: Private airport developers have questioned the airport regulator's refusal to grant a 'reasonable return' on money raised by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) from leasing land allotted by the government for commercial use. Airport operators like the GMR-led DIAL and GVK-led Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) have argued that they could have invested the money raised Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-48053066598187369212012-01-26T15:18:00.000+05:302012-01-27T15:19:33.992+05:30Indian airlines, private operators likely to add 1,000 aircraftNew Delhi: Indian airlines and private non-scheduled air operators are together likely to add around 1,000 aircraft and 250 helicopters over the next five years, according to Planning Commission estimates.While the scheduled airlines are likely to add around 370 aircraft in their fleet, non-scheduled operators could induct 300 business jets, 300 small planes and 250 helicopters during this periodAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-83145326830878889502012-01-26T15:15:00.001+05:302012-01-27T15:18:01.456+05:30Adjust AI dues against AAI’s: DIALNew Delhi: Air India's financial distress is now threatening the revenues of airports as well. Dues of AI to Delhi airport have mounted to over Rs 340 crore and the airline has been unable to clear them for months. Claiming survival troubles, the GMR-backed Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) has suggested to the government that its dues from the public sector airline should be adjusted Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-32352642474884439522012-01-26T15:15:00.000+05:302012-01-27T15:16:58.431+05:30Montreal man claims RCMP offered him $1 million to help solve murder of Air India witnessA Montreal man charged in a cocaine conspiracy claims the RCMP offered him $1 million to help solve the 1998 murder of a B.C. newspaper publisher who was killed after agreeing to testify in the Air India bombing case.Jean Gaetan Gingras was captured on a wiretap telling an undercover Mountie that police met with him and his lawyer at a Montreal law office to make the offer after Tara Singh Hayer Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-88947597308220343352012-01-26T15:10:00.000+05:302012-01-27T15:15:16.803+05:30Out of bilateral air services pact, global terminal status eludes Madurai airportMadurai: Non-inclusion of Madurai airport in bilateral air services agreement (BASA) with countries having potential for international passenger and cargo traffic from here has been a major bottleneck in converting Madurai airport into an international terminal. This has been holding back operation of international flights from Madurai to popular destinations such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-61330286078908534632012-01-26T15:08:00.001+05:302012-01-27T15:13:04.346+05:30Carbon Emission: DGCA brings out new guidelinesBangalore: In an attempt to get the aviation industry to ‘introspect’ and assess their own carbon emission footprint, the Aviation Environment Circular (1 of 2012) by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has brought out guidelines which would help them prepare a strategy in order to comply with relevant regulations and policies without adversely affecting their growth.Airport operators Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-91691459628231387372012-01-26T15:08:00.000+05:302012-01-27T15:10:28.970+05:30Kingfisher Airlines pilots threaten strike if salaries not paidNew Delhi: More than 200 pilots of the cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines have threatened to strike work if their salaries for December are not paid by the end of this month, a deadline that the private carrier's promoter Vijay Mallya committed to earlier. "We may not be available for flying duties in case our dues are not cleared in time," the pilots said in one of the many emails shot off to theAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-57236746736888306412012-01-26T15:03:00.001+05:302012-01-27T15:07:55.016+05:30CISF asked to take over airport boundary security systemNew Delhi After several delays, the project to have an electronic surveillance mechanism in place to secure the boundary of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has hit another roadblock.The airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) recently requested the CISF to take over the 14-km stretch where the Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS) has been installed. The Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-70722862573919467642012-01-26T15:03:00.000+05:302012-01-27T15:06:36.207+05:30Mallya tells DGCA brass Kingfisher plan on targetWeeks after the aviation regulator warned Kingfisher Airlines not to compromise on aviation safety, its promoter, Vijay Mallya, on Wednesday met Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) brass and discussed the financial and operational recovery plan of the cash-strapped airline.“He (Mallya) has a recovery plan. It is up to us to see that he keeps to the plan,” DGCA chief E K Bharat Bhushan Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-26872900702636670582012-01-26T14:45:00.002+05:302012-01-27T15:03:25.038+05:30Reply to RTI queries or face penalty: CIC warns AINew Delhi: The Chief Information Commissioner has sent notice to Air India for refusing to reply to specific RTI queries pertaining to the use of carrier for former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel's daughter Poorna Patel and some IPL players.Allegedly, a scheduled Delhi-Coimbatore flight that was cancelled on April 20, 2010, was used to ferry these people on the request from Poorna Patel.TheAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-5636304890964969812012-01-26T14:45:00.000+05:302012-01-27T14:47:16.823+05:30Flight delayed due to simian menaceNagpur: Simian menace forced the Indigo airlines commander of the Mumbai-Nagpur-Kolkata flight to delay landing at the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport on Tuesday evening.The flight, which had 116 passengers, was to touchdown at 5pm but was diverted to Hyderabad. It finally landed in Nagpur at 8.15pm and took off for Kolkata 30 minutes later.After deer, dogs and pigs, a troupe of 70-75Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-39262059484361733582012-01-26T14:43:00.001+05:302012-01-27T14:45:27.308+05:30Airports Authority of India scouts for agenciesThe Airports Authority of India (AAI) has invited applications from advertising agencies for empanelment with the company for a period of one year.As per the official tender document, the scope of work includes publicity campaigns at the local, national and international level. The advertising agencies will also be required to give inputs in terms of creatives, editorials, visuals, etc., to Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-54294499940862983222012-01-26T14:43:00.000+05:302012-01-27T14:44:37.585+05:30Medal for IAF pilot who located Khandu's crashed copterNew Delhi: On the occasion of India celebrating its 63rd Republic Day today, the brave hearts who have displayed exemplary courage will be lauded. Among those who will be honoured will be a helicopter pilot of the Indian Air Force who showed his daredevilry in searching for the crashed Pawan Hans helicopter that was carrying the then Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu.Wing Commander Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-55380816967954253372012-01-26T14:40:00.001+05:302012-01-27T14:43:09.320+05:30Air India Express pilot defies ATC for take-off, puts flyers at riskMumbai: In the span of about 30 seconds, an Air India Express aircraft with about 90 passengers on board created a double scare at Singapore's Changi airport on Monday. First, its pilot did not wait for the vital take-off clearance from the air traffic controller concerned. As the Boeing 737-800 aircraft sped along the runway for a take-off, the alarmed air traffic control officials hauled up theAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-54200230491964227362012-01-26T14:40:00.000+05:302012-01-27T14:41:57.818+05:30Now hoax bomb letter found near city AirportChandigarh A day after a letter was received that stated that bomb were being placed at prominent places, another threat letter of a bomb being placed at the Chandigarh Airport was found near the airport, on Wednesday.According to the police, the letter read, “I have come from Pakistan and I have planted a bomb at the airport, which is my first target.” The letter reportedly also dared the policeAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-42176968538461799772012-01-25T09:50:00.001+05:302012-01-27T09:51:19.116+05:30Ailing private carriers get that sinking feelingIndia’s airline industry is on the verge of crisis. After a decade that saw all leading carriers expand their operations, most industry analysts predict that 2012 will be the year when an Indian airline will go bankrupt.Extortionate taxes, high fuel prices and a bruising price war set in motion by state-run Air India are the main challenges India’s private airlines face.Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-78995352208413578522012-01-25T09:50:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:50:41.379+05:30Chikmagalur, Gadag, Raichur airport surveyBangalore: Land acquisition controversies have dominated headlines for quite some time now. And in a bid to work around the controversies and shortage of land, the state? government is planning to build airports on land of just 100 acres. The Infrastructure? Development Department is currently carrying out surveys in three districts of Gadag, Chikmagalur and Raichur, for expanding air operations Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-62063461722926226872012-01-25T09:49:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:50:01.936+05:30IAF women pilots break altitude barrierNew Delhi: Continuing with their sparkling achievements, IAF women pilots have now begun to go where no women has gone before. They are flying military cargo aircraft sorties to forbidding high-altitude forward areas like Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) and Leh."Since December, some women IAF pilots are flying sorties of AN-32 medium-lift aircraft to DBO, the highest advanced landing ground (makeshift Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-88404521641223202382012-01-25T09:48:00.001+05:302012-01-27T09:49:24.449+05:30Mallya discusses Kingfisher revamp plan with DGCANew Delhi: Weeks after the aviation regulator warned Kingfisher not to compromise on aviation safety, its promoter Vijay Mallya today met DGCA top brass here and discussed the financial and operational recovery plan of the cash-strapped airline."He [Mallya] has a recovery plan. It is up to us to see that he keeps to the plan," DGCA Chief EK Bharat Bhushan told PTI after over an hour-long Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-74829018251572927562012-01-25T09:48:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:48:48.331+05:30Rs 19,911 cr equity lifeline for AI during 12th PlanBangalore: The civil aviation ministry has committed an equity infusion of Rs 19,911 crore into Air India during the 12th plan. The commitment came in the ministry’s approach paper to the plan.The amount is over and above the last few rounds of equity infusions that have taken the carrier’s paid-up capital to Rs 3,345 crore. The new rounds of infusion, bankers say, will be used partly to Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-56305790865774807062012-01-25T09:47:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:48:11.319+05:30Reserve Bank of India rules out SLR status for loans to Air IndiaMumbai: The Reserve Bank of India ruled out statutory liquidity ratio status for loans to Air India, crippling efforts to revive the debt-laden national carrier. The central bank said it will convene a meeting of bankers in two weeks to work out a bail-out policy for companies that are on the verge of default.RBI Governor D Subbarao on Tuesday said the central bank will not be comfortable Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-28378778800238077342012-01-25T09:46:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:47:27.520+05:30Mallya meets RBI Deputy GovernorBangalore: Faced with a severe financial crunch, Kingfisher Airlines' Chairman, Mr Vijay Mallya, met with Dr K.C. Chakrabarty, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India, in Mumbai on Tuesday, sources told Business Line.Bankers, belonging to the lending consortium, said that the meeting could have taken place to request the RBI for its intervention with regard to the airline's account with the banks.Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-88620509305472724652012-01-25T09:45:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:46:36.677+05:30Bangalore airport finalises schedule for phased closure from March 11New Delhi/Bangalore: From March 11 to May 4 flying into and out of Bangalore, the busiest airport in South India, could be a tedious process.The airline watchdog has approved a three-phased closure of the airport beginning March 11. “There was no other way. We have tried to minimise the difficulties to passengers. The period of closure has been shortened. We have also asked the airport operator Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-37628170708746574312012-01-25T09:44:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:45:24.769+05:3030 more airports will be needed in next 5 yrs: Planning CommissionNew Delhi: The growth projections for air passenger traffic suggest an additional requirement of 30 functional airports over the next five years and 180 in the next decade, according to Planning Commission estimates.The passenger terminal capacity in all airports, expected to be 230-240 million this year, is likely to grow to 370 million, the estimates, drawn up in accordance with the investment Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-36382898029598325782012-01-25T09:43:00.001+05:302012-01-27T09:44:32.675+05:30India conducts flight trials of Micro, Mini Air VehiclesBangalore: Flight trials of Micro and Mini Air Vehicles designed and developed to meet many requirements including countering low intensity conflicts, counter terrorism and for rescue operations during natural calamities, were conducted at Hoskote near here, DRDO said on Wednesday.These small vehicles are capable of flying in full autonomous mode and transmitting live day and night video to the Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-82644761890192785162012-01-25T09:43:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:43:54.477+05:30Instrument landing system for Gannavaram airportVijayawada: Instrument landing system (ILS) at Gannavaram airport is likely to be commissioned within one month. A calibration aircraft landed at Gannavaram airport on Wednesday evening.Instrument landing system (ILS) at Gannavaram airport is likely to be commissioned within one month. A calibration aircraft landed at Gannavaram airport on Wednesday evening.The aircraft will calibrate the Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-32055574663729872072012-01-25T09:42:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:43:17.946+05:30Air Mauritius adds frequencies to Mumbai and expands codeshare with Air FranceIt was learned late yesterday that Air Mauritius will offer additional flights between the island of Mauritius and Mumbai, India, from April this year, bringing the total number of flights to four per week. Increased investment and trade between India and Mauritius, along with the appeal of the island as a holiday destination, are the main factors seen in taking this decision.Aviation analysts Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-9474711892911970702012-01-25T09:41:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:42:19.725+05:30RBI grounds AI's bond hopesMumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has refused to convert Air India's Rs 18,000-crore debt to statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) bonds.“We would not consider any such proposal (giving SLR status),” said Governor D Subbarao on Tuesday.Lenders of the cash-strapped airline had given a proposal to convert its Rs 18,000-crore debt to bonds as a part of the restructuring process. The government Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-57877096914101302972012-01-25T09:40:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:41:38.142+05:30COPA Airlines chooses Kale`s interline solutionKale Consultants part of the Accelya Group, a leading solution provider to the airline and travel industry, today announced that COPA Airlines, a leading Latin American carrier, has selected REVERA Interline service for processing their passenger interline billings.Commenting on the occasion Luis Zelaya, Revenue Accounting Director, COPA Airlines said, ``Kale`s expertise in Revenue Accounting andAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-59918076715405157462012-01-25T09:39:00.001+05:302012-01-27T09:40:33.212+05:30Produce request letter for chartered flight: CICMumbai: Serving a show-cause on Alliance Air, the Central Information Commission has directed the Central Public Information Officer to “disclose the name of the person/body/organisation making the request for the chartered flight,” which was operated in 2010, after cancelling the scheduled service. This chartered operation was allegedly to facilitate a service carrying the daughter of a former Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-41366322471557953312012-01-25T09:39:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:39:45.430+05:30Thai AirAsia to pull out from Delhi airportNew Delhi: After AirAsia and Air AsiaX, Thai AirAsia has announced it would withdraw flights from India in two months from now. The subsidiary of the AirAsia Group announced it would do so from March 24.An AirAsia executive in India confirmed on Tuesday that the airline had announced withdrawal of its flights between New Delhi and Bangkok, owing to high operating costs that include high airport Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-86598296807700130432012-01-25T09:38:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:39:08.217+05:30Biometric system trials may kick-off at IGINew Delhi: Trials for the much-awaited biometric card system for prepaid taxi drivers at IGI Airport are expected to begin on Wednesday. The system - initially meant to be launched in January 2010 - will make travelling much safer for passengers, especially foreign nationals who frequently get a raw deal with airport cabbies.Joint commissioner of police (traffic), Satyendra Garg told TOI that theAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-28543940433010791452012-01-25T09:37:00.000+05:302012-01-27T09:38:34.917+05:30Navy jet’s tyre bursts, runway shut for an hourVasco: Air traffic at Goa's Dabolim airport was disrupted for nearly an hour on Monday evening after a tyre of an Indian Navy Sea Harrier jet burst.The tyre of the Sea Harrier burst on landing throwing air traffic out of gear for nearly an hour, an official said.The Dabolim runway was closed from 4.30pm to 5.30 pm."As the evening slot is very crucial for domestic as well international fights manyAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-69302080314760574852012-01-24T00:52:00.001+05:302012-01-25T00:55:17.451+05:30GMR withdraws Croatia airport bid, looks to BrazilGMR Infrastructure has withdrawn its bid to modernise and expand an airport in Croatia, but is preparing to bid on similar projects in Brazil, a company official said."Croatia, we evaluated, then we decided not to go ahead. Looking at the project's economics, they were not working out," the official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.GMR, which built and operates Istanbul airport in Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-31681416112185114692012-01-24T00:52:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:54:21.474+05:3030 more airports will be needed in next 5 yrs: Planning CommNew Delhi: The growth projections for air passenger traffic suggest an additional requirement of 30 functional airports over the next five years and 180 in the next decade, according to Planning Commission estimates.The passenger terminal capacity in all airports, expected to be 230-240 million this year, is likely to grow to 370 million, the estimates, drawn up in accordance with the investment Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-80140191954320046852012-01-24T00:50:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:52:40.355+05:30Plan for four new airports takes off in Gujarat, 17 firms in frayAhmedabad: Seventeen top consultancy firms including Ernst and Young, Mott MacDonald, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Edges India are in the race for the four new airports to be built in Gujarat.On Monday, these firms submitted their bids for these proposed airports that can handle mid-sized airplanes at Palitana, Ambaji, Dwarka and Ankleshwar.Officials from state aviation department said this was a Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-75638241540196136252012-01-24T00:48:00.001+05:302012-01-25T00:51:25.690+05:30Rupee fall boosts domestic air traffic in holiday month of DecemberNew Delhi: Forget slowdown fears. Indians flew like never before within the country in the holiday month of December, with 56.3 lakh people taking to the skies. This surge also took the number of domestic flyers in 2011 just past the 6-crore mark, up 16.6% from previous year's figure of 5.2 crore.According to Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), India is the fastest growing aviation market inAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-601391707263687542012-01-24T00:48:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:50:39.345+05:30Flyer ejected for being rude to pilotAhmedabad/Hyderabad: It was a day-long ordeal for a Hyderabad-based entrepreneur at Ahmedabad airport after he was deplaned by an airline. Praveen Pavuluri was offloaded from Ahmedabad-Hyderabad Indigo flight last Friday for allegedly speaking rudely to the pilot.Pavuluri, who was on a business visit to the city, was offloaded after a minor altercation that took place on the aerobridge. AccordingAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-67009149508993016682012-01-24T00:44:00.001+05:302012-01-25T00:48:17.163+05:30IndiGo may go in for widebody A-330New Delhi:The big boys of Indian aviation may be struggling to survive but a desi low-cost carrier is eying to enter a select league of budget carriers globally that operate widebody aircraft on medium to long-haul routes. India's largest LCC Indi-Go , which currently operates and has on order the single aisle Airbus A-320 , is considering induction of the twin aisle Airbus A-330 into its fleet. Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-28934128013450485132012-01-24T00:44:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:47:25.214+05:30Centre approves renaming of Mana Airport as "Swami Vivekanand Airport, Raipur".The Union Cabinet today approved the renaming of the Mana Airport at Raipur as "Swami Vivekanand Airport, Raipur". This will fulfill the long pending demand of people of Chhattisgarh as well as the State Government of Chhattisgarh.The Raipur Airport belongs to Airports Authority of India (AAI) and is suitable for operation of A-320 type of aircraft (VFR/IFR operations). Presently M/s Air India, Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-76996217876339620032012-01-24T00:42:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:44:09.597+05:30Jet Airways plans ‘sedate' capacity addition in 2012-13New Delhi: Jet Airways said that it would not significantly add capacity during 2012-13. However, the domestic aviation market leader expects yield, revenue/passenger, to improve significantly during the current quarter ending March 31.Jet's share rose to Rs 244.55 on Tuesday on Bombay Stock Exchange, 1.22 per cent higher than the previous closing.This happened because the company posted losses Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-560953675543275262012-01-24T00:41:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:43:06.770+05:30Equity infusion will be essential for the survival of the aviation industry: Bank chiefs tell RBIMumbai: CEOs of commercial banks have informed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that promoters need to bring in equity and there is a need for structural changes for the survival of the aviation industry. Bank chiefs conveyed this to the RBI governor, D Subbaroa, during the quarterly monetary policy meeting held in Mumbai today.The governor Subbaroa made esquires regarding banks lending to Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-67026955832847488072012-01-24T00:38:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:42:18.265+05:30Kingfisher Airlines fishing for cashAnyone looking for an example of how quickly hard times can reverse fortunes in aviation need look no further than Kingfisher Airlines and its boss, the Indian booze baron Vijay Mallya.Once a leading light among the new, private ventures poised to profit from India's burgeoning wealth, Kingfisher - launched in 2005 and named after one of the most popular brands in Mallya's massive United Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-51635371747461693952012-01-24T00:36:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:38:32.093+05:30Dibrugarh airport on alert ahead of celebrationsDibrugarh: The domestic airport at Mohanbari, located 15 km east from here, has been put tight security following inputs from intelligence agencies about possible terror strikes before or on Republic Day. According to reports, Ulfa hardliners might try to launch strikes at vital installations, including airports.Airport controller SK Mallick on Monday said security has been beefed up at the Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-63940172781901224142012-01-24T00:34:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:37:35.919+05:30Central Information Commission issues show cause notice to Alliance AirNew Delhi: The Central Information Commission has issued a show cause notice to Air India subsidiary Alliance Air for not disclosing information about a flight which was pulled out of its scheduled departure to ferry an IPL cricket team, despite its orders.The Delhi-Coimbatore flight was aborted on April 20, 2010 and the aircraft was reportedly used to ferry IPL players and Poorna Patel, daughterAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-65235987018569433542012-01-24T00:20:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:35:41.143+05:30Central Information Commission issues show cause notice to Alliance AirNew Delhi: The Central Information Commission has issued a show cause notice to Air India subsidiary Alliance Air for not disclosing information about a flight which was pulled out of its scheduled departure to ferry an IPL cricket team, despite its orders.The Delhi-Coimbatore flight was aborted on April 20, 2010 and the aircraft was reportedly used to ferry IPL players and Poorna Patel, daughterAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-8617504074077816902012-01-24T00:19:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:36:21.332+05:30Fog hits on-time take-off by airlinesNew Delhi: The fog has brought down the on-time performance (OTP) of domestic airlines. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the overall OTP for domestic flights was just 77.9% last December, down from over 80-90 % earlier . Beleaguered Kingfisher, which has cut flights to survive , topped the list with its truncated schedule flying at 87.3% on time last month. Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-85662390551910591142012-01-24T00:18:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:19:57.429+05:30Fog hits on-time take-off by airlinesNew Delhi: The fog has brought down the on-time performance (OTP) of domestic airlines. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the overall OTP for domestic flights was just 77.9% last December, down from over 80-90 % earlier . Beleaguered Kingfisher, which has cut flights to survive , topped the list with its truncated schedule flying at 87.3% on time last month.KingfisherAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-32190797204237732982012-01-24T00:16:00.001+05:302012-01-25T00:19:16.507+05:30CM late, Indigo delays departureHyderabad: Passengers on a Bengaluru-bound Indigo Airlines flight had to suffer a 20-minute delay on Tuesday as the airline held up the flight until Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and his retinue were aboard. The flight was scheduled to leave at 8.35 am. Indigo Airlines confirmed the delay but said they had bent the rules because they were given misleading information by the Chief Minister’sAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-87930971480866509922012-01-24T00:16:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:17:28.248+05:30Navy jet’s tyre bursts, Dabolim runway shut for an hourVasco: Air traffic at Goa's Dabolim airport was disrupted for nearly an hour on Monday evening after a tyre of an Indian Navy Sea Harrier jet burst.The tyre of the Sea Harrier burst on landing throwing air traffic out of gear for nearly an hour, an official said.The Dabolim runway was closed from 4.30pm to 5.30 pm."As the evening slot is very crucial for domestic as well international fights manyAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-84766203335718881072012-01-24T00:15:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:16:44.264+05:30IT expert arrested for offering ‘discounted’ air ticketsNew Delhi A 24-year old IT engineer was arrested recently for allegedly fleecing people of their money on the pretext of providing them with discounted air-tickets, police said.An investigating officer said even a month after his arrest, complaints against Prakash Kumar kept pouring from across Delhi.According to police, Kumar, who claimed to have worked for a top IT firm, used to pose as an Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-62555975154491456512012-01-24T00:11:00.000+05:302012-01-25T00:15:00.027+05:30MIL to deploy animal trappers at airport againNagpur: On Saturday evening, Indigo's Kolkata-Nagpur-Raipur flight crushed a rabbit on the runway of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport indicating animal menace is far from over.Though airport officials claimed no such mishap occurred, sources confirmed that inspection staff recovered the carcass after the flight took off for Raipur.This incident occurred just after civil aviation Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-52067794857822686662012-01-23T02:15:00.001+05:302012-01-24T02:17:57.955+05:30Soon, safety in the sky as GPS-aided Gagan set to take offChennai: Flights over the country and the Indian Ocean, from East Africa to Australia, will soon be safer, more economical and environment friendly with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) moving a step closer to installing a GPS-aided geo-augmented navigation system (Gagan) for commercial aircraft. Once the system is operational, by late 2013 or early 2014, it will plug a hole in the global Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-23751578593191625092012-01-23T02:15:00.000+05:302012-01-24T02:17:15.902+05:30Jet Air to sale-and-leaseback of 10 aircraft by MarchJet Airways ,the country's largest private carrier has posted its fourth straight quarterly loss on Friday as higher fuel costs continued to hurt its financials. The airline posted a Rs 101.22 crore loss for the December quarter against a Rs 118 crore profit which it posted in the year-ago period.In an interview to CNBC-TV18, M Shivkumar, senior vice-president (finance) at Jet said expensive fuelAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-46948437171150691862012-01-23T02:12:00.001+05:302012-01-24T02:15:17.014+05:30FDI in aviation may give flight to domestic airlinesNewDelhi: Operating through a tough financial environment, Indian carriers see a ray of hope in the government proposal to allow foreign airlines to invest funds and expertise in them so as to bring back the zing in the sector."A market growing at over 15 percent, huge untapped market in the interiors, growing per capita incomes and propensity to fly make India an attractive aviation market to beAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-79082846238970453942012-01-23T02:12:00.000+05:302012-01-24T02:14:25.467+05:30Airlines rocking on pot-holed runwayMumbai: Last week, Air India executives told lender-banks it would not be able to pay interest from February. Working capital interest is about Rs 200 crore and each month the airline has a cash deficit of Rs 500-700 crore. The management has decided to pay salaries only after the government decides to release Rs 150 crore.While the financial condition of other airlines may not be as grim, there Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-36389550046844064512012-01-23T02:09:00.000+05:302012-01-24T02:12:42.172+05:30Land acquisition for Tiruchi airport expansion in three phasesTiruchi: The Airport Advisory Committee has recommended to the district administration to take up the land acquisition for the expansion of the Tiruchi Airport in three phases so as to complete the exercise expeditiously, according to committee chairman P.Kumar, MP.The district administration has recently formed a special team comprising the Airport Director, Revenue Divisional Officer, Joint Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-56203998965416729772012-01-23T02:08:00.000+05:302012-01-24T02:10:28.679+05:30Bird-hit Indigo airlines escapes another tragedyIndore: A Raipur-bound IndiGo flight averted another tragedy on Sunday, Jan 22 after a bird-hit forced the flight to stop on the runway minutes before take-off at Devi Ahilyabai Airport, Indore.According to the airlines spokesperson, the 6-I-252 at round 3.15 PM was taking off when it was hit by a bird. He said that the crew and the passengers were safe. The plane was immediately stopped to avertAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-81534093782981139302012-01-23T02:05:00.001+05:302012-01-24T02:08:06.085+05:30Jet Lite, Jet Konnect to merge under a single brand by MayCountry's largest private sector air carrier Jet Airways today said it will complete the merger of its two low-cost models - Jet Lite and Jet Konnect - under a single brand by May. "We are contemplating brand merger of Jet Lite and Jet Konnect. Jet Lite will cease to exist by April-May. We expect capacity addition in low cost models as well," a Jet Airways official told financial experts Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-30881812523650887582012-01-23T02:05:00.000+05:302012-01-24T02:07:10.933+05:30Ghana man arrested at airport with cocaineNew Delhi: A 32-year-old man from Ghana was arrested from Indira Gandhi International airport here allegedly with 200 grams of cocaine with street value of around Rs two crore, police said today. Paul Dika Acquah was apprehended last Friday from the airport parking soon after he came from Mumbai, Sanjay Bhatia, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), said. "The cocaine was concealed in Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-49745182837298416312012-01-23T02:03:00.000+05:302012-01-24T02:05:12.959+05:30Air India flights restoration to be taken up with MinisterTiruchirapalli: The popular demand for restoration of cancelled and curtailed Air India Express flights to various foreign destinations from Tiruchi will be taken up with Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, said P. Kumar, MP and Chairman of the Airport Advisory Committee, here on Saturday.With the withdrawal and cancellation of 10 flights a week, the total number of flights operated by the Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-24915600584732807702012-01-23T02:02:00.000+05:302012-01-24T02:04:39.670+05:30HC relief for Israeli girl held in cartridge caseMumbai: The Bombay High Court has discharged an Israeli national, arrested at the international airport here last October after two live cartridges were found in her backpack, noting that it was not a "conscious possession".Nurit Toker was arrested on October 27, 2011 at the Mumbai Airport. Toker, in India on a holiday, was on her way to Kathmandu. She had to spend four days in the police custodyAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-78596714412016113542012-01-22T18:57:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:58:18.392+05:30Rs 10,030 crore plan to link India with choppersMumbai: It's a project that would straightaway double the number of helicopters in the country. The government-owned Pawan Hans has submitted a Rs 10,030-crore proposal to four central ministries seeking the purchase of 249 helicopters and 10 sea planes and the construction of 180 helipads across India. The aircraft and helipads would aid tourism, of course. But, more significantly, they would Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-9079882086437444102012-01-22T18:56:00.002+05:302012-01-22T18:57:17.955+05:30Plan panel to allocate Rs 5K crore to develop civilian planeNew Delhi: CSIR's ambitious plans to develop a 90-seater passenger aircraft are set to get a boost with the Planning Commission expected to allocate Rs 5,000 crore for the project in the 12th Five Year Plan."The Planning Commission is expected to sanction Rs 5,000 crore for the design and development phase of the project in the 12th Plan," officials said.The civilian RTA project was proposed by aAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-12331762770593458492012-01-22T18:56:00.001+05:302012-01-22T18:56:39.857+05:30FDI in aviation may give flight to domestic airlinesNew Delhi: Operating through a tough financial environment, Indian carriers see a ray of hope in the government proposal to allow foreign airlines to invest funds and expertise in them so as to bring back the zing in the sector."A market growing at over 15 percent, huge untapped market in the interiors, growing per capita incomes and propensity to fly make India an attractive aviation market to Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-32160521406875358052012-01-22T18:55:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:56:01.818+05:30PAC slams Air India for acquiring planes through debtNew Delhi: Questioning the timing of merger and fleet acquisition when Air India was under heavy debt, Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has asked the airline to submit all documents related to the issue within a week. Top officials of Air India and erstwhile Indian Airlines faced some tough questioning by the Parliamentary panel which also slammed them over complaints of poor passenger Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-14978838854453522692012-01-22T18:54:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:55:16.367+05:30Air India Express plays with lives of passengersNew Delhi: Endangering the lives of thousands of passengers, Air India Express, the low-cost arm of national carrier Air India, has been found to have violated the flight duty time limitation (FDTL) regulations for their pilots (rendering them prone to fatigue), investigations by aviation regulator DGCA have revealed.In an indictment of Air India Express on the matter, DGCA discovered that the Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-58134011822272188762012-01-22T18:53:00.002+05:302012-01-22T18:54:42.184+05:30‘Pilot with dubious record hired’New Delhi: In a shocking discovery, a DGCA audit has found that a foreign pilot “with dubious flying credentials”, hired from an aviation consultancy firm, had been recruited without his log record being verified by the previous company in which he had served.The DGCA also slammed the training in Air India Express, saying that “correct assessments are not being done by the training captains whichAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-5019791273539850142012-01-22T18:53:00.001+05:302012-01-22T18:53:38.708+05:30Air India flights restoration to be taken up with MinisterTiruchi: The popular demand for restoration of cancelled and curtailed Air India Express flights to various foreign destinations from Tiruchi will be taken up with Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, said P. Kumar, MP and Chairman of the Airport Advisory Committee, here on Saturday.With the withdrawal and cancellation of 10 flights a week, the total number of flights operated by the airline from Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-37683223578141026882012-01-22T18:52:00.001+05:302012-01-22T18:52:59.359+05:30Direct ATF import plan sent to GoMMumbai: The Cabinet will soon meet to decide on allowing domestic airline companies to import aviation turbine fuel (ATF) directly, without routing it through the oil companies acting as canalising agent.Official sources say the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), the body for handling trade issues, has already given the in-principle approval to the proposal and sent its comments to Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-5531690551586963692012-01-22T18:51:00.001+05:302012-01-22T18:51:55.837+05:30Passengers protest rescheduling of Singapore flightPassengers of the Air Inida (AI) 632 flight protested at the Kolkata airport against the cancellation of the Singapore-bound flight that originated in Dhaka. The flight was supposed to take off at 3.30 am on Saturday. Passengers boarded the aircraft at 3.10 am and at 4.35 am, they were asked to de-board when a technical snag was detected. “We have been made to wait at the lounge since then Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-85785561166990360152012-01-22T18:50:00.002+05:302012-01-22T18:51:11.957+05:30Land acquisition for Tiruchirapalli airport expansion in three phasesTiruchirapalli: The Airport Advisory Committee has recommended to the district administration to take up the land acquisition for the expansion of the Tiruchi Airport in three phases so as to complete the exercise expeditiously, according to committee chairman P.Kumar, MP.The district administration has recently formed a special team comprising the Airport Director, Revenue Divisional Officer, Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-10053000834454024132012-01-22T18:50:00.001+05:302012-01-22T18:50:44.175+05:30Tourist visa on arrival: CIAL selectedThiruvananthapuram: Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) is one among the four airports selected by the interministerial coordination for tourism sector to allow visa on arrival facility which will give a big boost to the tourism scenario in Kerala with regard to the flow of foreign tourists.Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) would take steps to facilitate extension of tourist visa on arrival Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-47370177709353637882012-01-22T18:46:00.001+05:302012-01-22T18:50:11.640+05:30CBI officer wants £ 50,000 from A-I for 12-hour tortureMumbai: A senior Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer has sued Air India for £50,000 (Rs 39 lakh), accusing the national carrier of in human treatment, flying with an underqualified pilot and providing false information. CBI DIG Praveen Salunkhe’s complaint to the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission comes after his flight was stranded for more than 12 hours at UK’s Gatwick Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-392280311839289112012-01-22T18:45:00.001+05:302012-01-22T18:45:59.945+05:30Vijayawada airport expansion at a standstillVijayawada: The inordinate delay in land acquisition has brought expansion of the Vijayawada airport at Gannavaram to a standstill. Except for a small portion, no major expansion work has been carried out even five years after launching the project.The state government entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for expansion and development of the Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-63937365900695023182012-01-22T18:44:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:45:29.359+05:30One nabbed in AI Express job racket caseKochi: CBI on Saturday arrested an outsourced employee of Air India Express at Cochin Airport on charges that he was part of job racket which took money from applicants who had applied for the post of cabin crew with the airline.The CBI SP Krishnakumar told TOI here that more employees including some full-fledged staff of the airline are under interrogation in connection with the case. He gave Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-78122136648288841002012-01-21T18:44:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:44:41.207+05:30Pilots fail test for small planes, but get big ones to flyNew Delhi: Imagine a person found misfit to drive a small car being allowed to get behind the wheels of a big truck. If that sounds scary, hear this. The aviation safety regulator has found that some trainees who failed to become co-pilots or qualify as commanders on single-aisle Boeing 737 on Air India's budget arm AI Express were taken by the parent company to fulfil their dream on the widebodyAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-11315099875380500442012-01-21T18:43:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:43:58.613+05:30Despite slow growth, domestic airlines flew 6 crore in 2011New Delhi: Despite a fall in demand among domestic air travellers in December, the number of passengers flown by domestic airlines during the calendar year touched an all-time high of over 6 crore.The latest data collated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation show that in December, domestic air traffic growth was in single digits. Incidentally, passenger demand for domestic travel has Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-42989357457777297172012-01-21T18:42:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:43:14.583+05:30Indian air not clear for foreign airlinesNew Delhi: As the centenary celebrations (1911-2011) of civil aviation in India taper off, all the airlines recently faced a rap from the aviation regulator for cutting corners on safety-related issues due to mounting losses and perceived lack of funds but the carriers can heave a sigh of relief as the government on Tuesday decided to consider allowing foreign airlines pick equity in Indian Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-82626008778001258772012-01-21T18:41:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:42:21.470+05:30Aviation secy worried over bad condition of Nagpur airport runwayNagpur: Some weeks ago, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's ( DGCA) had warned Nagpur airport officials to immediately resurface the 3,200-meter runway at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport. A few days ago, civil aviation secretary Nasim Zaidi too asked Mihan India Ltd (MIL), the city airport operator, to ensure that all issues related to airport safety are taken care, including Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-89910581409060246262012-01-21T18:40:00.001+05:302012-01-22T18:41:33.312+05:30Close shave for Srinagar bound passengersJammu: The passengers of the Delhi-Jammu-Srinagar flight (554) of IndiGo Airlines had a miraculous escape on Saturday when the pilot aborted the take-off at the last moment to avoid collision with a vehicle on the runway at Jammu Airport.The flight was scheduled to take-off from Jammu Airport to Srinagar at around 9.45am, when an SRTC bus carrying stranded passengers to technical airport strayed Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-30765290344099969712012-01-21T18:40:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:40:42.105+05:30Inaugurate Indore airport terminal at the earliest, say MPsIndore: Two Members of Parliament (MP) from the region have taken up the issue of delay in inauguration of the new terminal building of the Indore Airport with the Union government and urged that terminal be inaugurated at the earliest.In a letter to the Director General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA) and Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, MPs Sumitra Mahajan of BJP and Sajjan Singh Verma of BJP have Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-3843705520551598922012-01-21T18:39:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:40:02.034+05:30More cracks found in Airbus A380 wingsAirbus insisted its A380 superjumbo is safe to fly after another set of cracks was discovered in the wings of the worlds largest jetliner, though an engineering union said it was downplaying the issue and some Asian airlines said they would develop inspection programs . It is the second time in as many weeks that hairline cracks have surfaced inside the mammoth double-decker jet, which entered Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-16364959054618547852012-01-21T18:38:00.001+05:302012-01-22T18:39:21.081+05:30Delhi Airport Proposed Fee Hike Alarms International AirlinesSeveral international carriers are threatening to reduce or eliminate service to Indira Ghandi International Airport (IGI) because of a dramatic increase in fees proposed by the facility’s operator, Delhi International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (DIAL)“The proposed multi-fold increase of landing charges at IGI airport is counterproductive, since India risks pricing itself out of the market for regional Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-61585347163521546262012-01-21T18:38:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:38:32.794+05:30Kozhikode airport. CBI unearths more evidence of graftKochi: The CBI has gathered more evidence of corruption related to the construction of the runway of Kozhikode international airport. The CBI has found that the airport officials had presented a fake invoice of Rs 40 lakh from a non-existent shop in Manjeri for the cement purchased for the construction.?The airport officials had presented a fraudulent bill before the auditing team of the AirportsAv Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-67532219560543961722012-01-21T18:37:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:37:59.713+05:30Airfares set to rise with higher airport feesNew Delhi: India's aviation sector is heading for a major hike in airfares as the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) is consulting with stakeholders of major airports for revising airport charges, such as navigation, parking and fees for various airport facilities used by airlines, that have not been reworked since 2001.India's state-owned airport developer Airport Authority of India (Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-49813992075497507692012-01-21T18:36:00.001+05:302012-01-22T18:37:22.094+05:30Second Doppler likely for MumbaiMumbai: Hardly two years after Mumbai's first Doppler radar was installed in Navy Nagar, the city may get another one soon. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has sought a second Doppler radar for the city in the next five-year-plan."We have proposed an additional Doppler radar for Mumbai in the five-year plan," Dr Ajit Tyagi, director general of meteorology at IMD, Delhi, said at an Av Indianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20196192.post-81944805652645772032012-01-21T18:36:00.000+05:302012-01-22T18:36:47.634+05:30Tower triggers airport, police rowHyderabad: A communication tower located at the office of the North Zone deputy commissioner of police (DCP) in Secunderabad has triggered a row between police and Begumpet airport authorities.Two months back, the police department had installed a 60-metre high communication tower on its premises without first obtaining the permission of the Airports Authority of India (AAI)."As per AAI norms, noAv Indianoreply@blogger.com