Mystery continues to surround the death of a 30-year-old Gurgaon-based flight attendant three weeks after her body was found on a railway track near Munich, Germany.
Authorities in Germany are still investigating the case, and are yet to zero in on the circumstances leading to Shalini Yadav’s death. Her employers have refused to comment.
Yadav, a flight attendant with the Germany-based Lufthansa Airlines, was on a stopover at Munich after a Mumbai-Munich flight on February 2.
She was on duty, and was supposed to take the Munich-Mumbai flight on February 5.
But, according to the investigating officers in Munich, Yadav was found dead on the railway tracks around 10 kilometres from Munich.
“The case is still under investigation. She was killed by the train, and parts of the body was found till 100 metres on the train’s course,” M Titz, the senior public prosecutor in Munich and head of the department investigating the case, told Newsline on Monday.
While her family in India could not be contacted for more details, German authorities are now finding it hard to get to any conclusion in the absence of vital clues.
“While the investigations are still on, a case of death for unknown reason has been registered here,” Titz said. “We do not suppose it is a capital crime, murder or manslaughter. It seems she killed herself — having investigated so far, we do not suppose it to be a murder.” But the investigators are keeping all avenues open, Titz added.
Geeta Gupta/Express India
Saturday, February 28, 2009
NEWS| Kingfisher Airlines rejigs management; elevates 21 officials
In a large scale rejig of management, Vijay Mallaya-promoted air carrier Kingfisher Airlines has elevated 21 officials in the rank of vice president, assistant vice-president, general manager and sales head.
In an internal circular, Mallaya claimed that the promotions have been necessitated consequent upon Kingfisher Airlines and Deccan Aviation merger, only one person from erstwhile Deccan figured in the list.
Those who have been promoted include Ajit Bhagchandani (VP, in-flight services), Captain N N Puri (VP, flights operation training), Group Captain Pankaj Chopra (VP flight safety), Vikram Malhotra (VP marketing) and Prakash Mirburi (VP corporate communication), the official said.
Vijay K Arora would be head of sales for northern and eastern zone and Bhanu Kaila would head the sales team for western and southern zone, he said.
PTI/Times of India
In an internal circular, Mallaya claimed that the promotions have been necessitated consequent upon Kingfisher Airlines and Deccan Aviation merger, only one person from erstwhile Deccan figured in the list.
Those who have been promoted include Ajit Bhagchandani (VP, in-flight services), Captain N N Puri (VP, flights operation training), Group Captain Pankaj Chopra (VP flight safety), Vikram Malhotra (VP marketing) and Prakash Mirburi (VP corporate communication), the official said.
Vijay K Arora would be head of sales for northern and eastern zone and Bhanu Kaila would head the sales team for western and southern zone, he said.
PTI/Times of India
Friday, February 27, 2009
NEWS| Jet Airways to stop Doha-Calicut service from March end
Jet Airways will be cancelling its direct flight from Doha to Calicut in the southern Indian state of Kerala by the end of next month.
The decision was taken due to low passenger load to the sector, airline sources said yesterday. However, the airline will continue its connection flights to Calicut via Mumbai as well flights to other Indian destinations- Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi, Kerala. The last flight to Calicut would operate on March 28. Those who have bought tickets to travel after that date have been allowed to reroute their trip or accept a refund from the company, said an airline official.
“We are offering a full refund if the ticket is not used. The passengers can also re-route their journey in our Doha-Mumbai-Calicut flight or Doha-Kochi direct flight,” said the official. He said a number of people had bought tickets for the Doha-Calicut flight to travel during the forthcoming summer holidays. “ We have bookings up to August,” said the official.
Jet Airways is the sole Indian private airline operating flights to the Gulf sector. The company has also decided to stop some of its flights operating to other Gulf countries.
The Peninsula, Qatar
The decision was taken due to low passenger load to the sector, airline sources said yesterday. However, the airline will continue its connection flights to Calicut via Mumbai as well flights to other Indian destinations- Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi, Kerala. The last flight to Calicut would operate on March 28. Those who have bought tickets to travel after that date have been allowed to reroute their trip or accept a refund from the company, said an airline official.
“We are offering a full refund if the ticket is not used. The passengers can also re-route their journey in our Doha-Mumbai-Calicut flight or Doha-Kochi direct flight,” said the official. He said a number of people had bought tickets for the Doha-Calicut flight to travel during the forthcoming summer holidays. “ We have bookings up to August,” said the official.
Jet Airways is the sole Indian private airline operating flights to the Gulf sector. The company has also decided to stop some of its flights operating to other Gulf countries.
The Peninsula, Qatar
Thursday, February 26, 2009
NEWS| After 10 years, India will have 400 airports: Minister
The number of airports in India will go up from the present 85 to about 400 in the next 10 years, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said here on Saturday.
It was a busy day for Patel, who visited three cities to inaugurate two new air terminals and lay the foundation stone of a third.
Patel opened new integrated terminals at Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu) airports and later flew in to Goa to lay the foundation stone for the new integrated terminal at Goa airport.
On Friday, he visited five cities - Mumbai, Indore, Bhopal, Raipur and Ranchi - to start the modernisation projects at their airports.
All these airports are to get new integrated terminal buildings as part of the government's ambitious project to upgrade 35 non-metro airports at a cost of Rs.105 billion (Rs.10,500 crore).
Speaking at the foundation-stone laying ceremony at Chicalim in south Goa, Patel said the civil aviation sector would attract investments worth Rs.500 billion (Rs.50,000 crore) in the next 10 years and the number of airports will go up from 85 to 400 during this period.
He added that the civil aviation sector would alter India's employment landscape within a decade.
Source| IANS/Economic Times
It was a busy day for Patel, who visited three cities to inaugurate two new air terminals and lay the foundation stone of a third.
Patel opened new integrated terminals at Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu) airports and later flew in to Goa to lay the foundation stone for the new integrated terminal at Goa airport.
On Friday, he visited five cities - Mumbai, Indore, Bhopal, Raipur and Ranchi - to start the modernisation projects at their airports.
All these airports are to get new integrated terminal buildings as part of the government's ambitious project to upgrade 35 non-metro airports at a cost of Rs.105 billion (Rs.10,500 crore).
Speaking at the foundation-stone laying ceremony at Chicalim in south Goa, Patel said the civil aviation sector would attract investments worth Rs.500 billion (Rs.50,000 crore) in the next 10 years and the number of airports will go up from 85 to 400 during this period.
He added that the civil aviation sector would alter India's employment landscape within a decade.
Source| IANS/Economic Times
NEWS| AI seeks Rs 5,000-cr loan from banks, FIs to buy 7 aircraft
National air-carrier Air India has floated tenders for long-term loans to raise around Rs 5,000-crore from domestic and global banking or financial institutions to fund acquisition of seven aircraft.
For the US Exim guaranteed facility, the term would be 12 years while for commercial, it would be five years, the National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL) tender document said.
NACIL is the holding company formed after the merger of Air India and Indian (erstwhile Indian Airlines) into a single entity.
The funds may be raised either in national or foreign currency or in a mix of both, the document said.
Air India plans to acquire these aircraft over the next eight months, with the first delivery expected around June this year.
Of the seven aircraft proposed to be acquired, three would be Boeing 777-200 (Long Range) and four Boeing 777-300 (Extended Range).
PTI/Economic Times
For the US Exim guaranteed facility, the term would be 12 years while for commercial, it would be five years, the National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL) tender document said.
NACIL is the holding company formed after the merger of Air India and Indian (erstwhile Indian Airlines) into a single entity.
The funds may be raised either in national or foreign currency or in a mix of both, the document said.
Air India plans to acquire these aircraft over the next eight months, with the first delivery expected around June this year.
Of the seven aircraft proposed to be acquired, three would be Boeing 777-200 (Long Range) and four Boeing 777-300 (Extended Range).
PTI/Economic Times
NEWS| Air India struggles to pay wages
State carrier Air India, which was overlooked in Monday’s interim Budget, finds itself in a precarious financial situation, whereby it is becoming increasingly difficult for the airline to pay wages to its staff, fulfil lease commitments and aircraft loans.
In a recent meeting of civil aviation secretary N Madhavan Nambiar with Air India officials held in Mumbai to take stock of Air India’s current health, the beleaguered state carrier had pleaded for funds. Air India admitted that vendors were putting it (Air India) on credit hold. It has become “difficult to pay wages, (fulfil) lease commitments and aircraft loans,” the airline said.
In a presentation made to the secretary, Air India requested for a soft loan from Government (Rs 2,750 crore) and an equity infusion (Rs 1,231 crore). The funds would help it “to strengthen the balance sheet and infuse confidence among institutional lenders to support the aircraft acquisition program,” it said. The proposal for equity infusion and soft loan has been awaiting the government’s nod.
Underlining the urgency of funds, the carrier said in the presentation that it was imperative to receive funds from government in February-March 2009, citing mounting losses, which show no signs of abating.
Air India is due to receive 30 aircraft next fiscal, for which it has already tied up funds to the tune of Rs 8,165.64 crore, partly from international banking consortiums. It is this expenditure which the Parliament cleared in the interim Budget on Monday. It has already received 15 aircrafts due for delivery this fiscal, payment for which is being made in a deferred manner.
The cash-strapped national carrier has been pitching for an equity infusion and a soft loan from the government, set aback by the global slowdown and an ambitious fleet acquisition plan. In the interim budget presented on Monday, hardly any relief came to the national carrier by way of government allocation of funds.
Smita Aggarwal/Indian Express
In a recent meeting of civil aviation secretary N Madhavan Nambiar with Air India officials held in Mumbai to take stock of Air India’s current health, the beleaguered state carrier had pleaded for funds. Air India admitted that vendors were putting it (Air India) on credit hold. It has become “difficult to pay wages, (fulfil) lease commitments and aircraft loans,” the airline said.
In a presentation made to the secretary, Air India requested for a soft loan from Government (Rs 2,750 crore) and an equity infusion (Rs 1,231 crore). The funds would help it “to strengthen the balance sheet and infuse confidence among institutional lenders to support the aircraft acquisition program,” it said. The proposal for equity infusion and soft loan has been awaiting the government’s nod.
Underlining the urgency of funds, the carrier said in the presentation that it was imperative to receive funds from government in February-March 2009, citing mounting losses, which show no signs of abating.
Air India is due to receive 30 aircraft next fiscal, for which it has already tied up funds to the tune of Rs 8,165.64 crore, partly from international banking consortiums. It is this expenditure which the Parliament cleared in the interim Budget on Monday. It has already received 15 aircrafts due for delivery this fiscal, payment for which is being made in a deferred manner.
The cash-strapped national carrier has been pitching for an equity infusion and a soft loan from the government, set aback by the global slowdown and an ambitious fleet acquisition plan. In the interim budget presented on Monday, hardly any relief came to the national carrier by way of government allocation of funds.
Smita Aggarwal/Indian Express
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
NEWS| Ranchi-Patna flight in March
Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel said today said that a Patna-Ranchi flight service would be launched from next month.
In the capital to lay the foundation stone of a new integrated terminal building at Birsa Munda Airport, Patel said that a new cargo complex would be built once the new terminal was commissioned.
Talking to Governor Syed Sibtey Razi, the Union minister also suggested introduction of an intra-state air service.
Razi was present on the occasion as the chief guest along with wife Chand Farhana. Union minister of state for food processing Subodh Kant Sahay also attended the programme.
Patel said that starting an inter-district air services was not difficult. All the state government needs to do is provide a subsidy of Rs 15 to 20 crore per annum. He added that his department was ready with the blueprints of the project.
Elaborating on the plan, the Union civil aviation minister said that the facility can start with only two aircraft. Some minor repairing work is required at the airfields lying unused in different parts of the state.
He added that an open tender could be invited for the project, which would bring development in the state.
As for the new terminal building, it will be spread over 18,700sqm and will be made up of glass and steel.
The building will have all modern facilities such as central air conditioning, online X-ray baggage inspection system, conveyor system for inspection and carriage of luggage, close circuit television camera, check-in counter and car parking lots.
Besides, the terminal building will have natural lighting system and have the capacity to handle 500 domestic and 200 international passengers. The total cost of the project is Rs 140 crore.
Raj Kumar/The Telegraph
In the capital to lay the foundation stone of a new integrated terminal building at Birsa Munda Airport, Patel said that a new cargo complex would be built once the new terminal was commissioned.
Talking to Governor Syed Sibtey Razi, the Union minister also suggested introduction of an intra-state air service.
Razi was present on the occasion as the chief guest along with wife Chand Farhana. Union minister of state for food processing Subodh Kant Sahay also attended the programme.
Patel said that starting an inter-district air services was not difficult. All the state government needs to do is provide a subsidy of Rs 15 to 20 crore per annum. He added that his department was ready with the blueprints of the project.
Elaborating on the plan, the Union civil aviation minister said that the facility can start with only two aircraft. Some minor repairing work is required at the airfields lying unused in different parts of the state.
He added that an open tender could be invited for the project, which would bring development in the state.
As for the new terminal building, it will be spread over 18,700sqm and will be made up of glass and steel.
The building will have all modern facilities such as central air conditioning, online X-ray baggage inspection system, conveyor system for inspection and carriage of luggage, close circuit television camera, check-in counter and car parking lots.
Besides, the terminal building will have natural lighting system and have the capacity to handle 500 domestic and 200 international passengers. The total cost of the project is Rs 140 crore.
Raj Kumar/The Telegraph
NEWS| Paramount may tie up with two foreign airlines to fly overseas
Chennai-based Paramount Airways is likely to form tie-ups with two foreign airlines in order to attain the required size to fly abroad.
The move will also help Paramount to offer an integrated service to international travellers visiting India.
According to the present regulations, airlines need to complete five years in the domestic market and also have a minimum fleet size of 20 aircraft to be eligible to fly in international routes.
Paramount is currently talking to four airlines, including Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar and Thai Airways, and expects to close a deal in the current quarter, sources close to the development said.When contacted, Paramount Airways managing director M Thiagarajan confirmed that the carrier was talking to a few foreign airlines but declined to give further details.
The load factor for most airlines has come down by 25% due to the economic slow-down. Airlines are now analysing different models to increase passenger traffic. Para-mount Airways is the market leader with 26% share in south India and reported a 45% increase in passenger traffic in January compared with last year.
Analysts said this kind of arrangement would indirectly help domestic carriers that are yet to fly international. Numerous international travellers and NRIs come to Mumbai, or Delhi, through international airlines and thereafter rearrange their journey to local destinations.
Mithun Roy/Economic Times
The move will also help Paramount to offer an integrated service to international travellers visiting India.
According to the present regulations, airlines need to complete five years in the domestic market and also have a minimum fleet size of 20 aircraft to be eligible to fly in international routes.
Paramount is currently talking to four airlines, including Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar and Thai Airways, and expects to close a deal in the current quarter, sources close to the development said.When contacted, Paramount Airways managing director M Thiagarajan confirmed that the carrier was talking to a few foreign airlines but declined to give further details.
The load factor for most airlines has come down by 25% due to the economic slow-down. Airlines are now analysing different models to increase passenger traffic. Para-mount Airways is the market leader with 26% share in south India and reported a 45% increase in passenger traffic in January compared with last year.
Analysts said this kind of arrangement would indirectly help domestic carriers that are yet to fly international. Numerous international travellers and NRIs come to Mumbai, or Delhi, through international airlines and thereafter rearrange their journey to local destinations.
Mithun Roy/Economic Times
NEWS| 9 dead in Turkish plane crash in Amsterdam
A Turkish Airlines plane with 135 people aboard slammed into a muddy field while attempting to land at Amsterdam's main airport Wednesday.
Nine people were killed and more than 50 were injured, many seriously, officials said.
The Boeing 737-800 broke into three pieces on impact about two miles (three kilometers) short of a runway at Schiphol Airport. The fuselage split in two, close to the cockpit, and the tail broke off. One engine lay almost intact near the wreck in the muddy field. The other was some 200 yards (meters) from the plane and heavily damaged, an Associated Press photographer at the scene said.
Flight TK1951 left Istanbul's Ataturk Airport at 8:22 a.m. (0622 GMT, 0122 EST) bound for Amsterdam, then crashed at 1031 a.m. (0931 GMT, 0431 EST).
Authorities say they have found the flight data recorders of the plane.
Nine people were killed and more than 50 were injured, many seriously, officials said.
The Boeing 737-800 broke into three pieces on impact about two miles (three kilometers) short of a runway at Schiphol Airport. The fuselage split in two, close to the cockpit, and the tail broke off. One engine lay almost intact near the wreck in the muddy field. The other was some 200 yards (meters) from the plane and heavily damaged, an Associated Press photographer at the scene said.
Flight TK1951 left Istanbul's Ataturk Airport at 8:22 a.m. (0622 GMT, 0122 EST) bound for Amsterdam, then crashed at 1031 a.m. (0931 GMT, 0431 EST).
Authorities say they have found the flight data recorders of the plane.
NEWS| Qantas cuts India, China services
Australia’s Qantas is to cut direct flights from Sydney to China’s Beijing and from Melbourne to Shanghai, but will increase flights between Sydney and Shanghai.
It also will cut direct flights from Australia to Mumbai, India, with all services to Mumbai to operate via Singapore from mid-May.
It also will withdraw from the domestic New Zealand market and hand those services to sister airline Jetstar, which has already signalled a fares war.
Impactpub.com
It also will cut direct flights from Australia to Mumbai, India, with all services to Mumbai to operate via Singapore from mid-May.
It also will withdraw from the domestic New Zealand market and hand those services to sister airline Jetstar, which has already signalled a fares war.
Impactpub.com
VIDEOS| Double Bed in the Air| Awesome - Singapore Airlines
 | Signapore Airlines A380 is one of the most luxurious aircraft. Double bed & private suites! this is truly flying in style! |
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
VIDEO| Emirates A-380: Space, Luxury and the Beauty of the Crew
| visit of the cabin of Emirates new A-380 at delivery in Hamburg, Economy Class and Bar in Business/First Class |
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
JOBS| Calling Cabin Crew
Oman Air has built up as a strong , competitive leader in the airline industry.
Committed to recruiting and nurturing bright and dynamic individuals to meet manpower needs.
Oman Air in conjunction with Frankfinn Management Consultants is looking for ( Females)people with STAR qualities to join as Cabin Crew, a career that takes you around the world !
Be a part of the elite team of cabin crew and experience new cultures and meet new people and delight in bringing excellent customer- service.
Educational : High Secondary School Or equivalent level
Age : 21--28 years
Martial Status: Single
Height & Weight: Minimum 158 cms & weight in ratio of height
Eyesight : 6/6 without glasses [ contact lenses are acceptable]
Languages Known: Fluency in written / spoken English, Knowledge of other languages and customer service experience will be an added advantage.
All candidates are required to pass English & Swimming tests
WALK - IN FOR PRE- SCREENING INTERVIEW
Venue ; C-12, 2nd Floor, Vishal Enclave.[ Above Sony World] Rajouri Garden, New Delhi 110027
Date : 18th and 19th February2009
Time : 10.00a.m to 5.30p.m
You can also email your CV to recruitment@fmcindia .in
Committed to recruiting and nurturing bright and dynamic individuals to meet manpower needs.
Oman Air in conjunction with Frankfinn Management Consultants is looking for ( Females)people with STAR qualities to join as Cabin Crew, a career that takes you around the world !
Be a part of the elite team of cabin crew and experience new cultures and meet new people and delight in bringing excellent customer- service.
Educational : High Secondary School Or equivalent level
Age : 21--28 years
Martial Status: Single
Height & Weight: Minimum 158 cms & weight in ratio of height
Eyesight : 6/6 without glasses [ contact lenses are acceptable]
Languages Known: Fluency in written / spoken English, Knowledge of other languages and customer service experience will be an added advantage.
All candidates are required to pass English & Swimming tests
WALK - IN FOR PRE- SCREENING INTERVIEW
Venue ; C-12, 2nd Floor, Vishal Enclave.[ Above Sony World] Rajouri Garden, New Delhi 110027
Date : 18th and 19th February2009
Time : 10.00a.m to 5.30p.m
You can also email your CV to recruitment@fmcindia .in
Saturday, February 14, 2009
The secret behind Indigo's success
Like a model in a beauty pageant, low-cost carrier IndiGo is obsessed with weight management. The light coat of paint it uses on its aircraft has reduced their weight by around 50 kg.
It has ordered seats which weigh just 12.8 kg, a new record in India. All its aircraft are cleaned and scrubbed thoroughly every day so that garbage or dust does not raise its weight.
Each of these functions may cut just a fraction of the flab of a 42-tonne aircraft. Taken together, the reduction is not insignificant. Just as a model cannot hope to win a pageant unless her body is in terrific trim, IndiGo has realised that it needs to cut the weight of its aircraft to keep its head above water.
A lighter aircraft means lesser fuel burnt during flights. Jet fuel accounts for 55-60 per cent of the cost of operations for IndiGo. Thus, IndiGo burns less cash than its rivals when its aircraft are flying in the skies. The closely-held airline does not disclose financial numbers. According to KPMG analyst Mark D Martin, a lighter aircraft can cut an airline's operating costs by as much as 10 per cent.
Surajeet Das Gupta & Anirban Chowdhury/Rediff.com
It has ordered seats which weigh just 12.8 kg, a new record in India. All its aircraft are cleaned and scrubbed thoroughly every day so that garbage or dust does not raise its weight.
Each of these functions may cut just a fraction of the flab of a 42-tonne aircraft. Taken together, the reduction is not insignificant. Just as a model cannot hope to win a pageant unless her body is in terrific trim, IndiGo has realised that it needs to cut the weight of its aircraft to keep its head above water.
A lighter aircraft means lesser fuel burnt during flights. Jet fuel accounts for 55-60 per cent of the cost of operations for IndiGo. Thus, IndiGo burns less cash than its rivals when its aircraft are flying in the skies. The closely-held airline does not disclose financial numbers. According to KPMG analyst Mark D Martin, a lighter aircraft can cut an airline's operating costs by as much as 10 per cent.
Surajeet Das Gupta & Anirban Chowdhury/Rediff.com
NEWS| Decision soon on foreign stake in local airlines
India will decide very soon on a plan to allow overseas airlines to purchase a stake in local carriers, opening the doors for Singapore Airlines Ltd, Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd and other carriers to invest in the country. The government may permit overseas airlines to own stakes of up to 25%, Arun Mishra, a joint secretary in the civil aviation ministry, told reporters in Singapore on Wednesday.
That would reverse at least a decade-old rule that banned non-Indian airlines from owning shares of domestic carriers.
With global air traffic plunging amid an economic recession, India’s move may give foreign airlines a slice of a market that’s set to surge ninefold in the two decades to 2026, according to Airbus SAS. The plan will also gives domestic carriers such as Jet Airways (India) Ltd and SpiceJet Ltd access to cash and expertise amid a record $2 billion (Rs9,760 crore today) industrywide loss last year.
Bloomberg/Livemint
That would reverse at least a decade-old rule that banned non-Indian airlines from owning shares of domestic carriers.
With global air traffic plunging amid an economic recession, India’s move may give foreign airlines a slice of a market that’s set to surge ninefold in the two decades to 2026, according to Airbus SAS. The plan will also gives domestic carriers such as Jet Airways (India) Ltd and SpiceJet Ltd access to cash and expertise amid a record $2 billion (Rs9,760 crore today) industrywide loss last year.
Bloomberg/Livemint
NEWS| Srinagar airport goes international
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi would flag off the first international flight from Srinagar to Dubai on Saturday.
The International Airport, named after legendary sufi mystic Sheikh-ul-Alam, would also receive the first international flight, with 170 passengers on board Air India Express' Boeing 737-800, from Dubai the same day.
"To begin with, Srinagar will have a weekly flight to Dubai on Saturdays,'' Air India manager Mohammad Iqbal Dar said. "Each one way ticket will cost Rs 7,035,'' he added.
Airport Authority of India director Rakesh Kalra said the Instrumental Landing Systems (ILS), allowing pilots to land in low visibility, will soon be installed at the airport. "We've also expanded the runway. New terminals for departure and arrival, aero-bridges, central heating system, lifts, conveyor belts and escalators have also come up to meet the international standards,'' he said.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Mubeen Shah said, "Having an international flight makes little sense as long we've to go to Delhi for visas.''
13/02/09 M Saleem Pandit/Times of India
The International Airport, named after legendary sufi mystic Sheikh-ul-Alam, would also receive the first international flight, with 170 passengers on board Air India Express' Boeing 737-800, from Dubai the same day.
"To begin with, Srinagar will have a weekly flight to Dubai on Saturdays,'' Air India manager Mohammad Iqbal Dar said. "Each one way ticket will cost Rs 7,035,'' he added.
Airport Authority of India director Rakesh Kalra said the Instrumental Landing Systems (ILS), allowing pilots to land in low visibility, will soon be installed at the airport. "We've also expanded the runway. New terminals for departure and arrival, aero-bridges, central heating system, lifts, conveyor belts and escalators have also come up to meet the international standards,'' he said.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Mubeen Shah said, "Having an international flight makes little sense as long we've to go to Delhi for visas.''
13/02/09 M Saleem Pandit/Times of India
NEWS| Indian aviation sector will fly: PwC report
PricewaterhouseCoopers report on aviation industry was released today at the Aero Show 2009 in Bangalore by Minister of State for Defence, M M Pallam Raju.
According to the report, longterm projections and estimates by experts project growth in both civil and military aviation sectors. The report said that the civil aviation sector will expand as a result of increased travel in emerging market economies and the defence sector as a result of heightened focus on military expenditure, given the global war on terrorism.
While terming the sector’s fortunes as ‘cyclical’, the report expressed confidence of the sector’s revival “considering that air travel has become an integral way of life in a highly globalised world”.
Moreover, the report said, since the aerospace industry is an important component of countries’ economies experts believe that the market will strengthen once the global economy recovers.
The report had words of praise for India’s competitive advantages “in the areas of manufacturing and maintenance
According to the report, longterm projections and estimates by experts project growth in both civil and military aviation sectors. The report said that the civil aviation sector will expand as a result of increased travel in emerging market economies and the defence sector as a result of heightened focus on military expenditure, given the global war on terrorism.
While terming the sector’s fortunes as ‘cyclical’, the report expressed confidence of the sector’s revival “considering that air travel has become an integral way of life in a highly globalised world”.
Moreover, the report said, since the aerospace industry is an important component of countries’ economies experts believe that the market will strengthen once the global economy recovers.
The report had words of praise for India’s competitive advantages “in the areas of manufacturing and maintenance
NEWS| Air disaster averted at Patna airport
An air disaster was averted today after and Indian Airlines plane's tail end of the plane caught fire after it landed at the Patna airport today (February 13).
The DGCA has ordered an inquiry and has asked Indian Airlines also to conduct an inquiry into the incident.
The incident took place when the auxillary power unit in the plane caught fire, which led to the grass near the aircraft being set alight. The Indian Airlines plane IC 409 was flying from Delhi to Patna with about 150 passangers. No casualities were reported.
Times Now.tv
The DGCA has ordered an inquiry and has asked Indian Airlines also to conduct an inquiry into the incident.
The incident took place when the auxillary power unit in the plane caught fire, which led to the grass near the aircraft being set alight. The Indian Airlines plane IC 409 was flying from Delhi to Patna with about 150 passangers. No casualities were reported.
Times Now.tv
NEWS| Flydubai to debut with India
Dubai's first budget carrier, flydubai is on schedule for take-off to five Indian destinations in the second quarter, subject to the availability of aircraft.
The airline has not received any of its aircraft so far, according to flydubai top executive.
"No aircraft has arrived yet but we are on schedule to launch the airline," Chief Executive Ghaith Al Ghaith told Emirates Business, without divulging aircraft delivery dates.
"We will soon be making an announcement about the airline's launch. All I can say for now is it is on track," he said.
The budget carrier, assisted in its initial stages by Emirates, has 54 Boeing 737-800s on order, worth $4 billion (Dh14.6bn). It ordered 50 planes from Boeing and four from leasing company Babcock and Brown during the Farnborough International Airshow in July last year.
Al Ghaith said last month that the airline's first aircraft was supposed to be delivered by April, and operations expected to begin two weeks later.
But Boeing's 58-day machinist strike, which ended in October last year, has raised concerns about delivery delays for flydubai. The airline said in November that it was in talks with Boeing to understand the breadth of the delay.
If all goes well, the airline will start operations with five aircraft scheduled for delivery in its first year of operations, to five Indian destinations, including Pune, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jaipur and Goa, said an airline source.
source| Zawya.com
The airline has not received any of its aircraft so far, according to flydubai top executive.
"No aircraft has arrived yet but we are on schedule to launch the airline," Chief Executive Ghaith Al Ghaith told Emirates Business, without divulging aircraft delivery dates.
"We will soon be making an announcement about the airline's launch. All I can say for now is it is on track," he said.
The budget carrier, assisted in its initial stages by Emirates, has 54 Boeing 737-800s on order, worth $4 billion (Dh14.6bn). It ordered 50 planes from Boeing and four from leasing company Babcock and Brown during the Farnborough International Airshow in July last year.
Al Ghaith said last month that the airline's first aircraft was supposed to be delivered by April, and operations expected to begin two weeks later.
But Boeing's 58-day machinist strike, which ended in October last year, has raised concerns about delivery delays for flydubai. The airline said in November that it was in talks with Boeing to understand the breadth of the delay.
If all goes well, the airline will start operations with five aircraft scheduled for delivery in its first year of operations, to five Indian destinations, including Pune, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jaipur and Goa, said an airline source.
source| Zawya.com
Friday, February 13, 2009
NEWS| More sky marshals on domestic flights
The government on Saturday decided to increase the strength of sky marshals so that they could be put on more domestic flights in different sectors. This comes in the wake of last week's hijack drama which resulted in the emergency landing of the Indigo flight 6E-334 at Delhi airport.
Security officials who had been active during the post-landing drill following the hijack threat last Sunday believed that if there were sky marshals on board the Indigo flight, the situation would have been different and the passengers wouldn't have gone through the trauma for over three hours.
Currently, sky marshals - specially trained anti-hijack armed commandos of the National Security Guard (NSG) - are deployed in certain identified sensitive sectors like those in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast.
Sky marshals are also deployed on Air India flights to Kabul, Lahore, Dhaka and Kathmandu on a regular basis. But domestic flights - private as well as Air India - on other sectors get the commandos only on a random basis, leaving those routes vulnerable most of the time.
The decision to increase the strength of sky marshals was taken in a special meeting chaired by cabinet secretary K M Chandrashekhar. The meeting was held to review the response mechanism of various agencies involved in aviation security in case of emergencies.
It was decided that NSG - which has nearly 200 commandos to be deployed exclusively as sky marshals - would soon increase the strength of its "52 Special Action Group (SAG)" so that 200 more commandos could be spared for on-air anti-hijacking duties. All the commandos of the 52 SAG are drawn from Army and are specially trained for neutralizing hijackers in flight.
"More international flights will also be catered to by the sky marshals in due course. It will, however, take time as it involves certain agreements between two countries that would allow armed security personnel on board and on foreign soil," said an official.
Secretaries in the ministries of home, defence, civil aviation and external affairs and senior officers of DGCA, CISF, IB and NSG attended Saturday's meeting.
Vishwa Mohan/Times of India
Security officials who had been active during the post-landing drill following the hijack threat last Sunday believed that if there were sky marshals on board the Indigo flight, the situation would have been different and the passengers wouldn't have gone through the trauma for over three hours.
Currently, sky marshals - specially trained anti-hijack armed commandos of the National Security Guard (NSG) - are deployed in certain identified sensitive sectors like those in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast.
Sky marshals are also deployed on Air India flights to Kabul, Lahore, Dhaka and Kathmandu on a regular basis. But domestic flights - private as well as Air India - on other sectors get the commandos only on a random basis, leaving those routes vulnerable most of the time.
The decision to increase the strength of sky marshals was taken in a special meeting chaired by cabinet secretary K M Chandrashekhar. The meeting was held to review the response mechanism of various agencies involved in aviation security in case of emergencies.
It was decided that NSG - which has nearly 200 commandos to be deployed exclusively as sky marshals - would soon increase the strength of its "52 Special Action Group (SAG)" so that 200 more commandos could be spared for on-air anti-hijacking duties. All the commandos of the 52 SAG are drawn from Army and are specially trained for neutralizing hijackers in flight.
"More international flights will also be catered to by the sky marshals in due course. It will, however, take time as it involves certain agreements between two countries that would allow armed security personnel on board and on foreign soil," said an official.
Secretaries in the ministries of home, defence, civil aviation and external affairs and senior officers of DGCA, CISF, IB and NSG attended Saturday's meeting.
Vishwa Mohan/Times of India
NEWS| PRS Oberoi quits
PRS Oberoi quits Jet board, Shivkumar new finance V-P
P.R.S. Oberoi, who heads the Oberoi group, has resigned from the board of Jet Airways (India) Ltd effective 30 January, the airline said on Monday.
Oberoi, one of the independent directors on the board, is also chairman and chief executive officer of East India Hotels Ltd, the flagship company of the Oberoi group. The airline said Oberoi has resigned “due to his other commitments”.
Other independent directors at Jet include writer Javed Akhtar, technocrat Sam Pitroda, producer Yash Chopra and actor Shah Rukh Khan. In another development, Jet appointed M. Shivkumar as its senior vice-president for finance, effective 6 February, replacing Raja Parthasarathy who resigned in June 2006, a person close to the matter said on condition of anonymity.
Shivkumar joins Jet from Mumbai International Airport Ltd (Mial). A Mial spokesperson confirmed Shivkumar’s exit. A Jet spokeswoman did not confirm or deny the move.
P.R. Sanjai/Livemint
P.R.S. Oberoi, who heads the Oberoi group, has resigned from the board of Jet Airways (India) Ltd effective 30 January, the airline said on Monday.
Oberoi, one of the independent directors on the board, is also chairman and chief executive officer of East India Hotels Ltd, the flagship company of the Oberoi group. The airline said Oberoi has resigned “due to his other commitments”.
Other independent directors at Jet include writer Javed Akhtar, technocrat Sam Pitroda, producer Yash Chopra and actor Shah Rukh Khan. In another development, Jet appointed M. Shivkumar as its senior vice-president for finance, effective 6 February, replacing Raja Parthasarathy who resigned in June 2006, a person close to the matter said on condition of anonymity.
Shivkumar joins Jet from Mumbai International Airport Ltd (Mial). A Mial spokesperson confirmed Shivkumar’s exit. A Jet spokeswoman did not confirm or deny the move.
P.R. Sanjai/Livemint
JOBS| Cabin Crew
IFS #L INDIA FLY SAFE AVIATION LIMITED Requires Cabin Crew
We are looking for experienced Cabin Crew for Bombardier Global Express aircraft, to be based at New Delhi.
The job involves prior planning & management of passenger services.
The crew is expected to be flexible , willing to accept short notice changes in flight commitments.
The crew should have good command over English & Hindi language, should have pleasing personality and be able to manage the corporate aircraft independently.
The aircraft will fly to domestic & international destinations, and hence international experience shall be preferred.
The remuneration will be the best in the industry.
Please e- mail your resume to avation@indiaflysafe.com
We are looking for experienced Cabin Crew for Bombardier Global Express aircraft, to be based at New Delhi.
The job involves prior planning & management of passenger services.
The crew is expected to be flexible , willing to accept short notice changes in flight commitments.
The crew should have good command over English & Hindi language, should have pleasing personality and be able to manage the corporate aircraft independently.
The aircraft will fly to domestic & international destinations, and hence international experience shall be preferred.
The remuneration will be the best in the industry.
Please e- mail your resume to avation@indiaflysafe.com
Thursday, February 12, 2009
NEWS| Kingfisher's Mumbai-Sholapur flight from Feb 17
Kingfisher Airlines plans to introduce an air service between Mumbai and Sholapur from February 17. A Kingfisher Airlines spokesperson said here that “the launch of the Mumbai-Sholapur flight is a part of the airline's committment to provide regi onal connectivity.”
The service would run four times a week-Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday-using an ATR aircraft. The flight for Sholapur would depart from Mumbai Airport at 11.15 am and arrive at Sholapur at 12.45 pm. The return flight would take off from Sholapur at 1.15 pm and land at Mumbai Airport at 2.45 pm, the airline said.
The airline has planned a special commemorative flight tomorrow from Sholapur. The special commemorative flight will take off from Sholapur tomorrow which will be flagged off by Union Agriculture Minister,Mr Sharad Pawar, and Civil Aviation Minister, M r Praful Patel.
PTI/The Hindu
The service would run four times a week-Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday-using an ATR aircraft. The flight for Sholapur would depart from Mumbai Airport at 11.15 am and arrive at Sholapur at 12.45 pm. The return flight would take off from Sholapur at 1.15 pm and land at Mumbai Airport at 2.45 pm, the airline said.
The airline has planned a special commemorative flight tomorrow from Sholapur. The special commemorative flight will take off from Sholapur tomorrow which will be flagged off by Union Agriculture Minister,Mr Sharad Pawar, and Civil Aviation Minister, M r Praful Patel.
PTI/The Hindu
NEWS| Jet Airways enhances services from Coimbatore and Kochi to Chennai and onwards to North America
Effective February 15, 2009, Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will introduce a new daily service on the Coimbatore/Kochi-Chennai sectors, enhancing the airline’s existing services to Tamil Nadu’s capital from the two southern cities.
This follows the induction of the airline’s 13th ATR 72-500 aircraft into its fleet. The airline currently operates twice daily services on the Coimbatore- Chennai sector and a daily service on the Kochi- Chennai sector.
The new services will be daily, same-day return flights on the Coimbatore/Kochi-Chennai sectors, aboard Jet Airways’ brand new, all-economy ATR 72-500 aircraft. Jet Airways flight 9W 3584 will depart Chennai at 0700 hrs, arriving in Coimbatore at 0810 hrs. Flight 9W 3585 will depart Coimbatore at 0840 hrs, arriving in Chennai at 0950 hrs. Jet Airways flight 9W 3588 will depart Chennai at 1800 hrs, arriving in Kochi at 1930 hrs. Flight 9W 3589 will depart Kochi at 2000 hrs, arriving in Chennai at 2130 hrs. From Chennai, passengers may connect onto the airline’s daily services to North America (Newark, JFK and Toronto), its European hub in Brussels, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Colombo. Jet Airways also offers services to several European destinations, via Brussels, through its code-share partner, brussels airlines.
Commenting on the launch of the new services, Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO, Jet Airways said, “With the Chennai-Coimbatore/Kochi sectors registering impressive growth in passenger traffic, the new services will cater to the domestic demand on these routes, while ensuring seamless connections to and from North America, Europe and Asia for international travelers from these two southern cities”.
PRESS RELEASE/Jet Airways
This follows the induction of the airline’s 13th ATR 72-500 aircraft into its fleet. The airline currently operates twice daily services on the Coimbatore- Chennai sector and a daily service on the Kochi- Chennai sector.
The new services will be daily, same-day return flights on the Coimbatore/Kochi-Chennai sectors, aboard Jet Airways’ brand new, all-economy ATR 72-500 aircraft. Jet Airways flight 9W 3584 will depart Chennai at 0700 hrs, arriving in Coimbatore at 0810 hrs. Flight 9W 3585 will depart Coimbatore at 0840 hrs, arriving in Chennai at 0950 hrs. Jet Airways flight 9W 3588 will depart Chennai at 1800 hrs, arriving in Kochi at 1930 hrs. Flight 9W 3589 will depart Kochi at 2000 hrs, arriving in Chennai at 2130 hrs. From Chennai, passengers may connect onto the airline’s daily services to North America (Newark, JFK and Toronto), its European hub in Brussels, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Colombo. Jet Airways also offers services to several European destinations, via Brussels, through its code-share partner, brussels airlines.
Commenting on the launch of the new services, Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO, Jet Airways said, “With the Chennai-Coimbatore/Kochi sectors registering impressive growth in passenger traffic, the new services will cater to the domestic demand on these routes, while ensuring seamless connections to and from North America, Europe and Asia for international travelers from these two southern cities”.
PRESS RELEASE/Jet Airways
NEWS| SpiceJet keen on acquiring another low-cost airline
Low-cost carrier SpiceJet has said that it is willing to look at acquiring another low-cost airline in the near term.
“There is not enough room for five low-cost carriers in India. A consolidation will surely happen in this space. Once that happens, we will be interested in buying another airline,” the SpiceJet Chief Executive Officer, Sanjay Aggarwal, told newspersons here on Tuesday.
He said the company’s financials were strong and it had enough money in the bank. He did not specify the amount of investment the company had earmarked for the acquisition. He said that the company was still to fully utilise the funds from Wilbur Ross, of the US, which had invested $80 million in SpiceJet.
He said that with a smaller fleet size, an airline could also look at different type of aircraft. SpiceJet flies only Boeing aircraft at present.
Business Line/Sify
“There is not enough room for five low-cost carriers in India. A consolidation will surely happen in this space. Once that happens, we will be interested in buying another airline,” the SpiceJet Chief Executive Officer, Sanjay Aggarwal, told newspersons here on Tuesday.
He said the company’s financials were strong and it had enough money in the bank. He did not specify the amount of investment the company had earmarked for the acquisition. He said that the company was still to fully utilise the funds from Wilbur Ross, of the US, which had invested $80 million in SpiceJet.
He said that with a smaller fleet size, an airline could also look at different type of aircraft. SpiceJet flies only Boeing aircraft at present.
Business Line/Sify
NEWS| Now, a mid-air collision averted over Jorhat
A day after an Air India plane narrowly missed a collision with an IAF helicopter from President Pratibha Patil’s fleet at the Mumbai airport, a fault apparently on part of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) almost led to a mid-air collision between an Air India plane and an IAF plane over Jorhat in Assam.
The Kolkata-bound flight IC 206, with 43 passengers on board, took off from Dibrugarh at around 11.50 am and was given clearance by the ATC at Dibrugarh to fly at an altitude of 18,000 feet. Almost simultaneously, IAF’s Jorhat-bound IL-76 also took off from Dibrugarh and was given ATC clearance to fly at 19,000 feet.
According to available information, as both the planes entered the Jorhat airspace, the Jorhat ATC asked the IAF plane to descend by 2,000 feet without taking into account that the Air India plane was already flying at 18,000 feet. As the IAF plane started to make its descent to 17,000 feet, it apparently got in close proximity to the Air India plane very nearly causing a mid-air collision.
Detecting the presence of another aircraft through the Anti Collission Warning System on his plane, Air India pilot Captain Joydeep Bandopadhyay immediately made his plane descend by around 1,000 feet and thus averted a collision. Many passengers on the Air India plane spotted the IL-76 in close proximity from their windows.
Described as a “breach of permissible vertical and horizontal parameters” in civil aviation parlance, the incident is being attributed to a fault committed by the ATC at Jorhat. Jorhat, which is a defence airbase, is a major hub for IAF’s transport planes and its ATC is also manned by IAF personnel.
Samudra Gupta Kashyap/Indian Express
The Kolkata-bound flight IC 206, with 43 passengers on board, took off from Dibrugarh at around 11.50 am and was given clearance by the ATC at Dibrugarh to fly at an altitude of 18,000 feet. Almost simultaneously, IAF’s Jorhat-bound IL-76 also took off from Dibrugarh and was given ATC clearance to fly at 19,000 feet.
According to available information, as both the planes entered the Jorhat airspace, the Jorhat ATC asked the IAF plane to descend by 2,000 feet without taking into account that the Air India plane was already flying at 18,000 feet. As the IAF plane started to make its descent to 17,000 feet, it apparently got in close proximity to the Air India plane very nearly causing a mid-air collision.
Detecting the presence of another aircraft through the Anti Collission Warning System on his plane, Air India pilot Captain Joydeep Bandopadhyay immediately made his plane descend by around 1,000 feet and thus averted a collision. Many passengers on the Air India plane spotted the IL-76 in close proximity from their windows.
Described as a “breach of permissible vertical and horizontal parameters” in civil aviation parlance, the incident is being attributed to a fault committed by the ATC at Jorhat. Jorhat, which is a defence airbase, is a major hub for IAF’s transport planes and its ATC is also manned by IAF personnel.
Samudra Gupta Kashyap/Indian Express
Friday, February 6, 2009
NEWS| Drukair to fly from Bagdogra
Come March 29, the Bagdogra Airport will see for the first time an international flight landing and taking off.
Drukair, the Royal Bhutan Airlines, has chosen the airport for a stopover of its flights from Bhutan to Bangkok and back. “..Our first flight from here to Bangkok will be on March 29 and we are eagerly looking forward for that day when we will see our flag fluttering at this airport,” Tshering Penjore, the general-manager of the airlines said at Bagdogra today.
An agreement with the civil aviation ministry of India last year allows the airline to operate its services from Bagdogra. Penjore was part of a four-member team from the Drukair that inspected the aerodrome today.
The airline will operate out of Bagdogra four days a week. “While flights from Bhutan will land and take off in Bagdogra — en route to Bangkok — on Tuesday and Saturday, those from the Thai capital will arrive on Sunday and Wednesday. We will use an Airbus with 30 seats in first class and 94 in economy class. As we are not here with any commercial interest, there will be services even with a single passenger on board,” he added.
The Telegraph
Drukair, the Royal Bhutan Airlines, has chosen the airport for a stopover of its flights from Bhutan to Bangkok and back. “..Our first flight from here to Bangkok will be on March 29 and we are eagerly looking forward for that day when we will see our flag fluttering at this airport,” Tshering Penjore, the general-manager of the airlines said at Bagdogra today.
An agreement with the civil aviation ministry of India last year allows the airline to operate its services from Bagdogra. Penjore was part of a four-member team from the Drukair that inspected the aerodrome today.
The airline will operate out of Bagdogra four days a week. “While flights from Bhutan will land and take off in Bagdogra — en route to Bangkok — on Tuesday and Saturday, those from the Thai capital will arrive on Sunday and Wednesday. We will use an Airbus with 30 seats in first class and 94 in economy class. As we are not here with any commercial interest, there will be services even with a single passenger on board,” he added.
The Telegraph
NEWS| Airlines lobbying for $2 billion fund, temporary cut in fees
India’s cash-starved airlines have urged the government to set up a $2 billion (Rs9,760 crore) airline stabilization fund and temporarily slash landing, terminal and navigation charges by half.
The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), an industry lobby, said in a representation last week to the civil aviation ministry that domestic airlines must be allowed to avail three-five year interest-free loans from the fund based on their number of seats deployed.
The need for such a package, it said, was justified because of the “exceptional circumstances caused by external factors”.
Industry experts have projected India’s airlines to make a combined loss of $2 billion in the fiscal year ending March, weighed by intense competition, high jet fuel costs and the decline in the passenger traffic as a result of the economic slowdown. “This is a practice used in the past by different countries in exceptional cases,” FIA said in its draft paper to the government titled Restructuring and support package for Indian aviation. “An example is the Air Transportation Safety and Systems Stabilization Act implemented in September 2001 by USA.”
Under the US’ stabilization Act, airlines were given access to Federal credit instruments worth a total $10 billion, in addition to a $5 billion compensation to cover direct losses from the terror attacks of 11 September 2001 in New York.
P.R. Sanjai/Livemint
The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), an industry lobby, said in a representation last week to the civil aviation ministry that domestic airlines must be allowed to avail three-five year interest-free loans from the fund based on their number of seats deployed.
The need for such a package, it said, was justified because of the “exceptional circumstances caused by external factors”.
Industry experts have projected India’s airlines to make a combined loss of $2 billion in the fiscal year ending March, weighed by intense competition, high jet fuel costs and the decline in the passenger traffic as a result of the economic slowdown. “This is a practice used in the past by different countries in exceptional cases,” FIA said in its draft paper to the government titled Restructuring and support package for Indian aviation. “An example is the Air Transportation Safety and Systems Stabilization Act implemented in September 2001 by USA.”
Under the US’ stabilization Act, airlines were given access to Federal credit instruments worth a total $10 billion, in addition to a $5 billion compensation to cover direct losses from the terror attacks of 11 September 2001 in New York.
P.R. Sanjai/Livemint
Sunday, February 1, 2009
NEWS| Emirates spreads wings in India, adds more services
Expanding its services in the country, Gulf-based carrier Emirates Airlines on Friday said it would be introducing nine additional flights for Dubai from February 1.
"We plan to add nine additional services from Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, starting from February 1, to our existing network," an Emirates Airlines official said in Mumbai.
Of these, seven would be from Mumbai and one each from Chennai and Bangalore, the official said. The total number of daily services from Mumbai would then increase to 35 from the present 28 flights a week, while Bangalore and Chennai would have 20 and 19 flights a week, respectively, he said.
With the introduction of the new services, Emirates would become the single largest international airline operating from India, the official said.
Press Trust of India/NDTV.com
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"We plan to add nine additional services from Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, starting from February 1, to our existing network," an Emirates Airlines official said in Mumbai.
Of these, seven would be from Mumbai and one each from Chennai and Bangalore, the official said. The total number of daily services from Mumbai would then increase to 35 from the present 28 flights a week, while Bangalore and Chennai would have 20 and 19 flights a week, respectively, he said.
With the introduction of the new services, Emirates would become the single largest international airline operating from India, the official said.
Press Trust of India/NDTV.com
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NEWS| Malaysian Airlines told to pay for mishandling luggage
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.
Initially, Rakesh had claimed award of $1,500 as compensation for loss of the electronic controller of the wheel chair. He later amended the amount to $6,668 on the plea that the supplier of the wheel chair in the US had informed him that he would be required to take the chair to the US to programme it and its controller together since there was no authorised dealer for the product in India.
Thaindian.com, Thailand
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.
Initially, Rakesh had claimed award of $1,500 as compensation for loss of the electronic controller of the wheel chair. He later amended the amount to $6,668 on the plea that the supplier of the wheel chair in the US had informed him that he would be required to take the chair to the US to programme it and its controller together since there was no authorised dealer for the product in India.
Thaindian.com, Thailand
NEWS| Youth molests co-passenger, abuses flight attendants
A 24-year-old engineering student was handed over to the police after a woman co-passenger filed a molestation complaint with the airline on Friday afternoon.
The passenger, Prashant Imene, who was aboard a Jet Airways London-Mumbai flight, also assaulted the cabin crew and hurled cuss words at them. To add to it, he allegedly threatened to throw his passport out of the window, tore his boarding pass, splashed water on a male flight attendant's face and hit an elderly passenger with a spoon.
A complaint was filed by Jet Airways airhostess Kayazi Mehta after the flight landed in Mumbai at 11.35am. The drama began when Imene suddenly started abusing people sitting next to him. He then tried to assault and molest the female passenger sitting next to him. "He forcibly touched her on the chest,'' said a police official.
Imene assaulted the male flight attendants when they tried to intervene. "He stood on his seat and kept shouting at everyone,'' said an airline official. "He was hurling cuss words at a female cabin crew member. Some of them were so scared that they refused to come ahead to even attend to other passengers,'' he added.
After almost an hour, the flight commander ordered that Imene be handcuffed and tied to his seat. "He went off to sleep after that. After he woke up, he was perfectly normal,'' said an official.
Imene, a native of Hyderabad, was pursuing an engineering degree in London. He will be produced in court on Saturday.
Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India
The passenger, Prashant Imene, who was aboard a Jet Airways London-Mumbai flight, also assaulted the cabin crew and hurled cuss words at them. To add to it, he allegedly threatened to throw his passport out of the window, tore his boarding pass, splashed water on a male flight attendant's face and hit an elderly passenger with a spoon.
A complaint was filed by Jet Airways airhostess Kayazi Mehta after the flight landed in Mumbai at 11.35am. The drama began when Imene suddenly started abusing people sitting next to him. He then tried to assault and molest the female passenger sitting next to him. "He forcibly touched her on the chest,'' said a police official.
Imene assaulted the male flight attendants when they tried to intervene. "He stood on his seat and kept shouting at everyone,'' said an airline official. "He was hurling cuss words at a female cabin crew member. Some of them were so scared that they refused to come ahead to even attend to other passengers,'' he added.
After almost an hour, the flight commander ordered that Imene be handcuffed and tied to his seat. "He went off to sleep after that. After he woke up, he was perfectly normal,'' said an official.
Imene, a native of Hyderabad, was pursuing an engineering degree in London. He will be produced in court on Saturday.
Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India
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