Singapore Airlines’ Inaugural All-Business Class Service Takes Flight 15 May 2008 Singapore Airlines redefines long-haul air travel with the launch of its new all-Business Class service to New York (Newark). SQ 22 departed Singapore today at 1100hrs and is expected to arrive in New York at 1750hrs. The return flight, SQ 21, will depart New York at 2300hrs the same …

Checked Baggage Fees: From LCCs to Legacies May 13, 2008 It started with Ryanair. Then it crossed the Atlantic and the Spirit caught on with Allegiant and Virgin America, too. U.S. legacy carriers Continental, Delta, Northwest, United and US Airways added checked baggage fees. American – with its announcement on April 28 – is the most recent airline to join …

(c) TravelBizMonitor.com The Indian aviation industry is growing every month, as per a recent report by OAG’s latest airline schedules, the analysis reveals that airlines around the world plan to operate 2,553,657 flights throughout May 2008. There will be 40,015 more worldwide operations compared with May 2007 resulting in a two per cent growth. The total number of available seats …

16-May-2008 Kingfisher Airlines announced plans to launch services to Kathmandu from Mumbai or Bangalore via Delhi, subject to government approval. The carrier plans to launch its first international service in Aug-08, with routes from Bangalore to San Francisco, London and New York, with plans to then rapidly expand its international route network to over 20 destinations, including Nepal. This is …

New Delhi, May 17 (PTI) People wishing to fly abroad now have more options of travelling during day time, with several foreign airlines starting additional flights during these hours for passengers’ convenience following India’s insistence. Civil Aviation Ministry has been pressing the international carriers to do away with night services and operate additional flights during day time and the effort …

On May 13th, I had visited the new Bengaluru International Airport being constructed by the BIAL consortium, and posted my visit report. Some BIAL officials called around wanting to find out who took me inside the airport. The reason — they wanted to escort and show me around the airport. I welcome BIAL sentiments and will visit BIAL anytime, at …

Mr Praful PatelHon’ble Union Minister for Civil AviationGovernment of IndiaNew Delhi May 13th 2008 Dear Mr Patel Sub: Renegotiation of BIAL concession agreement As you are aware, Bangalore City Connect Foundation, a multi-stakeholder platform of Bangalore’s citizens, filed a PIL in the Karnataka High Court, seeking the intervention of the court to keep the current HAL airport at Bangalore open, …

Bangalore’s new airport: help or hindrance?Posted by: Manjeet Kripalani on May 15http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/eyeonasia/archives/2008/05/bangalores_new.htmlOn May 23, Bangalore’s new international airport will be open for business. It’ll be swish and modern, for sure. Built by a consortium that also built the Zurich airport, plus Siemens and India’s best infrastructure project company Larsen & Toubro. Cost $625 million. Flights from all over the world …

I came across the below enclosed press story dated September 2006. In 2006 itself, based a various information, including reports, authored by me, submitted by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC), the Ministry of Civil Aviation, forced the BIAL consortium to expand the capacity of the new Bengaluru International Airport (BIA). Please observe the following in the story. …

How govt hoodwinked the publicR K Misra The new airport would start functioning by “May-end’’ and BIAL was “not agreeable to keep the existing (HAL) airport open’’. So said civil aviation secretary Ashok Chawla. This was a government representative announcing the decision to close HAL airport after a short meeting with BIAL. It seems like Chawla was making this announcement …

You can get info on BIAL under RTI15 May 2008, 0425 hrs IST,TNN http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/You_can_get_info_on_BIAL_under_RTI/articleshow/3041376.cms BANGALORE: In a landmark verdict passed by the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC), the consortium company of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has been deemed as a ‘public authority’. Dwelling into the financial structure and funding patterns of BIAL, the commission found that the private-public consortia has …

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/15/stories/2008051550130100.htm Bangalore Bureau Set to create history: An Indian flight will be the first to take off from Bangalore International Airport on May 23. Bangalore: An Indian flight to Singapore will be the first aircraft to take off from the new Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli on May 23. Sources said that the IC 957 Airbus A-320 will take off …

Radar-less BIAL faces dearth of ATCsTuesday May 13 2008 09:50 ISThttp://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE120080512232926&Title=Bangalore&rLink=0 Monica Jha / Express News Service BANGALORE: THE two radars at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) are not yet stabilised. BIA has a primary and a secondary radar which are not working properly and need some fine-tuning on the software. BIA is using a simulator to train its controllers. …

On Tuesday 13 May, 2008, along with experienced members of the Aviation Industry, I visited, the soon to be opened Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), being promoted by the BIAL consortium. My assessment on the airport. I must inform you, that I was not invited by BIAL, and so information I received was a variety of sources at the airport, including …

The government has finally set the opening for the new Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) for the night of May 23rd, early morning of May 24th, 2008.

Govt decides, says just one airport in Bangalore ibnlive.com Published on Mon, May 12, 2008 at 21:11 in Nation section Bangalore: The city will have just one airport two weeks from Monday—the new one at Devanahalli, it has been decided. The old HAL airport will close down for all commercial flights as soon as the new BIAL airport is opened, …

New Bangalore airport to open soon12 May 2008, 2024 hrs IST, PTIThe Times of India NEW DELHI: Amid indications that no civilian flights will be allowed at Bangalore’s HAL airport, government on Monday said the new international airport will open by the end of this month and operator’s licence will be issued to it in the next 2-3 days. This …

The following news story on Sift/DNA, highlights the immediate need for the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA). The AERA bill has been languishing since early September 2007, when it was introduced in the Indian Parliament. Such disputes are increasing by the day, and excessive charges will spell the death knell of the Indian aviation industry, which is so dependent on …

To make Delhi double daily from July 1, 2008By Charmaine Fernz | Dubaihttp://www.travelbizmonitor.com Emirates is going all out in their expansion plans for India. Apart from announcing the launch of their six-weekly non-stop services to Kozhikode, starting July 1, 2008, the airline will also be ramping up their Delhi services. Talking to TravelBiz Monitor, Salem Obaidalla, Sr. Vice President – …

Taking a cue from other statutory bodies like the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Indian Customs authorities have demanded payment for their services rendered at the private operated airports like Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA). Up till now, while AAI and CISF used to be paid for services …