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The civil aviation ministry has directed the Hyderabad airport to levy a user development fee (UDF) of Rs 375 on each domestic passenger, more than 38 per cent lower than what GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), the developer of the airport, had asked for. The airport had asked for a UDF of at least Rs 600 from domestic passengers …

BIA facilities under scannerB S Arun, DH News Service, New Delhi: A team of the civil aviation ministry will visit the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) on August 19 for an inspection of the facilities there in the light adverse remarks made against the new aerodrome in its report by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The ministry officials will also …

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) CEO Albert Brunner has said that airport capacity is not measured by passengers per annum but by passengers per peak hour. “Currently, we handle an average of 24 ATMs (Air Traffic Movements) during peak hours and about 303 a day. The ATC figures estimate it to be 30 ATM an hour. This calculated in passengers …

WL Ross announces execution of definitive documents for funding transaction13-Aug-2008 SpiceJet Limited and WL Ross & Co. LLC (WL Ross) announced the execution of definitive documents for a funding transaction with WL Ross and others. The completion of the transaction will make available up to INR421 crores (USD 100 million) to SpiceJet. This is higher than the INR345 crore (USD …

Travel agents to shut shop on August 14 to fight back airlinesBy Krupa Vora | Mumbai In a bid to give a strong fight to the airlines for the current commission cut scenario, 2,750 International Air Transport Association (IATA) accredited agents and 50,000 non-IATA agents will shut shops on August 14, 2008. The decision was taken at a joint meeting …

Foreign airlines flock to India, ignore global downturn India is seen as a growing market for international airline traffic and the current market size is nearly $5 billion (Rs 21,000 cr) a year They are cutting flights to several destinations in the wake of a worldwide slump in business, but international airlines are doing just the opposite in India because …

New Bangalore airport faces probe by legislatorsAugust 10th, 2008 ICT by IANs By Vishwanath KarnicBangalore, Aug 10 (IANS) The two-month old Bangalore international airport, a Rs. 25-billion ($625-million) greenfield project, faces a probe by a Karnataka legislators’ panel over alleged deviation in design and lack of sufficient facilities for passengers as well as visitors. “The new airport is no better …

Longest range commercial jetliner will connect Atlanta to one of world’s fastest-growing economies Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft features lie-flat seats in Delta’s BusinessElite class ATLANTA, Aug. 7, 2008 – Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced a new daily nonstop flight between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Mumbai, India, starting Nov. 1, 2008*. The new flight will connect the …

WINE PRICES IN BANGALORE HEADED INTO THE STRATOSPHERE ! You might be surprised at a wine article in my aviation blog, but wine is a subject close to my heart. The convoluted alcoholic beverages policy in India, makes each state, akin to another country, each with their own cumbersome taxes and regulations. The recent collapse of the Doha round of …

As my final post for the month of July, I reproduce a touching example of the revolutionary change occurring within the aviation sector in India. Indian Airlines is 100% government owned, and has mended its ways thanks to the competition from private sector airlines. A similar revolution has already occurred at the state owned BSNL, who is competing head on …

Leave three hours to get there… By Saritha RaiWednesday 30 July 2008 There were high hopes for Bangalore’s multimillion dollar air hub, which opened in May. But locating it in a near wilderness without a decent road was not a great start, says Saritha Rai. Raghu Shenoy, chief executive of a small Bangalore IT services firm, thinks nothing of jumping …

India set to sign liberal aviation pact with EU NEW DELHI: Indian airlines are set to get an improved access to European destinations. A liberal aviation pact between India and the European Union (EU) is on the cards, which will enable this as well as give EU carriers better access to India. In a way, the pact will work like …

By TBM Staff | Chennai The development plans of Chennai Airport got the clearance of the Public Investment Board (PIB) today. It will now have to be approved by the Government (CCEA approval). The work is expected to begin by September 2008. Last year in April, the Government decided that the Chennai Airport would be developed by following international standards …

Sindhu Bhattacharya NEW DELHI: The Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) just keeps courting controversies. First, the issue of keeping the old HAL airport open resurfaced with the Karnataka chief minister raising the issue recently. And now, the ministry of civil aviation has expressed its displeasure over the new airport’s passenger handling capacity. In fact, the ministry has already asked the Airports …

Global growth rate of flights continues to slowdown: OAGBy TBM Staff | MumbaiThe world’s airlines are scheduled to operate just one per cent more flights for July 2008 compared with the same month last year. According to the latest statistics from OAG (Official Airline Guide), the world’s authority on flight information, this represents an additional 34,800 flights. Capacity for July …

Qantas jumbo makes emergency landing after mid-air drama Image from BBC News MANILA (AFP) — A Qantas Boeing 747 flying to Melbourne made an emergency landing in Manila on Friday after a dramatic mid-air rupture that left a “gaping hole” in its fuselage, officials and passengers said. Stunned passengers reported how the jumbo, which originated in London and made a …

Keep HAL airport open: AAI24 Jul 2008, TNN Anshul Dhamija and Sujit John Bangalore: The new Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) has landed in a turbulent whirlwind with the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The AAI has prepared a report that says that BIA’s capacity is less than what its promoters have stated, that the airport is already saturated, and that …

From October 1, 2008, airlines in India are going to stop paying commissions on their tickets sales by travel agents. Travel agents are understandably incensed. Until about a year ago they used to earn 9% commission, which was dropped to 5%, and in another 2 months, will drop to 0. Industry experts say most small agents will shut shop, while …

Kingfisher Airlines firms up Heathrow plansBy Brendan Sobie India’s Kingfisher Airlines is preparing to launch its first two international routes, connecting Bangalore and Mumbai with London Heathrow, at the end of August or beginning of September. The carrier also is aiming to begin its first US route, connecting Bangalore with San Francisco, in September or October. Kingfisher chairman Vijay Mallya …