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RETAINING HALExpect a bumpy ride to the futureBy V Ravichandar Keeping the HAL airport open is an option that needs to be pursued before it is dispensed with. As we are raising this issue of retaining the HAL airport, I had a mail from a friend in the US, saying, “I am amused to see the 11th hour fuss on …

Jet Airways confirmed plans to launch daily Mumbai-Shanghai-San Francisco service on 14-Jun-08, using B777-200-ER equipment. The carrier plans to cater to business and leisure travel between the two cities, with a significant Chinese population residing in San Francisco. Jet Airways plans to tailor its China product to the market’s needs, and has commenced recruitment of Chinese crew. Jet Airways will …

Mangalore Airport Traffic up by 92% : Surpasses Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai Times of India Mangalore airport sees phenomenal growth of 92% Surpasses Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai Third fastest growing tier-II city Airport handles 42 international arrivals and departures per week Handles 28 domestic arrivals and departures per day Even on cargo front, impressive growth of 39% Mangalore, May 18: Mangalore has …

RATIONAL EXPECTATIONSSunil Jain / New Delhi May 19, 2008(c) The Business Standard Aviation Minister Praful Patel’s outburst against Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia is perhaps not difficult to understand since most people think it was actually Patel who should have been keeping an eye on the delays at the Delhi airport — Ahluwalia’s asking the GMR Group officials …

Bureaucratic bottlenecks come in way of projects For timely completion, developers and contractors need more help Instead of having individual reviews, an inter-ministerial panel can perhaps come up with faster solutions that find wider acceptance and quick implementation. — FILE PHOTO NEW AIRPORT, NEW VISTAS: A view of the new Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli. The Civil Aviation Ministry and …

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.