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Greetings dear readers.Over the last few months, I have been toying with where Bangalore Aviation should go and how should it look. We are adding a few journalist interns who will focus on the news allowing me time to focus on analysis. The current layout is getting too cluttered, and we are also considering changing our layout to match the …

Dear Readers, I lost my father, who passed away in his sleep, last Saturday. I am busy attending to his final rites. My colleague and co-editor of Bangalore Aviation is filling in for me. Thanks for your understanding and patience. – Devesh Agarwal

Since yesterday, India and Indians across the world are celebrating the festival of light — Diwali or Deepavali – the most significant festival in India. The closest equivalent I can think of is in the US, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since the Dussehra festival last month, there have been sales across the land, with people shopping away much …

09-09-09 at 09:09 (9:09AM) Today is a moment in the calendar to enjoy.

As a youth, I fascinated by this production on national integration by India’s state owned broadcaster Doordarshan. Titled “Mile Sur Tumhara Mera toh sur bane hamara” – if your tune matches mine, the melody is ours. This video launched the “Mera Bharat Mahan” (My India is great) campaign on Independence Day 1988 and has become an anthem showcasing Unity in …

Austrian Airlines’ Boeing 767-300ER registration OE-LAE became the first European airline aircraft to successfully convert and add winglets. This following American Airlines successful conversion and implementation of the blended winglets made by Aviation Partners Boeing. Austrian Airlines is in a pioneering position since its committed to the conversion at an early stage, and will now enjoy “clear competitive advantage over …

According to OAG’s (Official Airline Guide) March 2009 report, the world’s airlines have scheduled 4.9% fewer flights for March 2009 compared with the same month last year, with a 3.3% drop in capacity, according to the latest statistics from OAG, the world’s leading aviation data business. This is the eighth successive month of declines, and represents a reduction of more …

A Turkish Airlines (THY) Boeing 737-800 registration TC-JGE performing flight TK1951 crashed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport at 10:30 local (09:30Z) The plane carrying 135 passengers on a flight from Istanbul, broke in to three parts when attempting to land on Runway 36L near motorway A9. There is a massive presence of emergency vehicles and crew on the scene, and there …

Buoyed by its recent lease of the Jet Airways Boeing B777-300ERs, Turkish Airlines THY is again expanding flight frequencies to the cities of New Delhi and Mumbai in India, Brussels, Venice, Helsinki, Basel and Dublin in Europe, Kuwait in the Middle East, Addis Ababa in Africa. New Delhi and Mumbai, India will increase its services from five times and three …

The Aviation Herald is reporting the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an updated Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) 2009-0012-E following two incidents involving Qantas Airbus A330 and A340. These incidents were attributed to Air Data Inertial Reference Unit #1 (ADIRU-1) providing erroneous data. The EAD recognizes additional failure modes, that have been discovered in the meantime. EAD 2009-0012-E : …

The Chinese have a saying “May you live in interesting times”. 2008 was certainly “interesting” to say the least. As we bid adieu to the year, I briefly recap some of the topics that made the aviation world interesting. Private greenfield airportsBengaluru International Airport at Bangalore, and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Hyderabad, ushered in a new era for passengers …

While many travellers in the US, had a miserable time last few days, thanks to the winter storms, this story from AP takes the cake. It is small solace, but I hope it at least brings a wry smile to some lips. Across the world in sunny Philippines, a Philippine Airlines airplane was stuck circling the Zamboanga airport, in southern …

As we wind down the year, and gear up for the festive season, I thank all the readers of Bangalore Aviation for their support and patronage. I wish you and each of your near and dear ones, a most joyous holiday, and may 2009 be bountiful, profitable, and successful. Some interesting stories that I came across today. Business Traveller has …

The Maytas-led consortium has taken a decision to put on hold its two Greenfield airport projects at Shimoga and Gulbarga in Karnataka due to the global recession. For now the projects are stalled and the partners will take the decision on it by end-2009, according to a report in Projects Today. In 2007, Maytas-led consortium – comprising Hyderabad-based Nagarjuna Construction …

Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd’s. (BAPL) first private airport in Bardhaman district in West Bengal is likely to be operational by end of 2011. According to a report in Projects Today, the project, which is a part of the USD 2.5 billion (approximately Rs 12,500 crore) Durgapur Aerotropolis, has got an approval from the West Bengal government and has also overcome …

The National Security Guards (NSG) has finally received the go-ahead for its own fleet of dedicated aircraft. The decision comes after the Mumbai terror attacks where commandos of the elite force battled terrorists at three major landmarks and killed eight of them. The NSG will also change its tactics after having tackled terrorists in Mumbai, which follows a full debrief …

I thankful the situation in Mumbai is finally under control. I am sadder and angrier compared to 60 hours ago. I salute all the heroes of Mumbai, both in, and out of uniform. I stand in full support of the strong and defiant spirit of the people of Mumbai, who have promised to rebuild all that was damaged or destroyed, …

They are India’s Men in Black, the “Black Cats”, nicknamed after their black nomex coveralls, and balaclavas. They may not have the toys of Will Smith or Tommy Lee Jones, but with their specialised equipment and training, they far more deadly. They’re frequently seen guarding the high and the mighty of the land, forming a protecting ring around them with …

According to a press-statement issued by the German Embassy, “Germany will be the first country to have its consulate general in the Information Technology (IT) capital of India. There are already more than 120 German companies or Indo-German joint ventures in Bangalore.” German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier, will fly to Bangalore today, to open the first consulate general in …

E!Online reports, crowds of photographers and fans went crazy for a glimpse of Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, the former Spice Girl, after she landed at Los Angeles International Airport. When Posh arrived from Europe in her trench coat, sunglasses, hat and boots, all signs of civility vanished. The crowd of photographers and fans waiting for Posh became unmanageable. “The …