Undetected At Delhi Airport, Currency Worth Rs. 10.8 Crore Seized In Kochi

Foreign currency worth Rs. 10.86 crores including American dollars and Saudi Arabian Riyals was seized by the customs department on Wednesday from an Afghan national at Cochin International Airport in Nedumbassery. The currency was found hidden inside a rice cooker, which was part of his hand baggage. The currency went undetected at the IGI Airport in Delhi.

The 36-year-old Afghan national was on a transit flight from Delhi to Kochi to Dubai. The flight was supposed to go directly to Dubai after a one-hour stoppage in Cochi, but due to technical reasons, it got grounded and the passengers were transferred to other airlines. In the process, the passengers' check-in baggages were screened once again and that's how the big seizure took place.

"Dollar bills amounting to Rs. 1.4 million and Saudi Riyals worth 0.89 million were found concealed in the check-in baggage of the passenger," customs official said. This is one of the biggest such hauls in India and definitely the biggest in Kochi, he said.

"The passengers normally don't get down and remain in the aircraft but due to some technical snag the passengers were off loaded along with their check-in baggage. The baggages were put in the scanner and this concealment was found inside the rice cooker," customs official added.

The official said that the Afghan national had been living in Delhi for last two months and was running garments business along with his bother. He used to pick clothes from Lajpat Nagar and sell in Kabul.

Source: NDTV

Turbulence in Air India as woman pilot who has never flown is made safety chief

Air India pilots are up in arms over the airline's decision to appoint its first woman pilot - who joined AI in 1988 but could never fly an aircraft s a pilot as she failed to failing to clear company medical tests - as the airline's chief of flight safety (CoFS). 

The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) had last month removed AI's previous CoFS after it was found that he had not kept data records of some flights for six months, as required by law. After his removal, AI was to recommend some experienced pilot or engineer, though airlines almost always nominate their best pilots for the job for the job. 

AI nominated then recommended the woman's nameAI sources say the airline had recommended two candidates to the DGCA, one a 'flying' captain and the woman. 

DGCA selected the latter. "The approval shall remain valid for a period of one year or till she remains in the employment of AI... and subject to her undergoing technical performance course on Boeing 787 type of aircraft," reads the DGCA order clearing her appointment issued on Tuesday. The DGCA, which has cleared her elevation to the position, stipulates that the chief of flight safety should have "experience as a flight crew member, preferably on type of aircraft operated by the airline or (be) aviation engineer" with an impeccable safety record. 

Neither AI nor DGCA offered comments for the story. 

While senior AI pilots are opposing her elevation, to the position as they saying the job is for active pilots, a former airline CEO said: "The person who has been appointed CoFS has a commercial pilot licence which means she is a trained pilot, though non-flying, but and meets the basic requirement for the job." 

AI sources say the airline had sent two names to the DGCA, one of a 'flying' captain and of the lady. The regulator selected the latter. 

Airline sources say that the woman is from the second batch of pilots trained by the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy. After campus interviews by then AI and Indian Airlines (which used to be separate companies then), she joined AI in 1988 and was the first woman pilot in that airline. After joining AI, she had to undergo some company medical tests. She reportedly did not clear that failing the medical tests, the woman Then she got ground jobs in AI and became a ground instructor forwhere she trained other pilots. She later rose to became a director in AI and was the in-charge of inflight service and cabin crew. 

Meanwhile, the airline's executive pilots of AI - who are the senior most pilots - have threatened to take action against AI's decision to cut 25% of their pay for failing to have pay parity in the erstwhile AI and Indian Airlines. 

Pilots recommended to be CoFS have to be cleared by the regulator and remain in that position till the regulator's approval remains.

Source: Times of India

DGCA hires 20 pilots as inspectors to ‘save skin’

The very real threat of the US flight safety regulator downgrading Indian aviation has forced the government to hire full-time pilots from commercial airlines for the grossly-understaffed directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) as flight operations inspectors (FOI).

Ten serving pilots — senior ones of the rank of instructor and examiners — are being taken on contract for a year at a monthly pay of Rs 10 lakh-12 lakh. An equal number of pilots grounded due to medical reasons or being over 65 years of age (maximum age of a commercial pilot) will be hired on a monthly pay of Rs 3-5 lakh.



These 20 FOIs — the regulator's costliest hires ever — will join DGCA's flight standards directorate. This is the first time that instead of taking pilots on deputation — and hence leading to charges of conflict of interest — the government decided to hire pilots full-time for the DGCA at market rates. This unprecedented move comes as the US federal aviation administration is coming for an audit of the DGAC from December 11 to 13.

The FAA had listed 33 deficiencies in DGCA during an audit earlier this year and is now coming to see if corrective steps have been taken. Incidentally as in the last audit, this time too the DGCA threatens to be a headless body as the DG, Arun Mishra, an IAS officer of West Bengal cadre, has been asked to return to the state. Once he goes, a joint secretary in the aviation ministry will be asked to take additional charge of the regulatory body.

Now, the government is trying to fill vacant posts by hiring FOIs, technical staff and soon promoting two deputy DGs — Lalit Gupta and Arvind Sardana — as joint DGs.

Source : The Times Of India

Air India ties up financing for 12 Boeing 787 Dreamliners

Air India has tied up financing for 12 of the 27 Dreamliners it has ordered from Boeing and decided to have a long-term agreement with its American engine manufacturer GE for overhaul and repair of GEnX engines powering these aircraft.



A meeting of the Air India Board on Tuesday informed that bridge financing for the 12 aircraft has been tied up with Deutsche Bank and Investec Bank, airline sources said. The list price of one Boeing 787-8 is about $212 million.

Regarding the 'on point agreement' with GE Aviation that produces the GEnX engines, the sources said the 12-year accord, which was approved by the Board today, would not only be for repairs and overhaul of these sensitive engines, but the contract would also take care of exigencies like foreign object damage (FOD).

While for the first three years, the engines would be flown to the US or Malaysia for repairs, the work would then onwards be done at the new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centre coming up at Nagpur at a cost of Rs 400 crore.

The GEnX engines would require on an average two shop visits in 12 years, the sources said, adding each shop visit could cost around $5-6 million.

This long term agreement would help Air India save about Rs 200-250 crore over 12 years and "in the worst case scenario Rs 102 crore," the officials said.

The Board also approved the appointment of KPMG as the airline's internal auditor to benchmark its practices to the global ones, particularly in terms of the jet fuel use, inventory management, revenue management and catering.

Source : Business Today

Salute To Indian Air Force on its 81st Anniversary

By serving the country with the best at every step, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has not only touched the skies, but also the heart of every Indian with their righteous deeds. This Indian defence group has come a long way since its establishment on October 8^th in 1932. Right from 1948 to the Kargil conflict, IAF has wonderfully exhibited its winning abilities. Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about the Indian Air Force on its 81^st anniversary, as listed in IndiaTv News and BoyDom.

World’s Fourth Largest Defence Crew

Founded on 8 October 1932, the Indian Air Force was a mere auxiliary arm of the British Empire. It was given the prefix ‘Royal’ in 1945 in appreciation to its services during the Second World War. After India became an independent nation in 1947, the Royal Indian Air Force served the Dominion of India. The add-on ‘Royal’ was dropped when India became a republic in 1950. The IAF has now grown to be the fourth largest air division in the world because of its dedication and flair in reaching targets.

IAF’s training methods

IAF’s Training Command and several training establishments have created a benchmark within itself. The technical and other support staffs are taught different tasks at various Ground Training Schools, while the pilots are given special training. They are trained at the Air Force Academy located at Dundigul, The Pilot Training Establishment at Allahabad, the Air Force Administrative College at Coimbatore, The School of Aviation Medicine at Bangalore, the Air Force Technical College at Jalahalli in Bangalore and the Paratrooper’s Training School at Agra. These are some of the best training establishments that IAf has to offer to its young members.

Param Vir Chakra

Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon is the only member of the Indian Air Force to receive the Param Vir Chakra award, which is the highest award for honoring military in India. It was during the Indo-Pakistani War in1971, when Sekhon showed his bravery in Srinagar’s air base. The base was attacked by six Pakistani North American F-86 Sabres and Nirmal Jit Sekhon managed to destroy two Sabres by engaging them with his jet Folland Gnat. As a result, the brave heart was shot dead in the battle and the remaining Sabres chose not to press the attack and returned to Pakistan. Till today, nobody in the Indian Air Force has been honored with this prestigious award.

Wars

The Indian Air Force has actively participated in several wars. Apart from Indian Wars, it has also played a significant role in 1960 conflict, when Belgium’s 75-year rule was terminated abruptly from Congo. The overthrowing of power led to  widespread violence and rebellion in the Congo. To tackle the situation, squadron No. 5 was sent to support United Nations Operation in Congo. andthe unit remained there until 1966. The IAF operated from two bases, providing the UN ground forces with its only extended air crew force.

Modernization

Today, most of the age old fighter planes have been modernized and updated with current standards. The 5th generation Sukhoi PAK FA is developing smoothly with Russia and will turn out to be the most deadly fighter jet in the world along with the F-22. The two are expected to soar high around the year 2015. To enhance the glory and power of the IAF further, India plans to acquire heavy-lift aircrafts like C-17 Globemaster, which will take India’s defense cooperation with the US to a new level.

Recent establishments

In 2009, IAF established a special operation unit called the Garud Commando Force which consists of nearly 1500 personnel. The Garud Force protects several critical aviation installations as it undertakes combat search and rescue, suppression of enemy air defence, radar busting, combat control, missile and munitions guidance and other missions in support of air operations. Garud also have the power to commence offensive roles including raids on enemy air bases, etc., during times of war.

Current Operations

IAF currently holds control of 3 Beriev A-50 Phalcon AEW&C (Airborne early warning and control) aircrafts, around 700 fighters, 7 aerial refueling tanker aircrafts, 133 transport aircrafts, 158 trainer aircrafts, 33 attack helicopters, 156 transport helicopters, 155 utility helicopters, about 200 UAVs.

Apart from these, some of the big birds that have been ordered are 3 EMB-145 AEW&C (DRDO Indian-Made), 172 fighters, 15 transport aircrafts, 360 trainer aircrafts, 22 attacks helicopters, 171 transport helicopters and 65 utility helicopters.

Kargil War

During the Kargil War, the IAF speedily adapted to the air campaign’s unique operational challenges, which included their enemies being placed at a height of 14,000 to 18,000 feet. With a bleak backdrop of rocks and snow, it became exceptionally difficult to visually target the enemy group. The IAF code-named its contribution to the campaign Operation Safed Sagar— Hindi for “white sea.”

Other Interesting Facts

IAF’s fighter aircraft, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, stands among the most elite fighter jets in the world alongside the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale and USAF’s top sequence of fighter jets.

The air warriors also use Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Dassault Mirage 2000, and MiG-29 as tools to deliver nuclear weapons. In war arenas, India has exercised upon using SEPECAT Jaguar and MiG-27M which can be used to drop gravity bombs.

Interestingly, after losing precious lives of 171 pilots, 39 civilians and eight persons from other services, the Indian Air Force still uses its second generation Mig-21 fighter planes to send their brave young men to face their untimely death in these ‘flying coffins’ and ‘widow-maker machines’.

Tata Group, Singapore Airlines say JV to create jobs

Making a strong case for approval of their proposed airline JV, Tata Group and Singapore Airlines have said that the joint venture (JV) would create significant job opportunities in India, boost aviation sector and would boost the country's image as an international investment destination.



The two partners have also listed out a number of other economic benefits for the country from their new venture, Tata SIA Airlines Ltd, where Tata Sons would hold 51 per cent stake and Singapore Airlines (SIA) 49 per cent.

"The brand 'SIA' is recognised worldwide and the expansion of the 'SIA' in India will signal the ability of the country to attract leading names from the international circuit to benefit the Indian market and customers.

"High foreign investment inflows would further strengthen the civil aviation sector," the two partners said in an application to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), while seeking approval for USD 49 billion worth FDI by SIA.

The two groups have also emphasised that investment from SIA and operations of the proposed JV would have the potential for significant foreign exchange earnings in India.

Tatas and Singapore Airlines, which are together attempting an aviation venture for the third time, also said that the venture would generate significant job opportunities and that the JV would hire Indian residents to establish its operations here.

The job avenues would be for "qualified pilots, technicians, managers and skilled labour in India".
Amid many players facing challenging times in the domestic aviation space, SIA has also affirmed its commitment to long-term presence in the country.

Besides, the two entities have said that the new venture would also enhance business opportunities for various stakeholders including vendors, suppliers and contractors.

Tatas said that the proposed airline venture would tap the synergies with its various group companies, while SIA would bring on board the technical expertise and best business practices with regard to aviation business.

They also said that the JV would benefit from economies of scale offered by vendors to SIA in relation to procurement of aircraft, engineering services, spares and infrastructure.

The proposed airline also plans to offer "renting and leasing (except financial leasing) of aircraft".

It would also provide air transport carriers for both passengers and freights as well as "supporting services to air transport, like operation or airport flying facilities, radio beacons, flying control centres and radar stations etc".

Among others, SIA's contribution to the joint venture would include providing access to the Singapore entity's global network besides offering necessary technical expertise and know-how in relation to the civil aviation sector.

Tata Sons, the holding company of most of the operating firms of the salt-to-software conglomerate Tata group, has signed an MoU with Singapore Airlines for the venture.

Source : Financial Express

Etihad Airways' India cabin crew recruitment drive draws huge interest

Etihad Airways' biggest ever India recruitment campaign has been heralded a huge success with more than 1,000 applications received from men and women looking to join the airline's cabin crew division. 

The drive, in Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi, successfully found the required 200 applicants who will be trained as Etihad Airways cabin crew in advance of the airline's operational expansion in India in December 2013.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline recently announced it will increase flight frequencies, and introduce wide-bodied aircraft to India for the first time, with greater expansion set for 2014.

Richard Hill, Etihad Airways' Chief Operations Officer, said: "India will play an increasingly central part in the expansion of Etihad Airways and we are delighted that so many men and women are keen to join our ranks as members of cabin crew. There are already nearly 4,000 cabin crew flying aboard Etihad Airways aircraft. They enjoy comprehensive training, development, and career opportunities, and we look forward to welcoming new Indian colleagues as we enter this exciting new phase of growth."

New cabin crew members undergo a six week training program in Abu Dhabi, which includes all aspects of cabin safety and service delivery. The training is conducted at Etihad Airways' state-of-the-art Training Academy.

The airline employs people from more than 138 nationalities, reflecting the global reach of the airline and underscoring the multicultural nature of the Etihad Airways' team.

Etihad Airways' plans Indian operations expansion::

• Increase from daily to double-daily its Abu Dhabi-Mumbai and Abu Dhabi-New Delhi flights;
• Use wide-bodied Airbus A340-600 aircraft on one of the daily Abu Dhabi - Mumbai flights, offering First, Business and Economy Classes;
• Use wide-bodied Airbus A330-200 aircraft on one of the daily Abu Dhabi - New Delhi flights, offering Business and Economy Class; and
• Upgrade daily Abu Dhabi - Chennai flights from 136-seat Airbus A320s to new Airbus A321s, seating 174 passengers.  

Source : AmeinfoAmeinfo

Pilot Gap in Asia Reaching Critical Proportions

Ailing infrastructure in rapidly growing economies in the Asia-Pacific region has not kept in step with demand, creating huge challenges for airlines running out of pilots as fleets expand. Led by China and India, the region’s economies will grow 4.5 percent per year over the next 20 years, while Chinese airlines triple the size of their fleets, according to the 2013 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook on Asia-Pacific.

 

China alone will require 77,400 pilots and 93,900 technicians of the 192,300 new airline pilots and 215,300 new technicians needed in the region through 2032, said the Boeing report.

“There is a very real, urgent demand…and the industry will not be able to meet it…While Boeing is investing in technologies to attract and retain young people, this is an industry-wide issue that can be solved only with industry-wide solutions,” said Boeing Flight Services global sales director Bob Bellitto in a conference call. In an effort to contribute to such broader “solutions,” Boeing now plans to license its courseware to help save resources and costs for operators, Bellitto said.

While some airlines like Air India have aggressively established their own training centers, money to support the schools remains scarce. The industry needs more flight schools with quality, said Bellitto.

Obstacles often stand in the way of expanding the workforce as developing countries struggle to retain expatriate talent due to increases in the cost of living and pollution. Most Asian countries, including India, have had to extend employment waivers for expat pilots due to the scarcity of indigenous captains. “This is a reality-based issue,” Bellitto told AIN. “When we introduce a new aircraft we provide line assistance and captains for 128 days.”

Meanwhile, workforce attrition becomes a real problem as people move around. “In countries like India there are plenty of jobs,” said Bellitto. “The question is do you want to live there?”

Still, the bleak economic situation in Europe has helped to a degree in places such as Indonesia, where many foreign pilots have applied to work at airlines such as Lion Air. Now employing 360 captains and 400 first officers, Lion Air is in the process of training 50 captains and 70 copilots and next year plans to recruit another 100 each.

More evidence of the dire need for pilots in Asia surfaced with an announcement on September 19 that India’s Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines have signed a memorandum of understanding and applied for Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to establish a new airline in India. While the principals haven’t yet indicated the number of aircraft they plan to field, the joint venture will present formidable competition to existing carriers for human resources.

Source : Ainonline

Tatas to nominate 4 of the 6 directors

The board of the proposed Tata SIA Airlines Ltd would eventually have six directors, Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines have said in an application to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board.



While four of the directors would be nominated by Tata Sons, the other two would be representatives of Singapore Airlines. The chairman of the board will always be a Tata nominee, the partners have said in their application. The chairman and at least two-thirds of the directors of the Tata-SIA board will be Indians, to conform with foreign direct investment guidelines.

According to the memorandum of understanding between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, the board of the proposed joint venture company is initially to comprise three directors. While Tata Sons will nominate Prasad Menon and Mukund Rajan, the third, Mak Swee Wah, is the initial director nominated by SIA. The board will be chaired by Menon. Subsequently, the board would be expanded to six.

Tata Sons and SIA are looking to leverage synergies. SIA would provide access to the new airline to its global network. SIA would additionally share personnel for developing the expertise in the JV company and aid in cost savings in procurement of aircraft, engineering services, spares and infrastructure from its own vendors. SIA would also provide the proposed airline with its technical expertise and know-how of best practices in the civil aviation industry.

The Tatas would support the venture by providing knowledge of the Indian market and synergies between the JV company and other affiliates of the Tata Group. The latter would also help leverage economies of scale offered to it by its vendors in relation to goods and services for the JV company.

Tata Sons tied the knot with SIA last Thursday, to launch a full service carrier in India at an initial investment of $100 million. The Tatas will be the driving force in the JV with a 51 per cent stake; SIA would take the rest for $49 million.

The JV company will be incorporated in New Delhi and its principal place of business shall be India at all times. The airline has made Delhi its operational hub because of the huge capacity constraints at Mumbai airport and better infrastructure facilities at the airport here.

Tata-SIA has said it would like to operate international flights from India, depending upon government approvals.

Source : Business-Standard

Government to fast-track Tata-SIA airline

Desperate to shrug off charges of inertia, UPA II will fast-track the Tata-Singapore Airlines' proposal to set up a full-service carrier. While top government sources say clearances will be given without any unnecessary delays, the attempt will be to make the proposed airline take off within the remaining tenure of this regime.

The Tata-AirAsia proposal was cleared in about eight months and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to issue the licence by October-end and it can start flying by December. "If all documents are in place, Tata-SIA proposal will also be given the go-ahead by our government," said a source, admitting an "unnecessary and avoidable" delay in the other aviation FDI of Jet-Etihad.

Sources close to aviation minister Ajit Singh say he is keen to have strong players in India's otherwise cash-strapped airline industry. Also, Tata-SIA and Air India will launch direct flights from India to far-off places and help the airports in metros develop into hubs.

"Past few years have been full of stories about Indian airlines not paying salaries, airport charges, oil bill and other suppliers on time. Three airlines — Kingfisher, MDLR and Paramount — stopped flying. Now, we have deep-pocket players like SIA, Etihad, the Tatas and AirAsia in the Indian aviation sector and things will stabilize within a couple of years," said an official.

The government is upbeat on Tata-SIA and Tata-AirAsia taking wing as these ventures have very strong international airlines as key partners. While budget airline AirAsia India's 21% stakeholder, Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace, is reportedly upset due to the Tatas tying up with Singapore Airlines to form a full-service airline, the aviation ministry is not perturbed by the Tatas' holding in both the airlines.

"AirAsia is the technical know-how provider and if they get upset it can be a problem for the start-up airline. AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes was aware of the Tatas' talks with SIA. One airline can be Nano and the other JLR of the skies," said a top source.

AirAsia and Singapore Airlines are in direct competition in Southeast Asia. In fact, SIA launched a low-cost long-haul airline called Scoot to take on AirAsia X, the long-haul avatar of the LCC. Tony Fernandes had tweeted when SIA announced the launch of Scoot: "Singapore Airlines to set up a long-haul low-cost carrier. Hahahaha. Deja vu."

While the government has decided to expedite the latest proposal of a full-service airline from the Tatas, it hopes that the stiff competition between AirAsia and SIA does not sour both the proposed start-ups. The DGCA will begin working on AirAsia India's licence as Ajit Singh gave it a no-objection certificate last Friday.

Source : The Times Of India

SIA puts a premium on India

Singapore Airlines' (SIA) partnership with the Tata Group to start a new domestic airline in India declares its designs on Asia-Pacific in a way that its previous alliances and investments have not.



Dependent on international passenger traffic, SIA is trying to reduce its exposure to markets in the US and Europe. Premium travel saw a decline on the back of a weakened Europe. The stronger market of the US is also being served by competition such as Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific with a strategic geographical advantage. Asia-Pacific then, holds the most promise for SIA.

With its $ 49 million investment (49 per cent of the JV) in the full-service airline, SIA will attempt to tap the premium market in the country, dominated by Jet Airways after the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines, and create a hub in New Delhi, to link the Americas with Australia, one of its stronger markets. It would have to do this amidst increasing competition from Gulf carriers and low cost carriers (LCCs). SIA chairman Stephen Lee had hinted at its intention in July when he had said the airline was looking for investment opportunities in India, and that along with China, it was a key market.

On SIA's radar will be the premium market in the domestic skies, that has very few players right now, and strong imminent competition from the Jet-Etihad partnership. Shashank Nigam, CEO of SimpliFlying, a Singapore-based aviation brand strategy firm, says, "The SIA and Tata Group venture comes with deep pockets ($100 million for now), and certainly has the potential to make it big in the under-served premium end of the market. We'll see two major groups fighting for the high-yielding customers, as the likes of Air India have lost ground in that market, and Kingfisher has not flown for a year. While most aviation players lost money, the market is ripe for innovation in premium services."

SIA is not a stranger to innovation (see box) and has been able to hold on to its branding, according to experts. In keeping with its premium positioning, SIA has been steadfast in its focus on its recruits who service passengers and its planes which provide the comfort needed for a premium feel. It is known to train staff for four months rather than the average two months. It is also known to command a price premium and avoid reactionary fluctuations. It was the first to fly the super-jumbo Airbus A380 and will be one of the first to fly the extended version of Boeing 787, which promises to cover upto 90 per cent of all wide-bodied aircraft routes from 2018 onwards.

But SIA has been having a tough time of late. The International Air Transport Association says premium travel grew by 3.2 per cent in the first half of 2013, over last year, in contrast to the 4.8 per cent rate seen in 2012. SIA saw a modest increase in profits by 3.3 per cent to $187 million.

"SIA is facing pressure in its home market from new competition and is seeking new opportunities for future development. The growth potential of India, and particularly the rising middle class who travel the most, fits well with Singapore's reputation for quality service," says UK-based aviation consultant John Strickland.

The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation in its recent report states how Cathay Pacific has the advantage of using

Hong Kong as a hub for traffic from the US (still a strong market for premium travel) because its northerly location makes it less prone to diversions through West Asia by the Gulf carriers than Changi airport.

SIA has had intense competition from Gulf carriers on Europe-Asia routes and LCCs on the South-east Asia, China and Australia routes. The parent group of SIA has diversified into two LCCs (the long-haul Scoot, wholly-owned and Tigerair, a partnership) to take on AirAsia, Jetstar and Lion Air.

But SIA is keen to reinforce its full-service credo, unveiling a new campaign called 'The Lengths We Go To', reminding premium business travellers of its service. After all, business class fares are four-eight times that of economy class tickets. Featuring its icon, the Singapore Girl (cabin crew), the TVCs trace her to tea gardens and tanneries, procuring ingredients for a tailored in-cabin experience of jasmine tea and plush leather first-class seats.

"Even as competitors begin to develop similar products, we have not lost our focus on delivering the famed Singapore Airlines hospitality and warm service," says vice president (public affairs) Nicholas Ionides. Nigam reminds, "SIA is not re-inventing the brand, but emphasising that they go the extra mile for passengers." However, Hong Kong-based analyst Daniel Tsang says SIA is playing catch-up to competition from West Asia and Asia with new three-class products (SIA unveiled the $150 million cabin upgrade in July) since its last revamp in 2007.

SIA had drawn flak for not picking partners to augment its network. But its flight frequencies have increased to Australia (by 45 per cent), China (by 71 per cent) and India (by 24 per cent) over 2010 by dint of recently-struck partnerships. The Tata JV should help further.

Source : Business Standard

Tata JV revives interest in Indian skies

Emirates Group and Qatar Airways are also evaluating local operations

As the aviation industry awaits clarity on the proposed joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines for a full-service carrier, and its eventual fallout on the three-way tie-up that the Tatas had earlier forged to operate low-cost airline AirAsia in the country, analysts believe that the twin proposals of the Tatas signal revival of confidence among international carriers looking to invest in India.

According to an industry consultant, who did not want to be named, two more foreign carriers, Emirates and Qatar Airways, were evaluating the market’s potential. “We are under an understanding that both Emirates and Qatar are estimating their entry in India,” he said. Jet Airways is already in a deal to sell 24 per cent stake to Etihad by the end of this month.

So far, few except Tata’s low-cost airline partner Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace, find problems with India’s biggest corporate group running two independent airline JVs for full-service and no-frills operations, respectively. However, nobody is quite sure how soon the SIA venture would take off.

While Tata Sons owns 30 per cent in AirAsia India, it would retain a 51 per cent stake in the $100 million venture with the Singapore Airlines.

“The Tata-SIA deal will definitely add impetus to the sector, which is undergoing a lot of stress. There have been too many weak players in the sector for too long, with only one profitable venture. It will be interesting to see how the civil aviation ministry and the regulatory authority treat this deal. There’s nothing wrong for a company to have multiple JVs or partnerships, but in a country where there isn’t much difference between a full-service carrier and a low-cost carrier, it becomes challenging for the regulator,” said the industry consultant.

Amber Dubey, partner and head of aerospace and defence at KPMG (India), said,“The Tatas and SIA must have done their homework before inking the deal. There’s nothing in the rulebook that prohibits an airline from having multiple airline JVs. One situation where one may see a challenge is when India’s bilateral quota on a particular route is nearly exhausted and there are Indian carriers asking for more. The government may then have to come up with a methodology to allocate limited quotas to seekers, some of whom may be JVs of the same corporate entity.”

The deal has, however, created trouble in the Tata-AirAsia venture, with Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace, who has 21 per cent stake in AirAsia India, accusing the Tata group of being ‘unethical’ in keeping him in the dark about its joint venture with Singapore Airlines. But AirAsia’s global CEO Tony Fernandes has maintained silence on the issue.

“Tony has a reputation of being a straight talker. This could be the proverbial lull before he comes back with his side of this stormy story. Arun Bhatia has already expressed his sentiments. SIA and AirAsia are bitter rivals in the Asean market and beyond. A lot of clarity is expected over the next few weeks,” Dubey added.

But on the other hand, the deal is considered positive for domestic aviation, with a couple more FDAs in the pipeline.

“The Indian aviation market, which is deeply under-penetrated, offers huge potential. Only about 5 per cent of the market is served. With more FDIs, the sector can get back on the growth path in the long run, though it looks a little bumpy in the short-term,” said Peeyush Naidu, senior director, Deloitte India. He believed that the investments would provide more capacity and stability to the market.

“This is a welcome development considering that the civil aviation market in India is under-served and has tremendous potential for growth. Additional capacity will help link more cities and add more seats on existing routes, thus growing the market by making air travel more affordable.

While AirAsia would be based in Chennai and may have a regional approach, Singapore Airlines would have Delhi as its hub in India,” said Sharat Dhall, president of online travel portal Yatra.com.

Source : Mydigitalfc.com

‘No plan to scrap Navi Mumbai airport project’

A few days after warning project affected persons (PAPs) of the proposed Navi Mumbai airport that the state may have to "scrap" the plan if there would be further delays in land acquisition, leading to its cost rising to unfeasible levels, the state on Monday took a U-turn.

  The state and Cidco, the agency responsible for the airport development, said that they would go ahead with the project even if its cost had gone up because of delays and dollar appreciation. The "warning" was the government's land acquisition negotiation tactic with the PAPs, said a source.

But a crucial meeting that was to take place between state leaders, led by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, and the Prime Minister in New Delhi to discuss Navi Mumbai projects was postponed on Monday. It is reported that the meeting was delayed due to infighting the Congress-NCP coalition. While Chavan heads the urban development ministry, the NCP controls Cidco.

The delay in starting construction and dollar appreciation has increased the project's cost by 30-40% over the 2008 pricing. In 2007, the project cost was nearly Rs 6,000 crore, but now it is pegged at Rs 14,000 crore, said a source. Officials attributed the escalation to the change in scope from airport development to state-of-the-art international standards, besides several environmental measures.

Even now, nearly 25% land is yet to be acquired from Panvel villagers.

"Dollar appreciation has surely affected the project cost, but now there is no looking back. We are committed to go ahead with the project," said Cidco joint managing director V Radha. A meeting with the PM would soon take place to catapult various infrastructure projects in Navi Mumbai, she said Source : The Times Of India          

Kingfisher Airlines asks workers to defer hunger strike

Grounded Kingfisher Airlines today made a last-ditch attempt to prevent a hunger strike threat by its employees, by asking them to wait till Thursday, as the airline expects some positive outcome from the hearing on the winding up petition against it, say sources.




The Karnataka High Court is slated to hear the winding up petition by six creditors to the airline on Wednesday.

As many as 100 city-based employees of the crippled airline have threatened to go on hunger strike from tomorrow, demanding payment of salaries which have not been paid for the past 14 months. The airline was grounded last October.

Incidentally, the airline's annual general meeting is also scheduled tomorrow in Bangalore.

"The management has asked us to defer our hunger strike plan till Thursday on the plea that it expects some positive outcome from the hearing on the winding up petition. But as of now, we are firm on our agitation plan," sources told PTI here.

The agitating employees have asked for a written assurance from the management on the issue, they said, adding, "so far they have not responded."

The negotiations with the management, however, are still on, they added.

The employees received last salary this April for July 2012. They have renewed their agitation for salary dues and served a hunger strike notice to the management early this month.

A bunch of petitions have been filed by six creditors to wind-up the defunct airline for failing to pay their dues in spite of several reminders. The six petitioners include IAE International Aero, Rolls-Royce & Partners Finance and BNP Paribas, which supplied aircraft, components and funds to the airline.

Last week, the lead banker to the 17-bank consortium had filed a petition saying that the airline is a wilful defaulter.

During the September 17 hearing, Kingfisher Airlines had moved an application, seeking the court's permission to release at least one month salary of its employees from the Diageo stake sale proceeds.

"The court is expected to pass some directive in this regard in the next hearing on Wednesday," sources said.

As of March, there were 2,851 employees with the carrier which has been grounded since last October.

The airline owes over Rs. 7,000 crore to a group of 17 banks, which were not serviced since January 2012.

Source : NDTV Profit

Airport staff on 10-day protest from today

Beginning Monday, the Airport Authority Employees Union (AAEU) is set to launch a 10-day protest against the privatization of Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport. More than 150 employees under AAEU will stage protest every day during lunch hour without affecting the operations of the airport.



From September 9, the employees began wearing black badge at work to mark their disagreement with the proposal of privatization. Two weeks ago, AAEU had written a letter to chief minister Narendra Modi demanding immediate intervention and stopping the proposed action of privatization by the Central government.

The employees will also submit a memorandum to the airport director stating their demands against privatization. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has decided to hand over the operations, management and development of the six Airports Authority of India (AAI)-run airports - Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Guwahati - to private parties on a public-private partnership basis.

The employees believe that privatization will not only increase the cost of services at airport but will also be a threat to their jobs. "The government has given 'mini ratna' status to AAI and now they are giving the controls to private players," said AAEU official. Many AAI workers are also afraid that they might lose their job. "In 2006, when the government had gone for privatization of Delhi and Mumbai airports, we had protested all over the country and then PM Manmohan Singh promised that no more airports will be privatized. And now the government is turning back away from their promise," said another employee.

TOI had earlier reported that privatization will affect air travellers. The cost of services, airport development fee and user development fee will increase at least by 20 to 50 % and this in turn will increase the cost of flying.
 
Protests planned

Candle march - October 21
Relay hunger strike - October 22-25
Gherao at all the six airports - October 28- 31
(Six airports - Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Guwahati)

Source : The Times Of India

Navi Mumbai airport project to be scrapped?

Even Cidco, the only player keen on the project, changes stand.

The Navi Mumbai international airport may not come about at all, with even the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) wanting it “scrapped”.

“The project may have to be scrapped as it has become unfeasible,” Cidco joint managing director V Radha said.

“More than 10 years have been wasted in discussions. The project cost has escalated from Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore. We cannot afford any more delays,” Radha said at a function in Chinchpada village in Uran tehsil recently.

The state urban development department already wants the project scrapped. It has even proposed alternative sites like Chakan near Pune and Murbad in Thane district.

Cidco has been the only stakeholder keen on the project.

The broad contours of the project’s fate was seen a couple of months ago with the Project Affected Persons (PAPs) raising many objections.

The PAPs have been demanding a compensation of 40% developed plot under the state’s Gaothan Exchange Scheme (GES), since the government has ruled out monetary compensation.

The government termed this demand  unreasonable as the maximum compensation given to other PAPs in Navi Mumbai is 12.5% of developed land.

The PAPs had even rejected a government offer of 22.5%.

The other PAPs are those from whom land was acquired for building the city of Navi Mumbai some 30 years ago. At that time, they were compensated with 12.5% of developed land.

Though Cidco has been negotiating hard on land acquisition, sources said the government has been “deliberately” delaying it as it wants the project shifted to another site.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has been saying the hard stance by the land owners could cost the project dear.  “The adamant attitude of PAPs has been the main reason for the delay,” he said last week.

The PAPs have also been changing their demand. They recently demanded a compensation of Rs 20 crore for each acre of land.

Sources say there is a reason to this. “If the airport does not come up, their land is of little value since most of it falls under the Coastal Regulation Zone and cannot be utilised for any other development. They are literally holding the government to ransom,” a source said.

Source : DNA India

Air Costa gets DGCA permit

Regional airline Air Costa has received the air operator’s permit from the Director General of Civil Aviation, clearing the way for its take off. 

The airline is now set to commence its scheduled flight operations from October. It will start its ticket sales in the next few days.

“We will start with two E-170 and two E-190 Embraer E-Jets having twin class cabin,” K.N. Babu, CEO, said.

Initially, the carrier will connect to Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Jaipur. It will later expand to cities such as Pune, Goa, Madurai, Thiruvananthapuram and Visakhapatnam.

The airline is promoted by the LEPL group based in Vijayawada, having interests in urban infrastructure, aviation, renewable energy, hospitality, education and entertainment. 

Source : The Hindu Business Line

Focus on connecting small cities by air: Manmohan

Small destinations in the country will have air connectivity with a network of more than 100 airports planned to meet the expected passenger load capacity of 30 crore by 2020, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said.

The first such airport will come up in Kishangarh town in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district, he said after laying the foundation stone for the development of the airport which is scheduled to get operational by 2016.

“An ambitious scheme to develop a network of 100 smaller airports in the country is being implemented.Focus earlier was on developing airports in metro cities and now more than 100 airports will be set up in small towns and cities,” Dr. Singh said.

“This will enhance air connectivity in the country. Kishangarh airport will be the first project under this scheme,” he said, adding that it will also meet requirement of increasing passenger load which is expected to be around 30 crores by 2020.

The prime minister said the Kishangarh airport, to be set up at an estimated cost of 161 crore in first phase, will accelerate economic activities and growth in the area.

“Ajmer is a noted tourist destination having famous dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti and Brahma temple in Pushkar town. Besides, the region is known for industries including that of marble and the new project of airport will push economic growth,” he said.

Dr. Singh said that passenger load has increased significantly and the trend would continue.

“The number of air passengers was 16 crore last year and it is estimated to be increased by 30 crore by the end of 2020.We will have to put more efforts to meet the requirement and both the government and private sectors need to make heavy investment for this,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh highlighted the importance of air connectivity in smaller destinations and said that his ministry was now working in this direction.

“There are small airports in several cities but lack services. We now plan to start services at such airports in order to enhance connectivity,” the Minister said.

Kishangarh town, famous for marble industry, is located on NH-8 near Ajmer city.

The civil airport, to be set by AAI, in the town will have 2000 meter long runway and a capacity to handle 150 passengers.

Terminal building has been planned on modular concept with modern facilities. There will be 6 check-in counters, one security check unit and parking capacity for 125 cars.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Union MoS for Corporate affairs Sachin Pilot were among others present on the occasion.

Source : The Hindu

6 girls among 20 graduates to join PG aviation course

Twenty young engineering graduates, including six girls, will join the maiden batch of the MTech (Aviation) course, which is a joint academic collaboration between the University of Pune (UoP) and Germany's top pilot training and flight school, Fachschule Fur Luftfahrzeugfuhrer (FFL).

The students were handpicked from among 40 shortlisted candidates, who were interviewed on Thursday and Friday by a joint panel of the university and representatives of the Frankfurt-based FFL.

At a joint media briefing by university and FFL representatives following the interviews, UoP vice-chancellor Wasudeo N Gade declared that the entrance test for the MTech (Aviation) course will now be conducted twice a year for monsoon and winter semesters to secure a better turnaround of flight engineers.

On July 17, the university had announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the FFL to launch a first-of-its-kind two-year M Tech (Aviation) course. The first of the four semesters will be conducted at the varsity's department of technology, while the remaining three semesters would involve onsite training at FFL facilities in Frankfurt, eventually earning the student a European flying licence by German aviation regulator LBA.

The UoP, which will award the degree, has secured an assurance from India's civil aviation regulator, the director general of civil aviation (DGCA), to facilitate a license which will make those who complete the course eligible to fly in the Asia-Pacific region. "The DGCA has assured us that authentication of the knowhow acquired by the course pass-outs won't be an issue considering that it is a joint collaboration between the UoP and FFL," Gade said.

He said, "A total of 390 aspirants from various cities had applied online after the admission process for the course was notified. The maiden entrance test was held on September 15 in Pune, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore, leading to a shortlist of 40 candidates for the interviews and final selections. We plan to conduct the next entrance test in December."

FFL chief executive officer Ulrich Langenecker and chief training officer Stephen Volkland said, "Our emphasis in the selection of candidates was on academic results, performance in the entrance exam, spoken English, personality and motivation. We had a few really good candidates in this context."

Naresh Khemani, a former pilot and UoP alumnus who is now working with FFL, said, "We have taken only those people who can be employed on completion of their course by airline companies."

The students will study in Germany on a student visa with a part work permit, for 180 days on a half-day basis or 90 full days, as they may prefer. "On completion, they will have to return to India. Students can apply for jobs with airlines such as Lufthansa, but this will be independent of FFL's commitment to the German government to train flight engineers with LBA licenses," Khemani said.

Dean of UoP department of technology Aditya Abhyankar and senior professor S I Patil were part of the joint selection panel that interviewed the students.

Source : The Times Of India

Prez Seal on Country’s First National Aviation University

President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent for setting up of the first-ever national aviation university named after Rajiv Gandhi to train pilots, cabin crew and aircraft engineers.
The university would come up at Sonia Gandhi's constituency of Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.

"The Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University Bill, 2013 has received the assent of the President of India. It has now been published in the Gazette of India," an official statement said.

Earlier this month, Parliament had given its nod to the bill for setting up of the university.

The bill was passed by Rajya Sabha without discussion while Lok Sabha cleared it after a short debate.

It provides for creation of the central university on a 26 acre plot at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udaan Academy at Fursatganj.

The university, an autonomous body under administrative control of the Civil Aviation Ministry, would have a funding of Rs 202 crore during the 12th Plan period, of which Rs 80 crore has already been sanctioned by the Centre.

The need for the university was felt due to the "marked absence of credible institutions imparting specialised technical and managerial training in air transportation, safety, security and regulatory areas", the bill's Statement of Objects and Reasons said.

"The opportunity cost of not investing in human resources required for the civil aviation sector in India at this juncture would result in reduced growth, increased cost of operations, compromise on safety and missed opportunities," it said.

The university would promote aviation studies, training and research with focus on emerging areas like aviation management, aviation regulation and policy, aviation history, aviation science and engineering, aviation law, aviation safety and security and aviation medicine.

Source :  Outlookindia.com