Flightstats clarifies Air India not third worst airline
Clarifying on reports about Air India being the third worst airline in terms of operations, aviation insights company Flightstats has clarified, in a letter to Air India, that their list does not put Air India as the third worst airline in the world. According to a reports a couple of days back, Air India was the third worst airline in the world in terms of operational performance. “The Worst 10 International Airlines of 2016 10. Hainan Airlines – 30.3 percent 9. Korean Air – 31.74 percent 8. Air China – 32.73 percent 7. Hong Kong Airlines – 33.42 percent 6. China Eastern Airlines – 35.8 percent 5. Asiana Airlines – 37.46 percent 4. Philippine Airlines – 38.33 percent 3. Air India – 38.71 percent 2. Icelandair – 41.05 percent 1. El Al – 56 percent,” the report had stated. The rating was contested by Air India, which wrote a letter to FlighStats, which responded by saying that Air India’s projection as third lowest is not accurate. “We understand that a recent article by Bloomberg has portrayed Air India in a negative light and we want to assure you that FlightStats by no means endorsed their portrayal of your performance. While we do highlight exceptional performers, we do not, and have not, highlighted low performance or maintain a list of worst performing airlines,” said Flightstats response The response added that Bloomberg requested and was provided a list of 122 international carriers with their accompanying arrival on-time percentage for the year of 2016. All data is reported using the industry standard A14 metric, which measures the percentage of on-time actual gate arrivals within 14:59 of scheduled gate arrival. “Our data, which was a measure of 97.7 per cent of your arriving flights, indicated that 61.29 per cent of Al’s flight arn’ved within the A14 threshold. Bloomberg applied its journalistic license to invert the A14 result to highlight the percentage of delayed flights being 38.17 per cent and indicated that the number was a predictor to future delays. This is not how we would portray airline OTP; nor were we given access to the Bloomberg article prior to its publication. Please note we are making a formal statement about this on our website as well as via our social and media channels,” reads the missive, written by James E Hetzel, Vice President, Business development at FlightStats, Inc. Blake Wheeler Authentic Jersey
SpiceJet to seal $10 billion deal with Boeing for 737 jets: Sources
India’s SpiceJet is set to seal an order for at least 90 new 737 jets from Boeing, two sources said on Thursday, as the low-cost carrier targets an expansion to tap into the South Asian nation’s booming air travel market. The announcement for the 737 MAX aircraft – which includes at least 42 of the narrowbody jets SpiceJet had previously agreed to buy from Boeing in 2014 – is expected as early as Friday when SpiceJet’s chairman holds a press event in New Delhi, the sources, who were familiar with the matter, said. One of the sources said the SpiceJet order could be for as many as 100 new planes. Boeing last week posted an order for 100 737 MAX jets from an unidentified customer. The sources declined to be identified ahead of Friday’s press announcement. An agreement with SpiceJet, which has a current fleet of 40 planes, would be a much-needed boost for Boeing in India, as its rival Airbus has won record-sized orders with InterGlobe Aviation’s IndiGo, India’s biggest budget airline, as well as a recent deal with GoAir. SpiceJet and Boeing did not respond to requests for comment. India is the world’s fastest growing aviation market and among the most attractive for planemakers seeking a new wave of growth. Indian passenger numbers are increasing by more than 20 percent annually thanks to low prices and rising disposable incomes. SpiceJet has been in talks with Boeing and Airbus since 2015, and it is expected to have secured a discount from the roughly $10 billion cost of 90 737 MAX jets based on list prices. Airlines typically get discounts from list prices when placing large orders. Under chairman Ajay Singh, SpiceJet has been rebuilding its business since almost collapsing after running out of cash in late 2014. The airline has grown its market share and returned to profitability but it remains far smaller than market leader IndiGo. Despite soaring passenger numbers, Indian carriers have struggled to achieve consistent profitability because of fierce competition, regular price wars and high operating costs. Anthony Duclair Womens Jersey
Haryana to offer cheap power for new investors
Haryana government will be soon announce a new tariff policy for manufacturing units that are part of fresh investments, and make it easier for industry to get new power connections and upgrade sanctioned load. Special sops for the mobile phone manufacturing industry are also in the offing. Speaking at a panel discussion on IT and ITes industry at the Pravasi Divas, Anurag Rastogi, principal secretary, power department, said the government is working on the twin goals of improving the availability and reducing cost of power. “It has been decided that a new power regime based on common sense, and actual ground conditions will be introduced,” Rastogi said. The state government is also working on reducing the cost of power to industrial units and new units could be supplied cheaper power. “The cost of power in Haryana is relatively high but this problem would also be addressed by boosting the transmission system. It is being considered to supply power to new units at favourable rates,” he said. A sum of ?20,000 crore has been spent as part of the infrastructure upgrade and Gurgaon would get six 220 kv sub-stations. To boost electronic and mobile phone manufacturing, the government will announce sops for the mobile phone industry too. “Two to three large mobile phone companies have signed agreements with the state. They have asked for specific incentives, which are under positive consideration,” Devender Singh, principal secretary, industries and commerce department, said. The state is also getting a digital upgrade in line with the vision of digital India. Haryana industries and commerce minister Vipul Goel said the optical fibre has been laid in 3,500 villages, and the rest would be connected soon. Mackensie Alexander Womens Jersey
Govt to spend $10 billion on airport infrastructure: Civil Aviation Secretary
A sum of $10 billion would be spent in next five years to develop airport infrastructure in India so that the country could become the world’s third largest aviation market in seven years, Civil Aviation Secretary RN Choubey has said. As many as 400 unused airstrips across the country that had become cattle grazing grounds, would be brought back to life, he said. Addressing a day-long India Aviation Summit here today, Choubey said the Civil Aviation Ministry was determined to maintain the “historic” 23 per cent growth rate achieved in the aviation sector in the country. “$10 billion would be spent in next five years to develop airport infrastructure. Our aim is to become the third largest aviation market in the next seven years. We are determined to stay ahead of the growth curve,” he said. India’s nearest rival in terms of aviation growth was China with 14 per cent. Progressive and proactive industry-friendly policies played a significant part in Indian aviation’s growth story and not just the fall in fuel prices, Choubey remarked. “Our ultimate objective is to take the flight to the masses and to this end we have come up with a progressive policy. We have also undertaken a very very bold experiment called Regional Air Connectivity Scheme at the national level,” the bureaucrat said. “For the first time, the civil aviation sector has achieved rail parity. While the railways turnover is Rs 1.6 lakh crore, civil aviation turnover touched Rs 1.4 lakh crore and the number of rail and air passengers has also become almost equal,” Choubey pointed out. “Civil aviation is now just as popular and just as necessary. Airfares are now comparable to air-conditioned train fares. No one could imagine subsidy for air travel but under the RAC Scheme, we have been extending 50-60 per cent viability gap funding,” he said. Stating that RAC Scheme created a lot of “excitement”, the Civil Aviation Secretary said they received enquiries for as many as 800 routes. Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, and FICCI Chairman (Aviation) Pratyush Kumar were also present on the occasion. The Civil Aviation Ministry organised the summit in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh Government and FICCI, for the first time in Vijayawada. Justin Faulk Womens Jersey
Government wants to know if it can recover $1.55 billion from RIL
The government is seeking legal advice on whether it can recover $1.55 billion compensation from Reliance Industries in the gas dispute case with ONGC while arbitration proceedings are underway, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. The oil ministry had directed Reliance in November to pay $1.55 billion, or about Rs 10,600 crore, to the government for “unjust gains” from producing natural gas that had flowed from the adjoining field of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC). Reliance initiated arbitration against the decision. “We are seeking advice from our lawyers and the law ministry to decide if we can recover the amount while the arbitration is in progress. Once we get their views, we will take a final call,” one of the sources said. It can take months, if not years, for the arbitration panel to complete proceedings and decide on the case. “The government has all options available to it and has not foreclosed any option. The one that will best suit the interests of government/public will be decided,” an oil ministry official said. Reliance Industries declined to comment for the story. The government demand was based on the Justice AP Shah panel report, which concluded that Reliance had unjustly gained by producing gas that had migrated to its field off the eastern coast from adjoining ONGC fields. The report said Reliance must restore that gain to the government. Reliance Industries has nominated Bernard Eder, a former High Court judge in the UK, to the arbitration panel while the government has named G S Singhvi, a retired Supreme Court judge, as its representative. The hearing will begin in India after the third arbitrator is decided. RIL had previously said the government order was arbitrary as the company had carried out its activities within the boundaries of the block it operates and had abided by contractual provisions and the law. Johnny Hekker Womens Jersey