Turbine fuel tankers pose risk to lives at old Dabolim airport
The lives of people working at the old terminal building of Dabolim airport are at risk due to the movement of tankers containing aviation turbine fuel. As per available information from some of the staff attached to the airlines, the constant movement of tankers loaded with aviation turbine fuel poses danger to the lives of people. It was disclosed that several tankers containing aviation turbine fuel from various petroleum companies make its way to the new terminal building of Dabolim airport in order to provide fuel to airlines which are parked on the apron. These tankers pass from the entrance gate of the old terminal building where several vehicles involving those of yellow black cabs are parked haphazardly. “Airline staff besides passengers, policemen face a risk to their lives, incase of any accident which may take place at the entrance gate of the old Dabolim airport terminal due to constant movement of tankers, carrying aviation turbine fuel,” added an airline staff. He disclosed that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) should take the matter seriously and restrict parking of vehicles at the entrance gate of the old terminal building of Dabolim airport.
Airport Authority of India to study feasibility of height relaxation
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) will carry out a study on the proposal of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) seeking relaxation in the height of buildings in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Wadala. Currently, the height restriction for BKC ranges from 40 metres to 80 metres and the MMRDA had requested the AAI grant a height relaxation of 90 metres in BKC and up to 200 metres in Wadala both at a radius of 8 km from the airport. Confirming the same, U.P.S. Madan, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, “We have been told that AAI has roped in international consultants to study the proposal of MMRDA and the study has also started, so we expect to get the final word on the height relaxation in the coming six months.” According to MMRDA officials, owing to the height restrictions they haven’t able to exploit the total area of every plot efficiently. The height restrictions near airports are imposed for two reasons. The area falls in the trajectory of the runway and tall buildings could be a hindrance in take-offs and landings. Secondly, the restrictions are imposed so that there is no interference with radar signals.
Airline cancellation, booking charge hikes under DGCA lens
In a much belated move, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has finally brought the constant hikes in cancellation and rebooking charges by airlines under its scanner. DGCA chief M Sathiyavathy has asked her deputy Lalit Gupta to examine the entire gamut of these charges and submit a report on the same this week. The regulatory move comes as a leading low cost carrier last week hiked cancellation charges to a flat Rs 2,250 for all passengers cancelling up to 2 hours before the flight departs. Before this, passengers cancelling were charged Rs 1,900 if they cancelled tickets more than a week prior to scheduled departure. This was the fourth upward revision in a year. Other airlines are also expected to follow suit. “As the safety regulator, we ideally should not interfere in the commercial decisions of airlines. But in this case we are getting complaints from the public. Based on the Lalit Gupta report, we will act if the cancellation/rebooking charges are found to be unreasonable,” said a senior DGCA official. In the last one year itself these charges have been hiked several times by some airlines. They started last year with Rs 2,000. Later they had three slabs: Rs 1250 for cancellations 30 days before flight; Rs 1,500 for cancellation from 30 days to a week before departure and Rs 2,000 for a week before flight time. After that these charges were revised to be between 1,900 and Rs 2,250. Consumer organisations have been complaining to the DGCA for almost a year but the regulator has not acted so far. Last year, Air Passengers’ Association of India chief Sudhakara Reddy had sent a mail to the aviation ministry and DGCA over the same issue.
SIA’s low cost arm, Scoot, to launch India flights soon
Scoot Airline, the low-cost arm of Singapore Airline (SIA), is all set to land soon in three Indian cities including Chennai, making it the fourth carrier from the Southeast Asian naton to operate to the world’s fastest growing aviation market here. An announcement in this regard is likely to be made in a month, sources in the know of the development said. Besides parent Singapore Airlines, two of its two subsidiaries Tiger Air and Silk Air also operate to India at present. SIA also holds 49 per cent stake in Indian full service carrier Vistara, in which Tata Sons is a majority stake holder with 51 per cent. “Scoot Airline plans to operate from Chennai, Amritsar and Jaipur as part of its India entry plan. The airline is in the process of getting all mandatory approvals. A final announcement in this regard is expected to be made in the next couple of weeks,” the sources said.
Navi Mumbai airport inches ahead, on paper
It seems the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) project is moving, at least on paper. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has started putting together a team that will be tasked with air traffic management at the proposed airport. “Though there is still no clarity regarding the functionality of the proposed airport, work on formation of a team that will set up the air traffic management infrastructure is on,” said a senior AAI official. The AAI manages most of the civil aviation airports in India and also the air traffic management of the privately held ones, namely Mumbai and Delhi. The air traffic infrastructure includes setting up of an Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower and a building that can have related equipment, apart from laying of cables. According to government officials, despite the NMIA project being first conceptualised way back in 1970s, it was unable to move ahead due to protracted negotiations with farmers over land issues. The farmers wanted a compensation of Rs20 crore per hectare, or 35% of the land back as a developed plot. However, the government was unwilling to offer more than 22.5%.
Govt. to float tenders to restart work on Shivamogga airport
The State government will soon float tenders for recommencement of the airport construction work in the city. In reply to a query raised by K.B. Prasanna Kumar, Shivamogga MLA, in the recently concluded State legislature session, Minister R. Roshan Baig said the State government planned to implement the project in the public-private-partnership model. The government in March 2007 had given its nod for construction of an airport near Sogane on the outskirts of the city, and had acquired 662 acres. Initially, the project was estimated to cost Rs. 194 crore. It was planned to construct a 3.1 km-long runway, a terminal building, and essential infrastructure to handle passengers and cargo. The State had entered into a MoU with Shimoga Airport Developers Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture private firm that bagged the contract in December 2010. According to the MoU, the work was to be completed in 24 months. The work was suspended few months later owing to difference of opinion between the partners of the firm. As the firm failed to complete the work within the stipulated time, the State government cancelled the agreement in January 2015, and the work has been halted since.
All proposed airport terminals to have green ratings: AAI
All proposed airport terminals under the Airports Authority of India will have GRIHA ratings as the airports management body looks to tap alternative sources of energy in a big way, AAI chairman Sudhir Raheja said today. Raheja said AAI, responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing civil aviation infrastructure in the country, has implemented best practices, towards reduction in emission levels and in saving fuel. “All new terminal buildings proposed have a GRIHA ‘three star’ minimum rating and AAI has taken steps towards use of solar energy in a big way,” Raheja said during the annual day celebrations of AAI here. “AAI has already commissioned 4.5 MW rooftop solar power plants at Tirupati,” he said. Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is an indigenous system developed by TERI with support of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to rate energy efficiency of buildings. Acting Director, Chennai Airport, L N Tatwani outlined various achievements of AAI in 2015-16 and the infrastructure proposed under Phase-II airport modernisation programme.
AAI draws up road map for non-traffic revenue generation: Sudhir Raheja
The Airports Authority of India has drawn up a road map for generating revenues from non-traffic activity, apart from working on ways to enhance regional air connectivity. It owns and maintains 125 airports, including civil enclaves, and provides air navigation services at all airports across the country. AAI Chairman Sudhir Raheja said it has drawn up a “road map for generation of non-traffic revenue, marketing strategy, making available airport infrastructure in every nook and corner of the country”, according to an official release. Many airport operators worldwide have increased their share of non-traffic revenues by as much as 50 per cent. The airport operator will focus on promoting the regional connectivity scheme as well as work towards training and re-training people, he added. Raheja was speaking at AAI’s annual day function here on Friday.
Private airlines can now bid for loss-making regional routes
Private Indian airlines will be allowed to bid for operations on loss-making regional routes where the government will provide subsidy as part of the regional connectivity plan, a top aviation ministry official has said. This will be the first time private carriers will be allowed to bid for these routes and claim government subsidy. At present, only state-run national carrier Air India gets subsidy for providing connectivity in the northeastern region. The decision is as part of the rules that will govern the regional connectivity plan, which the government plans to implement as soon as the Civil Aviation Policy is approved. It will override the draft aviation policy’s proposal to create a scheduled commuter airline category for the purpose, said the aviation ministry official, who did not wish to be identified. “Both regional and national scheduled airlines can operate flights for the regional routes,” the official said. “Nonscheduled operators will have to convert to scheduled carriers to bid for these flights.” The National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 (NCAP 2016) is likely to be taken up by the Cabinet by the end of this month, the official said. According to the official, the ministry intends to immediately roll out regional flights at 30 airports which have the infrastructure in place. The government has decided to fix fares on regional flights at Rs 2,500 per hour, and the rest of the cost of the flight will be funded by the government through subsidy, he said. Analysts, however, said the government should look at allowing non-schedule operators (NSOPs) on these routes, as scheduled airlines would not like to get into operating smaller aircraft. “The key to regional connectivity being successful in India lies with the surplus and underutilised general aviation fleet in India, which currently stands at over 110 turboprops and nearly 270 helicopters that are capable of connecting airfields and landing grounds that fall within the remote, out-of-reach, displaced category in India,”
Flying to Delhi? Be ready for delays due to runway repairs
Those flying to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) may face inconvenience as the airport is set to undertake some necessary and preventive repair works on runway 10/28. An airport official said the repair work is expected to start from April 5 and take a week to be completed. Till runway 10/28 is shut, runways 09/27 and 11/29 will be fully available round the clock to handle the traffic, the official added. “These two runways would be sufficient to take care of the current air traffic movement. Once the repair work is completed and the runway becomes operational, the airside efficiency of IGI Airport will improve,” airport operator Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd said in a statement.