New model to forecast fog over airports
To get a better grip on forecasting fog, a series of organisations has partnered with the airport authorities here to develop a system that can warn of fog at least 6-24 hours in advance, calculate its severity, and estimate when it is likely to lift enough for flights to take off and land safely. Predicting a fog is a daunting challenge the world over, primarily because a range of meteorological conditions contribute to it, and it can play out differently even within a city. While the immediate utility would be for aviation, officials associated with the exercise said if the underlying science of the fog-prediction system was perfected, it would be able to warn of extreme pollution events such as the severe smog that enveloped Delhi this year after Diwali. About 30 instruments have been installed abutting one of the runways in Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, said Madhavan Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, and the first forecasts would be available in January. Authentic Jersey
Warning Issued To Private Jets Over Being Misused To Fly Banned Notes
India has threatened to punish private jet operators that fly to small and remote airports without police clearance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi tries to plug loopholes in his campaign against unaccounted money. A group of private jet operators, which counts tycoon Anand Mahindra’s Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and the billionaire Poonawalla family’s aviation firm as members, said the move came after an “isolated case” of not following procedure, and aircraft owned by its members follow standard rules for security checks. Modi stunned the nation on Nov. 8 by invalidating 500 rupee ($7.3) and 1,000 rupee notes in an effort to force unaccounted cash into the formal economy, setting a Dec. 30 deadline for the money to be deposited with banks. Two weeks later, India Today reported that a private jet was used to transport banned currency to the country’s northeast, where residents enjoy certain tax benefits. The Huffington Post reported that at least four private jets stuffed with cash flew to a small town in the northeastern state of Nagaland. Patrick Omameh Authentic Jersey
UDAN scheme Rs 8500 levy: Indigo, GoAir, SpiceJet, Jet, others take Centre to Delhi High Court
The Central government’s plan to create a fund under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme by levying Rs 7500 to Rs 8500 per flight operated by Indian airlines; to develop airports in smaller towns and cities, was challenged in the Delhi High Court today when the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) filed a petition so as to know the government’s stand on the matter. A notice was issued to Ministry of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal who sought their replies by December 21; as the levy will be chargable from December 1. Meanwhile, the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) explains that the scheme allows them to pass on the levy to the passengers, which they regret imposing as it is not a fee for which their airlines are rendering services to the passengers. The FIA represents air carriers like Indigo, GoAir, SpiceJet and Jet Airways, have sought suppressing of the October 21 notification and the November 9 orders that declared the rates of levy and the categories of the scheduled flights on which they would be imposed. Brandon Williams Authentic Jersey
India’s Light Combat Aircraft Advances with New Order
India’s Ministry of Defense has cleared an order for 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), designated Mk1A, from government-owned defense manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). HAL currently has in hand an order for 40 GE F404-engined LCAs for the IAF. Of the 20 to be produced with an initial operational clearance, three have been delivered and the fourth is scheduled to be handed over by early next year. Twenty more will be supplied once they receive the final operational clearance (FOC) by end of 2017. HAL says it will increase production from eight to 16 a year “once a formal order is received for the 83 Mk1As.” IAF Air Chief Marshall Arup Raha said last year: “We want the LCA Mk1A with an improved radar [Elta’s ELM-2052 AESA or active electronically scanned array], electronic warfare, in-flight refueling and better missiles.” But a privately owned OEM said: “While there is to be joint work between HAL and Elta, we don’t know how much of the Elta AESA will be indigenous.” Other OEMs are interested. For instance, Saab confirmed recently to AIN that it is offering its Gallium Nitride technology, developed in Gothenberg, Sweden, for the LCA, rather than part of its Gripen proposal to India. The LCA Mk2 version, expected to be re-engined from the GE F404 to the F414, is planned for production by 2025. The Indian Navy has expressed its firm requirement for 46 LCA Mk2s that will require a weight reduction of one ton over the Mk1A. Delays to the naval LCA have been attributed in the past to technical complexities; non-availability of infrastructure and critical components and technology denial regimes; extended user trials; and the failure of some of the components during testing.
Airlines slash fares post Centre’s demonetisation move, offer heavy discounts
The Narendra Modi government’s decision to ban old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 has affected the aviation sector with the sale of air tickets declining by 10 percent. In order to cope up with the decline in the airline bookings after the government’s demonetisation move, several domestic passenger carriers have slashed the airfares and offered special discounts for a limited period. Several domestic airlines made surprise announcements in this regard on Tuesday and Wednesday, which assumes significance as they have been made during the peak travel season. Buffalo Bills Authentic Jersey
Kullu airport inducted under UDAN scheme
The Kullu-Manali Airport at Bhuntar has been included under UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). UDAN was launched by the government last month and it seeks to connect small cities by air as well as make flying more affordable for the masses. Kullu Airport Director AN Sharma said the AAI had called for open bidding from all interested stakeholders, including airlines, on the government’s regional connectivity scheme UDAN. The Kullu Airport and many other airports throughout the country having less than seven flights a week were included under the scheme. Airfare of Rs 2,500 or lower is to be offered for flights of less than one-hour duration. The scheme is a market-based mechanism in which airlines bid for seat subsidies through auctioning. Operators will assess demand on routes and submit proposals for operating and providing connectivity on such routes and seek Viability Gap Funding (VGF), if any, while committing to certain minimum operating conditions, Sharma stated. So far only national carrier Air India was plying daily flights from Delhi to Kullu. With the inclusion of Kullu Airport under UDAN scheme, other airlines would be encouraged to conduct operations on this sector. Air India would also offer lower airfares after other operators start scheduled operations and offer UDAN seats, AN Sharma added. Trent Taylor Authentic Jersey
Govt. withdraws permission for Aranmula airport
The State government has snapped all its links with the proposal for setting up a greenfield airport at Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district by withdrawing the in-principle clearance it had given for the project. The decision to wash its hands of the controversy-ridden project was taken by the State Cabinet at its weekly meeting here on Wednesday. The Cabinet also decided to scrap all the orders the government had issued in relation to the airport project. From the beginning, the project was ridden by controversies. Mooted in 2009, the project had received in-principle clearance on February 2, 2010, which also declared Aranmula and surrounding areas as an industrial area. The project hit the first stumbling block when environmental activists, religious groups, and political parties launched an agitation against it. Logan Brown Womens Jersey
Tenders worth Rs 442 crore floated for runway work on Chandigarh airfield
Tenders for the re-surfacing, extension and widening work of the runway and taxi tracks on the Chandigarh airfield have been floated for an estimated cost of around Rs 442 crore. The task of re-surfacing and extension of dispersal of runways and other related works is expected to be completed within 26 months from the date of awarding the tender. According to senior IAF officials, the runway on the airfield is expected to be closed on two occasions for 15 days each when the re-surfacing work is in progress – firstly, when stress absorbing membrane interlayer is being laid and secondly, for the laying of dense asphaltic concrete. These two occasions when the runway will be closed will not be a concurrent period so that the flying operations of the air force and domestic and international flight operations of the Chandigarh airport are not disrupted for a long period of time. During these two 15-day periods, the military aviation flights will be diverted to another airfield nearby, while the civilian flights will not be able to operate from Chandigarh. Tony Gonzalez Womens Jersey
Karnataka govt keen on developing airstrips: Industries Minister Deshpande
Asserting state government’s commitment to develop regional airports, Industries Minister R V Deshpande on Wednesday said there is a proposal to develop airstrips in different parts of the state. “We understand the importance of regional air connectivity and its benefits in the development of tourism sector in the state,” Deshpande said in the Assembly. Pointing out at a few airports that are in different stages of development, he said, “We have planned airstrips in Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Uttara Kannada and other places.” Deshpande was replying to a query by Govinda Karajola (BJP) on the delay in completion of Vijayapura airport. Stating that the state government was awaiting central government’s response on the Vijayapura airport project, the Minister said 727 acres had been acquired for the purpose. Ryan Smith Authentic Jersey
Devendra Fadnavis raises hope for Kolhapur airport
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the state government has taken all necessary steps to clear hurdles for development of Kolhapur Airport and it will be the first airport in the state to become operational under Central government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme. The ministry of civil aviation released National Aviation Policy 2016 (NCAP 2016) with an objective to enhance regional connectivity through fiscal support and infrastructure development. The ministry has started regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik) with an objective of civil aviation’s significant growth that in turn would promote tourism, increase employment and lead to a balanced regional growth. As per the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of the ministry, the government plans to develop airports at 398 cities, including 29 in Maharashtra. Fadnavis has stated that Kolhapur’s airport will be first to become operational in the state. Larry Robinson Womens Jersey