AirAsia India reports 42 per cent increase in passenger traffic
Budget carrier AirAsia India (AAI) flew 5.89 lakh passengers in three months ended September, 2016, a 42 per cent increase from the number of passengers who flew in the airline in the year-ago period. The airline during the quarter added three new destinations in its route network while capacity (number of total seats flown) increased by 23 per cent to 6.72 lakh, AirAsia said in a statement today. The number of passengers carried (by AirAsia India) increased 42 per cent YoY to 0.59 million (5.89 lakh), while the capacity increased by 23 per cent in July-September quarter of the current year, AirAsia said. In AAI, while Tata Sons and Malaysian no-frills airline AirAsia Berhad each holds 49 per cent stake, two of the airline’s directors, S Ramadorai and R Venkataramanan, hold 2 per cent stake. Three new routes –Bengaluru-Guwahati, Bengaluru-Hyderabad and Hyderabad-Goa were added in the flight network during the quarter while frequencies were scaled up on the Bengaluru-Goa route. The airline also increased its seat factor by 12 per cent to 88 per cent from 76 per cent recorded in the quarter ended September 2015, it said. As on September 30, AirAsia India had eight Airbus A32O aircraft in its fleet against five in Q3 2015, it added. Significantly ousted Tata group chairman Cyrus Mistry, in a letter written a day after his abrupt removal had raised “ethical concerns” in Tata group’s jv with AirAsia and alleged that forensic investigation revealed fraudulent transactions of Rs 22 crore involving non-existent entities in India and Singapore. “Board members and trustees are also aware that in the case of AirAsia, ethical concerns have been raised with respect to certain transactions as well as overall prevailing culture within the organisation. “A recent forensic investigation revealed fraudulent transactions of Rs 22 crore involving non-existent parties in India and Singapore,” Mistry said in the letter. The Government has already said that “all issues (regarding AirAsia India) would be looked into and law of the land will have to be followed in case of any violation.” Madison Bumgarner Authentic Jersey
Civil Aviation Ministry awaits Home Ministry inputs on drones policy
After stakeholder consultations, the Civil Aviation Ministry is now awaiting final inputs from the Home Ministry for deciding the regulations on commercial use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including drones. Aviation regulator DGCA banned the use of UAVs for commercial purposes in October 2014 amid concerns over security. In April 2016, the watchdog came out with draft norms for public consultations but there is yet to be a final decision the issue. Recently, officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry held discussions with their counterparts in the Home Ministry about the proposed regulations for UAVs, including drones and others. A senior official said views from the Home Ministry are awaited on the matter. “We had a meeting with the Home Ministry officials. We have requested for inputs on our proposed policy on drones and expedite the matter. As soon as we get their inputs, we will be putting out the policy on drones,” he said. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in its draft regulations had proposed that drone users would have to secure a permit and a unique identification number for their operations. In the wake of technological advancements in UAVs over the years and their increased use, it has become necessary to develop guidance material to regulate their activities, according to officials. There have been growing instances of drones and other UAVs coming into the flight paths of aircraft, especially near busy airports, leading some of these countries to formulate rules to regulate these operations. “Civilian use of UAS (unmanned aircraft system) includes damage assessment of property and life in areas affected with natural calamities, surveys; critical infrastructure monitoring, among others… “UA (unmanned aircraft) operations present problems to the regulator in terms of ensuring safety of other users of airspace and persons on the ground,” it had said. In October 2014, the government had banned the use of UAVs by any non-government agency, organisation or an individual. Clint Boling Jersey
DGCA asks airlines to put in place electronic cigarette policy
Domestic airlines have been asked by the civil aviation regulator to formulate a policy on handling of electronic cigarettes, and display warnings inside lavatories and passenger briefing cards as part of the cabin safety measures. Under the new cabin safety circular, effective tomorrow, the operators would have to develop procedures to “ensure passengers are advised to remove electronic cigarettes (valet/ sky check) or in cases where excess carry on baggage must be placed in the hold”. Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), popularly known as e-cigarettes, produce an aerosolised mixture containing flavoured liquids and nicotine that is inhaled by the user. The system is powered by lithium batteries. “Electronic, simulated smoking materials (cigarettes, pipes, cigars) are prohibited from use by both passengers and crew at all times. Operators should not permit the use of any item which could insinuate that smoking is permitted on board aircraft,” said a circular issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). These products are not yet regulated nor approved for smoking cessation by the US Food and Drug Administration and the long-term health effects to users and bystanders are still unknown, it noted. The DGCA said that since e-cigarettes are a potential health hazard with safety implications, airlines need to develop policy and procedures to ensure their non-usage as well as proper stowage onboard an aircraft. “Airlines should develop inflight procedures by way of placards/warnings inside the lavatories, safety announcements, passenger briefing cards etc.,” the circular said. The operators have also been asked to communicate their electronic cigarette policy to passengers by various means including through website and during ticket purchase. The circular would be applicable to all Indian operators, which are into scheduled and non-scheduled commercial air transport, as well as state government plane and general aviation aircraft. Apart from known as e-cigarettes, ENDS are also called personal vaporisers, vape pens, e-hookah or vaping devices. According to the watchdog, e-cigarettes can be accepted on board in the passengers carry on baggage provided they remain stowed and unused at all times. Riley Reiff Jersey
Get realistic; have professional consultants vet your wish list: Aviation ministry to industry
The civil aviation ministry is unlikely to seek tax concessions from the government in the budget for 2017-18, a change of stance that officials said has been prompted by reasoning that realistic demands are more likely to be accepted by the finance ministry. The ministry has for the first time asked the industry to get professional consultants to vet its wish list, in line with an idea mooted by the minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha, who had called a meeting of all industry representatives to discuss Budget demands last week. “It was discussed in the meeting that instead of sending a list of demands to the finance ministry that is never accepted, the industry should compile a list of doable things which the finance ministry can accept or look into,” an official present at the meeting said on condition of anonymity. It was also decided that the Budget wish list should focus on items that do not lead to revenue decline for the government, he said. “The demands are likely be items that do not lead to a revenue loss to the exchequer since such demands are unlikely to be accepted,” the official said. SpiceJet chairman Ajay Singh has been given the responsibility to submit the list of demands by November 20, after getting them vetted by consultants. The ministry has called the next meeting on November 25 to discuss the demands.A few requests discussed in the meeting included demands to slash high tax on fuel and reduce excise duty on fuel that was hiked in the budget for 2016-17. Malcolm Jenkins Womens Jersey
Optimal utilisation runways: Govt ropes in global firm
IGI Airport may be India’s busiest airport but “poor” utilisation of its three runways is causing concern. A worried government has asked a leading global air traffic control (ATC) agency to see how the hourly aircraft handling capacity of IGI’s runways can be increased. “Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) has asked UK-based NATS (one of the best known air traffic control and airport performance firms globally) to do a study for optimising use of runways at the behest of the aviation ministry…. there has to be further improvement. The available space can be redesigned to increase the number of aircraft movement per hour. Our air navigation services are also trying to find ways of doing that,” said Airports Authority of India chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra . With two cross runways, the Mumbai Airport handles 45 flights an hour. But the Delhi airport, which has two parallel and a third merging runway, falls way behind—relatively speaking—with 67 aircraft movement an hour. Of these, 62 are for commercial flights and five are for VVIP, defence and charter aircraft. Michael Del Zotto Jersey
GMR Airports bids for Rs 4,000-crore greenfield project in Greece
GMR Airports Ltd, a subsidiary of GMR Infra, Thursday bid for a EUR550 million (Rs 4,000 crore) greenfield airport project in Crete island at Greece, a person in the know told ET. GMR is the single bidder for the Kasteli airport project which entails just a one-stage bid encompassing techinical and financial qualifications. The company is likely to be awarded the project in 2-3 weeks, the person who didn’t want to be identified, told ET. The last date of submitting the bids was today. It has been extended several times since February. GMR has tied up with Greek infrastructure major GEK Terna Holding Real Estate Construction for the project, the person said. GEK will hold 90% of the project while GMR will control the rest. The concession period is for 35 years and will be based on the build operate and transfer model. A spokesman at GEK Terna confirmed the development, the partnership and the shareholding structure in response to an emailed query. The new airport is to replace the ageing Heraklion airport in the city which is likely to be shut. The Kasteli airport project is said to be a test of investor interest in projects in Greece, which is financially struggling and has recently signed up for its third round of bailout from the European Union. But Crete is a major tourist destination and the Heraklion airport had been a gateway for 15%-20% of tourist arrivals to the country. Last year, tourist arrivals to Greece increased by 5.7% to over 15 million. Global media reports said that France’s Vinci along with Greece’s Ellaktor and Spain’s ACS were interested in the project. Reports also cited China State Construction Engineering in a joint venture with Zurich Airport as interested in the project. ET couldn’t independently ascertain the veracity of the reports. GMR Airports in August won the competitive bid for development and operation of the Rs 3,000 crore Mopa Greenfield Airport in North Goa. The concession period for the greenfield project will be 40 years with a possible extension of another 20 years through a bid process. The airport will also be built under the BOT model. GMR operates airports in Delhi and Hyderabad. The conglomerate is also developing the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in Philippines and has in the past developed an airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Earlier in the day, GMR said it won a compensation of $270 million (Rs 1,800 crore) in the outcome of a legal dispute over an airport project in Male, Maldives. Howie Kendrick Womens Jersey
IATA calls for reduction in aviation taxes in India
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for a renewed look at the results of Indian public-private partnership in airport privatization, a reduction in taxation and for India to join international efforts on sustainability for air transport. These will be key enablers of a vitally important industry to India to be an even bigger catalyst for social and economic development. “Air transport contributes enormous value to India, stimulating growth and development with increasingly accessible air connectivity. India’s air transport industry has been through tough times. While many Indian airlines are now posting profits, the sector is still in loss territory with many challenges. These include a massive debt burden, onerous regulations, expensive airport infrastructure and high taxes. Addressing these will bring huge social and economic benefits to India,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. India’s air transport sector already supports 8 million jobs and contributes $72 billion in GDP. In IATA’s recently released 20-year air passenger forecast, India will displace the UK to be the third largest aviation market with 278 million passengers in 2026. In 2035, the horizon of IATA’s just-published 20-Year Passenger Forecast, IATA expects the Indian market to serve 442 million passengers. “Realizing that growth means that we will need to accommodate the potential of 322 million new passengers in just two decades. That will be a real challenge. Without significant change, the economic and social development potential gains that come with a healthy and growing air transport sector are put at risk,” said de Juniac. De Juniac congratulated India on publishing its first-ever Civil Aviation Policy which contains some encouraging elements, such as developments on open-skies, code-sharing and foreign direct investment (FDI). In fact, allowing FDI of 100% in an Indian airline places India among the most progressive states in this respect. But, de Juniac also noted concerns including the mandating of hybrid till for the regulation of airport charges, and the plans for a levy to cross subsidize regional flights. Joe Montana Authentic Jersey
PM10 four times higher at IGIA
An unusual trend in air quality at IGI airport area of the national Capital was observed on Wednesday with four times higher mass concentration of Particulate Matter (10). Notably, in 2015 IGI airport was the cleanest area of the city in terms of air pollution. According to the previous year’s pollution data of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the mass concentrations of pollutant, including (Suspended Particulate Matter) SPM and other gaseous pollutants were measured low, however, this year, the pollution graph of IGI has gone up. The real time air data of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) meters have recorded level of Benzene at 12.90 mg/m3 which was two times higher than the prescribed standards of Indian Metrological Standards (IMD). Considering the data base of National Air quality meters, primary and secondary both pollutants was measured higher. Levels of Mercury, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone and Toluene were measured abnormally higher while in the year 2015, all levels were under the safer limits. Jeremy Kerley Jersey
Airports Authority of India sets up cargo subsidiary
Aviation minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, launched Airports Authority of India Cargo Logistics & Allied Services Company Limited on Tuesday. The AAICLAs is an independent cargo subsidiary company by corporatization of AAI’s Cargo Department. Neera Rawat has been appointed as the MD of the subsidiary and BK Mehrotra would be Chief Executive Officer of AAICLAS. “The vision of the Company is to become the foremost integrated Logistics Net Work operator in India with primary focus on Air Cargo handling and allied services. This new subsidiary will be allowed to develop its own distinct culture, organization structure and business model while at the same time draw upon the strength of its large parent origination, Airports Authority of India,” AAI said. “All the activities currently being carried out by the Cargo Department of AAI will be merged into the new Company and the Department will no longer be functioning with AAI. The Company will be shortly initiating comprehensive discussion with all the stakeholders to ensure smooth transition of all Cargo activities to the new Company,” it said. Christian Kirksey Authentic Jersey
I had no say in aviation foray: Mistry
Tata Sons tied up with AirAsia in February 2013 to start an airline and six months later joined hands with Singapore Airlines. Both the decisions occurred within a year of Cyrus Mistry taking over as group chairman, but now as Mistry’s letter to Tata Sons’ board members indicates he had little role in them. Mistry’s letter also highlights Rs 22 crore fraud in AirAsia India adding that a first information report was filed only on the insistence of an independent director. AirAsia did not immediately respond to a query seeking a comment. In his letter, Mistry points out negotiations with both AirAsia and Singapore Airlines (JV partners in AirAsia India and Vistara) were carried out by Ratan Tata and that he had been presented with a fait accompli. Tata Sons is majority shareholder in both the airlines. “The passion for the airlines sector has led Mr Tata to continue his involvement with the strategy of the two airlines. It is on his advice that Tata Sons board has increased the capital infusion in the sector at multiple levels of the initial commitment,” Mistry said. Ratan Tata’s interest and involvement in the airline business was clearly evident as in 2013, Tata led AirAsia and Singapore Airlines bosses to meetings with the then Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh seeking approvals. Again in early February he also spoke out against the controversial ‘5/20’ rule, which scuttled the overseas expansion plans of two airlines. In July 2013, Ratan Tata was appointed as an advisor to the AirAsia India board.