London: AirAsia India moved a step closer to securing permission to launch operations in the country, with Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Monday saying that all issues concerning the carrier's application had been resolved.
"All matters on AirAsia India have been resolved. The proposal has been sent to the Union Home Ministry for security clearance," Singh told visiting Indian journalists here. "Once the Home Ministry nod comes, Civil Aviation Ministry will give its clearance," the Minister said in response to questions.
AirAsia had in late February announced a 49:30:21 joint venture with Tata Sons and Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace to launch the airline in the country, headquartered in Chennai. The government had in early April cleared AirAsia's proposal to invest Rs 80.98 crore in AirAsia India, marking the clearance of the project's first step before seeking a licence to fly.
Following this, the company on April 23 submitted an application to the Civil Aviation Ministry for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to launch flight operations in the country. ...
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09:23 PM, Jun 10, 2013
London: Air India plans to expand its globaL network using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which will emerge as the "game changer" for the national carrier, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said on Sunday. "We are expanding our network with Dreamliners. The B787s will be game changer for Air india," Singh told PTI here. "People's response is very positive. The Dreamliners are very fuel efficient, have new technology and passenger...
09:10 PM, Jun 09, 2013
Washington: Bowing to pressure from lawmakers and aviation industry, a federal agency responsible for the security of airports in United States has announced to shelve its plan to allow small knives inside a plane. "After extensive engagement with the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, law enforcement officials, passenger advocates, and other important stakeholders, TSA will continue to enforce the current prohibited items list," the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Wednesday....
07:40 AM, Jun 06, 2013
New Delhi: Low-cost carrier IndiGo, which has the biggest domestic market share, would be adding 28 Airbus A320 aircraft to its fleet by end of next year with Civil Aviation Ministry allowing it to import the planes. The airline with a 66-aircraft fleet on Monday said it would be inducting 16 planes this year and the rest 12 by 2014. "IndiGo has been granted permission by the Ministry of Civil...
05:54 PM, Jun 03, 2013
New Delhi: Jet Airways on Friday said market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has allowed its promoters to sell further 1.54 per cent stake and relaxed the conditions for undertaking the sale through OFS route to help the company meet minimum 25 per cent public shareholding norm. Jet Airways, on Thursday, offered to sell nearly 43 lakh shares via Offer-for-sale (OFS) mechanism and got bids for around...
01:57 PM, May 31, 2013
Kochi: In a 'big boost' to Kerala Tourism, the first seaplane, which would commence service from Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam to Punnamada lake in Alapuzha on June 2, landed here to a warm welcome. The project, to be formally launched by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, aims at connecting various backwater destinations in the state. The Seaplane was given a 'water salute' as it touched down at the Kochi International airport...
08:58 PM, May 30, 2013
New Delhi: Indian carriers may have to limit the seats for which they can charge extra to about 15-20 per cent of the total seats on each flight, with the government planning to soon issue a directive in this regard. The total seats on a two-class single-aisle Airbus A-320 or a similar Boeing-737 aircraft number around 130-140, of which the airlines would be able to charge more for a maximum...
05:40 PM, May 30, 2013
New Delhi: Don't be surprised if you get to know that your pilot is sleeping in the cockpit on a long flight! Rules have now been framed to allow them to take a power nap to fight fatigue, of course under stringent conditions. Taking cue from global best practices, aviation regulator DGCA has drafted rules to allow a pilot take a short nap on flight deck, with the other pilot...
06:10 PM, May 28, 2013
New Delhi: The recent 'unbundling' of some services such as seat preferences or meals on board might be helping airlines to earn a lot of ancillary revenue, but the government is considering whether it could limit the number of 'preferred seats' on sale on each flight. The government has been prompted to step in just days after it announced unbundling of these services following reports that some airlines were charging...
12:48 PM, May 19, 2013
New Delhi: Airlines in India have agreed not to charge extra for seats after top officials of all airlines met at the Civil Aviation Ministry in New Delhi on Friday. Earlier, airlines had said they will charge extra if passengers wanted to book seats in advance. However, now they say they will only treat certain seats as privileged ones and charge extra for them. The Civil Aviation Ministry asked all...
08:58 PM, May 17, 2013
Mumbai: An Air India New Delhi-Bangalore flight had to make an unscheduled landing at Bhopal after the flight commander was locked out of the cockpit, an airline spokesperson said on Tuesday. The bizarre incident occurred on Monday when the flight commander of AI-403 went to the toilet briefly and returned to find the cockpit door locked. Despite all efforts from outside and inside by the co-pilot and a trainee pilot,...
10:21 AM, May 15, 2013
Mumbai: Jet Airways on Tuesday said it has got regulatory extension to meet the mandatory 25 per cent public shareholding norm in the private airline. In a filing to BSE, Jet said Sebi, on May 13, relaxed the requirement of 12-week cool-off period after the proposed inter se transfer of shares to enable the company to undertake the offer for sale through stock exchange mechanism to achieve the minimum level...
11:26 PM, May 14, 2013
Mumbai: Life may get a little simpler for Mumbai's millions after a fresh transport option - a seaplane that will complete a two-hour road journey in 7 minutes which will cost Rs 750 equivalent to the cab fare for the same distance. Operated by a private operator Maritime Energy Heli Air Services (MEHAIR), the first-of-its-kind service aims to be take off mid-June, with most police, aviation and governmental clearances coming...
09:55 AM, May 12, 2013
New Delhi: A move that was aimed at bringing down flying costs has taken a turn for the worse. Starting May 13, you might have to pay more to fly. Air India ,for instance, has reduced free check-in baggage to 15 kilograms from the earlier 20 kilograms. Effective from May 13, each extra kilogram above the free allowance limit will cost Rs 250. Tickets with the lowest fare will be...
09:09 AM, May 12, 2013
New Delhi: Describing the decision on 49 per cent FDI in aviation as one which will transform the sector, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said on Friday the government envisages investment of $12.1 billion in the sector in the 12th Plan period (2012-2016). Singh said the rapidly expanding air transport network and opening up of infrastructure to the private sector have fuelled the growth of air traffic in India. "Indian...
05:57 AM, May 04, 2013
Mumbai: An Air India pilot and two air hostesses were suspended after an airline probe found that the cabin crew overstayed in the cockpit on a Delhi-bound flight from Bangkok on April 12. The action came amidst reports that while the pilot took a nap in the business class, the air hostesses were left to operate the aircraft over 20 minutes, endangering the safety of 166 passengers on board. The...
06:58 PM, May 03, 2013
New Delhi: Jet fuel prices were on Wednesday cut by 5.3 per cent, the second steep reduction in rates in one month. Aviation Turbine Fuel, or ATF, price at Delhi was cut by Rs 3,545.94 per kilolitre (kl), or 5.35 per cent, to Rs 62,649.95 per kl, according to Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest fuel retailer. The reduction in rate, made possible due to declining international oil prices, came...
09:17 PM, May 01, 2013
New Delhi: In a move that would raise the cost of air travel, the government on Monday said it has allowed airlines to charge passengers for preferred seats on a flight, check-in baggages and meals, among other things. "Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh has decided to permit scheduled airlines to unbundle certain services and to charge fees for these services separately," an official release said. The services for which the...
08:50 PM, Apr 29, 2013
New Delhi: The Jet-Etihad deal deal might have brought hope to India's struggling aviation sector but it is rattled Air India. It is a double blow - it will have to fight the combined strength of Jet's market penetration in India and Etihad's global network. The government has also increased the traffic rights between the two countries to 36,670 seats per week from the existing 13,300. This will eat into...
07:44 AM, Apr 26, 2013
New Delhi: Describing the over Rs 2,000 crore business proposal between Jet and Etihad airlines as a win-win deal, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh today said it will be beneficial for flyers. In the first Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) deal after India opened up the aviation sector, Jet Airways will sell a 24 per cent stake to Etihad Airways in a $379 million (Rs 2,058 crore) deal. "It is a...
04:42 PM, Apr 25, 2013
