LAXDESI From United States, joined May 2005, 3280 posts, RR: 10 Posted (6 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 10034 times:
Just saw on TV that Kingfisher Airline is in talk with SQ to offload 26% stake in advance of policy change to allow foreign airlines to take upto 26% stake in Indian carriers.
LAXDESI From United States, joined May 2005, 3280 posts, RR: 10 Reply 1, posted (6 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 10025 times:
Quoting LAXDESI (Thread starter): ust saw on TV that Kingfisher Airline is in talk with SQ to offload 26% stake in advance of policy change to allow foreign airlines to take upto 26% stake in Indian carriers.
If the above deal goes through, will 9W be forced to seek a non Star Alliance partner? What will happen to AI's proposed entry into Star?
PNQIAD From India, joined May 2006, 522 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (6 months 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 10012 times:
Quoting LAXDESI (Reply 1): If the above deal goes through, will 9W be forced to seek a non Star Alliance partner? What will happen to AI's proposed entry into Star?
Why would that be the case? As for AI - I think it has been accepted already - isn't it? It is the actual start date that is fluid given AI's inability to streamline its systems after AI/IC merger and bring them up to par with other *A partners...isn't it?
LAXDESI From United States, joined May 2005, 3280 posts, RR: 10 Reply 3, posted (6 months 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 9886 times:
Quoting PNQIAD (Reply 2): Why would that be the case? As for AI - I think it has been accepted already - isn't it? It is the actual start date that is fluid given AI's inability to streamline its systems after AI/IC merger and bring them up to par with other *A partners...isn't it?
Not sure about the status of AI's Star Alliance entry status. It's possible that Star would end up having both IT and AI in the alliance.
I also heard that the concept of panel of empowered ministers has been done away with. PP will have a free hand in making important decisions on Aviation policy.
LeftWing From Singapore, joined Mar 2006, 258 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (6 months 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 9868 times:
nothing but a media hype by VJM.... SQ is not going to pump money into a company has no clear business model...
operating a LCC & Full service under the same roof what a joke...
Quote: Jet Airways, JetLite and SpiceJet have cut airfares by about 48 per cent to increase the falling passenger load factor on domestic routes. SpiceJet has cut fares by up to 45-48 per cent for passengers travelling between July 1, 2009 and September 15, 2009. A passenger can now fly by SpiceJet from Mumbai to Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai sectors for Rs 1,830, one-way, all inclusive. The offer is valid for travel to 18 destinations on the SpiceJet network on all direct flights. The all-inclusive fares on offer include passenger service fees and relevant airport charges. A SpiceJet ticket from Mumbai to Delhi on July 1, 2009 currently costs Rs 3,579, including taxes. According to an Economic Times report by Mithun Roy, in order to avail the promotional offer, one has to book tickets by today to avail them.
Another fare war begins. Merry times for the customers, however, bad times for the airlines.
Quote: According to a PTI report, Airports Authority of India (AAI) may miss the deadline for modernisation of non-metro airport projects as much of the city-side development work is yet to be taken up. An official source informed that AAI has so far only completed upgradation of nine out of 35 projects taken up for modernisation by the government. Among the projects which have been completed include Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Dehradun, Jaipur, Nagpur, Trichy, Udaipur and Vishakhapatnam. AAI has undertaken development of 35 non-metro airport projects and it was decided that terminals will be built in phases.
“The target set was development of 12 non-metro airports by March 2008 and another nine by March 2009. The remaining 14 were to be built by March 2010,” said the official, adding that only nine non-metro airports can be developed so far. The official said that apart from 35 non-metro airports, the AAI has initiated development of 13 other airports but could complete upgradation of only nine such small airports. These include Akola, Belgaum, Kozhikode (Calicut), Dibrugarh, Gondia, Hubli, Kullu, Srinagar and Surat.
IT would be great, if they complete all these projects with a delay of one or two years. We need the infrastructure badly.
AirIndia From United Arab Emirates, joined Jan 2001, 1023 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (6 months 8 hours ago) and read 9457 times:
Quoting LAXDESI (Thread starter): Just saw on TV that Kingfisher Airline is in talk with SQ to offload 26% stake in advance of policy change to allow foreign airlines to take upto 26% stake in Indian carriers.
How credible is the following piece of news (still a rumour??)
Quote:
Kingfisher, British Airways Said To Be Talking About Investment Deal
As the debate over foreign direct investment in Indian airlines heats up, cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines may be in talks with British Airways for an investment, The DAILY has learned. A 49% equity would give BA a board seat, while control would remain with the Indian carrier. BA refused to comment, and a Kingfisher spokesman said, "We've not offered any comment on this subject recently to any media house." India's present policy allows investment of up to 49% in Indian airlines but not by foreign carriers. The signs may be there that the situation is changing because starting June 1, Kingfisher began participating in oneworld's Global Explorer round-the-world fare, available to airlines that, like British Airways, are members of the alliance. Non-member airlines of the Explorer program include Aer Lingus, Air Pacific, Alaska Airlines, Horizon Airlines and Gulf Air.
By the end of the week Kingfisher would be talking to SQ, BA, LH, VS, QF, AF-KL, EK, QE, GF, EY and god knows who else. The ol' man has to raise dosh to keep the airline afloat, so everybody and PE investors...
Quote: According to a PIB release issued by Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the total number of domestic passengers carried by the scheduled airlines of India in the month of May 2009 was 39.29 lakh. The total passengers carried by domestic airlines in the month of April 2009 was 33.15 lakh. Passengers carried by domestic airlines from January-May, 2009 were 173.34 lakh as against 194.11 lakh in the corresponding period of 2008 thereby registering a negative growth of – 10.70 per cent.
The break-up for the month of May 2009 is as follows: Air India (Domestic): 6.90 lakh, Jet Airways: 6.16 lakh, JetLite: 2.96 lakh, Kingfisher Airlines: 10.10 lakh, SpiceJet: 4.96 lakh, Paramount Airways: 0.82 lakh, GoAir: 1.88 lakh, IndiGo: 5.40 lakh.
Aviationbuff From India, joined Mar 2008, 1102 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (5 months 4 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 9118 times:
Kingfisher plans UAE flights from several Indian cities
Quote: Kingfisher Airlines, which is due to launch its services to Dubai starting June 25, plans to connect to the UAE from a number of cities in India during the course of the year, according to a senior airline executive.
The India-based carrier, which was originally scheduled to launch the Bangaluru-Dubai route on March 7, deferred it given the slowdown in air travel and declining airfares.
A daily Bangaluru-Dubai service later this month would be followed by a direct flight from Bangaluru to Abu Dhabi soon after, said Siva Ramachandran, Kingfisher Airlines' Vice-President for Global Sales.
He said the airline is currently evaluating options for connecting Dubai with at least three more Indian cities -- Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad, despite economic crisis.
"All these services to Dubai will start this year itself. Meanwhile, we also may look to connect Thiruvananthapuram with Abu Dhabi following that," Ramachandran told Emirates Business.
Kingfisher Airlines' move comes close on the heels of archrival Jet Airways' plans of launching four new Indian routes from Dubai in the next two months. Jet Airways, which launched operations to the UAE last year with daily direct flights to Abu Dhabi in April, followed by Dubai in August, recently said it is planning to launch flights to Indian cities of Hyderabad, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangalore.
Regarding the expansion within the Middle East, Kingfisher Airlines is weighing options for launching flights to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait this year, said Ramachandran.
"It is possible that we will start flights to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait this year itself, as part of our expansion plan for the Middle East. We are currently evaluating options for the same," he said.
He said the second phase of the airline's expansion in the Middle East will include starting services to "Doha, Bahrain and Muscat".
"For all this expansion, we need more aircraft and we need to ensure these evaluations are closer to reality," said Ramachandran.
IT should not be BLR centric and explore operating flights from cities of Kerela, HYD and Lukhnow as well.
Quote: India's leading LCC, Indigo, continued to break away from its rivals last month, reporting a very strong 85.1% load factor and 12% increase in passenger numbers to 540,000. Only business-focused regional jet operator, Paramount, had a better load factor, of 89.4% (and 74% increase in pax to 82,000), while rival LCC, GoAir, also did well with an 84.2% load factor and 16.8% increase in passenger numbers to 188,000. SpiceJet reported a 79.1% load factor and 11.7% increase in passenger numbers to 496,000.
Nice report by CAPA. Indigo has always impressed and amused me with their expansion and growth. However, never got a chance to fly them.
9W's upper management is entirely to blame. They spent good money buying expensive widebodies and launched international routes all over the place with pathetic or unsustainable load factors.
Now these are not bad moves for an airline with solid fundamentals that is looking to expand into a clearly defined market. But I suspect that 9W's fundamentals were shaky even before the expansion. They obviously hadn't planned for the rainy days of the economic downturn.
Mk777 From United States, joined Oct 2006, 1129 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (5 months 4 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 8961 times:
i think i agree with the first para of your post Boeing747_600.
They launched routes to already saturated markets, why not launch something not tapped by AI (the sole N. American Indian carrier)-IAD, IAH, YVR, even ORD (though now AI has their B77W via FRA).
I wouldn't have been surprised if these markets gave the 77W decent loads rather than flying into Toronto and NY.
I don't think anyone in the Indian airline industry has someone who is solely dedicated to finding the right route network for their carriers.
Having said that, how are the LFs on 9W's BRU-EWR, YYZ, JFK routes??
Ojas From India, joined Mar 2008, 1037 posts, RR: 1 Reply 19, posted (5 months 4 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 8955 times:
The mistake that 9W made was that they were truly obsessed with the USA routes , BRU hub and all that. They are barely managing 3X3 operation from India to USA via BRU.
They were basically on the right track. Their expansion to the USA was planned well before, but some assorted routes like BOM - HKG, DEL - BKK, CCU - BKK, BOM - BKK and the sudden freedom to launch the gulf routes made the expansion look ridiculous.
No Indian airline would leave the opportunity to fly to the gulf, however the HKG launch could have been delayed, and the unfortunate disaster of BOM - PVG - SFO was there too.
Given the plight of the USA routes, I'd rather suggest 9W to suspend EWR,JFK and put those aircrafts on flights to JED and RUH. Trust me those aircrafts will make more money at Saudi than in the USA.
Why is that we drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
Aseem From India, joined Feb 2005, 2038 posts, RR: 10 Reply 20, posted (5 months 4 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 8932 times:
Quoting Ojas (Reply 19): Given the plight of the USA routes, I'd rather suggest 9W to suspend EWR,JFK and put those aircrafts on flights to JED and RUH. Trust me those aircrafts will make more money at Saudi than in the USA.
with AI putting all its B744 on Saudi route, even that is saturated.
Ojas From India, joined Mar 2008, 1037 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (5 months 4 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 8927 times:
Quoting Aseem (Reply 20): with AI putting all its B744 on Saudi route, even that is saturated.
Well, AI is putting the B744 only on 2 routes CCJ - JED and HYD - JED where the demand even as of today is HUGE. RUH has been seeing the B744 for sometime now.
For Saudi market to be saturated it would require a couple of more carriers, and besides given the options people have SV,AI I'am sure 9W has a better reputation. Besides it is a regulated market with strict bilaterals, so no airline can offer ridiculous fares on routes between India and Saudi. This would ensure decent yields.
Why is that we drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
Aviationbuff From India, joined Mar 2008, 1102 posts, RR: 1 Reply 22, posted (5 months 4 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 8845 times:
Quoting Ojas (Reply 19): Given the plight of the USA routes, I'd rather suggest 9W to suspend EWR,JFK and put those aircrafts on flights to JED and RUH. Trust me those aircrafts will make more money at Saudi than in the USA.
Bingo...absolutely true.
Quoting Aseem (Reply 20): with AI putting all its B744 on Saudi route, even that is saturated.
Nope...not true...still difficult to get non-stop flights if not booked well in advance.
Quoting Ojas (Reply 21): For Saudi market to be saturated it would require a couple of more carriers, and besides given the options people have SV,AI I'am sure 9W has a better reputation.
Agree...however, 9W cannot remain BOM and DEL centric for saudi sector, this will backfire as passengers on this sector prefers non-stop flights.
Quote: Airport Authority of India (AAI) is planning to levy User Development Fee (UDF) charge on passengers flying out from Chennai and Kolkata to make up for the steep rise in the two airport’s modernisation costs. An official from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said, “We may propose to the Public Investment Board (PIB) for levying development fee at Kolkata and Chennai airports.” He said that the revised estimate of developing the two airports is Rs 5,000 crore now, up from the earlier estimate of Rs 3,750 crore.
Not a good time at all, considering the fall in traffic. This will put more pressure on the loss making airlines.
Boeing747_600 From United States, joined Oct 1999, 1069 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (5 months 3 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 8738 times:
Quoting Ojas (Reply 21): Well, AI is putting the B744 only on 2 routes CCJ - JED and HYD - JED where the demand even as of today is HUGE. RUH has been seeing the B744 for sometime now.
According to this website, AI goes through some hideously contorted procedure of having B744 captains and first officers take IC domestic flights from BOM and DEL to TRV and CCJ to operate some of the Saudia flights. Wouldn't it be easier to base some of the B744 crew at TRV and CCJ?
Likewise, what the heck is with those BOM-AMD and DEL-BOM flights?!? Seems like a rather chaotic flight schedule.
Moreover, wouldnt it be cheaper to turn in some of the b744s and lease some 762/763s to operate the Middle East flights?
Great to see the capacity increase, however, frequency increase with smaller aircraft would have been even more fruitful.
For JED-HYD sector the days are very odd, AI operate on Sun and Tue, earlier they used to operate on Wed and Fri which was the favorite among passengers, as they can utilize the weekend properly. The weekend in the region is Thursday and Friday.
Quote: Japan Airlines has announced reduction in the number of flights it operates on several international routes, including Delhi, as part of its strategy to improve profitability by adjusting capacity. An airline official informed that the carrier will have four flights a week to New Delhi till this month-end and after that it will have only three flights.
According to an IANS report, the airline had earlier this year reduced its daily flights to four a week. “We expect to fly daily on the New Delhi-Tokyo sector only after October,” added the official. The official said that the outbreak of swine flu had nothing to do with the airline’s decision to reduce flights.
Aviationbuff From India, joined Mar 2008, 1102 posts, RR: 1 Reply 28, posted (5 months 3 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 8790 times:
9W and IT hikes fuel surcharge by Rs 400 on domestic sectors
Domestic private air carrier's Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines increased their fuel surcharge by Rs 400 on all domestic sectors with immediate effect.
Vtnyc From United States, joined Jan 2006, 260 posts, RR: 0 Reply 30, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 8583 times:
An article about Indian aviation in New York Times
NEW DELHI — Kingfisher Airlines of India promised passengers the royal treatment — flight attendants so comely they were dubbed “flying models,” full meals even on short flights, and curbside valets to carry their bags.
But how the mighty have fallen.
Strapped for cash and unable to pay its bills, the company has been forced to take on debt from India’s state-owned banks, pledge assets in exchange for loan guarantees, postpone delivery of new planes and search for a foreign investor.
AirIndia From United Arab Emirates, joined Jan 2001, 1023 posts, RR: 0 Reply 35, posted (5 months 3 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 8225 times:
Quoting Ojas (Reply 34): This flight too connects well to LHR both ways.
LHR-BKK is a very busy sector. EK makes a killing on this route esp now with a 380 product all the way.
Is 9W looking to gain some of that traffic? With a transit in BOM and change of a/c type 777-737 that migh not be too attractive to the flyers............
Gr8Circle From Canada, joined Dec 2005, 2394 posts, RR: 2 Reply 36, posted (5 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 8165 times:
Quoting AirIndia (Reply 35): and change of a/c type 777-737 that migh not be too attractive to the flyers............
I don't think most people care about what they're flying on as long as the fares and the overall reputation of the airline are good....may make a difference to a.nutters, but not to the general community.....
Quote: A day after Air India asked its top executives to forgo their salary for July, the chairman and managing director of the state-run carrier, Arvind Jadhav on Saturday appealed to all staff to "rise up to the challenge" and help the airline in its "fight for survival".
In a letter to each employee, Jadhav has said that in view of the global crisis, all airlines have been experiencing low fares, poor load factors, drop in premium travel, decline in cargo load and low yields.
Despite the hardships in the industry, Air India has not taken any harsh steps like pay cuts and job cuts so far, Jadhav pointed out.
"Employees have been receiving their wages, salaries every month even when people in the industry have lost jobs or seen emoluments take a dip. We should consider ourselves fortunate that we have been insulated from the adverse impact of the economic meltdown so far," Jadhav said.
His letter comes at a time when the employees of the carrier have called for an indefinite strike from July 1 if the management delays their salaries.
Its quite shocking to hear that the employees have called for an indefinite strike from July 1. If they went on strike then its doom for AI.
Pe@rson From United Kingdom (England), joined Jan 2001, 16754 posts, RR: 58 Reply 38, posted (5 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 8149 times:
Spicejet had a fantastic deal the other week: I could get BOM-BLR-CCU-DEL-PNQ-MAA, a distance of 3,107nm as the crow flies, for around INR3567 all-in.
Pe@rson From United Kingdom (England), joined Jan 2001, 16754 posts, RR: 58 Reply 39, posted (5 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 8143 times:
Quoting Aseem (Reply 20): more money at Saudi than in the USA.
with AI putting all its B744 on Saudi route, even that is saturated.
More Pakistanis, Indians, and Bangladeshis live and work in Saudi Arabia than any other Gulf country (the UAE is the second-largest). Yet there is little direct competition to all those countries, and unsurprisingly there's often pretty high fares. Understandably, this lack of competition is because of the tight restrictions and controls in place. It is a shame, because decent competition and lower fares could stimulate demand and enable more Pakistanis, Indians, and Bangladeshis to travel to/from Saudi Arabia and to travel more often.
Cricket From India, joined Aug 2005, 2368 posts, RR: 4 Reply 41, posted (5 months 3 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 7909 times:
Quoting Aviationbuff (Reply 37): Its quite shocking to hear that the employees have called for an indefinite strike from July 1. If they went on strike then its doom for AI.
Congratulations to PP, his plot has succeeded, but if the airline goes does go does PP
Quote: The government is likely to tell the cash-strapped Air India to prune its order for 111 planes that would cost the exchequer about Rs44,000 crore. This order was placed three years ago when the aviation industry in India was growing at nearly 30% and the economy booming. But, now, in this slowdown, almost all airlines are struggling to remain afloat and AI is seeking a bailout from the government to survive. Nearly 45 of the ordered planes have already joined the Maharaja's fleet.
A highly placed government official said: "The airline has so far not come up with any concrete or credible plan that shows they have a road map to survive, leave alone emerge stronger. There is talk of AI seeking Rs 10-15,000 crore in support, clearing which is out of question. Being the national carrier we will hold its hand and support it." The Maharaja is going to seek soft loans and equity infusion from the government as it is finding it hard to even meet its working capital like paying salaries.
Top official added that given the airline's poor financial health and the fact that aviation industry is unlikely to see any drastic improvement in fortunes in a hurry, AI will be asked to take a relook at its fleet acquisition plan. "AI should realistically assess if its needs all the 111 ordered planes. It needs to see if some planes can be cancelled or at least deliveries pushed back," the official said. As per the original schedule, the new fleet delivery was to be completed by 2011.
The government is worried how AI would mobilize Rs 44,000 crore for these planes. It has given a sovereign guarantee to the aircraft manufacturers, which means that if the airline can't pay for any reasons, the exchequer will have to bear the burden.
Its sad to hear that there is not even a plan for survival and growth. Its high time that the govt. should allow private parties to take over.
IC which was doing fine before the merger also got dispirited and lost with the merger.
Quote: Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to disallow credit to Kingfisher Airlines and put the airline on cash-and-carry mode (no credit, needs to pay in cash immediately for using airport facilities). The airline’s current dues with AAI are learnt to have exceeded its bank guarantee of Rs 100 crore by Rs 53 crore. According to a report in Times of India, a top official from AAI said, “Till the airline clears these dues, we have decided to put it on cash-and-carry mode from June 30, 2009. This decision was conveyed to Vijay Mallya when he came to the Ministry some days back.” This is the first time AAI has decided to put an airline on cash-and-carry. Last month, Indian Oil had encashed Kingfisher Airline’s bank guarantee of Rs 50 crore after the latter's cheque had bounced.
Quote: AI is working on plans to reduce its expenditure on employees by Rs 500 crore per annum, with a newly formed committee re-examining wage and other agreements in consultation with the unions.
The cash-strapped airline's employee cost currently is over Rs 3,000 crore annually, a company spokesperson said, adding that the airline was now targeting a reduction in employee cost to the tune of Rs 500 crore per annum.
At present, the merged carrier has around 31,000 employees.
They also need to rework on their network along with reducing the costs which includes manpower.
Rajrs From India, joined Aug 2007, 109 posts, RR: 0 Reply 46, posted (5 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 7477 times:
Air India / SAA Launch codesharing with effect from 15JUN09
Air India and South African Airways has launched codeshare .The codeshare covers SAA service between India and South Africa, as well as selected domestic routes from each carrier.
The codeshare list is the following
Route AI Codeshare SA Operating
Mumbai - Johannesburg AI7625 SA285
Johannesburg - Mumbai AI7624 SA284
Johannesburg - Cape Town AI7623 SA323
Cape Town - Johannesburg AI7614 SA314
AI7608 SA308
Quote: After state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI), its private partner at Delhi and Hyderabad airports, the GMR group, plans to initiate action against Vijay Mallya-owned Kingfisher Airlines for defaulting on payments at the two airports.
A senior GMR official, who did not wish to be named, told DNA his company plans to put the defaulting airline on a cash-&-carry mode in the next two days.
AAI has already put the defaulting airline on cash-cash-carry mode as its dues reportedly exceeded its bank guarantee of Rs 100 crore by Rs 53 crore.
Once an airline is shifted to cash-and-carry mode, it stops enjoying credit facility and has to pay as and when bills are presented.
"There is a small bank guarantee of Rs 4-5 crore, but that is not enough. We are not able to pay our service providers because airlines like Kingfisher are not paying fees on time. So, we have decided to follow our partner (AAI) and will put it (Kingfisher) on cash-and-carry mode to recover our dues," the GMR official said.
The official said Kingfisher's total outstanding to the private airport operator amounted to Rs 40 crore, including Rs 30 crore to Delhi International Airports and Rs 10 crore to Hyderabad International Airport.
Quote: The Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence or DGCEI, the agency responsible for monitoring evasion of excise and service tax, has issued a show-cause notice to Jet Airways (India) Ltd, the country’s second largest private carrier, relating to a potential service tax liability of at least Rs400 crore, according to two agency officials familiar with the development.
The service tax liability pertains to the import of services by Jet over the past five years.
The two officials asked not to be named because they are not the official spokespersons for DGCEI.
A show-cause notice is not an indictment, and only requires a company—Jet Airways, in this case—to explain its position.In an email statement, a Jet Airways spokesperson said: “Jet Airways shall respond to the authorities concerned after examining the legal position.” She did not divulge further details.
The never ending saga of problems for 9W, AI and IT continues...
Aviationbuff From India, joined Mar 2008, 1102 posts, RR: 1 Reply 50, posted (5 months 2 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 7397 times:
ASI has asked the IIGI authority to immediately change the third runway's flight path
As the vibrations from low flying aircraft causing damage to Qutub Minar
[b]Vibrations from aircraft flying near the Qutub Minar in the national capital are damaging the 12th century minaret; the Archaeological Survey of India has said and asked the airport authority to immediately change the flight path.
The ASI last month wrote to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to highlight how low flying aircraft could endanger the 72.5 metre red sandstone monument, one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city, and stated that a diversion in the flight route was imperative.
"The vibrations caused by the low flying aircraft near the monument is affecting the structure and we have asked the AAI to change the flying route immediately," B.R. Mani, ASI joint director general, said.
According to Mani, the problem began in September 2008 after a new runway, the third at the airport, started functioning at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The 4.4-km runway is the longest in the country and capable of handling the largest aircraft category, which includes the Airbus A-380 and the Antonov An-225. With the new runway, the flight handling capacity of the airport has gone up to 65-70 flights an hour.
"After the new runway opened, the route for landing aircraft was shifted about 2.5 km away (towards Qutub Minar) from the approach route to the main runway," an airport official said.
"It (Qutab Minar) is an old monument and the low flying zone is very close to it; that causes repeated vibrations and can damage the monument," a senior archaeologist with the ASI added.
An official of the AAI, which manages airports across the country, said a study would be conducted if there was "anything to it".[/quote]
Cricket From India, joined Aug 2005, 2368 posts, RR: 4 Reply 51, posted (5 months 2 weeks 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 7408 times:
Praful Patel has called a Presser at 5.30PM to state about the discussions with PM about AI. There are strong indications that AI will be whittled down.
Aviationbuff From India, joined Mar 2008, 1102 posts, RR: 1 Reply 52, posted (5 months 2 weeks 6 days ago) and read 7382 times:
Quoting Cricket (Reply 51): Praful Patel has called a Presser at 5.30PM to state about the discussions with PM about AI. There are strong indications that AI will be whittled down.
AirIndia From United Arab Emirates, joined Jan 2001, 1023 posts, RR: 0 Reply 53, posted (5 months 2 weeks 6 days ago) and read 7357 times:
flydubai will begin its Indian adventure with flights to the north eastern city of Lucknow on July 13. This will be closely followed by Coimbatore in the south of the country on July 14. The trio of destinations will be completed on July 23 when flights to the north western city of Chandigarh begin.
Mk777 From United States, joined Oct 2006, 1129 posts, RR: 0 Reply 54, posted (5 months 2 weeks 6 days ago) and read 7353 times:
Quoting Aviationbuff (Reply 50): ASI has asked the IIGI authority to immediately change the third runway's flight path
As the vibrations from low flying aircraft causing damage to Qutub Minar
When the 3rd rwy was in the planning stage, was the ASI called in for a meeting to discuss this situation???
I find it very stupid that suddenly the ASI has now realized that vibrations are causing damage to the minaret!!! How can the flight path change when the planes at this point of time are very low on approach, is my other question?
I must say the 3rd rwy is proving to be more of a headache for IGI than anything else, first the water logging problems, second the vasant kunj people complaining of noise and now this.
IMHO, the rwy work was hastily done to please some people!!!!
Having said that, i feel the 3rd rwy was needed at DEL and now its a little too late to be complaining
AirIndia From United Arab Emirates, joined Jan 2001, 1023 posts, RR: 0 Reply 55, posted (5 months 2 weeks 6 days ago) and read 7352 times:
Quoting Mk777 (Reply 54): find it very stupid that suddenly the ASI has now realized that vibrations are causing damage to the minaret!!! How can the flight path change when the planes at this point of time are very low on approach,
Can they not make landings on this Rwy mandatory from dwarka side only...? Is that a feasible option rather than losing either the rwy or qutab minar............
Aviationbuff From India, joined Mar 2008, 1102 posts, RR: 1 Reply 56, posted (5 months 2 weeks 6 days ago) and read 7351 times:
Quoting Mk777 (Reply 54): Having said that, i feel the 3rd rwy was needed at DEL and now its a little too late to be complaining Smile
Quoting AirIndia (Reply 55): Can they not make landings on this Rwy mandatory from dwarka side only...? Is that a feasible option rather than losing either the rwy or qutab minar............
Runways can be built/realigned but not Qutub Minar.
Either use this runway from other side or only for take-offs.
Mk777 From United States, joined Oct 2006, 1129 posts, RR: 0 Reply 57, posted (5 months 2 weeks 6 days ago) and read 7352 times:
Quoting Aviationbuff (Reply 56): Either use this runway from other side or only for take-offs.
In the future development plan of DEL, isn't there another rwy parallel to this new one mentioned too, i guess that one won't be built then?
I also feel that its time to realign rwy 27/9 with 28/10. I know it is proposed at a later date, but doing it now, would really help.
Then the authorities could use 29/11 for takeoffs and the present 27/9 (future 28R/10L) for landings and close rwy 28/10 (future 28L/10R) for repaving that they so want to do.
Quote: A US district court in Washington State has issued summons to Air India in a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by a former manager and senior instructor pilot of the Boeing Company.
In his lawsuit filed before a district court in the Washington State, the former manager and senior instructor pilot of the Boeing Company, Anthony P Keyter, has sought restitution and amends from Air India for allegedly violating aviation laws, adversely affecting flight safety.
In his capacity as a senior instructor pilot, Keyter was posted in India for two and a half months in 2005 as part of the Boeing team's programme to train Air India pilots after it placed a business deal of more than USD 11 billion.
The lawsuit charges that during his stay of two and a half months in India, Keyter "observed habitual violations of the aviation laws by Air India", having an adverse impact upon flight safety, endangering the lives of passengers.
"These violations occurred at the behest of Air India's operational management and many of them with the full knowledge and sanction of V Thulasidas, Chairman and Managing Director of Air India at that time," it said.
Keyter alleges that he was subject to harassment, and the Boeing company instituted unwarranted disciplinary action against him for submitting the safety report to Air India which brought to light such violations.
Rajrs From India, joined Aug 2007, 109 posts, RR: 0 Reply 61, posted (5 months 2 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 7091 times:
Some Lufthansa's India route updates.
Lufthansa swaps 330 with 737 on Munich - Mumbai
Lufthansa's Munich - Mumbai service starting 15JUL09 to 24OCT09, is operated by all-business class Privatair 737-700.
Service currently operates with Airbus A330-300.
Lufthansa 330 replace 340-600 on Munich - Delhi
Lufthansa Airbus A330-300 is replacing A340-600 on the Munich - Delhi route starting 15JUL09 for the summer season.
The Airbus A330-300 operation date is the following:
Nimish From India, joined Feb 2005, 2713 posts, RR: 9 Reply 63, posted (5 months 2 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 7006 times:
Quoting Tharanga (Reply 62): More all-business to India? I guess the FRA-PUN run is doing well?
More likely it's the smallest bird they have around - rather fly a half empty 737 than a half empty 333. Plus this should have the impact of increasing loads/ yields via their FRA hub...
Air India has allowed its employees to go on leave without pay for two to
five years. More importantly, it even allowed employees who opt for this scheme to work for rival airlines or associated businesses with AI management’s permission.
Business and civic leaders in the west Midlands have urged Air India to resume direct flights from Birmingham to Amritsar in view of increasing trade links of the region with India and demand from the people of Indian-origin in the region.
Quote: Speaking in the State Assembly yesterday, Tamil Nadu Transport Minister, K N Nehru announced that the modernisation of Chennai Airport undertaken by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) at a cost of Rs 1,808 crore will be completed by next year. Presenting the demand for grants for his department, he said the state government had acquired 126 acres of land for the purpose of airport expansion at a cost of about Rs 127 crore, reported UNI. The state government was also taking necessary action for establishing a Greenfield airport at suburban Sriperumbudur, the Minister said.
Further, “necessary action” was being taken by the government to acquire 610 acres of land for the expansion and modernisation of Madurai Airport at a cost of Rs 68.99 crore
Some more updates on the modernization of Chennai and Madurai Airports.
Quote: A new integrated terminal building at Mangalore Airport, constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 165 crore will be ready for operation in September this year. According to a UNI report, Airport Authority of India (AAI) Chairman visited the airport recently and inspected the work. B R Sena, Joint General Manager, Mangalore Airport said that based on the assessment, technical people in charge of the project were positive about completion of the work by the stipulated period.
Sena informed that after inauguration, the flights will be shifted to new terminal. The commissioning of the building will provide international airport status to Mangalore Airport. He said all civil engineering works will be completed by July this year. Within a week, efforts will be made to see that the airport is equipped with necessary facilities at the new terminal to ensure that passengers alighting the flight were impressed and determine the facilities available.
Updated timeline for the modernization of Mangalore Airport.
Quote: A Delhi-bound Kingisher Airlines flight with 190 people on board escaped a major disaster when its wing hit a wall shortly before take-off at Bagdogra airport near here on Saturday.
The aircraft an Airbus 320 carrying 184 passengers and 6 crew members was taxing on the runway at 3 pm prior to its take off when its right wing hit the wall, Baghdogra Airport Director K.K.Bhowmik said.
The aircraft wing was badly damaged but there was no fuel leakage or any other untoward incident, he said.
The flight was cancelled and the passengers were pulled out of the plane, the Airlines authorities said adding a separate flight was being arranged for them.
Functioning of the airport was suspended for an hour after the incident to free the runway, Bhowmik said adding normal work has resumed.
Sounds scary and could have been worse in case of fuel leakage...good to hear that everybody is sound and safe.
Quote: After private air-carrier, Jet Airways, it is now the turn of national airline, Air India, to offer monsoon special fares to customers on select destinations on its domestic network.
Tickets under this offer can be purchased between June 27-July 3 for travel up to September 10, a company press release said here.
Under these special fares, travel from Mumbai to Delhi/Chennai/Bangalore/Hyderabad would cost Rs 2,479 all inclusive except user development fee, the release said.
Similarly, the fares for Mumbai-Kolkata would be Rs 2,729, whereas fares for Delhi to Mumbai and Kolkata would be Rs 2,479. it said.
However, the fares for travel from Delhi to Chennai, Kochi, Guwahati and Goa would be Rs 2,729, the release said, adding, fares on short sectors will be Rs 1,979 only.
The fare war continues. The knives are out and are out to virtually kill each other.
Quote: In view of the main runway closure at Chennai Airport, the following flights of Air India/Air India Express have been rescheduled from July 15 to September 15, 2009. Air India's Flight IC 555 on the Chennai-Singapore sector will be leaving Chennai at 0015 hours, instead of 0050 hours and IC 556 will arrive at Chennai at 0900 hours, instead of 0945 hours. Its afternoon flight IC 557 will leave Chennai for Singapore at 1015 hours, instead of 1325 hours. There is no change in timing of flight IC 558 from Singapore. Flight AI 817 would leave Chennai for Dammam at 1030 hours, instead of 1145 hours.
Air India Express's Flight IX 622 on the Chennai-Kuala Lumpur sector would leave Chennai at 0030 hours, instead of 0230 hours. IX 671 on the Chennai-Colombo sector would depart Chennai at 0515 hours, instead of 0730 hours.
Flight IC 611on the Chennai-Dubai sector, will leave Chennai at 0955 hours, instead of 1200 hours. Similarly, flight IX 631 on the Chennai-Dubai sector will leave Chennai at 1030 hours, instead of 1135 hours. Flight IX 682 has been rescheduled to leave Chennai for Singapore at 2305 hours, instead of 0210 hours and, IX 684 for Singapore at 0940 hours, instead of 1425 hours.
Air India Express flight IX 613 for Abu Dhabi will leave Chennai at 1025 hours, instead of 1250 hours.
Quoting Aviationbuff (Reply 72): Sounds scary and could have been worse in case of fuel leakage...good to hear that everybody is sound and safe.
Either that wall is very dangerously located near the taxiway or the pilot made an inexcusable deviation and got too close to the wall....such incidents should never occur.....
"AHMEDABAD: If the kite symbolises the city’s soaring ambitions, it is set to make yet another of its milestones fly high. It has inspired the design of the city’s new international airport, which is under construction and will capture the spirit of the kite festival here. Sources in the Airport Authority of India (AAI) say that the international terminal building, being built at a cost of Rs 291 crore, will edify the kite festival theme for posterity. The airport is scheduled to be operational by early next year.
The website of Singapore-based CPG Corporation, that has conceptualised the futuristic design of the terminal, says that the building will have a roofline, with various shapes of kites. Calling it an “iconic airport”, the site says kiteshaped cutouts will form the skylight. These would be three-dimensional compositions, “creating a system of trapezoidal-shaped frames that taper to a single node at the middle of the roof.” The terminal will have an abundance of daylight through the skylights, shearglass and louvre facades.
To facilitate energy efficiency in the city’s extreme climatic conditions, air-conditioning is concentrated only on the first three to four metres where it closely affects the comfort of passengers. The design is the result of an international competition organised by AAI to select project designs for the international airport. The project includes proposal for an aircraft apron, roadways, car parks and landscaping. AAI sources say while kite flying reaches a frenzy every Uttarayan, the International Kite Festival, being held in the city since 1989, has become a part of the city’s ethos. “The new terminal will capture this theme and spirit,” says a senior official. "
and
"Billed as India’s own Changi, the new Ahmedabad international airport has been modelled on the airport in Singapore, a major aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific region.
The new international airport terminal is all set to get a major facelift by early next year. Once ready, the Rs 290-crore project will give a new look to the new international terminal building complete with city side approach road, car parking and apron.
According to the proposed AAI plans for expansion of Ahmedabad airport, there will be shopping malls, multiplexes, a high-end luxury hotel, transit hotels and motels, food courts and recreational and entertainment centres on either side of the approach road leading to the airport.
At the refurbished terminals, passengers will not have to take those packed bus-rides to the aircraft. Four aerobridges at the domestic terminal and six at the new international terminal will enable passengers to walk into the aircraft from the departure lounge.
Also, the existing international terminal will exclusively handle cargo. Once the swanky, new international airport gets ready, the domestic and international terminals will together have enough room to park 33 aircraft. At present, they can handle only 13.
The international passenger traffic at the airport is around 5.5 to 6 lakh passengers annually. According to officials, the peak hour passenger is 450, while passenger-handling capacity of the existing building is only 400.
At present, Ahmedabad is available as a point of call to 16 foreign countries which include Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Kuwait, Qatar, Russia, UAE (Dubai, Sharjah).
According to the forecast, the peak hour passenger traffic in 2012-13 will be 500 arrivals and 500 departures. The new terminal building has been planned to handle 1,000 passengers (500 arrivals and 500 departures). In phase II, the capacity will be enhanced to 1,600 passengers.
On the air traffic movement, a senior airport official said, "The Ahmedabad airport handles nearly three fourth of the air traffic of the state."
The airport handled 2.4 million passengers in 2007-08 and is expected to handle six million passengers in 2010 and nine million in 2012, including both domestic and international passengers. "
Quote: India's SpiceJet has reported that its net losses for the year ended 31 March grew by 165% to 3.53 billion Indian rupees ($73.4 million), although an improved performance in the last quarter gives it hope for a better showing in the coming months.
The carrier says in a statement that net losses were 2.2 billion rupees higher than the 1.33 billion rupees it reported 12 months ago. Total income was 27% higher at 18.13 billion rupees, but fuel costs rose by 34% to 9.45 billion rupees and the airline also booked 231 million rupees in foreign exchange losses.
SpiceJet, which received an $80 million investment from US billionaire Wilbur Ross's private equity firm in 2008, reported a much stronger fourth quarter, saying that it bucked the overall trend in India and registered stronger demand.
Net losses for the three months ending 31 March were 78.29 million rupees, down sharply from the 1.24 billion rupees in net losses a year before. Total income was virtually flat at 4.36 billion rupees, but falling oil prices helped to slash its fuel bill by 775 million rupees to 1.54 billion rupees.
"While the overall aviation demand in India dropped 13% in this quarter, SpiceJet experienced an increase in demand of 10.3%. SpiceJet's market share for the quarter was 12%. This growth continues to reinforce the success of SpiceJet's business model of providing affordable and high quality air travel. On the unit cost front, our cost was 4% lower versus last year, excluding the volatility in fuel prices and currency," says SpiceJet chief executive officer Sanjay Aggarwal.
The airline has a fleet of 19 Boeing 737-800/900ER aircraft and offers 125 flights to 18 Indian cities daily. It expects to take delivery of another nine 737s from now to 2012, and hopes to launch international services in May 2010 to Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Gulf states.
Good to hear that Q1 was much better than the previous year and an increase in demand of 10.3% sounds healthy. SpiceJet received an $80 million investment from Wilbur Ross's private equity firm in 2008 and this investment covered the larger chunk of the incurred losses. I wonder how on earth Spicejet have sufficient fund to acquire another airline which they have already conveyed several time.
Quote: In a last-ditch effort, the management of national air-carrier Air India is holding talks with a section of its employee unions to avert a strike on the issue of deferment of June salaries.
"We are holding talks with the management in afternoon today to work out a solution," Indian Airlines Technicians Association (IATA) President M S Kulkarni told PTI here.
"We have already held several rounds of talks with the management but have not yet reached any agreement," he said.
However, he was hopeful that some agreement would be reached with the management on the salary issue.
"We are hopeful that today's talks will yield some solution," Kulkarni said.
If salaries are not paid on June 30, "then we will adopt the stand of no salary, no work," he said.
While other employee unions in Air India are understood to have agreed to the management's decision to defer salaries of employees by 15 days, three unions -- IATA, Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU) and Aviation Industry Employees Guild (AIEG) -- have not agreed yet.
While IATA claims a membership of 2,600, ACEU and AIEG claim a membership of 12,000 and 8,000 members, respectively.
Air India's management on June 13 announced that payment of June salaries to its 31,000 employees was being deferred due to a liquidity crunch in the company.
Later, it also requested its senior officials of the general manager and above rank to voluntarily forego one month salary to tide over the company's financial crisis.
Apart from the above mentioned unions. AI has to deal only with them or several more unions exists with which AI has to negotiate.
Quote: Yielding to pressure from its employees, cash-strapped national carrier Air India on Monday decided to give them their June salary July 3, instead of July 15 it decided earlier.
"The management has told us that we would get our salaries on July 3. They have also assured us that there will be no wage cut," JB Kadian, general secretary of the Air Corp Employees' Union (ACEU), said.
ACEU is the largest union among the Air India employees.
The airline employees get their salary on the last day of the month. Earlier Air India had announced that it would delay the June salary by 15 days and also asked the top executives of the airline to forgo their one month pay.
The employees' union protested this move, saying they would go on an indefinite strike from July 1 if the decision was not revoked. Kadian said the top executives would also get their salary.
ACEU and other unions have been holding hectic discussions with the management for over a week.
But they failed to reach a consensus on the airline's proposal to cut costs.
Air India, which incurred a loss of Rs.4,000 crore last fiscal, plans to ask for a Rs.10,000-crore (about $2 billion) bailout package from the central government.
Civil aviation minister Praful Patel met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last Wednesday and discussed the bailout plan with him.
The prime minister suggested him to adopt various cost-cutting measures to improve the financial condition of the National Aviation Co India Ltd (NACIL), which owns Air India.
Finally the strike which was looming on the head of AI will not take off. Good news for AI, however, they have to pull their socks up and perform.
HAWK21M From India, joined Jan 2001, 27824 posts, RR: 61 Reply 82, posted (5 months 2 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 6068 times:
Quoting Gr8Circle (Reply 75): Either that wall is very dangerously located near the taxiway or the pilot made an inexcusable deviation and got too close to the wall....such incidents should never occur.....
Any details on the Nationality/Registration marks.
regds
MEL.
Quote: For the fourth time in two months, state-run oil firms on Tuesday hiked jet fuel or ATF price by more than 6 percent on firming international oil prices.
Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum raised aviation turbine fuel (ATF) price by Rs 2,306 to Rs 38,558 per kilolitre in Delhi effective midnight tonight, an IOC official said.
The hike comes on back of over 12 per cent hike on June 15. ATF price on that day were raised by Rs 3,949 to Rs 36,252 per kilolitre in Delhi.
International crude oil prices have firmed to a seven-month high of USD 72 per barrel on hopes of demand revival in US.
The three state-run retailers had from June 1 raised jet fuel rate by an average of Rs 108 per kl, which came on the back of a 1.8 per cent hike in rates on May 16.
The saga of bad news for airlines continues. This will add more salt to the wound.
Mk777 From United States, joined Oct 2006, 1129 posts, RR: 0 Reply 84, posted (5 months 1 week 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 5963 times:
So the latest AI B772LR has been delivered last week (VT-ALF). Any ideas when this plane will commence its first commercial operation or has it already begun??
I am assuming we will see it either at DEL, BOM or JFK!!??!!
Quote: GoAir has announced the commercial operation of its eight brand new A320 aircraft and the addition of two new connections from Bangalore (BLR) to Delhi (DEL) and Bangalore to Mumbai, taking the total number of weekly flights serviced by GoAir to 377. With the addition of the new connections the airline will now have four flights all at different time slots from BLR- DEL and DEL- BLR; two flights from Bangalore to Mumbai and three flights from Mumbai to Bangalore respectively.
Keeping in mind, passenger travel time convenience, GoAir has introduced new flight timings for the Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore sectors. With the addition of new connections GoAir will strengthen its services in South India. The airline has introduced its new flight timings in order to provide ease of travel to its customers. With the objective of gaining route momentum, GoAir has also introduced a special promotional offer with a starting fare of Rs 1,500 onwards for all connections on the Ahmedabad sector. All flights from Ahmedabad to Mumbai/ Delhi/ Bangalore/Cochin and return will be covered under this offer.
LAXDESI From United States, joined May 2005, 3280 posts, RR: 10 Reply 87, posted (5 months 1 week 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 5812 times:
Quoting Aviationbuff (Reply 86): GoAir has announced the commercial operation of its eight brand new A320 aircraft and the addition of two new connections from Bangalore (BLR) to Delhi (DEL) and Bangalore to Mumbai, taking the total number of weekly flights serviced by GoAir to 377.
What is GoAir's fleet strength with the addition of eight brand new A320s? I thought GoAir was in financial trouble and was looking for a buyer. Are the promoters investing more or have they been able to raise money from external sources?
Mk777 From United States, joined Oct 2006, 1129 posts, RR: 0 Reply 88, posted (5 months 1 week 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 5622 times:
Does anyone have the delivery schedule for AI's 777's??
I know VT-ALF was delivered on June 23rd. what about VT-ALG/H??
Also, from matt cawby's website, you can see 2 AI tails, one i presume is VT-ALG (LR) and the other a 77W, VT-ALO?? is that correct??
So AI will have 8 LR's by Fall, where do(will) they use the remaining 4??? Are DXB and LHR (like ojas mentioned) a scheduled LR service or is it in lieu of another a/c type??
2 for DEL-JFK
2 for BOM-JFK
Any other ideas??
IMO, the remaining 4 should be utilized as follows:
2 for BLR-SFO
2 for DEL-IAD
The 2nd question:
Besides using 2 77W for DEL-FRA-ORD, where do the other 3 go?? What will happen when VT-ALO joins the fleet?
The 3rd question:
Where do the the 4 leased 772 (VT-AIJ/K/L/R) fly too??? I think 2 are used for ATQ-LHR-YYZ, right?? what about the other 2? Is VT-AIR not the ER version??
Ojas From India, joined Mar 2008, 1037 posts, RR: 1 Reply 90, posted (5 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 5606 times:
By October AI will get all of its 8 LRs and 9 B77Ws. In addition it will have 6 B744s and 4 B772s, 2 A332s and some A310s.
The 8 B77L:-
AI has announced DEL - SFO internally in the press in India starting Oct 25th
BOM - JFK - 2
DEL - JFK - 2
DEL - SFO - 2
That leaves 2 aircrafts doing nothing, maybe an occasional timepass run to DXB.
The 9 B77W:-
BOM-FRA-EWR : 2
DEL-FRA-ORD: 2
AMD - FRA: 1
BOM - LHR: 1
DEL - LHR: 1
There is the news that ATQ - YYZ will go via FRA and will be a B77W. And there would be another ATQ - LHR operating 3 or 4 weekly.
ATQ-FRA-YYZ: 2
So apparently it seems the B77W utility is tight. Maybe the B77L can act as spare aircrafts for the B77W.
The 4 B772s will practically be doing nothing IF the ATQ - YYZ aircraft is upgraded. Else we will have 2 B772s doing ATQ - YYZ. If they go for 3-4 weekly LHR operations. Then barely 1 aircraft will be in use.
2 A332s:-
BOM-DEL-CDG : 1 aircraft
BOM-DEL-NRT : 1 aircraft
6 B744s:-
1 aircraft required to do BOM-CCJ/HYD-JED return
1 aircraft required to do BOM/DEL - JED return
1 aircraft required to fo BOM/DEL - RUH
Random RUH - TRV/CCJ operations 1 aircraft.
At the max 4 B744s are going to be used and they have enough ground time to actually keep a spare.
11(?) A310s:-
1-2 aircrafts doing DMM operations as DMM is the only place in the gulf AI will be having the A310s.
1 aircraft for BOM - NBO
2 for BOM - DEL - HKG - KIX
1 for DEL - PVG
So in fall if the above schedules get in action, we will have 2 B744s, 3 B772s, and 2 B77Ls and many A310s doing nothing.
I really think AI should return those B772s even though if say they have some penalty for returning them to UA earlier. Throw away those A310s in the garbage, and can use the B744 on BOM - DXB during peak season or gradually convert all of its Saudi operations to B744.
Why is that we drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
Pe@rson From United Kingdom (England), joined Jan 2001, 16754 posts, RR: 58 Reply 91, posted (5 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 5590 times:
AI operates 744s and 313s on various domestic routes; visit www.airindia.com and use its timetable section. I will not give you the information Mr Amo! You must learn to use your head!
BOM - HYD 2 weekly B744 continuing to JED
BOM - CCJ 5 weekly B744 continuing to JED
BOM - DEL 4 weekly B772 till Aug and will go to B744 in September again continuing to JED
BOM - DEL 4 weekly A332s ( 2 going to CDG and 2 going to NRT)
BOM - DEL few weekly A310s going to HKG
BOM - TRV 1 weekly A310 continuing to DMM.
Why is that we drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
Mk777 From United States, joined Oct 2006, 1129 posts, RR: 0 Reply 93, posted (5 months 1 week 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 5533 times:
Thanks ojas for your wonderful explanation of AI's a/c utilization.
I am hoping IAD will someday be on AI's mind.
Glad to know they kept their CDG flight.
Quoting Ojas (Reply 90): Throw away those A310s in the garbage, and can use the B744 on BOM - DXB during peak season or gradually convert all of its Saudi operations to B744.
I agree, time to pitch those, however, i feel they might be waiting for the 787's to replace the A310.
Won't it be too much of an overcapacity to use B744 or the 777's to NBO, PVG or HKG-KIX???
Maybe DMM could warrant a B744 or the occasional 777.
Nice to see that pax from BOM, DEL, AMD and soon ATQ can connect to N. America via their FRA hub. Besides EWR, ORD and YYZ, i think once more 77W come along, they should think IAH & YVR, from say, MAA, BLR or CCU
Ojas From India, joined Mar 2008, 1037 posts, RR: 1 Reply 94, posted (5 months 1 week 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 5521 times:
Quoting Mk777 (Reply 93): Won't it be too much of an overcapacity to use B744 or the 777's to NBO, PVG or HKG-KIX???
Maybe DMM could warrant a B744 or the occasional 777.
I never implied the B744s to be used to NBO,PVG or HKG - KIX. These destinations are A332 suitable and in the future B787s ( If at all the B787s every fly ). But yes if there are excess A310s, throw them and remove them on the BOM - TRV - DMM route, it can be done with an A320 aircraft.
Quoting Mk777 (Reply 93): Nice to see that pax from BOM, DEL, AMD and soon ATQ can connect to N. America via their FRA hub. Besides EWR, ORD and YYZ, i think once more 77W come along, they should think IAH & YVR, from say, MAA, BLR or CCU
Won't happen soon, MAA, BLR can do with the LH code share and as far as CCU goes even LH is thinking of terminating its services.
Why is that we drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
Mk777 From United States, joined Oct 2006, 1129 posts, RR: 0 Reply 95, posted (5 months 1 week 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 5503 times:
Quoting Ojas (Reply 94): I never implied the B744s to be used to NBO,PVG or HKG - KIX. These destinations are A332 suitable and in the future B787s ( If at all the B787s every fly stirthepot ). But yes if there are excess A310s, throw them and remove them on the BOM - TRV - DMM route, it can be done with an A320 aircraft.
I was merely asking a question, not implicating you at all...
So, maybe AI needed to order some A332's for these routes, however, they didn't know that the B787 would get delayed so much so that now they can't do without the A310. I think an order of 5 to 8 A332's would have been a nice interim lift for AI, however now the delivery slots for A330 won't be available till after they start getting their 787, i think.
I have to say, don't hey have A321's to do the BOM-TRV-DMM route???
Ammunition From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2002, 976 posts, RR: 6 Reply 97, posted (5 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 5275 times:
Quoting Ojas (Reply 92): BOM - HYD 2 weekly B744 continuing to JED
BOM - CCJ 5 weekly B744 continuing to JED
BOM - DEL 4 weekly B772 till Aug and will go to B744 in September again continuing to JED
BOM - DEL 4 weekly A332s ( 2 going to CDG and 2 going to NRT)
BOM - DEL few weekly A310s going to HKG
BOM - TRV 1 weekly A310 continuing to DMM.
Thanks for this info, and great post on Air India flights.
Are there any domestic IT/9W widebody routes? or any foreign airlines flying domestic?
Quoting Ammunition (Reply 97): Are there any domestic IT/9W widebody routes?
Kingfisher --no. 9W does throw an occasional B77W between BOM and DEL but those are mostly positioning flights. There is no fixed schedule for it, it happens rarely.
LeftWing From Singapore, joined Mar 2006, 258 posts, RR: 0 Reply 99, posted (5 months 1 week 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 5190 times:
Quoting Comorin (Reply 96): Rough Air: Is cruise usually above the weather or do you get high-topped CB storm clouds?
it depends of the weather conditions...yes on high flight levels you do get CB storm clusters which the pilots can monitor from on board radar they fly around it or climb to a higher level...
3 missed approaches...WOW ...he should have diverted to the alternate airport...
Aviationbuff From India, joined Mar 2008, 1102 posts, RR: 1 Reply 101, posted (5 months 1 week 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 5147 times:
Quoting Ojas (Reply 90): I really think AI should return those B772s even though if say they have some penalty for returning them to UA earlier. Throw away those A310s in the garbage, and can use the B744 on BOM - DXB during peak season or gradually convert all of its Saudi operations to B744.
Quoting Cricket (Reply 100): I know that Shankkar met PP last week, so this story of AI canecelling the last 7 77W's must be true...
AI should have hired you much earlier and they might have saved several millions. Your words are logical. Probably they had some plans for expansion which went wayward with the current economic scenario.
Quote: According to a report in Economic Times by Mithun Roy, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines alliance has finally taken off on July 1, 2009. To start with, both airlines have started sharing infrastructure at domestic airports (Delhi and Mumbai). Apart from infrastructure sharing at airports, the code sharing between two airlines will start this month.
“The infrastructure and code sharing will reduce Kingfisher Airlines operational costs by 20-30 per cent,” said a Kingfisher Airlines official. According to an official at Jet Airways, code sharing on domestic and international flights will start soon, apart from joint fuel management and network rationalisation.
Sounds great and good news for the both the airlines and Indian aviation industry.
Even though the pax were on edge, fortunately he TOGA'd because of visibility rather than wind. It was quite the downpour that you don't associate with BLR. We just got tired of the constant flaps in/out. Those are the moments you are grateful for the pilots' skill and experience. I do think that the IAF background + Monsoon flying produces some terrific pilots.
I've started planning my trip this morning, should I consider AI or is it too risky from a strike point of view? This is peak season and I'm not seeing good fares NYC-DEL.
Quote: Unhappy with the selection process of Air India, 68 young pilots have moved the Delhi High Court against the airline, alleging foul play in its recruitment procedure.
The young pilots, who have spent millions of rupees in obtaining commercial pilot licences, filed a petition in the court Friday.
They have alleged that Alliance Air, the low cost wing of Air India, has withheld the results of the job interview they had taken over 10 months ago. The petition is to be heard Monday.
In their petition, filed through advocate Praneet Ranjan, the pilots alleged that the selection process for trainee pilots is not correct. The pilots had appeared in the airline's selection test and interview in 2008, but were not informed of the results. Instead, the airline put out another advertisement for the same posts in June this year.
The unexpected problem added to the list of never ending problems of AI.
Quote: Cash-strapped public carrier Air India would not sack employees but financial and organisational restructuring was on the cards, union minister of state for civil aviation Praful Patel said today.
"There is no question of sacking;employees will be protected," Patel said. Patel, however, said it was time for for everyone - management and staff - to introspect.
"It is a tough time and we have to cooperate..we will have to go through financial and organisational restructuring to bring back the airlines on a healthy track," Patel said
Ojas From India, joined Mar 2008, 1037 posts, RR: 1 Reply 107, posted (5 months 1 week 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 5043 times:
Quoting Boeing747_600 (Reply 104): According to this site it looks like AI 825 is a triangular BOM-RUH-TRV routing operated by the B744.
That is operational information, rather the scheduling of the B744. They go BOM - RUH on one flight number and probably the same crew goes back to TRV as a different flight number. Whereas BOM-TRV-DMM is a flight where one can go to DMM from BOM via TRV.
AI has some 2 weekly RUH-TRV-CCJ-RUH operations
Why is that we drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
Ojas From India, joined Mar 2008, 1037 posts, RR: 1 Reply 108, posted (5 months 1 week 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 5045 times:
Quoting Aviationbuff (Reply 101): AI should have hired you much earlier and they might have saved several millions. Your words are logical.
Thanks
Quoting Aviationbuff (Reply 101): Probably they had some plans for expansion which went wayward with the current economic scenario.
It did. Seriously speaking the delay in B787s are the reason to keep the A310s alive still. The B787s were a perfect replacement for AI's A310s. Then they had crew shortage, then the fuel prices and then the economic slowdown, the problems never end for AI.
Why is that we drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
Aviationbuff From India, joined Mar 2008, 1102 posts, RR: 1 Reply 109, posted (5 months 1 week 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 4913 times:
Quoting Ojas (Reply 108): It did. Seriously speaking the delay in B787s are the reason to keep the A310s alive still. The B787s were a perfect replacement for AI's A310s. Then they had crew shortage, then the fuel prices and then the economic slowdown, the problems never end for AI.
I agree with you as the 787 are the perfect replacement for A310's and I am waiting for 787 to fly in AI's livery. 787 are supposed to replace A310's on the gulf sector as well.
Nimish From India, joined Feb 2005, 2713 posts, RR: 9 Reply 110, posted (5 months 1 week 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 4911 times:
Quoting Comorin (Reply 103): I've started planning my trip this morning, should I consider AI or is it too risky from a strike point of view? This is peak season and I'm not seeing good fares NYC-DEL.
I'd take the chance, especially if it's a personal visit. I don't think AI's going to be allowed to go down, plus hopefully they can transfer ticketed people onto the LH flights if there's actually a cancellation involved...
Thanks Nimish! I'll be doing my flight planning today. I'd be most grateful for any opinions on Monsoon flying - should I pad in some time for delayed flights and so on.
Nimish From India, joined Feb 2005, 2713 posts, RR: 9 Reply 113, posted (5 months 1 week 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 4818 times:
Quoting Comorin (Reply 111): Thanks Nimish! I'll be doing my flight planning today. I'd be most grateful for any opinions on Monsoon flying - should I pad in some time for delayed flights and so on.
BOM has seen a few monsoon related shut downs in the past, but I can't recall similar incidents in other parts of the country.
WestWing From United States, joined Feb 2005, 1594 posts, RR: 5 Reply 114, posted (5 months 1 week 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 4799 times:
Is there a website or resource anyone knows, that can accurately inform on how many active aircraft of the AI and IC fleet are still in "older" liveries?
I believe all four leased AI 777s are still in Your Palace in the Sky scheme - (maybe they will remain as such till being returned). How many of the active A310s and B744s are still in "YPitS" livery?
The IC fleet is still flying some aircraft in each of the two older liveries, the "white IA" tail and the "blue spoked wheel" tail. Any way of finding out how many aircraft still in each livery?
Thanks
The best time to plant a tree is 40 years ago. The second best time is today.
Comorin From United States, joined May 2005, 2397 posts, RR: 7 Reply 115, posted (5 months 1 week 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 4801 times:
Quoting Nimish (Reply 113): Quoting Comorin (Reply 111):
Thanks Nimish! I'll be doing my flight planning today. I'd be most grateful for any opinions on Monsoon flying - should I pad in some time for delayed flights and so on.
BOM has seen a few monsoon related shut downs in the past, but I can't recall similar incidents in other parts of the country.
Appreciate the info! I'm all set now for my 'Mango+ Chaat- Tummy Upset' Yatra
Nimish From India, joined Feb 2005, 2713 posts, RR: 9 Reply 116, posted (5 months 1 week 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 4779 times:
Quoting WestWing (Reply 114): Is there a website or resource anyone knows, that can accurately inform on how many active aircraft of the AI and IC fleet are still in "older" liveries?
Not the suggestion you're looking for I'm sure, but still do look up flickr for picture streams on Indian aircraft - you should be able to find what you're looking for after a little browsing...
Quote: Airports Authority of India (AAI) reports total passenger numbers at BIAL declined 15.4% year-on-year to 715,000 in Apr-2009. April’s passenger reduction marks a full year of monthly declines in passenger numbers at the airport.
The domestic traffic is falling very fast with no to minimal hope for the future with airports levying UDF and airlines has to increase the fares to sustain.
Golfradio From Canada, joined Jun 2009, 241 posts, RR: 0 Reply 122, posted (5 months 1 week 12 hours ago) and read 4408 times:
Guys, how is Deccan 360 doing? The last I heard was their DEL - HKG service with the A310F. And what do you think of the current air cargo market? Deccan 360 is trying to be a complete logistics provider like Fedex with the last mile service, which IMO is a big gamble.
I am interested only in the air cargo side of things. I know of Blue Dart but they are captive for DHL. AI, 9W are both eying the air cargo market. Do you think there is potential for a smaller operation?
Quote: Dubai's budget airline, Flydubai, has hit its first operational glitch, acknowledging it was still trying to work out 'the final few pieces' of the service it plans to launch later this month to Chandigarh, India. Flydubai had expected its flights to the city to arrive there at around 11pm and take off again before midnight; however, The Times of India reported that the Indian Air Force does not allow civilian planes to operate at Chandigarh after 10pm. 'The final few pieces of the operation are being worked out now and we do not anticipate any issues that cannot be resolved,' Flydubai's CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith said in the statement.
Flydubai has already made tickets available for sale on its website for its service to Chandigarh
What will be the fate of this proposed flight to Chandigarh. flyDubai has to reschedule the flight timings, however, it depends upon the availability of the aircraft.
Quote: Air India has come up with ‘Quick Returns’— a four-coupon multi-user ticket booklet for economy-class travel on the domestic sectors.
The booklet comes at an attractive price of Rs.22,916, inclusive of all taxes, Air India said. The tickets have been made available for sale till July 11. The travel is to be completed by September 20.
‘Quick Returns’ booklets will be valid for use on both IC and AI coded flights on all domestic sectors barring Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi-Kochi, Delhi-Kozhikode and Delhi-Coimbatore. The tickets are non-refundable.
AI needs lots of such innovative marketing initiatives for growth.
Quote: Kingfisher Airlines launched its direct flight service on the virgin air route of Pune-Goa from July 1. This is for the first time that both the destinations would be connected directly via air.
The flights will operate six days a week except on Saturdays, an official release said.
PNQ - GOA will be operated by Kingfisher Red
IT 2801 (PNQ - GOA) 12:00 13:15
IT 2802 (GOA - PNQ) 13:45 15:00
Seems like AI is in for a major revamp. Global ad to be put out for a new COO and several heads likely to roll. Also talk of some divestment in future....What actually happens - now that is a different story.
COKFlyer From United States, joined Nov 2007, 3 posts, RR: 0 Reply 128, posted (5 months 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 4257 times:
Revamp of AI brass in 30 days: Patel
Finally!!! Hope this will make the airline profitable ! what is the current ratio of staff : aircraft ? AI could take some lessons from SQ . They need non stop services to second tier cities also from Eurpoe and N.America . With the Arrival of Ethihad to ORD , AI is in serious trouble to fill the seats as Ethihad has convinient connections to almost all southern cities from AUH.
Quote:
The government is learnt to have decided on a largescale redeployment of Air India (AI) staff to its strategic business units (SBUs), cutting the airline’s current 33,000 strength by nearly 50 per cent.
This will bring down AI’s employees-per-aircraft ratio from a highly uncompetitive 230:1 to a globally accepted 100-150:1.
Minutes of Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office last month, available with The Indian Express, indicate that the decision was reached after detailed discussions on the carrier’s mounting losses and a presentation by Civil Aviation Secretary M Nambiar.
Top government sources told The Express that around 15,000 employees will be absorbed in the SBUs, which the government expects will become independent profit centres once they are operational.
“The two Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) joint ventures with Boeing and Airbus will absorb around 5,000-6,000 employees. The ground handling joint venture with Singapore firm SATS is expected to absorb another 8,000-9,000. These SBUs will be hived off to become independent profit centres,” said a senior official.
I guess the GoI is trying to do what it can in the situation when no one can be laid-off or fired for bad performance. But...
1. Despite the fact that the GoI is trying to save everyone's jobs, I suspect the unions are not going to like any of this plan. Expect some loud slogan shouting as an immediate reaction.
2. I shudder to think of the long term consequences of moving marginal performers to the MROs. Why do I say "marginal performers" ? Because if they were "good performers" AI would want to keep them in AI.
The best time to plant a tree is 40 years ago. The second best time is today.
BZ/DHL has been in profits,thanks to the ground network & rescheduling of Flights.However loads are on the rise these dauys.so future seems good.
Quikjet might never start up.
Deccan360 is struggling with loads.
AI cargo is not flying their Fleet frequently.However India post leasing the B732SFs have helped.
If one has a good ground network its worth getting into cargo.
“The two Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) joint ventures with Boeing and Airbus will absorb around 5,000-6,000 employees. The ground handling joint venture with Singapore firm SATS is expected to absorb another 8,000-9,000. These SBUs will be hived off to become independent profit centres,”
thanks for posting , I was amused by the extract above
I wonder how they will become 'profit centres' if they are being required to absorb several thousand unnecessary staff ?
Moderation in all things ... including moderation ;-)
Golfradio From Canada, joined Jun 2009, 241 posts, RR: 0 Reply 134, posted (5 months 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 3885 times:
Quoting HAWK21M (Reply 132): BZ/DHL has been in profits,thanks to the ground network & rescheduling of Flights.However loads are on the rise these dauys.so future seems good.
Quikjet might never start up.
Deccan360 is struggling with loads.
AI cargo is not flying their Fleet frequently.However India post leasing the B732SFs have helped.
If one has a good ground network its worth getting into cargo.
Thanks Mel. Does India Post also use any commercial flights or private charters?
"The two Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) joint ventures with Boeing and Airbus will absorb around 5,000-6,000 employees. The ground handling joint venture with Singapore firm SATS is expected to absorb another 8,000-9,000. These SBUs will be hived off to become independent profit centres,"
thanks for posting , I was amused by the extract above
I wonder how they will become 'profit centres' if they are being required to absorb several thousand unnecessary staff ?
I believe these MROs are not fully staffed yet. Furthermore, these MROs will take away business from non-Indian MROs which are currently being used by Indian carriers. In due course one may see foreign carriers using these MROs.
Cricket From India, joined Aug 2005, 2368 posts, RR: 4 Reply 142, posted (5 months 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 3624 times:
Quoting Gr8Circle (Reply 141): If the price is right, they certainly will....
And that is CCU a very, very price-sensitive market! Wonder why IT is not using one of their A321's - I noticed VT-KFW on the 'new' apron at DEL with her engines and wheels all covered and another 321 on the IC service area (along with several other S2 and 9W planes) in hibernation.
Aarbee From India, joined Aug 2005, 222 posts, RR: 0 Reply 145, posted (5 months 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 3414 times:
Quoting Freqflyer (Reply 77): At present, Ahmedabad is available as a point of call to 16 foreign countries which include Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Kuwait, Qatar, Russia, UAE (Dubai, Sharjah).
Any idea, on whether this is a government restriction ?
Quoting Freqflyer (Reply 77): According to the forecast, the peak hour passenger traffic in 2012-13 will be 500 arrivals and 500 departures. The new terminal building has been planned to handle 1,000 passengers (500 arrivals and 500 departures). In phase II, the capacity will be enhanced to 1,600 passengers.
This is funny. The new terminal to be open in 2010, will be maxed out by 2012-2013.
Still no information on the state of the project?
o What is accomplished so far?
o How much is left?
o When is the scheduled date?
etc.
AirIndia From United Arab Emirates, joined Jan 2001, 1023 posts, RR: 0 Reply 147, posted (5 months 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 3402 times:
Quoting Cricket (Reply 142): And that is CCU a very, very price-sensitive market!
So that makes me wonder, why the LCCs dont serve CCU from the gulf? EK is the only direct CCU-gulf flight. Is it the size of the market? or the distance is beyond narrowbodies.... but i guess Air Arabia flies 320s to Dhaka form SHJ........ that shd be longer than DXB-CCU or SHJ-CCU.....?
Ojas From India, joined Mar 2008, 1037 posts, RR: 1 Reply 148, posted (5 months 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 3400 times:
Quoting AirIndia (Reply 147): So that makes me wonder, why the LCCs dont serve CCU from the gulf? EK is the only direct CCU-gulf flight. Is it the size of the market? or the distance is beyond narrowbodies.... but i guess Air Arabia flies 320s to Dhaka form SHJ........ that shd be longer than DXB-CCU or SHJ-CCU.....?
Quite simply there isn't any market out there for CCU. There aren't many business links between CCU and the gulf. GF tried this route but failed miserably after the entry of EK, BA too quit CCU after EK entered and it won't be far away when LH will quit CCU as well. AI too failed at the CCU - LHR flight ( which was started due to political pressure). EK is doing the job of transferring Expats/businessmen from Bengal to the UAE and to the rest of the world.
Why is that we drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
Blrsea From India, joined May 2005, 952 posts, RR: 4 Reply 151, posted (5 months 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 3379 times:
tharanga, totally off topic, but in kannada language, tharanga means ripples/waves. When I saw your user name, it reminded me of a popular weekly magazine in kannada by the same name
Quote: The Karnataka government has retained Maytas Infra, a company run by the family of former Satyam Chairman B Ramalinga Raju, as the developer for two Greenfield airport projects at Gulbarga and Shimoga. The company stated in a regulatory statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) that the Karnataka government has decided to retain it to develop two Greenfield airport projects at Gulbarga and Shimoga. According to an IANS report, the state decided to continue with Maytas Infra after the Corporate Affairs Ministry recommended continuation of the contracts.
Maytas Infra is in a very bad shape after the Satyam fiasco. Last week AP govt. canceled the Maytas deal for Hyderabad Metro.
I wish them best of luck, however, I do have serious concerns in their capabilities particularly mobilizing the required funds.
Quote: Government defended the unpopular levying of user charges at airports, with civil aviation minister Praful Patel saying these were concepts people should get used to in view of the changing times.
Patel told Lok Sabha that the recently set-up Airport Economic Regulatory Authority will decide on the issue of user charges, adding that they were done as per the concession agreement signed with airport developers.
This is the industry standard, however, the difference is that, it started here during the trying times.
Quote: Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel recently ruled out disinvestments of Air India (AI) and Airport Authority of India (AAI). While replying to a question raised in the Lok Sabha yesterday, Patel said that there was no such proposal before the government and the Centre is also not considering Initial Public Offering (IPO) at this stage. According to agency reports, to the members demanding to roll back development fee collected by privatised airports, Patel said that the government had constituted Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) and entrusted it with the responsibility of deciding on the issue.
Partial disinvestment's for AI would have done wonders, as private players or international airlines such as SQ etc. could have turned the tide in AI's favor .
Quote: Stung by the DGCA findings that three extra flyers — a woman in the cockpit and two on foldable seats meant for cabin crew — were illegally accommodated on a flight on May 5, Air India swung into damage control mode on Friday, de-rostering five commercial staffers and two pilots on board the Mumbai-Mangalore flight.
The three extra flyers, it is now learnt, could have been the wife and children of a senior AI pilot and probably, were all accommodated in the cockpit.
AI spokesman Jitendra Bhargava said the five commercial staffers were named in the DGCA probe for issuing extra boarding cards. Action would be taken in 48 hours, he said.
i thought it would be the Family of the flying crew,it turned out to be the family of a grd ops manager....Close
Quoting Golfradio (Reply 144): Supposedly the Tata's had equity in it. With that kind of backing, how come this is a stillborn?
Firstly the got the B733F,thereafter their Mgmt changed,The new Mgmt decided that the B733F was not the correct type & the existing aircraft was not in a good shape,so decided to go in for a B767F later revised to a B757F.Meanwhile the company Bharat aviation given the contract to service the B737F was not paid & refused to part with the Docs needed to service the aircraft by 9W to return back to the lessor.Finally an out of court settlement was reached......The new Aircraft did not arrive,Staff were paid over a year but no aircraft ops commenced.....Last heard it was closing shop.
Quote: Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation reports domestic passenger numbers rose 5.7% year-on-year in Jun-2009 to 3.7 million. The market, which contracted for 12 consecutive months from Jun-2008, may finally be on the road to recovery. Traffic bottomed out in Nov-2008 when passenger numbers slumped 21.7% year-on-year.
Positive news for the airlines and domestic sector. Hope this is the first mile on the road to recovery.
Quote: Government on Tuesday said that national carrier Air India is estimated to suffer a loss of around Rs 5,000 crores in 2008-09 due to operating losses, high oil prices and debt servicing.
Quote: Air India's parent company National Aviation Co of India (Nacil) is receiving a $1.06 billion loan from JPMorgan Chase & Co to fund most of its purchase of 10 Boeing passenger aircraft.
The funds will be used to pay for 3 737-800s, 3 777-200s and 4 777-300s
Air India pilots and air hostesses may soon fly to overseas destinations and come back — as passengers — on the return leg of the
flight to avoid huge hotel expenses abroad. What’s more, the temporary postings of AI engineers abroad to check the aircraft may also be scrapped.
The aircraft engineers could also fly on the plane and check it before the return leg and avoid the huge expense of being posted abroad.
‘‘Some unions representing pilots, cabin crew, and engineers have themselves come forward with this cost-cutting move. Hotel tariffs abroad are in the range of $200-400, in addition to $200 as daily allowance. The foreign stay of crew costs a huge amount and if they return on the same flight, the savings will be enormous,’’ said highly placed sources.
WestWing From United States, joined Feb 2005, 1594 posts, RR: 5 Reply 170, posted (4 months 4 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 2580 times:
Take for example DEL-LHR-DEL. What is SOP in the industry is that a set of crew works the DEL-LHR flight on Monday, overnights in a hotel and then works on Tuesday's LHR-DEL.
If the Monday DEL-LHR crew flies back on the return flight as passengers, where is the crew for the Tuesday's LHR-DEL going to come from? (I am assuming that it would NOT be legal for the crew to deadhead on DEL-LHR flight to get to LHR to operate LHR-DEL on the same day because the crew will not be adequately rested on the deadhead outbound). So how does this "crew flying back as passengers" logistics actually work?
The best time to plant a tree is 40 years ago. The second best time is today.
Aviationbuff From India, joined Mar 2008, 1102 posts, RR: 1 Reply 171, posted (4 months 4 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 2519 times:
Quoting LeftWing (Reply 168): Some unions representing pilots, cabin crew, and engineers have themselves come forward with this cost-cutting move
I cannot believe it.......must be music to the ears of PP and CMD
Quoting WestWing (Reply 170): If the Monday DEL-LHR crew flies back on the return flight as passengers, where is the crew for the Tuesday's LHR-DEL going to come from? (I am assuming that it would NOT be legal for the crew to deadhead on DEL-LHR flight to get to LHR to operate LHR-DEL on the same day because the crew will not be adequately rested on the deadhead outbound). So how does this "crew flying back as passengers" logistics actually work?
Before reading your post, I was also thinking the same.
Cricket From India, joined Aug 2005, 2368 posts, RR: 4 Reply 172, posted (4 months 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 2476 times:
Quoting WestWing (Reply 170): If the Monday DEL-LHR crew flies back on the return flight as passengers, where is the crew for the Tuesday's LHR-DEL going to come from? (I am assuming that it would NOT be legal for the crew to deadhead on DEL-LHR flight to get to LHR to operate LHR-DEL on the same day because the crew will not be adequately rested on the deadhead outbound). So how does this "crew flying back as passengers" logistics actually work?
I think this would apply to the 5-hour regional sectors more than Europe, US. God knows what will happen..
WestWing From United States, joined Feb 2005, 1594 posts, RR: 5 Reply 173, posted (4 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 2432 times:
Quoting Cricket (Reply 172): I think this would apply to the 5-hour regional sectors more than Europe, US.
Good point. It would be interesting to know what the maximum flight duration threshold would be for it to be legal for the return flight-crew to travel as passengers on the outbound flight. Would it work in the case of BOM-DXB, or, slightly longer, DEL-BKK?. At some point the DGCA ought to be concerned whether the return crew would be adequately rested since their duty time would be AFTER an x-hour flight.***
Anyway let us say it is legal for the return pilots to deadhead on the outbound flight. The deadheading pilots on the outbound should be entitled to business/first class - for safety reasons - so that they are more comfortable. So while the airline would be saving $300 on each pilot's hotel/meal expense at the layover destination, the airline would be blocking a business class seat with greater revenue earning potential. Maybe the paid business loads are so bad and they normally have a number of non-rev freeloaders in these cabins so it does not matter?
[Edited to Add:] *** Note that the ToI story that LeftWIng linked to specifically says that FRA and LHR would be included in this scheme which is why I picked LHR as the example in my previous post. The ToI story also only talks about the outbound crew returning as passengers and does not address who is going to operate the return flight. The assumption that the return crew would deadhead on the outbound flight is mine - only because I can not understand how else they can avoid hotel stays. This assumption may be completely wrong because there may be some other trick that I am not seeing.
[Edited 2009-07-15 08:26:19]
The best time to plant a tree is 40 years ago. The second best time is today.
Gr8Circle From Canada, joined Dec 2005, 2394 posts, RR: 2 Reply 175, posted (4 months 4 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 2388 times:
I think a better solution would have been to downgrade hotel accomodation and achieve savings thereby.....start using lower cost hotels....as such, airlines pay 3 star hotel rates for 5 star hotels, due to the year round block bookings....most of the hotels used by AI in Euro and N. American cities are in downtown areas, usually involving long journeys to and from the airport.....there are always good hotels in the immediate vicinity of airport terminals....
Daily allowances can also be rationalised to achieve savings....I really wonder why these options are not being considered....?
Blocking revenue earning seats for deadheading crew members, dealing with the issue of fatigue due to the new schedules and the logistical issues of scheduling crew in this manner may actually prove more detrimental to AI.....
Gr8Circle From Canada, joined Dec 2005, 2394 posts, RR: 2 Reply 179, posted (4 months 3 weeks 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 1998 times:
Quoting Tharanga (Reply 178): does anybody know of any pictures of vayudoot? i don't remember what the livery looked like, and i'd like to have a look.
Check out this link.....that's all I could find....
WestWing From United States, joined Feb 2005, 1594 posts, RR: 5 Reply 182, posted (4 months 3 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1968 times:
Too late to edit my above post. Here is the summary of the new (= post-merger Air India) livery
AI B744: 5 of 6 in new livery.
AI B772: 1 of 1 in old livery (leased)
AI B77E: 3 of 3 in old livery (leased)
AI B77L: 6 of 6 in new livery
AI B77W: 6 of 6 in new livery
AI A310: 7 of 10 in new livery, 4 of the new livery are cargo.
IC A319: 11 of 17 in new livery.
IC A320: (Unknown) - total aircraft 44?
IC A321: 13 of 13 in new livery
IC A332: 2 of 2 in new livery
Registrations of the aircraft that are still in old livery: (VT-xxx)
AI B744: EVB
AI B772: AIR
AI B77E: AIJ,AIK,AIL
IC A310: AIB,EJG,EJL
IC A319: SCA,SCB,SCC,SCD,SCE,SCF
IC A320: (Unknown)
Corrections and/or additions welcome - especially for the A320s.
[Edited 2009-07-18 22:02:13]
The best time to plant a tree is 40 years ago. The second best time is today.
Quote: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai Airports to waive off the ‘use-it or lose-it’ rule that has forced airlines to fly virtually empty flights to protect their routes in the middle of a prolonged travel slump. In a letter to the heads of these airports, IATA has asked them to waive the ‘use it or lose it’ rule—which means an airline will lose its slot if it does not use 80 per cent of the time for the upcoming winter and 2010 scheduling seasons.
This may probably help the airlines to reduce some losses.
Quote: Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines has secured shareholder approval to borrow up to 125 billion Indian rupees ($2.6 billion).
The carrier conducted a postal ballot of shareholders to get approval for the potential loans, the company in a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange. Shareholders also granted approval for the company's assets to be used as security for any loans.
Deaphen From India, joined Jul 2005, 1379 posts, RR: 2 Reply 193, posted (4 months 3 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1490 times:
Quoting Ourboeing (Reply 192): FlyDubai is set to start operation begining July 23rd.
If that takes off, my next flight is going to be Newark-Dubai-Chandigarh
Postponed for a few months!
Regards
Nitin
I want every single airport and airplane in India to be on A.net!
Ojas From India, joined Mar 2008, 1037 posts, RR: 1 Reply 194, posted (4 months 3 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1488 times:
Quoting Ourboeing (Reply 192): Any news on the IXC international airport?
FlyDubai is set to start operation begining July 23rd.
If that takes off, my next flight is going to be Newark-Dubai-Chandigarh
on Emirates/FlyDubai -> A380/B738
Can't wait to directly fly into my hometown
Unfortunately that may not happen.
Firstly EK and FZ as of now have no arrangements to give through fares to IXC. Which means you will have to pay separately for JFK - DXB return and separately for DXB - IXC return which would be a minimum of $1800 at least. Plus the fact that you may have to re check-in in DXB which may require a Visa as well.
Whereas with AI/9W et al can get you to IXC in almost $1000 dollars.
Why is that we drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
Quote: The Airport Authority of India (AAI) is proposing an Airport Development Fee (ADF) of Rs 300 on flights to domestic non-metro destinations and Rs 1,000 on international flights. According to a report in Economic Times by Mithun Roy, the proposal will be sent to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) for approval next week and may come into effect from September 1, 2009. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) in a statement has opposed the fee.
Initially, the ADF will be imposed on passengers flying to 12 airports, according to the proposal. Some of the destinations earmarked among those selected for the Fee include: Ahmedabad, Mangalore, Udaipur, Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram. In the second phase, ADF will cover another 23 non-metro airports.
Not good for the domestic airlines, as the domestic traffic is already declining .
Quote: Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines will seek board approval to issue shares of up to 50 billion Indian rupees ($1 billion).
The airline will ask the board to consider the share issue at the company's 28 July board meeting, says a company statement on the Bombay Stock Exchange web site.
The announcement comes after Kingfisher secured shareholder approval to borrow up to 125 billion Indian rupees on 17 July.
So out of 125 Billion 50 BN will be equity. Will the remaining 75 BN is debt or shares to be issued at a later stage.
Quote:
Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines will seek board approval to issue shares of up to 50 billion Indian rupees ($1 billion).
The airline will ask the board to consider the share issue at the company's 28 July board meeting, says a company statement on the Bombay Stock Exchange web site.
The announcement comes after Kingfisher secured shareholder approval to borrow up to 125 billion Indian rupees on 17 July.
So out of 125 Billion 50 BN will be equity. Will the remaining 75 BN is debt or shares to be issued at a later stage.
The way I get it is that VJM will sell a part of his stake in United Spirits (Diageo most prob) and use some of those funds to recapitalise Kingfisher Airlines. The rest will come from PE players and/or a foreign airline group (VS is one name I'm hearing a lot and VJM and SRB have been meeting at F1 events, though AF-KL and EK are also interested) but they would want more 'control' than say in a USL or UBL.
HAWK21M From India, joined Jan 2001, 27824 posts, RR: 61 Reply 199, posted (4 months 3 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1274 times:
Quoting Ammunition (Reply 191): How is the short term outlook looking for the various airlines in India in terms of survival? Any likely casualties on the horizon?
Unlikely....Looks like recovery has begun.
regds
MEL.
Quoting Ammunition (Reply 191):
How is the short term outlook looking for the various airlines in India in terms of survival? Any likely casualties on the horizon?
Unlikely....Looks like recovery has begun.
regds
MEL.
Sure...looks like recovery has begum, however, there could be consolidation. Spicejet has hinted earlier that they may acquire another LCC (Jetlite was rumored to be the LCC)
Sponsor Message: 
From United States, joined May 2005, 3280 posts, 
From India, joined May 2006, 522 posts, 
From Singapore, joined Mar 2006, 258 posts, 
From United Arab Emirates, joined Jan 2001, 1023 posts, 
From Canada, joined Dec 2005, 2394 posts, 
.gif){kind=small}
From United Kingdom (England), joined Jan 2001, 16754 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2002, 976 posts, 
). But yes if there are excess A310s, throw them and remove them on the BOM - TRV - DMM route, it can be done with an A320 aircraft.
From Mauritius, joined Jun 2005, 5537 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
