____________________________________<\/p>\n
Fogged out again. Harassed again. When will this end?<\/span><\/span> Why institutional investors lapping up low cost carriers stocks?<\/span><\/span> Indian pilots under fatigue risk<\/span><\/span> Flying on a wing and a prayer<\/span> Situation normal, all fogged up<\/span> D\u00c3\u00a9j\u00c3\u00a0 vu as fog grounds air travellers<\/span> The mile high club<\/span><\/span> Brand India’s image issue<\/span><\/span> On the global aviation map<\/span><\/span> Gearing up for the holiday crowds<\/span> Let more private airlines fly overseas<\/span><\/span> Airlines hit novel routes to woo holiday travellers<\/strong><\/span> Plane truth: Poaching gives airlines CAT edge<\/strong><\/span> Who will rule the skies tomorrow?<\/span><\/strong> McDonald`s of the sky<\/span> Ground Them<\/span> Chaos in airports, is fog to blame?<\/span> Air security\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s XXX files<\/span><\/span> Blind to more than fog<\/span> Overcapacity clouds air cargo boomlet <\/span><\/span> Easy fly<\/span> Airlines Bluecasting?<\/span><\/span> Watch Tower: Air charter & ownership <\/span> Get set for smart air cargo handling<\/span><\/span> Overcapacity clouds air cargo boomlet<\/span>
Sidhartha Roy
Hindustan Times
Dec 27, 2006<\/a>
New Delhi<\/span>: As dense fog enveloped the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday night and visibility dropped to zero, it was the same story all over again. Flights got disrupted, and passengers were stranded for hours as airline operators failed to inform them on time about the delays and rescheduling.
This, when the Met department had, in the afternoon, forecast that dense fog would to set in over the airport by late evening. Any Delhiite who was out on the road after 8.30 pm on Tuesday could have predicted the chaos that was to come at the airport.
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Ram Prasad Sahu
Business Standard
Dec 25, 2006<\/a>
Mumbai<\/span>: Ajay Singh need not look at the fuel gauge of his 737-800 repeatedly to predict whether he will be able to pilot SpiceJet out of the operational blues that have bled the airline and into safety by FY08.
Thanks to the $80 million (Rs 360 crore) inflow from a clutch of existing and new investors including the Tatas, the director of this low cost carrier (LCC) can now look forward to taking delivery of 18 B737s over the next two years and putting up a fight in a market rife with excessive fare discounting and high fuel prices.
His company, though, is not the only one listed to get the attention from investors who do not want to be left out of the great LCC story unfolding over the Indian skies.
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Vishnu Som
NDTV.com
Dec 24, 2006<\/a>
Its every flyer’s nightmare – a jetliner aimlessly flying on auto-pilot with the pilot slumped over the controls and the other pilot not in the cockpit.
In statements made to NDTV pilots flying with leading Indian carriers stated that such incidents happen due to pilot fatigue.
“We were operating a flight from Bombay to a Gulf Country last monsoon and had left the cockpit for about twelve to fifteen minutes to go to the lavatory,” a co-pilot on a leading airline said.
“When I returned I saw the commander of the aircraft slumped in his seat, snoring away”.
“The aircraft was on autopilot and we could have easily flown right into a thunderstorm and met with a catastrophic air accident that day,” the pilot said.
“He had not rested properly in Bombay due to a hectic flying schedule. We had 207 passengers on board that day,” he added.
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Manju V
Times of India
Dec 25, 2006<\/a>
The recent spate of deaths at Mumbai airport has only emphasised, among other things, the absolute need to keep the airline informed about the passenger’s medical history if any \u00e2\u20ac\u201d even if you run the risk of not being allowed to fly.
On Sunday, Manickchand Jain, a wheelchair-bound patient who was discharged about 12 hours earlier from a hospital, died minutes after he was off-loaded from a Mumbai-Chennai Kingfisher Airlines flight after the commander found him unfit to fly. He was the sixth air passenger to die in Mumbai in the last two months.
Why has Mumbai airport suddenly become the destination for death for many passengers?
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Daily News & Analysis
Dec 24, 2006<\/a>
There are some things in India that are so commonplace and routine that it seems almost a waste of time to comment upon them. In Mumbai, it is almost a certainty that year after year parts of the city will get flooded during the rains. In Delhi, December not only heralds the festive season, it brings cancelled flights, stranded passengers and harassed airline staff.
This year too, right on schedule, we saw the spectacle of hundreds of irate and clueless passengers waiting for their flight to be announced at Delhi and other airports. And we didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even see those whose flights were cancelled and who never made it to Delhi. So why is it worth talking about?
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Sidhartha Roy
Hindustan Times
Dec 24, 2006<\/a>
It is the same story every winter, and nothing seems to change. Air travellers again had a harrowing time at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday morning as dense fog threw flight operations out of gear and chaos ruled at the airport. About 100 flights were delayed and some were cancelled or diverted due to the congestion at the airport.
It was not just air travel that was hit. The fog also caused many road accidents in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, killing four and injuring at least 64. Also 25 trains were delayed, some up to seven hours.
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Priya Krishnaswamy
Express TravelWorld
Dec 19, 2006<\/a>
Travel and tourism has always been an interesting career option for most youngsters who generally tend to favour the more glamorous segment – the cabin crew. Apart from all the gloss attached to it, it is well-paying, appears easy, and gives people a chance to interact with passengers.
But being a flight attendant comes with its own share of responsibilities. And this is where the in-flight crew training institutes come into the picture. Their courses, that stretch from anywhere between three months to one year depending upon the subject of study, help in developing the confidence of the aspiring candidates and provide technical training including safety and emergency procedures, aircraft-specific training, crew resource management modules apart from programmes on personal grooming, voice modulation, etc.
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Kaushik Basu
BBC News, UK
Dec 18, 2006<\/a>
Last month, when I had to make a quick trip to India, I decided to fly Air India (AI) to see for myself how the much-criticised airline was doing.
When, at New York’s JFK Airport, I entered the aircraft cabin a technician was desperately trying to repair the hand-held TV remote attached to my seat.
When I told him I did not plan to watch TV, he was reassured and exited quickly.
The Velcro on our seat covers was peeling off, and the cleanliness of the cabin and bathrooms, right from the start, did not give a favourable impression.
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Priya Krishnaswamy
Express TravelWorld
Dec 19, 2006<\/a>
The aggressive investments from the technological, pharmaceutical and almost every other industry in Hyderabad, has witnessed the city catering to a larger populace of both, national and international business travellers. The rapid makeover of the city, touted as the new IT hub of the South, has forced the administration to ramp up the infrastructure, especially the airport. Work has commenced on the new Rajiv Gandhi International airport at Shamshabad, 30 kms from the city and the first phase is slated to be operational by March 2008.
The new airport will establish Hyderabad prominently in the global aviation map and thereby contribute to the prosperity and development of the region and the country at large.
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Economic Times
Dec 19, 2006<\/a>
Mumbai: The mid-segment travel industry is changing its colours. The small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly adopting new technologies to make the most of the boom in the Indian travel market and to attract clients who incidentally pay in advance. SMEs associated with the travel and tour industry are gearing up for the year-end holiday season.
As SMEs scale up to meet seasonal demand, they are attracting investments by venture capitalists too. Recently, Travelguru, an online travel portal, received a fresh infusion of capital commitment to the tune of $15 million from Battery Ventures and Sequoia Capital India. Travelguru markets hotel, holiday and travel packages.
It has access to more than 70,000 hotels worldwide and alliances with 500 airlines globally. As online portals help to aggregate hotels, airlines and travel packages, it helps to ease the hassles of travel within and outside India.
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Times of India
Dec 18, 2006<\/a>
The government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s reported willingness to relax the eligibility criteria for domestic airlines looking to fly overseas is welcome. It would allow India\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s airlines to corner a bigger share of the international traffic, to and from India. Only those scheduled carriers having five-years experience of continuous domestic operations and a minimum fleet size of 20 aircraft are currently permitted to operate international routes, except to Gulf countries. Of the eight major private domestic airlines, only Jet Airways and Air Sahara meet these norms and are already flying to foreign destinations
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Cuckoo Paul<\/a>
Economic Times<\/a>
Dec 18, 2006<\/a>
Mumabi: It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the run-up to Christmas and New Year, the busiest travel season of the year and the rush for air-tickets is at its peak. Yet, Air Deccan last week announced the sale of two lakh tickets priced at Rs 2 (plus taxes) each. In Bahrain, the Kuwait-based low cost airline Jazeera Airways put up one lakh seats on sale on Friday, offering tickets on all its routes including Mumbai-Bahrain for Rs 960. So has competition has forced airlines into a mad rush to the bottom, Or is there a method to the madness of airline fares?
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<\/a>
Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian? <\/strong><\/span>
Prabhat K. Mukherjee<\/a>
Korea Times, South Korea<\/a>
Dec 17, 2006<\/a>
For most Indians who scorn eating meat, traveling on an international flight and ordering a vegetarian meal can be like playing Russian roulette. You simply don’t know what will appear on your tray. Vegetarians who are planning to travel by plane may wonder what vegetarian food choices are available. Almost all airlines except a few operating in South Asia have no knowledge of vegetarian food, at least that’s the impression we get from the stewardesses. Most of the Indian expatriates here were brought up with the belief that eating meat is a sin that would invite the wrath of the gods. This belief exists in almost all ancient religions. Even in Christianity, meat is prohibited on some special occasions.
Read The Rest >>><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
P R Sanjai<\/a>
Business Standard<\/a>
Dec 16, 2006 <\/a>
Mumbai<\/span>: With fog setting in, fledgling airlines are suddenly getting Category (CAT) II and CAT III certifications, which are mandatory for operating under low-visibility situations, such as fog or poor weather conditions. The strategy of poaching experienced pilots from carriers, such as Indian Airlines, is now paying off for new domestic carriers. Pilots are normally awarded CAT II status after operating under CAT I for a year. The next step,
\n CAT III, is only possible after two years of operation under CAT II. But, take this example: IndiGo Airlines, launched six months ago, has announced that it has received CAT III approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to operate in fog conditions. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Newer airlines have poached experienced pilots from Indian Airlines and experienced expat pilots from various international airlines and are directly getting CAT III compliance without waiting for three years,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d a source said.
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Daily News & Analysis
Praveena Sharma
Dec 15, 2006 <\/a>
Bangalore<\/span>: As airlines get embroiled in a brutal war on the price and capacity fronts, the aviation landscape could well change drastically, going forward. Smaller players could push bigger players down the ladder to take their position. This is what emerges from broking house JP Morgan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s crystal ball gazing into future.
Based on aircraft orders, JP Morgan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s equity research team has computed the market share (in terms of seat capacity) of airlines on completion of (plane) delivery, which varies for each one of them.
And guess who will dominate the sky once orders of airlines are completely executed?
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P R Sanjai
Business Standard
Dec 15, 2006<\/a>
Mumbai<\/span>: Avani or SpiceJet: which is the love of his life? For Ajay Singh, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a tough one to answer.
He may be setting a new benchmark in low cost airline operations with SpiceJet but it is Avani, his 10-year-old daughter, who ends up dictating terms to its 40-year-old director. It was she who had him shave off his moustache two years ago, and old-timers still remember the late Pramod Mahajan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s close ally with a moustache, and not without it.
That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s because Ajay Singh mostly stays away from the usual Page 3 socialising. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He is an out-and-out family man,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says one of Singh\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s closest friends. Endorses Singh himself, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153 I try my best to keep my weekends free to spend with my family.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
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Times of India
Dec 14, 2006<\/a>
W<\/span>hen the civil aviation minister recently confessed that he was very disappointed with Air-India’s service \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and that disciplinary action would be taken against poor performers \u00e2\u20ac\u201d he kindled the hope that at last errant airlines in India would be forced to shape-up, if not because of enlightened self-interest, at least under threat of penalty.
Ground reality shows otherwise. Despite private airlines being warned a year ago \u00e2\u20ac\u201d by the same ministry \u00e2\u20ac\u201d to upgrade themselves technically to become fog-navigable or else, clearly, nothing has been done in this regard.
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Shreya Dhoundial
CNN-IBN
Dec 13, 2006<\/a>
New Delhi<\/span>: Come December and it is the same story all over again of cancelled or delayed flights and harried passengers at the airports.
With no one accepting blame for the scenario, is it really the much-maligned fog that is causing all the trouble?
Tourism consultant, Vimal Kumar was supposed to deliver a lecture at the Jammu University on Wednesday but his flight first kept getting delayed and then got cancelled.
To top it all, only one runway was operational at the Palam Airport in Delhi because of which flights that were still taking off were all delayed.
So it may only be fashionable to blame the fog for all this chaos, but Kumar begs to differ.
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Saba Shaikh
Times of India
Dec 14, 2006<\/a>
I<\/span>n the post 9\/11 world, security versus privacy battle has a very clear winner \u00e2\u20ac\u201c security. From body searches to frequent physical pat-downs, air travellers have been through much because of heightened security considerations.
But it is now that air security has come up with something that is bound to be more than many a traveller expected \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a virtual strip search!
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<\/span><\/span>Hindustan Times
Dec 13, 2006<\/a>
F<\/span>or more than a decade now, the disruption in air traffic, because of fog at this time of the year, has been an issue. With each year, as the volume of travellers and services increases and the number of incoming tourists grows, the cost of the dislocation of air services grows exponentially. Apart from the monetary cost to airlines, there is an indirect cost to passengers whose schedules go awry and who are forced to bear the needless stress of waiting at airports trying to reach their destinations.
For years the aviation authorities have dilly-dallied over setting up a Category III A system, which would enable aircraft to land in visibility of 150 metres.
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Central Chronicle
Dec 12, 2006<\/a>
Bangalore<\/a>: Is the air cargo market going the passenger aviation way? Many industry observers believe so, what with capacity addition surging at a much faster pace than demand. This is likely to pressure yields, and as that happens, players will be goaded to push up volumes to salvage operating margins. And this vicious cycle could continue till consolidation takes place.
This being the reality, civil aviation minister Praful Patel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s recent announcement that overseas investors may soon be allowed to own as much as 74% in Indian cargo airlines compared with 49% now has failed to excite the industry as much as it should hav
\ne.
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Business Standard
Dec 12, 2006<\/a>
Mumbai<\/span>: Tired of the long queues at check-in? Well, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines have just made the process a little more convenient for you.
At Singapore\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Changi airport, all you need is your e-ticket or your frequent flyer (KrisFlyer) card or your credit card, you can check-in at any of the airline\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 14 auto check-in counters, choose your seat and collect your boarding pass. The German carrier\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gone one step ahead.
Now you can book, check-in and print your boarding pass from your home or office PC by accessing the airline\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s website www.lufthansa.com. And the process gets even simpler if you are travelling light.
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Neeraj Saxena
Times of India
Dec 11, 2006<\/a>
New Delhi: Airlines the world over have not taken to providing too many newer customer services based on the technologies that have become mainstream.
Forget technologies, most are yet to start even providing good choice of palatable food onboard and comfortable leg space in the cattle class, or ask you to switch off all your electronic devices once onboard which may well be classified a carry-over habit from the past century.
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Central Chronicle
Dec 11, 2006<\/a>
A<\/span>ccording to conservative estimates, India’s civil aviation sector has been growing at the rate of more than 20% per annum- Radhakrishna Rao
With India’s GDP projected to grow at the rate of 8% per annum, tourism and business travel sector registering a robust annual growth of 15% along with India’s emergence as the fourth largest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power with its 300-million strong middle class, the Indian civil aviation sector is posed for a take off. Similarly, medical tourism in the country, is showing a potential to grow at 25% per year and fetching the country US$ 2.15 billion by 2012.
There has been a significant increase in both the domestic and international air traffic and cargo in India over the last five years.
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Financial Express
Dec 11, 2006<\/a>
E<\/span>ven as the Indian economy is surging ahead, there is a compelling demand for companies\u00e2\u20ac\u201dirrespective of the sector they operate in\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto create and maintain an efficient supply chain possible. In order to compete and succeed in today’s demanding marketplace, manufacturing com panies in particular are hard-pressed to consider a wide range of alternatives, including site locations, product mix, transportation, inventory deployment, suppliers, cost service levels, constraints, as well as supply chain operations.
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Praveena Sharma
Daily News & Analysis
Dec 10, 2006<\/a>
Bangalore<\/span>: Is the air cargo market going the passenger aviation way? Many industry observers believe so, what with capacity addition surging at a much faster pace than demand. This is likely to pressure yields, and as that happens, players will be goaded to push up volumes to salvage operating margins. And this vicious cycle could continue till consolidation takes place.
This being the reality, civil aviation minister Praful Patel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s recent announcement that overseas investors may soon be allowed to own as much as 74% in Indian cargo airlines compared with 49% now has failed to excite the industry as much as it should have.
Read The Rest >>><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n