V Fly, V Party, V Rockz; - Aviation News May 14 2011

Indore: Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne was today caught on camera puffing a cigarette inside the Airport premises.
Warne, who reached here with his teammates a day ahead of his team's clash against Kochi Tuskers Kerala in the IPL, he was caught smoking in the presence of policemen by the waiting lensmen.Minutes after alighting from the aircraft, the former Australian cricketer smoked hurriedly before boarding a bus to go to the team hotel.
14/05/11 Press Trust of India/NDTV.com

ATF prices to come down by 2% on global declining trend

New Delhi: After being increased 14 consecutive times over the last seven months, prices of aviation turbine fuel, or ATF, are set to dip by two per cent, or around Rs 1,200 per kilolitre, later this week, in tune with a decline in import parity prices. The move is expected to bring marginal relief to cash-strapped domestic airlines.

Oil marketing companies (OMCs) like Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum and Essar Oil are looking to cut prices around May 15 in tune with the declining global prices. The ATF price has jumped 50 per cent since October last year to Rs 60,560 per kilolitre (for Delhi).Unlike diesel, kerosene and domestic LPG, ATF is a decontrolled product and OMCs can change its price on their own on a fortnightly basis. "The global trend for the current fortnight is a declining one. The OMCs will make a cut in ATF prices,” said an industry executive.The rise in ATF prices, which constitute about 40 per cent of an airline’s operating cost, has been exerting continuous pressure on cash-strapped domestic carriers. In the case of low-cost carriers such as IndiGo and SpiceJet, the impact is more severe as the share of ATF in the total operating cost has gone up to 50 per cent.

Reward for arriving early on flight from India to Chicago? A tarmac wait

Due to quirks of winds, weather and airspace restrictions on the other side of the globe, American Airlines Flight 293 from New Delhi lands chronically early at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport during winter and early spring, data show.Arriving ahead of plan can actually mean a 30-minute or hour wait in a jet parked on the tarmac for passengers who have just endured a marathon flight of more than 15 hours.That's because travelers aren't allowed to exit overseas flights if there aren't customs agents around to screen them. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents who handle those duties at O'Hare don't begin work until 5 a.m., the New Delhi flight's scheduled arrival time in winter.

Flight 293's delays don't come close to violating new four-hour tarmac limits for international flights, which take effect Aug. 23. But its woes are rooted in the same red tape and staffing snarls that stranded more than 10,000 people aboard aircraft of foreign carriers for up to 11 hours at John F. Kennedy International Airport during a blizzard Dec. 26, prodding regulators to act.Federal officials, airlines, airports and law-enforcement agencies are drafting plans to let travelers disembark from diverted or off-schedule overseas flights and into secure waiting areas. Since the Kennedy nightmare, the planning process has taken on greater urgency, government and aviation sources said.

But for now, international passengers are required to remain seated and behind closed aircraft doors at the point when most want nothing more than to get out of the giant aluminum tube."People get stir crazy," said Abby Alconcher, an American flight attendant who, until January, flew the New Delhi route every month for four years. Exhausted flight attendants are bombarded with pleas and complaints from passengers, some who speak little or no English. "You want to say, 'Oh, madam, I so want to get off this plane too.'"

Second city airport in TN hands

Ministry sources said it was expected that the present airport could get saturated in a decade and parallel runways are not possible in this airport."The AAI will submit all the studies it had done and it’s up to the state government to decide whether it wants a second airport or not,” a ministry source said, adding that since the ‘site clearance’ of the possible venue at Sriperumbudur was yet to be done, the move for a second airport for Chennai "is at very preliminary stage”. The AAI is carrying out modernisation of the existing airport.

AAI regional executive director (South) Mr D Devaraj said a technical study had been undertaken by International Civil Avia-tion Organisation for dual operations (Chennai and Sripeumbudur). "It is under consideration.”An industry source in Chennai said acquisition of land for the greenfield airport at Sriperumbudur wou-ld be history in Tamil Nadu, as it is expected to attract large amount of litigation.

Jet Airways pact with 3 new retail partners

JetPrivilege has partnered with EZone, a one-stop retail store for all kinds of national and international consumer durables. This shopping destination offers customers a choice of electronics from 55 stores in 14 cities across India.

EZone stores a collection of consumer electronics from premiere brands across the world ranging from plasmas to LCDs, flat TVs, home theatre systems, DVD players, computers, laptops, handy cams, MP3 players, mobile phones to refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines and microwave ovens among other appliances.

Avis India introduces Limousine Airport Transfers in Mercedes E Class

Avis India, the No.1 premium car rental services provider has introduced a new service - Limousine Airport Transfer in a Mercedes E Class for valued customers. The luxurious Chauffeur service is available for Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad and covers airport transfers and city business day usage.

The Limousine Airport Transfer offer comes in two packages i.e. Half business day at Rs. 3,000/- for 4 hour 40 kilometers and Full business day at Rs. 4500/- for 8 hours and 80 kilometers."We are happy to introduce this service and wanted people to experience Mercedes luxury at a very interesting price. Combining the business day package with the airport transfer will not only provide our customers with luxurious mobility but also help them to manage their time better at an affordable price” said Mr. Sunil Gupta, CEO Avis India.We are committed to provide our customers with innovative and best-in-class services at all times, added Mr. Gupta.

AAPSU demands CBI inquiry into chopper crash

Itanagar: The apex students’ organisation of Arunachal Pradesh, AAPSU, has demanded CBI inquiry into the April 30 helicopter crash that killed former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four other persons.The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), which has been playing the role of watchdog in absence of a distinct Opposition in the State Assembly, urged the State Government to conduct a probe into the chopper crash by the premier investigating agency for a free-and-fair inquiry.

AAPSU, which had organised a candle-lit march at Akashdeep here in honour of late Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, who was laid to rest in his home town, Tawang on Tuesday itself, sought to know several queries pertaining to the air crash of the ill-fated Pawan Hans chopper in Luguthang area in Tawang district on April 30 last.

During the prayer meet, the AAPSU put a banner alongside the portrait of late Khandu that read: "Let CBI probe and make us know - 1) Who made the anonymous phone call..? 2) What happened to the black box..? 3) Why the emergency locating transmitter in the ill-fated helicopter did not work? 4) Detailed report of Air Traffic Control before taking off..! 5) Post-mortem report...viz. reason of the late CM’s death and timing of death! 6) Failure of ISRO and Sukhoi in locating the crash site...”

Air India reinstates pilots who faced action during stir

New Delhi: Five days after pilots called off their strike, Air India management has finally reinstated its 15 pilots who were suspended or sacked for participating in the 10-day long stir.Air India management had suspended six and terminated the services of nine pilots, including the leaders of pilot's body - the Indian Commercial Pilot's Association (ICPA) and executive pilots - for spearheading the indefinite strike.Seeing no action on reinstatement of pilots by the management, ICPA General Secretary Rishbah Kapur yesterday wrote to Civil Aviation Minister Valayar Ravi seeking his intervention on the issue."We have revoked the suspension of six pilots and reinstated the services of nine terminated pilots last evening and some of them have been even put on duty also," an Air India official said today.When asked about the five-day delay, he said various procedures have to be followed before reinstating a terminated pilot.Air India pilots had called off their 10-day-old strike on May 6 after Government agreed to reinstate the sacked and suspended pilots, restore recognition to their union and look into their complaints of irregularities.

Airlines ask Maha CM to lower sales tax on aviation fuel

Mumbai: A delegation representing Federation of Indian Airlines met chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and made a strong case for a reduction in sales tax on air turbine fuel (ATF) in Maharashtra . The meeting held in Mantralaya on Wednesday.

The sales tax on ATFin the stateis 25%.Between 2008 and 2010, the state collected Rs 178 crore as sales tax on ATF. A total of Rs 44 crore has been collected as sales tax from the aviation industry during the first three months of 2011( January toMarch ). Whilethe average per liter ATF price during 2005-2007 was Rs 29 .70, it shotup toRs 34 .30 in 2008-2010 . For the first three months of 2011, the average per litre ATF price stood at Rs 42.20.

Mumbai airport could handle 60% more flights

Mumbai: The city's airport could soon improve its flight handling capacity by 60%. But this can happen only if the recommendations made by the UK-based consultant appointed to study the airport's efficiency are accepted. Last week, NATS, which was appointed as a consultant by the Mumbai International Airport Ltd in January, submitted a preliminary report with two solutions to the civil aviation ministry. "The presentation appears to be feasible. We are waiting for the final report," said Alok Sinha, joint secretary with the civil aviation ministry.

The consultant’s main suggestion is to reduce the distance between the flights in the landing queue. Presently, the air traffic control officials maintain a distance of seven nautical miles between flights hovering above the airport to land.The NATS presentation also stated that presently flights take too long to vacate the runway after landing and the runway occupancy time needs to be cut down. "The airport can increase its flight handling capacity from 30 flight movements (take-offs and landings) per hour to 48 movements an hour, as per the presentation," said a senior official with the Airports Authority of India, on condition of anonymity.

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Aviation News May 14 2011

Shane Warne caught smoking inside airport premises