Skepticism over move to shift Air India Express headquarters

KOCHI: The efficacy of the proposed shifting ofAir India Express (AIE) headquarters here will largely depend on the level of powers that will be devolved, and the expats and travel agents are still skeptical about the seriousness of the move. 

According to aviation experts, the shifting of headquarters will have a salutary effect if the officers at the level of deputy chief controllers to be posted here are vested with sufficient discretionary powers. For instance, the deputy chief officer (operations) can find out the availability of crew and location using the Airport Resources Management System (ARMS) software and work out a crew scheduling for the next month, they said. 

He will be able to enforce mid-course correction on crew deployment in accordance with the changes in crew availability and requirement. However, the concurrence of the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC) located in Delhi will be required for this. Similarly, the deputy chief officer in charge of flight scheduling can customize the scheduling after assessing the ground realities, and enforce changes in between. 

The posting of a deputy chief officer in charge of finance will expedite the productivity-linked bonus or commission to the travel agents, which in turn will incentivize them to provide more business to the budget airline, they said. 

The travel agents and NRKs (NRK) suspect that the shifting of AIE headquarters will be enforced only at a notional level. "Going by the past experiences, it is difficult to believe that the Mumbai-based staff and crew will be ready to shift to Kochi. The airline management may shift some people for certain periods to avoid criticisms, but they would be sent back after sometime. The only result then could be some additional payment of out-station allowances to those employees,'' said Biji Eapen, president of the IATA Agents' Association of India 

Responding to complaints that shifting of AIE headquarters will not be effective if IOCC continues to be located in Delhi, the minister of state for civil aviation K C Venugopal said this would happen eventually. 

Abdul Khader, who has been in the UAE for the last 30 years and runs the Al Sahal Group of companies there, said the shifting of AIE headquarters should not be a ploy to slow down the launch of the state's own airline, Air Kerala. 

"Let this shifting become a reality, then we can talk about it These kinds of talks and declarations had been happening on several occasions in the past,'' said K B Murali, president of the Abu Dhabi-based Kerala Social Centre.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Skepticism-over-move-to-shift-Air-India-Express-headquarters/articleshow/17621193.cms

Air India to offer discount package for UAE amnesty returnees

Air India (AI) will introduce a special discount package for Indians returning to the country on the amnesty scheme initiated by the UAE government for all illegal residents, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation K.C. Venugopal has said.

The details of the package, to be in force from January, were being worked out. Even though the scheme was launched in December, the number of Indians availing it seemed to be low. We expect the rush to start by January, he said.

On his Ministry’s expansion plans, Mr. Venugopal said a complaint redressal cell for Gulf passengers would function from his office in New Delhi.

Complaints cell

The complaints may be mailed to ixmailstominister@nic.in Officials concerned would respond to the complaints in a week of its receipt, he said.

The operations of Air India Express (AIE) would be shifted completely to Kochi by January. The heads of departments would be available in Kochi regularly.

A centralised customer feedback cell would also function here. Keralites will get feedback on various aspects related to AIE in Malayalam. Personnel would be deployed exclusively for customer relations work in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode airports, he said.

Claiming that the performance of AIE had improved in the last two months, Mr. Venugopal said passenger load had gone up to 75 per cent in the Gulf sector.

The shortage of pilots in AIE would be resolved in four months.

A meeting would be held in Thiruvananthapuram on December 24 and in Kozhikode on January 10 to evaluate the ongoing expansion and consolidation plans of AIE, he said. The Pawan Hans helicopter services company had held discussions with the State government and Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) to start services between Kochi, Guruvayoor, and Sabarimala. We plan to launch the services on a pilot basis soon, Mr. Venugopal said.

The Director General of Civil Aviation and the Defence and Home Departments had cleared the Kannur airport proposal.

An environment public hearing would be held on December 18. Asked whether the Kerala government’s plans to launch its own airline, Air Kerala, would take off in the near future, the Minister said the government had requested waiver of conditions including the clause that an airline should have successfully operated in the domestic sector for five years before starting international operations. Discussions on such requests had to be taken up at the highest level, he said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/kerala/air-india-to-offer-discount-package-for-uae-amnesty-returnees/article4200943.ece

Pushpak flagged off at Shamshabad Airport

The much-awaited ‘Pushpak – Airport liner’ bus services to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) were flagged off at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport by Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy on Friday.

The APSRTC has introduced the buses from four different areas of the city. The buses will ply from Secunderabad via L.B. Nagar, from Secunderabad via Secretariat, from S.R.Nagar via Care Hospital and from Kukatpally via Gachibowli.

The corporation has started the new services after the Aero Express buses were withdrawn by the operator.

A total of 25 low-floor air-conditioned buses will make about 220 trips a day. The fares to the airport are between Rs.100 and Rs.200 depending on the distance.

Speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Reddy said that the services would fulfil the needs of the airport-bound passengers and also the general public. She congratulated the APSRTC authorities for introducing the bus service.

APSRTC Managing Director A.K.Khan asked the officials to ensure that punctuality is maintained by the bus drivers. He said more buses would be shortly introduced from other areas to the airport.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/pushpak-flagged-off-at-shamshabad-airport/article4202540.ece

AI to offer package

To help UAE amnesty returnees

Air India (AI) will introduce a special discount package for Indians returning to the country on the amnesty scheme initiated by the UAE government for all illegal residents, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation K.C. Venugopal has said.

The details of the package, to be in force from January, were being worked out. Even though the scheme was launched in December, the number of Indians availing it seemed to be low. We expect the rush to start by January, he said.

On his Ministry’s expansion plans, Mr. Venugopal said a complaint redressal cell for Gulf passengers would function from his office in New Delhi.

Complaints cell

The complaints may be mailed to ixmailstominister@nic.in Officials concerned would respond to the complaints in a week of its receipt, he said.

The operations of Air India Express (AIE) would be shifted completely to Kochi by January. The heads of departments would be available in Kochi regularly.

A centralised customer feedback cell would also function here. Keralites will get feedback on various aspects related to AIE in Malayalam. Personnel would be deployed exclusively for customer relations work in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode airports, he said.

Claiming that the performance of AIE had improved in the last two months, Mr. Venugopal said passenger load had gone up to 75 per cent in the Gulf sector.

The shortage of pilots in AIE would be resolved in four months.

A meeting would be held in Thiruvananthapuram on December 24 and in Kozhikode on January 10 to evaluate the ongoing expansion and consolidation plans of AIE, he said. The Pawan Hans helicopter services company had held discussions with the State government and Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) to start services between Kochi, Guruvayoor, and Sabarimala. We plan to launch the services on a pilot basis soon, Mr. Venugopal said. The Director General of Civil Aviation and the Defence and Home Departments had cleared the Kannur airport proposal.

An environment public hearing would be held on December 18. Asked whether the Kerala government’s plans to launch its own airline, Air Kerala, would take off in the near future, the Minister said the government had requested waiver of conditions including the clause that an airline should have successfully operated in the domestic sector for five years before starting international operations. Discussions on such requests had to be taken up at the highest level, he said.

---

·  Details being worked out:

K.C. Venugopal

·  Package to be in force from January

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/ai-to-offer-package/article4202580.ece

Air India offers special return package for illegal immigrants in the Gulf

Kochi, Dec. 14:  

Air India will introduce a special discount package for Indians returning to the country based on the amnesty scheme initiated by the UAE Government for all illegal residents.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation K.C. Venugopal said that the package would come in to force by the first week of January. The details of the package will be worked out soon, he said.

To address the problems being faced by the Gulf passengers, he said the Ministry is in the process of setting up a complaint redressal cell in his office at New Delhi.

The passengers can email the complaints to ixmailstominister@nic.in. The officials will file the reply within a week.

The operations of Air India Express will be shifted completely to Kochi by January. The heads of departments will be available in Kochi regularly.

Besides, a centralised customer feedback cell will function here. Personnel will be deployed exclusively stepping up customer relations in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode airports, he added. The Minister said that the performance of Air India Express had improved in the last two months as the passenger load has gone up to 75 per cent in the Gulf sector.

A meeting will be held at Thiruvananthapuram on December 24 and at Kozhikode on January 10 to strengthen the ongoing expansion and consolidation plans of Air India Express, he said. The officials of the Pawan Hans helicopter services had held discussions with the State Government and Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) authorities to start services connecting Kochi-Guruvayoor-Sabarimala. The services will be launched on a trial basis soon, he said.

Referring to Kannur airport proposal, the Minister said that the Director General of Civil Aviation, Defence and Home Departments cleared the proposal. An environment public hearing will be held on December 18.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-others/tp-states/air-india-offers-special-return-package-for-illegal-immigrants-in-the-gulf/article4200881.ece

Global air transport body flays Delhi airport privatisation

Geneva, Dec 14:  

The Indian Government’s decision to privatise Delhi airport that has seen airport charges rise manifold has been criticised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Calling on Governments to ensure that privatisation should be well regulated, IATA Director-General Tony Tyler said that tax receipts from the economic activity generated through aviation-enabled connectivity far outweighs the short-term economic gains of misguided privatisation.

“India, for example, developed Delhi into a first class hub airport with the participation of private partners. The facilities are great. But the structure of the concession agreement requires the concessionaire to return 46 per cent of top line revenue to the government,” Tyler said.

A consortium led by the Bangalore-based GMR group won the contract for modernising the Delhi airport.

Pointing out that the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) approved a hike of 346 per cent in airport charges at Delhi, the IATA DG said, “That is unacceptable for the industry. A more realistic concession agreement might have prevented it.”

Tyler added that “since our protests”, the Civil Aviation Ministry has directed the airport to remove airport development fees.

“The challenge now is to make sure that this is implemented,” the DG said. The development fee is to be removed from January 2013 although a question mark hangs on whether this will actually happen.

There have been indications that there could be a decline in development fee being charged at the airport although the period for which the operator will be allowed to levy the charge may increase.

AERA will have to take a final call on the issue and announce a final decision latest by December 31.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-logistics/global-air-transport-body-flays-delhi-airport-privatisation/article4200833.ece

Global air transport body flays Delhi airport privatisation

Geneva, Dec 14:  

The Indian Government’s decision to privatise Delhi airport that has seen airport charges rise manifold has been criticised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Calling on Governments to ensure that privatisation should be well regulated, IATA Director-General Tony Tyler said that tax receipts from the economic activity generated through aviation-enabled connectivity far outweighs the short-term economic gains of misguided privatisation.

“India, for example, developed Delhi into a first class hub airport with the participation of private partners. The facilities are great. But the structure of the concession agreement requires the concessionaire to return 46 per cent of top line revenue to the government,” Tyler said.

A consortium led by the Bangalore-based GMR group won the contract for modernising the Delhi airport.

Pointing out that the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) approved a hike of 346 per cent in airport charges at Delhi, the IATA DG said, “That is unacceptable for the industry. A more realistic concession agreement might have prevented it.”

Tyler added that “since our protests”, the Civil Aviation Ministry has directed the airport to remove airport development fees.

“The challenge now is to make sure that this is implemented,” the DG said. The development fee is to be removed from January 2013 although a question mark hangs on whether this will actually happen.

There have been indications that there could be a decline in development fee being charged at the airport although the period for which the operator will be allowed to levy the charge may increase.

AERA will have to take a final call on the issue and announce a final decision latest by December 31.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-logistics/global-air-transport-body-flays-delhi-airport-privatisation/article4200833.ece