128 home after Pak scare

An Air India aircraft, with 122 passengers and six crew members on board, flying from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi had to make an emergency landing at Nawabshah airport in Pakistan’s Sindh province on Monday morning after a computer display system in the cockpit showed all three hydraulic systems of the aircraft had “overheated”, but this was later found erroneous and described as a “false alarm”.

Air India will hold a full-fledged inquiry into the incident, while DGCA, the aviation regulator, has already ordered a probe.
“I have been informed by the engineering department the computer display system malfunctioned. It was later changed. There was nothing wrong with the hydraulics,” Air India chairman Rohit Nandan told this newspaper. Since the aircraft was an A-319 aircraft, Airbus could be asked to join the probe.
Air India sent a relief aircraft with 20 staffers — pilots, engineers, loaders and commercial staff — to fetch the passengers back. After landing at Nawabshah, the engineers checked Flight AI-940, replacing the computer display system, after which both aircraft flew back to New Delhi in the evening.
After reaching IGI Airport, 65-year-old passenger V. Radhakrishnan told news agencies that passengers were told “not to move around, to fasten seatbelts and be prepared for anything” as the plane was landing in emergency conditions.
“Fortunately, nothing happened.” He also said Nawabshah airport was very small and “there were literally no facilities... Though the flight landed safely, people were in panic. When there was a delay in arrival of our rescue aircraft, some people got angry. We were told by the pilot after landing that the hydraulics systems had developed some technical problem.” Another passenger, a 15-year-old girl, was quoted as saying: “I was scared what may happen when we were told that our aircraft has developed some problem.”

http://www.asianage.com/india/128-home-after-pak-scare-556

Hysterical air hostess causes panic on packed holiday jet after defective TV screen begins pouring smoke from cockpit

·  One man fainted and several others were sick during the terrifying ordeal

·  Passengers were told to adopt the brace position while the plane made an emergency landing

A tearful air hostess unleashed mass hysteria on a packed holiday jet when smoke began pouring from the cockpit.

Although the fault was minor - a defective TV screen - the panic that the teary flight attendant induced was terrifying.

One man fainted and had to be helped to get oxygen from an overhead mask, several others were sick and one reportedly injured her hand gripping rosary beads too tightly as she prayed for salvation

'She failed to inspire trust or confidence as she was fighting back tears,' said one irate passenger after the incident on a Swedish jet last Friday.

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After the Malmö Aviation flight plane from Sturup Airport, in Malmö Sweden, bound for Mallorca landed safely ten minutes later, with all passengers adopting the crash position with their heads between their knees, passengers complained that on-board staff still didn't explain what had happened.

'All we got to know was that the plane had been given permission for an emergency landing and that we should get into the emergency position with our heads between our knees,' said passenger Mattias Sonngård.

'It was total panic. People sat and screamed out that they didn’t want to die. The man in the seat behind me fainted and got help with the oxygen from another passenger. I asked an air hostess if we would crash on water or land. All I could think was that I didn’t want to drown – I wanted to die right away.

'When the plane eventually landed safely in Mallorca, flight staff still did not explain to the passengers what had happened, but sat on a bench and cried.'

Johan Westin, head of Malmö Aviation, said the fault would never have caused a serious problem.

He said the pilots were right to focus on landing the plane rather than informing the passengers, adding that he has 'full respect to the fact that passengers became scared.'

Officials from Fritidsresor, Sweden’s largest tour operator criticized Malmö Aviation’s lack of information to passengers.

'We understand that some of the passengers have experienced this as extremely unpleasant. Therefore, we want to ring around and check how everyone feels and how they experienced the onboard service,' a spokesman from the company told the paper.

'Sometimes it happens that people don't receive sufficient information about what has happened. If you’re the least bit afraid of flying, it’s obviously an extremely unpleasant and distressing situation.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2170870/Hysterical-air-hostess-causes-panic-packed-holiday-jet-defective-TV-screen-begins-pouring-smoke-cockpit.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Passengers happy but complaints galore against Air India

“It was only at 9.15 a.m. when we complained [that] we were told of the emergency landing”

All the 122 Air India passengers, who were stranded for close to 12 hours after their flight made an emergency landing in Pakistan early on Monday morning, had a happy reunion with their relatives when the relief aircraft landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here in the evening.

The New Delhi-bound aircraft had made an emergency landing at the Nawabshah Airport in Sindh province in Pakistan at 3.37 a.m. after the pilot detected a problem with the hydraulic system.

What stood out after the relief aircraft landed in Delhi was the barrage of complaints by passengers about the “late” response from Air India and lack of basic services such as food and water during the crucial 12-hour-long unscheduled halt in Pakistan.

Sanjeev Vasisth was quite happy to see his niece Muskaan safe and sound after what he described as “almost half-a-day of uncertain and anxious wait.” He said there was complete chaos at Delhi airport, where a large number of people were waiting to receive their relatives, when the flight did not land around 5 a.m.

“Nobody informed us about the delay,” said Mr. Vasisth. “It was only at 9.15 a.m. when we complained [that] we were told that the flight had made an emergency landing in Pakistan.”

News channels helped

“The Air India officials apparently had no idea or they did not want to inform us about the emergency landing. I think the news channels did a much better job by informing us about the safety of our relatives back in Pakistan,” he added.

Gurjeet Kaur, who was at the airport waiting to receive her brother-in-law, said: “When we were told that the flight had to make an emergency landing in Pakistan, we got really worried because of the uncertainty involved in the situation. It is Pakistan after all and you never know what might happen.”

Ramesh Chandiwala, who was on board the flight, said there was scarcity of food and water in the flight during the unscheduled halt at the Nawabshah Airport. “The food stock on the flight was exhausted. We were given only water,” said Mr. Chandiwala, adding “I do not think Air India understands what emergency means. The response from the airline was quite late. It took more than 12 hours for the relief aircraft to reach us.”

Claustrophobia

Talking about the atmosphere in the aircraft when the crew informed the passengers of the emergency landing, U. Radhakrishnan, who was on the flight, said initially people were calm but later they started getting agitated due to the prolonged delay.

“We were told that the relief aircraft will reach as soon as possible, but people in the plane lost patience because of the inordinate delay which is unusual for an emergency like this,” said Mr. Radhakrishnan, adding: “What added to the claustrophobia was when we were told to even shutter down the windows.”

Another passenger Jaishree Purohit praised the pilot of the aircraft who handled the situation “brilliantly” and ensured the safety of the passengers. “Nobody wants to eat in these conditions. What I am happy about is that I landed safely in Delhi.”

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3621613.ece

Impasse continues as Air India pilots, management to talk again

Air India pilots and the management will again hold conciliation talks on July 10 and 12 with the chief labour commissioner to resolve the deadlock after the first round failed on Friday.

“The honourable (Delhi) High Court has directed us (pilots) to meet Air India management on the 10th and the 12th. Thereafter the CLC will file a report to the High Court on July 13. The High Court will take up the matter that day,” Rohit Kapahi, committee member of Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) told IANS.

The High Court on Monday directed both the sides to hold conciliatory meetings on July 10 and 12 under the supervision of the CLC.

“The impasse between us and the management continues even as we have filed our affidavit of ending the strike with the High Court. However, the management has not been forthcoming in resolving the issue,” Kapahi said.

Last week, the IPG had accused the management of going back on its commitment to “sympathetically” consider their grievances even as nearly 300 pilots having allegiance to IPG started reporting to work after nearly three months of strike.

After initially making 14 demands, the pilots are now only asking for reinstatement of their 101 colleagues who were sacked during the strike.

The IPG late on Friday said in their talks with the management, Air India officials expressed their inability to commit anything on reinstating pilots or addressing their demands.

The pilots having allegiance to IPG called off their strike after Air India last on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that it would sympathetically consider their grievances.

According to an airline official, nearly 300 pilots belonging to the IPG have begun reporting back to work.

Before resuming work, the pilots will have to get their fitness checked by doctors and undergo refresher training and a mandatory route flying check.

For the route flying check, the pilots who have not flown an aircraft for over 30 days will operate a flight with a check (instructor) pilot who will oversee their performance.

After that, the pilots resuming duty will be assigned a flying schedule.

The trouble for the airline started on May 8 when IPG members took mass sick leave, protesting against the move to provide Boeing—787 Dreamliner training to pilots from the erstwhile Indian Airlines.

Air India and Indian Airlines were merged in 2007 to form a single entity to overcome their poor performance and in the hope that the step would result in a Rs.1,000 crore profit in the first year itself.

The strike crippled Air India’s international operations and caused an estimate revenue loss of Rs.625 crore.

The losses will keep on mounting till operations are completely restored.

The grounded fleet of Boeing 777s, unused manpower and absence from key routes have hit the airlines’ chances of a financial turnaround.

Currently, the airline is operating only 38 of its 45 international services. Among the axed destinations are Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul and Toronto.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/article3621979.ece

Spicejet flights from Rajahmundry

Spicejet Airways is going to launch two new services from Rajahmundry from July 19. Mr. V.S. Reddy, Managing Director, Handling and Airport Services, Rajahmundry Airport has said that they were launching two services, one from Bangalore and the other from Chennai.

Bangalore to Rajahmundry flight will start from Bangalore at 10.05 a.m. and reach Rajahmundry at 12.10 p.m. with a stopover at Vijayawada. It will depart from Rajahmundry at 3.35 p.m and reach Bangalore at 5.35 p.m. with a halt at Vijayawada.

The Rajahmundry to Chennai flight will leave Rajahmundry at 12.30 p.m. and reach Chennai at 1.25 p.m. and leave Chennai at 1.50 p.m. and reach Rajahmundry at 3.15 p.m

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/article3622847.ece

Air India to hold talks on a daily basis with pilots

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Air India management and the Indian Pilots’ Guild to hold conciliatory proceedings before the Deputy Labour Commissioner on a day-to-day basis, till the disputes between them regarding career progression of the pilots and reinstatement of fired pilots are resolved.

Justice Reva Khetrapal passed the direction when counsel for the Pilots’ Guild informed the court that the Air India management wasn’t in a mood to resolve the issues expeditiously, as it had sought 10 days to hold talks, and till date only one meeting had taken place before the conciliation officer.

Thereafter, Justice Reva Khetrapal had directed the Pilots’ Guild, as well as the Air India management, to appear before the conciliation officer for talks every day.

She also asked the officer to file a final report on the conciliation proceedings on July 13, the next date of hearing.

Earlier, the conciliation officer submitted a report on the conciliation proceedings.

The Guild had, on July 3, withdrawn its 58-day-old strike, on an assurance by the Air India management that it would consider their demands sympathetically.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article3622398.ece

AI to hold talks on a daily basis

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Air India management and the Indian Pilots’ Guild to hold conciliatory proceedings before the Deputy Labour Commissioner on a day-to-day basis, till the disputes between them regarding career progression of the pilots and reinstatement of fired pilots are resolved. Justice Reva Khetrapal passed the direction when counsel for the Pilots’ Guild informed the court that the Air India management wasn’t in a mood to resolve the issues expeditiously.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-index/

Stranded AI passengers return from Pakistan

The passengers and crew of an Air India aircraft, which made an emergency landing at the Nawabshah Airport in Sindh, Pakistan, in the early hours of Monday, reached New Delhi on a relief plane, in a happy denouement to the nearly 12-hour unscheduled halt that was made comfortable by the Pakistani authorities.

India promptly acknowledged Pakistan’s assistance. “The Pakistan authorities went out of their way and were very helpful…in providing emergency landing to the Air India flight, speedy clearances to the relief plane,…water and refreshments to the stranded passengers, and offering transit visa to passengers,” government sources said in New Delhi.

The New Delhi-bound flight (AI 940) made an emergency landing at Nawabshah at 3.37 a.m., after the pilot detected a trouble in the hydraulic system. Pakistan’s Defence Secretary Nargis Sethi instructed the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide all possible assistance and facilities to the 122 passengers and an eight-member crew on the flight that was coming from Abu Dhabi.

“They [the Pakistanis] had to get the equipment necessary for getting the problem sorted out, so engineers had to go and put things together. The Pakistani authorities were very positive and helpful,” said senior diplomat Ashok Tomar, who received the passengers in Delhi.

According to CAA spokesman Pervez George, the pilot was given the option of allowing the passengers and the crew to use the airport lounge, but he declined the offer, saying they were comfortable in the plane as the air-conditioning was on and the aircraft was adequately stocked up with food. All he asked for was water, which was given.

The Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior, Rehman Malik, directed his officials to arrange for the issue of transit visas. However, since the passengers and crew members were transferred directly to the relief aircraft, the facility was not availed.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/article3622145.ece

SpiceJet to connect Madurai with Bangalore

Madurai, July 9:

SpiceJet plans to connect Madurai with Bangalore and Vijayawada from July 19. With this, Madurai will be in direct connectivity with seven cities that include Chennai, New Delhi and Mumbai, besides Hyderabad and Kochi. According to Mr B. Manicka Tagore, Member of Parliament from Virudhunagar and Chairperson, Airport Advisory Committee here, the flight SG-3302 will leave Bangalore at 7.35 a.m. and reach Madurai at 8.30 a.m. and will take off from Madurai at 8.50 a.m. to reach Bangalore at 9.40 a.m. It will leave Bangalore at 10.05 a.m. to reach Vijayawada at 11.20 a.m. The Bangalore-Madurai fare will be Rs 3,592 and Madurai-Bangalore fare Rs 3,340. SpiceJet is also likely to launch its Madurai-Colombo-Madurai service as it has got clearance from the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation, he added

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-others/tp-states/article3621781.ece

Air India aircraft makes emergency landing in Pakistan

New Delhi, July 9:

An Air India Airbus 319 aircraft, on a scheduled flight from Abu Dhabi to Delhi, made an emergency landing in Nawabshah in Sindh Pakistan in the early hours of Monday. The aircraft had to make the emergency landing as it developed a technical problem with its hydraulic system, sources said. In a statement, the airline said that the aircraft landed in Nawabshah as it experienced a “technical snag warning” while overflying Pakistan. The pilot decided to land the aircraft at Nawabshah airport after a warning light came on, sources added. After a stay of close to 12 hours in Pakistan the 122 stranded passengers and six crew members were flown back to Delhi on a relief aircraft that was sent from here, officials said. The relief aircraft, an Airbus 320, landed in Delhi at 5 p.m.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-economy/article3621670.ece

Jet Airways plans to raise ancillary revenue

Mumbai, July 9:

In an effort to boost its revenue, Jet Airways is planning to enhance its ancillary business. Currently, the airline earns around $3.5 dollar a passenger. It plans to enhance this to $10.

Ancillary revenue is the term for non-ticket revenue tapped by airline companies worldwide that includes convenience fee, baggage fee, in-flight entertainment and sale and various forms of advertising and media.

“Since flexibility in increasing air fares is limited, our focus will be on ancillary revenues. At present ancillary revenue forms only three per cent of the total revenue for the airline,” said Mr Manish Dureja, Vice President-Marketing, Jet Airways. The airline has lined up a series of initiatives to tap this business, he added. However, he did not reveal how much revenue the airline would earn by this initiative. The ancillary revenue generated in 2011 by all airlines across the globe was $33.5 billion with an earning of around $20 a passenger in this segment. In a bid to grow its ancillary business, Jet Airways announced it had tied up with Disney Channel India for its ‘Jet Set Go’ campaign and would wrap a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with images of Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and other Disney characters. As part of the campaign, 37 families from India were selected for an all-expense paid trip to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

This is the second time that the airline has painted its exteriors with an advertising campaign. Earlier, for sometime it had played host to an advertisement wrap of Nokia Lumia 800.

Without going into much detail, Mr Dureja said that the airline was planning more such joint initiatives to tap the ancillary revenue business. Recently, Jet Airways also announced a “convenience fee” for passengers booking tickets in Jet Airways and Jet Konnect flights through its Web site. The non refundable charge ranges between Rs 100 and Rs 200 a seat for international travel in economy class, and at Rs 200-400 for business class.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-corporate/article3621663.ece