Govt to take up Jet's request for Star membership post AI decision

Air India had earlier opposed Jet Airways? proposed entry into the alliance

Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways has to wait for a while before the Ministry of Civil Aviation takes a decision on its application to join the Star Alliance. The government wants the alliance, comprising 27 airlines across the globe, to decide on Air India’s membership before considering other applications.

Last year, Star Alliance had snubbed Air India. Despite the process of admission being in the final stages, the airline’s membership was put on hold because it did not meet certain conditions.

A senior civil aviation ministry official said: “The ministry will consider Jet Airways’ request to join the Star Alliance only after there is some conclusive decision on Air India’s membership…. The alliance should clarify about Air India’s membership, or the airline could withdraw its request. Only then would Jet’s case be taken forward.”

BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Star Alliance
Founded	May 14, 1997
Founding airlines	Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways, United Airlines
Full members	27
Destination airports	1,356
Connecting countries	193
Annual passengers	678.5 million
Benefits Code sharing between two airlines (seamless travel for passengers). Convenient branding, facilitating travellers making inter-airline codeshare connections within countries Redeem miles: Faster mileage rewards by earning miles for a single account on several different carriers A wider range of airport lounges shared with alliance members
Competitor passenger alliance SkyTeam, Oneworld

Lufthansa, the mentor airlines in Star alliance for Air India, has maintained more than one airline from a country could become a member of the alliance, as was the case with airlines from China, Africa and Brazil.

Air India had earlier opposed Jet Airways’ proposed entry into the alliance, alleging Lufthansa did not favour the state-owned airline, which the German airline denied.

An aviation analyst said, “If Jet Airways becomes a member of Star Alliance before Air India, it is likely to negatively impact the market share of Air India on international routes.” An email sent to Jet airways and Star Alliance remained unanswered.

Before Air India’s application was put on hold, it had paid €10 million (about Rs 69 crore) since May 2008 to Star Alliance, as part of the joining fee. In August 2011, former aviation minister Vayalar Ravi had told Parliament Star had imposed new conditions on Air India, and these were unacceptable.

Star Alliance is the largest of the three airline alliances, the other two being SkyTeam and Oneworld. Star Alliance includes Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways International PCL. A membership in the group ensures shared benefits to members and seamless travel to passengers. Facilities for Star Alliance member airlines are located close to each other at airports. Common airport facilities, coordinated schedules and a range of new technologies are also available to member airlines.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/govt-to-takejet%5Cs-request-for-star-membership-post-ai-decision/482113/

Air India wants stay on training of co-pilots lifted

The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Indian Commercial Pilots Association, an association of the erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots, on an appeal by Air India against an order by a Single Bench which had stayed training co-pilots to directly become commanders on advanced wide-bodied Boeing-777, Boeing-787 and Boeing-747.

Justice Suresh Kait had in May stayed the training on a petition by the pilots association submitting that the Air India was imparting training on these advanced aircraft to co-pilots directly, without giving them training on basic aircraft as commander, which was against the career progression plan.

However, the Bench had left untouched the training of those pilots who were undergoing it before the stay order. Issuing the notice, a Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw asked the association to file a reply to the appeal by September 4.

In its appeal, Air India said that due to the stay, the airline was losing money as these aircraft were grounded due to lack of required number of trained pilots.

As many as 200 commanders and 200 co-pilots were required to be trained to fly these aircraft but at present only 64 commanders and 62 co-pilots were undergoing training, the appeal said.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/article3715498.ece