Visa on arrival at city airport by January

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Visa on arrival will be implemented at the Trivandrum International Airport by January.

"The matter is in its final leg of approvals and pending with the Union home ministry. We are expecting it to be implemented in a month," MoS civil aviation K C Venugopal told a news conference after a high-level meeting to review the developmental works and discussion on travel-related issues pertaining to the airport.

Asked if Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd would carry out the below wing operations for Air India and Air India Express flights at the airport, which means that the national carrier would suffer a loss of around Rs 8 crore annually as it would have to pay for the JV that was initially free, he said no decision had been taken to give Air India's flights to Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd here. "However, the JV will continue to operate at Trivandrum Airport while Air India Air Transport Services Ltd, the wholly owned subsidiary of Air India, has been given the ground handling at the Cochin International Airport."

TOI had previously reported how MP K V Thomas had written to union civil aviation ministerAjit Singh recommending that Air India Singapore Airport Terminal Services Ltd be given permission to conduct ground-handling services at Cochin International Airport.

Putting to rest rumours that the Air India Express headquarters would be shifted to Trivandrum to complement its MRO facility here, Venugopal stressed that the AIE headquarters would continue to operate from Kochi. The biggest developmental issue discussed by the chief minister was the multi-modal hub project mooted by the airport director.

A consultancy study will be conducted by the Kerala Road Fund Board, the MoS said. 2020 has been set as the deadline for completing Aeropolis, an industrial hub for aviation-related activities with the MRO as its spine and with an investment of around Rs 2,500 crore.

This will include the monorail project passing through the TIA.

The MoS also said there was no move to give the KSIE complex to a private party. He said flights that were taken off the schedule from Trivandrum International Airport will be reinstated in four months when the new pilots join.

The other development decisions taken at the meeting include commissioning a new radar system at the airport by June, fully operationalizing the MRO by February and a new aerobridge at the domestic terminal and CCTV for domestic terminal by March.

MP Shashi Tharoor said he was opposed to building a new domestic terminal and did not support any more land acquisition for the purpose.

The meeting was attended by AAI chairman V P Agarwal; Capt Pushpinder Singh, deputy chief operating officer AIE; H R Jagannath, chief of engineering, Air India Express; airport director V N Chandran; joint secretaries (civil aviation) Alok Sinha and Asok Kumar.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-24/thiruvananthapuram/35991305_1_air-india-express-mro-aie

Kingfisher submits tentative revival plan to DGCA

The plan, however, does not specify when the airline will restart operations, said director general of civil aviation

New Delhi: Kingfisher Airlines Ltd on Monday submitted a tentative revival plan to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The plan, however, does not specify when the airline will restart operations, said director general of civil aviation Arun Mishra, who met Kingfisher chief executive Sanjay Aggarwal.

“We are examining it,” Mishra said. Kingfisher Airlines has said it will present a definite revival plan once DGCA gives its “approval” on the tentative proposal.

Kingfisher’s flying licence lapses on 31 December. The airline was grounded in October following payment defaults, flight cancellations and staff protests.

http://www.livemint.com/Companies/7AUjILKyTDIIrDCv9iHBrM/Kingfisher-submits-tentative-revival-plan-to-DGCA.html

High-level meet on Tiruvananthapuram Airport held

The high-level meeting chaired by Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation K C Venugopal to plan developmental activities for the international airport here on Monday decided to introduce in-line baggage handling system and install one more aerobridge at the international terminal.

 The meeting gave a thumbs up to the proposal for developing the international terminal as a multi-modal hub with rail, water and road connectivity.

 The Minister said the issues pertaining to cargo clearance was taken up with the customs authorities.

 The Minister assured to reinstate the number of flights cancelled from the capital during the Air India pilots strike.

 The new aerobridge, the fourth one in the airport, will be installed within ten months. The in-line baggage handling system will be launched in June. The new radar system will be commissioned  by April.

 Venugopal also said that Visa on Arrival facility would be introduced in Thiruvananthapuram within a month.  Minister of State for Human Resources Development, Shashi Tharoor, said he had conveyed his apprehensions over acquiring more land for airport development. 

CM Oommen Chandy, Health Minister V S Sivakumar, AAI chairman V P Agrawal, T’Puram airport director V N Chandran attended the meeting.

http://newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/article1393573.ece

Kingfisher Airlines submits revival plan to DGCA

The aviation regulator had suspended the flying permit of KFA in October

Kingfisher Airlines, owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, submitted a revival plan toDirectorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator.

DGCA had suspended the flying permit of KFA in October after the carrier grounded its fleet following protests from engineers over non-payment of pending 7 months salaries.

The airline's licence was due to expire on December 31.

Had it even not submitted its revival plan, then also it would not have made difference. DGCA sources had told Business standard, "The carrier can submit its revival plan even two years after the lapse of licence on December 31."

The airline's lenders met and were conveyed the carrier that it may infuse Rs 425 crore to "partially restart" operations.

The airline's stock went up in the upper circuit today, rising by 5% reaching up to Rs 15.97.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/kingfisher-airlines-submits-revival-plan-to-dgca/200477/on

KFA submits revival plan to aviation body

Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines (KFA), whose operating permit was suspended by the aviation regulator on October 20, has submitted an interim revival plan to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to start limited operations.

Sources said the airline plans to initially resume operations with seven aircraft (five Airbus and two ATR turboprop) and gradually expand its fleet size to 21 (10 Airbus and 11 ATR) within ten weeks.

The airline, sources said, has informed the regulator that it would need R652 crore over the next 12 months for running operations and these funds would come from the UB Group's resources as banks are not willing to provide fresh loans.

Of the Rs. 652 crore, Rs. 120 crore would be needed to meet salary arrears for its employees.

The airline, which hasn't paid employees for last seven months, has informed the DGCA that it would give two months' salary to employees and give back wages each month from next month onwards.

The DGCA is unlikely to take any decision in a hurry. The regulator, sources said, will examine the proposal and call a meeting of all stakeholders.

"The airline has faltered on earlier promises and we don't want a situation where it restarts operation and it unable to carry on," a DGCA official said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/SectorsAviation/Kingfisher-submits-interim-revival-plan-to-DGCA/Article1-980294.aspx

Airport: high-level meet on Monday

Delay in land acquisition for expansion to be discussed

A high-level meeting will be convened in the capital city on Monday by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation to discuss and overcome the hurdles being faced in taking up further development of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.

The meeting, to be convened at the initiative of Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation K.C. Venugopal, will be attended by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor, and Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman V.K. Agarwal.

The delay on the part of the State government in acquiring and handing over land for the proposed domestic terminal and the future of the Thiruvananthapuram Airport Development Society, which has become defunct, will come up at the meeting, a top AAI official told The Hindu.

Besides the Tourist Visa on Arrival (T-VoA) facility, the issues facing the Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) facility of Air India Charters Ltd. and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Aviation Technology will figure in the meeting to be attended by Minister for Airports and Ports K. Babu, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar, and Mayor K. Chandrika.

The proposal put forward by Airport Director V.N. Chandran to develop the premier airport of the State as a multi-nodal hub and to create Aeropolis is also expected to be discussed in the meeting. The high-level meting, the first in the capital after Mr. Venugopal took charge of Civil Aviation, will discuss the flight operations of the Air India Express, the low-cost arm of Air India. Joint Secretaries in the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation Alok Sinha and Ashok Kumar will attend the meeting.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/airport-highlevel-meet-on-monday/article4228534.ece

Kingfisher submits interim revival plan

Kingfisher Airlines is understood to have submitted an interim revival plan to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), seeking approval to take to the skies once again after being grounded for almost three months.

“Kingfisher Airlines has indeed submitted an interim revival plan, which we had sought as a precondition for revoking its suspended flying licence. Clearance of dues from all the stakeholders including those to whom the airline owns money is one of the pre-conditions for revocation of license. There is no date yet for the airline restarting operations. It will take the DGCA a few days to examine the airline’s interim plan. After the DGCA go-ahead, it will take 6 to 8 weeks for the airline to begin operations,” sources in the Ministry said.

The revival plan was submitted by its CEO, Sanjay Aggarwal, on Monday. The airline plans to start operations with 5 Airbus and 2 ATR aircraft and scale it up to 11 ATR and 10 Airbus fleet within 10 weeks. It is learnt that Kingfisher would require about Rs. 652 crore over the next 12 months for running its operations. These funds will come from the UB Group’s resources as banks are unwilling to fund the airline. A few weeks ago Kingfisher had submitted an application for renewal of its flying permit, which is due to expire on December 31. At the time of suspending Kingfisher’s permit, the DGCA had indicated that a decision to renew or revoke the suspension of its Standard Operating Permit (SOP) could not be taken till it submitted a comprehensive financial and operational revival plan.

DGCA had on October 20 temporarily suspended the SOP of the carrier following a strike by its pilots and engineers over non-payment of salaries for several months, which completely grounded the fleet. Promoter Vijay Mallya had reportedly told the 17-lender consortium weeks ago that he was preparing to restart limited operations with a planned fund infusion of Rs. 425 crore through internal resources. Kingfisher is saddledwith a loss of Rs. 8,000 crore and a debt burden of another over Rs. 7,524 crore.

The airline plans to start operations with five Airbus and two ATR aircraft

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/kingfisher-submits-interim-revival-plan/article4236816.ece

Air India MRO to get going by February

DGCA nod awaited

The Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility of Air India Charters Ltd. (AICL), a fully owned subsidiary of Air India, in the vicinity of the international airport here will become operational by February. The AICL has sought more land from the State to set up auxiliary industrial units.

Announcing this after a high-level meeting convened here on Monday to discuss the issues faced by the airport, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation K.C. Venugopal said they were awaiting the mandatory clearance from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the MRO to begin the crucial ‘C’ checks on Boeing 737-800 aircraft of the Air India Express (AIE), the low-cost arm of Air India.

The MRO would be equipped to take up third-party business, although initially it would take care of the aircraft in the AIE fleet, Mr. Venugopal said.

“We are expecting an investment of Rs.2,500 crore by 2020 and we want more land to set up auxiliary units to supply the spares for the MRO.”

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who attended the meeting, along with Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor and Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar, Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman V.P. Agrawal, and top officials of the Civil Aviation Ministry and the AAI, had issued a directive to identify two plots.

The MRO has been set up on 6.07 hectares of land provided by the State.

T-VoA

The Tourist Visa on Arrival (T-VoA) facility to be introduced at the international airport here will be introduced in a month.

“Only this airport from the State is on the list, and the file is being processed at the Ministry of Home Affairs as security issues are involved,” Mr. Venugopal said.

Kerala will become the fifth gateway to India for holidaymakers from 11 countries who can get the T-VoA when the international airport here joins the airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata in issuing this facility.

Mr. Venugopal said a road map had been prepared for overcoming the shortage of pilots in AIE.

---

·  More land to set up auxiliary units sought

·  Road map to overcome pilots’ shortage

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/air-india-mro-to-get-going-by-february/article4237224.ece

Passengers claim neglect by Jet Airways after being airborne for over four hours

Bangalore—Delhi flight was diverted back to Bangalore owing to bad weather in national capital

Passengers on the Bangalore—Delhi Jet Airways flight complained of a harrowing time at the Bengaluru International Airport on Sunday night after the flight returned to Bangalore owing to bad weather in Delhi.

The passengers were airborne for nearly 4 hours and 20 minutes. They alleged that once the flight landed in Bangalore, they were left to fend for themselves. Flight 9W 812 was scheduled to leave Bangalore at 7.25 p.m. However, it left only at at 8.40 p.m. Owing to bad weather in Delhi, it returned to Bangalore at 1 a.m. on Monday.

“First the flight was delayed by over an hour and then just when we were approaching Delhi, the flight was diverted all the way back to Bangalore, instead of a nearer airport,” Bina Menon, one of the passengers, told The Hindu . “Once we landed here, passengers were forced to fend for themselves in the cold. There were children and elderly people in the group. No one from the airline attended to us,” she alleged.

However, the airline accommodated Ms. Menon and several others in its flight to Delhi on Monday at 8 a.m.

Meanwhile, the Jet Airways spokesperson, in a statement, said Flight 9W 812 to Delhi was delayed owing to a delay in the arrival of aircraft from Guwahati. “Owing to bad weather in Delhi, the flight, with 137 guests and crew, was diverted back to Bangalore and landed at 1 a.m.” The spokesperson said that additional personnel had been deployed at the airport to facilitate guests, who were informed of the revised departure at 8 a.m. on Monday. The spokesperson added that guests were given a full refund on cancellation, rebooking and taking a flight on a later date. Guests were provided refreshments at 6.30 a.m. on Monday before being flown to Delhi.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/passengers-claim-neglect-by-jet-airways-after-being-airborne-for-over-four-hours/article4237159.ece

Passengers claim neglect by Jet Airways

Passengers on the Bangalore—Delhi Jet Airways flight complained of a harrowing time at the Bengaluru International Airport on Sunday night after the flight returned to Bangalore owing to bad weather in Delhi.

The passengers were airborne for nearly 4 hours and 20 minutes. They alleged that once the flight landed in Bangalore, they were left to fend for themselves. Flight 9W 812 was scheduled to leave Bangalore at 7.25 p.m. However, it left only at at 8.40 p.m. Owing to bad weather in Delhi, it returned to Bangalore at 1 a.m. on Monday.

“First the flight was delayed by over an hour and then just when we were approaching Delhi, the flight was diverted all the way back to Bangalore, instead of a nearer airport,” Bina Menon, one of the passengers, told The Hindu . “Once we landed here, passengers were forced to fend for themselves in the cold. There were children and elderly people in the group. No one from the airline attended to us,” she alleged. However, the airline accommodated Ms. Menon and several others in its flight to Delhi on Monday at 8 a.m. Meanwhile, Jet Airways in a statement, said Flight 9W 812 to Delhi was delayed owing to a delay in the arrival of aircraft from Guwahati.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/passengers-claim-neglect-by-jet-airways/article4236869.ece

Kingfisher submits limited restart plan; stock takes off

New Delhi, Dec. 24:  

Kingfisher Airlines has submitted to the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation an interim plan to restart operations. But it is unlikely that the airline will be able to take to the skies before its licence expires on December 31.

The airline’s limited restart plan was submitted to the DGCA by its CEO Sanjay Aggarwal here on Monday. The airline plans to start operations with five Airbus and two ATR aircraft and scale it up to 11 ATR and 10 Airbus fleet within 10 weeks.

Buoyed, the Kingfisher stock surged 4.9 per cent to close the day at Rs 15.95 on the NSE.

At the meeting, it was indicated that the airline will require about Rs 652 crore over the next 12 months for running its operations. These funds will come from the UB Group’s resources as banks are unwilling to fund the airline.

DGCA sources indicated that prima facie Kingfisher will have to submit more details to the regulator before any permission is given for restarting operations. “There is no date yet for the airline restarting operations. It will take the DGCA a few days to examine the airline’s interim plan. After the DGCA gives the go ahead, it will take 6-8 weeks for the airline to begin operations,” a source said.

Sources also indicated that the submission of the plan was an attempt to build investor confidence. It was indicated that out of the Rs 652 crore needed to restart operations, Rs 120 crore will be required to meet salary arrears of its employees. In addition, funds will be required for refurbishing aircraft, including working on their engines. The pilots will also have to undergo refresher session and medical check-up before they can start flying again.

At the meeting, Kingfisher officials claimed there were no dues to the oil companies barring an interest outstanding to Hindustan Petroleum.

The airline will still have to clear the dues to airports, including Mumbai airport, and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to which it owes over Rs 250 crore.

The airline suspended operations on October 1 after its engineers refused to certify the airworthiness of aircraft till their pending wages were paid.

On October 20, the DGCA suspended Kingfisher’s licence as the airline was not in a position to run safe, sustainable and reliable operations.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/kingfisher-submits-limited-restart-plan-stock-takes-off/article4236244.ece