1,336 expatriates returned in last two weeks: NORKA

Two weeks after NORKA started help desks at various airports in the state, the number of persons returning from Saudi Arabia following the ‘Nitaqat’ has reached 1,336. According to the statistics released by NORKA Aon Wednesday, Kozhikode airport tops the list with 660 persons registering with the help desk and Kochi airport comes second with 330. As many as 224 persons have registered online while 122 persons have registered at the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
Those who have registered online from April 2, may include passengers who landed at airports near the state and all of the returnees are males,  according to NORKA officials.
Meanwhile,  the Saudi Labour Minister   has asserted  that any kind of business establishments will not be excluded from the Nitaqat procedures.
According to local newspapers, Minister Adel Fakieh has pointed out that Saudi  ruler King Abdullah had given directives to ensure that no exemptions take place.
He said over two lakh expatriate workers have been deported before the three-month grace period because they violated residency regulations, while 840,000 expatriate workers left the Kingdom for good on their own after the Nitaqat.
http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/1336-expatriates-returned-in-last-two-weeks-NORKA/2013/04/18/article1550027.ece

Air India to give preference to PSUs while leasing its real estate assets

NEW DELHI: Private sector companies may not get as much as a chance with Air India's 1.7-lakh sq ft office in central Delhi's Baba Kharak Singh Marg as the national carrier has decided to give preference to stateowned enterprises to lease it as part of its programme to monetize real estate assets.
The loss-making and debt laden airline had decided in February to monetise its properties spread over India and various parts of the world over the next three years to raise an estimated Rs 5,000 crore, kick starting the process with its city terminal office at Baba Kharak Singh Marg.
However, the airline doesn't want to sell it to private companies but lease it to government-owned enterprises after it received strong interest from the State Bank of IndiaBSE -0.06 % (SBI), Oil and Natural Gas Corp ( ONGCBSE 0.20 %) and Life Insurance Corporation ( LIC).
"Big PSUs have approached us for this property and we think if we give it to them, this property will remain in the government landbank and not go out of it. If we don't get encouraging rates from PSUs only then will we float a tender for private party," a senior Air India executive told ET.
Air India has engaged property consultant DTZ who will submit a valuation report to the airline board, from where the proposal will go to the ministry of civil aviation and then to the Cabinet.
The mode of selling properties would be e-auction.
New permission has been granted to sell vacant pieces of land in Coimbatore, Chennai, Kolkata and Sterling apartments in Mumbai. In addition to the real estate in India, flats and office spaces in foreign locations like Nairobi, Mauritius, Tokyo and Hong Kong, where the airline has small operations are also on the monetisation list.
Air India, which has as a total of 106 properties within the country and abroad, has a debt pile of Rs 43,000 crore and accumulated losses of over Rs 20,000 crore.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/Air-India-to-give-preference-to-PSUs-while-leasing-its-real-estate-assets/articleshow/19588236.cms

Jet Airways for trebling of seats between India and Abu Dhabi

NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of an impending deal with Gulf carrier Etihad, Jet AirwaysBSE 3.99 % is pushing hard in favour of the Abu Dhabi government's demand to treble the number of seats flown between the two countries to over 40,000 per week from 13,300 at present.
According to government sources, Abu Dhabi has asked for a huge revision in the number of seats used by airlines to fly between the two countries and the negotiations with the Indian government will take place next week in the Emirate.
The ministry of civil aviation, therefore, is preparing an estimate on how many more seats between the two regions would be in the country's interest, for which they sought the views and requirements of domestic airlines.
While Air India asked for revising up the seats by 2,500 per week, IndiGo and SpiceJetBSE 1.01 % asked for enhancing the quota by 4,000-5,000 seats per week. "However, Jet Airways has asked for revision by a whopping 42,000 seats per week over and above the existing seats, a government official told ET.
Meanwhile, the aviation ministry officials declined to divulge the final number of seats that India would like to revise up between the two countries and said it has nothing to do with the Jet-Etihad deal.
"Indian carriers together are flying 10,000 seats per week to Abu Dhabi while their airline (Etihad) is using 12,000 to India. So, keeping the expansion plans of Indian airlines in mind, a revision of seats is required and has nothing to do with the deal," a ministry official said.
But Indian carriers think that Jet Airways' demand is actually a backhanded way to give more market access to Etihad, on the lines of Dubai-based Emirates.
"Allowing foreign carriers to invest in India is a good thing, but it turns out that they are not coming here to invest but to get bilateral share," an executive from an Indian airline said requesting complete anonymity.
Till date Gulf airlines, such as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar, which are gateway carriers, dominate air routes between India and the Middle East to an extent that 40% of total west-bound Indian traffic is routed through the Gulf.
Latest official statistics corroborate this showing how Emirates garnered a lion's share of the total Indian passengers in 2011-12 at 13.04% market share. Qatar follows next, while Etihad has the least share of Indian air traffic, which it is looking to increase and compete at a level with Emirates.
"Jet-Etihad combine's pattern of growth may become same as that of Emirates wherein Jet Airways' bilateral entitlements actually become Abu Dhabi's," global aviation consulting and research firm Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) South Asia CEO Kapil Kaul said.
ET had earlier reported how Gulf carrier Emirates has become the national carrier of sorts leaving Air India far behind in flying outbound passengers from the country
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/jet-airways-for-trebling-of-seats-between-india-and-abu-dhabi/articleshow/19588131.cms
 

Jet signs code sharing pact with South African Airways

Jet Airways has signed a code sharing agreement with South African Airways (SAA). Under the arrangement, Jet Airways will have a code share on South African Airways’ flights between Mumbai and Johannesburg and also to Cape Town and Durban. SAA will have a code share on Jet Airways’ operations between Mumbai and Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram.
 The code share opens for sale from April 16 and is applicable for travel from April 18 onwards.
 A recent study conducted by the Department of Tourism indicated that the number of tourists from India to South Africa has steadily increased in recent years. Between January and September 2011, the numbers grew by 29 per cent. About 79,000 Indian tourists visited the country between January and September last year.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/jet-signs-code-sharing-pact-with-south-african-airways/article4623635.ece
 

Emirates launches holiday package to Dubai

Emirates Airline has launched an attractive holiday package from Chennai to Dubai.
The package will start at Rs 30,535 a person on twin sharing basis. The offer does not include visa fees.
The package price includes three nights, accommodation with buffet breakfast, meet and assist on arrival at Dubai international airport, transfers airport/hotel/airport, including airport departure taxes, service taxes, room taxes and service charges.
Valid for travel between April 15 and August 5, the offer applies to all new bookings, said a press release from Emirates.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/emirates-launches-holiday-package-to-dubai/article4623876.ece