Mumbai Airport Inaugurates The New Air Traffic Control Tower

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ajit Singh and Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan Friday inaugurated a new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower with improved visibility to enable safer aircraft operation. 

The 83.8-metre-high ATC tower is currently the tallest in India. But the one under construction at the international airport in Delhi will be the tallest (102 m) after completion.

Built over an area of 2,800 sq m, the new ATC tower in Mumbai will take care of 750 landings and take-offs in addition to controlling 960 other flights, including international overflying air traffic. Calling it a precursor to the overall upgrade at CSIA, Chavan said: "The new terminal is expected to be ready in two to three months. Both the new terminal and the ATC will improve the efficiency of airport operation."


Photo Credits : Yatrik Sheth

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Air India’s Dreamliner Aircraft Develops Technical Snag Before Take-off In Chennai

An Air India Chennai-Delhi flight scheduled to depart at 10.40am was delayed by several hours after the Dreamliner aircraft developed a technical snag before take-off on Monday.

The snag could not be rectified and passengers were made to disembark at around 1.45pm.

Sources said that passengers had boarded and the flight was ready for departure on time when a technical fault was noticed. The pilot and flight attendants did not explain the reason for the delay to the passengers, who were made to sit inside the plane for more than one and a half hours.

Many lost their patience after an hour and started questioning the flight attendants about the delay.

"They did not give us a satisfactory answer. The flight attendants did not tell us when the flight is likely to take-off also," said a passenger.

There was not much problem with ventilation and air conditioning as the doors were open and the aircraft was connected to the aerobridge.

Lunch was served in flight as the delay got prolonged and the passengers disembarked and were brought back to the terminal at 1.45pm.

A senior official of Air India said, "Food and refreshments were served to passengers and alternative arrangements will be made to fly them to Delhi."

The official did not comment on the nature of the snag.

Sources said that specially trained engineers were needed to handle the snag because the aircraft is a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Source : Times Of India

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Air India Express Explores Domestic Expansion

MUMBAI: State-run Air India is mulling expanding operations of its international low-cost arm AI Express in the domestic market, where three budget carriers dominate the space and AirAsia India also expected to compete by year-end with launch of its operations here. 

The flag-carrier has recently set up a three-member committee to explore the feasibility of such an expansion plan and also review the routes of the two carriers, to leverage synergies and avoid eating into each other's market shares, they say. 

"Air India has set up a committee and mandated it to explore the possibilities of Air India expanding its operations in the LCC (low-cost carrier) segment," highly placed AI sources told PTI. 

Air India regained the third slot with 19.2 per cent market share beating budget carrier SpiceJetin July. At the same time, the Delhi-based IndiGo continues to retain its leadership with 29.5 per cent market share in the month. 

However, the three low cost carriers-IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir combined enjoy 55.5 per cent market share as against 44.5 per cent of the two full service carriers -- Jet Airwaysgroup and Air India. 

Air India Express, which began operations as the international budget arm of Air India in 2005, today operates 172 flights a week across Southeast Asia and the Gulf region with a fleet of 21 Boeing 737-800s, and commands 5-6 per cent market share. 

Of its planes, 17 are owned, and the remaining leased and majority of its flights originate from Kerala, which contributes over 50 per cent of its income. 

However, Air India too operates on some of the routes catered to by it LCC arm, thereby affecting the revenue of both the carriers. 

Besides, the committee has also been asked to review the routes catered by these two carriers and examine the feasibility of bringing synergy into their operations, sources said. 

"The committee will also review the business model of AIE," they said, adding that the committee has been asked to submit its report within three weeks time. 

According to a report by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), the domestic traffic is expected to expand by 4-6 per cent this fiscal, with most of it occurring in the second half. 

"AirAsia's likely entry towards the end of the year could also provide some further growth although the airline will still be relatively small even by the end of the forecast period. These factors could potentially push growth above 6 per cent subject to market conditions from Q3 onwards. 

"We expect that by the end of FY14, domestic traffic will match or slightly exceed the previous high water mark of just over 60 million annual domestic passengers reported in FY12," the CAPA report said.

Source : Economic Times

Image Copyrights : Janam Parikh (Not to be used without consent) 

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81 Foreign Airlines Operating 1,734 Flights Per Week In India

NEW DELHI: Foreign airlines are operating over 1,700 flights per week to and from 25 Indian airports, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said today.

In reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Singh said 81 foreign airlines were operating a total of 1,734 scheduled services per week.

"Of these 81, 72 are passenger, while nine are cargo flights and of the 1,734 flights, 1,655 are passenger and 79 are cargo. They are currently operating to and from 25 airports in India," Singh said.

In reply to a separate question, Minister of State for Civil Aviation K C Venugopal said that since 2009 domestic carriers have witnessed an increase in the number of passengers, expect in 2012 when the growth was negative.

He said in 2009, domestic airlines carried 43.8 million passengers, which increased by 18.7 per cent in 2010 when they carried 52 million passengers.

In 2011, the number of passengers travelling by air increased by 16.6 per cent to 60.7 million but in 2012, it dipped by 3.04 per cent to 58.8 million.

"This year, airlines witnessed an increase of 0.31 per cent between January and June. The airlines have carried 31.01 million passengers during this period," the Minister said.

"Airports Authority of India has earned Rs 99,378.47 lakh in 2009-10, Rs 1,15,614.04 lakh in 2010-11 and Rs 1,43,509.24 lakh in 2011-12," Venugopal said.

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Boeing Asks Airlines To Check Dreamliners’ Fire Extinguishers

Boeing Co has discovered another issue with the 787 Dreamliner.
Bloomberg reports the Chicago-based company is asking airlines to inspect the configuration of fire-extinguishing bottles, after Japan’s ANA Holdings Inc. found wiring defects in the fire-suppression system on three Dreamliners.

The issue isn’t considered an immediate flight-safety issue, and Boeing provided airlines with directions to address it, Bloomberg reports. The error occurred at the original supplier, Kidde, a unit of Connecticut-based United Technologies Corp.

The Dreamliner returned to the American skies in May — with an inaugural flight from Houston to Chicago — after the aircraft was grounded for four months.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administrationgrounded the Dreamliner in January after the plane experienced battery troubles. At the time, Chicago-based United Continental Holdings Inc. was the only U.S.-based carrier to operate Dreamliners.

United originally ordered 50 Dreamliners, all of which were scheduled to be introduced to its fleet at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, where it has its largest hub.

Source: Aviation with style

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Plane Aborted For Takeoff As Man Jumps Off Cargo Hold In Goa

A man hid inside the cargo hold of a SpiceJet aircraft jumps out of the cargo hold just before the departure. The Air Traffic Controller of Goa Airport instructed the pilots to abort take off as this it would have been a great disaster to fly with an open cargo door.

This incident happened when a SpiceJet Boeing 737 was about to takeoff from Goa for its return flight to Bengaluru. When the aircraft lined up on the active runway for takeoff the Air Traffic Controllers saw someone jumping out of the cargo door of the aircraft. They immediately informed the security personnel who are now interrogating with that guy as per the words given by DGCA.

The ATC recalled the aircraft to the terminal. "If a plane takes off with an open cargo hold door, the consequences can be serious. If the front door is open, it will fly off and damage the wing and engine. If it is the rear door, it will hit the fuselage. The structural integrity of the aircraft will be impacted either way. Also the rear cargo section is pressurised for carrying livestock like pets and an open door can lead to pressurisation failure," said a senior pilot.

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Indecision Has Air India Losing Dreamliners On Japanese, Korean Routes

State-owned Air India's plan to operate a Dreamliner on the Delhi-Tokyo route could not take off as the airline's management failed to furnish the required information about the aircraft sought by the Japanese authorities, sources said.

Consequently, the airline could not begin operating the Delhi-Hong Kong-Osaka and the Delhi-Hong Kong-Seoul routes with the same aircraft, they said.

"The civil aviation authorities of Japan had sought certain documents from Air India on the modifications carried out in the aircraft it intended to operate. But despite repeated communications, the AI management failed to furnish the required information," Air India sources said.

As a result, the Japanese aviation authorities did not allow Air India to operate the aircraft.

Source: Daily News & Analysis

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Aeromexico Receives First Boeing 787-8

Aeromexico received its first Boeing 787-8, a "milestone in Mexican aviation history", according to CEO Andrés Conesa. Mr Conesa commented, "Our customers already benefit from the world-class service that distinguishes Aeromexico, but they will now also be flying the most modern aircraft ever built." 

Boeing Commercial Airplanes VP of sales for Latin America, Africa and Caribbean Rex Gallard said, "The Dreamliner will provide Aeromexico with unrivaled operational advantages, large improvements in fuel efficiency and much lower costs. In addition, it is an airplane that provides significantly better environmental performance."

The carrier plans to receive three of a planned fleet of nine 787-8s by Nov-2013, deploying the type on services to Tokyo Narita, Paris and New York JFK. Aeromexico also has ten 787-9s on order for delivery through 2015. the carrier's long-haul fleet is currently comprised of four Boeing 777-200ERs with an average age of 9.7 years, four Boeing 767-200ERs and two Boeing 767-300ERs with an average age of 21.5 years.

Source: Aviation with style

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Jai Hind !!

Dream Run For Air India Dreamliners

Barely two-and-a-half months into their operations, Air India’s prized Boeing 787 Dreamliners have started showing their worth.

The national carrier’s international flights to routes like Frankfurt and Paris, which were earlier making losses, are now generating cash profit margins of up to R5 lakh per route, said an AI official.

“The Dreamliners have had a very positive impact on operations,” said S Venkat, director, finance, Air India. “On the domestic routes, we are seeing seat factor of 75-80%. The planes have also helped us turn around our operations on some international routes.”

As per airline sources, Dreamliner operations are providing a fuel cost saving of 20-22% on the routes they are operating on. On sectors like Delhi-London, Delhi-Paris and Delhi-Frankfurt, the airline was previously running losses due to operations of the fuel-guzzling Boeing 777-200LR.

Source: Financial Express

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Ethiopian Air Force Plane Crashes At Mogadishu Airport, 4 Killed

At least four people have been killed after a military aircraft burst into flames moments after landing at the international airport in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

The victims in Friday's accident were part of the six crew on board.

Sources said the plane belonged to the Ethiopian airforce and was carrying weapons and ammunition for AMISOM, the peacekeeping mission in Somalia run by the African Union.

AMISOM said on Twitter the crash happened shortly before 8am.

"The [AU] force commander expresses his heartfelt condolences to the government and the people of Ethiopia following the loss of crew members," AMISOM tweeted without giving the number of those killed or injured. 

Small blasts could be heard from the stricken plane and airport workers said they believed they were caused by exploding ammunition.

"We hear explosions as it burns. It is burning like hell. It is sure it will end up in ash," one security source at the airport told the Reuters news agency.

The source said the blaze was so intense firefighting crews were unable to tackle it.

Mucahit Salih Duran, head of the Turkish Red Crescent delegation in Somalia, tweeted a photo showing black smoke rising from what appeared to be a runway.

There was no immediate word on where the aircraft was flying from.

Military aircraft regularly land at Mogadishu's airport, which also serves as the headquarters for the AU force battling al Qaeda-linked Islamist fighters called al-Shabab.

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Cathay Pacific Considering Future US Routes And Frequencies

Cathay Pacific COO Ivan Chu, speaking at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit, stated (08-Aug-2013) the carrier intends to offer “even more flights to the states” in future, as the US continues its economic recovery. According to Innovata, the carrier currently operates services to Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

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United Airlines named Eco-Aviation “Airline of the Year” Gold Winner

CHICAGO, IL – United Airlines today was named the Eco-Aviation “Airline of the Year” Gold Winner by Air Transport World (ATW) magazine, the top award granted by ATW in its annual Eco-Aviation Awards. The “Eco-Airline of the Year” award recognizes an airline in global commercial aviation for its eco-aviation leadership as demonstrated by consistent and impactful environmental action within the company and in the industry. United was awarded for making its environment policies a priority, actively engaging in climate change and biofuels working groups and initiatives, and for its dedication to a broad set of activities that improve both the airline’s efficiency and the environment in which it operates.

“This is a great honor for United and I’m proud of the work that my co-workers do every day to be responsible stewards for the environment,” said Jeff Smisek, chairman, president and chief executive officer of United Airlines. “Our initiatives are paying off as we reduce United’s environmental footprint and work together toward a sustainable future for our company and our industry.”

United’s Eco-Skies program maintains the company’s commitment to the environment and includes actions taken every day to create a sustainable future. United’s recent environmental achievements include:

Fleet

United has more than 290 fuel-efficient aircraft on order and was the U.S. launch customer for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which represents a significant advancement in aircraft innovation and achieves a 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency versus the aircraft it is replacing. United recently increased its Dreamliner order to 65, and the airline will be the launch customer for the Boeing 787-10, a stretched version of the 787 that will offer the lowest fuel burn per seat of any aircraft of its size. The airline also has 35 Airbus A350-1000s on order which will consume approximately 20 percent less fuel per seat than the widebody aircraft it will replace.

United has installed fuel-saving winglets on more than 330 mainline aircraft, and was also the launch partner for the new Split Scimitar Winglet, which will reduce CO2 emissions by 600 tons per aircraft per year and improve fuel efficiency by approximately 2 percent.
Fuel Efficiency

United is on track to meet its 2013 goal to reduce fuel usage by 85 million gallons and associated carbon emissions by 828,750 metric tons.

Last year, the company saved 83 million gallons of fuel due to fleet replacement and fuel-efficiency initiatives, reducing carbon emissions by 811,000 metric tons.

Advancing Alternative Aviation Fuels

In June 2013, United announced an historic partnership with AltAir Fuels with an agreement to purchase 15 million gallons of commercial-scale and cost-competitive advanced aviation biofuels for flights out of the airline’s Los Angeles hub as early as 2014.

United spearheaded the Midwest Aviation Sustainable Biofuel Initiative (MASBI) – a public/private collaboration of more than 40 nationally recognized organizations focused on accelerating the commercialization of advanced biofuels for aviation (2012).

United achieved several milestones with biofuels:

First U.S. commercial flight powered by advanced biofuel (2011).

First North American commercial airline to operate a demonstration flight using synthetic fuel made from natural gas (2010).

First North American carrier to perform a two-engine aircraft flight demonstration using sustainable biofuels (2009).

Facility and Product Stewardship

Since 2008, United has recycled more than 23.5 million pounds of aluminum cans, paper and plastic items from waste generated inflight and at its facilities.

United incorporated energy efficiency features in the design and construction of the new Terminal B at its Houston hub.

The airline designed its United Clubs to incorporate many sustainable design elements including LED lighting, low-flow toilets and lavatories, porcelain tiling and sustainable fabrics and fixtures.

United’s new Data Center currently under construction is designed to achieve approximately 50 percent energy savings.

United's headquarters offices in Chicago achieved Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification.

United’s new Cargo facility at its Chicago hub has a vegetative green roof and is currently the sixth largest green roof in North America.

Supplier and Customer Engagement

United launched the Sustainable Supply Chain (SSC) initiative to better understand the environmental performance of its suppliers and deepen relationships with its key supply chain partners (2013).

United’s enhanced carbon offset program allows its customers to calculate and offset the carbon footprint associated with their air travel and cargo shipments and direct their support to three certified projects near communities that United serves.

Community Investments

The United Eco-Skies Community Grants program awards $50,000 to 10 non-profits located in its hub communities, such as the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Prince William Environmental Excellence Foundation, to promote engagement and volunteerism.

United supports and partners with hub-based environmental organizations as well as national and international organizations such as Conservation International and Sustainable Travel International.

Source: www.eturbonews.com

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