If only we had more Indians messing around in the hangars with grease and spanners, rather than online...............

Muppetts in IAC should have realised this long back, they have been differing the checks to keep the schedule unaffected during the summer peaks and then suddenly wham they need half a dozen engines or core engine spare. By the time they source it on the global network it is bloody into thw winter peak season and they have lost the 2nd position in the domestic ratings. Additional fall out, all of this will affect the valuation of the mergerd (AI/IA) entity.

PP needs to take the bull by the horns,there has got to be more accountability by the honchos at IAC. Get rid of the DE & DO for differing the maint. Personally having been a part of the mess AI / IA in the past, I know the work culture prevalent there. If only some body could calculate the real cost of running these 2 jokes of an airline to the Indian Tax payer (i do care, i have paid my taxes there for 10yrs. Even if it was from my AI earnings ) and the economy.

The greatest asset of these 2 entities is the Engg infrastructure, apart from the Intl slots i.e. Look at Go, DN, 9W all of them are investing their limited resources in Mx whilst huge capacities are lying wasted in these 2 behmoths. AI / IA have full capabilities in Airframe and Engines, inspite of this you will find aircraft sent to U.K. & USA for heavy maint and Engines are sent to Singapore for O/H.

And the ban on Intl routes to support these 2 jokes, is bleeding the domestic pvt players to death fighting locally, while the likes of BA, EK, SQ have a ball on their Indian routes. India contributes to more than 10% of BAs revenue as stated by Willie walsh, Rod eddington and Bob ayling before him. Infact Bobs words were '' Indians are the largest travellers in the world, if you check any BA flight manifest you'll find a name of Indian origin'' ( 1997 -DXB, BA Annual GM ).

Who cares, this forum is a good platform to show-off our individual knowledge of air transport in India... ..........but could be a medium to generate debate within India and work as a catalyst for change.  ............BREATHE Easy  

Problem is also shortsight.

Why where so many airlines cleared for take-off in the beginning?  

karatecatman wrote:

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Problem is also shortsight. Why where so many airlines cleared for take-off in the beginning?  

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Liberalisation, atleast domestic to start with.

There are many among us here who have the craving to start a airline but for the want of capital. It is global phenomenon not limited to India. There will be many more in the years to come.

Was the QCM sleeping.

regds

MEL

www.uninews.com

IA to step up engine availability

NEW DELHI, July 27, 2006

Indian Airlines Ltd., is vigorously pursuing all possible means to increase engine availability. This information was given to the Parliament by Shri Praful Patel, Minister for Civil Aviation in the Lok Sabha today.

The Minister added that the Indian Airlines was doing this through outsourcing of engine overhaul to outside agencies, continued retention of three short-term leased engines till January-February 2007, leasing three more engines on short-term basis and implementing the engine upgrade programme. These steps are being taken by Indian Airlines since the grounding of a number of aircrafts are primarily due to shortage of engines.

Normally, about 6 A-320 aircraft remain ground for scheduled maintenance. Presently about 12 A-320 aircraft are grounded for major maintenance/want of engines and for scheduled maintenance checks. They have not been grounded due to shortage parts.

Old news anyway. Gave this info in a thread on IA about a week ago.

It's in "One fourth of IA fleet grounded".

Foreign nationals working as commanders on Indian flights
New Delhi, Aug 1 (UNI) As many as 460 foreign nationals are working as commanders in flights by domestic carriers to meet the shortage of pilots, Minister of state for Civil Aviation Praful Patel informed the Rajya Sabha today.
In a written reply, he said Government has decided to upgrade the capacity of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademy (IGRUA) from 40 to 100 cadets a year and has set up a new flying Training Institute at Gondia in Maharashtra. (Because it's Praful's home town!!!)
 Besides, it has also conditionally increased the age-limit for pilots to 65 years for exercising the privileges of their licences for commercial transport operations under prescribed conditions, he said.
 Further, he said aircraft operators both scheduled and non-scheduled are permitted to employ foreign pilots as commanders to train Indian Co-Pilots so as to enable them being upgraded as Commanders.
 However, Patel said whenever both the Commander and Co-pilot in a flight are of foreign origin, they are required to carry an Indian trainee pilot on board for exposing the latter to the line oriented flying training.
 Replying to another question, Patel said the Aeronautical Society of India has recommended constitution of a National Aeronautic Commission though no decision has been taken by the government in this regard so far.
 The Minister informed the Upper House that a total of 1,147 flights are being operated by Indian carriers on daily basis.  The 12 airlines are: Air India Limited (37), Air India Charters (07), Indian Air Lines (58), Alliance Air (15), Jet Airways (55), Sahara Airlines (29), Deccan Aviation Pvt Ltd (33), Kingfisher Airlines Ltd (15), Spicejet ltd (six), Paramount Airwaysd Pvt Ltd (2), Blue Dart Aviation Ltd Cargo (07), and Go Airlines (India) Pvt Ltd (3). (Figures are fleet size!)
 Patel informed the Upper House that a total of 1,147 flights are being operated by Indian carriers on daily basis.
 To a question on delay of flights, he said 58.55 per cent Indian Airlines flights were on time during the last three months (April-June).
 Of the 41.45 per cent delays and cancellation, 2.86 per cent were due to commercial operations, engineering, ground support, surface transport, stores related reasons, 2.30 per cent due to inclement weather, airport facili ties etc, and the remaining 36.29 per cent were due to consequential delays.
 About complaints regarding functioning of Private airlines, Patel said they were regarding missing/lost baggage, refund of tickets in case of delays/cancellations, denial of facilities like wheel chair, meals/snacks in case of delayed flights, etc.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=19377
Ministry of Civil Aviation  
  
 
 OPERATION OF SCHEDULED AIRLINES IN INDIA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 16:27 IST 
The scheduled airlines presently operating in the country along with number of aeroplanes in their fleet are:

Air India Ltd. – 37; (2) Air India Charters Ltd. – 07, (3) Indian Airlines – 58, (4) Alliance Air – 15, (5) Jet Airways – 55, (6) Sahara Airlines – 29, (7) Deccan Aviation (P) Ltd.- 33, (8) Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.- 15, (9) Spicejet Ltd. – 6, (10) Paramount Airways Private Ltd. – 2, (11) Blue Dart Aviation Ltd. (Cargo) – 7, (12) Go Airlines (India) Pvt. Ltd.-3.

A total 123000 passengers travel daily by air on an average. As on date 1147 flights are being operated by Indian Commercial Airlines on daily basis:

Air India – 31; Indian Airlines – 254; Air India Express –6; Alliance Air –11; Jet Airways – 335; Sahara Airlines-106; Air Deccan-219; Kingfisher Airlines-96; Spice Jet-48; Go-Air –21; and Paramount Airs – 20.

All the aircraft are subjected to regular inspection as per the requirements of aircraft manufacturers contained in Maintenance Planning Document. Such inspections include pre-flight inspection, transit inspection, daily inspection and higher maintenance inspections by aircraft maintenance engineers. All these inspections are approved for each type of aircraft and regular spot checks are carried out by DGCA officers to ensure the compliance.

In addition, surveillance checks are carried out for operators to ensure their capability and their adherence to the requirements.

Part 2 of the story:

Observing that domestic air traffic was expected to grow by 50 per cent this year, Patel said Civil Aviation was one of the highest growing sectors and due to non-regulation of air fares, a new profile of air travellers had developed in the country.

 Taking objection to a comment by a Kerala MP that public sector carriers operating from his state to the Gulf were ‘‘looting’’ the people by charging high prices, he said only the state-owned airlines were cancelling their flights to fulfil social and national obligations like bringing back stranded Indians from war-torn Lebanon.

 On pilot shortage, he said foreign pilots were now being allowed to fly in India to overcome the temporary shortage of indigenously trained pilots.

 About 15 flight training institutes were functioning in the country, including the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udaan Academy at Fursatganj in Uttar Pradesh. One major pilot training facility was coming up in Maharashtra, Patel said, adding these would help in increasing the number of trained Indian pilots in the coming days.