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West Bengal keen on AAI modernising Kolkata airport
New Delhi, Aug 2 (UNI) Setting at rest the controversy over which way the modernisation process of Kolkata airport would go, West Bengal’s Left Front government has favoured awarding the task to the Airports Authority of India and is intent on keeping private players out of the project, a top CPI(M) leader said today.
 ‘‘The state government would like the AAI to go ahead with implementing the project... We hope that AAI would take it up as a challenge and accomplish the task even before Delhi and Mumbai (projects),’’ CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.
 The AAI has already selected the design presented by French firm, Aeroport du Paris that designed the Charles de Gaulle airport, out of a global tender.
 Yechury, who is also the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, said that state Chief Secretary A K Deb has written to Civil Aviation Secretary Ajay Prasad in this regard.
 The letter, dated July 31, says: ‘‘I would like to reiterate that the state government would like the AAI to go ahead with the implementation of the project out of its own resources, as stated by the Chairman of the Authority.
 ‘‘It will not favour induction of any private company in the project for upgradation and modernisation of the Netaji Subhash Bose International Airport, Kolkata’’, the letter said, adding ‘‘I would request that the stand of the state government may kindly be kept in mind while implementing the project’’.

On Chennai airport
Asked whether the DMK government in Tamil Nadu would take a different line on modernising the Chennai airport, Yechury said the DMK would also take a view on the matter soon.
 ‘‘We have all along been opposed to privatisation of existing airports,’’ the CPI(M) leader said.
 He said a detailed presentation was made by AAI Chairman K Ramalingam on July 10 to the state government, which favoured giving a go ahead to the public sector firm.
 The CPI(M) leader said ‘‘needless controversy’’ was being fuelled on the issue.
 Besides CPI(M), other Left parties have been opposed to the modernisation of the Delhi and Mumbai airports through the joint venture route.
 They had also supported the AAI employees’ strike earlier this year to protest the privatisation of the two major metro airports.

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Manipur set to emerge as an hot spot for eco-tourism

Imphal, Aug 2 (UNI)

The Manipur Government has urged the Centre to lift all restrictions on visitors to the state and convert Imphal’s Tulihal airport into an international airport to encourage tourism. (Manipur wants A300 grade operations)
Tourism Minister T N Haokip said this would give the ’much desired’ fillip to tourism as Manipur has potential of developing into an eco-freindly hot spot, preferred by most of the tourists.
As of now, the foreign tourists inflow into the state is negligible. The minister said though the law and order in Jammu and Kashmir was not good, the Centre had not imposed any restrictions to foreign tourists entering into the territory.
‘‘In the name of law and order, certain parts of the country like ours suffered,’’ he added.
When asked about the tourism infrastructure development, the Minister replied, ‘‘We are inviting investors for construction of hotels and tourist homes in Manipur. We will encourage constructing three-star hotels in Manipur. Besides the facility of five-year tax holiday, the Centre is extending a maximum of Rs 75 lakh subsidy to the construction of three -star hotel.’’
When asked about the prospects of foreign tourists, the Minister expressed that Manipur was the place where tricolor INA flag was hoisted for the first time on Indian soil. It was the battlefield of the World War II where many Japanese died. It had British War Cemetery for the Britishers who died in the World War II. Hence, Japanese, Britishers and those involved in INA movement had their emotional attachment to Manipur.
In 1990s many war veterans from Japan came to Manipur and offered sweets to their forefathers, Manipur Information Centre said. More than 70,000 Japanese looked for Manipur but a lucky few reached to Manipur. The Minister said, ‘‘Germany had a wall but now it had fallen. So why does the provervial wall wexist in Manipur?’’
When asked about the effect of insurgents on tourists in Manipur, he said they never touch the tourists. Rather they welcomed and admired tourists, he added.

http://www.e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=14..040806.aug06 
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Tulihal airport facelift assured
Source: The Sangai Express / Manipur Information Centre
 
New Delhi, Aug 03: Union Minister for Civil Aviation Pratul Patel informed in the Lok Sabha today that the development of the 35 non-metro airports across the country would be completed by the year 2010-11.The Airport Authority of India (AAI) had decided to modernize 35 selected non-metro airports to world-class standards with focus on airside and city-side development.

Tulihal Airport is also one of the selected airports to be modernized.

The Union Minister also informed in the Parliament that the Committee on Infrastructure had already approved the development of airports in the NE region to be taken on a priority basis.

Other airports in the NE region to be developed are at Agartala, Dimapur, Guwahati and Imphal.

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Maharashtra approves setting up of company for Cargo hub project

Mumbai, Aug 17 (UNI)

The Maharashtra Cabinet today approved setting up of the company for development of Nagpur airport’s Cargo Hub Project.

 The company would have participation of Maharashtra Airport development company (MADC) and Airport Authority of India (AAI), Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh told reporters after the Cabinet meeeting here.

 The share of MADC in the new company would be 51 per cent and the share of AAI would be 49 per cent, he said.

 The Nagpur airport would be handed over to the new company for a period of 30 years by charging a nominal rate of Re 1 per year, he said.

 Central government would be incharge of the airport security and Air Traffic Control, he added.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/19/stories/2006081905030400.htm
Salem airport is all set to get a new lease of life

G. Satyamurty and R.Ilangovan

August 19, 2006

Air connectivity vital for mega projects coming up in the region 

Air Deccan may use short-haul carriers to connect Salem with Mumbai and Bangalore
It is in the process of arranging a meeting of citizens to obtain their views
Without cargo it will be difficult for any airline operation to prove viable
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Coimbatore\Salem: While the move to reactivate the Salem airport is welcome, private operators will do well to ponder over the "pitfalls" that led to it remaining idle all these years.

With a flurry of mega projects involving Rs. 3,500-crore investments coming up in the region, the need for air connectivity is all the more felt. The Salem airport was the first in the country for which members of the public donated Rs. 49 lakh (including Rs. 30 lakh by Salem Steel Plant). Originally planned for Vayudoot services using small aircraft and conceived with a 1,350-metre runway, it was expanded by another 600 metres to accommodate bigger planes.

The two-decade-old dream of Salem citizens became a reality in April 1993 at a cost of Rs.6 crore on a 130-acre site at Kamalapuram, about 20 km from the city. But it proved an ephemeral joy. Even before the service was started, citizens raised major objections. They considered the Salem-Coimbatore-Chennai fare of Rs.1,350 exorbitant and were unhappy that they were forced to fly an additional 85 km to Coimbatore before taking off to Chennai. The flight leaving Salem at 6.55 a.m. would reach Chennai only at 9.25 a.m. By train one could reach Chennai in five hours at a far lower cost.

With the private airline finding the Chennai-Coimbatore route far more profitable, it suspended operations to Salem after three months. Only chartered flights have been using the airport since then. Now it has been included in the idle airports activation programme.

Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugham told The Hindu that Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had taken the issue up with the civil aviation authorities. "We have asked them to study the feasibility of operating Indian flights as Boeing flights with load restrictions can operate from here."

K.V. Thangkabalu MP is confident that the airport would become active for both passengers and cargo traffic "very shortly," as many operators had evinced "keen interest." "It (revival of operations) has almost been finalised."

Air Deccan had obtained a No Objection Certificate in 2003 from the Civil Aviation Ministry to link Salem. It may deploy the short-haul 48-seater ATR 42-320 carriers to connect Mumbai and Bangalore. "The huge North Indian trade community prefers this," says a leading travel agency.

S. Sathyanarayanan, president, Salem-Dharmapuri Chamber of Commerce, who has been requested by Air Deccan to convene a meeting of citizens to obtain their views on issues such as schedule, said at least 100 passengers were expected from Salem (60 per cent towards Bangalore-Mumbai and the rest towards Chennai). At least 300 kg of courier consignments were expected to be airlifted daily. Being the only minor airport with Boeing landing facility, Salem could be of immense help.

The only problem, according to K. Mariappan, former general secretary of the Salem District Small Scale Industries Association, is that without cargo it would be difficult for any airline operation to prove viable. For this night landing facility becomes indispensable, as courier consignments would be ready only by night.

 

 

 

 

 

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Indian Navy and AAI to exchange land

New Delhi, Aug 18 (UNI)

The Union Cabinet today gave its nod for exchange of land owned by the Defence and Civil Aviation ministries in Goa, Port Blair, Mumbai and Porbandar.

Under the proposal, Indian Navy land measuring 19.471 acres at Goa and 2.32 acres at Port Blair would be exchanged with Civil Aviation Ministry land measuring 5.41 acres at Santa Cruz, Mumbai, 3.678 acres at Porbandar and 2.32 acres at Port Blair.

The exchange will be free of cost as it is a mutual exchange between the Defence Ministry and the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

The exchange of land between the Navy and the AAI will be a lasting solution and beneficial to both, he added.

karatecatman wrote:

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Salem airport is all set to get a new lease of life

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There was a really small a/c VT-VAE flying BLR-Salem non-stop the other day. I tried looking up this a/c but could not find a picture on A.net, nor the registration/ownership details on teh DGCA site!

The ATC intructions were quite simple - take off on RWY 27, climb 3000 ft, and turn left, set course direct to SALEM. Nothing else needed

http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/24/stories/2006082416220100.htm
More domestic air connectivity from Coimbatore airport on the anvil

V.S. Palaniappan

Coimbatore: The Coimbatore Airport is all set to witness entry of two more domestic airliners within a month to operate services on the Coimbatore-Pondicherry and Coimbatore-Ahmedabad sectors. In the next phase, one of the airlines is planning to fly to Kochi and Agatti (Lakshadweep). An airline has plans for a connecting flight to Tirupati.

At present, there are five airlines - Go Air, Jet Airways, Indian, Paramount and Air Deccan - operating services to Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kozhikode, Mumbai and New Delhi. There are 17 aircraft movements a day (one movement includes both landing and take-off). Indian is also operating three services a week from Chennai to Sharjah via Coimbatore and Kochi.

Air Sahara has temporarily suspended its service to Hyderabad. In addition, SriLankan Airlines is operating a cargo freighter with 14 movements a week to Colombo.

The entry of low cost-no frill airlines has increased both the number flights and passenger traffic to and from Coimbatore considerably.

Airport Authority of India sources indicated that Jagson Airlines has expressed interest to operate a morning service on the Pondicherry-Coimbatore-Pondicherry sector.

The airliner is planning to deploy an 18-seater Dornier aircraft on this sector. The same airline will offer a connecting service to Tirupati from Pondicherry. Jagson has plans to operate services from Coimbatore to Kochi and Agatti in Lakshadweep in the next phase.

Similarly, Kingfisher Airlines had planned a service from Coimbatore to Ahmedabad from August 15. It is likely to begin some time in September, the sources say.

An international airline has already visited the airport to have a feel of the facilities here for starting operations to South East Asian destinations from Coimbatore.

The Airport Director (in charge), R.S. D'cruz confirmed that the two domestic airliners have given expression of interest. The airlines were complying with the procedural formalities and the services would start after a formal clearance from AAI authorities, he says.

The airport is fully equipped in terms of infrastructure and logistics to handle the growth in traffic.

Nimish-ji

Just checked. VAE is a classified registration, whcih means it could be defence. It is not showing up in the DGCA registration base also.

                                                                ***

But Madras Flying Club has started operations from Banglore to Chennai, Salem and Vellore for practice.

Also their plans of starting operations just near Chennai airport has irked line and senior pilots as they say it will be a hazard for scheduled operations. The IAF has also joined in the objections..

-- Edited by karatecatman at 18:04, 2006-08-24

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1937753.cms
Amritsar airport to get perishable cargo centre
Amit Agnihotri
[ 30 Aug, 2006 0350hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
 
 
CHANDIGARH: Anticipating increased horticulture export orders from the northern region, Punjab government is going to construct a new perishable cargo centre at the Amritsar airport at a cost of Rs 18.5 crore.

CEO council for value added horticulture in Punjab, VS Chimni told TOI, "The Airports Authority of India has agreed to give us joint custodianship of around 9,000 sq m of land at the airport to be used for the centre."

According to officials, the new centre with a capacity of 200 tonnes per day, would come up on the right side of the existing temporary centre which was inaugurated recently and has 80 tonnes per day capacity.

The council had appointed Global Agri Systems as consultant for the project. They will submit a detailed project report to the council by next week.

Claiming it to be a model perishable cargo centre in the country, manager technical with the consultants Alok Srivastava said, "We are trying to make it paperless office where all dealings will be online.

It will have a controlled temperature zone, conveyor belt, work station and storage space. There will be a pre-cooling and processing room for loose cargo."

Following the inaugural consignment of lady's finger, bitter gourd and chilly to UK by Field Fresh Foods — a unit of Bharti — from the temporary centre a few weeks ago, officials said other players like Reliance and ITC may also join in as they plan their agri-ventures.

"Given the potential of horticulture-exports in the region we think even this capacity (200 tonnes/day) would fall short," said an official of the council.

He further said Singapore Airlines, Air India and Jet Airways, which operate international flights from the airport, have shown willingness to carry cargo provided there is assured consignment.