Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Praful Patel said he would be ordering an inquiry into the tragic accident, and added that notwithstanding the inclement weather, it was the pilot's duty to determine a flight could be taken or not.
The ministry of civil aviation will seek a complete rollback of service tax levied on domestic air travel in the recent Budget, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said on Wednesday.In his Budget speech on February 26, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had proposed a service tax of 10 per cent on both domestic and international travel. Earlier, the service tax was restricted only for international travel.
The Union civil aviation ministry would take up the issue with the finance ministry, Patel said, expressing the hope that the latter would respond favourably to the civil aviation ministry's representation.
Patel discusses the airline's problems and defends his record.
"There are approximately 52,042 employees working in the civil aviation sector in the attached/autonomous/public sector organisations under this ministry. There are no such proposals in the above organisations," minister of state (Independent Charge) for civil aviation, Praful Patel informed the Rajya Sabha.
Bembem hoped the Padma Shri will act as recognition for women's football in India.
Virtually ruling out any bail-out, the government on Saturday asked private airlines to withdraw their call for suspending flights on August 18 and warned them of "appropriate action" if flight schedules are disrupted.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who has issued a diktat to his partymen to greet Rahul Gandhi with black flags for his "Mumbai for all Indians" remark, on Friday attacked Marathi ministers at the Centre for "not protesting Rahul's anti-Mumbai statement".
Some of the operational goals the carrier has set for itself are 25 million domestic and 15 million international passengers by 2015.
The Civil Aviation Ministry has recommended an equity infusion of Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 20 billion) in Air India in the next financial year after the beleaguered national carrier gets Rs 1,200 crore soon.
The airport and user development fees will be kept out of it.
When members raised the issue of development fees being levied in privatised airports such as in Delhi and sought abolition of such fees, he said the government had already constituted the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority entrusted with the responsibility of deciding on the issue. Members pointed out that while it was the responsibility of private players to develop the airports, they were charging the passengers for the work.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Friday said the airline industry in India has grown by 400 per cent in a short span of about six-and-a-half years.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Friday said the airline industry in India has grown by 400 per cent in a short span of about six-and-a-half years.
The Group of Ministers, which is reviewing the recovery path of Air India, will meet next month to discuss the infusion of Rs 1,200 crore (Rs 12 billion) as equity and review the steps taken by the national carrier for achieving a turnaround.
India's services sector income is on the rise, but what of the quality of people, asks Sanjaya Baru.
India's services sector income is on the rise, but what of the quality of people, asks Sanjaya Baru.
Accused of protecting its Member of Parliament Padamsinh Patil, who has been accused on being involved in a double murder case, the Nationalist Congress Party on Wednesday suspended Padamsinh Patil from its primary membership. The suspension comes three days after the arrest of Patil by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the murder of Congress leader Pawanraj Nimbalkar and his driver three years ago.
More flights will be added from India to Saudi Arabia this year.
Sending a strong signal to domestic airlines over abrupt hike in airfares by some of them during periods of high demand, the Union civil aviation ministry on Thursday warned them of action if they continued with such 'predatory pricing'.
The Tatas operated the country's first airline. It was later acquired by the government.
"Please crucify me if I am guilty. What have I done wrong?" said Praful Patel, minister of civil aviation, reacting to the criticism he has been facing in the country after the Dubai-Mangalore flight crashed on Saturday.
Owning "moral responsibility" for the Mangalore air crash, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel is believed to have offered to resign to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who reportedly turned down the offer, on Saturday.
In a setback to the Managlore airport, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said he would "re-look" into the international status given to the Mangalore airport following Saturday's air crash.
An inquiry by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has been ordered into the Mangalore air crash and an Air India team will assist it in the probe, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said today.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said on Wednesday that the impasse between the Congress and the Nationalist Congres Party over formation of government in Maharashtra will end on a positive note by Thursday.
He was a part of the 1960 Rome Olympics squad but didn't get a game but was an integral part of the 1962 Asiad gold winning team in Jakarta.
Air India delayed the payment of March salary to its employees by a month as it had to meet year-end expenses for various purposes, Parliament was informed on Thursday.
Taking note of the incident, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel ordered a probe by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and appealed to VIPs not to pressurise pilots to operate flights.
In his first visit to India since being elected the FIFA President Gianni Infantino labelled India as the "passionate giant," of Football. Infantino was in Goa as the local organising committee of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 (LOC) unveiled the official emblem for what will be India's first international football event.
As senior Air India pilots withdrew their agitation, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Wednesday said the airline would soon set up a committee, including representatives of the ministry and pilots, to work on a turnaround plan and discuss issues relating to their pay and incentives.
According to top sources in the government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Tuesday asked the ministry to take an initiative, even as the turmoil in the ailing airline deepened.
"I hope the entire airline (Air India) will come back to full operation from tomorrow (Wednesday), otherwise the Air India management will be free to take any decision that it feels is necessary," Patel said in a veiled threat.
With the agitation by Air India executive pilots entering the fourth day on Tuesday, the airline cancelled over 20 flights, including 15 from the national capital, and suspended bookings for the next 15 days.
The former India captain says he will consider contesting for the president of AIFF in the future.
The details of assets and liabilities of the ministers for the year 2008-09 have been made public by the Prime Minister's Office.
The Centre has ordered a probe into how a crude bomb found its way into the cargo hold of a Kingfisher flight in a "major breach of security", Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said on Tuesday.
Air India vacates posh Berkeley Square space, will it leave Nariman Point?
Civil aviation minister Praful Patel has directed Bangalore International Airport Limited, the Siemens-led private consortium developing the new greenfield airport, to increase its capacity to handle passengers.
Indian Airlines proposes to commence its own retail courier and freight services to tap the huge domestic courier/cargo business, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
