"If the charges are proved, then the NCP will completely dissociate itself from Patil," senior NCP leader and Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told media-persons in New Delhi.
Overlooking opposition from the Left parties and airport employees, the government on Tuesday signed two agreements to set up joint venture companies between Airports Authority of India and the GMR and GVK groups.
The government is likely to allow state-owned Airports Authority of India to raise Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 billion) through infrastructure bonds to enable it to finance its ongoing programme to modernise and expand a large number of airports across the country.
In popular perception, the villain of the piece is former civil aviation minister Praful Patel.
The process of awarding contracts to restructure and modernise airports in Mumbai and Delhi would be completed before January 31, Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said.
Govt open to probe into Bangalore airport contracts to L&T, Siemens.
The government is considering allowing the GMR-led Delhi International Airport Ltd to charge airport development fee from passengers to meet the shortfall in financing the cost of expanding and modernising the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
India and Qatar on Wednesday signed a bilateral air services agreement to improve connectivity and decided to further bolster multifaceted ties between the two countries.
"Aircraft movements, passenger and freight traffic registered negative growth rate of -00.10, -06.80 and -01.00 per cent during 2008-09," civil aviation minister Praful Patel said in a written reply to a query in Lok Sabha. The minister also said that the foreign airlines had increased their operations by 85 per cent in the last five years in the country.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, civil aviation minister Praful Patel said some of the airlines have not been settling their dues in time. The minister said several airlines, including international carriers, had outstandings to privatised airports.
The government is understood to have approached industrialist Ratan Tata to head an advisory board of the ailing Air India.
The Union government is planning to appoint advisors for kick-starting the process for initial public offer of Air-India and Indian Airlines expected to hit the market later this fiscal.
The government on Saturday said it is expected to take a decision on privatisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports at the meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers on January 24.
There would be 'no adverse impact' on Air-India and Indian Airlines if private carriers are allowed to operate to foreign destinations, said the civil aviation minister.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Thursday said he would request the finance ministry for extending tax exemption on leased aircraft, scheduled to be implemented from April 1, 2005.
The aircraft to be inducted by Indian Airlines are 19 Airbus A 319s, Four A 320s and 20 Airbus A 321s.
The work on restructuring Delhi and Mumbai airports would begin by the middle of next year and the process of selecting private joint venture partners for the Airports Authority of India
International flights from the Srinagar airport would operate from February 14, when it would be formally inaugurated as an international airport. The first international flight will take off for the port city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement issued by the Union Water Resources Minister, Saif-ud-Din Soz.
After a meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel in New Delhi, Communist Party of India leader Gurudas Dasgupta told PTI that six staffers, whose services were terminated after the two-day strike that had disrupted hundreds of flights, have been taken back 'after they submitted apology letters on our advice'.
Asserting that the government can't remain a mute spectator to the move by the air carriers, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said there can be 'no justification' for airlines to hike fares in an 'arbitrary manner'.
The government on Tuesday said the new Bangalore airport would be made operational by the last week of May, while keeping alive the option of allowing small aircraft to use the existing HAL airport. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said extensive discussions were held with BIAL, the operators of the new airport. The High Court had earlier advised the government to explore the possibility of allowing the existing airport run by HAL to function.
Air-India and Indian Airlines are to submit another aircraft acquisition proposal for long haul jets and replacement of wide-bodied planes, respectively.
Families of each of those killed in the Mangalore plane crash will get up to Rs 76 lakh as compensation.
The greenfield airport project at Navi Mumbai is likely to get the final environmental nod by October and the bidding process expected to begin by the year-end, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said on Monday.
India has told the US government that due consideration would be given to the offer of American aircraft major, Boeing for the fleet acquisition plans of Air India and Indian Airlines, US Transportation Secretary Norman Y Mineta said on Thursday.
Interacting with media persons after the launch of the party unit, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said: "There are people here in the US who are passionate about India despite living here for so many years and we are here today to show our commitment to Indian Americans. We would like to lend a voice to their emotions, sentiments and thought processes and carry them back home."
Some of the operational goals the carrier has set for itself are 25 million domestic and 15 million international passengers by 2015.
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.
After the merger between the two national carriers -- Indian (formerly Indian Airlines) and Air India, the merged airline will have its first flight from Mumbai to New York on August 1, said Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel.
The carriers are divided over Patel's suggestions to increase tariffs.
The government on Tuesday asked all domestic airlines not to impose Rs 150 surcharge being levied for traffic congestion in airports.
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