Amid the demand from the Union civil aviation ministry for induction of Rs 1,200 crore (Rs 12 billion) as fresh equity into Air India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said the government is actively considering helping the national carrier.
India is preparing to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, after a three-year hiatus. The decision comes as part of efforts to improve relations between India and China, which have been strained since a military standoff in 2020. The two countries have also agreed in principle to resume flight services between them.
Confirming the circulation of the note, official sources said the Union Cabinet may take up the issue within the first fortnight of 2012.
Air India is the second Indian carrier to get a large bailout this year.
The first hurdle is how long Jet Airways can enjoy rights over its parking slots at various airports.
Air, rail and road traffic was severely affected in New Delhi on Monday as dense fog reduced the visibility to almost zero. According to senior officials of the Indian Metrological Department, the disruption is likely to continue for a few more days. There is little hope of the weather improving and it is likely to hit traffic in Delhi and neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, officials said.
On Sunday, Rashtiya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh was sworn in as Union Cabinet Minister. And the next move of the Congress, in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh elections, is to grant reservations to Jats in the central list of Other Backward Classes. Neerja Chowdhury analyses
Non-scheduled commercial flights are being arranged and this operation will begin from May 7 in a phased manner.
The government has cleared the acquisition of 46 new aircraft worth over Rs 19,000 crore by three low-cost carriers: SpiceJet, IndiGo and Jet Lite. The new planes will arrive in a staggered delivery schedule beginning November. The acquisitions were cleared on August 30 at a meeting of a civil aviation ministry empowered committee.
Disciplinary action against 45 suspended pilots would also be taken to its logical conclusion, they added.
The civil aviation ministry would 'shortly' come out with a comprehensive policy framework for sharing of unused bilateral air-traffic rights between the public sector and private carriers, for operating to these international destinations.
The Centre on Thursday said Indian passengers from Ukraine can return via Qatar, with aviation industry experts stating that civilian flights will restart from Ukraine only when its airspace opens.
In December 2005, AI had ordered 111 aircraft worth Rs 46,000 crore.
The government on Friday decided to extend 'open sky' policy to all foreign airlines, including those from the Persian Gulf for three months in the peak winter season, subject to commercial arrangements with the national flag carriers.
In a coalition era, the smallest of parties gets almost blackmail power and that power is in direct proportion to the weakness of the senior coalition partner. Which is why, for instance, even in an era of coalitions, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a lot more powerful than Manmohan Singh is.
Civil aviation ministry has also reached a consensus to give a five-year term to the next CMD of the ailing state-owned airline.
The creation of joint ventures by Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has not impacted its revenue share, says the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
The Aircraft Acquisition Committee of the civil aviation ministry, which approved the IndiGo request in principle, also gave similar approval to a proposal of the Chennai-based business class airline Paramount Airways to acquire 10 aircraft from the Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier and European ATR, official sources said.
B C Khanduri, who was elevated to Cabinet rank in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who was given independent charge of the civil aviation ministry, were among those who joined work on Monday.
State-run City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) plans to issue a request for qualification (RFQ) for the Navi Mumbai international airport in the middle of next month.
Private carrier Kingfisher Airlines hopes to fly to international destinations by mid 2007, once it receives delivery of Airbus A-330 wide-bodied aircraft.
The government on Tuesday restored the payment of productivity-linked incentives (PLI) to Air India's functional directors, five months after stopping it. With losses mounting, the Air India Board had approved a cut of up to 50 per cent in the monthly PLI for the airline's executive directors and other functional directors in September last year, as part of cost-cutting measures.
Government has postponed by a month a decision to privatise four of the countrys biggest airports pending more inter-ministry consultations, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Friday.
Price appreciation since the aircraft order in 2005 could yield Rs 7,200-crore gain.
Days after exchange of words between the Planning Commission and the Civil Aviation Ministry, the process of Kolkata airport modernisation is all set to start with the Public Investment Board meeting in New Delhi later this week to give its nod to the Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 20 billion) project .
Cabinet approval for greenfield airports within the 150 km radius of an existing airport is being done away with, according to the new greenfield airports policy, which has recently been sent for Cabinet consideration by the civil aviation ministry. This would have serious implications for airports in large metro cities including Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai, where a second airport will eventually be a reality.
All airports and air carriers are being informed to be ready for operations from May 25. SOPs for passenger movement are also being separately issued by the ministry of civil aviation.
To meet the exigencies on highways, the civil aviation ministry has suggested to the surface transport ministry to earmark space for helipads every 100 kilometres on major national highways.
The plan, vetted by the finance and civil aviation ministries, is likely to include proposals relating to the nature of financial assistance it wants from the government, including equity infusion and soft loan.
The National Company Law Tribunal on Tuesday approved the Jalan-Kalrock Consortium's resolution plan for the bankrupt Jet Airways.
The international airport will initially focus on cargo exports as the passenger needs would be extensively served by the upcoming international airport near Panvel in Navi Mumbai, which is just 90 minutes' drive from Pune. The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation has issued a notice to begin the land acquisition procedure.
In his second term in office, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has retained 34 portfolios.
Worried over security of VIPs and movement of money in poll-bound Bihar, the Election Commission has written to Civil Aviation Ministry to deploy trained security personnel and baggage scanners at the unguarded state hangar in Patna.
The ministry and the civil aviation regulator have said the government will consider the airline's request for slots as per existing policy.
