Samridhi Bhardwaj analyses the dynamics of duty-free liquor allowance in India.
ATC operations provide over 60 per cent of AAI revenue. The move is to ensure focus on revamp of ATC, particularly the key area of staff hiring, where there is a big shortage.
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.
As many as 38 flights, including 23 domestic and nine international, were diverted from the Delhi airport to nearby cities between 6-8.45 pm.
The residents of Sahar Village along with the members of Mitra Mandal, a non-governmental organisation, staged a protest against the recent terror strike at the Chhattrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai on Monday.The protestors urged the airport authorities to ban all aircraft of the Pakistan International Airlines from taking off or landing at the airport. It also urged airport workers to refuse to undertake any work of PIA flights.
There are 600 employees of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in Mumbai who draw their pay with no work to do.
The Supreme Court on declined to stay the transfer of an estimated 1,600 employees of Airport Authority of India (AAI) to various places following privatisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports.
The government on Tuesday said the major private domestic airlines owed over Rs 274 crore (Rs 2.74 billion) to the Airports Authority of India for availing its services.
Cites technical reasons; crew told to apologies to passengers and provide feedback forms for those seeking a refund for pre-booked meals
The appointment of Agarwal, who would replace Dr K Ramalingam, has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet, official sources said.Agarwal has been member (Planning) of the state-owned airports body since November 2006 and had served as executive director of the Northern and Northeastern Region earlier.
However, the court refused to stay the order of the Delhi high court that upheld such levy, saying, "we are not inclined to stay it. . . No airport could be developed if they don't have funds."
Kingfisher, Jet and state-owned Air owe Rs 4,000 crore to oil companies and airports. Dues to the Airports Authority of India, private airports and oil companies IOC, BPCL and HPCL were to have been cleared by March 31, under the government's mandate. Industry figures show that the three airlines are collectively projected to make operating losses of Rs 5,000 crore.
British architecture firm Zaha Hadid Architects bagged the contract from Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited after a 12-week design competition, and will design the new airport's Terminal 1 and air traffic control tower.
The terminal and airside development of as many as nine of the 16 non-metro airports, supposed to be completed by next month, has been delayed till next year. This included construction and expansion of terminal buildings, runways and taxiways, among other things.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the handing over of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur to a joint venture (JV) company for upgrading it to a multi-modal international passenger and cargo hub.
MIAL's move comes at a time when the national carrier is in the process of joining Star Alliance.
Construction activities for modernising and expanding the Kolkata and Chennai airports by the Airports Authority of India will begin by the end of next month, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said on Thursday. Replying a question on the government's recent decision to allow charging of user development fees by the private operator of the new Hyderabad airport, Patel said "We are considering the same for the new airport at Bangalore."
Air India stares at an operational loss of Rs 2,171 crore in 2014-15.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has assured SHiv Sena workes that it would stay the transfer orders of its 2,500 employees after the workers agitated at the Mumbai airport on Monday and threatened that the concerned employees would stop working if demands were not met.
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.
In a move that would have a major impact on flight services across the country, around 15,000 employees of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are planning to go on an indefinite countrywide strike from May 1.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI), the country's largest airport operator, has been granted the mini-ratna status under category-I.
After much bickering, the Airports Authority of India and the state government-promoted Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation have agreed on the shareholding pattern of the company that will develop Nagpur's proposed international airport.
The Communist Party of India on Thursday demanded in the Lok Sabha that the existing airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore should not be closed down to "protect interest of private sector".
The airport operations are likely to be disrupted as the employees have threatened to start an indefinite 'non-cooperation movement' from march 12 after the government today rejected their demands for continuing operations of Bangalore and Hyderabad airports. The existing airports in both the metros are to be closed down once the new greenfield airports launch their operations.
The Airports Authority of India, would be turned into a company by amending laws to enable the body raise funds from market for carrying out modernisation of a large number of major airports across the country, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said on Tuesday.
Family members alleged medical negligence on part of the airport, a charge which the airport authorities denied.
Out of the total Plan outlay of Rs12164.76 crore (Rs 121.65 billion) for the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Rs 190 crore (Rs 1.9 billion) is the budgetary support.
Though private airports did not spell out the exact sum owed by Kingfisher, in strict confidentiality one of the private airport operators confirmed that the airline was the biggest defaulter with them. Airport charges include landing, parking, terminal and route navigation levy. Though AAI has enforceable bank guarantees, private airport operators do not have this facility.
Flight operations at Srinagar Airport were on Monday suspended after an Air India plane from Jammu with 149 passengers on board suffered a tyre burst.
ITDC/Aldeasa, a joint venture between state-owned Indian Tourism Development Corporation and Spanish company Aldeasa, had bagged the contract for duty-free operations at Mumbai airport for Rs 571 crore (Rs 5.71 billion) in February. Operations were to start in June. Instead, two weeks ago, Aldeasa wrote to MIAL saying that the contract value should be reduced to Rs 250 crore (Rs 2.5 billion).
"Had the government agreed to this proposal of the AAI, the (modernisation of) Mumbai and Delhi airports would have been completed by this time," the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture said in its latest report. While opposing privatisation, the report said the AAI proposal, which promised to revamp the two facilities in a much shorter time, was "turned down for unknown reasons."
The Rs 1,808-crore modernisation and expansion plan for Chennai airport, which was recently cleared by the Public Investment Board and expected to begin this September, may not be sufficient to cope with projected growth in passenger traffic.
Announcing this in New Delhi, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said trial runs on the new third runway of IGI Airport would begin in ten days from now. Once operational, it would go a long way to ease the air traffic congestion over the Delhi airspace. The two airports, as per the recommendations of the respective state governments, would be developed by the state-owned AAI and not privatised.
SpiceJet owes around Rs 240 crore (Rs 2.40 billion) to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for using its airports in the country.
Employees of Airport Authority of India began a "non-cooperation" drive across the country at the stroke of midnight opposing the closure of existing airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad. There has been no disruption in services so far. The domestic or international flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai Hyderabad and Kolkata airports were on schedule. However, baggage services were affected in some airports.
The Airport Authority of India, Prasar Bharati, Food Corporation of India and fertiliser and pharmaceutical PSUs have seen a significant increase in budgetary support this year. However, the railways and Delhi Metro, the lifeline of the capital, got less due to improved operational strengths. The Plan investment figures for public enterprises indicate not a single rupee has been earmarked for any PSU under the ministries of petroleum and natural gas, mines, coal etc.
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday gave its approval for private participation in the construction of international airport in Bangalore.