Air Deccan:
Air Deccan will start non-scheduled air services to the US and Europe using luxury jets, as it does not meet the government’s conditions for scheduled operations on international routes. Deccan Aviation is planning to acquire two business jets for over Rs 100 crore for this. Air Deccan has also set up a subsidiary in Sri Lanka, aimed at starting scheduled operations, to come around Indian regulations, which do not allow carriers with less than five years of service and a 20-aircraft fleet to operate international services. Deccan Aviation, which already owns a fleet of 10 helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft, is looking to acquire high-end luxury jet Lear 45 XR. (31 August 2006)

Kingfisher Airlines:
Kingfisher Airlines has inked a deal with North East Tourism Development Corporation (NETDC) to promote the region as preferred tourism destination to holiday-goers across the country. As part of the deal, it will create awareness about tourism destinations in the northeast, and offer special packages on board for our flights. Special packages will be offered to flights from Kolkata to Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Agartala. (31 August 2006)

Airport Expansion:
Modernisation of Tiruchy airport is progressing at a steady pace. The effort is expected to give a major pep to air traffic in the region and help Tiruchy to transform into a strategic air travel hub. While the works to construct the state-of-the-art terminus has picked up momentum, tenders for the apron expansion had been received and would be opened in the first week of September. The up gradation proposal had been mooted owing to the fact that bigger aircraft would land here once the expanded runway became operational. The fire station would be provided with more vehicles and the capacity of water at disposal would also be increased. Manpower would also be increased once it gets upgraded. (31 August 2006)

Nagpur Airport:
Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), the special purpose vehicle of the state government, will float a new company to develop Nagpur Airport at an estimated cost of over Rs 2,000 crore. In the new company, private players will be permitted to own 64 percent of the equity, MADC will hold 26 percent in the form of land and 13 percent will be with Airports Authority of India (AAI). The airport, spread over 1,200 hectares, will be an international hub with ultimate space for parking 50 aircraft in the terminal and 50 aircraft remote.
(30 August 2006)

Air India:
Major development projects are in the offing for Air India, especially in the Kerala region. Air India has placed orders for 18 new-generation aircraft, which will add to the Air India Express fleet within one year. The estimated cost is Rs 5,000 crore. Kerala is considered a growing market by the aviation industry. AI holds 25 percent of the aviation market share in the domestic sector and 20 percent in the international sector. It is planning to increase the frequency to other countries. It will start four more flights to Dubai from Kochi. A standby aircraft will station at the Cochin airport to meet exigencies due to flight disruption.
(30 August 2006)

Boeing:
Boeing will invest US$ 280 million in India for setting up an airplane maintenance facility and a pilot training centre. The US-based aircraft maker also plans to double its long-term forecast for sales in the country to 856 planes worth $72 billion by 2026. Boeing has confirmed orders valued at around $19 billion for 106 aircraft of various configuration, including smaller and large wide-bodied planes, to be executed by 2011. Last year, Boeing received orders worth $15 billion from Indian carriers, including an order for 68 airplanes worth $11.4 billion from the state-run Air-India, the largest order in the country’s civil aviation history. (30 August 2006)

Air Sahara:
Boeing has won a firm order for 10 jets from Air Sahara. Boeing nearly doubled its forecast for India's airplane demand amid brisk economic growth and a boom in air travel. The deal for the Boeing 737-800 jets is valued at $700 million at list price. Delivery of the planes will start in mid-2009. Air Sahara is trying to ramp up operations after a proposed merger with Jet Airways. Air Sahara's fleet currently comprises 27 Boeing jets. (29 August 2006)

Security Upgrade:
Security equipment worth Rs 160 crore will be installed at the Delhi and Mumbai international airports in the coming months. According to civil aviation ministry sources, the equipment will be installed in a phased manner. Currently, the Mumbai airport has no Explosive Trace Detectors (ETD), though some airlines like Jet Airways have them. Other security systems to be added are metal detectors and an in-line baggage screening system, which will require less labour than current ones. (29 August 2006)

Jet Airways:
Jet Airways has earned the distinction of receiving the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) Registration. The airline has successfully completed the Operational Safety Audit and has entered into the IOSA Registry. By 2007, all IATA members will need to have completed the IOSA audit in order to achieve or maintain their membership status. With the implementation of IOSA, the industry has achieved the benefits of cost-efficiency through a significant reduction in audits. (29 August 2006)

SilkAir:
SilkAir, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, plans to introduce its services at the Coimbatore airport. During January-April 2006, tourist arrivals from India to Malaysia stood at 75,740, registering an 18 percent increase over arrivals during the corresponding period. Of the 2.25 lakh Indian tourists who visited Malaysia in 2005, 37 percent were from non-metro cities, with the highest number of travellers being from Coimbatore. Passenger traffic to Southeast countries Asian like China and Singapore is also gaining momentum. (28 August 2006)

Deccan Aviation:
Deccan Aviation, India's largest private sector helicopter charter company with a network of bases spanning seven locations across the country, plans to add another two to three helicopters to the company's inventory. Its services include various applications like corporate charters, heli-tourism, medical evacuation, offshore logistic support, geophysical surveys, heli-skiing and aerial reconnaissance. The company currently has a fleet of 10 helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft deployed across bases at Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Ranchi, Hyderabad, Surat and Katra (J&K). (28 August 2006)

Air Sahara:
Air Sahara has launched Delhi-Nagpur-Hyderabad flight -- the first of the 14 new routes that the airlines has planned to serve by December this year. The Delhi-Nagpur flight will take off at 7.20 am from Delhi and arrive here at 8.50 am while Nagpur-Hyderabad will depart at 9.20 am and land at 10.20 am Hyderabad. On its return flight from Hyderabad, it will leave at 5.55pm and arrive here at 6.55 pm and the Nagpur-Delhi flight will take off at 7.25 pm and reach Delhi at 8.55 pm. (28 August 2006)

Boeing:
Boeing will invest US $118 million to set up a MRO facility in Maharashtra as part of the US aerospace firm's India commitments, following the Rs 35,000 crore deal with Air India. The venture, to be set up near Nagpur, will serve as MRO facility to the Boeing family of airplanes for the entire South East Asia. The MRO will be set up in 25-50 acres of land belonging to the Airports Authority of India. (25 August 2006)

Kuwait Airways:
Kuwait Airways plans to launch a thrice weekly service to the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. The flights will begin operating in the airline's winter schedule that goes into force on October 28. The Kuwaiti flag carrier will also increase to four the number of flights it offers to Kochi in Kerala, India, offering services every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. The airline will also operate a twice weekly service between Kuwait and Kuala Lumpur every Tuesday and Friday. (25 August 2006)

Mangalore Airport:
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has given the nod to handle cargo at the Mangalore airport if private parties come forward to do so. The airport would provide land on rental basis for the private parties. A hangar of 1,850 sq metres is ready for the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL). Meanwhile, the first international flight service is expected during the first week of October. The Air India Express is expected to start its international flight during the first week of October 2006. (25 August 2006)

Air Deccan:
Air Deccan is open to acquire another domestic airline as it sets its sight to replace Jet Airways from its top position. However, the airline is currently not considering any acquisitions. The airline expects to post 110 percent increase in revenues by March 2007. In March 2005, its revenues were around Rs 320 crore while it posted a loss of Rs 20 crore in the same year. The airline will have a fleet of 64 aircraft by the end of this year and by 2008, it should have a fleet of between 78 and 80 aircraft. The airlien announced that it would offer three lakh seats at Rs 3 per seat for travel for three months starting from November. (24 August 2006)

EADS to Invest in India:
EADS, European aerospace and defence major, plans to invest two US $2.57 billion in India over the next 15 years in various operations like production and setting up of R&D facilities. The company is expected to announce details about its investment plans next week. The company is in talks with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and its Eurocopter subsidiary for developing a new army helicopter in India. The company already has one Airbus branch office and an EADS office in India. (24 August 2006)

Coimbatore Airport:
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. Presently, there are five airlines -- Go Air, Jet Airways, Indian, Paramount and Air Deccan -- operating services to Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kozhikode, Mumbai and New Delhi. 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. (24 August 2006)

Air Sahara:
Air Sahara is all set to start its operation in remote Andaman and Nicobar islands from 4 September 2006. This would be third private airlines to operate its flights to Port Blair, the capital city of Andamans. Air Sahara would be the first airline to launch Delhi-Port Blair-Delhi via Kolkata flights after massive expansion of Port Blair Airstrip. Presently, these remote Indian islanders are connected with regular flights of Indian, Air Deccan and Jet Airways.
(23 August 2006)

Kingfisher Airlines:
Kingfisher Airlines has announced its participation in the upcoming ABBA concert as its official airline partner. The airline has struck an alliance with National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), India’s premier cultural institution. Down the decades the NCPA has played host to a number of leading international artistes, including the ABBA concert this season between 23-27 August 2006. (23 August 2006)

Indian:
Indian is back as the second largest domestic carrier in the country, overtaking low-cost carrier Air Deccan, by just about a whisker. Industry midgets have started to bite slices off the Indian aviation pie. Though full service carriers are still the biggest players in the market, their share has shrunk from 76.4 percent in January to 60.3 percent in June. (22 August 2006)

US Pilots:
Pilots at the US Airways Group will picket in Philadelphia to pressure the airline's management for a better contract. The demonstration, set for Tuesday at Philadelphia International Airport, is intended to convince the public and the airline that the pilots had a hand in helping the carrier achieve profits in the first two quarters of 2006. (22 August 2006)

Foreign Pilots in India:
Foreign pilots in India earn the highest when compared with expatriate pilots elsewhere. An expatriate pilot flying a wide-bodied aircraft in India earns around $13,000 plus perquisites a month, while he gets around $10,000 in other countries. Indian pilots, on the other hand, earn only an average $7,000 a month, and are not entitled to perks. A key factor drawing expat pilots to India is the bankruptcy of carriers in their native countries. Neither language nor procurement of a flying licence is an issue in India, making it even easier for expat pilots to set up base here. (22 August 2006)

HR Challenge:
The Indian airline sector is experiencing a shortage of flying talent. Most of the Indian airlines are hiring pilots from abroad. Cabin crew finishing schools are mushrooming, but training quality remains a concern. In the US, airlines typically have 14 pilots per plane. India needs thousands of pilots for the hundreds of planes on order. The Indian market is hiring pilots from all over to overcome demand. In the next decade, the supply of Indian pilots will grow and make the nation less dependent on foreign talent. (21 August 2006)

Jazeera Airways:
Jazeera Airways will start flights to Kochi (Cochin), its third destination in India, three times a week from 30 August 2006. The airline will fly to Kochi on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. With flights to Kochi, the 10-month-old airline now flies to 13 destinations, eight of which were added in the last six months. (21 August 2006)

Global Players:
The Indian civil aviation industry has emerged as a hotspot for global players. From global aircraft manufacturers to airport managements, and training academies to in-flight entertainment companies, there has been a beeline to grab a share of the opportunities that are being thrown by the exploding Indian skies. The statistics compiled by Airbus reveal that Indian carriers accounted for 327 out of the 2,140 firm orders for new aircraft that were placed with it and Boeing in 2005. This does not take into account the orders placed for smaller airplanes with other manufacturers like ATR and Dassault. (21 August 2006)

Boeing:
Boeing is expecting more orders from India in the coming years. Recently, Boeing received an order of 10 new planes worth US $700 million from Spice Jet. Boeing is expecting the next phase of bulk orders for planes from freight carriers. In 2005, 10 percent of the total Boeing’s business was from India. The largest of the order received by Boeing is from Air India, which ordered for as many as 68 planes last December. Among other major bulk orders include 20 each from Jet Airways and Spice Jet, including 10 it received last week, and three from Indian Air Force. In addition, Boeing has leased a large number of new aircraft to various airlines in India. (19 August 2006)

SpiceJet:
SpiceJet claims that the Internet bookings have accounted for 78 percent of its sales, 18 percent was driven through the airline's call center and travel agents have accounted for almost five percent. SpiceJet seeks to almost double its current monthly inventory of 2,80,000 seats to 5,00,000 by 2006 end. SpiceJet will also open new routes and connect tier-I and II cities. That apart, it has created a network of 65 Spice shops countrywide that will allow customers to make phone bookings. While the airline currently has a fleet of six aircraft operating 49 daily flights, a further 23 aircraft will be inducted by 2008 end. The entire fleet, including the new aircraft, are Boeing 737-800. (19 August 2006)

Air Sahara:
Air Sahara would be launching 66 new flights connecting 14 new destinations within the country and abroad in the next four months. The airline plans to operate daily flights on several new routes including Delhi-Kochi-Thiruvananthapuram and Delhi-Kolkata-Port Blair. It also plans to start services to tourist destinations such as Jodhpur, Khajurao and Udaipur from different cities across the country. In addition, the airline would be launching daily non-stop flights on the Delhi-Colombo-Male, Delhi-Kolkata-Dhaka and Delhi-Guangzhou sectors shortly. The airline is also interested in operating to Pakistan. (18 August 2006)

Japan Airlines:
Japan Airlines will increase flights to Bangkok, Guangzhou and New Delhi but cut services to Chicago and Manila as it tries to raise passenger numbers and return to profit. The carrier also plans to raise fuel surcharge on tickets for the third time since February 2005 to cope with high oil prices. The airline would increase flights from Tokyo to Bangkok from 14 to 21 per week and from Tokyo to New Delhi from three to four flights per week starting on 29 October 2006, subject to government approval. (18 August 2006)

Non-Economical Airports:
The government has decided to develop some non-economical airports across the country. The decision was taken considering the request of airline operators and the concerned state governments. The airports that are being developed in this regard are at Cooch Behar, Mysore, Surat, Dehradun and Pantnagar. They are being developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). There are 455 airstrips or airports in the country, out of which 127 airports are managed by AAI. (18 August 2006)

Boeing, SpiceJet:
SpiceJet has converted its 10 options into an order for five Next-Generation 737-800s and five 737-900ERs. The order is valued at more than US $700 million at list prices and deliveries are scheduled to begin in late 2007. The options exercised are part of an order SpiceJet originally placed in February 2005. The 10 737s will be fitted with Blended Winglets, which will improve fuel efficiency, increase range and reduce takeoff noise. (17 August 2006)

Beirut Airport:
Beirut international airport will reopen for commercial flights for the first time in five weeks, four days after a UN-backed truce halted the war between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas. The resumption of commercial flights will effectively end an Israeli air blockade of Lebanon. A naval blockade remains in force. The airport shut on July 13 when Israel bombed its runways. (17 August 2006)

Srilankan Airlines:
Srilankan Airlines is offering new flights to Goa in October. It will be the airline’s 10th destination in India and its 50th global destination. The twice-weekly flights are scheduled for Mondays and Saturdays available from all Sri Lankan destinations to Colombo with a connecting flight to Goa. The airline is offering discounts on Skywards members on regular mileage to promote this new destination. (17 August 2006)

Idle Airports:
AAI has embarked on an "idle airports activation program" in the Southern region. The airports in Tuticorin, Vellore, Pondicherry, Salem, Rajahmundry, and Vijayawada will be covered. Besides, facilities in Tirupati and Hubli airports will be upgraded. The AAI has asked the airlines to show sustainable operations to enable it to maintain its facilities at these unused airports. (16 August 2006)

Competition in India’s Aviation Sector:
Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation predicts competition in India’s aviation sector will intensify in the areas of punctuality and customer services. Airlines are waging an intense tussle on fares to grab market share, which are now at historic lows, but the competitive battle will be won or lost in customer retention. According to Kapil Kaul, the center’s CEO, Indian Subcontinent and Middle East, the industry needs the establishment of standardised punctuality reporting, although airport and ATC congestion are currently key barriers to airlines achieving their schedules. (16 August 2006)

India on the Edge of World Aerospace:
With high growth in IT and aerospace technologies, India is on the edge of world aerospace. Indian aerospace firms are internationally competitive and customer oriented. Equipped with comparative advantage of cheap and skilled engineers, India is positioned to become a key-sourcing hub for global aerospace firms. The country’s opportunities in aerospace industry has started off a wave of aerospace engineering and design services to be outsourced to India. While India is set to become a major player, USA has also joined the race in global aerospace market. (16 August 2006)