Air Deccan:
Air Deccan will provide connectivity to Imphal from Kolkata and Silchar. These flights commenced operation on October 30, with daily flights to Kolkata via Guwahati on an Airbus 320 (180 seater) and to Silchar on an 48 seater ATR-42. The new sectors being launched in the North East region will provide flight connectivity to Imphal with airline accessible destinations like Dibrugarh, Silchar and Guwahati in Assam, Aizwal in Mizoram and Agartala in Tripura at the lowest flight fares among the existing flight services available in the North East. (15 November 2006)

Delhi Airport:
Duty free shops of some of the world`s most famous brands will soon flank Delhi Airport. The Delhi International Airport (DIAL) has awarded the duty free shopping contract for Indira Gandhi International Airport to `Alpha - Pantaloon Consortium`, comprising the UK-based Alpha Airports Group and Pantaloon Retail (India), a Future Group venture. An agreement was signed between GMR DIAL, and Alpha-Pantaloon Consortium for a consideration of approximately Rs 5 billion. The term of the contract is 3.25 years. (15 November 2006)

Hubli Airport:
Hubli airport might get night landing facility for wide-bodied aircraft. Absence of night landing and take-off facility had prevented private airlines from starting regular flights from Hubli. Airports Authority of India has been entrusted with the job, but the work has been delayed for long. Kingfisher Airlines will start services linking Hubli with Bangalore and Delhi by November-end. As per the revised master plan, AAI will require 446 acres of additional land to upgrade the Hubli airport to allweather, night landing complaint facility capable of taking wide-bodied jets like Air-bus A-320s. (14 November 2006)

US India Deal:
The Indian government has signed an agreement with the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to help it develop and modernise its nascent but booming aviation sector. FAA assistance will include technical and managerial expertise in developing civil aviation infrastructure, standards, procedures, policies, and training and equipment. It would also help in the inspection and calibration of aviation equipment and air navigation facilities, and in the certification of Indian airports. (14 November 2006)

Hyderabad International Airport:
GMR, the consortium modernising Delhi and Hyderabad international airport is planning an aviation zone in Hyderabad. Under the plans envisaged, the proposed multi-product SEZ will focus on aviation-related activities and will be a part of Hyderabad international airport. GMR has set aside Rs. 15 billion for the project. The airport, which involves an estimated investment of over Rs. 17 billion in the first phase, is expected to complete by April 2008. The Andhra Pradesh government has already given its go-ahead for the multi-product SEZ. The proposed zone will undertake activities such as avionics and aviation components, aircraft maintenance and consumer electronics. (14 November 2006)

A380:
According to Frost & Sullivan, airports across the world are gearing up to accommodate the entry of the Airbus A380 in 2007 by investing billions of dollars in facilities enlargement. However, the investments related to the A380 comprise only a small part of the total master plan spending aimed at meeting the requirements of increasing air traffic. Nearly 60 airports worldwide will be able to accommodate the jet by 2010, although the actual operations of the A380 will itself be limited to between 40 - 50 airports. The impact of the A380 super jumbo – the largest airplane to enter the air transportation market – will be enormous. By 2015, airports around the world will have invested over US $8 billion to prepare their facilities to handle the new aircraft. (13 November 2006)

Embraer:
Embraer aims to sell at least 200 regional jets in Asia, excluding China, over the next two decades and sees most of the demand for its aircraft from India, Japan and Australia. This target for 200 jets is based on expectations of total demand for 410 jets in Asia, excluding China. The company expects the strongest demand for regional jets to come from the US and Europe over the next 20 years. Embraer expects increased activity in India. Its jets are flown by India's Paramount Airways, Chinese carrier Mandarin Airlines, and Hong Kong Express.
(13 November 2006)

EVA Airways:
EVA Airways is scheduled to inaugurate new passenger flights to India to meet growing demand. The airways would provide three flights weekly between Taipei and Mumbai, beginning 10 December 2006. EVA is the country's second carrier to open passenger flight services to India, following China Airlines, which began regular passenger flight operations between Taipei and New Delhi on 1 April 2001. (13 November 2006)

Jet Airways:
Jet Airways is all set to begin flights from India to the US and Canada. The private sector airline has applied to the Center for slots for its aircraft to operate flights from here to the US. Initially, the airline plans to operate from Delhi and Mumbai to three US cities — New York, Chicago and either San Francisco or Los Angeles. However, the airline will also have to await clearance from the US Government before it can start operating regular commercial flights from India. Sources indicated that the routes being considered by the airline include operating Mumbai-Brussels-New York and Mumbai-Shanghai-San Francisco. (11 November 2006)

Air India:
Air India has signed on a letter of intent with Montrose Global Capital LLC for dry lease of three aircraft. This comes just as the company is planning to ramp up its operations for the busy summer season next year. This deal is for dry lease of three Boeing 747-400 aircraft and these would join the Air India’s fleet in February and March next year. Air India in addition has also decided to take one 767-300 ER aircraft on wet lease from Globespan Airways UK.
(11 November 2006)

Indian:
Indian is going for aggressive expansion of both its fleet as well as distribution network. After deciding to take on lease five A320s and six regional jets, the company is likely to go live on all the major global distribution systems (GDS) in the country by next week including Galileo and Amadeus. The final deal with GDS providers is expected to be signed on 16 November. The airline, currently operates a fleet of 73 aircraft. With the addition of 11 more aircraft, the carrier will have the largest fleet size among the domestic carriers, 26 more than the current market leader Jet Airways’s fleet of 57 aircraft. (10 November 2006)

Rolls-Royce:
The Indian aviation sector is tempting UK-based aircraft engine maker, Rolls-Royce, to pursue engine component design and manufacturing here. The decision by UK-based aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce to broaden its partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and foray into civil aerospace sector is a sign of the emerging trend. Global aircraft and engine manufacturers like Airbus, Boeing, GE, Snecma and Pratt & Whitney, are keen to set up facilities here and undertake engine design and manufacturing. Analysts expect the Asian aircraft engine market to touch US $215 billion in the next 20 years. Four of the major Indian private carriers -- Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Air Deccan and Indigo, have placed orders for engines for their new aircraft with Rolls-Royce. (10 November 2006)

Alliance Air:
Alliance Air is back to full operational strength in the Northeast after a period of crisis. The airline, a subsidiary of Indian Airlines, has finally overcome the shortage of pilots. Alliance Air has lately been recruiting pilots from Argentina and Africa. While Indian Airlines operates between Kolkata and Aizawl with its Airbus 300, Alliance Air flies between Guwahati and Aizawl with its fleet of ATR 42 aircraft. The airlines will stabilise its existing services within six months but there is no plan to connect Aizawl with other Northeast states. (10 November 2006)

Malaysia Airlines:
Malaysia Airlines will sign a special pro-rate agreement with Kingfisher Airlines as a way to improve its hub. The agreement to be sealed by end of this year would provide travellers with seamless connectivity to about 17 destinations in India. Kingfisher operates services to domestic scheduled destinations, covering Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Guwahati, Kolkata, Pune, Agartala, Dibrugarh, Mangalore, Srinagar, Vishakhapatnam and Jaipur. MAS, on the other hand, flies to Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabab, Mumbai and Bangalore. MAS has similar agreements with Gulf Air in the Middle East and Virgin Blue of Australia. (9 November 2006)

India's Aviation Sector:
India's aviation industry is booming in line with the sector's liberalisation as well as the growing economy, says Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. In 2010, domestic and international passenger traffic are expected to surge as the country is taking delivery of between five and six aircraft every month and such scenario is projected to continue until 2010. According to industry analysts, India should review its FDI limit in air transport. The country needed to increase the limit to 79 percent from 49 percent currently and allow foreign airlines to invest in India's carriers. (9 November 2006)

Lufthansa Airlines:
Lufthansa Airlines is now preparing to join the bandwagon of international carriers looking at non-metro India for growth. The airline is exploring plans to fly into two non-metro cities — Pune and Ahmedabad — next year as part of plans to spread its wings in the Indian skies. Prior to that, the firm will restart flights to Kolkata this December — over three decades after it pulled out of the market to focus on Delhi and Mumbai. The airline has temporarily withdrawn one flight from Hyderabad to start the Kolkata flight. (9 November 2006)

Mumbai-Delhi route:
At number seven, the Mumbai-Delhi air corridor is among the world’s 10 busiest domestic routes, according to the 2006 findings by UK-based Official Airline Guide (OAG), a travel and transport information company. The survey was based on the number of flights operating per week. OAG collates data from more than 1,000 airlines daily, and tracks around 28 million departures a year. The route between Barcelona and Madrid has topped the list, edging up from second place this time last year. It has displaced the Brazilian route between Sao Paulo Congonhas and Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont. (8 November 2006)

Delhi airport:
With Supreme Court removing legal hurdles in its path, GMR-led Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has decided to hasten the process of developing a world-class airport infrastructure — replete with shopping malls, hotels and even a nine-hole golf course — in time for Commonwealth Games in 2010. Over the next few weeks, DIAL is planning to freeze the design for the new-look IGI airport in Delhi as also finalise contracts for operating Duty-Free outlets for the next three years. Negotiations with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) are also expected to be completed within this month for providing a Connaught Place-IGI rail link. (8 November 2006)

India Inc:
The number of corporate jets in the country is expected to double to 300 in the next 18 months as they become the next status symbol for India Inc. Real estate major DLF group, TVS Motors, power and airport major GMR Group and consumer durables giant Videocon have all received permission to buy or lease corporate jets. Others like Reliance Industries, the UB Group and the Raymonds group, which already have corporate jets, are adding to their fleets. According to civil aviation ministry sources, in the last five months the government has given approvals for about 30 companies to import about 100 aircraft. Of the new aircraft, 100 will be smaller jets, which include Gulfstream, Beechcraft, Falcon, Airbus and Boeing corporate jets. Helicopters from Bell and at least 12 jets that fly trans-Atlantic non-stop have also been ordered. The demand is so huge that some jet makers like Gulfstream are looking at setting up maintenance facilities in India to serve the growing corporate clientele. (8 November 2006)

Kingfisher Airlines:
Kingfisher Airlines has signed a maintenance deal with Abu-Dhabi-based GAMCO to provide support to the engines and components of ten of the airline’s Airbus A320 aircraft. According to the airline's executive, the new cooperation with GAMCO is part of the company’s plan to ensure reliable operational support and to provide regional MRO connectivity across India.
(7 November 2006)

Delta Airlines:
Kingfisher Airlines has entered an agreement of extended cooperation with Delta Airlines. This agreement would allow Kingfisher Airlines to carry all Delta Airlines guests arriving into Mumbai to their final destinations in India. The Delta Airlines – Kingfisher Airlines partnership is an extensive partnership including the Interline passage/baggage and SPA. The newly inked partnership will soon implement Interline E Ticketing and through check in of baggage and hopes to conclude a loyalty program bilateral in the not so distant future. (7 November 2006)

Jet Airways:
Jet Airways has announced a Kolkata-Port Blair flight, an additional one to Delhi and daily ones to Bangkok from the metropolis as part of its major expansion plan in eastern India. The center had allowed Jet to operate a flight from Kolkata to Bangkok, which would be the first ever foreign flight from the metropolis by a private airline. With the introduction of its Kolkata-Port Blair flight, Jet would have four aircraft based in Kolkata. The airline has also entered into tie-ups with several foreign airlines like United Airlines and Qantas for improved global operations. (7 November 2006)

India Gateway:
International carriers find flying to an economically resurgent India a profitable proposition. All international airlines that are on an expansion mode have made it a point to add an India gateway to their plans, be it Finnair, Delta Airlines or Air Arabia. The increased interest in India comes at a time when the country's economy has been expanding at 8 percent in the last three years. The country has already enlarged the scope of air services agreement with several countries, including the US. (6 November 2006)

Silent Jet:
The silent jet, which from outside an airport would sound about as noisy as a washing machine or other household appliance, would carry 215 passengers and could be in the air by 2030. The breakthrough could bring a welcome change to aviation, industry experts said. Reducing noise in recent years has been a focus of makers of planes, such as Boeing and Airbus, and jet engines, including GE, United Technologies Corp. and Rolls-Royce Plc. (6 November 2006)

Kochi Airport:
Kochi airport is, perhaps, the first airport in the country to have the infrastructure to handle theA-380, the biggest passenger aircraft slated to hit the skies in the near future. An apron capable of handling this biggie — built at a cost of Rs. 2.8 crore — was inaugurated last year. Another highlight is the runway — at 3.4 km, which is one of the longest in the country capable of handling wide-bodied jetliners. The airport has drawn up a massive Rs. 3,500 crore master plan to earn revenue from commercial utilisation of the 440 acres under its ownership.
(6 November 2006)

Bangalore Airport:
According to industry reports, Bangalore airport will soon be equipped to handle two lakh travellers a day. Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), which owns and operates the airport, has modernised its air traffic control systems and will soon install an Airport Surveillance Radar. It has nearly doubled the number of its air traffic controllers and renovated the terminal building. All this will allow the airport to handle 30 flights an hour. Bangalore airport handles 120 domestic and 20 international flights daily. (3 November 2006)

Air Arabia:
Air Arabia is now offering daily Airbus-320 flights between Sharjah and Chennai. This makes Chennai the fifth city in India being connected by Air Arabia. The 162-seater Airbus link would stimulate the present surge witnessed in the Indian civil aviation scenario. The airline was launched in 2003, had now set new trends by keeping the fares nearly 30 to 40 percent lower than the other competitors. (3 November 2006)

Non-metro Airports:
With the Airport Authority of India (AAI) lowering parking charges at ‘non metro’ airports by half, private airlines are now queuing up to these airports to set up their bases. With three such airlines already operating from Ahmedabad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport is now revamping its infrastructure to meet the rising demands for parking space. Private carriers like Spice Jet and Air Deccan have started parking their planes at this airport, while Kingfisher has reserved space but has not started parking yet. Indian Airlines too is setting up a sub-base here. (3 November 2006)

Thai Airways:
Thai Airways will now fly into Bodh Gaya, hoping to cash in on the pilgrim flow to the Buddhist pilgrimage site. The airline's Bangkok-Gaya-Varanasi flight has been scheduled thrice a week till the pilgrim season ends. The airline used to run unscheduled flights to Gaya during winters, but now it has chosen to go full fledged with flights on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
(3 November 2006)

Tiger Airlines:
Tiger Airlines is seeking to fly to five destinations in India and one in Sri Lanka after receiving approval from Singapore authorities. Among the cities are Goa, Kozhikode, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Colombo in Sri Lanka. By the end of 2007, Tiger expects to have a fleet of 12 Airbus single-aisle planes and to fly to 21 points out of Singapore.
(2 November 2006)

Delta Air Lines:
Delta Air Lines has begun the first and only nonstop service between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Mumbai, India. The new route is the latest as Atlanta-based Delta continues its international route expansion. Theairlines said the new route to India will improve customer travel times between Mumbai and the US, reducing the flight duration by at least two hours in each direction when compared to other airlines' one-stop service.
(2 November 2006)

World's Longest Jet:
Britain's second-largest long haul airline Virgin Atlantic Airways has announced the arrival of its maiden Airbus A340-600 flight - the world's longest commercial plane - into India. The A340-600 will operate on the Delhi-London sector. The A340-600 offers almost 30 percent more seats onboard compared to Virgin Atlantic's current aircraft. The return fares to London start at just Rs.20,000. Virgin is the only airline operating the A340-600 in India. The aircraft is part of a $4.7 billion order for 25 aircraft, fitted with Rolls Royce Trent 500 engine series.
(1 November 2006)

Indian:
Indian will double its daily frequency on the Dubai-Delhi route. The carrier will introduce second daily flight on the Dubai-Delhi-Dubai sector with effect from 5 November 2006, in addition to the existing flight thus making double daily flights out of Dubai to Delhi. The new flight will depart from Delhi at 7.50am and arrive in Dubai at 9.45am. The same flight from Dubai would depart as IC898 with departure at 11am and arrival at 3.30pm in Delhi. This flight will also provide excellent connections to Southeast Asian destinations such as Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. (1 November 2006)

SriLankan Airlines:
SriLankan Airlines has been given permission to add another seven frequencies to Mumbai. The airline would double the daily services in the near future. SriLankan is the largest foreign carrier into India, with 87 flights per week. These include 15 to Chennai, 13 to Trivandrum, 11 to Kochi, 10 to Trichy, 8 to Calicut, and daily to New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. (1 November 2006)

Kingfisher Airlines:
Kingfisher Airlines has announced the closing of a sale and lease back transaction for two brand new Airbus A-321 aircraft with Pegasus Aviation Finance Company, the world's largest privately-held independent commercial aircraft lessor. This complements Kingfisher's existing fleet of 10 Airbus A-320s and 3 Airbus A-319s. Under the terms of the transaction, Pegasus will take ownership of the two A-321 aircraft upon delivery from Airbus, and Kingfisher Airlines will concurrently lease them from Pegasus. (1 November 2006)