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BIAL terminal needs immediate expansion

The managements, of both, Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL), and, of their partners, have been going hammer and tongs for the last 18 days, correcting problems. Many of the “teething problems” have been addressed, the few others, hopefully, very soon. However, the passenger terminal building (PTB) is not a “teething issue”, and needs to be expanded on a war footing. …

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Thai Airways cancels Bangkok-New York non-stop flights

Thai Airways cancels Bangkok-New York non-stop services, sells all four A340-500sSurging oil prices force airlines to cut back, but Lufthansa expandsBy TBM Staff | Mumbai According to a Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) news report, Thai Airways will cancel its non-stop services from Bangkok to New York and sell all four A340-500s, in response to surging oil prices. It …

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Flash Strike at BIAL Cargo Complex

Wednesday, 11 June 2008, saw employees of Customs House Agents (CHAs), go on a flash strike, at the two cargo terminal buildings (CTBs) at Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL). The CTBs at BIAL are operated by Air India – Singapore Airport Terminal Services (AI-SATS) and Menzies Aviation Bobba Group. The AI-SATS warehouse was forced to open on May 24, 2008, along …

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Bangalore enters MasterCard Worldwide Centres of Commerce index

3 Indian cities in world’s top centres of commerce Delhi, June 9: Reflecting the growing global economic clout of the Asian region, three Indian cities — Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore have been ranked among the 75 top centres of commerce in the world. According to a study titled ‘Mastercard Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index’, London has been ranked as …

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India airline sector flies into big losses as fuel prices surge

(XFN-Asia) India’s airline sector is flying into huge losses on the back of a surge in global fuel prices that have forced it to hike fares, slowing passenger growth. Its woes pushed the airlines to a combined loss of USD938 billion in the fiscal year to Mar-08 and Aviation Secretary, Ashok Chawla, says the figure could double this year if …

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Forgotten milestones in the BIAL saga

Important and mostly forgotten dates in the BIAL saga Project conceived in 1991 June 1998 Tata-Changi-Raytheon consortium walks out over delay in clearance May 1999: MoU signed between KSIIDC and Airport Authority of India June 1999: Expression of interest invited November 8, 2000: Bidders asked to submit detailed project report October 29, 2001: Siemen’s led consortium selected by Government of …

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Bengaluru needs a single aviation platform

Bengaluru, June 7: After the initial barrage of criticism over the inconvenience caused to passengers, Bengaluru International Airport has achieved ‘punctuality’ and efficiency within two weeks itself said BIAL CEO Albert Brunner in his first interview to this newspaper after the airport started operations. Q.Ground handling has become an issue. What is the real problem? A. There is a lot …

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BIAL plagued by cargo inefficiencies

In my visit report of 28-May-2008, I have highlighted the shortcomings of BIAL in the services and cargo areas. On 7-June, CNBC-TV18 is confirming, the situation is far from acceptable. If you are sending a package to or from Bangalore, be prepared for a delay of at least two days. That’s not all, you will be paying more for it …

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Suggestions for BIAL to get the airport in order

It is approaching 2 weeks since the launch of the new Bengaluru International Airport and the management of BIAL has been making steady progress in solving the multitude of problems present. Before I offer some suggestions for BIAL management for their consideration, I make an open offer to BIAL management, on behalf of the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce. …

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BIAL denies it barred IndiGo ground handling

Govt may not implement new ground-handling policyBS Reporter / New Delhi June 05, 2008 The recent dispute between the Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) and Indian carriers may make the government go back on its decision to implement the new ground-handling policy next year. According to sources in the civil aviation ministry, Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) has said that …

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SpiceJet cancels 15 flights in South

Our Bureau Bangalore, June 2 Low cost airlines have starting turning away from the new international airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore with SpiceJet having cancelled nearly 15 flights in the South, with most of them from these two airports. SpiceJet chief commercial officer, Mr Samyukth Sridharan, told Business Line that the airline now runs only one flight out of Bangalore …

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Airline Industry Bids Farewell to Paper Ticket

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched a new era in air travel as it bid farewell to the paper ticket on the eve of the industry’s conversion to 100% electronic ticketing. The history of tickets Paper tickets date back to the 1920s. Each airline used a different form with varying rules. Airlines soon recognised the need for standardisation of …

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We will negotiate with BIAL, HAL: Yeddyurappa

http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=38892 BS Reporter / New Delhi June 2, 2008, 17:47 IST Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today said that he was committed to negotiating with the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) over keeping the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) airport open following high court directions. “I will be complying with the high courts direction that we renegotiate with BIAL, in …

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BIAL flight performance improving

It is now the 10th day of operations for Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL). The graph below shows the slow and steady improvement of flight performance operations. The situation, however, is far from satisfactory. Average delays are still hovering at 40 minutes, which is bordering on “highly delayed”, and only 70% of flights leave within 15 minutes of their scheduled time …

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Holding BIAL to a higher standard

Readers must get the impression that I am anti-BIAL. Sorry, nothing can be further from the truth. As a lifelong believer in Bangalore’s desperate need for more and better infrastructure, I have always welcomed BIAL from the day it was conceived. I do hold, BIAL to a significantly higher standard of delivery. From day one, in justification of the over …

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BIAL real time flight information

You can now obtain Real Time flight Departure and Arrival information for BIAL Airport, Bangalore, on the Bangalore Aviation blog. In addition there are options of a flight tracker and other goodies. Please do give me your comments and views of this blog, and the new developments. There are links to sites like Authorati, Technorati, Del.ico.us, Digg, and Newsvine, which …

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BIAL inches towards normalcy

It appears that Mr. Brunner and members of his team have listened to the pleas of Bangalore. They have been on-site, getting things fixed, apologising and comforting passengers, putting pressure on their ground handling agents, and other sub-concessionaires to get in to shape. Ever so slowly things are falling in to place. Airlines are reporting smoother operations by and large. …

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BIAL visit 28-May-2008, service infrastructure in shambles

A picture is worth a thousand words. So I will let the images do the talking of my visit to BIAL on May 28, 2008. While much is said about the passenger terminal building and the passenger experience, the support facilities are in a sorry shape, and partly explain the problems, plaguing the passenger terminal. The cargo terminal building of …

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BIAL passengers fume as crew hunts for missing plane

Sandhya Ravishankar / CNN-IBN Tue, May 27, 2008 at 13:13 in Nation section MISSING IN ACTION: Minutes before departure, the crew of Indian said the plane couldn’t be located. Bangalore: You have heard of planes going missing in flight, but have you heard of a jet going missing at the airport? That’s exactly what happened at the new Bangalore International …

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