Tag Archives: Civil Aviation Ministry

Seven key implementation challenges of UDAN the Regional Connectivity Scheme

Tails of Air India and it's old subsidiary Alliance Air.

5 bidders were awarded routes under th;e regional connectivity scheme called UDAN and announced this Thursday. The selected bidders were SpiceJet Alliance Air TruJet Air Odisha Air Deccan These airlines collectively are scheduled to fly 128 RCS routes connecting the North, South, East and West parts of the countries with unserved and underserved cities.  Bangalore Aviation has been looking at …

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Anticipated change(s) to the 5/20 rule and its impact

A view of the ramp at Bangalore Airport.

The Indian government is in the final stages of finalizing the civil aviation policy and the 5/20 rule remains one of the core issues of contention. With the rule being integral to international operations and expansion strategy, airlines are lobbying hard for/against it depending on their own plans. The 5/20 rule was introduced in 2004 and stipulates that an airline …

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Indian aviation largely overlooked in the 2016 budget

The nightly aircraft line-up tail parade at the apron of Kempegowda International Airport Bangalore

For all the talk of the Government promoting aviation and as the industry watched with baited breath, the budget seems to have continued the Modi-government’s ignoring of  civil aviation. The sum-total budget proposals pertinent to aviation do not even warrant us writing an article. If anything, they could likely be summed up in an SMS message. Namely, Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) …

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Chennai airport flooding: Expert warned authorities 7 years earlier

Chennai airport flooded. IAF helicopter view from west.

Air safety expert and member of the government appointed safety committee, Captain Ranganathan had warned the authorities about the flooding of Chennai airport over seven years ago. In an article titled “Viable project or white elephant?” published in the Hindu Business Line print edition dated August 13, 2008, the airline captain with over 35 years of flying experience lambasted the …

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Opinion: AirAsia India must perform to Fernandes hype in perverse market

First flight of AirAsia India. Takeoff.

In March 2012, when AirAsia India was not even an idea, the long distance affiliate of its parent AirAsia, AirAsia X, withdrew from both New Delhi and Mumbai citing extremely high airport charges. Through the formation and application process of AirAsia India, group boss Tony Fernandes repeatedly claimed his Indian affiliate would not fly to New Delhi and Mumbai any …

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Air India faces a jumbo fleet problem

A tail parade of each of Air India's Boeing aircraft as in 2011. The 747-400, 777-300ER, 777-200LR and 737-800.

National carrier Air India finds itself in a jumbo-sized problem. It has a huge excess of wide-body ‘jumbo’ and ‘mini-jumbo’ aircraft used for international flights, while facing a severe shortage of narrow body aircraft leaving it unable to capitalise on the increased winter demand and the additional demand shying away from SpiceJet due to the latter’s financial troubles. The current …

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Opinion: Proposed civil aviation policy is a good wish list but needs specifics

Air India Airbus A321 VT-PPO. Seen here handing in the early morning light at Bangalore Airport.

In a welcome move, the Indian government published a draft civil aviation policy via the ministry of civil aviation yesterday, November 10th. However, industry stakeholders the were left wanting. The document lacks the comprehensive, detailed, well laid-out, and deliberate plans that addresses the urgent, nay critical needs of the industry and by extension the nation and its economy. Read the …

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Opinion: Phased abolishment of 5/20 rule will be fair to all Indian airlines

The nightly aircraft line-up tail parade at the apron of Kempegowda International Airport Bangalore

One of the most regressive pieces of policy in Indian commercial aviation is the ‘5/20 rule‘ which requires Indian carriers to fly for a minimum of five years and have a fleet of 20 aircraft before they can operate overseas routes. At a time when the Indian economy was growing, and air traffic rising exponentially, this rule held back Indian …

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Lufthansa receives approval to operate A380 to New Delhi

German flag carrier Deutsche Lufthansa AG whose plan to operate the Airbus A380 super-jumbo on the New Delhi Frankfurt route was delayed due to non-approval of their winter schedule by various authorities under India’s ministry of civil aviation (read related story), has finally obtained approval of the schedule. A spokesperson for the airline informed Bangalore Aviation that the airline now …

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Bureaucratic snafus stop Lufthansa A380 Frankfurt New Delhi flights – Update 1

Original story published Oct. 30, 20:00 IST (14:30 UTC) German flag carrier Deutsche Lufthansa AG seems to be having a torrid time becoming the first European airline to commence Airbus A380 super-jumbo services to India. Its A380 service on the Frankfurt New Delhi route which was to commence last Sunday is seemingly stuck in some bureaucratic wrangle, and the ‘appropriate …

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Route dispersal guidelines: the anguish of airline network planners

Air India Airbus A321 VT-PPO. Seen here handing in the early morning light at Bangalore Airport.

[bsu_quote cite=”US President Ronald Reagan, August 15, 1986″] If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.[/bsu_quote] Reagan’s critique on government’s view of the economy can be applied to Indian aviation and the remote connectivity policy or route dispersal guidelines (often referred to as RDGs) implemented by the Ministry of Civil …

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Another demonstration of why the government should not run Air India

A report in The Financial Express discusses a 26-point missive sent to national carrier Air India by its boss, the minister of civil aviation Mr. Ashok Gajapathi Raju. Official termed “guidelines” these are practically a diktat. These guidelines were sent after reports of serious concerns at the Star Alliance, the world’s largest grouping of airlines which Air India joined just …

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Opinion: Un-fare meddling DGCA must focus on passenger friendly policies

Air India Airbus A321 VT-PPO. Seen here handing in the early morning light at Bangalore Airport.

Last Sunday, June 15th, The Economic Times newspaper carried my opinion piece on the excessive meddling of the Indian civil aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation or DGCA in short, in the day-to-day operations of airlines in India. Using the example of how the DGCA, in direct contradiction of its own policies (read DGCA ATC 3 of 2013 …

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Air India officials want minister to do their jobs

Virtually everyone in the industry, including Air Indians, complain about the excessive interference by the ministry in the day-to-day operational issues of the airline instead of focussing on broad-based industry oriented issues like a comprehensive civil aviation policy or a strong regulator which would have prevented India’s safety status be downgraded, etc. Yet, going by a media report in The …

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Analysis: FAA downgrades India to Category 2 safety status

by Vinay Bhaskara Earlier this month, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a major downgrade of India’s aviation safety rating, citing a lack of safety oversight on the part of India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The downgrade to Category 2 is a significant national embarrassment, and comes after months, if not years, of FAA warnings to …

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Analysis: Which airlines will fly their A380s to India?

Last week, the Indian aviation community was abuzz with the news that the government had finally permitted operations of the Airbus A380 in to India. In its announcement, the ministry mentioned Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, and Emirates as potential candidates in operating the aircraft to India, but there are seven other operators of the giant, all of whom, with the exception …

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Video: Government demands VIP culture at private airlines

That the government of India abuses its “Netjets” – Air India is a fact well known. Members of Parliament (MP), along with their “families”, “assistants”, and other hangers-on are provided all kinds of personalised treatment right from the kerb from where the MP is personally escorted, priority check-in, no security-screening, free snacks, free lounge access, some even want a golf …

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Tata-SIA joint venture receives FIPB approval

by Devesh Agarwal Photo © Devesh Agarwal The joint venture of Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Tata Sons, Tata SIA Airlines Ltd., to set up a full service airline, has won approval from India’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). The company has an initial capital outlay of $100 million with Tatas holding 51% and Singapore Airlines holding 49%. Tata-SIA will now …

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