The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../trapped-indians-in-wuhan-seek-help-from- indian-govt-276752">Government of India</a> is planning to completely privatize the flag carrier airline of the country, as PM Modi administration is going all out in its another attempt to sell Air India and inviting bids to divest its entire stake in it.

Bids are invited by March 17 with Ernst and Young LLP India as exchange guide. Bidders for Air India Ltd. should assimilate $3.26 billion of its debt.&nbsp;

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The government owns 100% stake in Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express. The whole organization will be sold yet successful control needs to remain with Indian nationals.

Air India, which began its operation in 1932 as a mail bearer before winning business ubiquity, saw its fortunes blur with the development of cutthroat low-cost rivalry among domestic airlines. The state-run aircraft has been unfruitful for over 10 years and is burdened with a debt of more than $8 billion.&nbsp;

Indian guidelines permit a foreign airline to purchase as much as 49% of an Indian air carrier, while abroad financial specialists other than aircraft can purchase a whole transporter. The administration didn't locate a single bidder when it attempted to sell Air India in 2018.

The Government of India is planning to completely privatize the flag carrier airline of the country, as PM Modi administration is going all out in its another attempt to sell Air India and inviting bids to divest its entire stake in it.

The Government of India is planning to completely privatize the flag carrier airline of the country, as PM Modi administration is going all out in its another attempt to sell Air India and inviting bids to divest its entire stake in it. Bids are invited by March 17 with Ernst and Young LLP India as exchange guide. Bidders for Air India Ltd. should assimilate $3.26 billion of its debt. × The government owns 100% stake in Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express. The whole organization will be sold yet successful control needs to remain with Indian nationals. Air India, which began its operation in 1932 as a mail bearer before winning business ubiquity, saw its fortunes blur with the development of cutthroat low-cost rivalry among domestic airlines. The state-run aircraft has been unfruitful for over 10 years and is burdened with a debt of more than $8 billion. Indian guidelines permit a foreign airline to purchase as much as 49% of an Indian air carrier, while abroad financial specialists other than aircraft can purchase a whole transporter. The administration didn't locate a single bidder when it attempted to sell Air India in 2018.

Air India disinvestment begins: Modi govt invites bids for 100 per cent stake sale

The government on Tuesday said that privatisation of debt-ridden Air India has become a compulsion as fear grows about the shutdown of the national carrier.

Addressing a press conference here, Union Civil Aviation Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/appalled-by-uk-mps-statement-on-article-370-union-minister-hardeep-puri-245232">Hardeep Singh Puri</a> said that privatisation is the only&nbsp;option and it has to be done.

"I had said earlier also, for us, it is not an option. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/centre-to-go-ahead-with-disinvestment-process-of-air-india-ministry-of-civil-aviation-230982">Air India</a> has to be privatised," Puri said.

The minister said that debt over the national carrier has made it unsustainable and the national carrier needs to go in private hands to keep it running.

He said, "Air India over a period of time has now gathered debt which could be described as unsustainable."

"We do not become a slave to or victim of certain deadlines, we are doing it seriously. We are trying to do it (privatisation of Air India) as quickly as possible," he added.

He also said that the government will issue a new expression of interest to sell the national carrier.

While replying to a question over the air-line fares and will there be any regulation over the same, he said, "Airfares will always be market-driven, no plans to regulate them." Puri had similar comments over the Air India crisis, saying that the Finance Ministry no longer bears the losses of Air India.

"If it (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fuel-supply-to-air-india-stopped-at-six-domestic-airports-report-244881">Air India</a>) is not privatised then from where the money would come for it to function? Earlier we used to go to the Finance Ministry to make up the operating loss. We are not getting any money from the finance ministry, we have to go to banks," Puri said.

This statement comes amid growing fears that the carrier may cease to fly by June next year if the issue is not solved and the resignation of pilots and engineers over non-payment of salaries and other dues.

On Monday, A senior Air India official said that the carrier will not be able to run if a solution to the issue is not found till June.

"If some concrete solution of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-training-iaf-pilots-to-fly-new-boeing-777-aircraft-for-vvip-fleet-254905">Air India</a> issue is not found till June next year, then the national carrier will not be able to run. May shut the airline," the official told sources.

Earlier, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association wrote to Puri, asking him to clear pending dues of pilots and commanders of AI, who, they claimed, have not been paid flying allowances and salaries on time for the last 2-3 years.

Also Watch: WION Wings: A visit to Air India's MRO facility

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The government on Tuesday said that privatisation of debt-ridden Air India has become a compulsion as fear grows about the shutdown of the national carrier. Addressing a press conference here, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that privatisation is the only option and it has to be done.

The government on Tuesday said that privatisation of debt-ridden Air India has become a compulsion as fear grows about the shutdown of the national carrier. Addressing a press conference here, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that privatisation is the only option and it has to be done. "I had said earlier also, for us, it is not an option. Air India has to be privatised," Puri said. The minister said that debt over the national carrier has made it unsustainable and the national carrier needs to go in private hands to keep it running. He said, "Air India over a period of time has now gathered debt which could be described as unsustainable." "We do not become a slave to or victim of certain deadlines, we are doing it seriously. We are trying to do it (privatisation of Air India) as quickly as possible," he added. He also said that the government will issue a new expression of interest to sell the national carrier. While replying to a question over the air-line fares and will there be any regulation over the same, he said, "Airfares will always be market-driven, no plans to regulate them." Puri had similar comments over the Air India crisis, saying that the Finance Ministry no longer bears the losses of Air India. "If it (Air India) is not privatised then from where the money would come for it to function? Earlier we used to go to the Finance Ministry to make up the operating loss. We are not getting any money from the finance ministry, we have to go to banks," Puri said. This statement comes amid growing fears that the carrier may cease to fly by June next year if the issue is not solved and the resignation of pilots and engineers over non-payment of salaries and other dues. On Monday, A senior Air India official said that the carrier will not be able to run if a solution to the issue is not found till June. "If some concrete solution of the Air India issue is not found till June next year, then the national carrier will not be able to run. May shut the airline," the official told sources. Earlier, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association wrote to Puri, asking him to clear pending dues of pilots and commanders of AI, who, they claimed, have not been paid flying allowances and salaries on time for the last 2-3 years. Also Watch: WION Wings: A visit to Air India's MRO facility ×

Air India has to be privatised, no other option: Hardeep Puri

India's aviation minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-be-difficult-for-air-india-to-function-if-it-is-not-privatised-aviation-minister-264860">Hardeep Singh Puri</a> today said that the government has decided to sell its entire 100 per cent stake in Air India under the proposed disinvestment process.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, India's aviation minister said that an Air India specific alternative mechanism has been reconstituted after the formation of the new government.&nbsp;

Puri added that following this the strategic disinvestment of Air India has been approved. The national carrier, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 50,000 crore, has been making losses for long and as part of revival efforts, the government has decided on disinvestment. &nbsp;

The Parliament on August 3 had passed the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which increases the threshold of annual passenger traffic for major airports to over 35 lakh with Civil Aviation stating that the government was committed to privatisation of Air India as its debt has become totally unsustainable.

Air India's net loss in 2018-19 is provisionally estimated to be Rs 8,556.35 crore.&nbsp;

The minister said various measures, including enabling the swift transition of Jet Airways aircraft to other airlines, have been taken to improve the aviation sector.&nbsp;

The full service carrier Jet Airways shuttered operations in April due to cash crunch. Minister Puri last month had said that the first meeting of the group of ministers (GOM) has met and takeN some decisions about Air India.&nbsp;

Puri had reiterated the same point earlier as well. The aviation minister had said that the government was looking a "fair deal" for the national carrier with several trained professionals needed which included engineers.

India's aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri today said that the government has decided to sell its entire 100 per cent stake in Air India under the proposed disinvestment process.

India's aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri today said that the government has decided to sell its entire 100 per cent stake in Air India under the proposed disinvestment process. In a written reply in Lok Sabha, India's aviation minister said that an Air India specific alternative mechanism has been reconstituted after the formation of the new government. Puri added that following this the strategic disinvestment of Air India has been approved. The national carrier, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 50,000 crore, has been making losses for long and as part of revival efforts, the government has decided on disinvestment. The Parliament on August 3 had passed the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which increases the threshold of annual passenger traffic for major airports to over 35 lakh with Civil Aviation stating that the government was committed to privatisation of Air India as its debt has become totally unsustainable. Air India's net loss in 2018-19 is provisionally estimated to be Rs 8,556.35 crore. The minister said various measures, including enabling the swift transition of Jet Airways aircraft to other airlines, have been taken to improve the aviation sector. The full service carrier Jet Airways shuttered operations in April due to cash crunch. Minister Puri last month had said that the first meeting of the group of ministers (GOM) has met and takeN some decisions about Air India. Puri had reiterated the same point earlier as well. The aviation minister had said that the government was looking a "fair deal" for the national carrier with several trained professionals needed which included engineers.

Government to sell 100% stake in Air India: Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri in Lok Sabha

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fuel-supply-to-air-india-stopped-at-six-domestic-airports-report-244881">Air India</a> is not privatised then from where the money would come for it to function?" said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/appalled-by-uk-mps-statement-on-article-370-union-minister-hardeep-puri-245232">Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri</a> on Wednesday.

"If it (Air India) is not privatised then from where the money would come to for it to function? Earlier we used to go to the finance ministry to make up the operating loss. We are not getting any money from the finance ministry, we have to go to banks," Puri told ANI when asked about Air India disinvestment.

"The condition of Air India today is that it is a first-class asset. If we sell it now then bidders would come. If we take ideological positions that we don't want to sell it then it would be difficult to run it in the future," he said.

When asked people employed by Air India, Puri said: "We are committed to them to get a fair deal. 11,000 and 4,000 on contract include trained engineers. Those who would acquire the airline would also require these trained people."

Earlier in August this year, the Civil Aviation Minister had said that the government is determined to privatise Air India and people are interested in buying it.

The Parliament on August 3 passed the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/monsoon-session-parliament-set-for-yet-another-centre-vs-opposition-battle-152493"> Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India</a> (Amendment) Bill, 2019, that increases the threshold of annual passenger traffic for major airports to over 35 lakh with Civil Aviation stating that the government was committed to privatisation of Air India as its debt has become totally unsustainable.

The Bill, which seeks to amend the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008, had earlier been passed by Rajya Sabha.

Air India is not privatised then from where the money would come for it to function?" said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday. "If it (Air India) is not privatised then from where the money would come to for it to function?

Air India is not privatised then from where the money would come for it to function?" said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday. "If it (Air India) is not privatised then from where the money would come to for it to function? Earlier we used to go to the finance ministry to make up the operating loss. We are not getting any money from the finance ministry, we have to go to banks," Puri told ANI when asked about Air India disinvestment. "The condition of Air India today is that it is a first-class asset. If we sell it now then bidders would come. If we take ideological positions that we don't want to sell it then it would be difficult to run it in the future," he said. When asked people employed by Air India, Puri said: "We are committed to them to get a fair deal. 11,000 and 4,000 on contract include trained engineers. Those who would acquire the airline would also require these trained people." Earlier in August this year, the Civil Aviation Minister had said that the government is determined to privatise Air India and people are interested in buying it. The Parliament on August 3 passed the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2019, that increases the threshold of annual passenger traffic for major airports to over 35 lakh with Civil Aviation stating that the government was committed to privatisation of Air India as its debt has become totally unsustainable. The Bill, which seeks to amend the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008, had earlier been passed by Rajya Sabha.

Will be difficult for Air India to function if it not privatised: Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri

National Carrier Air India has painted 'Ek Onkar' symbol on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft's tail to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani said that there was a demand to launch a direct flight from Amritsar to London and it was a good opportunity to launch it on the 550th Guru Purab.

"We realised that the exterior of a flight is unique and it can be used to promote tourism. We are celebrating 550th Guru Purab with the painting of 'Ek Onkar' which means 'The God is One' painting on the aircraft's tail. Our flights are flying around the world and India's message should reach maximum places. This is the reason behind this move," he told ANI.

"We are going to launch a fight directly from Amritsar to the UK on October 31. We are getting a good response from passengers and the load factor on this route is also good. The first flight from Amritsar to Stansted (UK) is almost full," he added.

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'Ik Onkar' painted on the tail of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner as a part of 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. <a href="https://t.co/pgrDNVC6II">pic.twitter.com/pgrDNVC6II</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1188732735482814464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Lohani said that the airline needs to be creative since it is in the services sector.

"Some days back, we showcased important tourist destinations on our flights. Earlier, we on World Tourism Day we put world heritage photos on the aircraft's exterior. We also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birthday by creating an outline of Bapu's sketch on Air India Airbus 320 Aircraft's Tail," he added.

On September 27, Air India had launched the flight from Amritsar to Stansted (United Kingdom) flight. It will operate between Mumbai- Amritsar -Stansted (UK) on October 31, 2019.

The aircraft will fly on October 31 from Amritsar at 3 am (IST) to Stansted. The flight will fly only on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

This international flight will connect Amritsar to Stansted in London to facilitate Sikh pilgrims visiting Punjab.

This aircraft has 256-seats and the airline has set up a special menu to attract passengers, airlines will serve Punjabi foods during the flight.

Air India has also started a direct flight between Amritsar and Patna from October 27 to connect with Takht Sri Patna Sahib to Harminder Sahib (Amritsar) on the 550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev.

National Carrier Air India has painted 'Ek Onkar' symbol on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft's tail to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani said that there was a demand to launch a direct flight from Amritsar to London and it was a good opportunity to launch it on the 550th Guru Purab.

National Carrier Air India has painted 'Ek Onkar' symbol on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft's tail to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani said that there was a demand to launch a direct flight from Amritsar to London and it was a good opportunity to launch it on the 550th Guru Purab. "We realised that the exterior of a flight is unique and it can be used to promote tourism. We are celebrating 550th Guru Purab with the painting of 'Ek Onkar' which means 'The God is One' painting on the aircraft's tail. Our flights are flying around the world and India's message should reach maximum places. This is the reason behind this move," he told ANI. "We are going to launch a fight directly from Amritsar to the UK on October 31. We are getting a good response from passengers and the load factor on this route is also good. The first flight from Amritsar to Stansted (UK) is almost full," he added. 'Ik Onkar' painted on the tail of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner as a part of 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. pic.twitter.com/pgrDNVC6II — ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2019 × Lohani said that the airline needs to be creative since it is in the services sector. "Some days back, we showcased important tourist destinations on our flights. Earlier, we on World Tourism Day we put world heritage photos on the aircraft's exterior. We also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birthday by creating an outline of Bapu's sketch on Air India Airbus 320 Aircraft's Tail," he added. On September 27, Air India had launched the flight from Amritsar to Stansted (United Kingdom) flight. It will operate between Mumbai- Amritsar -Stansted (UK) on October 31, 2019. The aircraft will fly on October 31 from Amritsar at 3 am (IST) to Stansted. The flight will fly only on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. This international flight will connect Amritsar to Stansted in London to facilitate Sikh pilgrims visiting Punjab. This aircraft has 256-seats and the airline has set up a special menu to attract passengers, airlines will serve Punjabi foods during the flight. Air India has also started a direct flight between Amritsar and Patna from October 27 to connect with Takht Sri Patna Sahib to Harminder Sahib (Amritsar) on the 550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev.

Air India paints 'Ek Onkar' symbol on aircraft to commemorate 550th Gurupurab

Connecting Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka with Southern India, an inaugural flight from Chennai landed at Jaffna airport on Thursday.&nbsp;

ATR72-600 operated BY Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India landed with Indian dignitaries at the airport where Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian envoy to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu were present.&nbsp;

Speaking on the occasion, Indian high commissioner Taranjit Singh noted that the "bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka have now truly touched the sky" and the flight connecting Chennai with Jaffna is "yet another example of India’s commitment to continue with people-oriented development projects in Sri Lanka."

Regular commercial flights between Chennai and Jaffna will start from early November 2019.&nbsp;

Welcoming the development External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted that the "historic moment" will bring "India and SriLanka even closer."

Jaffna airport was also inaugurated by the Sri Lankan President which has been reconstructed with Indian assistance.&nbsp;

New Delhi had extended the grant for the infrastructure at the airport, which was built by the British during World War II and during the LTTE crisis was disbanded for commercial operations.&nbsp;

It is interesting to know, the first flight from the Jaffna airport, when it was opened it 1947 was to India and had led to economic development in that part of the Indian Ocean island country. 
&nbsp;

Connecting Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka with Southern India, an inaugural flight from Chennai landed at Jaffna airport on Thursday. ATR72-600 operated BY Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India landed with Indian dignitaries at the airport where Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian envoy to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu were present.

Connecting Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka with Southern India, an inaugural flight from Chennai landed at Jaffna airport on Thursday. ATR72-600 operated BY Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India landed with Indian dignitaries at the airport where Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian envoy to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu were present. Speaking on the occasion, Indian high commissioner Taranjit Singh noted that the "bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka have now truly touched the sky" and the flight connecting Chennai with Jaffna is "yet another example of India’s commitment to continue with people-oriented development projects in Sri Lanka." Regular commercial flights between Chennai and Jaffna will start from early November 2019. Welcoming the development External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted that the "historic moment" will bring "India and SriLanka even closer." Jaffna airport was also inaugurated by the Sri Lankan President which has been reconstructed with Indian assistance. New Delhi had extended the grant for the infrastructure at the airport, which was built by the British during World War II and during the LTTE crisis was disbanded for commercial operations. It is interesting to know, the first flight from the Jaffna airport, when it was opened it 1947 was to India and had led to economic development in that part of the Indian Ocean island country.

Sky is limit as inaugural flight bridges distance between Chennai and Jaffna 

National carrier <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-training-iaf-pilots-to-fly-new-boeing-777-aircraft-for-vvip-fleet-254905">Air India (AI)</a> is facing mass resignation by the pilots as they are unhappy with their salary and promotion. 
 
Around 120 Airbus A-320 pilots tendered their resignation after their demands pertaining to the salary hike and promotion were not paid heed to by the AI management. 
 
This came in the backdrop of the Central government's decision to initiate the process of divestment of Air India's stake, which has a debt of over Rs 60,000 crore. 
 
Speaking to ANI, a pilot who had recently resigned, said, "AI management should listen to our grievances. Our demand regarding salary hike and promotion is long pending before them but they have failed to give a strong assurance." 
 
He added that the pilots are staring in the face of the adversity as they have to pay back hefty loans. "Even we pilots are not able to withdraw our salary on time," he said. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/government-aims-to-sell-air-india-other-firms-by-march-2020-says-official-251457">The pilots are first hired on the contractual basis</a> for five years with a low salary, he claimed, adding that they were hopeful of getting a salary hike and promotion as they gain experience, but to no avail. 
 
The disgruntled pilots are sure that they will get a job somewhere else as the market is currently open. As of now, IndigoAir, GoAir, Vistara and Air Asia, Indian airlines are operating Airbus A-320 flights. 
 
On being asked if the operations of the national carrier will suffer due to the mass resignation, the Air India spokesperson said that it has surplus pilots. "AI operation will not suffer at any cost, due to resignation," the spokesperson added. 
 
At present, Air India has a total of 2000 pilots out of which 400 are executive.

National carrier Air India (AI) is facing mass resignation by the pilots as they are unhappy with their salary and promotion. Around 120 Airbus A-320 pilots tendered their resignation after their demands pertaining to the salary hike and promotion were not paid heed to by the AI management.

National carrier Air India (AI) is facing mass resignation by the pilots as they are unhappy with their salary and promotion. Around 120 Airbus A-320 pilots tendered their resignation after their demands pertaining to the salary hike and promotion were not paid heed to by the AI management. This came in the backdrop of the Central government's decision to initiate the process of divestment of Air India's stake, which has a debt of over Rs 60,000 crore. Speaking to ANI, a pilot who had recently resigned, said, "AI management should listen to our grievances. Our demand regarding salary hike and promotion is long pending before them but they have failed to give a strong assurance." He added that the pilots are staring in the face of the adversity as they have to pay back hefty loans. "Even we pilots are not able to withdraw our salary on time," he said. The pilots are first hired on the contractual basis for five years with a low salary, he claimed, adding that they were hopeful of getting a salary hike and promotion as they gain experience, but to no avail. The disgruntled pilots are sure that they will get a job somewhere else as the market is currently open. As of now, IndigoAir, GoAir, Vistara and Air Asia, Indian airlines are operating Airbus A-320 flights. On being asked if the operations of the national carrier will suffer due to the mass resignation, the Air India spokesperson said that it has surplus pilots. "AI operation will not suffer at any cost, due to resignation," the spokesperson added. At present, Air India has a total of 2000 pilots out of which 400 are executive.

Air India faces mass resignation ahead of divestment

National carrier Air India is training the pilots of Indian Air Force (IAF) for operating the new Boeing 777 aircraft, which would be used for ferrying the top leadership of the country including the President, Vice President and Prime Minister.

This would also be for the first time that Air India pilots will not fly the 'Air India One'&nbsp;special aircraft which is used by dignitaries.

Currently, Air India's trained pilots of Boeing 777 are giving training to Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots at the Mumbai (Kalina) training centre of the airline.

"IAF pilots are trained but they are specialised to fly with fighter plane or specific IAF aircraft, but new aircraft of Air India Boeing 777 which will be delivered in July 2020 for VVIPs are typical commercial aircraft and IAF pilots need to go through training for commercial aircraft," a senior Air India official said.

At present, Air India has Boeing 747 aircraft for VVIP dignitaries who fly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu with Air India pilots.

The aircraft is known as 'Air India One'. Two brand new Boeing 777 aircraft will come in use for VVIPs in July 2020.

The official further said, "In total, around 10 IAF pilots will get training by Air India for new Aircraft Boeing 777. Training of four-six IAF pilots has been completed, and remaining are supposed to be taking it in coming days."

The IAF pilots being trained for the Boeing 777 operations would be the part of the service's Palam-based Communication Squadron which ferries VVIPs for domestic routes or for travel to nearby neighbouring countries.

Meanwhile, there will be no changes in the maintenance. Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) will take care of the new Boeing 777 aircraft, and Air India crew services inside the aircraft will also remain the same.&nbsp;

National carrier Air India is training the pilots of Indian Air Force (IAF) for operating the new Boeing 777 aircraft, which would be used for ferrying the top leadership of the country including the President, Vice President and Prime Minister.

National carrier Air India is training the pilots of Indian Air Force (IAF) for operating the new Boeing 777 aircraft, which would be used for ferrying the top leadership of the country including the President, Vice President and Prime Minister. This would also be for the first time that Air India pilots will not fly the 'Air India One' special aircraft which is used by dignitaries. Currently, Air India's trained pilots of Boeing 777 are giving training to Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots at the Mumbai (Kalina) training centre of the airline. "IAF pilots are trained but they are specialised to fly with fighter plane or specific IAF aircraft, but new aircraft of Air India Boeing 777 which will be delivered in July 2020 for VVIPs are typical commercial aircraft and IAF pilots need to go through training for commercial aircraft," a senior Air India official said. At present, Air India has Boeing 747 aircraft for VVIP dignitaries who fly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu with Air India pilots. The aircraft is known as 'Air India One'. Two brand new Boeing 777 aircraft will come in use for VVIPs in July 2020. The official further said, "In total, around 10 IAF pilots will get training by Air India for new Aircraft Boeing 777. Training of four-six IAF pilots has been completed, and remaining are supposed to be taking it in coming days." The IAF pilots being trained for the Boeing 777 operations would be the part of the service's Palam-based Communication Squadron which ferries VVIPs for domestic routes or for travel to nearby neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, there will be no changes in the maintenance. Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) will take care of the new Boeing 777 aircraft, and Air India crew services inside the aircraft will also remain the same.

Air India training IAF pilots to fly new Boeing 777 aircraft for VVIP fleet

In an effort to give comfort to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bihar-four-pumps-brought-to-remove-floodwaters-accelerate-relief-work-death-toll-reaches-40-253055">rain-hit Bihar</a>, Air India on Tuesday announced that it has waived off all applicable penalties of re-issuance, date change, no-show, and cancellation and refund charges for travel to and from Patna, for both domestic as well as international flights.

The waive-off is for both domestic and international flights for up to October 3.

"#FlyAI: Due to inclement weather at Patna resulting in inconvenience to passengers #Airindia has waived off all applicable penalties of re-issuance, date change, no-show, cancellation and refund charges for travel from/to Patna for both Dom &amp; Int flights for travel up to 3rd October,19," Air India announced in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyAI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyAI</a>: Due to inclement weather at Patna resulting in inconvenience to passengers <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Airindia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Airindia</a> has waived off all applicable penalties of re-issuance, date change, no-show,cancellation and refund charges for travel from/to Patna for both Dom &amp; Int flights for travel upto 3rdOct,19
— Air India (@airindiain) <a href="https://twitter.com/airindiain/status/1178959609140137985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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As many as 40 people have died and many are injured in the state due to incessant rain and floods in many parts of Bihar, officials said on Tuesday.

According to the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, 40 people are dead whereas nine are injured, due to heavy rainfall and flooding in the state.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had visited the severely flooded areas of the state capital and issued necessary instructions to the officials for resolving the issue.

As per the weather forecasting report by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/imd-predicts-heavy-rainfall-over-bihar-sikkim-252670">India Meteorological Department</a>, Patna is likely to receive more rainfall for the next few days accompanied by thunderstorms.

In an effort to give comfort to rain-hit Bihar, Air India on Tuesday announced that it has waived off all applicable penalties of re-issuance, date change, no-show, and cancellation and refund charges for travel to and from Patna, for both domestic as well as international flights.

In an effort to give comfort to rain-hit Bihar, Air India on Tuesday announced that it has waived off all applicable penalties of re-issuance, date change, no-show, and cancellation and refund charges for travel to and from Patna, for both domestic as well as international flights. The waive-off is for both domestic and international flights for up to October 3. "#FlyAI: Due to inclement weather at Patna resulting in inconvenience to passengers #Airindia has waived off all applicable penalties of re-issuance, date change, no-show, cancellation and refund charges for travel from/to Patna for both Dom & Int flights for travel up to 3rd October,19," Air India announced in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon. #FlyAI: Due to inclement weather at Patna resulting in inconvenience to passengers #Airindia has waived off all applicable penalties of re-issuance, date change, no-show,cancellation and refund charges for travel from/to Patna for both Dom & Int flights for travel upto 3rdOct,19 — Air India (@airindiain) October 1, 2019 × As many as 40 people have died and many are injured in the state due to incessant rain and floods in many parts of Bihar, officials said on Tuesday. According to the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, 40 people are dead whereas nine are injured, due to heavy rainfall and flooding in the state. On Sunday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had visited the severely flooded areas of the state capital and issued necessary instructions to the officials for resolving the issue. As per the weather forecasting report by India Meteorological Department, Patna is likely to receive more rainfall for the next few days accompanied by thunderstorms.

Bihar: Air India waives off penalties on cancellation, refund for flights to and from Patna till October 3

India aims to sell two or three state-owned firms to local or foreign firms to raise up to Rs 600 billion ($8.5 billion) by March 2020, a senior Finance Ministry official said on Monday.

The government planned to sell Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd, logistics firm Container Corp of India Ltd and debt-laden <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fuel-supply-to-air-india-stopped-at-six-domestic-airports-report-244881">Air India</a> before the end of the 2019/20 financial year, the official, who asked not to be named, told reporters.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had voiced reservations about the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/centre-to-go-ahead-with-disinvestment-process-of-air-india-ministry-of-civil-aviation-230982">Finance Ministry's</a> past sales of stakes in one state entity to another, which was the case when refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd was sold to Oil and Natural Gas Corp Ltd, the official said.

"The PMO is very clear that we cannot be selling government companies to another government company and then call it privatisation", the official said.

India aims to sell two or three state-owned firms to local or foreign firms to raise up to Rs 600 billion ($8.5 billion) by March 2020, a senior Finance Ministry official said on Monday.

India aims to sell two or three state-owned firms to local or foreign firms to raise up to Rs 600 billion ($8.5 billion) by March 2020, a senior Finance Ministry official said on Monday. The government planned to sell Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd, logistics firm Container Corp of India Ltd and debt-laden Air India before the end of the 2019/20 financial year, the official, who asked not to be named, told reporters. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had voiced reservations about the Finance Ministry's past sales of stakes in one state entity to another, which was the case when refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd was sold to Oil and Natural Gas Corp Ltd, the official said. "The PMO is very clear that we cannot be selling government companies to another government company and then call it privatisation", the official said.

Government aims to sell Air India, other firms by March 2020: Official

National carrier Air India is all set to mark 'Celebrating India'&nbsp;theme on World Tourism Day and in this respect, the Air India Boeing B-777 aircraft is being decorated with pictures of historical monuments, nature and wildlife.

The aircraft is being decorated at the AI Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) in Nagpur.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/independence-day-speech-2019-nation-celebrates-73rd-independence-day-today-pm-to-unfurl-tricolour-at-red-fort-shortly-243045">Independence Day speech</a> had said, "There is a "huge" scope to improve our tourism and India has so much to offer. I know people travel to different countries for holidays, but can we think of visiting at least 15 tourist destinations in India before 2022, when we mark 75 years of freedom."

After Prime Minister Modi's appeal, Air India took the decision to decorate its Boeing B777 aircraft to promote India's tourist destination.

The aircraft is decorated with pictures of Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Konark Temple, Golden Temple and Statue of Unity.

Air India is going to start a flight from Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto on the World Tourism Day on September 27.

Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri earlier tweeted: "Delighted to announce the commencement of a thrice-weekly Air India flight between Sri Amritsar Sahib and Canada. The Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flight will commence on the occasion of World Tourism Day on September 27, 2019."

"Our Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani have given the task to decorate the aircraft with world heritage photos before going to Toronto. We started the work and today the aircraft is ready for use as per our CMD direction. Before decorating the aircraft we had taken prior clearance from Aviation watchdog Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)," Vaibhav Simpy, Senior Engineer, Air India MRO and Nodal officer of the aircraft told ANI.

National carrier Air India is all set to mark 'Celebrating India' theme on World Tourism Day and in this respect, the Air India Boeing B-777 aircraft is being decorated with pictures of historical monuments, nature and wildlife.

National carrier Air India is all set to mark 'Celebrating India' theme on World Tourism Day and in this respect, the Air India Boeing B-777 aircraft is being decorated with pictures of historical monuments, nature and wildlife. The aircraft is being decorated at the AI Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) in Nagpur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech had said, "There is a "huge" scope to improve our tourism and India has so much to offer. I know people travel to different countries for holidays, but can we think of visiting at least 15 tourist destinations in India before 2022, when we mark 75 years of freedom." After Prime Minister Modi's appeal, Air India took the decision to decorate its Boeing B777 aircraft to promote India's tourist destination. The aircraft is decorated with pictures of Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Konark Temple, Golden Temple and Statue of Unity. Air India is going to start a flight from Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto on the World Tourism Day on September 27. Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri earlier tweeted: "Delighted to announce the commencement of a thrice-weekly Air India flight between Sri Amritsar Sahib and Canada. The Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flight will commence on the occasion of World Tourism Day on September 27, 2019." "Our Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani have given the task to decorate the aircraft with world heritage photos before going to Toronto. We started the work and today the aircraft is ready for use as per our CMD direction. Before decorating the aircraft we had taken prior clearance from Aviation watchdog Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)," Vaibhav Simpy, Senior Engineer, Air India MRO and Nodal officer of the aircraft told ANI.

Ahead of World Tourism Day, Air India implements PM Modi's vision

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that the government is determined to privatise Air India and people are interested in buying it.

"The government's determination to privatise Air India is a given. We have to get the best possible deal and get it in the shortest time available. People are very much interested in acquiring Air India," said Puri.

"Procedure involved in the formation of an alternate mechanism, a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been formed. A meeting at Cabinet Secretariat level has also taken place," he added.

"Total privatisation will be done in the shortest possible time and with the best deal. People are keen on acquiring Air India because it is a first rate airline. Whoever acquires Air India will be very fortunate and will be able to run it according to strong private sector principles," said Puri.

The Parliament on August 3 passed the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2019, that increases the threshold of annual passenger traffic for major airports to over 35 lakh with Civil Aviation stating that the government was committed to privatisation of Air India as its debt has become totally unsustainable.

The Bill, which seeks to amend the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008, had earlier been passed by Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that the government is determined to privatise Air India and people are interested in buying it.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that the government is determined to privatise Air India and people are interested in buying it. "The government's determination to privatise Air India is a given. We have to get the best possible deal and get it in the shortest time available. People are very much interested in acquiring Air India," said Puri. "Procedure involved in the formation of an alternate mechanism, a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been formed. A meeting at Cabinet Secretariat level has also taken place," he added. "Total privatisation will be done in the shortest possible time and with the best deal. People are keen on acquiring Air India because it is a first rate airline. Whoever acquires Air India will be very fortunate and will be able to run it according to strong private sector principles," said Puri. The Parliament on August 3 passed the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2019, that increases the threshold of annual passenger traffic for major airports to over 35 lakh with Civil Aviation stating that the government was committed to privatisation of Air India as its debt has become totally unsustainable. The Bill, which seeks to amend the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008, had earlier been passed by Rajya Sabha.

Government is determined to privatise Air India: Union Civil Aviation Minister

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday asked passengers to not to fly with older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units which have been recalled by Apple, as they may pose a safety risk.

"After the recall of a number of older generation 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro laptops due to fears that their batteries may overheat and pose a safety risk, DGCA requests passengers not to fly with affected models either as hand-baggage or checked-in baggage until the battery has been certified as safe or replaced by the manufacturer," the statement by DGCA read.

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<a href="https://t.co/b5OEcAQZ46">pic.twitter.com/b5OEcAQZ46</a>
— DGCA (@DGCAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/DGCAIndia/status/1165933389179801600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Earlier on June 20, Apple had announced a voluntary recall of the older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units which contained a battery that may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which has the power to regulate all civil aviation matters in the United States of America had banned all passengers from carrying the model on flights.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday asked passengers to not to fly with older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units which have been recalled by Apple, as they may pose a safety risk.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday asked passengers to not to fly with older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units which have been recalled by Apple, as they may pose a safety risk. "After the recall of a number of older generation 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro laptops due to fears that their batteries may overheat and pose a safety risk, DGCA requests passengers not to fly with affected models either as hand-baggage or checked-in baggage until the battery has been certified as safe or replaced by the manufacturer," the statement by DGCA read. pic.twitter.com/b5OEcAQZ46 — DGCA (@DGCAIndia) August 26, 2019 × Earlier on June 20, Apple had announced a voluntary recall of the older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units which contained a battery that may overheat and pose a fire safety risk. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which has the power to regulate all civil aviation matters in the United States of America had banned all passengers from carrying the model on flights.

Don't fly with Apple’s old MacBook Pro laptops: DGCA requests passengers

The Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, Ashwani Lohani on Sunday said that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fuel-supply-to-air-india-stopped-at-six-domestic-airports-report-244881">stoppage of fuel supplies at six airports</a> from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) is because of an overall shortage of funds.

"It is because of an overall shortage of funds but doesn't reflect on the operational performance and recent efforts of the airline," Lohani said.

Earlier, on Friday state-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) led by Indian Oil stopped jet fuel supply to Air India at six airports - Kochi, Pune, Patna, Ranchi, Vizag and Mohali - over payment defaults.

"Oil marketing companies (OMCs) led by Indian Oil have stopped jet fuel supply at six airports," Air India Spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar had earlier said in a statement.

Kumar said Air India cannot handle huge debt service liabilities in the absence of equity support.

"This fiscal our financial performance is very good and we are moving towards healthy operating profit. Airline despite legacy issues is performing very well," he had maintained.

The Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, Ashwani Lohani on Sunday said that stoppage of fuel supplies at six airports from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) is because of an overall shortage of funds.

The Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, Ashwani Lohani on Sunday said that stoppage of fuel supplies at six airports from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) is because of an overall shortage of funds. "It is because of an overall shortage of funds but doesn't reflect on the operational performance and recent efforts of the airline," Lohani said. Earlier, on Friday state-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) led by Indian Oil stopped jet fuel supply to Air India at six airports - Kochi, Pune, Patna, Ranchi, Vizag and Mohali - over payment defaults. "Oil marketing companies (OMCs) led by Indian Oil have stopped jet fuel supply at six airports," Air India Spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar had earlier said in a statement. Kumar said Air India cannot handle huge debt service liabilities in the absence of equity support. "This fiscal our financial performance is very good and we are moving towards healthy operating profit. Airline despite legacy issues is performing very well," he had maintained.

Stoppage of fuel supply due to shortage of funds: Air India chairman

Jet fuel supply to state-run carrier Air India has been stopped at six domestic airports because of unpaid dues to fuel provider, Indian Oil Corp (IOCL), three sources said on Thursday.

"Jet fuel supply to Air India has been stopped for commercial reasons at six airports," a source at Indian Oil Corp told Reuters.&nbsp;

India, for years, has propped up the debt-laden airline by infusing equity to keep it alive - the government injected 39.75 billion rupees ($553 million) into Air India in the fiscal year that ended on March 31.&nbsp;

"In the absence of equity support Air India cannot handle the huge debt service liabilities," the airline said in a statement, adding its financial performance was improving.

Fuel supply to Air India has been halted since Thursday evening at six cities across the country including Mohali in the north, Vishakapatnam and Kochi in the south, Pune in the west and Ranchi and Patna in the east, one of the sources said.&nbsp;

Country's aviation sector is facing turmoil with one of its biggest private carriers, Jet Airways in bankruptcy, while passenger growth in the market overall has slowed.

The government failed last year in its attempt to sell a 76 per cent&nbsp;stake in Air India due to a lack of interest from bidders who said they found some of the stake sale terms too onerous, making it a non-starter.&nbsp;

It is now redrawing the stake sale plans and as part of the effort it has hived off some of the loss-making airline's debt of $8.5 billion.

India may now consider selling up to a 100 per cent stake in the airline, a government official told Reuters in July, adding that it expects to get 150 billion rupees ($2.1 billion) from selling the airline.

Jet fuel supply to state-run carrier Air India has been stopped at six domestic airports because of unpaid dues to fuel provider, Indian Oil Corp (IOCL), three sources said on Thursday.

Jet fuel supply to state-run carrier Air India has been stopped at six domestic airports because of unpaid dues to fuel provider, Indian Oil Corp (IOCL), three sources said on Thursday. "Jet fuel supply to Air India has been stopped for commercial reasons at six airports," a source at Indian Oil Corp told Reuters. India, for years, has propped up the debt-laden airline by infusing equity to keep it alive - the government injected 39.75 billion rupees ($553 million) into Air India in the fiscal year that ended on March 31. "In the absence of equity support Air India cannot handle the huge debt service liabilities," the airline said in a statement, adding its financial performance was improving. Fuel supply to Air India has been halted since Thursday evening at six cities across the country including Mohali in the north, Vishakapatnam and Kochi in the south, Pune in the west and Ranchi and Patna in the east, one of the sources said. Country's aviation sector is facing turmoil with one of its biggest private carriers, Jet Airways in bankruptcy, while passenger growth in the market overall has slowed. The government failed last year in its attempt to sell a 76 per cent stake in Air India due to a lack of interest from bidders who said they found some of the stake sale terms too onerous, making it a non-starter. It is now redrawing the stake sale plans and as part of the effort it has hived off some of the loss-making airline's debt of $8.5 billion. India may now consider selling up to a 100 per cent stake in the airline, a government official told Reuters in July, adding that it expects to get 150 billion rupees ($2.1 billion) from selling the airline.

Fuel supply to Air India stopped at six domestic airports: Report

In a historic first, national carrier Air India scripted history as its flight AI73, from Delhi bound to San Francisco, United States, became the first Indian commercial flight to fly over the Polar region on Thursday.&nbsp;

The feat was achieved on the occasion of India's 73rd Independence Day on Thursday. Air&nbsp;India's spokesperson tweeted out glimpses from the historic moment, he was aboard the airplane.&nbsp;

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Historic moment captured by phone. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AI73?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AI73</a> (Del-SFO) 1st Indian Comercial flight flown over Polar. <a href="https://t.co/fT2Do6nbI5">pic.twitter.com/fT2Do6nbI5</a>
— Dhananjay kumar (@dhananjaypro) <a href="https://twitter.com/dhananjaypro/status/1162059057634525186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Historic moment captured by phone. #AI73 (Del-SFO) 1st Indian commercial flight flown over Polar," Dhananjay Kumar tweeted out.&nbsp;

"Another feather by Air India flying over magnetic sensitive North Pole #Proud Air Indian," his tweet read.&nbsp;

Kumar also posted a nearly one-minute-long video which captured the scintillating view of the Polar region from the Air India flight.&nbsp;

The video exhibited a vast expanse of ice running to the horizon while AI73 flew over the Polar region.&nbsp;

Over 200 passengers were aboard the Air India flight which flew over Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Russia before flying over North Pole and crossing over to the other side of the planet.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In a historic first, national carrier Air India scripted history as its flight AI73, from Delhi bound to San Francisco, United States, became the first Indian commercial flight to fly over the Polar region on Thursday.

In a historic first, national carrier Air India scripted history as its flight AI73, from Delhi bound to San Francisco, United States, became the first Indian commercial flight to fly over the Polar region on Thursday. The feat was achieved on the occasion of India's 73rd Independence Day on Thursday. Air India's spokesperson tweeted out glimpses from the historic moment, he was aboard the airplane. Historic moment captured by phone. #AI73 (Del-SFO) 1st Indian Comercial flight flown over Polar. pic.twitter.com/fT2Do6nbI5 — Dhananjay kumar (@dhananjaypro) August 15, 2019 × "Historic moment captured by phone. #AI73 (Del-SFO) 1st Indian commercial flight flown over Polar," Dhananjay Kumar tweeted out. "Another feather by Air India flying over magnetic sensitive North Pole #Proud Air Indian," his tweet read. Kumar also posted a nearly one-minute-long video which captured the scintillating view of the Polar region from the Air India flight. The video exhibited a vast expanse of ice running to the horizon while AI73 flew over the Polar region. Over 200 passengers were aboard the Air India flight which flew over Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Russia before flying over North Pole and crossing over to the other side of the planet.

Watch: Glimpses of first Indian commercial flight over North Pole

I-Day joy: Air India to undertake first direct flight to US through North Pole from August 15

Air India has capped fares of all its flights to and from Srinagar till August 15, a spokesperson for the airline said on Sunday.

Speaking to ANI, AI spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar said the national carrier has capped fares at Rs 9500 after Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday issued a security advisory for tourists and Amarnath Yatris asking them to leave the Valley immediately citing security concerns.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has advised <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-airlines-to-prepare-extra-flights-for-srinagar-tourists-amarnath-yatris-dgca-240337">airlines to rein in surging airfares for pilgrims</a> returning from Amarnath Yatra.

Airfares for flights from Srinagar over the weekend shot up to abnormally high levels following the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/britain-issues-travel-advisory-to-citizens-travelling-to-kashmir-over-amarnath-alert-240502">security advisory for tourists and pilgrims</a>.

For a one-way direct flight from Srinagar to Delhi, even low-cost airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir and AirAsia charged between Rs 10,000 to Rs 22,000, according to travel portals, as against around Rs 3,000.

Similarly, from Srinagar to Jammu, flight rates on Saturday were Rs 16,000. Other places like Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Jaipur also witnessed a jump in airfares ranging between Rs 10,000 to Rs 19,000.

Web portals of several airlines with flights from Srinagar on Saturday and Sunday showed that virtually all seats were sold out.

The advisory to Amarnath Yatris was issued after it was announced in a joint press conference of the Army and police forces in Srinagar that weapons and ammunition were recovered in the Amarnath Yatra route.

They also said terrorists from Pakistan were planning to launch an attack on Amarnath Yatra pilgrims, based on credible inputs.

In view of the additional rush of passengers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had on Friday asked Indian airlines to be prepared to operate extra flights to and from Srinagar to fly out Amarnath Yatris and tourists from the Valley.

Soon after DGCA's directions, airlines made announcements to give a full fee waiver on rescheduling/cancellation for all its flights to/from Srinagar.

&nbsp;

Air India has capped fares of all its flights to and from Srinagar till August 15, a spokesperson for the airline said on Sunday. Speaking to ANI, AI spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar said the national carrier has capped fares at Rs 9500 after Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday issued a security advisory for tourists and Amarnath Yatris asking them to leave the Valley immediately citing security concerns.

Air India has capped fares of all its flights to and from Srinagar till August 15, a spokesperson for the airline said on Sunday. Speaking to ANI, AI spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar said the national carrier has capped fares at Rs 9500 after Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday issued a security advisory for tourists and Amarnath Yatris asking them to leave the Valley immediately citing security concerns. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has advised airlines to rein in surging airfares for pilgrims returning from Amarnath Yatra. Airfares for flights from Srinagar over the weekend shot up to abnormally high levels following the security advisory for tourists and pilgrims. For a one-way direct flight from Srinagar to Delhi, even low-cost airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir and AirAsia charged between Rs 10,000 to Rs 22,000, according to travel portals, as against around Rs 3,000. Similarly, from Srinagar to Jammu, flight rates on Saturday were Rs 16,000. Other places like Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Jaipur also witnessed a jump in airfares ranging between Rs 10,000 to Rs 19,000. Web portals of several airlines with flights from Srinagar on Saturday and Sunday showed that virtually all seats were sold out. The advisory to Amarnath Yatris was issued after it was announced in a joint press conference of the Army and police forces in Srinagar that weapons and ammunition were recovered in the Amarnath Yatra route. They also said terrorists from Pakistan were planning to launch an attack on Amarnath Yatra pilgrims, based on credible inputs. In view of the additional rush of passengers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had on Friday asked Indian airlines to be prepared to operate extra flights to and from Srinagar to fly out Amarnath Yatris and tourists from the Valley. Soon after DGCA's directions, airlines made announcements to give a full fee waiver on rescheduling/cancellation for all its flights to/from Srinagar.

Air India caps fares of flights to and from Srinagar till August 15

While Indian flights will save time and fuel, the expenses will reduce drastically after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-take-2-3-days-for-scheduling-flights-over-pakistan-air-space-air-india-official-236398">Pakistan announced the opening of its airspace</a> for civil traffic, according to Air India, Director (Operations) Captain Amitabh Singh.

On being asked to respond to Pakistan`s decision to open its airspace for civil traffic, Singh on Tuesday told ANI, "With this opening, we will be saving 1.5-2 hours of flying time between India-Europe and India-USA.&nbsp;

We will save on fuel consumption too. The expenses will reduce drastically.

"He added that the decision will be beneficial for both <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-to-not-open-its-airspace-until-india-removes-fighter-jets-from-forward-bases-235332">Indian and foreign carriers</a> as the closure had generated inconvenience for the traveling public."It is going to be beneficial for Indian carriers as well as for foreign carriers. The closure generated a lot of inconvenience for the traveling public," he opined.&nbsp;

This response came after neighbouring country Pakistan on Tuesday morning announced the opening of its airspace for civil traffic, which was closed over four months back after the Balakot strikes.&nbsp;

Earlier this month, the Centre had informed Rajya Sabha that Indian airlines suffered losses worth over Rs 548 crore due to airspace closure by Pakistan after the Balakot airstrike in February.

In a written response to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation (Independent Charge) Hardeep Singh Puri had said the national carrier Air India lost Rs 491 crore till July 2, while IndiGo suffered a loss of Rs 25.1 crore till May 31.

SpiceJet and GoAir lost Rs 30.73 crore and Rs 2.1 crore, respectively till June 20.&nbsp;

"The airspace closure by Pakistan is a unilateral measure that followed the non-military counter-terrorism airstrike by the Indian Air Force against terror camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019," Puri had said in the upper House of Parliament.&nbsp;

Earlier, an Air India official had told ANI that the national carrier was losing 6 crore a day due to airspace closure by Pakistan.

&nbsp;Pakistan had earlier claimed that it would not open its airspace for commercial flights until India removed its fighter jets from forwarding Indian airbases.&nbsp;

Pakistan had fully shut its airspace on the eastern border with India after the Indian Air Force (IAF) had carried out airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot on February 26.

&nbsp;The strikes on the terror camp were in response to the JeM-perpetrated terror attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14 in which 40 CRPF personnel had lost their lives.&nbsp;

In mid-April, Pakistan opened one of its 11 air routes for westbound flights from India airlines like Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it.

&nbsp;In March, the neighbouring country partially opened its airspace but did not allow Indian flights to fly over its airspace.

While Indian flights will save time and fuel, the expenses will reduce drastically after Pakistan announced the opening of its airspace for civil traffic, according to Air India, Director (Operations) Captain Amitabh Singh.

While Indian flights will save time and fuel, the expenses will reduce drastically after Pakistan announced the opening of its airspace for civil traffic, according to Air India, Director (Operations) Captain Amitabh Singh. On being asked to respond to Pakistan`s decision to open its airspace for civil traffic, Singh on Tuesday told ANI, "With this opening, we will be saving 1.5-2 hours of flying time between India-Europe and India-USA. We will save on fuel consumption too. The expenses will reduce drastically. "He added that the decision will be beneficial for both Indian and foreign carriers as the closure had generated inconvenience for the traveling public."It is going to be beneficial for Indian carriers as well as for foreign carriers. The closure generated a lot of inconvenience for the traveling public," he opined. This response came after neighbouring country Pakistan on Tuesday morning announced the opening of its airspace for civil traffic, which was closed over four months back after the Balakot strikes. Earlier this month, the Centre had informed Rajya Sabha that Indian airlines suffered losses worth over Rs 548 crore due to airspace closure by Pakistan after the Balakot airstrike in February. In a written response to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation (Independent Charge) Hardeep Singh Puri had said the national carrier Air India lost Rs 491 crore till July 2, while IndiGo suffered a loss of Rs 25.1 crore till May 31. SpiceJet and GoAir lost Rs 30.73 crore and Rs 2.1 crore, respectively till June 20. "The airspace closure by Pakistan is a unilateral measure that followed the non-military counter-terrorism airstrike by the Indian Air Force against terror camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019," Puri had said in the upper House of Parliament. Earlier, an Air India official had told ANI that the national carrier was losing 6 crore a day due to airspace closure by Pakistan. Pakistan had earlier claimed that it would not open its airspace for commercial flights until India removed its fighter jets from forwarding Indian airbases. Pakistan had fully shut its airspace on the eastern border with India after the Indian Air Force (IAF) had carried out airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot on February 26. The strikes on the terror camp were in response to the JeM-perpetrated terror attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14 in which 40 CRPF personnel had lost their lives. In mid-April, Pakistan opened one of its 11 air routes for westbound flights from India airlines like Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it. In March, the neighbouring country partially opened its airspace but did not allow Indian flights to fly over its airspace.

Indian flights will save fuel: Air India on Pakistan opening airspace for civil traffic

Air India on Tuesday indicated that it will take two to three days for scheduling flights over Pakistan which has <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-opens-its-air-space-five-months-after-closing-it-in-aftermath-of-balakot-airstrikes-236275">lifted all curbs on flying over its air space</a>.

"We are looking into the matter.&nbsp;It will take two to three days for scheduling to use Pakistani airspace," an Air India official said.

For the first time since February's Balakot strike, Pakistan fully operationalised its airspace for civilian traffic, bringing a huge relief for the airlines which had to take long and costly detours to avoid the Pakistani air space.

"With immediate effect, Pakistan airspace is open for all type of civilian traffic on published ATS routes," read a notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.

In a tweet, the Ministry of Civil Aviation in New Delhi termed the move a "great news" and a "big relief to air passengers".

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After cancellation of NOTAMS by Pakistan and India in the early hours today , there are no restrictions on airspaces of both countries, flights have started using the closed air routes, bringing a significant relief for airlines. <a href="https://twitter.com/AAI_Official?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AAI_Official</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/airindiain?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@airindiain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HardeepSPuri?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HardeepSPuri</a>
— Ministry of Civil Aviation (@MoCA_GoI) <a href="https://twitter.com/MoCA_GoI/status/1151002814396506112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Pakistan had earlier claimed that it would not open its airspace for commercial flights until India removed its fighter jets from forwarding Indian airbases.

Pakistan had fully shut its airspace on the eastern border with India after the Indian Air Force had carried out airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot on February 26.

The strikes on the terror camp were in response to the JeM-perpetrated terror attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14 in which 40 CRPF personnel had lost their lives.

In mid-April, Pakistan opened one of its 11 air routes for west-bound flights from India -- airlines like Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it.

In March, the neighbouring country partially opened its airspace but did not allow Indian flights to fly over its airspace. 
&nbsp;

Air India on Tuesday indicated that it will take two to three days for scheduling flights over Pakistan which has lifted all curbs on flying over its air space. "We are looking into the matter.

Air India on Tuesday indicated that it will take two to three days for scheduling flights over Pakistan which has lifted all curbs on flying over its air space. "We are looking into the matter. It will take two to three days for scheduling to use Pakistani airspace," an Air India official said. For the first time since February's Balakot strike, Pakistan fully operationalised its airspace for civilian traffic, bringing a huge relief for the airlines which had to take long and costly detours to avoid the Pakistani air space. "With immediate effect, Pakistan airspace is open for all type of civilian traffic on published ATS routes," read a notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. In a tweet, the Ministry of Civil Aviation in New Delhi termed the move a "great news" and a "big relief to air passengers". After cancellation of NOTAMS by Pakistan and India in the early hours today , there are no restrictions on airspaces of both countries, flights have started using the closed air routes, bringing a significant relief for airlines. @AAI_Official @airindiain @HardeepSPuri — Ministry of Civil Aviation (@MoCA_GoI) July 16, 2019 × Pakistan had earlier claimed that it would not open its airspace for commercial flights until India removed its fighter jets from forwarding Indian airbases. Pakistan had fully shut its airspace on the eastern border with India after the Indian Air Force had carried out airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot on February 26. The strikes on the terror camp were in response to the JeM-perpetrated terror attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14 in which 40 CRPF personnel had lost their lives. In mid-April, Pakistan opened one of its 11 air routes for west-bound flights from India -- airlines like Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it. In March, the neighbouring country partially opened its airspace but did not allow Indian flights to fly over its airspace.

Will take 2-3 days for scheduling flights over Pakistan airspace: Air India official

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sports-minister-kiren-rijiju-extremely-optimistic-of-india-lifting-world-cup-233837">India's government</a> aims to rise to 150 billion rupees ($2.18 billion) by reducing its stake in 18 state firms to 75%, a finance ministry official involved in the matter said on Monday, as it looks to boost revenues and rein in the fiscal deficit.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-nifty-open-in-red-why-stock-markets-did-not-like-the-budget-233896">Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman</a> set an ambitious target of 1.05 trillion rupees ($15.33 billion) from the sale of stakes in state-run companies, compared with 850 billion rupees the previous year, in her budget on Friday for the fiscal year that began on April 1.

While a third of the divestment target will be met by the outright sale of state enterprises, including Air India, the other sales will be done through a rule under which all listed entities must have a public float of at least 25% after three years of listing.

But governments have been putting this off for state firms, winning extensions from the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) each year.

"The government will aim to meet the SEBI norms in state-owned companies this fiscal," said the ministry official, who declined to be identified as he is not allowed to speak to the media, referring to the Securities and Exchange Board of India.

The government is planning to sell 10% each in state-owned reinsurers General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) and New India Assurance (NIA) which will bring it's holding down to 75 percent in the two giant companies.

In her budget, Sitharaman proposed increasing the minimum public shareholding for listed entities to 35% from 25% as part of efforts to make the market more accessible to retail investors.

But the finance ministry official said the new regulation would require at least two years to go into force after approval by the SEBI.

Asia's third-largest economy is banking on state enterprise sales, dividends from the central bank and additional levies and taxes to meet a fiscal deficit target of 3.3% of gross domestic product from 3.4% previously announced.

The official said the government was willing to sell 100% of debt-ridden Air India after a previous offer of 76% control produced no buyers.

"Air India is our biggest bet," the official said. The government expects to get 150 billion rupees from selling the airline.

The government also plans to sell at least a 5% stake in Coal India and ONGC, the official said.

India's government aims to rise to 150 billion rupees ($2.18 billion) by reducing its stake in 18 state firms to 75%, a finance ministry official involved in the matter said on Monday, as it looks to boost revenues and rein in the fiscal deficit.

India's government aims to rise to 150 billion rupees ($2.18 billion) by reducing its stake in 18 state firms to 75%, a finance ministry official involved in the matter said on Monday, as it looks to boost revenues and rein in the fiscal deficit. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set an ambitious target of 1.05 trillion rupees ($15.33 billion) from the sale of stakes in state-run companies, compared with 850 billion rupees the previous year, in her budget on Friday for the fiscal year that began on April 1. While a third of the divestment target will be met by the outright sale of state enterprises, including Air India, the other sales will be done through a rule under which all listed entities must have a public float of at least 25% after three years of listing. But governments have been putting this off for state firms, winning extensions from the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) each year. "The government will aim to meet the SEBI norms in state-owned companies this fiscal," said the ministry official, who declined to be identified as he is not allowed to speak to the media, referring to the Securities and Exchange Board of India. The government is planning to sell 10% each in state-owned reinsurers General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) and New India Assurance (NIA) which will bring it's holding down to 75 percent in the two giant companies. In her budget, Sitharaman proposed increasing the minimum public shareholding for listed entities to 35% from 25% as part of efforts to make the market more accessible to retail investors. But the finance ministry official said the new regulation would require at least two years to go into force after approval by the SEBI. Asia's third-largest economy is banking on state enterprise sales, dividends from the central bank and additional levies and taxes to meet a fiscal deficit target of 3.3% of gross domestic product from 3.4% previously announced. The official said the government was willing to sell 100% of debt-ridden Air India after a previous offer of 76% control produced no buyers. "Air India is our biggest bet," the official said. The government expects to get 150 billion rupees from selling the airline. The government also plans to sell at least a 5% stake in Coal India and ONGC, the official said.

India aims to raise $2.18 billion by cutting stakes in 18 firms to 75%

A day after his statement gave an impression that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/centre-to-go-ahead-with-disinvestment-process-of-air-india-ministry-of-civil-aviation-230982">government's plan to privatise Air India</a> was put on hold, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday asserted that the Centre was committed to disinvestment of the national carrier.

Seeking to clear the air arising out of his statement in Parliament yesterday, he said on Friday, "There is no confusion. We are committed to disinvestment. There was a long answer to a Parliament question. Somebody read the first half without reading the second half. There is no confusion".

In a written reply to Congress MP Anto Antony's question in the Lok Sabha, Puri on Thursday said that the "present environment" is not conducive to stimulating interest among investors in the disinvestment plan.

"In view of volatile crude prices and adverse fluctuations in exchange rates, the present environment is not conducive to stimulate interest amongst investors for strategic disinvestment of Air India in immediate near future. The issue would be revisited once global economic indicators including oil prices and forex conditions stabilize," he had said.

The government stepped in quickly to clarify matters. An official press release said, "However, continued support from the government had resulted in improvement of financial and operational performance of Air India. As per the recommendations of AISAM, the govt will now go ahead with the process of disinvestment of the company."

In a meeting on 28th June 2017, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had in-principle approved the consideration for strategic disinvestment of Air India and its five subsidiaries. An Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM) was constituted by CCEA to guide the process on of strategic disinvestment.

The AISAM at a meeting in March last year had decided that due to issues like volatile crude oil prices and adverse fluctuations in exchange rates, the atmosphere was not conducive for the disinvestment.

"But this was last year," the government said in the press releases.

The government failed in its attempt to sell a 76 per cent stake in loss-making Air India due to a lack of interest from bidders last year, a report said.

Air India suffered Rs 7,635 crore (provisional) loss in the financial year 2018-19.

It was Rs 5348 crore in 2017-18, while the carrier had to suffer Rs 6452 crore, the highest ever, in the financial year 2016-17.

The government infused Rs 3,975 crore in Air India in the financial year ended March, the government said in Parliament.

A day after his statement gave an impression that the government's plan to privatise Air India was put on hold, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday asserted that the Centre was committed to disinvestment of the national carrier.

A day after his statement gave an impression that the government's plan to privatise Air India was put on hold, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday asserted that the Centre was committed to disinvestment of the national carrier. Seeking to clear the air arising out of his statement in Parliament yesterday, he said on Friday, "There is no confusion. We are committed to disinvestment. There was a long answer to a Parliament question. Somebody read the first half without reading the second half. There is no confusion". In a written reply to Congress MP Anto Antony's question in the Lok Sabha, Puri on Thursday said that the "present environment" is not conducive to stimulating interest among investors in the disinvestment plan. "In view of volatile crude prices and adverse fluctuations in exchange rates, the present environment is not conducive to stimulate interest amongst investors for strategic disinvestment of Air India in immediate near future. The issue would be revisited once global economic indicators including oil prices and forex conditions stabilize," he had said. The government stepped in quickly to clarify matters. An official press release said, "However, continued support from the government had resulted in improvement of financial and operational performance of Air India. As per the recommendations of AISAM, the govt will now go ahead with the process of disinvestment of the company." In a meeting on 28th June 2017, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had in-principle approved the consideration for strategic disinvestment of Air India and its five subsidiaries. An Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM) was constituted by CCEA to guide the process on of strategic disinvestment. The AISAM at a meeting in March last year had decided that due to issues like volatile crude oil prices and adverse fluctuations in exchange rates, the atmosphere was not conducive for the disinvestment. "But this was last year," the government said in the press releases. The government failed in its attempt to sell a 76 per cent stake in loss-making Air India due to a lack of interest from bidders last year, a report said. Air India suffered Rs 7,635 crore (provisional) loss in the financial year 2018-19. It was Rs 5348 crore in 2017-18, while the carrier had to suffer Rs 6452 crore, the highest ever, in the financial year 2016-17. The government infused Rs 3,975 crore in Air India in the financial year ended March, the government said in Parliament.

Government is committed to disinvestment in Air India: Minister of State for Civil Aviation

Britain on Thursday scrambled fighter jets to escort an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-mumbai-newark-flight-makes-emergency-landing-in-london-after-bomb-threat-230843">Air India passenger flight forced</a> to land at London's Stansted Airport following a "bomb threat", according to security officials and the airline.

"The RAF (Royal Air Force) can confirm Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon aircraft were launched this morning... to intercept a civilian aircraft," Britain's defence ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

"The aircraft was safely escorted to Stansted Airport."

The plane, en route from Mumbai to Newark in the United States, made a "precautionary landing" at the airport after a "bomb threat", Air India said in a tweet that was subsequently deleted.

It later said the diversion, initiated at around 9:50am local time (0850 GMT), followed "reports of a security alert".

"The plane (is) currently at the airport," an Air India spokesperson added in a statement, noting all the 327 passengers were being cared for inside a terminal.

Stansted Airport, around 35 miles (56 kilometres) northeast of London, said the Boeing 777 landed there 25 minutes after being diverted with police in attendance.

"It is parked on an isolated stand away from the normal airport operations," the airport added in a statement, noting its runway had fully reopened.

Police in the southeastern English county Essex, where Stansted is located, said officers were "making enquiries".&nbsp;

British reports suggested the scrambled fighter jets had caused a sonic boom heard across the impacted area.&nbsp;

"The Typhoon aircraft were authorised to transit at supersonic speed for operational reasons," the defence ministry said.

"Any inconvenience caused to local residents is regretted."

Britain on Thursday scrambled fighter jets to escort an Air India passenger flight forced to land at London's Stansted Airport following a "bomb threat", according to security officials and the airline.

Britain on Thursday scrambled fighter jets to escort an Air India passenger flight forced to land at London's Stansted Airport following a "bomb threat", according to security officials and the airline. "The RAF (Royal Air Force) can confirm Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon aircraft were launched this morning... to intercept a civilian aircraft," Britain's defence ministry said in a statement. "The aircraft was safely escorted to Stansted Airport." The plane, en route from Mumbai to Newark in the United States, made a "precautionary landing" at the airport after a "bomb threat", Air India said in a tweet that was subsequently deleted. It later said the diversion, initiated at around 9:50am local time (0850 GMT), followed "reports of a security alert". "The plane (is) currently at the airport," an Air India spokesperson added in a statement, noting all the 327 passengers were being cared for inside a terminal. Stansted Airport, around 35 miles (56 kilometres) northeast of London, said the Boeing 777 landed there 25 minutes after being diverted with police in attendance. "It is parked on an isolated stand away from the normal airport operations," the airport added in a statement, noting its runway had fully reopened. Police in the southeastern English county Essex, where Stansted is located, said officers were "making enquiries". British reports suggested the scrambled fighter jets had caused a sonic boom heard across the impacted area. "The Typhoon aircraft were authorised to transit at supersonic speed for operational reasons," the defence ministry said. "Any inconvenience caused to local residents is regretted."

Royal Air Force scrambled Typhoon fighter jets over Air India bomb threat: UK defence ministry

The Air India passenger plane, flying from Mumbai to Newark in the US, made a precautionary landing at London's Stansted Airport due to a bomb threat.

"AI 191 Mumbai-Newark of June 27 has made a precautionary landing at London's Stansted airport due to a bomb threat," the airline Tweeted.&nbsp;

According to reports, the flight has been taken to an isolated spot at the London Stansted Airport.

The Air India passenger plane, flying from Mumbai to Newark in the US, made a precautionary landing at London's Stansted Airport due to a bomb threat. "AI 191 Mumbai-Newark of June 27 has made a precautionary landing at London's Stansted airport due to a bomb threat," the airline Tweeted.

The Air India passenger plane, flying from Mumbai to Newark in the US, made a precautionary landing at London's Stansted Airport due to a bomb threat. "AI 191 Mumbai-Newark of June 27 has made a precautionary landing at London's Stansted airport due to a bomb threat," the airline Tweeted. According to reports, the flight has been taken to an isolated spot at the London Stansted Airport.

Air India Mumbai-Newark flight makes emergency landing in London after bomb threat

Air India has suspended its Regional Director for East, Rohit Bhasin, for allegedly shoplifting a wallet from a duty-free shop at Sydney airport, officials said Sunday.

Bhasin was rostered as one of the commanders (pilots) of AI301 flight, which was set to depart at 10.45 am (local time) on June 22 from Sydney airport for Delhi.

"There is an initial report of one of its captains Mr Rohit Bhasin who is also working as a regional director picking up a wallet from a duty-free shop in Sydney. Air India has instituted an enquiry into this incident and has placed the captain under suspension," a spokesperson of the airline said.

The suspension order issued by the airline on Saturday stated: "It has been reported by regional manager Australasia that you allegedly committed an act of shoplifting from a duty free shop at Sydney airport before the departure of flight AI301 of 22nd June 2019, from Sydney airport for which you were rostered as one of the Commander."

"Without prejudice to any disciplinary action to be initiated against you and pending enquiry, you are hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect," the order stated.

The spokesperson said, "Air India lays the highest stress on the proper conduct of its staff and has a zero-tolerance policy towards acts of impropriety."&nbsp;

Air India has suspended its Regional Director for East, Rohit Bhasin, for allegedly shoplifting a wallet from a duty-free shop at Sydney airport, officials said Sunday.

Air India has suspended its Regional Director for East, Rohit Bhasin, for allegedly shoplifting a wallet from a duty-free shop at Sydney airport, officials said Sunday. Bhasin was rostered as one of the commanders (pilots) of AI301 flight, which was set to depart at 10.45 am (local time) on June 22 from Sydney airport for Delhi. "There is an initial report of one of its captains Mr Rohit Bhasin who is also working as a regional director picking up a wallet from a duty-free shop in Sydney. Air India has instituted an enquiry into this incident and has placed the captain under suspension," a spokesperson of the airline said. The suspension order issued by the airline on Saturday stated: "It has been reported by regional manager Australasia that you allegedly committed an act of shoplifting from a duty free shop at Sydney airport before the departure of flight AI301 of 22nd June 2019, from Sydney airport for which you were rostered as one of the Commander." "Without prejudice to any disciplinary action to be initiated against you and pending enquiry, you are hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect," the order stated. The spokesperson said, "Air India lays the highest stress on the proper conduct of its staff and has a zero-tolerance policy towards acts of impropriety."

Air India suspends its regional director for allegedly shoplifting at Sydney airport

Air India will begin services on Mumbai-Patna-Amritsar and Mumbai-Nairobi routes from September 27, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday.

The minister also said that the national carrier will launch its operation on Delhi-Chennai-Bali route from October 27.

"I am delighted to announce that on the occasion of World Tourism Day on 27th Sept 2019, Air India will begin a direct Mumbai-Nairobi flight (4 days a week) to improve air connectivity between India &amp; Kenya," he said in a tweet.

Last Friday, Puri had said that the national carrier will start Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flight from September 27.

"To honour another long pending demand of devotees to provide air connectivity between Guru Nagri &amp; Sri Patna Sahib, I am delighted to announce the commencement of a daily Air India flight between Mumbai-Patna-Amritsar from 27th Sept 2019," he had tweeted.

Later in the day, the minister also tweeted, "Delighted to announce the commencement of a four days a week @airindiain flight to connect Delhi-Chennai-Bali from 27th October 2019. This flight will enhance connectivity &amp; push the flow of tourists &amp; travellers between India &amp; Bali."

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Delighted to announce the commencement of a four days a week <a href="https://twitter.com/airindiain?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@airindiain</a> flight to connect Delhi-Chennai-Bali from 27th October 2019. This flight will enhance connectivity &amp; push the flow of tourists &amp; travellers between India &amp; Bali. <a href="https://t.co/JJkJa5PuMz">pic.twitter.com/JJkJa5PuMz</a>
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) <a href="https://twitter.com/HardeepSPuri/status/1140632365204512768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Puri, who is currently a Rajya Sabha member, had fought the 2019 general elections from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, but lost to Congress' Gurjeet Singh Aujla.

Air India will begin services on Mumbai-Patna-Amritsar and Mumbai-Nairobi routes from September 27, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday. The minister also said that the national carrier will launch its operation on Delhi-Chennai-Bali route from October 27.

Air India will begin services on Mumbai-Patna-Amritsar and Mumbai-Nairobi routes from September 27, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday. The minister also said that the national carrier will launch its operation on Delhi-Chennai-Bali route from October 27. "I am delighted to announce that on the occasion of World Tourism Day on 27th Sept 2019, Air India will begin a direct Mumbai-Nairobi flight (4 days a week) to improve air connectivity between India & Kenya," he said in a tweet. Last Friday, Puri had said that the national carrier will start Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flight from September 27. "To honour another long pending demand of devotees to provide air connectivity between Guru Nagri & Sri Patna Sahib, I am delighted to announce the commencement of a daily Air India flight between Mumbai-Patna-Amritsar from 27th Sept 2019," he had tweeted. Later in the day, the minister also tweeted, "Delighted to announce the commencement of a four days a week @airindiain flight to connect Delhi-Chennai-Bali from 27th October 2019. This flight will enhance connectivity & push the flow of tourists & travellers between India & Bali." Delighted to announce the commencement of a four days a week @airindiain flight to connect Delhi-Chennai-Bali from 27th October 2019. This flight will enhance connectivity & push the flow of tourists & travellers between India & Bali. pic.twitter.com/JJkJa5PuMz — Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) June 17, 2019 × Puri, who is currently a Rajya Sabha member, had fought the 2019 general elections from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, but lost to Congress' Gurjeet Singh Aujla.

Air India to start services on three routes: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

India had carried out one of its best evacuation operations from a war-like zone in 2006, when it brought back home around 2,300 people, including some from Sri Lanka and Nepal, who were caught in the Israel-Lebanon conflict, says a new book.

In Challenges of Governance: An Insider's View, former Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi recalls his experiences as a top bureaucrat on issues of governance, coalition politics and handling emergencies, like the evacuation of Indian citizens from the simmering war zone 13 years ago.

It was a rescue operation designed to provide support to those persons, mostly Indian citizens, who were caught in the war-like zone of Lebanon-Israel, he says, noting that 12,000 Indians were living in Lebanon at the time.

Chaturvedi, who was overseeing the developments from New Delhi, recalls that tension was escalating in the region and travelling by road was becoming increasingly dangerous so the government opted for sea route to bring them to a port in Cyprus from where Air India planes would fly them to Delhi.

The Israelis started bombarding Lebanese positions, and there was a naval blockade of the Lebanese coast. With escalating tensions, the Indian embassy in Lebanon evacuated families of its staffers, as it was becoming a dangerous conflict zone and lives were in danger.

This evacuation was done via neighbouring Syria. The families travelled by road to Syria and then from its capital, Damascus, undertook an onward journey to India. But this was worrisome, for there were about 12,000 Indians living in Lebanon then, and many were scared for their lives. There were also a large number of residents from other South Asian countries, the US and Europe who wanted to be evacuated, he says.

On July 18, 2006, while discussing the situation with the foreign secretary and the chief of naval staff he said they were informed that several Indian ships were in the Mediterranean Sea region for naval exercises, and that they were returning and could be used for the Lebanon evacuation.

There were, however, several risks, for which we had to be adequately prepared. The decision had to be taken immediately, as our ships would be entering the Suez Canal any time, and once they did, their return would be time-consuming. Traffic was only one-way and the movement was strictly controlled by Egyptian port authorities. The width of the canal was small and did not permit any U-turns.

"Our ships were going to be involved in a humanitarian exercise and we were worried they might get caught in the crossfire between Israel and Lebanon, Chaturvedi adds.

Indian ships heard a lot of messages and communication chatter which made it clear that Israel was going to put a blockade on the Lebanese port, while several people who were to be evacuated lost their papers in disturbed conditions and had to be given temporary documents, he recalls.

Coordination was required with Cyprus authorities. Our High Commissioner in Cyprus and ambassador for Lebanon needed to be in close touch with the local authorities and the government of Israel. We needed an understanding so that the exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel could be temporarily stopped when the evacuation process was going on,&nbsp; 
Chaturvedi says in the book, brought out by Rupa Publications.

We worked out a plan so that those wishing to be evacuated could be helped by the Indian embassy and moved to Beirut. Ships of the Indian Navy were then to be used to evacuate them to Larnaca, the neighbouring port of Cyprus. Air India was then expected to bring them back to Delhi, he says, adding the prime minister was also briefed.

Further, the Indian authorities needed to negotiate several issues despite previous formal communications to ensure the transit was smooth and seamless.

This required constant liaison with the local authorities. This was important, as many of the people being evacuated from Lebanon did not have complete travel documents.

Immigration and security issues had to be sorted out. The problem was compounded as coordination with the Lebanese port authority was required and getting to them was a problem. Considering that more than 2,000 people were coming to board the ships, extensive arrangements were required for the journey, he says.

Chaturvedi recalls Air India did not operate from Cyprus then and special permission was sought for allotting parking bays to the a number of flights of the national career, while the Indian Ambassador to Cyprus Neelam Sabharwal was in touch with local authorities to enable a quick issue of visas to the Air India crew.

Also, since getting visas for so many people travelling via Cyprus was not acceptable to their government under the European Union (EU) system, a novel system of transit slips was evolved. This would enable a transfer of passengers straight from the naval ships to the Air India aircraft.&nbsp;

Our preparations paid off and the evacuation process went smoothly, and was well appreciated by both the NRIs and neighbouring Sri Lanka and Nepal, whose citizens were also brought home by the Air India flights.&nbsp;

Nearly 2,300 individuals were evacuated. It indicated the effectiveness of our system in emergencies, he says.

Sabharwal, later recalled to me, ''India's evacuation operation via Cyprus was considered as best coordinated and most efficient by the government of Cyprus, foreign correspondents, diplomats and international organizations. In fact, it was described as a role model for the EU and other nations to emulate'', he writes.

India had carried out one of its best evacuation operations from a war-like zone in 2006, when it brought back home around 2,300 people, including some from Sri Lanka and Nepal, who were caught in the Israel-Lebanon conflict, says a new book.

India had carried out one of its best evacuation operations from a war-like zone in 2006, when it brought back home around 2,300 people, including some from Sri Lanka and Nepal, who were caught in the Israel-Lebanon conflict, says a new book. In Challenges of Governance: An Insider's View, former Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi recalls his experiences as a top bureaucrat on issues of governance, coalition politics and handling emergencies, like the evacuation of Indian citizens from the simmering war zone 13 years ago. It was a rescue operation designed to provide support to those persons, mostly Indian citizens, who were caught in the war-like zone of Lebanon-Israel, he says, noting that 12,000 Indians were living in Lebanon at the time. Chaturvedi, who was overseeing the developments from New Delhi, recalls that tension was escalating in the region and travelling by road was becoming increasingly dangerous so the government opted for sea route to bring them to a port in Cyprus from where Air India planes would fly them to Delhi. The Israelis started bombarding Lebanese positions, and there was a naval blockade of the Lebanese coast. With escalating tensions, the Indian embassy in Lebanon evacuated families of its staffers, as it was becoming a dangerous conflict zone and lives were in danger. This evacuation was done via neighbouring Syria. The families travelled by road to Syria and then from its capital, Damascus, undertook an onward journey to India. But this was worrisome, for there were about 12,000 Indians living in Lebanon then, and many were scared for their lives. There were also a large number of residents from other South Asian countries, the US and Europe who wanted to be evacuated, he says. On July 18, 2006, while discussing the situation with the foreign secretary and the chief of naval staff he said they were informed that several Indian ships were in the Mediterranean Sea region for naval exercises, and that they were returning and could be used for the Lebanon evacuation. There were, however, several risks, for which we had to be adequately prepared. The decision had to be taken immediately, as our ships would be entering the Suez Canal any time, and once they did, their return would be time-consuming. Traffic was only one-way and the movement was strictly controlled by Egyptian port authorities. The width of the canal was small and did not permit any U-turns. "Our ships were going to be involved in a humanitarian exercise and we were worried they might get caught in the crossfire between Israel and Lebanon, Chaturvedi adds. Indian ships heard a lot of messages and communication chatter which made it clear that Israel was going to put a blockade on the Lebanese port, while several people who were to be evacuated lost their papers in disturbed conditions and had to be given temporary documents, he recalls. Coordination was required with Cyprus authorities. Our High Commissioner in Cyprus and ambassador for Lebanon needed to be in close touch with the local authorities and the government of Israel. We needed an understanding so that the exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel could be temporarily stopped when the evacuation process was going on, Chaturvedi says in the book, brought out by Rupa Publications. We worked out a plan so that those wishing to be evacuated could be helped by the Indian embassy and moved to Beirut. Ships of the Indian Navy were then to be used to evacuate them to Larnaca, the neighbouring port of Cyprus. Air India was then expected to bring them back to Delhi, he says, adding the prime minister was also briefed. Further, the Indian authorities needed to negotiate several issues despite previous formal communications to ensure the transit was smooth and seamless. This required constant liaison with the local authorities. This was important, as many of the people being evacuated from Lebanon did not have complete travel documents. Immigration and security issues had to be sorted out. The problem was compounded as coordination with the Lebanese port authority was required and getting to them was a problem. Considering that more than 2,000 people were coming to board the ships, extensive arrangements were required for the journey, he says. Chaturvedi recalls Air India did not operate from Cyprus then and special permission was sought for allotting parking bays to the a number of flights of the national career, while the Indian Ambassador to Cyprus Neelam Sabharwal was in touch with local authorities to enable a quick issue of visas to the Air India crew. Also, since getting visas for so many people travelling via Cyprus was not acceptable to their government under the European Union (EU) system, a novel system of transit slips was evolved. This would enable a transfer of passengers straight from the naval ships to the Air India aircraft. Our preparations paid off and the evacuation process went smoothly, and was well appreciated by both the NRIs and neighbouring Sri Lanka and Nepal, whose citizens were also brought home by the Air India flights. Nearly 2,300 individuals were evacuated. It indicated the effectiveness of our system in emergencies, he says. Sabharwal, later recalled to me, ''India's evacuation operation via Cyprus was considered as best coordinated and most efficient by the government of Cyprus, foreign correspondents, diplomats and international organizations. In fact, it was described as a role model for the EU and other nations to emulate'', he writes.

How India evacuated nearly 2,300 citizens during Israel-Lebanon war 2006

In this segment of WION Wings we are in Hyderabad and this time a visit to AIR India's MRO facility. Have a look around

WION Wings: A visit to AIR India's MRO facility

Of all the spheres of the economy at the end of NDA-1, aviation was one sector that was shining in terms of double-digit growth in passenger traffic for many years.

But that too had taken a bit of a beating towards the end, reflecting the adverse growth in the general economy. It would be instructive to remember that the aviation sector is a very high multiplier of both economic growth and employment and any downturn would impact the economy itself.

However, schemes like Regional Connectivity 2017, along with existing Group Dispersal Guidelines and the proposed International Connectivity Schemes will certainly give a fillip to the economy.

On the flip side, however, is the unfortunate decline and fall of Jet Airways, which had taken over the mantle of Air India as the country’s leading airline, both domestically and internationally.

Airlines constitute the heart of the aviation sector, without which airports and other allied sectors such as ground handling and tourism cannot thrive.

After Air India’s Rs 50,000 crore-plus debt, Kingfisher Airlines’ over Rs 14,000 crore and Jet Airways’ debt that is in excess of Rs 10,000 crore, the aviation sector appears to be in a financial mess.

While newer airlines like Indigo, GoAir, SpiceJet or Vistara will no doubt fill the vacuum and double-digit growth will soon be back, there is a need for the new government to go in for some deep introspection.

What is causing this distress? Is it only mismanagement, as in the case of Kingfisher or bad decisions and mismanagement by Jet Airways? Or is it also due to faulty government policies? The answer is not simple. There is, no doubt, mismanagement in the above three cases, but government policies have contributed to their woes.

Air India, an enigma, continues to operate on taxpayers’ money. It’s shooting itself in the foot by reducing its global distribution system operators, thereby slashing its catchment areas of passengers.

No serious attempt at its revival is being made either.&nbsp;

As far as the domestic sector is concerned, airlines work at a huge disadvantage. They are burdened with taxes and levies at one end and high Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices at the other. While an industry’s ideal cost of ATF should not exceed over 25 per cent of the total operating cost, in India due to oligopolistic nature of ATF supply, the domestic price is much higher than in other countries.

In addition, a central excise imposition of 14 per cent&nbsp;and sales tax levied by states on ATF, can be as high as 30%. Attempts to bring ATF under GST, cutting it down to 12 per cent&nbsp;has not been accepted by the GST Council.

Any deterioration of the exchange rate of rupee to the US dollar also impacts adversely on profitability. Deterioration in international fuel prices also plays a role. As a result of this toxic mix, the cost of operation in the domestic sector remains very high.

Compare this with the supply side in airline operations. With a very large order of new planes, the total capacity of seats is increasing by the month, but airlines are unable to increase ticket pricing in order to fill up the growing availability of seats. They, therefore, go for computer-based dynamic pricing, which causes passengers acute distress during holidays/festivals or calamities, when prices go through the roof.

With low-cost carriers now dominating the domestic scene, the model followed by full-service airlines is under stress.

All airlines in India send their aircraft to neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka or Thailand for mandatory inspections known as C&amp;D check. This billion-dollar business is being thrown away along with employment potential because of bureaucratic bungling involving the ministry of finance. In the normal scheme of things, Maintenance and Repair Organisation (MRO) should have been a captive business for the Indian industry but has been allowed to slip away. This also adds to the operational cost of airlines.

As about the airports, while much work has been done, there is still a lot more to do. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is the custodian of all civil airports in India. It is correct to say that about a dozen airports are profitable, while the rest are cross-subsidised by AAI.

Airport improvement involves not just upgrading the terminals, but also the runway, navigational aids and equipment needed for safety and security.

Slowly, the AAI is leasing out bigger airports on a long term basis.

However, the lessee company is selected on the basis of the highest percentage of revenue it can share with AAI.

The Delhi International Airport shares 46 per cent of its revenue while Mumbai is a little less; newly-privatised airports are even higher. With such a high level of sharing, private airports charge airlines and users at higher rates, which again add to costs. Indian Airport charges are considered as one of the highest in the world by the IATA.

The new government should look at the aviation sector holistically, as a part of the economy, which is going to play a crucial role in economic development and is no more a sector for the privileged class only.

It is increasingly becoming a middle-class mode of travel and contributes to business and employment. Therefore, as a sector, there is a need to nurture it and not kill the hen that lays golden eggs, which seems to be the direction today.

These issues cannot be decided only by the ministry of civil aviation. It needs an inter-ministerial group headed by the finance minister to sort out the mess. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-time-for-hard-decisions-2759742">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Of all the spheres of the economy at the end of NDA-1, aviation was one sector that was shining in terms of double-digit growth in passenger traffic for many years.

Of all the spheres of the economy at the end of NDA-1, aviation was one sector that was shining in terms of double-digit growth in passenger traffic for many years. But that too had taken a bit of a beating towards the end, reflecting the adverse growth in the general economy. It would be instructive to remember that the aviation sector is a very high multiplier of both economic growth and employment and any downturn would impact the economy itself. However, schemes like Regional Connectivity 2017, along with existing Group Dispersal Guidelines and the proposed International Connectivity Schemes will certainly give a fillip to the economy. On the flip side, however, is the unfortunate decline and fall of Jet Airways, which had taken over the mantle of Air India as the country’s leading airline, both domestically and internationally. Airlines constitute the heart of the aviation sector, without which airports and other allied sectors such as ground handling and tourism cannot thrive. After Air India’s Rs 50,000 crore-plus debt, Kingfisher Airlines’ over Rs 14,000 crore and Jet Airways’ debt that is in excess of Rs 10,000 crore, the aviation sector appears to be in a financial mess. While newer airlines like Indigo, GoAir, SpiceJet or Vistara will no doubt fill the vacuum and double-digit growth will soon be back, there is a need for the new government to go in for some deep introspection. What is causing this distress? Is it only mismanagement, as in the case of Kingfisher or bad decisions and mismanagement by Jet Airways? Or is it also due to faulty government policies? The answer is not simple. There is, no doubt, mismanagement in the above three cases, but government policies have contributed to their woes. Air India, an enigma, continues to operate on taxpayers’ money. It’s shooting itself in the foot by reducing its global distribution system operators, thereby slashing its catchment areas of passengers. No serious attempt at its revival is being made either. As far as the domestic sector is concerned, airlines work at a huge disadvantage. They are burdened with taxes and levies at one end and high Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices at the other. While an industry’s ideal cost of ATF should not exceed over 25 per cent of the total operating cost, in India due to oligopolistic nature of ATF supply, the domestic price is much higher than in other countries. In addition, a central excise imposition of 14 per cent and sales tax levied by states on ATF, can be as high as 30%. Attempts to bring ATF under GST, cutting it down to 12 per cent has not been accepted by the GST Council. Any deterioration of the exchange rate of rupee to the US dollar also impacts adversely on profitability. Deterioration in international fuel prices also plays a role. As a result of this toxic mix, the cost of operation in the domestic sector remains very high. Compare this with the supply side in airline operations. With a very large order of new planes, the total capacity of seats is increasing by the month, but airlines are unable to increase ticket pricing in order to fill up the growing availability of seats. They, therefore, go for computer-based dynamic pricing, which causes passengers acute distress during holidays/festivals or calamities, when prices go through the roof. With low-cost carriers now dominating the domestic scene, the model followed by full-service airlines is under stress. All airlines in India send their aircraft to neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka or Thailand for mandatory inspections known as C&D check. This billion-dollar business is being thrown away along with employment potential because of bureaucratic bungling involving the ministry of finance. In the normal scheme of things, Maintenance and Repair Organisation (MRO) should have been a captive business for the Indian industry but has been allowed to slip away. This also adds to the operational cost of airlines. As about the airports, while much work has been done, there is still a lot more to do. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is the custodian of all civil airports in India. It is correct to say that about a dozen airports are profitable, while the rest are cross-subsidised by AAI. Airport improvement involves not just upgrading the terminals, but also the runway, navigational aids and equipment needed for safety and security. Slowly, the AAI is leasing out bigger airports on a long term basis. However, the lessee company is selected on the basis of the highest percentage of revenue it can share with AAI. The Delhi International Airport shares 46 per cent of its revenue while Mumbai is a little less; newly-privatised airports are even higher. With such a high level of sharing, private airports charge airlines and users at higher rates, which again add to costs. Indian Airport charges are considered as one of the highest in the world by the IATA. The new government should look at the aviation sector holistically, as a part of the economy, which is going to play a crucial role in economic development and is no more a sector for the privileged class only. It is increasingly becoming a middle-class mode of travel and contributes to business and employment. Therefore, as a sector, there is a need to nurture it and not kill the hen that lays golden eggs, which seems to be the direction today. These issues cannot be decided only by the ministry of civil aviation. It needs an inter-ministerial group headed by the finance minister to sort out the mess. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Aviation sector is in a financial mess that needs to be sorted

India has requested Pakistan to let Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aircraft fly over its airspace to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan where he has to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on June 13 and June 14, said a senior government official.

Pakistan had fully closed its airspace on February 26 after an Indian Air Force (IAF) strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot. Since then, it has only opened two routes, both of them pass through southern Pakistan, of the total 11.

"We have requested Pakistan to let the PM's plane fly over its airspace through one of the routes that has not been opened as yet. The PM has to attend the SCO meet on June 13 and June 14," a senior government official said.

Pakistan had given special permission to India's then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to fly directly through Pakistani airspace to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers' meet in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on May 21.

Apart from the two routes through southern Pakistan, the neighbouring country's airspace remains closed for commercial airliners.

The IAF announced on May 31 that all temporary restrictions imposed on Indian airspace post the Balakot airstrike have been removed. However, it is unlikely to benefit any commercial airliners unless Pakistan reciprocates and opens its complete airspace.

Among Indian airlines, the international operations of Air India and IndiGo have been affected by the closure of Pakistani airspace.

IndiGo, India's largest airline by a share in the domestic passenger market, has been unable to start direct flights from Delhi to Istanbul due to the closure of Pakistani airspace.

The low-cost carrier started the Delhi-Istanbul flight in March this year. It has to take the longer route every time over the Arabian Sea and make a stop either at Doha in Qatar or at Ahmedabad in Gujarat for refuelling.

Similarly, full-service carrier Air India is unable to fly non-stop flights from Delhi to the US since the closure of Pakistani airspace.

India has requested Pakistan to let Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aircraft fly over its airspace to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan where he has to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on June 13 and June 14, said a senior government official.

India has requested Pakistan to let Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aircraft fly over its airspace to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan where he has to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on June 13 and June 14, said a senior government official. Pakistan had fully closed its airspace on February 26 after an Indian Air Force (IAF) strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot. Since then, it has only opened two routes, both of them pass through southern Pakistan, of the total 11. "We have requested Pakistan to let the PM's plane fly over its airspace through one of the routes that has not been opened as yet. The PM has to attend the SCO meet on June 13 and June 14," a senior government official said. Pakistan had given special permission to India's then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to fly directly through Pakistani airspace to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers' meet in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on May 21. Apart from the two routes through southern Pakistan, the neighbouring country's airspace remains closed for commercial airliners. The IAF announced on May 31 that all temporary restrictions imposed on Indian airspace post the Balakot airstrike have been removed. However, it is unlikely to benefit any commercial airliners unless Pakistan reciprocates and opens its complete airspace. Among Indian airlines, the international operations of Air India and IndiGo have been affected by the closure of Pakistani airspace. IndiGo, India's largest airline by a share in the domestic passenger market, has been unable to start direct flights from Delhi to Istanbul due to the closure of Pakistani airspace. The low-cost carrier started the Delhi-Istanbul flight in March this year. It has to take the longer route every time over the Arabian Sea and make a stop either at Doha in Qatar or at Ahmedabad in Gujarat for refuelling. Similarly, full-service carrier Air India is unable to fly non-stop flights from Delhi to the US since the closure of Pakistani airspace.

India requests Pakistan to let PM Modi's flight pass through its airspace during Kyrgyzstan visit

Former civil aviation minister and NCP leader Praful Patel is expected to depose before the ED on Thursday in connection with a money-laundering probe related to the losses suffered by national carrier Air India as part of an alleged multi-crore-rupee aviation scam.

Patel (62) has also been named in a recent charge sheet filed by the federal agency before a court as a person known to alleged aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, who was in charge of the civil aviation ministry between 2004 and 2011, has not been mentioned as an accused in the case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), sources said, had already questioned a number of people in the senior management of the state-owned airline and the aviation ministry.

Patel was expected to be quizzed about the statements and revelations made by Talwar, they added.

The statement of Patel, a Rajya Sabha MP, will also be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The four-time MP from the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra had earlier told that he would be happy to cooperate with the ED for their understanding of the complexities of the aviation industry.

The central agency has recently filed a chargesheet in the case, naming Talwar and claiming that he was in regular touch with Patel.

It has alleged that Talwar finalised various communications addressed to Patel on behalf of Emirates and Air Arabia.

According to the chargesheet, Talwar obtained undue favours for the private airlines using his contacts.

The agency has also alleged that Talwar was engaged in lobbying with politicians, ministers, other public servants and officials in the civil aviation ministry for Emirates, Air Arabia and Qatar Airways in order to secure undue benefits to these airlines.

"He (Talwar) illegally managed to secure favourable traffic rights for these airlines during 2008-09 at the cost of the national carrier, Air India," the ED has claimed.

It has also been alleged that in lieu of securing favourable traffic rights, these airlines made payments to the tune of Rs 272 crore to Talwar during 2008-09.

"He created a web of his own entities and used the companies of his son, Aditya Talwar, in India and international offshore havens to launder Rs 272 crore received from foreign airlines. Part of these payments were made to a bank account in the Bank of Singapore, belonging to a company called Asiafield Limited, registered in the British Virgin Islands and beneficially owned by Deepak Talwar," the agency has said in the chargesheet.

The ED had also told the court earlier that it was trying to find out the names of the officials in the civil aviation ministry, the National Aviation Company of India Ltd and Air India, who favoured foreign airlines, including Qatar Airways, Emirates and Air Arabia, by making Air India give up profit-making routes and timings.

Talwar was booked by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in criminal cases of corruption in August 2017, while the Income-Tax department had charged him with tax evasion.

Talwar was arrested by the ED early this year after he was deported from Dubai.&nbsp;

Former civil aviation minister and NCP leader Praful Patel is expected to depose before the ED on Thursday in connection with a money-laundering probe related to the losses suffered by national carrier Air India as part of an alleged multi-crore-rupee aviation scam.

Former civil aviation minister and NCP leader Praful Patel is expected to depose before the ED on Thursday in connection with a money-laundering probe related to the losses suffered by national carrier Air India as part of an alleged multi-crore-rupee aviation scam. Patel (62) has also been named in a recent charge sheet filed by the federal agency before a court as a person known to alleged aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, who was in charge of the civil aviation ministry between 2004 and 2011, has not been mentioned as an accused in the case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), sources said, had already questioned a number of people in the senior management of the state-owned airline and the aviation ministry. Patel was expected to be quizzed about the statements and revelations made by Talwar, they added. The statement of Patel, a Rajya Sabha MP, will also be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The four-time MP from the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra had earlier told that he would be happy to cooperate with the ED for their understanding of the complexities of the aviation industry. The central agency has recently filed a chargesheet in the case, naming Talwar and claiming that he was in regular touch with Patel. It has alleged that Talwar finalised various communications addressed to Patel on behalf of Emirates and Air Arabia. According to the chargesheet, Talwar obtained undue favours for the private airlines using his contacts. The agency has also alleged that Talwar was engaged in lobbying with politicians, ministers, other public servants and officials in the civil aviation ministry for Emirates, Air Arabia and Qatar Airways in order to secure undue benefits to these airlines. "He (Talwar) illegally managed to secure favourable traffic rights for these airlines during 2008-09 at the cost of the national carrier, Air India," the ED has claimed. It has also been alleged that in lieu of securing favourable traffic rights, these airlines made payments to the tune of Rs 272 crore to Talwar during 2008-09. "He created a web of his own entities and used the companies of his son, Aditya Talwar, in India and international offshore havens to launder Rs 272 crore received from foreign airlines. Part of these payments were made to a bank account in the Bank of Singapore, belonging to a company called Asiafield Limited, registered in the British Virgin Islands and beneficially owned by Deepak Talwar," the agency has said in the chargesheet. The ED had also told the court earlier that it was trying to find out the names of the officials in the civil aviation ministry, the National Aviation Company of India Ltd and Air India, who favoured foreign airlines, including Qatar Airways, Emirates and Air Arabia, by making Air India give up profit-making routes and timings. Talwar was booked by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in criminal cases of corruption in August 2017, while the Income-Tax department had charged him with tax evasion. Talwar was arrested by the ED early this year after he was deported from Dubai.

Praful Patel expected to depose before ED in money-laundering probe on Thursday

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