A massive security lapse was detected on an Air India flight after a gaping hole was found in the aircraft carrying around 225 passengers.

The flight was cordoned off as soon as it landed in San Francisco.

The flight, AI-183, had taken off from New Delhi on Sunday and the route is considered as one of the world's longest.

Air India has begun an internal investigation into the incident."Boeing B777 aircraft, VT-ALH arrived in SFO on AI 183. During walk around inspection on arrival, a small cut/crack on the bottom right corner of the left side to the entry door. Air India is trying to get help from the local Aircraft Maintenance Repair Agencies for the repair, failing which men and material would be sent from India," Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar told ANI.

Sources in Air India said that "crew members of the aircraft are to be questioned regarding the massive safety lapses."&nbsp;

A massive security lapse was detected on an Air India flight after a gaping hole was found in the aircraft carrying around 225 passengers. The flight was cordoned off as soon as it landed in San Francisco.

A massive security lapse was detected on an Air India flight after a gaping hole was found in the aircraft carrying around 225 passengers. The flight was cordoned off as soon as it landed in San Francisco. The flight, AI-183, had taken off from New Delhi on Sunday and the route is considered as one of the world's longest. Air India has begun an internal investigation into the incident."Boeing B777 aircraft, VT-ALH arrived in SFO on AI 183. During walk around inspection on arrival, a small cut/crack on the bottom right corner of the left side to the entry door. Air India is trying to get help from the local Aircraft Maintenance Repair Agencies for the repair, failing which men and material would be sent from India," Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar told ANI. Sources in Air India said that "crew members of the aircraft are to be questioned regarding the massive safety lapses."

Massive safety breach: 'Hole' detected in Air India aircraft

No-frills airline SpiceJet Sunday announced the induction of a Boeing 737, taking its fleet size to 100 aircraft.

SpiceJet is the fourth domestic airline to achieve the feat after national carrier Air India, now defunct Jet Airways and rival IndiGo.

Eight domestic carriers - Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir, Air India&nbsp;Express, Vistara, AirAsia and Alliance together have 595 planes in their fleet at the moment.

Spicejet in a release said it has added some 23 planes in the last one month alone.

"Who could have thought that from the brink of closure in December 2014, SpiceJet would have a 100-aircraft fleet in 2019," SpiceJet chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said on the induction of 100th plane in the fleet.

The Gurugram-based budget carrier now has 68 Boeing 737s, 30 Bombardier Q-400s and two B737 freighters.

The airline at present operates 575 daily flights on an average to 62 destinations 53 domestic and nine international, it said.

SpiceJet is a key player in the Union government's regional connectivity scheme UDAN operating 42 flights per day to and from various regional destinations, it added.

"SpiceJet has added 23 planes and over a hundred new flights, most of them connecting the key metros of Mumbai and Delhi, in just over a month's time," the airline said.

Of the 595 planes, IndiGo has 230, Air India 128 and SpiceJet 100.

Jet Airways, which ceased operations around mid-last month, had 120 planes in its fleet before going bust.

Besides, GoAir has 49 planes, Air India Express 25, Vistara 22 and AirAsia India 21 planes in their fleet.

Alliance Air, which is the regional subsidiary of Air India, has 20 ATRs for operations.

SpiceJet had placed a USD 22 billion order for 205 aircraft with Boeing in 2015 and had followed it up with a USD 1.7 billion order for 50 Bombardier Q400 planes.

No-frills airline SpiceJet Sunday announced the induction of a Boeing 737, taking its fleet size to 100 aircraft. SpiceJet is the fourth domestic airline to achieve the feat after national carrier Air India, now defunct Jet Airways and rival IndiGo.

No-frills airline SpiceJet Sunday announced the induction of a Boeing 737, taking its fleet size to 100 aircraft. SpiceJet is the fourth domestic airline to achieve the feat after national carrier Air India, now defunct Jet Airways and rival IndiGo. Eight domestic carriers - Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir, Air India Express, Vistara, AirAsia and Alliance together have 595 planes in their fleet at the moment. Spicejet in a release said it has added some 23 planes in the last one month alone. "Who could have thought that from the brink of closure in December 2014, SpiceJet would have a 100-aircraft fleet in 2019," SpiceJet chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said on the induction of 100th plane in the fleet. The Gurugram-based budget carrier now has 68 Boeing 737s, 30 Bombardier Q-400s and two B737 freighters. The airline at present operates 575 daily flights on an average to 62 destinations 53 domestic and nine international, it said. SpiceJet is a key player in the Union government's regional connectivity scheme UDAN operating 42 flights per day to and from various regional destinations, it added. "SpiceJet has added 23 planes and over a hundred new flights, most of them connecting the key metros of Mumbai and Delhi, in just over a month's time," the airline said. Of the 595 planes, IndiGo has 230, Air India 128 and SpiceJet 100. Jet Airways, which ceased operations around mid-last month, had 120 planes in its fleet before going bust. Besides, GoAir has 49 planes, Air India Express 25, Vistara 22 and AirAsia India 21 planes in their fleet. Alliance Air, which is the regional subsidiary of Air India, has 20 ATRs for operations. SpiceJet had placed a USD 22 billion order for 205 aircraft with Boeing in 2015 and had followed it up with a USD 1.7 billion order for 50 Bombardier Q400 planes.

Spicejet adds 100th plane to fleet, becomes fourth domestic airline to do so

The finance ministry is reworking strategic sale procedure to ensure the outright sale of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) within 4 months of issuance of documents to potential investors, a move aimed at ensuring the speedier conclusion of the entire process, an official said. However, for CPSEs like Air India, which is relatively bigger in size, the timeline for completion of the strategic sale is likely to be fixed at 6 months from the date of issuance of Preliminary Information Memorandum (PIM) about the company.

Currently, there is no set timeline for concluding the strategic sale of a state-owned company and the entire process, in some cases, drags on for months, if not years. “The strategic sale policy is already in place, but the procedure needs to be streamlined so that the sale process is completed within 3-4 months’ time. The thinking is that if a process cannot be completed in 4 months then it should be abandoned,” an official told PTI. Facing a daunting task of meeting the Rs 90,000-crore disinvestment target in the current fiscal, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) will focus on an outright sale of selected CPSEs, which have been pending for long. NITI Aayog has already identified 35 profitable and loss-making CPSEs which can go in for strategic sale.

“The procedure would be drafted in a way such that the process can go on simultaneously for more than one CPSE. For bigger CPSEs, the timeline for completion of sale could be extended till about 6 months,” the official added. The companies which have been shortlisted for strategic sale include Air India, Air India subsidiary AIATSL, BEML, Scooters India, Bharat Pumps Compressors, and Bhadrawati, Salem and Durgapur units of steel major SAIL.

The other CPSEs for which approvals are in place for outright sale include Hindustan Fluorocarbon, Hindustan Newsprint, HLL Life Care, Central Electronics, Bridge &amp; Roof India, Nagarnar Steel plant of NMDC and units of Cement Corporation of India and ITDC. The process for strategic sale of many state-owned companies started back in late 2017 or early 2018 but the transactions could not be concluded.

The DIPAM had issued PIMs for sale of Pawan Hans, Bharat Pumps &amp; Compressors Ltd, Hindustan Fluorocarbons Ltd in April 2018, while the same for Scooters India, Hindustan Newsprint was floated in March 2018. The same of SAIL’s Alloy Steel Plant was issued in February, while that of Hindustan Prefab was posted on the website in October 2017.

However, these transactions could not be completed so far due to a variety of reasons. In last fiscal, the government had raised Rs 84,972 crore from CPSE disinvestment, of which Rs 15,914 crore came in from strategic stake sale. During the fiscal, state-owned NBCC bought government stake in HSCC for Rs 285 crore. Besides, a consortium of four ports acquired the government’s 73.44 per cent stake in Dredging Corp of India for Rs 1,049 crore, while National Projects Construction Corporation (NPCC) was sold for Rs 80 crore. An amount of Rs 14,500 crore was raised by way of state-run state-run Power Finance Corp acquiring the government stake in REC. So far in the current financial year, the government has mopped up Rs 2,350 through disinvestment transactions.

The finance ministry is reworking strategic sale procedure to ensure the outright sale of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) within 4 months of issuance of documents to potential investors, a move aimed at ensuring the speedier conclusion of the entire process, an official said.

The finance ministry is reworking strategic sale procedure to ensure the outright sale of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) within 4 months of issuance of documents to potential investors, a move aimed at ensuring the speedier conclusion of the entire process, an official said. However, for CPSEs like Air India, which is relatively bigger in size, the timeline for completion of the strategic sale is likely to be fixed at 6 months from the date of issuance of Preliminary Information Memorandum (PIM) about the company. Currently, there is no set timeline for concluding the strategic sale of a state-owned company and the entire process, in some cases, drags on for months, if not years. “The strategic sale policy is already in place, but the procedure needs to be streamlined so that the sale process is completed within 3-4 months’ time. The thinking is that if a process cannot be completed in 4 months then it should be abandoned,” an official told PTI. Facing a daunting task of meeting the Rs 90,000-crore disinvestment target in the current fiscal, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) will focus on an outright sale of selected CPSEs, which have been pending for long. NITI Aayog has already identified 35 profitable and loss-making CPSEs which can go in for strategic sale. “The procedure would be drafted in a way such that the process can go on simultaneously for more than one CPSE. For bigger CPSEs, the timeline for completion of sale could be extended till about 6 months,” the official added. The companies which have been shortlisted for strategic sale include Air India, Air India subsidiary AIATSL, BEML, Scooters India, Bharat Pumps Compressors, and Bhadrawati, Salem and Durgapur units of steel major SAIL. The other CPSEs for which approvals are in place for outright sale include Hindustan Fluorocarbon, Hindustan Newsprint, HLL Life Care, Central Electronics, Bridge & Roof India, Nagarnar Steel plant of NMDC and units of Cement Corporation of India and ITDC. The process for strategic sale of many state-owned companies started back in late 2017 or early 2018 but the transactions could not be concluded. The DIPAM had issued PIMs for sale of Pawan Hans, Bharat Pumps & Compressors Ltd, Hindustan Fluorocarbons Ltd in April 2018, while the same for Scooters India, Hindustan Newsprint was floated in March 2018. The same of SAIL’s Alloy Steel Plant was issued in February, while that of Hindustan Prefab was posted on the website in October 2017. However, these transactions could not be completed so far due to a variety of reasons. In last fiscal, the government had raised Rs 84,972 crore from CPSE disinvestment, of which Rs 15,914 crore came in from strategic stake sale. During the fiscal, state-owned NBCC bought government stake in HSCC for Rs 285 crore. Besides, a consortium of four ports acquired the government’s 73.44 per cent stake in Dredging Corp of India for Rs 1,049 crore, while National Projects Construction Corporation (NPCC) was sold for Rs 80 crore. An amount of Rs 14,500 crore was raised by way of state-run state-run Power Finance Corp acquiring the government stake in REC. So far in the current financial year, the government has mopped up Rs 2,350 through disinvestment transactions.

Finance Ministry reworking strategic sale procedure for CPSEs

Air India on Saturday announces the recommencement of operation from 9.45 am at Kolkata Airport.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered the cancellation of all flights to and from Bhubaneswar and Kolkata airports due to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-fani-makes-landfall-in-west-bengal-215767">cyclone Fani</a> on Thursday.

The National carrier also stepped forward to help residents of Odisha affected by the cyclone Fani and has decided to ship free of cost relief material to cyclone-affected areas by any NGO/ Civil society/ Self Help Group etc.

After wreaking havoc at the Puri, Bhubaneswar and other parts in Odisha on Friday, cyclonic storm Fani made landfall in West Bengal early on Saturday. Rain lashed Kolkata and other coastal towns in West Bengal.

According to IMD the cyclone will weaken and move into Bangladesh by noon. "Severe Cyclone FANI weakened into a Cyclonic Storm and lay centred at 60 km NW of Kolkata at 0530 IST of 4th May. To weaken into Deep Depression and move into Bangladesh by noon," tweeted IMD.&nbsp;

Air India on Saturday announces the recommencement of operation from 9.45 am at Kolkata Airport. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered the cancellation of all flights to and from Bhubaneswar and Kolkata airports due to cyclone Fani on Thursday.

Air India on Saturday announces the recommencement of operation from 9.45 am at Kolkata Airport. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered the cancellation of all flights to and from Bhubaneswar and Kolkata airports due to cyclone Fani on Thursday. The National carrier also stepped forward to help residents of Odisha affected by the cyclone Fani and has decided to ship free of cost relief material to cyclone-affected areas by any NGO/ Civil society/ Self Help Group etc. After wreaking havoc at the Puri, Bhubaneswar and other parts in Odisha on Friday, cyclonic storm Fani made landfall in West Bengal early on Saturday. Rain lashed Kolkata and other coastal towns in West Bengal. According to IMD the cyclone will weaken and move into Bangladesh by noon. "Severe Cyclone FANI weakened into a Cyclonic Storm and lay centred at 60 km NW of Kolkata at 0530 IST of 4th May. To weaken into Deep Depression and move into Bangladesh by noon," tweeted IMD.

Cyclone Fani: Air India resumes operation at Kolkata Airport

Within hours of the announcement, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/air-india-scripts-new-era-in-fuel-conservation-no-additional-fuel-214568">Air India</a> on Tuesday put on hold the appointment of senior official Arvind Kathpalia, whose flying licence was suspended in November last year, as regional director of the northern region.

The flying licence of Kathpalia, who had served as director operations, was suspended after he failed pre-flight alcohol tests.

"Capt. Arvind Kathpalia will take over the charge of the post of Regional Director (Northern Region) with effect from May 1, 2019", consequent to the retirement of incumbent Pankaj Kumar, Air India said in an order.

In a flip-flop, the airline issued another order saying that the appointment has been kept in abeyance till further orders.

Sources in the civil aviation ministry said Air India decided to keep the appointment order in abeyance following directions from Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu.

Soon after the issuance of the appointment order, which drew flak from pilots' body ICPA, an Air India spokesperson issued a statement saying that the appointment of Kathpalia as director of northern region was "according to law".

The position of regional director is equivalent to executive director, a post he held earlier, the spokesperson had said.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), which represents pilots flying Air India's narrow body aircraft, "strongly" condemned the appointment.

"Top officials are bending backwards to elevate a tainted official. He's been made in-charge of NR (Northern Region) where he will be able to intimidate people who had given statements in police enquiry. Disciplinary action against commanders come under Regional Director-NR. It's ethically wrong," it said in a statement.

A person who has broken the law and has charge sheet pending against him cannot take disciplinary action against other employees, the statement added.

On November 11 last year, Kathpalia tested positive for alcohol in two breath analyser (BA) tests before he was to fly Air India's New Delhi-London flight.

The next day, aviation regulator DGCA suspended his flying licence for three years, and on November 13, the ministry issued an order removing him from the position of director of operations.

A week later, he was posted as an executive director by Air India.

In February 2017, when Kathpalia was working at the position of executive director of operations, his flying licence was suspended for three months on charges of skipping a pre-flight alcohol test.

After being removed from the post of executive director of operations, in March 2018, he was appointed as director of operations.

Rule 24 of the Aircraft Rules prohibits crew members from partaking any alcoholic drink 12 hours prior to the commencement of a flight, and it is mandatory for him/her to undergo an alcohol test both before and after operating a flight.

Within hours of the announcement, Air India on Tuesday put on hold the appointment of senior official Arvind Kathpalia, whose flying licence was suspended in November last year, as regional director of the northern region.

Within hours of the announcement, Air India on Tuesday put on hold the appointment of senior official Arvind Kathpalia, whose flying licence was suspended in November last year, as regional director of the northern region. The flying licence of Kathpalia, who had served as director operations, was suspended after he failed pre-flight alcohol tests. "Capt. Arvind Kathpalia will take over the charge of the post of Regional Director (Northern Region) with effect from May 1, 2019", consequent to the retirement of incumbent Pankaj Kumar, Air India said in an order. In a flip-flop, the airline issued another order saying that the appointment has been kept in abeyance till further orders. Sources in the civil aviation ministry said Air India decided to keep the appointment order in abeyance following directions from Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu. Soon after the issuance of the appointment order, which drew flak from pilots' body ICPA, an Air India spokesperson issued a statement saying that the appointment of Kathpalia as director of northern region was "according to law". The position of regional director is equivalent to executive director, a post he held earlier, the spokesperson had said. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), which represents pilots flying Air India's narrow body aircraft, "strongly" condemned the appointment. "Top officials are bending backwards to elevate a tainted official. He's been made in-charge of NR (Northern Region) where he will be able to intimidate people who had given statements in police enquiry. Disciplinary action against commanders come under Regional Director-NR. It's ethically wrong," it said in a statement. A person who has broken the law and has charge sheet pending against him cannot take disciplinary action against other employees, the statement added. On November 11 last year, Kathpalia tested positive for alcohol in two breath analyser (BA) tests before he was to fly Air India's New Delhi-London flight. The next day, aviation regulator DGCA suspended his flying licence for three years, and on November 13, the ministry issued an order removing him from the position of director of operations. A week later, he was posted as an executive director by Air India. In February 2017, when Kathpalia was working at the position of executive director of operations, his flying licence was suspended for three months on charges of skipping a pre-flight alcohol test. After being removed from the post of executive director of operations, in March 2018, he was appointed as director of operations. Rule 24 of the Aircraft Rules prohibits crew members from partaking any alcoholic drink 12 hours prior to the commencement of a flight, and it is mandatory for him/her to undergo an alcohol test both before and after operating a flight.

Air India holds appointment of pilot as regional director

Ushering in a new era in fuel conservation and emission reduction, an Air India flight landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here from New Delhi Monday without provision for additional fuel which was hitherto necessary to carry in case of flight diversion.

"This is the first flight in the country that has flown without carrying any additional fuel. We will be implementing the same procedure for all our 15 flights that are coming to Hyderabad daily, over a period of time," an Air India official told PTI.

According to a release issued by the national carrier, regulations require that every aircraft has to carry enough fuel to fly to the destination and also to an alternative airport in case of flight diversion.

This was resulting in a lot of dead weight to be carried if there is no diversion.

"Provisions exist in the regulations to despatch flights without an alternative, without compromising on safety issues," the release said.

The 'Dispatch with no destination alternate' is a collective initiative of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Director General of Civil Aviation, Air Traffic Control India Meteorological Department and Air India, Indigo, Spicejet and Air Asia and AI is the first implement it.

This requires the destination airport to be equipped with two runways and good weather condition.

"For the first time in our country, we are going to use this provision to dispatch flights to Shamshabad airport without filing an alternate in Trial Phase 1, and carrying fuel to fly to the destination, and of course enough fuel for any foreseeable contingencies," AI sources said.

The fuel requirement for a Boeing 777 flying from New Delhi to Hyderabad, may be reduced by about 4 tons (4000 kg) and a consequential reduction in fuel consumption of about 140 kg.

The AI 560 flight landed at 8.50 am under the command of Capt Amitabh Singh, AI's Director Operations.

Accompanying him on the flight were Capt Digvijay Singh, Capt Rajneesh Sharma and Capt Akhil Gupta, the AI said.

Once other operators also start operating under the same provision, it will result in huge fuel savings and&nbsp;decrease in emissions, the operator added.&nbsp;

Ushering in a new era in fuel conservation and emission reduction, an Air India flight landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here from New Delhi Monday without provision for additional fuel which was hitherto necessary to carry in case of flight diversion.

Ushering in a new era in fuel conservation and emission reduction, an Air India flight landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here from New Delhi Monday without provision for additional fuel which was hitherto necessary to carry in case of flight diversion. "This is the first flight in the country that has flown without carrying any additional fuel. We will be implementing the same procedure for all our 15 flights that are coming to Hyderabad daily, over a period of time," an Air India official told PTI. According to a release issued by the national carrier, regulations require that every aircraft has to carry enough fuel to fly to the destination and also to an alternative airport in case of flight diversion. This was resulting in a lot of dead weight to be carried if there is no diversion. "Provisions exist in the regulations to despatch flights without an alternative, without compromising on safety issues," the release said. The 'Dispatch with no destination alternate' is a collective initiative of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Director General of Civil Aviation, Air Traffic Control India Meteorological Department and Air India, Indigo, Spicejet and Air Asia and AI is the first implement it. This requires the destination airport to be equipped with two runways and good weather condition. "For the first time in our country, we are going to use this provision to dispatch flights to Shamshabad airport without filing an alternate in Trial Phase 1, and carrying fuel to fly to the destination, and of course enough fuel for any foreseeable contingencies," AI sources said. The fuel requirement for a Boeing 777 flying from New Delhi to Hyderabad, may be reduced by about 4 tons (4000 kg) and a consequential reduction in fuel consumption of about 140 kg. The AI 560 flight landed at 8.50 am under the command of Capt Amitabh Singh, AI's Director Operations. Accompanying him on the flight were Capt Digvijay Singh, Capt Rajneesh Sharma and Capt Akhil Gupta, the AI said. Once other operators also start operating under the same provision, it will result in huge fuel savings and decrease in emissions, the operator added.

Air India scripts new era in fuel conservation, no 'additional fuel'

As many as 29 Air India flights were delayed by over an hour on Monday as the airline's operations continued to be impacted by the software shutdown that happened on Saturday.

While the glitch experienced by the check-in software system was fixed on Saturday itself, the airline grappled with the fallout for the third day on Monday.

An airline spokesperson said 352 flights were operated on Monday and 29 of them were delayed due to the system glitch that happened on Saturday.

The 29 flights were delayed by more than 60 minutes, the spokesperson added.

Following the glitch, 149 flights and 137 flights were delayed on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Air India's Passenger Service System (PSS) software, which takes care of check-in, baggage and reservation, was non-functional for more than five hours on Saturday.

The PSS software is owned and managed by Atlanta-based SITA.&nbsp;

As many as 29 Air India flights were delayed by over an hour on Monday as the airline's operations continued to be impacted by the software shutdown that happened on Saturday.

As many as 29 Air India flights were delayed by over an hour on Monday as the airline's operations continued to be impacted by the software shutdown that happened on Saturday. While the glitch experienced by the check-in software system was fixed on Saturday itself, the airline grappled with the fallout for the third day on Monday. An airline spokesperson said 352 flights were operated on Monday and 29 of them were delayed due to the system glitch that happened on Saturday. The 29 flights were delayed by more than 60 minutes, the spokesperson added. Following the glitch, 149 flights and 137 flights were delayed on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Air India's Passenger Service System (PSS) software, which takes care of check-in, baggage and reservation, was non-functional for more than five hours on Saturday. The PSS software is owned and managed by Atlanta-based SITA.

Air India continues to face software shutdown impact; 29 flights delayed on Monday

Immigration system server was down at Delhi airport after midnight, resulting in long queues of people at immigration counters.

An Air India official said&nbsp;that the immigration system server was down for more than 40 minutes since 12.20 am.

At around 1 am, the official also said crew for three Air India flights were stuck and that no timeline has been given by immigration authority to resolve the issue.

A passenger, who was waiting for immigration check, said there has been a long delay due to server issues.

A public announcement was also made at the airport about the server problem and that personnel have started doing manual checking process, according to the passenger, who is to take an Air India flight to San Francisco.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport is the busiest airport in the country.

Immigration system server was down at Delhi airport after midnight, resulting in long queues of people at immigration counters. An Air India official said that the immigration system server was down for more than 40 minutes since 12.

Immigration system server was down at Delhi airport after midnight, resulting in long queues of people at immigration counters. An Air India official said that the immigration system server was down for more than 40 minutes since 12.20 am. At around 1 am, the official also said crew for three Air India flights were stuck and that no timeline has been given by immigration authority to resolve the issue. A passenger, who was waiting for immigration check, said there has been a long delay due to server issues. A public announcement was also made at the airport about the server problem and that personnel have started doing manual checking process, according to the passenger, who is to take an Air India flight to San Francisco. The Indira Gandhi International Airport is the busiest airport in the country.

Long queues at Delhi airport as immigration server goes down

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/air-indias-operations-hit-globally-due-to-technical-glitch-official-213832">five-hour shutdown of Air India's check-in software</a>, which occurred Saturday morning, is still causing its ripple effect as the airline said 137 flights will be running with a delay on Sunday.

The average duration of delay -- on these 137 flights of Sunday -- would be of 197 minutes, the airline's spokesperson said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/155-flights-delayed-as-air-indias-check-in-software-shuts-down-for-more-than-5-hours-213892">Thousands of passengers had a harrowing time Saturday morning</a> at&nbsp;airports across the world as Air India's passenger service system (PSS) software, which looks after check-in, baggage and reservation, did not function from 3.30 am to 8.45 am due to a technical glitch.

The spokesperson said total 149 flights were delayed on Saturday because of the software shutdown.?

When asked about its effect on Sunday, he said, "Due to delay in first sector, 137 flights are delayed by 197 minutes (average)."

Once an aircraft is delayed in first sector, it is bound to be delayed in the second and third sectors as well. An aircraft generally goes from one sector to another during the day. For example, while Delhi-Mumbai is one sector, Mumbai-Bengaluru is another sector and Bengaluru-Chennai is the third sector.

The average number of flights that Air India group, which also includes subsidiaries Alliance Air and Air India Express, flies daily is 674.

The five-hour shutdown of Air India's check-in software, which occurred Saturday morning, is still causing its ripple effect as the airline said 137 flights will be running with a delay on Sunday.

The five-hour shutdown of Air India's check-in software, which occurred Saturday morning, is still causing its ripple effect as the airline said 137 flights will be running with a delay on Sunday. The average duration of delay -- on these 137 flights of Sunday -- would be of 197 minutes, the airline's spokesperson said. Thousands of passengers had a harrowing time Saturday morning at airports across the world as Air India's passenger service system (PSS) software, which looks after check-in, baggage and reservation, did not function from 3.30 am to 8.45 am due to a technical glitch. The spokesperson said total 149 flights were delayed on Saturday because of the software shutdown.? When asked about its effect on Sunday, he said, "Due to delay in first sector, 137 flights are delayed by 197 minutes (average)." Once an aircraft is delayed in first sector, it is bound to be delayed in the second and third sectors as well. An aircraft generally goes from one sector to another during the day. For example, while Delhi-Mumbai is one sector, Mumbai-Bengaluru is another sector and Bengaluru-Chennai is the third sector. The average number of flights that Air India group, which also includes subsidiaries Alliance Air and Air India Express, flies daily is 674.

Air India software shutdown effect: 137 flights to be delayed today

Air India's SITA server has been restored after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/air-indias-operations-hit-globally-due-to-technical-glitch-official-213832">system was down all over India and overseas</a> since 3:30 am on Saturday that led to the delay of its flights.

Chairman and Managing Director of the state-owned airline, Ashwani Lohani, said in a statement, "Air India's system is restored." Several Air India flights were affected due to the SITA server glitch all over India and overseas since the wee hours of Saturday.

Taking to Twitter, the national carrier had said, "#FlyAI: Due to a breakdown in our server system, some of our flights are getting affected all over the world. Work is on in full swing to restore the system. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to passengers."

Many passengers are stranded at airports worldwide due to the delay in flights.

Passengers took to Twitter to express their ordeal.

Air India's SITA server has been restored after the system was down all over India and overseas since 3:30 am on Saturday that led to the delay of its flights. Chairman and Managing Director of the state-owned airline, Ashwani Lohani, said in a statement, "Air India's system is restored.

Air India's SITA server has been restored after the system was down all over India and overseas since 3:30 am on Saturday that led to the delay of its flights. Chairman and Managing Director of the state-owned airline, Ashwani Lohani, said in a statement, "Air India's system is restored." Several Air India flights were affected due to the SITA server glitch all over India and overseas since the wee hours of Saturday. Taking to Twitter, the national carrier had said, "#FlyAI: Due to a breakdown in our server system, some of our flights are getting affected all over the world. Work is on in full swing to restore the system. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to passengers." Many passengers are stranded at airports worldwide due to the delay in flights. Passengers took to Twitter to express their ordeal.

Air India server systems restored after affecting flights worldwide

Hundreds of Air India passengers were left stranded at several airports across the world due to a glitch in its check-in software, the airline said Saturday.

The airline's "server is down", an official said.

"SITA server is down. Due to which flight operation is affected. Our technical teams are on work and soon system may be recovered," the airline's spokesperson said.

Air India's software solution is managed by SITA, a global airlines IT services major, which provides its check-in, boarding and baggage tracking technology.

According to an Air India official, the server was down since around 3 AM Saturday morning due to which the airline is unable to issue boarding passes to passengers at airports across the world.

Many passengers complained on social media about being stranded at airports.

A similar incident took place on June 23 last year when a technical glitch in the airline's check-in software delayed 25 of its flights across India.&nbsp;

Hundreds of Air India passengers were left stranded at several airports across the world due to a glitch in its check-in software, the airline said Saturday. The airline's "server is down", an official said.

Hundreds of Air India passengers were left stranded at several airports across the world due to a glitch in its check-in software, the airline said Saturday. The airline's "server is down", an official said. "SITA server is down. Due to which flight operation is affected. Our technical teams are on work and soon system may be recovered," the airline's spokesperson said. Air India's software solution is managed by SITA, a global airlines IT services major, which provides its check-in, boarding and baggage tracking technology. According to an Air India official, the server was down since around 3 AM Saturday morning due to which the airline is unable to issue boarding passes to passengers at airports across the world. Many passengers complained on social media about being stranded at airports. A similar incident took place on June 23 last year when a technical glitch in the airline's check-in software delayed 25 of its flights across India.

Air India's operations hit globally due to technical glitch: Official

Thousands of Air India passengers had a harrowing time at airports across the world on Saturday as its 155 flights were delayed due to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-server-systems-restored-after-affecting-flights-worldwide-213838">shutdown of its check-in software for more than five hours</a> due to a technical snag.

The national carrier's chairman and managing director (CMD) Ashwani Lohani said that the passenger service system (PSS) software, which looks after check-in, baggage and reservation, did not work from 3.30 am to 8.45 am on Saturday.

During this time period, thousands of Air India passengers were stranded at airports globally as the airline staff was unable to issue a boarding pass to them.&nbsp;

Air India's PSS is owned and managed by Atlanta-based SITA company.

Lohani said that "till 10 am total 85 flights were delayed" because of PSS shutdown. "Because of the 85 flights that have been delayed, a ripple effect will take place throughout the day," he said, adding that a "few flights will also be cancelled because of this delay".

Later in the day, the airline's spokesperson clarified that a total of 155 flights would be delayed for an average duration of two hours till 8.30 pm.

The average number of flights that Air India group, which also includes subsidiaries Alliance Air and Air India Express, flies daily is around 674.

It is mostly the domestic flights that have been affected the most due to the software shutdown, Lohani clarified.&nbsp;

"International departures will not be facing much problems...There will be delay in one or two international flights. One Delhi-Shanghai flight is getting delayed by about 1.5 hours. The flights that are departing for Europe are largely running on time," he said.&nbsp;

About affected passengers, the CMD said that the airline is trying its best to inform them through social media and its call centre. "But as the magnitude is so big, it is possible that our call centre is not able to handle the volume," he said.&nbsp;

The passengers who will miss their flights will be given hotel accommodations or they will be rescheduled in a different flight of Air India or of an another airline, he said.

Lohani said that SITA is currently looking into what caused the shutdown. "They are checking if it was because of virus or for any other reason. They are still searching for the root cause," he said.&nbsp;

No other Indian airline apart from Air India uses SITA's PSS software. When asked if SITA would be compensating the airline for disruption in its operations, the CMD replied that "we will have to take a look into it".&nbsp;

SITA regretted the inconvenience caused and said it had experienced a complex system issue during server maintenance early morning which resulted in operational disruption to flights.

"We have now fully restored services at all airports where Air India were affected. Our priority remains, as always, to ensure a stable system where customers can conduct business efficiently and effectively, and we are undertaking a full investigation to understand the root cause and prevent a recurrence," SITA said in a statement to PTI.

Many passengers vented their ire on social media on Saturday morning. A Dr Sonal Saxena tweeted at 7.20 am, "Utter chaos. Air India systems not working at Delhi since 3 am. All flights grounded and delayed. No checkins and boarding."

When asked why passengers were not informed about flight delays through SMS or social media during the shutdown, the Air India CMD said, "Whenever any other system does not function properly, we use PSS to get contact information of passengers and then contact them. But when our PSS itself has stopped working, there is no way we can inform them."

A similar incident took place on June 23 last year when a technical glitch in the airline's check-in software delayed 25 of its flights across India.

The airline had tweeted on June 23, "Due to unexpexted network connectivity issues at SITA #Atlanta #Datacenter , which had a #worldwide impact, 25 flights were delayed from 1210 hrs to 1510 hrs on #Airindia network. Operations are normal now (sic).

Thousands of Air India passengers had a harrowing time at airports across the world on Saturday as its 155 flights were delayed due to the shutdown of its check-in software for more than five hours due to a technical snag.

Thousands of Air India passengers had a harrowing time at airports across the world on Saturday as its 155 flights were delayed due to the shutdown of its check-in software for more than five hours due to a technical snag. The national carrier's chairman and managing director (CMD) Ashwani Lohani said that the passenger service system (PSS) software, which looks after check-in, baggage and reservation, did not work from 3.30 am to 8.45 am on Saturday. During this time period, thousands of Air India passengers were stranded at airports globally as the airline staff was unable to issue a boarding pass to them. Air India's PSS is owned and managed by Atlanta-based SITA company. Lohani said that "till 10 am total 85 flights were delayed" because of PSS shutdown. "Because of the 85 flights that have been delayed, a ripple effect will take place throughout the day," he said, adding that a "few flights will also be cancelled because of this delay". Later in the day, the airline's spokesperson clarified that a total of 155 flights would be delayed for an average duration of two hours till 8.30 pm. The average number of flights that Air India group, which also includes subsidiaries Alliance Air and Air India Express, flies daily is around 674. It is mostly the domestic flights that have been affected the most due to the software shutdown, Lohani clarified. "International departures will not be facing much problems...There will be delay in one or two international flights. One Delhi-Shanghai flight is getting delayed by about 1.5 hours. The flights that are departing for Europe are largely running on time," he said. About affected passengers, the CMD said that the airline is trying its best to inform them through social media and its call centre. "But as the magnitude is so big, it is possible that our call centre is not able to handle the volume," he said. The passengers who will miss their flights will be given hotel accommodations or they will be rescheduled in a different flight of Air India or of an another airline, he said. Lohani said that SITA is currently looking into what caused the shutdown. "They are checking if it was because of virus or for any other reason. They are still searching for the root cause," he said. No other Indian airline apart from Air India uses SITA's PSS software. When asked if SITA would be compensating the airline for disruption in its operations, the CMD replied that "we will have to take a look into it". SITA regretted the inconvenience caused and said it had experienced a complex system issue during server maintenance early morning which resulted in operational disruption to flights. "We have now fully restored services at all airports where Air India were affected. Our priority remains, as always, to ensure a stable system where customers can conduct business efficiently and effectively, and we are undertaking a full investigation to understand the root cause and prevent a recurrence," SITA said in a statement to PTI. Many passengers vented their ire on social media on Saturday morning. A Dr Sonal Saxena tweeted at 7.20 am, "Utter chaos. Air India systems not working at Delhi since 3 am. All flights grounded and delayed. No checkins and boarding." When asked why passengers were not informed about flight delays through SMS or social media during the shutdown, the Air India CMD said, "Whenever any other system does not function properly, we use PSS to get contact information of passengers and then contact them. But when our PSS itself has stopped working, there is no way we can inform them." A similar incident took place on June 23 last year when a technical glitch in the airline's check-in software delayed 25 of its flights across India. The airline had tweeted on June 23, "Due to unexpexted network connectivity issues at SITA #Atlanta #Datacenter , which had a #worldwide impact, 25 flights were delayed from 1210 hrs to 1510 hrs on #Airindia network. Operations are normal now (sic).

Air India's 5-hour-long check-in software shutdown delayed 155 flights

Air India has waived all charges for rescheduling and cancellation of tickets to and from Colombo till April 24 in the wake of terror attacks in<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/multiple-blasts-in-sri-lanka-churches-hit-during-easter-sunday-mass-212200&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwimwszAnOHhAhUI448KHU28BbQQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PX-D9UVTYbqGBnH0fLxte"> Sri Lanka</a> that has killed more than 160 people.

Besides, the airline has requested passengers to report well in advance to clear security at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.

"In view of the situation in #Srilanka #AirIndia has waived all charges for rescheduling/ cancellation of bookings on its flts (flights) to/ from Colombo for travel till April 24, 2019," the carrier said in a tweet.

Air India operates two daily flights to Colombo from the national capital while Air India Express flies a daily Chennai-Colombo flight, according to an official.

Over 160 people have died and more than 450 injured in a series of bomb blasts in Sri Lanka on Sunday.

Air India has waived all charges for rescheduling and cancellation of tickets to and from Colombo till April 24 in the wake of terror attacks in Sri Lanka that has killed more than 160 people.

Air India has waived all charges for rescheduling and cancellation of tickets to and from Colombo till April 24 in the wake of terror attacks in Sri Lanka that has killed more than 160 people. Besides, the airline has requested passengers to report well in advance to clear security at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo. "In view of the situation in #Srilanka #AirIndia has waived all charges for rescheduling/ cancellation of bookings on its flts (flights) to/ from Colombo for travel till April 24, 2019," the carrier said in a tweet. Air India operates two daily flights to Colombo from the national capital while Air India Express flies a daily Chennai-Colombo flight, according to an official. Over 160 people have died and more than 450 injured in a series of bomb blasts in Sri Lanka on Sunday.

Air India waives cancellation charges for Colombo flight tickets

Privatisation is not a remedy, which can make an airline profitable or efficient and shuttering of Jet Airways and Kingfisher is a case in point, a senior Air India employees union official said Sunday even as he urged the government to reconsider its plans to de-nationalise the flag carrier, which are currently on hold.

Supporting the 20,000 employees of the grounded Jet Airways, the union official said that the present policies of the government need to be relooked as they have only lead to a crisis in the industry and jobs of thousands of people are at stake.

Weighted down by huge debt, majorly from the public sector banks, Kingfisher went belly-up in 2012. Jet Airways, which has a debt of Rs 8,500 crore, mostly from the government-run banks, ceased operations last Wednesday due to paucity of cash.

The abrupt closure of Jet Airways operations, for the time being, has put jobs of its over 20,000 employees.

Moreover, as many as six airlines have closed down in the last five years.

"First it was Kingfisher which folded up, and now its Jet Airways, which has stopped operations, albeit for the time being. The votaries of the privatisation, both in the government and outside, need to understand that denationalisation alone can't bring profitability and efficiency. Had it been so, the two private airlines would not have gone bust," said an Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU) senior official.

Stating that the foremost reason for the current crisis in the aviation industry is the government's "reliance" on the private sector in achieving its ambitious Vision 2040, which has projected the country's air passenger traffic to grow to 1.1 billion per year by 2040, the union official said, "the industry is not doing well from the vision document point of view as the growth is not sustainable, healthy and even".

Calling the government to reconsider its plans of privatising Air India, which are put on the backburner for the time being, the ACEU official said even in the present crisis when Jet Airways passengers are stranded across airports globally, it is the national carrier which has come to the rescue of the passengers by announcing special fares for such passengers.

"The government can't expect such a gesture from private airlines," he said.

"If the present crisis is allowed to continue, it will lead to an unprecedented crisis in the industry leading to more and more employees being thrown out of employment. A mere glance of problems indicate that there is something seriously wrong with the policy direction," he added.

There is also a need to put brakes on 'open sky policy' besides strict enforcement of bilateral to make the business of domestic companies, including of Air India, viable, he said.

Privatisation is not a remedy, which can make an airline profitable or efficient and shuttering of Jet Airways and Kingfisher is a case in point, a senior Air India employees union official said Sunday even as he urged the government to reconsider its plans to de-nationalise the flag carrier, which are currently on hold.

Privatisation is not a remedy, which can make an airline profitable or efficient and shuttering of Jet Airways and Kingfisher is a case in point, a senior Air India employees union official said Sunday even as he urged the government to reconsider its plans to de-nationalise the flag carrier, which are currently on hold. Supporting the 20,000 employees of the grounded Jet Airways, the union official said that the present policies of the government need to be relooked as they have only lead to a crisis in the industry and jobs of thousands of people are at stake. Weighted down by huge debt, majorly from the public sector banks, Kingfisher went belly-up in 2012. Jet Airways, which has a debt of Rs 8,500 crore, mostly from the government-run banks, ceased operations last Wednesday due to paucity of cash. The abrupt closure of Jet Airways operations, for the time being, has put jobs of its over 20,000 employees. Moreover, as many as six airlines have closed down in the last five years. "First it was Kingfisher which folded up, and now its Jet Airways, which has stopped operations, albeit for the time being. The votaries of the privatisation, both in the government and outside, need to understand that denationalisation alone can't bring profitability and efficiency. Had it been so, the two private airlines would not have gone bust," said an Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU) senior official. Stating that the foremost reason for the current crisis in the aviation industry is the government's "reliance" on the private sector in achieving its ambitious Vision 2040, which has projected the country's air passenger traffic to grow to 1.1 billion per year by 2040, the union official said, "the industry is not doing well from the vision document point of view as the growth is not sustainable, healthy and even". Calling the government to reconsider its plans of privatising Air India, which are put on the backburner for the time being, the ACEU official said even in the present crisis when Jet Airways passengers are stranded across airports globally, it is the national carrier which has come to the rescue of the passengers by announcing special fares for such passengers. "The government can't expect such a gesture from private airlines," he said. "If the present crisis is allowed to continue, it will lead to an unprecedented crisis in the industry leading to more and more employees being thrown out of employment. A mere glance of problems indicate that there is something seriously wrong with the policy direction," he added. There is also a need to put brakes on 'open sky policy' besides strict enforcement of bilateral to make the business of domestic companies, including of Air India, viable, he said.

Jet collapse: Privatisation not remedy, says Air India employees union official

Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola briefed media following cessation of the Jet Airways flights. Watch full video to know more.

Civil aviation secretary brief media over Jet Airways crisis

The employees and the passengers are not the only ones feeling the domino effect of the Jet Airways crisis, businesses across the spectrum are also feeling the heat as the operations of the 25-year-old airline came to a grinding halt recently.

The grounding of Jet Airways flights has greatly affected the export of fresh produce to Europe.

Jet Airways had the highest capacity for Cargo. The airline had accounted for 50 per cent of exports from Mumbai to places like London, Amsterdam, Paris and Singapore.

Dubai based Emirates which has the second highest cargo capacity has in result hiked freight rates by 30 per cent to 40 per cent.

The freight rates on an average used to vary between 75 to 80 rupees per kg. But now they have risen to an excess of 100 rupees per kg.

The business community is cautious of the fact that if the status quo continues. This might have a long term impact on export volumes and price commitments.

The trouble at Jet Airways is also impacting the earnings of the hospitality industry.

The troubled airline owes a great deal of money to leading hotel chains and in-flight caterers.

Sources say&nbsp;that the suspended airline owes money to hotels like Marriott, taj, Hilton and Hyatt for crew accommodation that was booked in advance.

Air carriers don't often pay in advance. Billing cycle and room nights vary for each carrier. And bills are often sent to the companies later for payment.

&nbsp;

The employees and the passengers are not the only ones feeling the domino effect of the Jet Airways crisis, businesses across the spectrum are also feeling the heat as the operations of the 25-year-old airline came to a grinding halt recently.

The employees and the passengers are not the only ones feeling the domino effect of the Jet Airways crisis, businesses across the spectrum are also feeling the heat as the operations of the 25-year-old airline came to a grinding halt recently. The grounding of Jet Airways flights has greatly affected the export of fresh produce to Europe. Jet Airways had the highest capacity for Cargo. The airline had accounted for 50 per cent of exports from Mumbai to places like London, Amsterdam, Paris and Singapore. Dubai based Emirates which has the second highest cargo capacity has in result hiked freight rates by 30 per cent to 40 per cent. The freight rates on an average used to vary between 75 to 80 rupees per kg. But now they have risen to an excess of 100 rupees per kg. The business community is cautious of the fact that if the status quo continues. This might have a long term impact on export volumes and price commitments. The trouble at Jet Airways is also impacting the earnings of the hospitality industry. The troubled airline owes a great deal of money to leading hotel chains and in-flight caterers. Sources say that the suspended airline owes money to hotels like Marriott, taj, Hilton and Hyatt for crew accommodation that was booked in advance. Air carriers don't often pay in advance. Billing cycle and room nights vary for each carrier. And bills are often sent to the companies later for payment.

Jet Airways crisis seeps into allied business

Jet Airways crew members and air hostesses have applied for new jobs in the national carrier -- Air India.

A few days back, Air India had announced the recruitment of crew members in its fleet.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/pmo-calls-for-urgent-meeting-to-discuss-jet-airways-situation-209874">Debt-laden Jet Airways</a>, facing the worst time in 25 years, on Friday announced the suspension of international flights till Monday (April 15) due to the non-payment of outstanding bills to its lessors.

Air India spokesperson said,&nbsp;"AI is looking for 1,200 crew members. In the first phase after the written test, 514 crew members have been short-listed. The recruitment process is under process."

Sources in Air India also said,&nbsp;"Around 150 crew members have applied for jobs from Jet Airways. Most of the crew has been shortlisted, but the selection of those crew is yet to be finalised."Not only Jet Airways, sources said in Air India, that applicants are also from Vistara as Vistara crew members are looking for international routes, which the airline has not yet started.

Air India has faced crew shortage for its long haul flights like flights to New York and San Francisco. Air India has currently around 4,000 crew members.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Jet Airways crew members and air hostesses have applied for new jobs in the national carrier -- Air India. A few days back, Air India had announced the recruitment of crew members in its fleet.

Jet Airways crew members and air hostesses have applied for new jobs in the national carrier -- Air India. A few days back, Air India had announced the recruitment of crew members in its fleet. Debt-laden Jet Airways, facing the worst time in 25 years, on Friday announced the suspension of international flights till Monday (April 15) due to the non-payment of outstanding bills to its lessors. Air India spokesperson said, "AI is looking for 1,200 crew members. In the first phase after the written test, 514 crew members have been short-listed. The recruitment process is under process." Sources in Air India also said, "Around 150 crew members have applied for jobs from Jet Airways. Most of the crew has been shortlisted, but the selection of those crew is yet to be finalised."Not only Jet Airways, sources said in Air India, that applicants are also from Vistara as Vistara crew members are looking for international routes, which the airline has not yet started. Air India has faced crew shortage for its long haul flights like flights to New York and San Francisco. Air India has currently around 4,000 crew members.

Jet Airways employees flood Air India with job applications

The connectivity between India and Israel will influence the bilateral relationship and help in increasing the tourist flow on both the sides, India's Ambassador to Israel has said.

Pavan Kapoor's remarks came as Indian national carrier Air India celebrated its one year of operations on the Tel Aviv-Delhi sector.

The sector is considered a major diplomatic breakthrough given that the flights use Saudi and Omani airspace, registering an impressive growth with average seat occupancy around eighty per cent making it one of the most lucrative sector.

Air India's staff and the crew celebrated the completion of one year of operations on the route with passengers travelling to Delhi on Monday night at an event organised here at the airport just before the flight took off at 10:35 PM.

"It was a long journey with lots of ups and downs. Lots of interesting history which shall be written at some point but it was a sort of fascinating effort when we had the first flight arrive here on March 22nd last year," Kapoor said.

"It was really a special event and we were glad to be a part of civil aviation history for Israel, I think the first civilian aircraft to arrive at Tel Aviv airport flying over Saudi airspace", he said at the ceremony.

Israel does not have diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and Oman. The permission given to Air India by the two Gulf countries to use their airspace to fly into Tel Aviv has often been presented by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a big success story of his leadership.&nbsp;

"The connectivity between India and Israel will influence the relationship, something that I strongly believe in. We have seen more tourists on both sides, we have seen more business persons and we are pushing for more and more Israelis to travel to India. If Indians come here we are happy about it too. The Israeli tourist's Indian experience starts here when they enter Air India", Kapoor said.&nbsp;

Officials in Israel also reminisced the long and difficult path to this success story which also included objections from Israel's national carrier El Al that filed a petition with Israel's Supreme Court against the permission given to Air India on grounds of "unfair competition". El Al later withdrew the petition.

The access to Saudi and Omani airspace shortens the flight path by almost two hours lowering significantly the fuel cost which can be transferred on to the passengers.

"The launch of Air India flights between Tel Aviv and Delhi was an outcome of mutual efforts. It has contributed to a significant increase in tourist inflows from India to Israel. We have seen a 13 per cent increase in tourists coming from India during the first quarter of this year and almost 30 per cent compared to two years ago", Israeli Tourism Ministry's Director general, Amir Halevi, told PTI.

The connectivity between India and Israel will influence the bilateral relationship and help in increasing the tourist flow on both the sides, India's Ambassador to Israel has said.

The connectivity between India and Israel will influence the bilateral relationship and help in increasing the tourist flow on both the sides, India's Ambassador to Israel has said. Pavan Kapoor's remarks came as Indian national carrier Air India celebrated its one year of operations on the Tel Aviv-Delhi sector. The sector is considered a major diplomatic breakthrough given that the flights use Saudi and Omani airspace, registering an impressive growth with average seat occupancy around eighty per cent making it one of the most lucrative sector. Air India's staff and the crew celebrated the completion of one year of operations on the route with passengers travelling to Delhi on Monday night at an event organised here at the airport just before the flight took off at 10:35 PM. "It was a long journey with lots of ups and downs. Lots of interesting history which shall be written at some point but it was a sort of fascinating effort when we had the first flight arrive here on March 22nd last year," Kapoor said. "It was really a special event and we were glad to be a part of civil aviation history for Israel, I think the first civilian aircraft to arrive at Tel Aviv airport flying over Saudi airspace", he said at the ceremony. Israel does not have diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and Oman. The permission given to Air India by the two Gulf countries to use their airspace to fly into Tel Aviv has often been presented by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a big success story of his leadership. "The connectivity between India and Israel will influence the relationship, something that I strongly believe in. We have seen more tourists on both sides, we have seen more business persons and we are pushing for more and more Israelis to travel to India. If Indians come here we are happy about it too. The Israeli tourist's Indian experience starts here when they enter Air India", Kapoor said. Officials in Israel also reminisced the long and difficult path to this success story which also included objections from Israel's national carrier El Al that filed a petition with Israel's Supreme Court against the permission given to Air India on grounds of "unfair competition". El Al later withdrew the petition. The access to Saudi and Omani airspace shortens the flight path by almost two hours lowering significantly the fuel cost which can be transferred on to the passengers. "The launch of Air India flights between Tel Aviv and Delhi was an outcome of mutual efforts. It has contributed to a significant increase in tourist inflows from India to Israel. We have seen a 13 per cent increase in tourists coming from India during the first quarter of this year and almost 30 per cent compared to two years ago", Israeli Tourism Ministry's Director general, Amir Halevi, told PTI.

Connectivity important for boosting India-Israel relationship, says Envoy as Air India celebrates one year of operations

Trouble for Jet Airways: Market share drops

Air India in the UK confirmed on Friday that it would be suspending all flights to and from Birmingham Airport from Saturday due to "extraordinary circumstances" involving the closure of Pakistan's airspace.

The Indian national carrier said that its daily flights to India from London Heathrow remain unaffected as the New Delhi and Amritsar services in and out of Birmingham will be grounded until further updates.

"The flight cancellation is due to extraordinary circumstances, namely closure of Pakistan airspace and resultant impact which is beyond the control of Air India, said Debashis Golder, Regional Manager UK and Europe.

"In fact, besides Birmingham, many other flights in our network have been cancelled, combined or being operated with restricted payload, to reduce impact on passenger travel to the minimum, he said.

Pakistan airspace remains closed since Indian airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in the country following a terror attack claimed by the terror outfit that killed 40 jawans in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir last month.

Air India flies six times a week from Birmingham Airport three times direct to Delhi and three times direct to Amritsar.&nbsp;

The airport expressed its disappointment at the suspension of AI113 Delhi-Birmingham, AI114 Birmingham-Delhi, AI117 Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham, and AI118 Birmingham-Amritsar-Delhi and said it was working with the airline to restore the schedule.

"The airport is very understanding of the current situation which means that Pakistan airspace cannot be overflown and the operational impact that this is having on Air India,? a Birmingham Airport spokesperson said.

"Passengers that are already booked on Air India flights from Birmingham will be contacted by the airline to re-book or to gain a refund. We are working closely with Air India to restore these flights to Birmingham Airport's schedule as soon as possible," the spokesperson said.

Among the other routes affected by Friday's announcement include Air India's Delhi-Madrid and Madrid-Delhi flights.

Air India in the UK confirmed on Friday that it would be suspending all flights to and from Birmingham Airport from Saturday due to "extraordinary circumstances" involving the closure of Pakistan's airspace.

Air India in the UK confirmed on Friday that it would be suspending all flights to and from Birmingham Airport from Saturday due to "extraordinary circumstances" involving the closure of Pakistan's airspace. The Indian national carrier said that its daily flights to India from London Heathrow remain unaffected as the New Delhi and Amritsar services in and out of Birmingham will be grounded until further updates. "The flight cancellation is due to extraordinary circumstances, namely closure of Pakistan airspace and resultant impact which is beyond the control of Air India, said Debashis Golder, Regional Manager UK and Europe. "In fact, besides Birmingham, many other flights in our network have been cancelled, combined or being operated with restricted payload, to reduce impact on passenger travel to the minimum, he said. Pakistan airspace remains closed since Indian airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in the country following a terror attack claimed by the terror outfit that killed 40 jawans in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir last month. Air India flies six times a week from Birmingham Airport three times direct to Delhi and three times direct to Amritsar. The airport expressed its disappointment at the suspension of AI113 Delhi-Birmingham, AI114 Birmingham-Delhi, AI117 Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham, and AI118 Birmingham-Amritsar-Delhi and said it was working with the airline to restore the schedule. "The airport is very understanding of the current situation which means that Pakistan airspace cannot be overflown and the operational impact that this is having on Air India,? a Birmingham Airport spokesperson said. "Passengers that are already booked on Air India flights from Birmingham will be contacted by the airline to re-book or to gain a refund. We are working closely with Air India to restore these flights to Birmingham Airport's schedule as soon as possible," the spokesperson said. Among the other routes affected by Friday's announcement include Air India's Delhi-Madrid and Madrid-Delhi flights.

Air India suspends flights to and from Birmingham

An Air India flight from Delhi to Frankfurt Wednesday suffered a mid-air decompression and consequently, it returned to the airport "keeping the safety of 220 passengers in mind", said the national carrier in a statement.

According to airline officials, the flight faced decompression at the height of approximately 20,000 feet around 15 minutes after taking off.

"Air India flight AI121 operating from Delhi to Frankfurt today faced an issue of decompression and keeping the safety of the 220 passengers in mind, the flight had returned to Delhi. No passenger has suffered any injury," said the Air India spokesperson.

"The flight will now operate with a change of aircraft at 0600hrs on 7th March from Delhi. All passengers are safe and are being extended all assistance at Delhi. Air India is committed to maintaining the highest standards of passenger comfort and safety," the spokesperson added.&nbsp;

The standard time of departure of AI121 Delhi-Frankfurt flight is 1.35 pm daily.

At a higher altitude, the air is extremely thin due to low atmospheric pressure and low oxygen content. Therefore, an aircraft has to maintain an internal cabin pressure so that passengers do not face ill-effects on their health.&nbsp;

An Air India flight from Delhi to Frankfurt Wednesday suffered a mid-air decompression and consequently, it returned to the airport "keeping the safety of 220 passengers in mind", said the national carrier in a statement.

An Air India flight from Delhi to Frankfurt Wednesday suffered a mid-air decompression and consequently, it returned to the airport "keeping the safety of 220 passengers in mind", said the national carrier in a statement. According to airline officials, the flight faced decompression at the height of approximately 20,000 feet around 15 minutes after taking off. "Air India flight AI121 operating from Delhi to Frankfurt today faced an issue of decompression and keeping the safety of the 220 passengers in mind, the flight had returned to Delhi. No passenger has suffered any injury," said the Air India spokesperson. "The flight will now operate with a change of aircraft at 0600hrs on 7th March from Delhi. All passengers are safe and are being extended all assistance at Delhi. Air India is committed to maintaining the highest standards of passenger comfort and safety," the spokesperson added. The standard time of departure of AI121 Delhi-Frankfurt flight is 1.35 pm daily. At a higher altitude, the air is extremely thin due to low atmospheric pressure and low oxygen content. Therefore, an aircraft has to maintain an internal cabin pressure so that passengers do not face ill-effects on their health.

Air India's Delhi-Frankfurt flight faces mid-air decompression, returns within 15 minutes

In a new directive, national carrier Air India has asked all cabin and cockpit crew to say 'Jai Hind' after every announcement made on board.&nbsp;

"With immediate effect, all are required to announce "Jai Hind" at the end of every announcement after a slight pause and with much fervour,” read the circular issued by Air India to its crew.

The national carrier presently has around 3500 cabin crew and over 1200 cockpit crew.

The directive comes days after Ashwani Lohani took charge as Chairman and Managing Director of Air India once again.

Interestingly, Lohani had issued such a directive earlier also in 2016 during his previous tenure as Air India CMD.

In a new directive, national carrier Air India has asked all cabin and cockpit crew to say 'Jai Hind' after every announcement made on board. "With immediate effect, all are required to announce "Jai Hind" at the end of every announcement after a slight pause and with much fervour,” read the circular issued by Air India to its crew.

In a new directive, national carrier Air India has asked all cabin and cockpit crew to say 'Jai Hind' after every announcement made on board. "With immediate effect, all are required to announce "Jai Hind" at the end of every announcement after a slight pause and with much fervour,” read the circular issued by Air India to its crew. The national carrier presently has around 3500 cabin crew and over 1200 cockpit crew. The directive comes days after Ashwani Lohani took charge as Chairman and Managing Director of Air India once again. Interestingly, Lohani had issued such a directive earlier also in 2016 during his previous tenure as Air India CMD.

Air India directs cabin, cockpit crew to say 'Jai Hind' after every announcement

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/air-indias-passenger-revenue-grows-by-20-in-q3-of-2018-19-189895">Air India'</a>s Mumbai <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/air-india-pilot-found-dead-in-riyadh-hotel-141134">control centre </a>on Saturday received a phone call threatening to hijack its plane, following which Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) ordered all airlines and CISF to follow specific enhanced measures to ensure security, according to an official note.

"A telephonic message received by the station duty office, AI (Air India) AOCC (Airport Operation Control Centre) Mumbai, stating information regarding a threat to Indian Airlines flight getting hijacked to Pakistan on 23.2.2019," stated the BCAS note dated February 23.

The note added, "In view of the above, APSU (Airport Security Unit)/ASG (Aviation Security Group) and all aircraft operators shall adopt the following (eight) measures with immediate effect."

Both APSU and ASG are part of the Central Industrial Security Force. Indian Airlines is a part of Air India only.

According to BCAS note, the measures to be followed are:

Strict access control to regulate entry to the terminal building, airside, all operational area and other aviation facilities.

Intensive checking of vehicles entering the car parking area to preclude the possibility of car bomb attacks.

Enhanced screening of passengers, staff and visitors including an enhanced random screening at the main gate.

Enhanced screening and protection of hold baggage, cargo, cargo terminal, catering,mails, etc.

Surveillance through CCTV cameras as well as manual surveillance in and around the terminal building and operational areas.

Quick reaction team and perimeter patrolling to be strengthened.

Manning of all cargo gates and vehicle entry gates will be strengthened with strong-armed support.

Any other security measures based on local intelligence inputs.

The Parliament passed Anti-Hijacking (Amendment) Bill in 2014 in order to lay down new protocol to deal with the hijacking of an aeroplane.

"The Bill provides death punishment for the offence of hijacking, where such offence results in the death of a hostage or of a security personnel; or with imprisonment for life and the moveable and immovable property of such persons shall also be liable to be confiscated," the central government said in a statement on December 3, 2014.

Air India's Mumbai control centre on Saturday received a phone call threatening to hijack its plane, following which Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) ordered all airlines and CISF to follow specific enhanced measures to ensure security, according to an official note.

Air India's Mumbai control centre on Saturday received a phone call threatening to hijack its plane, following which Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) ordered all airlines and CISF to follow specific enhanced measures to ensure security, according to an official note. "A telephonic message received by the station duty office, AI (Air India) AOCC (Airport Operation Control Centre) Mumbai, stating information regarding a threat to Indian Airlines flight getting hijacked to Pakistan on 23.2.2019," stated the BCAS note dated February 23. The note added, "In view of the above, APSU (Airport Security Unit)/ASG (Aviation Security Group) and all aircraft operators shall adopt the following (eight) measures with immediate effect." Both APSU and ASG are part of the Central Industrial Security Force. Indian Airlines is a part of Air India only. According to BCAS note, the measures to be followed are: Strict access control to regulate entry to the terminal building, airside, all operational area and other aviation facilities. Intensive checking of vehicles entering the car parking area to preclude the possibility of car bomb attacks. Enhanced screening of passengers, staff and visitors including an enhanced random screening at the main gate. Enhanced screening and protection of hold baggage, cargo, cargo terminal, catering,mails, etc. Surveillance through CCTV cameras as well as manual surveillance in and around the terminal building and operational areas. Quick reaction team and perimeter patrolling to be strengthened. Manning of all cargo gates and vehicle entry gates will be strengthened with strong-armed support. Any other security measures based on local intelligence inputs. The Parliament passed Anti-Hijacking (Amendment) Bill in 2014 in order to lay down new protocol to deal with the hijacking of an aeroplane. "The Bill provides death punishment for the offence of hijacking, where such offence results in the death of a hostage or of a security personnel; or with imprisonment for life and the moveable and immovable property of such persons shall also be liable to be confiscated," the central government said in a statement on December 3, 2014.

Air India’s Mumbai control centre receives hijack threat call, all airports across country put on high alert

Air India chief Pradeep Singh Kharola has been appointed Civil Aviation secretary as part of a minor bureaucratic reshuffle effected on Wednesday, according to an official order.

Kharola, a 1985 batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre, was in November 2017 named the chairman and managing director of Air India Ltd.

The vacancy had come up due to the superannuation of Rajiv Nayan Choubey on January 31.

Choubey has taken over as a member in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Air India chief Pradeep Singh Kharola has been appointed Civil Aviation secretary as part of a minor bureaucratic reshuffle effected on Wednesday, according to an official order.

Air India chief Pradeep Singh Kharola has been appointed Civil Aviation secretary as part of a minor bureaucratic reshuffle effected on Wednesday, according to an official order. Kharola, a 1985 batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre, was in November 2017 named the chairman and managing director of Air India Ltd. The vacancy had come up due to the superannuation of Rajiv Nayan Choubey on January 31. Choubey has taken over as a member in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Air India CMD Pradeep Singh Kharola appointed Civil Aviation secretary

While Air India's passenger count rose by only 4 per cent in the December 2018 quarter, its revenue from passengers increased by 20 per cent on the back of better aircraft utilisation, said a senior official of the company.

"Due to better and efficient utilisation of aircraft fleet, the passenger revenue increased from Rs 4,615 crore in third quarter of 2017-18 to Rs 5,538 crore in the third quarter of 2018-19," the official said.

The official added that the number of passengers has increased to 55.27 lakh during the quarter from 53.28 lakh in the year-ago period. "This shows that passengers have increased by around 4 per cent...But our ASKM (available seat kilometres) has increased at a much faster rate," the official said.

ASKM indicates the passenger-carrying capacity of an aircraft. It is arrived at by multiplying the number of seats occupied by the distance travelled by aircraft in kilometres during a particular period.

The loss-making Air India is estimated to have a debt burden of over Rs 48,000 crore and the government's efforts for strategic disinvestment of the carrier failed in May last year.

The official said passengers in December increased by 4 per cent but the revenue from them increased by 23 per cent during the month.

"In the third quarter, total 15 new flights were started by the company," the official added.

Speaking about the Air India's woes, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu Friday said future revenues of the company cannot service its "massive" debt and this legacy issue has to be segregated from the current challenges of the national carrier.

"If you feel that future revenues can actually service the debt, it is not possible for the simple reason that the debt is so massive," Prabhu said Friday during a live stream held on 'Flying for All: Global Aviation Summit 2019'.

Air India earns 65 per cent of its revenues from international routes, while the remaining comes from the domestic network.

"Also, the cost of interest on the debt, when you try to service it from your revenues, Air India can never be in profit. Therefore, we have to address the debt issue. We are proactively working with the Ministry of Finance to make it happen," Prabhu added.

Air India has been making losses since the merger with Indian Airlines in 2007. The airline has a fleet size of around 122 aircraft currently.

"We have prepared a plan... We are trying to professionalise the entire management of Air India, right from the CEO (chief executive officer) downwards so that there will be a proper management structure so that Air India can reach to newer heights," he said.

"But anybody, who comes in, will ask this question 'how do I deal with the legacy'. The same question I had to address when I took over as a minister. The same question, Air India's new managing director or the new CEO or new board of directors would have to address - how do I deal with the past?" he added.

While Air India's passenger count rose by only 4 per cent in the December 2018 quarter, its revenue from passengers increased by 20 per cent on the back of better aircraft utilisation, said a senior official of the company.

While Air India's passenger count rose by only 4 per cent in the December 2018 quarter, its revenue from passengers increased by 20 per cent on the back of better aircraft utilisation, said a senior official of the company. "Due to better and efficient utilisation of aircraft fleet, the passenger revenue increased from Rs 4,615 crore in third quarter of 2017-18 to Rs 5,538 crore in the third quarter of 2018-19," the official said. The official added that the number of passengers has increased to 55.27 lakh during the quarter from 53.28 lakh in the year-ago period. "This shows that passengers have increased by around 4 per cent...But our ASKM (available seat kilometres) has increased at a much faster rate," the official said. ASKM indicates the passenger-carrying capacity of an aircraft. It is arrived at by multiplying the number of seats occupied by the distance travelled by aircraft in kilometres during a particular period. The loss-making Air India is estimated to have a debt burden of over Rs 48,000 crore and the government's efforts for strategic disinvestment of the carrier failed in May last year. The official said passengers in December increased by 4 per cent but the revenue from them increased by 23 per cent during the month. "In the third quarter, total 15 new flights were started by the company," the official added. Speaking about the Air India's woes, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu Friday said future revenues of the company cannot service its "massive" debt and this legacy issue has to be segregated from the current challenges of the national carrier. "If you feel that future revenues can actually service the debt, it is not possible for the simple reason that the debt is so massive," Prabhu said Friday during a live stream held on 'Flying for All: Global Aviation Summit 2019'. Air India earns 65 per cent of its revenues from international routes, while the remaining comes from the domestic network. "Also, the cost of interest on the debt, when you try to service it from your revenues, Air India can never be in profit. Therefore, we have to address the debt issue. We are proactively working with the Ministry of Finance to make it happen," Prabhu added. Air India has been making losses since the merger with Indian Airlines in 2007. The airline has a fleet size of around 122 aircraft currently. "We have prepared a plan... We are trying to professionalise the entire management of Air India, right from the CEO (chief executive officer) downwards so that there will be a proper management structure so that Air India can reach to newer heights," he said. "But anybody, who comes in, will ask this question 'how do I deal with the legacy'. The same question I had to address when I took over as a minister. The same question, Air India's new managing director or the new CEO or new board of directors would have to address - how do I deal with the past?" he added.

Air India's passenger revenue grows by 20% in Q3 of 2018-19

The Government expects to mop up about Rs 9,000 crore by selling off land and real estate properties of debt-laden Air India, an official said Monday.

The sale of land, building and other realty assets is part of the government's plan to trim the Rs 55,000 crore debt burden of Air India as this will make the airline competitive and fetch a better valuation when the government plans the strategic sale of national carrier again.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley headed ministerial panel had last week approved transferring Rs 29,000 crore debt to a special purpose vehicle (SPV) -- Air India Asset Holding Company.

The funds raised through the sale of the properties would be used to reduce the Rs 29,000 crore debt, held in the SPV.

"We are looking to raise about Rs 9,000 crore from sale of land and property assets of Air India. These include Airlines House in Bombay, realty property in Delhi's Vasant Vihar and land in Baba Kharak Singh Marg, next to Connaught Place," an official told PTI.

Last week the ministerial panel on Air India disinvestment had cleared the strategic sale of Air India ground handling subsidiary Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL).

The proceeds from the sale of AIATSL will also be used to reduce the debt held in the SPV.

AIATSL earned Rs 61.66 crore profit in the financial year 2016-17.

"We are going step by step to reduce the debt of Air India. When we hit the markets again with the strategic sale of Air India, potential investors will find it lucrative to purchase the carrier. These are all steps towards the sale of Air India," the official added.

The national carrier had in September invited bids to sell its properties located across India.

The airline had put up for sale 28 flats in Mumbai, seven flats in Ahmedabad, and two flats and office space in Pune, besides several other properties across the country.

The government had originally proposed to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control to private players.

However, the stake sale failed to attract any bidders when the bidding process got completed on May 31. In June, the ministerial panel decided not to go ahead with Air India stake sale in an election year.

It was decided to make Air India competitive by way of cutting down debt and raising resources by selling land assets and other subsidiaries.

The Government expects to mop up about Rs 9,000 crore by selling off land and real estate properties of debt-laden Air India, an official said Monday. The sale of land, building and other realty assets is part of the government's plan to trim the Rs 55,000 crore debt burden of Air India as this will make the airline competitive and fetch a better valuation when the government plans the strategic sale of national carrier again.

The Government expects to mop up about Rs 9,000 crore by selling off land and real estate properties of debt-laden Air India, an official said Monday. The sale of land, building and other realty assets is part of the government's plan to trim the Rs 55,000 crore debt burden of Air India as this will make the airline competitive and fetch a better valuation when the government plans the strategic sale of national carrier again. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley headed ministerial panel had last week approved transferring Rs 29,000 crore debt to a special purpose vehicle (SPV) -- Air India Asset Holding Company. The funds raised through the sale of the properties would be used to reduce the Rs 29,000 crore debt, held in the SPV. "We are looking to raise about Rs 9,000 crore from sale of land and property assets of Air India. These include Airlines House in Bombay, realty property in Delhi's Vasant Vihar and land in Baba Kharak Singh Marg, next to Connaught Place," an official told PTI. Last week the ministerial panel on Air India disinvestment had cleared the strategic sale of Air India ground handling subsidiary Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL). The proceeds from the sale of AIATSL will also be used to reduce the debt held in the SPV. AIATSL earned Rs 61.66 crore profit in the financial year 2016-17. "We are going step by step to reduce the debt of Air India. When we hit the markets again with the strategic sale of Air India, potential investors will find it lucrative to purchase the carrier. These are all steps towards the sale of Air India," the official added. The national carrier had in September invited bids to sell its properties located across India. The airline had put up for sale 28 flats in Mumbai, seven flats in Ahmedabad, and two flats and office space in Pune, besides several other properties across the country. The government had originally proposed to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control to private players. However, the stake sale failed to attract any bidders when the bidding process got completed on May 31. In June, the ministerial panel decided not to go ahead with Air India stake sale in an election year. It was decided to make Air India competitive by way of cutting down debt and raising resources by selling land assets and other subsidiaries.

Government to raise Rs 9,000 crore from sale of land, building, other assets of Air India

An Air India plane carrying 179 passengers struck a building at Stockholm's Arlanda airport with its wingtip as it taxied to gate on Wednesday, but no injuries were reported, police said.

"The 179 passengers could disembark from the plane on a mobile staircase and thereafter enter the terminal," police wrote in a statement.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known, police said.

It occurred at 5:45 pm (1645 GMT), about 50 meters (yards) from Terminal 5, the main terminal for international flights.

Pictures from the scene showed the Boeing aircraft parked on the runway with the very tip of its left wing stuck in the side of a building.

Several police cars and fire trucks were parked by the plane. According to airport operator Swedavia's website, the flight had originated in New Delhi.

An Air India plane carrying 179 passengers struck a building at Stockholm's Arlanda airport with its wingtip as it taxied to gate on Wednesday, but no injuries were reported, police said.

An Air India plane carrying 179 passengers struck a building at Stockholm's Arlanda airport with its wingtip as it taxied to gate on Wednesday, but no injuries were reported, police said. "The 179 passengers could disembark from the plane on a mobile staircase and thereafter enter the terminal," police wrote in a statement. The cause of the accident was not immediately known, police said. It occurred at 5:45 pm (1645 GMT), about 50 meters (yards) from Terminal 5, the main terminal for international flights. Pictures from the scene showed the Boeing aircraft parked on the runway with the very tip of its left wing stuck in the side of a building. Several police cars and fire trucks were parked by the plane. According to airport operator Swedavia's website, the flight had originated in New Delhi.

Air India plane with 179 on board hits building at Stockholm airport

Air India has waived charges for carrying relief materials to victims of cyclone Gaja on its flights from the national capital to Chennai, following an order from Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu.&nbsp;

Cyclone Gaja crossed the Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam on November 16, leaving more than 60 people dead and causing widespread damage.

Prabhu ordered Air India to waive cargo charges for the relief material that is being sent to Tamil Nadu to help victims of the cyclone and the airline management has agreed to it, according to an official release.

Tamil Nadu Bhawan in the national capital would coordinate and authorise the relief material that is to be transferred to Chennai. “We will extend any sort of help to provide relief to the cyclone-affected areas of Tamil Nadu,” Prabhu said.

The minister said that keeping in view the severe damage that the cyclone has caused to the people of Tamil Nadu, it has been decided to waive any charges for the transfer of relief material to the affected people via Air India flights.

“I have ordered Air India to provide this relief and I am happy that they have agreed to provide much-needed relief,” he added.

Air India has waived charges for carrying relief materials to victims of cyclone Gaja on its flights from the national capital to Chennai, following an order from Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu.

Air India has waived charges for carrying relief materials to victims of cyclone Gaja on its flights from the national capital to Chennai, following an order from Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu. Cyclone Gaja crossed the Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam on November 16, leaving more than 60 people dead and causing widespread damage. Prabhu ordered Air India to waive cargo charges for the relief material that is being sent to Tamil Nadu to help victims of the cyclone and the airline management has agreed to it, according to an official release. Tamil Nadu Bhawan in the national capital would coordinate and authorise the relief material that is to be transferred to Chennai. “We will extend any sort of help to provide relief to the cyclone-affected areas of Tamil Nadu,” Prabhu said. The minister said that keeping in view the severe damage that the cyclone has caused to the people of Tamil Nadu, it has been decided to waive any charges for the transfer of relief material to the affected people via Air India flights. “I have ordered Air India to provide this relief and I am happy that they have agreed to provide much-needed relief,” he added.

Air India waives charges for carrying relief material for cyclone Gaja victims

Impressed by Air India's services, cine star Shah Rukh Khan Sunday said "unofficially and unabashedly" he wants to declare himself as the ambassador of the national carrier.

Responding to the star's appreciation, Air India said it is humbled when 'King Khan' is the brand ambassador for 'Maharaja'.

Debt-laden Air India is working on ways to turn around its fortunes and there have been instances of the airline facing flak from customers for poor services.

Against this backdrop, the airline also said the star's words of appreciation are encouraging.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Unofficially &amp; Unabashedly I want to declare myself the ambassador of <a href="https://twitter.com/airindiain?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@airindiain</a> ndia. Thank u to the ground staff and the wonderful pilots for a hospitable warm &amp; beautiful journey...Maharaja, Maharaja hi hota hai...
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrk/status/1064083466797629440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Shah Rukh Khan, who is also known as 'King Khan', took an Air India flight from New York to Mumbai. He landed in Mumbai on Sunday, according to an airline official.

"Unofficially &amp; Unabashedly I want to declare myself the ambassador of @airindia...," Khan said in a tweet.

"Thank u to the ground staff and the wonderful pilots for a hospitable warm &amp; beautiful journey...Maharaja, Maharaja hi hota hai...," he said.

Air India tweeted saying it is always a pleasure for 'Maharaja' to serve 'King Khan'.

"The Air India family is so happy to see your kind words of appreciation which are so encouraging for us. We are truly humbled when 'King Khan' is the brand ambassador for 'Maharaja'," the airline said.

Among others, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha retweeted Khan's tweet about Air India.&nbsp;

At present, there is no official brand ambassador of Air India.&nbsp;

Impressed by Air India's services, cine star Shah Rukh Khan Sunday said "unofficially and unabashedly" he wants to declare himself as the ambassador of the national carrier.

Impressed by Air India's services, cine star Shah Rukh Khan Sunday said "unofficially and unabashedly" he wants to declare himself as the ambassador of the national carrier. Responding to the star's appreciation, Air India said it is humbled when 'King Khan' is the brand ambassador for 'Maharaja'. Debt-laden Air India is working on ways to turn around its fortunes and there have been instances of the airline facing flak from customers for poor services. Against this backdrop, the airline also said the star's words of appreciation are encouraging. Unofficially & Unabashedly I want to declare myself the ambassador of @airindiain ndia. Thank u to the ground staff and the wonderful pilots for a hospitable warm & beautiful journey...Maharaja, Maharaja hi hota hai... — Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) November 18, 2018 × Shah Rukh Khan, who is also known as 'King Khan', took an Air India flight from New York to Mumbai. He landed in Mumbai on Sunday, according to an airline official. "Unofficially & Unabashedly I want to declare myself the ambassador of @airindia...," Khan said in a tweet. "Thank u to the ground staff and the wonderful pilots for a hospitable warm & beautiful journey...Maharaja, Maharaja hi hota hai...," he said. Air India tweeted saying it is always a pleasure for 'Maharaja' to serve 'King Khan'. "The Air India family is so happy to see your kind words of appreciation which are so encouraging for us. We are truly humbled when 'King Khan' is the brand ambassador for 'Maharaja'," the airline said. Among others, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha retweeted Khan's tweet about Air India. At present, there is no official brand ambassador of Air India.

'Unofficially, unabashedly' wants to be Air India's ambassador: King Khan

An Irish woman passenger on board Air India flight verbally abuses the crew after she was refused more wine.

The incident took place on November 10 when Air India flight was on its way to London from Mumbai.

A drunk business class passenger went on a rant onboard a London-bound Air India flight after the crew refused to serve her any more alcohol.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> An Irish national on board Air India London-Mumbai flight verbally abuses the crew after she was refused more wine. The incident took place on November 10. (Note: Strong language) <a href="https://t.co/bdZWico5Qq">pic.twitter.com/bdZWico5Qq</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1062559266144432128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The passenger was arrested after the flight landed in London's Heathrow airport and is currently in custody.

An Irish woman passenger on board Air India flight verbally abuses the crew after she was refused more wine. The incident took place on November 10 when Air India flight was on its way to London from Mumbai.

An Irish woman passenger on board Air India flight verbally abuses the crew after she was refused more wine. The incident took place on November 10 when Air India flight was on its way to London from Mumbai. A drunk business class passenger went on a rant onboard a London-bound Air India flight after the crew refused to serve her any more alcohol. #WATCH An Irish national on board Air India London-Mumbai flight verbally abuses the crew after she was refused more wine. The incident took place on November 10. (Note: Strong language) pic.twitter.com/bdZWico5Qq — ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2018 × The passenger was arrested after the flight landed in London's Heathrow airport and is currently in custody.

Video: Drunk Irish woman abuses Air India crew after being denied alcohol

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