Israel's national airline El Al appealed to the Supreme Court on Wednesday to cancel the authorisation of direct Air India flights between New Delhi and Tel Aviv via Saudi airspace fearing financial damage to it and view it as aerial discrimination.

Israel's national airline has filed a suit against Israel government, the Civil Aviation Authority, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the transportation minister, Yisrael Katz and Air India.

According to reports, the El Al has asked the court to either give a similar permit to them or prevent Air India from taking the shorter route.

El Al says it is the victim of unfair competition. News agency Reuters reported El Al CEO Gonen Usishkin saying, ''the State of Israel does not understand the extent of the damage caused by the government."

"Today it is India, tomorrow it will be Thailand and all the east. It is impossible to assess the damage caused by this decision for the company's 6,000 employees," he added.

Air India started using the new direct route from March 22 to Tel Aviv while crossing the Saudi Arabian airspace after Saudi Arabia granted permission in January.

The new route reduces the travel duration to two hours. Saudi Arabia had banned any commercial bound flight to cross its airspace but the Indian government brokered the "peace flight" amid tensions in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia has so far not allowed Israeli carriers to use its airspace as the Saudi does not have any official diplomatic relations with Israel.

Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab nations which have relations with Isreal.

Israel's national carrier El Al currently operates from Mumbai takes a detour over the Red Sea to avoid flying over Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The new air link between Tel Aviv and New Delhi was announced in July last year by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, but it was not until January that the pair suggested it might use Saudi airspace.

Transport Minister Yisrael Katz described Air India's overflight of Saudi Arabia as "historic".

Israel's national airline El Al appealed to the Supreme Court on Wednesday to cancel the authorisation of direct Air India flights between New Delhi and Tel Aviv via Saudi airspace fearing financial damage to it and view it as aerial discrimination

Israel's national airline El Al appealed to the Supreme Court on Wednesday to cancel the authorisation of direct Air India flights between New Delhi and Tel Aviv via Saudi airspace fearing financial damage to it and view it as aerial discrimination. Israel's national airline has filed a suit against Israel government, the Civil Aviation Authority, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the transportation minister, Yisrael Katz and Air India. According to reports, the El Al has asked the court to either give a similar permit to them or prevent Air India from taking the shorter route. El Al says it is the victim of unfair competition. News agency Reuters reported El Al CEO Gonen Usishkin saying, ''the State of Israel does not understand the extent of the damage caused by the government." "Today it is India, tomorrow it will be Thailand and all the east. It is impossible to assess the damage caused by this decision for the company's 6,000 employees," he added. Air India started using the new direct route from March 22 to Tel Aviv while crossing the Saudi Arabian airspace after Saudi Arabia granted permission in January. The new route reduces the travel duration to two hours. Saudi Arabia had banned any commercial bound flight to cross its airspace but the Indian government brokered the "peace flight" amid tensions in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has so far not allowed Israeli carriers to use its airspace as the Saudi does not have any official diplomatic relations with Israel. Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab nations which have relations with Isreal. Israel's national carrier El Al currently operates from Mumbai takes a detour over the Red Sea to avoid flying over Saudi Arabia and Iran. The new air link between Tel Aviv and New Delhi was announced in July last year by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, but it was not until January that the pair suggested it might use Saudi airspace. Transport Minister Yisrael Katz described Air India's overflight of Saudi Arabia as "historic".

Israel's El Al appeals against Air India flights over Saudi Arabia

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WION Morning News Brief, March 26, 2018

Records pertaining to the Prime Minister's chartered flights for visits abroad cannot be disclosed under the RTI Act due to security concerns as per instructions from the PMO, the national carrier has said in response to an application filed by an activist under the transparency law.

In his RTI application dated February 2, 2018, Commodore (Retd) Lokesh Batra had sought to know from Air India the dates of invoices raised for chartered flights provided by it for foreign visits of the Prime Minister since November 2016, and the dates of forwarding each of these bills to the Civil Aviation Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry.

According to Batra, he got a response from the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) who said he cannot furnish information sought by him, and also sent him an e-mail communication from the PMO to Air India on the issue.

In that email, sent to an Air India official on December 26, 2016, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had said, "Records pertaining to PM's flight have certain information which may have security implications and are, hence, exempted from disclosure under clause (g) of Section 8(1) of the RTI Act, 2005."

"As such, the Air India is advised not to disclose information relating to PM's flight to such RTI queries," it said. It was not clear what had prompted the PMO's email in 2016.

Section 8(1)(g) of the RTI Act exempts from disclosure information that would endanger the life or physical safety of any person or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence for law enforcement or security purposes.

Batra had mentioned in his RTI application, "It is observed that still there are considerable delays in settling the chartered flight bills and invoices of Air India in respect of foreign tours of the PM. On the other hand, Air India is being bailed out with huge taxpayers' money.

After receiving the response of Air India, citing the PMO's instructions, Batra wrote to Air India saying that there is no provision in the Act to deny information without giving reasons as per section 7(1) of the Act or without quoting the CIC or court orders for denial of Information.

Air India has responded to his letter saying, "We never deny any information which is available as per our records of accounts Dept. As per provision in the Act we are not supposed to supply any copy of our document or as per section 7(1) of the Act, which is informed by PMO."

Batra has also written to the PMO calling the instruction to Air India a "serious lapse".

An RTI application dated February 2, 2018 had sought to know from Air India the dates of invoices raised for chartered flights provided by it for foreign visits of the Prime Minister

Records pertaining to the Prime Minister's chartered flights for visits abroad cannot be disclosed under the RTI Act due to security concerns as per instructions from the PMO, the national carrier has said in response to an application filed by an activist under the transparency law. In his RTI application dated February 2, 2018, Commodore (Retd) Lokesh Batra had sought to know from Air India the dates of invoices raised for chartered flights provided by it for foreign visits of the Prime Minister since November 2016, and the dates of forwarding each of these bills to the Civil Aviation Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry. According to Batra, he got a response from the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) who said he cannot furnish information sought by him, and also sent him an e-mail communication from the PMO to Air India on the issue. In that email, sent to an Air India official on December 26, 2016, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had said, "Records pertaining to PM's flight have certain information which may have security implications and are, hence, exempted from disclosure under clause (g) of Section 8(1) of the RTI Act, 2005." "As such, the Air India is advised not to disclose information relating to PM's flight to such RTI queries," it said. It was not clear what had prompted the PMO's email in 2016. Section 8(1)(g) of the RTI Act exempts from disclosure information that would endanger the life or physical safety of any person or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence for law enforcement or security purposes. Batra had mentioned in his RTI application, "It is observed that still there are considerable delays in settling the chartered flight bills and invoices of Air India in respect of foreign tours of the PM. On the other hand, Air India is being bailed out with huge taxpayers' money. After receiving the response of Air India, citing the PMO's instructions, Batra wrote to Air India saying that there is no provision in the Act to deny information without giving reasons as per section 7(1) of the Act or without quoting the CIC or court orders for denial of Information. Air India has responded to his letter saying, "We never deny any information which is available as per our records of accounts Dept. As per provision in the Act we are not supposed to supply any copy of our document or as per section 7(1) of the Act, which is informed by PMO." Batra has also written to the PMO calling the instruction to Air India a "serious lapse".

PM's flight records cannot be disclosed under RTI due to security reasons: Air India

An Air India cabin crew member allegedly slapped her junior colleague for serving non-vegetarian food to a vegetarian passenger onboard a Frankfurt-bound flight, airline officials said.

An Air India spokesperson said that an internal probe into the incident, which took place on March 17, has been launched by the carrier&#39;s inflight service department.

The cabin attendant &quot;by mistake&quot; served non-vegetarian food instead of a vegetarian food to a passenger in the business class of its New Delhi-Frankfurt flight. The passenger pointed out the mistake to the cabin supervisor but did not file any complaint, a source said.

On being told about her folly, the attendant went to the passenger and apologised. She replaced the meal as well, the source said.

However, the cabin crew supervisor later took up the issue again with the flight attendant and this time even slapped her for the mistake, the source claimed.

The junior colleague did not retaliate but later filed a complaint with Air India&#39;s inflight service department over the incident, the source said.

&quot;We have received a complaint from the cabin crew of the flight AI 121 (New Delhi-Frankfurt) . An internal inquiry has been set up to investigate the allegations in the complaint,&quot; the Air India spokesperson said.

Airline personnel misbehaving with passengers had come into focus after a video of IndiGo ground staff allegedly assaulting a passenger went viral last year. A parliamentary panel too had raised concern over &quot;rude&quot; and &quot;arrogant&quot; behaviour of airlines staff towards passengers, saying it should stop.

Earlier, Shiv Sena lawmaker Ravindra Gaikwad from Maharashtra had thrashed an Air India cabin crew with a slipper over seating issue, which prompted the government to roll out a no-fly list in September last year for people who misbehave during air travel.

An Air India cabin crew member allegedly slapped her junior colleague for serving non-vegetarian food to a vegetarian passenger onboard a Frankfurt-bound flight, airline officials said

An Air India cabin crew member allegedly slapped her junior colleague for serving non-vegetarian food to a vegetarian passenger onboard a Frankfurt-bound flight, airline officials said. An Air India spokesperson said that an internal probe into the incident, which took place on March 17, has been launched by the carrier's inflight service department. The cabin attendant "by mistake" served non-vegetarian food instead of a vegetarian food to a passenger in the business class of its New Delhi-Frankfurt flight. The passenger pointed out the mistake to the cabin supervisor but did not file any complaint, a source said. On being told about her folly, the attendant went to the passenger and apologised. She replaced the meal as well, the source said. However, the cabin crew supervisor later took up the issue again with the flight attendant and this time even slapped her for the mistake, the source claimed. The junior colleague did not retaliate but later filed a complaint with Air India's inflight service department over the incident, the source said. "We have received a complaint from the cabin crew of the flight AI 121 (New Delhi-Frankfurt) . An internal inquiry has been set up to investigate the allegations in the complaint," the Air India spokesperson said. Airline personnel misbehaving with passengers had come into focus after a video of IndiGo ground staff allegedly assaulting a passenger went viral last year. A parliamentary panel too had raised concern over "rude" and "arrogant" behaviour of airlines staff towards passengers, saying it should stop. Earlier, Shiv Sena lawmaker Ravindra Gaikwad from Maharashtra had thrashed an Air India cabin crew with a slipper over seating issue, which prompted the government to roll out a no-fly list in September last year for people who misbehave during air travel.

Senior Air India cabin crew allegedly slapped air hostess for serving wrong meal on flight

An Air India cabin crew member allegedly slapped her junior colleague for serving non-vegetarian food to a vegetarian passenger on board a Frankfurt-bound flight from New Delhi, according to airline officials.

An Air India spokesperson said that an internal probe into the incident, which took place on March 17, has been launched by the carrier&rsquo;s in-flight service department.

The incident happened onboard AI flight 121 after an hour from departure from Delhi when a flight attendant served the wrong meal. The passenger pointed out the mistake to the cabin supervisor but did not file any complaint, a source said.

However, the cabin crew supervisor later took up the issue again with the flight attendant and this time even slapped her for the mistake, the source claimed.

The junior colleague did not retaliate but later filed a complaint with Air India&rsquo;s in-flight service department over the incident, the source said.

&ldquo;We have received a complaint from the cabin crew of the flight AI 121 ( New Delhi-Frankfurt). An internal inquiry has been set up to investigate the allegations in the complaint,&rdquo; the Air India spokesperson said.

The incident comes close to a year after the much talked about March 23 slapgate when Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad kicked, punched and abused an Air India ground staffer in Delhi, only to find himself make history as the first passenger to be ever unanimously banned by all airlines.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

An Air India spokesperson said that an internal probe into the incident, which took place on March 17, has been launched by the carrier’s in-flight service department

An Air India cabin crew member allegedly slapped her junior colleague for serving non-vegetarian food to a vegetarian passenger on board a Frankfurt-bound flight from New Delhi, according to airline officials. An Air India spokesperson said that an internal probe into the incident, which took place on March 17, has been launched by the carrier’s in-flight service department. The incident happened onboard AI flight 121 after an hour from departure from Delhi when a flight attendant served the wrong meal. The passenger pointed out the mistake to the cabin supervisor but did not file any complaint, a source said. However, the cabin crew supervisor later took up the issue again with the flight attendant and this time even slapped her for the mistake, the source claimed. The junior colleague did not retaliate but later filed a complaint with Air India’s in-flight service department over the incident, the source said. “We have received a complaint from the cabin crew of the flight AI 121 ( New Delhi-Frankfurt). An internal inquiry has been set up to investigate the allegations in the complaint,” the Air India spokesperson said. The incident comes close to a year after the much talked about March 23 slapgate when Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad kicked, punched and abused an Air India ground staffer in Delhi, only to find himself make history as the first passenger to be ever unanimously banned by all airlines. (With inputs from PTI)

Air India crew slaps staff after serving wrong meal inflight

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-a-first-air-india-flight-to-cross-saudi-arabia-on-way-to-israel-36775" target="_blank">direct maiden flight of Air India to Tel Aviv from New Delhi arrived in Delhi on Thursday</a>, heralding a new chapter in the India-Israel ties and ending a decades-old overfly ban by Saudi Arabia.

Flight AI 139 landed at Tel Aviv&#39;s Ben Gurion airport at 2215 (Israeli time).

&quot;This is really a historical moment...We are in a new era. I am sure that we will see many more Indian tourists coming to Israel...And Israelis would also come to India in much higher numbers,&quot; Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said.

He said such a direct link would further strengthen the relationship between the two nations.

Saudi Arabia&#39;s decision to permit Air India to use its airspace has enabled the airline to take a shorter route.

It will cover the distance in 7.15 hours, 2.10 hours less than the time taken by the only other airline that flies between the two countries -- Israel&#39;s national carrier El Al.

Many Arab and Islamic nations do not recognise Israel and, therefore, disallow airlines from using their airspace for flight services to that country.

On a query over Saudi Arabia allowing Air India to use its airspace, Levin said: &quot;We have to very cautious. This is really a first step -- a very important one... I hope with times we have more and more normal relation with our neighbour in this region....India played a very important bridge (by introducing this flight over Saudi airspace) not only between India and us but also between Israel and other countries in this region.&quot;

Terming as &quot;historic&quot; the moment of arrival of the national carrier&#39;s maiden flight to Tel Aviv, Indian Ambassador to Israel Pavan Kapoor said a lot of efforts had gone into it over the last two years with a strong vision and support for the initiative from the prime ministers of both the countries.

He said the initiative would strengthen the relationship between the two countries in various spheres, including political, trade and cultural.

Air India Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Pradeep Kharola said the Air India direct flight has the shortest route connecting New Delhi and Tel Aviv and will bring people of the two countries closer.

The flight will operate every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. While the inaugural flight AI 139 left at 6 pm IST yesterday, the scheduled departure will be 4.50 pm IST from March 25 when the summer schedule comes into operation.

The state-run carrier will be operating its 256-seater Boeing 787 Dreamliner on this route.

Kharola and Israel Ministry of Tourism Director Hassan Madah cut a symbolic cake to mark the start of the direct flight to Israel.

Kharola had earlier said the airline anticipates interest from travellers from countries further to the east of India such as Australia.

The Air India flew over Oman, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to reach Israel.

The permission to fly over Saudi Arabia will save Air India almost 2 hours and 10 minutes compared to the longer route taken by Israels national carrier El Al, which has direct flights between Tel Aviv and Mumbai.

The direct maiden flight of Air India to Tel Aviv from New Delhi arrived in Delhi on Thursday, heralding a new chapter in the India-Israel ties and ending a decades-old overfly ban by Saudi Arabia. Flight AI 139 landed at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport at 2215 (Israeli time)

The direct maiden flight of Air India to Tel Aviv from New Delhi arrived in Delhi on Thursday, heralding a new chapter in the India-Israel ties and ending a decades-old overfly ban by Saudi Arabia. Flight AI 139 landed at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport at 2215 (Israeli time). "This is really a historical moment...We are in a new era. I am sure that we will see many more Indian tourists coming to Israel...And Israelis would also come to India in much higher numbers," Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said. He said such a direct link would further strengthen the relationship between the two nations. Saudi Arabia's decision to permit Air India to use its airspace has enabled the airline to take a shorter route. It will cover the distance in 7.15 hours, 2.10 hours less than the time taken by the only other airline that flies between the two countries -- Israel's national carrier El Al. Many Arab and Islamic nations do not recognise Israel and, therefore, disallow airlines from using their airspace for flight services to that country. On a query over Saudi Arabia allowing Air India to use its airspace, Levin said: "We have to very cautious. This is really a first step -- a very important one... I hope with times we have more and more normal relation with our neighbour in this region....India played a very important bridge (by introducing this flight over Saudi airspace) not only between India and us but also between Israel and other countries in this region." Terming as "historic" the moment of arrival of the national carrier's maiden flight to Tel Aviv, Indian Ambassador to Israel Pavan Kapoor said a lot of efforts had gone into it over the last two years with a strong vision and support for the initiative from the prime ministers of both the countries. He said the initiative would strengthen the relationship between the two countries in various spheres, including political, trade and cultural. Air India Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Pradeep Kharola said the Air India direct flight has the shortest route connecting New Delhi and Tel Aviv and will bring people of the two countries closer. The flight will operate every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. While the inaugural flight AI 139 left at 6 pm IST yesterday, the scheduled departure will be 4.50 pm IST from March 25 when the summer schedule comes into operation. The state-run carrier will be operating its 256-seater Boeing 787 Dreamliner on this route. Kharola and Israel Ministry of Tourism Director Hassan Madah cut a symbolic cake to mark the start of the direct flight to Israel. Kharola had earlier said the airline anticipates interest from travellers from countries further to the east of India such as Australia. The Air India flew over Oman, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to reach Israel. The permission to fly over Saudi Arabia will save Air India almost 2 hours and 10 minutes compared to the longer route taken by Israels national carrier El Al, which has direct flights between Tel Aviv and Mumbai.

In a new chapter in India-Israel ties, Air India's maiden direct flight lands at Tel Aviv

In an unprecedented move,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/palestinians-outrage-on-the-new-loyalty-bill-passed-by-israel-35218"> an Air India flight set off from</a> New Delhi today at 12:30GMT to land in Tel Aviv at 1945GMT while crossing over Saudi Arabian airspace on its way.

<a href="https://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/AIC139">Track Air India Flight</a>

Saudi <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/saudi-gives-air-india-overflight-rights-for-its-israel-routes-netanyahu-34855">Arabia does not allow any commercial </a>flight bound for Israel to cross its airspace but the Indian government brokered the &quot;peace flight&quot; amid tensions in the Middle East.

&quot;We will be flying non-stop from New Delhi to Tel Aviv from March 22 over Saudi airspace,&quot; an Air India spokesman said.

Israel&#39;s national carrier El Al which currently operates from Mumbai takes a detour over the Red Sea to avoid flying over Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Saudi Arabia and Israel have no official diplomatic relations. Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab nations which have relations with Isreal.

&quot;I think that what this shows is even in the absence of that you can have small gestures that are of real meaning,&quot; Spyer, director of Israel`s Rubin Centre for Research in International Affairs, told AFP.

&quot;That&#39;s what I think that this Saudi decision to allow the overflights consists of. It`s small but significant,&quot; Spyer added.

Recently Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had described relations with the Arab world as the &quot;best ever&quot; even as tensions continued over President Trump&#39;s recent decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, a move which set off violent protests in the Middle East.

Israel's national carrier El Al which currently operates from Mumbai takes a detour over the Red Sea to avoid flying over Saudi Arabia and Iran.

In an unprecedented move, an Air India flight set off from New Delhi today at 12:30GMT to land in Tel Aviv at 1945GMT while crossing over Saudi Arabian airspace on its way. Track Air India Flight Saudi Arabia does not allow any commercial flight bound for Israel to cross its airspace but the Indian government brokered the "peace flight" amid tensions in the Middle East. "We will be flying non-stop from New Delhi to Tel Aviv from March 22 over Saudi airspace," an Air India spokesman said. Israel's national carrier El Al which currently operates from Mumbai takes a detour over the Red Sea to avoid flying over Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia and Israel have no official diplomatic relations. Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab nations which have relations with Isreal. "I think that what this shows is even in the absence of that you can have small gestures that are of real meaning," Spyer, director of Israel`s Rubin Centre for Research in International Affairs, told AFP. "That's what I think that this Saudi decision to allow the overflights consists of. It`s small but significant," Spyer added. Recently Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had described relations with the Arab world as the "best ever" even as tensions continued over President Trump's recent decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, a move which set off violent protests in the Middle East.

In a first, Air India flight to cross Saudi Arabia on way to Israel

Just a day after budget carrier IngiGo reported five technical snags in its aircraft, airlines like SpiceJet and Jet Airways today reported three technical faults while government-owned Air India found a couple of similar faults.&nbsp;

According to reports, IndiGo and GoAir are worst hit by the directives issued by the national aviation regulator. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently grounded Airbus 320neos with the new series engine.&nbsp;

Over the weekend, two Indigo aircraft were grounded after pilots reported glitches. IndiGo&#39;s A320neo aircraft was grounded on Sunday in Srinagar, Jammu &amp; Kashmir. The aircraft was reported of a hydraulic leak from its engine.&nbsp;

The incident occurred within a week of the national aviation watchdog cracking its whip on airlines over stringent safety and security measures.&nbsp;

IndiGo was earlier slapped with a notice by the national aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

DGCA grounded eight of IndiGo&#39;s A320Neo planes with faulty Pratt &amp; Whitney engines.&nbsp;

The official data states as many as 24,700 technical snags reported last year. Jet Airways alone accounted for 9,689 of them, PTI reported.&nbsp;

SpiceJet reported a total of 4,903 technical faults last year, Air India group was at 4,563. GoAir saw 1,888 snags, AirAsia (1,367), Vistara (1,225), Blue Dart (793), IndiGo (340) and Zoom Air (23).&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

Over the weekend, two Indigo aircraft were grounded after pilots reported glitches

Just a day after budget carrier IngiGo reported five technical snags in its aircraft, airlines like SpiceJet and Jet Airways today reported three technical faults while government-owned Air India found a couple of similar faults. According to reports, IndiGo and GoAir are worst hit by the directives issued by the national aviation regulator. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently grounded Airbus 320neos with the new series engine. Over the weekend, two Indigo aircraft were grounded after pilots reported glitches. IndiGo's A320neo aircraft was grounded on Sunday in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. The aircraft was reported of a hydraulic leak from its engine. The incident occurred within a week of the national aviation watchdog cracking its whip on airlines over stringent safety and security measures. IndiGo was earlier slapped with a notice by the national aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation. DGCA grounded eight of IndiGo's A320Neo planes with faulty Pratt & Whitney engines. The official data states as many as 24,700 technical snags reported last year. Jet Airways alone accounted for 9,689 of them, PTI reported. SpiceJet reported a total of 4,903 technical faults last year, Air India group was at 4,563. GoAir saw 1,888 snags, AirAsia (1,367), Vistara (1,225), Blue Dart (793), IndiGo (340) and Zoom Air (23). (With inputs from PTI)

After IndiGo, three more airlines report snags

The official Twitter handle of Air India was hacked on Thursday&nbsp;morning.

The cyber attack was carried out by suspected Turkish hackers with the cover picture showing image of Turkish Airline with tweets in Turkish language.

Pro-Turkish tweets were also seen in the account.

One of the retweets claimed that the Air India account has been hacked by the Turkish cyber army Ayyildiz Tim.

The profile of the page reads, &quot;Ayyildiz Tim Ozel&nbsp;Tim.Your DM correspondence and important data have been captured.&quot;

Later, however, all the malicious content posted on the handle was removed and the official handle restored, officials said.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/twitter1-20180315013844.JPG" />
<div class="media-description">
Tweets on Air India&#39;s Twitter handle (Others)
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Pro-Turkish tweets were also seen in the account.

The official Twitter handle of Air India was hacked on Thursday morning. The cyber attack was carried out by suspected Turkish hackers with the cover picture showing image of Turkish Airline with tweets in Turkish language. Pro-Turkish tweets were also seen in the account. One of the retweets claimed that the Air India account has been hacked by the Turkish cyber army Ayyildiz Tim. The profile of the page reads, "Ayyildiz Tim Ozel Tim.Your DM correspondence and important data have been captured." Later, however, all the malicious content posted on the handle was removed and the official handle restored, officials said. Tweets on Air India's Twitter handle (Others) ×

Air India's Twitter handle hacked

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistans-behaviour-is-changing-says-us-defense-secretary-jim-mattis-35870">&#39;Pakistan&#39;s </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistans-behaviour-is-changing-says-us-defense-secretary-jim-mattis-35870">behaviour</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistans-behaviour-is-changing-says-us-defense-secretary-jim-mattis-35870"> is changing,&#39; says US defense secretary Jim Mattis</a>

As the US steps up pressure on Abbasi&#39;s government over terror, Defence secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday that has been &quot;changes in Pakistan&#39;s behaviour&quot;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-indias-twitter-handle-hacked-35859">Air India&#39;s Twitter handle hacked</a>

The official Twitter handle of Air India was hacked on Wednesday morning.

The cyber attack was carried out by suspected Turkish hackers with the cover picture showing image of Turkish Airline with tweets in Turkish language.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-navy-jet-crashes-in-florida-pilots-safe-35862">US Navy jet crashes off Florida coast, 2 aviators killed</a>

A US Navy jet F/A-18 crashed off the coast of Key West in Florida on Wednesday.

&nbsp;The US Navy said two aviators were killed in the crash.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/porn-star-stormy-daniels-for-court-intervention-to-dissolve-gag-agreement-with-trump-35867">Porn star</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/porn-star-stormy-daniels-for-court-intervention-to-dissolve-gag-agreement-with-trump-35867"> Stormy Daniels for court intervention to dissolve gag agreement with Trump</a>

Porn star Stormy Daniels will go to court on July 12 in a bid to dissolve an agreement stopping her discussing an affair she says she had with President Donald Trump, according to court papers published Wednesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-throwback-to-lionel-messis-first-goal-in-champions-league-35861">Watch: Throwback to Lionel Messi&#39;s first goal in Champions League</a>

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal of Champions League against Chelsea in the decisive second leg clash in the round of 16 at Camp Nou and inspired the team to reach the quarter-finals of UEFA Champions League.

&nbsp;

'Pakistan's behaviour is changing,' says US defense secretary Jim Mattis As the US steps up pressure on Abbasi's government over terror, Defence secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday that has been "changes in Pakistan's behaviour". Air India's Twitter handle hacked The official Twitter handle of Air India was hacked on Wednesday morning. The cyber attack was carried out by suspected Turkish hackers with the cover picture showing image of Turkish Airline with tweets in Turkish language. US Navy jet crashes off Florida coast, 2 aviators killed A US Navy jet F/A-18 crashed off the coast of Key West in Florida on Wednesday. The US Navy said two aviators were killed in the crash. Porn star Stormy Daniels for court intervention to dissolve gag agreement with Trump Porn star Stormy Daniels will go to court on July 12 in a bid to dissolve an agreement stopping her discussing an affair she says she had with President Donald Trump, according to court papers published Wednesday. Watch: Throwback to Lionel Messi's first goal in Champions League Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal of Champions League against Chelsea in the decisive second leg clash in the round of 16 at Camp Nou and inspired the team to reach the quarter-finals of UEFA Champions League.

WION Morning News Brief, March 15, 2016

Air India will introduce thrice-a-week flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv from March 22, the airline said on Wednesday.

The national carrier had planned to launch the service in May last year, but it couldn&#39;t materialise after some countries denied use of their airspaces for flights to Israel.

The announcement from Air India comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Monday, during his visit to the US, that Saudi Arabia had given permission to the Indian carrier for flying over its territory on its route from New Delhi to Tel Aviv.

Many Arab and Islamic nations do not recognise Israel and, therefore, disallow airlines from using their airspace for flight services to that country.

&quot;Air India will introduce thrice-a-week flight to Tel Aviv from Delhi with effect from March 22,&quot; an airline spokesperson said.

The Air India flight will fly over Oman, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to reach Israel, a senior airline official said on condition of anonymity.

The permission to fly over Saudi Arabia will mean Air India will take a shorter route between Delhi and Tel Aviv and cover the distance in 7 hours and 10 minutes.

The permission to fly over Saudi Arabia will save Air India almost 2 hours and 10 minutes as compared to the longer route taken by Israel&#39;s national carrier El Al, which has direct flights between Tel Aviv and Mumbai, according to another Air India source.

El Al takes a circuitous route over the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and then enters India and avoids countries that are on the direct flight path such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. This route, too, is covered in 7 hours and 10 minutes.

If Air India were to take this route from New Delhi, it would cover the entire distance in more than nine hours, according to the source.

The official added that the shorter flight duration, combined with Air India&#39;s strong domestic network, could give the national carrier an advantage over El Al.

Israeli PM Netanyahu had acknowledged that the Israeli national carrier El Al would be at a disadvantage both in terms of cost and travel time, adding that he is in talks with the national carrier to ensure it doesn&#39;t suffer economically.

The Air India flight will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. It will depart from New Delhi at 4.50 pm and arrive in Tel Aviv at 8.25 pm. On its return leg, the plane will depart from Tel Aviv at 10.15 pm and land in Delhi at 9 am the day after, according to a statement from Air India.

Air India will operate a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on the route.

During a visit to Israel in July last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said direct flights would be launched between Delhi, Mumbai and Tel Aviv and the plan gathered steam following Netanyahu&#39;s visit to India in January this year.

Israel&#39;s tourism ministry has also announced a one-time grant of 750,000 euros to Air India for the flight operations.&nbsp;

The national carrier had planned to launch the service in May last year, but it couldn't materialise after some countries denied use of their airspaces for flights to Israel

Air India will introduce thrice-a-week flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv from March 22, the airline said on Wednesday. The national carrier had planned to launch the service in May last year, but it couldn't materialise after some countries denied use of their airspaces for flights to Israel. The announcement from Air India comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Monday, during his visit to the US, that Saudi Arabia had given permission to the Indian carrier for flying over its territory on its route from New Delhi to Tel Aviv. Many Arab and Islamic nations do not recognise Israel and, therefore, disallow airlines from using their airspace for flight services to that country. "Air India will introduce thrice-a-week flight to Tel Aviv from Delhi with effect from March 22," an airline spokesperson said. The Air India flight will fly over Oman, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to reach Israel, a senior airline official said on condition of anonymity. The permission to fly over Saudi Arabia will mean Air India will take a shorter route between Delhi and Tel Aviv and cover the distance in 7 hours and 10 minutes. The permission to fly over Saudi Arabia will save Air India almost 2 hours and 10 minutes as compared to the longer route taken by Israel's national carrier El Al, which has direct flights between Tel Aviv and Mumbai, according to another Air India source. El Al takes a circuitous route over the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and then enters India and avoids countries that are on the direct flight path such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. This route, too, is covered in 7 hours and 10 minutes. If Air India were to take this route from New Delhi, it would cover the entire distance in more than nine hours, according to the source. The official added that the shorter flight duration, combined with Air India's strong domestic network, could give the national carrier an advantage over El Al. Israeli PM Netanyahu had acknowledged that the Israeli national carrier El Al would be at a disadvantage both in terms of cost and travel time, adding that he is in talks with the national carrier to ensure it doesn't suffer economically. The Air India flight will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. It will depart from New Delhi at 4.50 pm and arrive in Tel Aviv at 8.25 pm. On its return leg, the plane will depart from Tel Aviv at 10.15 pm and land in Delhi at 9 am the day after, according to a statement from Air India. Air India will operate a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on the route. During a visit to Israel in July last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said direct flights would be launched between Delhi, Mumbai and Tel Aviv and the plan gathered steam following Netanyahu's visit to India in January this year. Israel's tourism ministry has also announced a one-time grant of 750,000 euros to Air India for the flight operations.

Air India to start thrice-a-week Delhi-Tel Aviv flight from March 22

India&#39;s most wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim&#39;s key aide and an accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, Farooq Takla was brought back to Mumbai on Thursday after he was deported from United Arab Emirates (UAE).

As per reports, an Air India flight number AI 996 carrying Takla landed in Mumbai earlier this morning.

Takla, is being questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and will be produced in Mumbai&#39;s Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) court later in the day.

He fled from India after 1993 Mumbai blasts, following which a Red Corner Notice was issued against him in 1995.

Apart from this, Takla also faces criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder and several other charges.

At least 27 other accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, continue to elude and are declared as absconders.

As per reports, an Air India flight number AI 996 carrying Takla landed in Mumbai earlier this morning

India's most wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's key aide and an accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, Farooq Takla was brought back to Mumbai on Thursday after he was deported from United Arab Emirates (UAE). As per reports, an Air India flight number AI 996 carrying Takla landed in Mumbai earlier this morning. Takla, is being questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and will be produced in Mumbai's Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) court later in the day. He fled from India after 1993 Mumbai blasts, following which a Red Corner Notice was issued against him in 1995. Apart from this, Takla also faces criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder and several other charges. At least 27 other accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, continue to elude and are declared as absconders.

Dawood's key aide arrested, brought to Mumbai from Dubai

To mark the International Women&#39;s Day on Thursday, Indian railways deployed all women ticket checking staff on Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mumbai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mumbai</a>: On the occasion of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InternationalWomensDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InternationalWomensDay</a>, Indian Railways deployed all women ticket checking staff on Mumbai Central- Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express. Visuals from Mumbai Central Railway Station. <a href="https://t.co/LlUK4CaovR">pic.twitter.com/LlUK4CaovR</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/971565346665779200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Deccan Queen Express trains that run between Mumbai and Pune will also have permanent&nbsp;all-women staff from Thursday.

For the past couple of weeks, Indians Railways have introduced all&nbsp;women staff stations.&nbsp;

The Stations that have already been handed over to all women includes Matunga Road station in Mumbai,&nbsp;Ajni railway station in Nagpur,&nbsp;Chandragiri near Tirupati and Gandhinagar in Jaipur has already been handed over to all women staff.

Job duties from station&nbsp;masters to guards and cleaners all are being handled by women.

According to reports, the initiative is taken after the directions of Central Railway General Manager to have at least one women-only station&nbsp;in each division.

Similarly, Air India is also observing the day by operating flights with an all-women crew to New York, Frankfurt, Singapore and various other destinations.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-to-operate-all-women-crew-flights-to-celebrate-international-womens-day-34944">Air India to operate all-women crew flights to celebrate International Women&#39;s Day</a>

Deccan Queen Express trains that run between Mumbai and Pune will also have permanent all-women staff from Thursday

To mark the International Women's Day on Thursday, Indian railways deployed all women ticket checking staff on Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express. #Mumbai: On the occasion of #InternationalWomensDay, Indian Railways deployed all women ticket checking staff on Mumbai Central- Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express. Visuals from Mumbai Central Railway Station. pic.twitter.com/LlUK4CaovR — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 × Deccan Queen Express trains that run between Mumbai and Pune will also have permanent all-women staff from Thursday. For the past couple of weeks, Indians Railways have introduced all women staff stations. The Stations that have already been handed over to all women includes Matunga Road station in Mumbai, Ajni railway station in Nagpur, Chandragiri near Tirupati and Gandhinagar in Jaipur has already been handed over to all women staff. Job duties from station masters to guards and cleaners all are being handled by women. According to reports, the initiative is taken after the directions of Central Railway General Manager to have at least one women-only station in each division. Similarly, Air India is also observing the day by operating flights with an all-women crew to New York, Frankfurt, Singapore and various other destinations. Also read: Air India to operate all-women crew flights to celebrate International Women's Day

International Women's Day: Indian Railways deploys all women ticket checking staff

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/emergency-in-kandy-top-un-official-to-visit-sri-lanka-expected-to-visit-riot-hit-area-34942">Emergency in Kandy: Top UN official to visit Sri Lanka, expected to visit </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/emergency-in-kandy-top-un-official-to-visit-sri-lanka-expected-to-visit-riot-hit-area-34942">riot-hit</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/emergency-in-kandy-top-un-official-to-visit-sri-lanka-expected-to-visit-riot-hit-area-34942"> area</a>

As the Lankan government announced a 10-day emergency after Muslim, Buddhist riots in Kandy, the UN has announced it will send its political chief Jeffrey Feltman to the riot-hit region. &quot;We are obviously concerned over reports of the ongoing communal violence and we welcome the government&#39;s commitment to addressing the tensions and achieve reconciliation,&quot; UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pornstar-stormy-daniels-files-lawsuit-against-trump-over-hush-agreement-34943">Pornstar Stormy Daniels files </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pornstar-stormy-daniels-files-lawsuit-against-trump-over-hush-agreement-34943">lawsuit</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pornstar-stormy-daniels-files-lawsuit-against-trump-over-hush-agreement-34943"> against Trump over &#39;hush agreement&#39;</a>

As speculation about whether US president Donald Trump had an encounter with porn star Stormy Daniels makes rounds, the adult actress has decided to file a lawsuit against Trump alleging that he never signed a &quot;hush agreement&quot; to keep quiet about their rumoured affair, reports said on Tuesday.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/will-choose-wisely-says-trump-after-economic-adviser-cohns-resignation-34938">&#39;Will choose wisely!&#39;, says Trump after economic adviser Cohn&#39;s resignation</a>

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday tweeted that he will be making a decision soon on the appointment of new Chief Economic Advisor. &quot;Will be making a decision soon on the appointment of new Chief Economic Advisor. Many people wanting the job - will choose wisely!,&#39;&#39; Trump tweeted.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-to-operate-all-women-crew-flights-to-celebrate-international-womens-day-34944">Air India to operate all-women crew flights to celebrate International Women&#39;s Day</a>

The national carrier Air India will operate flights with an all-women crew to New York, Frankfurt, Singapore and various other destinations to commemorate International Women&#39;s Day on March 8. The national carrier on Tuesday said it has planned several flights, domestic and international, operated only by its women employees.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/football-real-on-song-as-psg-falter-again-in-champions-league-34934">Football: Real Madrid on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/football-real-on-song-as-psg-falter-again-in-champions-league-34934">song</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/football-real-on-song-as-psg-falter-again-in-champions-league-34934"> as PSG falter again in Champions League</a>

Real Madrid showed their collective strength in a clinical 2-1 win over Paris St Germain to reach the quarter-finals as the hosts slumped to another early Champions League exit on Tuesday. Zinedine Zidane&#39;s side prevailed at the Parc des Princes with goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Casimero for a 5-2 aggregate win as they were barely threatened in the last 16 return leg.

Emergency in Kandy: Top UN official to visit Sri Lanka, expected to visit riot-hit area As the Lankan government announced a 10-day emergency after Muslim, Buddhist riots in Kandy, the UN has announced it will send its political chief Jeffrey Feltman to the riot-hit region. "We are obviously concerned over reports of the ongoing communal violence and we welcome the government's commitment to addressing the tensions and achieve reconciliation," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Pornstar Stormy Daniels files lawsuit against Trump over 'hush agreement' As speculation about whether US president Donald Trump had an encounter with porn star Stormy Daniels makes rounds, the adult actress has decided to file a lawsuit against Trump alleging that he never signed a "hush agreement" to keep quiet about their rumoured affair, reports said on Tuesday. 'Will choose wisely!', says Trump after economic adviser Cohn's resignation US President Donald Trump on Wednesday tweeted that he will be making a decision soon on the appointment of new Chief Economic Advisor. "Will be making a decision soon on the appointment of new Chief Economic Advisor. Many people wanting the job - will choose wisely!,'' Trump tweeted. Air India to operate all-women crew flights to celebrate International Women's Day The national carrier Air India will operate flights with an all-women crew to New York, Frankfurt, Singapore and various other destinations to commemorate International Women's Day on March 8. The national carrier on Tuesday said it has planned several flights, domestic and international, operated only by its women employees. Football: Real Madrid on song as PSG falter again in Champions League Real Madrid showed their collective strength in a clinical 2-1 win over Paris St Germain to reach the quarter-finals as the hosts slumped to another early Champions League exit on Tuesday. Zinedine Zidane's side prevailed at the Parc des Princes with goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Casimero for a 5-2 aggregate win as they were barely threatened in the last 16 return leg.

WION Morning News Brief, March 7, 2018

The national carrier Air India will operate flights with an all-women crew to New York, Frankfurt, Singapore and various other destinations to commemorate International Women&#39;s Day on March 8.

The national carrier on Tuesday said it has planned several flights, domestic and international, operated only by its women employees.

&quot;Air India will fly these all-women crew flights to all the USA cities it operates to -- San Francisco, New York, Newark, Chicago and Washington DC -- besides destinations like Milan, Frankfurt and Singapore.&nbsp;

A number of women-related events will also be organised by Air India throughout its network to mark the occasion &ndash; reiterating the airline&#39;s constant endeavour to encourage women to have an equal standing in every sphere of the airline&#39;s activities, the airline said.&nbsp;

The airline further said that a unique feature of Air India&#39;s all-woman crew flights is that most of the operations from Cockpit crew to Cabin crew, Check-In staff, Doctor, commercial staff, ground operators to technicians, engineers, flight dispatchers, and even safety and quality auditors are all mostly women.&nbsp;

As per its website, Air India group has a fleet of more than 150 aircraft. &nbsp;

"Air India will fly these all-women crew flights to all the USA cities it operates to -- San Francisco, New York, Newark, Chicago and Washington DC -- besides destinations like Milan, Frankfurt and Singapore.

The national carrier Air India will operate flights with an all-women crew to New York, Frankfurt, Singapore and various other destinations to commemorate International Women's Day on March 8. The national carrier on Tuesday said it has planned several flights, domestic and international, operated only by its women employees. "Air India will fly these all-women crew flights to all the USA cities it operates to -- San Francisco, New York, Newark, Chicago and Washington DC -- besides destinations like Milan, Frankfurt and Singapore. A number of women-related events will also be organised by Air India throughout its network to mark the occasion – reiterating the airline's constant endeavour to encourage women to have an equal standing in every sphere of the airline's activities, the airline said. The airline further said that a unique feature of Air India's all-woman crew flights is that most of the operations from Cockpit crew to Cabin crew, Check-In staff, Doctor, commercial staff, ground operators to technicians, engineers, flight dispatchers, and even safety and quality auditors are all mostly women. As per its website, Air India group has a fleet of more than 150 aircraft.

Air India to operate all-women crew flights to celebrate International Women's Day

&nbsp;Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Saudi Arabia had granted&nbsp;Air&nbsp;India&nbsp;permission to fly over its territory on its new routes to and from Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu made the announcement during a briefing in Washington to Israeli reporters after he had met US&nbsp;President Donald Trump.

India&#39;s national carrier Air India is scheduled to begin its direct flight between New Delhi and Tel Aviv in few weeks from now.

Such a permission by Saudi Arabia would reduce the air travel time from New Delhi to Tel Aviv by Air India from about eight hours to five and a half hours, Netanyahu said.

Interacting with reporters after his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, Netanyahu said that Air India has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia over the matter.

&quot;Air India signed an agreement today to fly to Israel over Saudi Arabia,&quot; Netanyahu said.

Saudi Arabia does not recognise Israel and lifting the 70-year-old&nbsp;airspace ban would reflect what appears to be thawing ties between Israel and the kingdom, both U.S. allies with a shared concern over Iranian influence in the region.

Last month,&nbsp;Air&nbsp;India&nbsp;announced the planned thrice-weekly flights to Tel Aviv over Saudi soil, but the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Riyadh said at the time it had not granted such permission to the carrier.

El Al Israel&nbsp;Airlines, the country&#39;s flag carrier, flies four weekly flights to Mumbai. These take seven hours as they fly south toward Ethiopia and then east to&nbsp;India, avoiding Saudi&nbsp;airspace. Israel media have said that Saudi overflight routes could reduce travel time by more than two hours.

(With inputs from agencies)

India's national carrier Air India is scheduled to begin its direct flight between New Delhi and Tel Aviv in few weeks from now.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Saudi Arabia had granted Air India permission to fly over its territory on its new routes to and from Tel Aviv. Netanyahu made the announcement during a briefing in Washington to Israeli reporters after he had met US President Donald Trump. India's national carrier Air India is scheduled to begin its direct flight between New Delhi and Tel Aviv in few weeks from now. Such a permission by Saudi Arabia would reduce the air travel time from New Delhi to Tel Aviv by Air India from about eight hours to five and a half hours, Netanyahu said. Interacting with reporters after his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, Netanyahu said that Air India has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia over the matter. "Air India signed an agreement today to fly to Israel over Saudi Arabia," Netanyahu said. Saudi Arabia does not recognise Israel and lifting the 70-year-old airspace ban would reflect what appears to be thawing ties between Israel and the kingdom, both U.S. allies with a shared concern over Iranian influence in the region. Last month, Air India announced the planned thrice-weekly flights to Tel Aviv over Saudi soil, but the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Riyadh said at the time it had not granted such permission to the carrier. El Al Israel Airlines, the country's flag carrier, flies four weekly flights to Mumbai. These take seven hours as they fly south toward Ethiopia and then east to India, avoiding Saudi airspace. Israel media have said that Saudi overflight routes could reduce travel time by more than two hours. (With inputs from agencies)

Saudi gives Air India overflight rights for its Israel routes: Netanyahu

The Supreme Court to hear the writ petition filed by trans-woman Shanavi Ponnusamy, who alleged Air India, refused her a job due to her gender, on March 5.

On February 14, Ponnusamy wrote a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking permission for mercy killing as she was allegedly refused the job of cabin crew in Air India due to her gender.

Sanavi Ponnusami has alleged that Air India rejected her, telling her that they don&#39;t have a category for trans-women.

She had said that her living condition is not great and can&#39;t afford advocates to fight a case, as the Supreme Court listens to cases like hers.

She approached the Apex Court against the alleged discrimination in 2017.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

On February 14, Ponnusamy wrote a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking permission for mercy killing as she was allegedly refused the job of cabin crew in Air India due to her gender

The Supreme Court to hear the writ petition filed by trans-woman Shanavi Ponnusamy, who alleged Air India, refused her a job due to her gender, on March 5. On February 14, Ponnusamy wrote a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking permission for mercy killing as she was allegedly refused the job of cabin crew in Air India due to her gender. Sanavi Ponnusami has alleged that Air India rejected her, telling her that they don't have a category for trans-women. She had said that her living condition is not great and can't afford advocates to fight a case, as the Supreme Court listens to cases like hers. She approached the Apex Court against the alleged discrimination in 2017.

Supreme Court to hear writ petition by trans-woman Shanavi Ponnusamy

Rattan Singh Kalsi kept photos of all his grown children in his room at the seniors&rsquo; home, but one of them towered over the rest.

The photo anchored a kind of shrine to his daughter, Indira, who had died more than 30 years earlier, just as she was entering adulthood.

Indira had grown up in Canada and Rattan had bought her a plane ticket so she could see India, the country their family had come from, and spend time with the relatives she might not get to see once the responsibilities of work and adult life set in.

Naturally, Rattan, who had been middle-aged at the time of Indira&rsquo;s death, was heartbroken when she was killed in the bombing of the plane. He never recovered. He was not responsible for what had happened, but he blamed himself and lived in quiet anguish for the rest of his life.

Not long before he died, he shared his story. I was there to record it, and it was unbearably sad for both of us.

Rattan had left behind a request to scatter his and his wife&rsquo;s ashes (she had died some years earlier) over the same patch of ocean where the remains of the plane carrying their daughter had splashed down.

Bomb planted in Canada

All 329 people on board Air India Flight 182 on June 23, 1985, were killed, including 280 citizens or permanent residents of Canada.

They were lost to a bomb that exploded while their plane was in Irish airspace, en route from Canada to India. The bomb had been planted in Canada in an act of terror planned by extremists allegedly advocating for a separate Sikh state in the Punjab.

It was Canada&rsquo;s worst mass murder, yet it is barely remembered in this country.

Today, Canadians commonly regard the bombing as an Indian tragedy, or at most an Indo-Canadian tragedy. They typically dwell on the terrorism, but rarely on the grief and hardship of fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, children, friends and neighbours left behind.

Why hasn&rsquo;t this tragedy claimed a prominent place in Canadian history and public memory? Some now call it Canada&rsquo;s 9/11, but until the attack in New York City some 16 years later, they didn&rsquo;t call it much at all.

The Canadian families of the dead wonder year after year why no one but them seems to care, or why their grief is seen as less worthy than that of others who are more openly taken into the nation&rsquo;s heart.

Yes, there was a long criminal trial, a public inquiry and an apology from the federal government for failing to prevent the bombing and for the mistreatment of the families thereafter.

The bombing was belatedly declared &ldquo;a Canadian tragedy,&rdquo; so Air India is part of the official record, but it does not appear to be part of the Canadian family album.

&lsquo;Broad indifference&rsquo;

I have no personal connection to the tragedy, but our country&rsquo;s broad indifference to it came to me as a surprise. A course I was teaching at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., 25 years or more after the bombing, called for a section on Air India Flight 182, but when I went to look up the scholarly research, I was astonished by how little there was.

The absence of research was consistent with the broader and more troubling fact that the bombing has never resonated as deeply with Canadians as the scale of the tragedy would suggest.

The mismatch between the tragedy itself and its significance in the public memory may have many explanations, including racism.

It could be that the bombing is regarded as an Indian issue, since it was apparently motivated by political conflicts rooted there, or as an Irish event, since the plane that had taken off in Canada exploded in Irish airspace. It may be that since most of the Canadian victims were of Indian ancestry, that their fellow Canadians discounted them as outsiders or minorities.

Whatever the reason, a great wound had been left to the families to tend to on their own, and history had closed it over, leaving barely a scar for the public to see. The wound represented not only the grief of losing one&rsquo;s loved one, but the heartache of not being recognized as Canadians, and the loss not being viewed by the Canadian government and fellow citizens as a loss worthy of public mourning.

Since then, I have made it a personal and academic mission to haul this tragic event into the Canadian living room for a broader discussion, partly for the sake of the memory of those who died, and partly for the sake of those who have had to carry on without them.

Memorializing Air India

In 2016, toward the end of the 30th anniversary of the tragedy, my colleagues and I organized a two-day conference at McMaster featuring family members, scholars and artists in the hope of bringing the bombing closer to its rightful place in the Canadian consciousness.

Last year, we published an anthology, Remembering Air India: The Art of Public Mourning that creates a different sort of public record of the bombing than official responses.

In the course of my research, I have had the difficult honour of interviewing dozens of relatives of those who perished on Air India Flight 182. They have taken me inside their pain, and I find their grief substantial, complex and palpable even after three decades.

My work has led me to understand what our country lost in the bombing, and also what we have lost by failing to include the tragedy and its living victims in our collective memory.

At the annual commemoration of the bombing in Toronto every year, Air India families come up to me and ask who I lost. To me, it&rsquo;s distressing that they have come to expect that only other family members would care enough to come to a memorial service.

Slowly, I am assembling an Air India Flight 182 archive, the first of its kind, featuring families&rsquo; scrapbooks, poems, dance, kids&rsquo; paintings and recordings and transcripts of interviews with family members, to be housed at the McMaster University library and made available online for users around the world.

My hope is that it will preserve the memory of those who passed away, document the pain of their families and create resources for research that may finally connect this &ldquo;Canadian tragedy&rdquo; to Canada itself.

It&rsquo;s high time.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

There's an alarming lack of knowledge among Canadians about Air India Bombing of 1985 which killed 280 Indo-Canadians.

Rattan Singh Kalsi kept photos of all his grown children in his room at the seniors’ home, but one of them towered over the rest. The photo anchored a kind of shrine to his daughter, Indira, who had died more than 30 years earlier, just as she was entering adulthood. Indira had grown up in Canada and Rattan had bought her a plane ticket so she could see India, the country their family had come from, and spend time with the relatives she might not get to see once the responsibilities of work and adult life set in. Naturally, Rattan, who had been middle-aged at the time of Indira’s death, was heartbroken when she was killed in the bombing of the plane. He never recovered. He was not responsible for what had happened, but he blamed himself and lived in quiet anguish for the rest of his life. Not long before he died, he shared his story. I was there to record it, and it was unbearably sad for both of us. Rattan had left behind a request to scatter his and his wife’s ashes (she had died some years earlier) over the same patch of ocean where the remains of the plane carrying their daughter had splashed down. Bomb planted in Canada All 329 people on board Air India Flight 182 on June 23, 1985, were killed, including 280 citizens or permanent residents of Canada. They were lost to a bomb that exploded while their plane was in Irish airspace, en route from Canada to India. The bomb had been planted in Canada in an act of terror planned by extremists allegedly advocating for a separate Sikh state in the Punjab. It was Canada’s worst mass murder, yet it is barely remembered in this country. Today, Canadians commonly regard the bombing as an Indian tragedy, or at most an Indo-Canadian tragedy. They typically dwell on the terrorism, but rarely on the grief and hardship of fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, children, friends and neighbours left behind. Why hasn’t this tragedy claimed a prominent place in Canadian history and public memory? Some now call it Canada’s 9/11, but until the attack in New York City some 16 years later, they didn’t call it much at all. The Canadian families of the dead wonder year after year why no one but them seems to care, or why their grief is seen as less worthy than that of others who are more openly taken into the nation’s heart. Yes, there was a long criminal trial, a public inquiry and an apology from the federal government for failing to prevent the bombing and for the mistreatment of the families thereafter. The bombing was belatedly declared “a Canadian tragedy,” so Air India is part of the official record, but it does not appear to be part of the Canadian family album. ‘Broad indifference’ I have no personal connection to the tragedy, but our country’s broad indifference to it came to me as a surprise. A course I was teaching at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., 25 years or more after the bombing, called for a section on Air India Flight 182, but when I went to look up the scholarly research, I was astonished by how little there was. The absence of research was consistent with the broader and more troubling fact that the bombing has never resonated as deeply with Canadians as the scale of the tragedy would suggest. The mismatch between the tragedy itself and its significance in the public memory may have many explanations, including racism. It could be that the bombing is regarded as an Indian issue, since it was apparently motivated by political conflicts rooted there, or as an Irish event, since the plane that had taken off in Canada exploded in Irish airspace. It may be that since most of the Canadian victims were of Indian ancestry, that their fellow Canadians discounted them as outsiders or minorities. Whatever the reason, a great wound had been left to the families to tend to on their own, and history had closed it over, leaving barely a scar for the public to see. The wound represented not only the grief of losing one’s loved one, but the heartache of not being recognized as Canadians, and the loss not being viewed by the Canadian government and fellow citizens as a loss worthy of public mourning. Since then, I have made it a personal and academic mission to haul this tragic event into the Canadian living room for a broader discussion, partly for the sake of the memory of those who died, and partly for the sake of those who have had to carry on without them. Memorializing Air India In 2016, toward the end of the 30th anniversary of the tragedy, my colleagues and I organized a two-day conference at McMaster featuring family members, scholars and artists in the hope of bringing the bombing closer to its rightful place in the Canadian consciousness. Last year, we published an anthology, Remembering Air India: The Art of Public Mourning that creates a different sort of public record of the bombing than official responses. In the course of my research, I have had the difficult honour of interviewing dozens of relatives of those who perished on Air India Flight 182. They have taken me inside their pain, and I find their grief substantial, complex and palpable even after three decades. My work has led me to understand what our country lost in the bombing, and also what we have lost by failing to include the tragedy and its living victims in our collective memory. At the annual commemoration of the bombing in Toronto every year, Air India families come up to me and ask who I lost. To me, it’s distressing that they have come to expect that only other family members would care enough to come to a memorial service. Slowly, I am assembling an Air India Flight 182 archive, the first of its kind, featuring families’ scrapbooks, poems, dance, kids’ paintings and recordings and transcripts of interviews with family members, to be housed at the McMaster University library and made available online for users around the world. My hope is that it will preserve the memory of those who passed away, document the pain of their families and create resources for research that may finally connect this “Canadian tragedy” to Canada itself. It’s high time. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Startling indifference from Canadians about Air India bombing

Shanavi Ponnusamy, a transwoman has written to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking permission to kill herself. Ponnusamy alleges that the state-owned carrier Air India refused her a job because of her gender.

Ponnusamy noted that she didn&#39;t apply for a job with any other airline thinking that if a government-carrier didn&#39;t offer a category for transgenders, private airlines will certainly not.

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They said we don&#39;t have category for trans-women. But, do I get discount on taxes? I have to pay that, right?I have qualification &amp; experience, is it about my gender?: Shanavi, transgender who alleges Air India refused job due to her gender on her letter to Pres for mercy-killing <a href="https://t.co/11WDIIAfy1">pic.twitter.com/11WDIIAfy1</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/963736437622439936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;They said we don&#39;t have a category for transwomen. But, do I get discount on taxes? I have to pay that, right? I have qualification and experience, is it about my gender?&quot; Ponnusamy was quoted by ANI.&nbsp;

Shanavi had applied for a cabin crew post with Air India in the year 2016, she was rejected four times in total. She eventually learnt that her gender was the reason for the rejection of her candidature.

Shanavi hails from Tamil Nadu and holds a degree in Electronics and Communication engineering.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

Shanavi hails from Tamil Nadu and holds a degree in Electronics and Communication engineering

Shanavi Ponnusamy, a transwoman has written to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking permission to kill herself. Ponnusamy alleges that the state-owned carrier Air India refused her a job because of her gender. Ponnusamy noted that she didn't apply for a job with any other airline thinking that if a government-carrier didn't offer a category for transgenders, private airlines will certainly not. They said we don't have category for trans-women. But, do I get discount on taxes? I have to pay that, right?I have qualification & experience, is it about my gender?: Shanavi, transgender who alleges Air India refused job due to her gender on her letter to Pres for mercy-killing pic.twitter.com/11WDIIAfy1 — ANI (@ANI) February 14, 2018 × "They said we don't have a category for transwomen. But, do I get discount on taxes? I have to pay that, right? I have qualification and experience, is it about my gender?" Ponnusamy was quoted by ANI. Shanavi had applied for a cabin crew post with Air India in the year 2016, she was rejected four times in total. She eventually learnt that her gender was the reason for the rejection of her candidature. Shanavi hails from Tamil Nadu and holds a degree in Electronics and Communication engineering. (With inputs from ANI)

Transwoman seeks President's nod to kill self after airline denies her job

A Mumbai-Ahmedabad Air India flight had a rejected take off at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) following a false fire warning in port engine.

The Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) manager, who was following the aircraft, reported visible fire in the port engine at 9:26 pm on Sunday and thereafter, pilot-in-command (PIC) switched off both the engines.

However, it turned out to be a false warning.

According to reports, the aircraft was further towed to chokes at 9:45 pm and at 9:50 pm, PIC reported that the take off was rejected due to stall warning.

A stall warning is an electronic or mechanical device that sounds an audible warning as the stall speed is approached.The flight was carrying 182 passengers on board.&nbsp;

The Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) manager, who was following the aircraft, reported visible fire in the port engine at 9:26 pm on Sunday

A Mumbai-Ahmedabad Air India flight had a rejected take off at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) following a false fire warning in port engine. The Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) manager, who was following the aircraft, reported visible fire in the port engine at 9:26 pm on Sunday and thereafter, pilot-in-command (PIC) switched off both the engines. However, it turned out to be a false warning. According to reports, the aircraft was further towed to chokes at 9:45 pm and at 9:50 pm, PIC reported that the take off was rejected due to stall warning. A stall warning is an electronic or mechanical device that sounds an audible warning as the stall speed is approached.The flight was carrying 182 passengers on board.

Air India flight aborts take-off after false fire warning

A mid-air disaster was averted in the Mumbai air space when a Vistara aircraft came perilously close to an Air India plane, prompting the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to launch a probe.

On February 7, the Vistara&#39;s UK 997 Pune-bound aircraft from Delhi, carrying 152 passengers, was just 100 feet away from the Air India&#39;s AI 631 flight for Bhopal which had 109 passengers on board.

The AI flight captain has written in her resolution advisory report that the aircraft was just 100 feet away when it was taken to a safer distance.

The collision was averted after an automatic warning alerted the pilots of the two planes of being in close proximity to each other, an official said.

The commander of the Air India flight acted swiftly on the instrument warning and steered the aircraft to a safer distance, a senior official of the airline said.

The two pilots of the Vistara flight have been grounded, pending investigation, while the Air India pilots have been cleared for flying by the AAIB for not being at fault, the official added.

Vistara confirmed the incident and said both its pilots have been taken off flying duty, pending investigation.

&quot;In this particular incident, the resolution advisory (by the Traffic Collision Avoidance System or TCAS) got triggered due to conflicting traffic. Our pilot followed the standard operating procedure to avoid it and carried out an uneventful landing. The matter is under investigation by the relevant authority,&quot; a spokesperson of the Vistara said.

TCAS is an on-board equipment that advises pilots regarding the traffic in the proximity of the aircraft and also prescribes what action a pilot can take to maintain the desired separation between the aircraft.

&quot;The Air India aircraft was going as per the ATC instructions. There was no confusion. But it seems that something had gone wrong between the Vistara pilot and the ATC as the Vistara aircraft kept descending while the ATC was giving different instructions. There was some kind of an argument between them,&quot; the Air India official said.

&quot;The Vistara aircraft continued descending. So, finally, when our pilot saw the warning (the Vistara aircraft breaching the mandatory separation) on board, she just took the corrective action and turned the aircraft from the collision point,&quot; the airline said.

The Air India pilot&#39;s action was perfect as she followed the resolution advisory and steered the aircraft to a safer distance, it added.

&quot;The AAIB has cleared our pilot for flying,&quot; the Air India official said, while lauding her timely action.

&quot;It was a close shave,&quot; he said.

 
&nbsp;

The collision was averted after an automatic warning alerted the pilots of the two planes of being in close proximity to each other, an official said

A mid-air disaster was averted in the Mumbai air space when a Vistara aircraft came perilously close to an Air India plane, prompting the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to launch a probe. On February 7, the Vistara's UK 997 Pune-bound aircraft from Delhi, carrying 152 passengers, was just 100 feet away from the Air India's AI 631 flight for Bhopal which had 109 passengers on board. The AI flight captain has written in her resolution advisory report that the aircraft was just 100 feet away when it was taken to a safer distance. The collision was averted after an automatic warning alerted the pilots of the two planes of being in close proximity to each other, an official said. The commander of the Air India flight acted swiftly on the instrument warning and steered the aircraft to a safer distance, a senior official of the airline said. The two pilots of the Vistara flight have been grounded, pending investigation, while the Air India pilots have been cleared for flying by the AAIB for not being at fault, the official added. Vistara confirmed the incident and said both its pilots have been taken off flying duty, pending investigation. "In this particular incident, the resolution advisory (by the Traffic Collision Avoidance System or TCAS) got triggered due to conflicting traffic. Our pilot followed the standard operating procedure to avoid it and carried out an uneventful landing. The matter is under investigation by the relevant authority," a spokesperson of the Vistara said. TCAS is an on-board equipment that advises pilots regarding the traffic in the proximity of the aircraft and also prescribes what action a pilot can take to maintain the desired separation between the aircraft. "The Air India aircraft was going as per the ATC instructions. There was no confusion. But it seems that something had gone wrong between the Vistara pilot and the ATC as the Vistara aircraft kept descending while the ATC was giving different instructions. There was some kind of an argument between them," the Air India official said. "The Vistara aircraft continued descending. So, finally, when our pilot saw the warning (the Vistara aircraft breaching the mandatory separation) on board, she just took the corrective action and turned the aircraft from the collision point," the airline said. The Air India pilot's action was perfect as she followed the resolution advisory and steered the aircraft to a safer distance, it added. "The AAIB has cleared our pilot for flying," the Air India official said, while lauding her timely action. "It was a close shave," he said.

Two planes only 100 ft apart, mid-air collision over Mumbai averted

A midair collision was averted on February 7 between Vistara flight and Air India in Mumbai airspace.

The VIstara flight A320 Neo was flying to Delhi from Pune with 152 passengers at 27,000 of feet at the same Air India&#39;s Airbus A-319 was also flying in the opposite direction from Mumbai to Bhopal. The Vistara pilots were assigned to fly at 29,000 of altitude however, it was flying at the 27,000 of height same as the height of Air India&#39;s Airbus.

The collision was averted by a couple of seconds after Traffic collision avoidance system alarms went off in the cockpits of both planes.

Directorate General of Civil aviation has grounded two Vistara pilots following the incident.

Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is also probing the matter.

According to reports, this near miss is the most serious airport accident of recent times.

This was the second such case in Maharashtra airspace; In January a collision was averted between IndiGo A-320 flying from Hyderabad to Raipur and the Emirates Boeing 777 was flying towards Dubai from Singapore.

Directorate General of Civil aviation has grounded two Vistara pilots following the incident

A midair collision was averted on February 7 between Vistara flight and Air India in Mumbai airspace. The VIstara flight A320 Neo was flying to Delhi from Pune with 152 passengers at 27,000 of feet at the same Air India's Airbus A-319 was also flying in the opposite direction from Mumbai to Bhopal. The Vistara pilots were assigned to fly at 29,000 of altitude however, it was flying at the 27,000 of height same as the height of Air India's Airbus. The collision was averted by a couple of seconds after Traffic collision avoidance system alarms went off in the cockpits of both planes. Directorate General of Civil aviation has grounded two Vistara pilots following the incident. Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is also probing the matter. According to reports, this near miss is the most serious airport accident of recent times. This was the second such case in Maharashtra airspace; In January a collision was averted between IndiGo A-320 flying from Hyderabad to Raipur and the Emirates Boeing 777 was flying towards Dubai from Singapore.

Mid-air collision between Air India and Vistara averted by couple of seconds

Air India has been &quot;consistently improving&quot; its overall performance and more than doubled its operating profit to Rs 298.03 crore in the last financial year, according to the government.

The net loss of the state-owned airline, however, widened to Rs 5,765.16 crore in 2016-17.

The divestment-bound national carrier had an operating profit of Rs 105 crore in 2015-16.

&quot;Air India has been consistently improving its overall financial and operational performance since the implementation of the turnaround plan by the government,&quot; Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today.

In 2015-16, Air India had an operating profit of Rs 105 crore while net loss stood at Rs 3,836.77 crore.

The previous UPA government, in 2012, had approved a turnaround plan under which Air India is to receive a total equity infusion worth Rs 30,231 crore up to 2021 subject to meeting certain performance thresholds.

Out of the total amount, Rs 26,545.21 crore has already been infused into the airline till now.

As part of the turnaround plan, Air India has been taking various measures, including rationalisation of routes and enhanced utilisation of aircraft.

The airline&#39;s total loans amounted to Rs 48,447.37 crore in 2016-17. This includes aircraft and working capital loans of Rs 17,359.61 crore and Rs 31,087.76 crore, respectively.

Sinha said the draft expression of interest document inviting proposal for the airline&#39;s disinvestment is yet to be finalised by the Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM).

&quot;Formal proposals from prospective bidders would be received thereafter only. Any unsolicited expressions of interest at this stage are not relevant,&quot; he said.

In June 2016, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had given its in-principle approval for considering strategic disinvestment of Air India and its five subsidiaries. It also constituted the AISAM, which is headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

The panel would decide on hiving off certain assets to a shell company, the entities to be offered for sale during the bidding process, the quantum of disinvestment and the universe of bidders, Sinha said in a separate reply.

In another reply, he said the Air India Museum project has been put on hold due to the ongoing disinvestment process.

There was a proposal to set up a museum of arts and crafts in Mumbai to showcase the collection of Air India.

The divestment-bound national carrier had an operating profit of Rs 105 crore in 2015-16

Air India has been "consistently improving" its overall performance and more than doubled its operating profit to Rs 298.03 crore in the last financial year, according to the government. The net loss of the state-owned airline, however, widened to Rs 5,765.16 crore in 2016-17. The divestment-bound national carrier had an operating profit of Rs 105 crore in 2015-16. "Air India has been consistently improving its overall financial and operational performance since the implementation of the turnaround plan by the government," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today. In 2015-16, Air India had an operating profit of Rs 105 crore while net loss stood at Rs 3,836.77 crore. The previous UPA government, in 2012, had approved a turnaround plan under which Air India is to receive a total equity infusion worth Rs 30,231 crore up to 2021 subject to meeting certain performance thresholds. Out of the total amount, Rs 26,545.21 crore has already been infused into the airline till now. As part of the turnaround plan, Air India has been taking various measures, including rationalisation of routes and enhanced utilisation of aircraft. The airline's total loans amounted to Rs 48,447.37 crore in 2016-17. This includes aircraft and working capital loans of Rs 17,359.61 crore and Rs 31,087.76 crore, respectively. Sinha said the draft expression of interest document inviting proposal for the airline's disinvestment is yet to be finalised by the Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM). "Formal proposals from prospective bidders would be received thereafter only. Any unsolicited expressions of interest at this stage are not relevant," he said. In June 2016, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had given its in-principle approval for considering strategic disinvestment of Air India and its five subsidiaries. It also constituted the AISAM, which is headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The panel would decide on hiving off certain assets to a shell company, the entities to be offered for sale during the bidding process, the quantum of disinvestment and the universe of bidders, Sinha said in a separate reply. In another reply, he said the Air India Museum project has been put on hold due to the ongoing disinvestment process. There was a proposal to set up a museum of arts and crafts in Mumbai to showcase the collection of Air India.

Air India operating profit more than doubles to Rs 298 crore

Saudi Arabia has allowed Air India to use its airspace for flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv, Israeli daily Haaretz reported. 
 
However, it could not be confirmed from either the ministry of civil aviation here or Air India. 
 
According to a spokesperson of the airline, the national carrier has sought permission from regulatory body DGCA for thrice-a-week flight services between Delhi and Tel Aviv from March, which is awaited. 
 
Another Air India official said the airline is also waiting for slots at Delhi&#39;s Indira Gandhi International airport and Tel Aviv&#39;s Ben Gurion International Airport. 
 
Many Arab and Islamic nations do not recognise Israel and, therefore, disallow airlines from using their airspace for flight services to that country. 
 
According to the official, an approval from Saudi Arabia to use its airspace will allow Air India to take a shorter route by flying over Ahmedabad, Muscat, Saudi Arabia and then land at Tel Aviv. 
 
This route will lead to a shorter flight duration between the two cities by two and a half hours and save fuel costs, the official said.<iframe frameborder="0" height="0" id="google_ads_iframe_/1068322/NDTV_News_ROS_Native_Outstream_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/1068322/NDTV_News_ROS_Native_Outstream_0" scrolling="no" title="3rd party ad content" width="100%"></iframe>As of now, Israel&#39;s El Al flights between Tel Aviv and Mumbai take a seven-hour circuitous route and fly over the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and then enter India and avoid countries that are on the direct flight path such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Due to route overflying issues Air India was earlier also examining the possibility of operating flights from Mumbai to Tel Aviv. 
 
Israel&#39;s tourism ministry has announced a one-time grant of 750,000 euros to Air India for flight operations.

The national carrier has sought permission from regulatory body DGCA for thrice-a-week flight services between Delhi and Tel Aviv from March, which is awaited.

Saudi Arabia has allowed Air India to use its airspace for flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv, Israeli daily Haaretz reported. However, it could not be confirmed from either the ministry of civil aviation here or Air India. According to a spokesperson of the airline, the national carrier has sought permission from regulatory body DGCA for thrice-a-week flight services between Delhi and Tel Aviv from March, which is awaited. Another Air India official said the airline is also waiting for slots at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport and Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport. Many Arab and Islamic nations do not recognise Israel and, therefore, disallow airlines from using their airspace for flight services to that country. According to the official, an approval from Saudi Arabia to use its airspace will allow Air India to take a shorter route by flying over Ahmedabad, Muscat, Saudi Arabia and then land at Tel Aviv. This route will lead to a shorter flight duration between the two cities by two and a half hours and save fuel costs, the official said.As of now, Israel's El Al flights between Tel Aviv and Mumbai take a seven-hour circuitous route and fly over the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and then enter India and avoid countries that are on the direct flight path such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Due to route overflying issues Air India was earlier also examining the possibility of operating flights from Mumbai to Tel Aviv. Israel's tourism ministry has announced a one-time grant of 750,000 euros to Air India for flight operations.

Saudi Arabia allows Air India to use airspace for flights

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China today hit out at Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat for calling Dokalam a disputed territory and said that his &quot;unconstructive&quot; comments were not helpful for maintaining peace at the borders.

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The Bar Council of India (BCI) today said the crisis, which had erupted after four top Supreme Court judges came out openly against an allocation of cases by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, has been resolved internally and the &quot;story is over now&quot;.

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Once a great airline and now decrepit, Air India would get split into four separate companies and the government is offering at least 51% in each of them as part of their disinvestment plan.

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Thirty-five people were killed and at least 80 others wounded in two deadly suicide bombings in Baghdad on Monday morning.

India, Israel ink 9 pacts, Modi invites Israeli defence companies for co-production Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invited Israeli defence companies to India for co-production, as he held comprehensive talks on strategic issues with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, who called him a "revolutionary leader". China says General Rawat's remarks on Dokalam 'unconstructive' China today hit out at Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat for calling Dokalam a disputed territory and said that his "unconstructive" comments were not helpful for maintaining peace at the borders. Supreme Court crisis: Row resolved, 'kahani khatam', says Bar Council The Bar Council of India (BCI) today said the crisis, which had erupted after four top Supreme Court judges came out openly against an allocation of cases by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, has been resolved internally and the "story is over now". Mezzanine floor of Indonesia Stock Exchange collapses, 75 injured At least 75 people were injured Monday when a mezzanine floor at Indonesia's stock exchange building collapsed into the lobby, police said, with victims carried out of the debris-filled building on stretchers. Air India to be split into 4 entities ahead of sale: Reports Once a great airline and now decrepit, Air India would get split into four separate companies and the government is offering at least 51% in each of them as part of their disinvestment plan. Baghdad suicide attack: 35 killed, several injured Thirty-five people were killed and at least 80 others wounded in two deadly suicide bombings in Baghdad on Monday morning.

WION Evening News Brief, 15 January 2018

Once a great airline and now decrepit, Air India would get split into four separate companies and the government is offering at least 51% in each of them as part of their disinvestment plan.

As per media reports, the plan was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The four sections in which the airline would get divided are airline business, regional arm, ground handling and engineering operations, said reports.

Media reports quoted Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha as saying that the core airline business comprising Air India and Air India Express, the low coast overseas arm will be offered as one company.

The process is expected to get complete by the end of the year 2018.

Last week, India had cleared a proposal to allow foreign investors which&nbsp;allows foreign investors to own up to 49% in the airline.

Recently, Tata group showed interest in bidding for Air India along with Singapore airline.

Tata group chairman N Chandrasekaran had said last year that his group was ready to bid for the state-run airlines. 
&nbsp; 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s administration had been exploring ways to privatise the loss-making national carrier, which was bailed out in 2012 with $5.8 billion of federal funding.

The airline is under the debt of more than Rs. 52,000 crore.

(With inputs from news agency) 
&nbsp;

The airline is under the debt of more than Rs. 52,000 crore

Once a great airline and now decrepit, Air India would get split into four separate companies and the government is offering at least 51% in each of them as part of their disinvestment plan. As per media reports, the plan was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The four sections in which the airline would get divided are airline business, regional arm, ground handling and engineering operations, said reports. Media reports quoted Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha as saying that the core airline business comprising Air India and Air India Express, the low coast overseas arm will be offered as one company. The process is expected to get complete by the end of the year 2018. Last week, India had cleared a proposal to allow foreign investors which allows foreign investors to own up to 49% in the airline. Recently, Tata group showed interest in bidding for Air India along with Singapore airline. Tata group chairman N Chandrasekaran had said last year that his group was ready to bid for the state-run airlines. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration had been exploring ways to privatise the loss-making national carrier, which was bailed out in 2012 with $5.8 billion of federal funding. The airline is under the debt of more than Rs. 52,000 crore. (With inputs from news agency)

Air India to be split into 4 entities ahead of sale: Reports

US Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) today&nbsp;released names and images of alleged hijackers of Pan Am 73 flight in which 20 people were killed including flight attendant&nbsp;Neerja Bhanot in 1986.

The Pan Am flight 73 was hijacked with 360 passengers on board while on the ground at Karachi after it arrived from Mumbai. The passengers on the flight included from India, the United States, UK, Canada, Pakistan, Germany, Belgium, Mexico among others.

Two Americans were killed during the rescue mission. The case still being investigated by FBI&#39;s Washington Field Office.

The FBI released names of hijackers: Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki, Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain ar- Rahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawar.

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The FBI released names of hijackers: Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki, Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain ar- Rahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawar. (Others)
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The aircraft was eventually stormed by Pakistani commandos but in the commotion, several passengers were killed including flight attendant Neerja Bhanot who was later awarded the Ashok Chakra for her bravery.

The Department of State Rewards for Justice Programme offers a reward of up to $5 million each for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the alleged hijackers.

The hijackers were believed to be members of the Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) which was a&nbsp;US designated list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

The FBI in a statement said: &ldquo;No matter how much time has passed or the obstacles we encounter, we owe it to the victims and their families to never give up on them.&rdquo;

The aircraft was eventually stormed by Pakistani commandos but in the commotion, several passengers were killed including flight attendant Neerja Bhanot

US Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) today released names and images of alleged hijackers of Pan Am 73 flight in which 20 people were killed including flight attendant Neerja Bhanot in 1986. The Pan Am flight 73 was hijacked with 360 passengers on board while on the ground at Karachi after it arrived from Mumbai. The passengers on the flight included from India, the United States, UK, Canada, Pakistan, Germany, Belgium, Mexico among others. Two Americans were killed during the rescue mission. The case still being investigated by FBI's Washington Field Office. The FBI released names of hijackers: Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki, Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain ar- Rahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawar. The FBI released names of hijackers: Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki, Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain ar- Rahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawar. (Others) × The aircraft was eventually stormed by Pakistani commandos but in the commotion, several passengers were killed including flight attendant Neerja Bhanot who was later awarded the Ashok Chakra for her bravery. The Department of State Rewards for Justice Programme offers a reward of up to $5 million each for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the alleged hijackers. The hijackers were believed to be members of the Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) which was a US designated list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The FBI in a statement said: “No matter how much time has passed or the obstacles we encounter, we owe it to the victims and their families to never give up on them.”

Neerja Bhanot death: FBI releases names, images of Pan Am flight 73 hijackers

The government on Wednesday allowed 100% FDI in single-brand retail, and allowed foreign airlines to invest up to 49% in Air India.&nbsp;

The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

The Cabinet allowed overseas investors to invest 100 per cent FDI (foreign direct investment) in single brand retail, trading and construction development, an official statement said.

&quot;Foreign airlines allowed to invest up to 49 per cent under approval route in Air India,&quot; the statement added.&nbsp;

The 100% FDI in single-brand retail has been allowed under the automatic route, which means government approval will not have to be sought.

The investment in Air India however will require government approval and the government has added further conditions for investment in the government carrier.&nbsp;

Foreign investment in Air India including that of foreign Airline (s) shall not exceed 49 per cent either directly or indirectly and &quot;substantial ownership and effective control of Air India shall continue to be vested in Indian National&quot;, the official statement said.&nbsp;

Foreign airlines had already been allowed to invest up to 49% in Indian airline companies, with the exception of Air India.&nbsp;

&quot;It has now been decided to do away with this restriction and allow foreign airlines to invest up to 49 per cent under approval route in Air India,&quot; the statement said.

The government said its decisions would help with ease of doing business, and lead to larger FDI inflows contributing to growth, income, and employment.&nbsp;

One of the harshest criticisms of the government by the opposition in recent times has been the lack of jobs.&nbsp;

Traders bodies however have already <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/traders-body-opposes-100-per-cent-fdi-in-single-brand-retail-via-automatic-route-29107" target="_blank">opposed the 100% FDI in retail</a> -- the earlier limit was 49%, with government approval being required for further investment -- saying it violates a BJP poll promise.&nbsp;

The government has also allowed 100% FDI in real-estate broking services, saying they do not amount to the&nbsp;real estate business.

The cabinet has also allowed FIIs/FPIs to invest in power exchanges through the&nbsp;primary market.

So far 49 per cent FDI was permitted under automatic route in power exchanges registered under the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Power Market) Regulations, 2010. However, FII/FPI purchases were restricted to secondary market only.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI) 
&nbsp;

The government said its decisions -- cleared by the cabinet in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi -- would provide employment and income

The government on Wednesday allowed 100% FDI in single-brand retail, and allowed foreign airlines to invest up to 49% in Air India. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Cabinet allowed overseas investors to invest 100 per cent FDI (foreign direct investment) in single brand retail, trading and construction development, an official statement said. "Foreign airlines allowed to invest up to 49 per cent under approval route in Air India," the statement added. The 100% FDI in single-brand retail has been allowed under the automatic route, which means government approval will not have to be sought. The investment in Air India however will require government approval and the government has added further conditions for investment in the government carrier. Foreign investment in Air India including that of foreign Airline (s) shall not exceed 49 per cent either directly or indirectly and "substantial ownership and effective control of Air India shall continue to be vested in Indian National", the official statement said. Foreign airlines had already been allowed to invest up to 49% in Indian airline companies, with the exception of Air India. "It has now been decided to do away with this restriction and allow foreign airlines to invest up to 49 per cent under approval route in Air India," the statement said. The government said its decisions would help with ease of doing business, and lead to larger FDI inflows contributing to growth, income, and employment. One of the harshest criticisms of the government by the opposition in recent times has been the lack of jobs. Traders bodies however have already opposed the 100% FDI in retail -- the earlier limit was 49%, with government approval being required for further investment -- saying it violates a BJP poll promise. The government has also allowed 100% FDI in real-estate broking services, saying they do not amount to the real estate business. The cabinet has also allowed FIIs/FPIs to invest in power exchanges through the primary market. So far 49 per cent FDI was permitted under automatic route in power exchanges registered under the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Power Market) Regulations, 2010. However, FII/FPI purchases were restricted to secondary market only. (With inputs from PTI)

Government allows 100% FDI in single-brand retail, 49% in Air India

This is not an appropriate time to divest government stake in Air India, which should be given at least five years to revive and its debt written off, a parliamentary panel is likely to tell the government.&nbsp;

The panel is also understood to have concluded that the equity infusion in the national carrier, as part of the turnaround plan (TAP), was made on a &quot;piece meal basis&quot;, adversely affecting its financial and operational performance and &quot;forcing&quot; the airline to take loans &quot;at a higher interest rate to meet the shortfall&quot;.&nbsp;

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture concluded that the government should review its decision to privatise or disinvest Air India and explore the possibility of &quot;an alternative to disinvestment of our national carrier which is our national pride&quot;.&nbsp;

Observing that Air India has always &quot;risen to the occasion&quot; at times of need like calamities, social or political unrest in India or abroad, the Committee said &quot;it would be lopsided to assess and evaluate the functioning of Air India solely from business point of view, as has been done by the NITI Aayog.&quot;&nbsp;

In its revised draft report on the airline&#39;s proposed disinvestment, the panel noted that the TAP and financial restructuring plan (FRP) was for a period of 10 years from 2012 to 2022 and Air India has shown &quot;an overall improvement in various parameters and every indication is that it is coming out of the red&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;At the end of TAP period, government may evaluate the financial and performance status of Air India and take a decision accordingly,&quot; the panel said.&nbsp;

The parliamentary committee, after hearing the views of all stakeholders, &quot;strongly feels that it will not be appropriate at this stage to disinvest when Air India has started earning profit from its operations.&quot;&nbsp;

It also said that as some of its subsidiaries Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL), Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited (AISATS), Alliance Air and Air India Express were making profits, these units should &quot;not be disinvested.&quot;&nbsp;

Strongly recommending that the airline&#39;s debt &quot;should be written off by the government&quot;, the revised draft report said, &quot;Air India should be given a chance for at least five years to revive themselves&quot;. The tenure of five years indicates the end of the TAP and FRP period in 2022.&nbsp;

It said the airline&#39;s debt was &quot;due to policy directions of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Air India may be permitted to function as a government PSU with less government control.&quot;&nbsp;

The Committee also expressed apprehension that Air India&#39;s strategic disinvestment &quot;would result in job loss of many people&quot; and asked the government to &quot;make an assessment&quot; of the job loss before deciding on stake sale.&nbsp;

&quot;If the disinvestment of Air India and its subsidiaries is inevitable, the Committee emphatically recommends that the interests of employees should be protected,&quot; the revised draft report said.&nbsp;

It asked the Ministries of Finance and Civil Aviation to &quot;develop a strategic package to protect the rights and interests of officers and staff of Air India and its subsidiaries in respect of their pension, gratuity and VRS and also the wages of contractual workers engaged by government from time to time in case the disinvestment of Air India is inevitable.&quot;&nbsp;

The panel found merit in the views of some of its members that if Air India is withdrawn from the aviation scene, &quot;private airlines would indulge in gouging and that (will not be) in the interest of the consumers.&quot;&nbsp;

Air India has a total debt of about Rs 48,877 crore at the end of March 2017, of which about Rs 17,360 crore were aircraft loans and Rs 31,517 crore were working capital loans.&nbsp;

The airline is expected to report a net loss of Rs 3,579 crore for 2017-18, as per budget estimates projected for 2017 -18 from a provisional net loss of Rs 3,643 crore for 2016-17.&nbsp;

The airline is projected to increase its operating profit to Rs 531 crore (BE projected) for 2017-18 from a provisional operating profit of Rs 215 crore for 2016-17, as per latest figures tabled in Parliament.&nbsp;

The Parliamentary panel concluded that the government should review its decision to privatise or disinvest Air India and explore the possibility of 'an alternative to disinvestment of our national carrier which is our national pride'

This is not an appropriate time to divest government stake in Air India, which should be given at least five years to revive and its debt written off, a parliamentary panel is likely to tell the government. The panel is also understood to have concluded that the equity infusion in the national carrier, as part of the turnaround plan (TAP), was made on a "piece meal basis", adversely affecting its financial and operational performance and "forcing" the airline to take loans "at a higher interest rate to meet the shortfall". The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture concluded that the government should review its decision to privatise or disinvest Air India and explore the possibility of "an alternative to disinvestment of our national carrier which is our national pride". Observing that Air India has always "risen to the occasion" at times of need like calamities, social or political unrest in India or abroad, the Committee said "it would be lopsided to assess and evaluate the functioning of Air India solely from business point of view, as has been done by the NITI Aayog." In its revised draft report on the airline's proposed disinvestment, the panel noted that the TAP and financial restructuring plan (FRP) was for a period of 10 years from 2012 to 2022 and Air India has shown "an overall improvement in various parameters and every indication is that it is coming out of the red". "At the end of TAP period, government may evaluate the financial and performance status of Air India and take a decision accordingly," the panel said. The parliamentary committee, after hearing the views of all stakeholders, "strongly feels that it will not be appropriate at this stage to disinvest when Air India has started earning profit from its operations." It also said that as some of its subsidiaries Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL), Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited (AISATS), Alliance Air and Air India Express were making profits, these units should "not be disinvested." Strongly recommending that the airline's debt "should be written off by the government", the revised draft report said, "Air India should be given a chance for at least five years to revive themselves". The tenure of five years indicates the end of the TAP and FRP period in 2022. It said the airline's debt was "due to policy directions of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Air India may be permitted to function as a government PSU with less government control." The Committee also expressed apprehension that Air India's strategic disinvestment "would result in job loss of many people" and asked the government to "make an assessment" of the job loss before deciding on stake sale. "If the disinvestment of Air India and its subsidiaries is inevitable, the Committee emphatically recommends that the interests of employees should be protected," the revised draft report said. It asked the Ministries of Finance and Civil Aviation to "develop a strategic package to protect the rights and interests of officers and staff of Air India and its subsidiaries in respect of their pension, gratuity and VRS and also the wages of contractual workers engaged by government from time to time in case the disinvestment of Air India is inevitable." The panel found merit in the views of some of its members that if Air India is withdrawn from the aviation scene, "private airlines would indulge in gouging and that (will not be) in the interest of the consumers." Air India has a total debt of about Rs 48,877 crore at the end of March 2017, of which about Rs 17,360 crore were aircraft loans and Rs 31,517 crore were working capital loans. The airline is expected to report a net loss of Rs 3,579 crore for 2017-18, as per budget estimates projected for 2017 -18 from a provisional net loss of Rs 3,643 crore for 2016-17. The airline is projected to increase its operating profit to Rs 531 crore (BE projected) for 2017-18 from a provisional operating profit of Rs 215 crore for 2016-17, as per latest figures tabled in Parliament.

Don't privatise Air India, give it 5 years to revive: Parliamentary panel

Just days after aviation minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/now-air-india-looks-for-rs-1500-crore-short-term-loans-22668">Raju said the government does not want </a>Air India to &quot;go the Kingfisher way&quot;, Vistara&#39;s CEO Leslie Thng said today that Tata Group and Singapore Airlines are &quot;open to bid&quot; for Air India.

Vistara Airlines which started operations in India two years ago is a joint venture between Tata group and Singapore Airlines.

&quot;The two promoters are open to evaluate bids for Air India. They keep an open mind,&quot; Vistara CEO&nbsp;Thng said.

Tata group chairman N. Chandrasekaran had said last year that his group was ready to bid for the state-run airlines.

Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju had said in Lok Sabha last week: &quot;We don&#39;t want Air India to go the Kingfisher (Airlines) way,&quot;&nbsp;adding,&quot;We want the Air India to serve the nation, to serve the people and fly high.&quot;

The minister had told India&#39;s lower house that a ministerial committee headed by finance minister Arun Jaitley is looking into the matter of disinvestment of Air India.

Niti Aayog&nbsp;has recommended complete privatisation of Air India which has been running at a loss for decades.&nbsp;

In 2012, the UPA government headed by PM Manmohan Singh had extended a bailout package of 30,000 crore as the national airways struggled to keep afloat.

The airline has a debt of more than Rs 52,000 crore.

Tata group chairman N. Chandrasekaran had said last year that his group was ready to bid the state-run airlines.

Just days after aviation minister Raju said the government does not want Air India to "go the Kingfisher way", Vistara's CEO Leslie Thng said today that Tata Group and Singapore Airlines are "open to bid" for Air India. Vistara Airlines which started operations in India two years ago is a joint venture between Tata group and Singapore Airlines. "The two promoters are open to evaluate bids for Air India. They keep an open mind," Vistara CEO Thng said. Tata group chairman N. Chandrasekaran had said last year that his group was ready to bid for the state-run airlines. Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju had said in Lok Sabha last week: "We don't want Air India to go the Kingfisher (Airlines) way," adding,"We want the Air India to serve the nation, to serve the people and fly high." The minister had told India's lower house that a ministerial committee headed by finance minister Arun Jaitley is looking into the matter of disinvestment of Air India. Niti Aayog has recommended complete privatisation of Air India which has been running at a loss for decades. In 2012, the UPA government headed by PM Manmohan Singh had extended a bailout package of 30,000 crore as the national airways struggled to keep afloat. The airline has a debt of more than Rs 52,000 crore.

Disinvestment on cards, Tata group and Singapore Airlines ready to bid for Air India

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/indias-gdp-growth-to-slow-to-four-year-low-of-65-in-2017-18-28649" target="_blank">India&#39;s GDP growth to slow to four-year low of 6.5% in 2017-18</a>

The economic growth is expected to slow to a four-year low of 6.5 per cent in 2017-18, the lowest under the Modi-led government, mainly due to poor performance of agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/all-you-need-to-know-about-new-rs-10-note-introduced-by-rbi-28641" target="_blank">All you need to know about new Rs 10 note introduced by RBI</a>

The Reserve Bank of India on Friday introduced a new Rs 10 banknote in a new series and chocolate brown colour.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-hbo-confirms-for-first-time-game-of-thrones-to-return-in-2019-28632" target="_blank">HBO confirms for first time, &#39;Game of Thrones&#39; to return in 2019</a>

Putting speculations to rest, HBO now confirms that fan rumours were true -- the final season of &quot;Game of Thrones&quot;&nbsp;won&#39;t be back until 2019.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/disinvestment-on-cards-tata-group-and-singapore-airlines-ready-to-bid-for-air-india-28637" target="_blank">Disinvestment on cards, Tata group and Singapore Airlines ready to bid for Air India</a>

Just days after aviation minister Raju said the government does not want Air India to &quot;go the Kingfisher way&quot;, Vistara&#39;s CEO Leslie Thng said today that Tata Group and Singapore Airlines are &quot;open to bid&quot; for Air India.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/budget-likely-to-announce-several-features-to-strengthen-womens-safety-in-railways-28627" target="_blank">Budget likely to announce several features to strengthen women&#39;s safety in Railways</a>

The Union Budget&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/union-budget-to-be-presented-on-february-1-28623">set to be announced on February 1</a>&nbsp;is set to include special measures to strengthen women&#39;s safety. The Railway Ministry is likely to announce 2018 as &quot;Railway Women&#39;s Safety Year&quot;.

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India's GDP growth to slow to four-year low of 6.5% in 2017-18 The economic growth is expected to slow to a four-year low of 6.5 per cent in 2017-18, the lowest under the Modi-led government, mainly due to poor performance of agriculture and manufacturing sectors. All you need to know about new Rs 10 note introduced by RBI The Reserve Bank of India on Friday introduced a new Rs 10 banknote in a new series and chocolate brown colour. HBO confirms for first time, 'Game of Thrones' to return in 2019 Putting speculations to rest, HBO now confirms that fan rumours were true -- the final season of "Game of Thrones" won't be back until 2019. Disinvestment on cards, Tata group and Singapore Airlines ready to bid for Air India Just days after aviation minister Raju said the government does not want Air India to "go the Kingfisher way", Vistara's CEO Leslie Thng said today that Tata Group and Singapore Airlines are "open to bid" for Air India. Budget likely to announce several features to strengthen women's safety in Railways The Union Budget set to be announced on February 1 is set to include special measures to strengthen women's safety. The Railway Ministry is likely to announce 2018 as "Railway Women's Safety Year".

WION Evening News brief, 5 January 2018

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