Hong Kong's airport resumed operations on Wednesday, rescheduling<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/flights-cancelled-in-hong-kong-airport-as-protests-escalate-242407"> hundreds of flights </a>that had been disrupted over the past two days as protesters clashed with riot police in a deepening crisis in the Chinese-controlled city.

Ten weeks of increasingly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/all-check-ins-suspended-at-hong-kong-airport-as-protests-escalate-242706">violent clashes </a>between police and pro-democracy protesters, angered by a perceived erosion of freedoms, have plunged the Asian financial hub into its worst crisis since it reverted from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

About 30 protesters remained at the airport early on Wednesday while workers scrubbed it clean of blood and debris from overnight. Check-in counters reopened to queues of weary travellers who had waited overnight for their flights.

Police condemned violent acts by protesters overnight and said on Wednesday a large group had "harassed and assaulted a visitor and a journalist". Five people were detained, bringing the total number of people arrested since the protests began in June to more than 600, police said.&nbsp;

Hong Kong's Airport Authority said on Tuesday operations at the city's international airport had been seriously disrupted, as riot police used pepper spray to disperse thousands of black-clad protesters.&nbsp;

The Hang Seng stock index fell to a seven-month low on Tuesday and embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the city had been pushed into a state of "panic and chaos".

China condemned some protesters for using dangerous tools to attack police, saying the clashes showed "sprouts of terrorism". The protests represent one of the biggest challenges for Chinese President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012.

Demonstrators say they are fighting the erosion of the "one country, two systems" arrangement that enshrined some autonomy for Hong Kong when it returned to China in 1997.

The protests began in opposition to a now-suspended bill that would have allowed the extradition of suspects for trial in mainland China but has swelled into wider calls for democracy.

Check-in operations at the airport were suspended late on Tuesday afternoon, a day after an unprecedented shutdown. Thousands of peaceful protesters had swarmed the arrivals and departures halls earlier on Tuesday, chanting, singing and waving banners.

However, some protesters used luggage trolleys to blockade the doors to customs checkpoints. Protesters also scuffled with police later in the evening and several police vehicles were blocked amid heated scenes, according to Reuters witnesses.

Hong Kong's airport resumed operations on Wednesday, rescheduling hundreds of flights that had been disrupted over the past two days as protesters clashed with riot police in a deepening crisis in the Chinese-controlled city.

Hong Kong's airport resumed operations on Wednesday, rescheduling hundreds of flights that had been disrupted over the past two days as protesters clashed with riot police in a deepening crisis in the Chinese-controlled city. Ten weeks of increasingly violent clashes between police and pro-democracy protesters, angered by a perceived erosion of freedoms, have plunged the Asian financial hub into its worst crisis since it reverted from British to Chinese rule in 1997. About 30 protesters remained at the airport early on Wednesday while workers scrubbed it clean of blood and debris from overnight. Check-in counters reopened to queues of weary travellers who had waited overnight for their flights. Police condemned violent acts by protesters overnight and said on Wednesday a large group had "harassed and assaulted a visitor and a journalist". Five people were detained, bringing the total number of people arrested since the protests began in June to more than 600, police said. Hong Kong's Airport Authority said on Tuesday operations at the city's international airport had been seriously disrupted, as riot police used pepper spray to disperse thousands of black-clad protesters. The Hang Seng stock index fell to a seven-month low on Tuesday and embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the city had been pushed into a state of "panic and chaos". China condemned some protesters for using dangerous tools to attack police, saying the clashes showed "sprouts of terrorism". The protests represent one of the biggest challenges for Chinese President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012. Demonstrators say they are fighting the erosion of the "one country, two systems" arrangement that enshrined some autonomy for Hong Kong when it returned to China in 1997. The protests began in opposition to a now-suspended bill that would have allowed the extradition of suspects for trial in mainland China but has swelled into wider calls for democracy. Check-in operations at the airport were suspended late on Tuesday afternoon, a day after an unprecedented shutdown. Thousands of peaceful protesters had swarmed the arrivals and departures halls earlier on Tuesday, chanting, singing and waving banners. However, some protesters used luggage trolleys to blockade the doors to customs checkpoints. Protesters also scuffled with police later in the evening and several police vehicles were blocked amid heated scenes, according to Reuters witnesses.

Hong Kong airport resumes flights after clashes, mass protests

Flight operations have been resumed after the halt

Hong Kong Airport Re-Opens

Poland's&nbsp;parliament&nbsp;speaker, Marek Kuchcinski, said on Thursday he would resign after it was revealed that he used government aircraft for&nbsp;private&nbsp;trips by family members.

With elections set for October, the&nbsp;scandal&nbsp;has embarrassed the ruling right-wing nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which has said it is cleaning up an alleged legacy of graft and communist influence tolerated by previous governments.

"I plan to submit my resignation tomorrow," Kuchcinski told a news conference, three days after he apologized for using government Gulfstream jet for 23&nbsp;flights&nbsp;with his family.

Political analysts said that until Thursday the PiS had adopted a wait and see approach, hoping the&nbsp;scandal&nbsp;would die off&nbsp;amidst the summer holiday lull.

But after the Polish media published further details of the&nbsp;flights&nbsp;and pointed to discrepancies in explanations by Kuchcinski and the government, the potential damage became too serious to gloss over. 
A poll published by Super Express tabloid on Thursday showed that almost two-third of Poles wanted Kuchcinski to resign.

A survey taken by IBRiS pollster before the&nbsp;scandal&nbsp;broke gave PiS 41.7per cent if elections were held now, with the main opposition bloc, the centrist Civic Platform, at 25 per cent and a group of leftist parties at 10.2per cent.

Poland's parliament speaker, Marek Kuchcinski, said on Thursday he would resign after it was revealed that he used government aircraft for private trips by family members.

Poland's parliament speaker, Marek Kuchcinski, said on Thursday he would resign after it was revealed that he used government aircraft for private trips by family members. With elections set for October, the scandal has embarrassed the ruling right-wing nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which has said it is cleaning up an alleged legacy of graft and communist influence tolerated by previous governments. "I plan to submit my resignation tomorrow," Kuchcinski told a news conference, three days after he apologized for using government Gulfstream jet for 23 flights with his family. Political analysts said that until Thursday the PiS had adopted a wait and see approach, hoping the scandal would die off amidst the summer holiday lull. But after the Polish media published further details of the flights and pointed to discrepancies in explanations by Kuchcinski and the government, the potential damage became too serious to gloss over. A poll published by Super Express tabloid on Thursday showed that almost two-third of Poles wanted Kuchcinski to resign. A survey taken by IBRiS pollster before the scandal broke gave PiS 41.7per cent if elections were held now, with the main opposition bloc, the centrist Civic Platform, at 25 per cent and a group of leftist parties at 10.2per cent.

Poland's parliament speaker resigns amid private flights scandal

incorporated under French law with its headquarters at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Tremblay-en-France, near Paris. The group has offices in Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, and in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Pak Air-Closer lead to increase in flight time, says Welmer Blom. Welmer Blom is Senior VP with Air France-KLM. Watch this video to know more.

WION Wallet: India remains the strategic market for Air France-KLM

Heavy rains caused <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mumbai-rains-54-flights-diverted-52-cancelled-5-trains-short-terminated-232218">poor visibility and delay in flight operations</a> at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here on Monday morning.

An airport spokesperson said, "Due to heavy rains, the visibility is changing every minute. Since 9:15am today, the visibility at the airport has been fluctuating. There is a delay due to the weather. There has been no flight cancellation. However, three diversions have taken place."

Earlier, the spokesperson had said, "Due to heavy rains, there was no movement of flights at the airport."Rains have wreaked havoc in Mumbai with 24&nbsp;people dying in a wall collapse incident in Malad on July 5.

A compound wall collapsed on the hutments built on a hill slope in Kurar Village in area of Malad East due to heavy downpour last week.&nbsp;

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Minister of State for Urban Development Yogesh Sagar visited Shatabdi Hospital to meet the injured. He has also announced Rs 5 lakh to be given to the kin of the deceased while the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has also pledged to pitch in a similar amount.

Heavy rains caused poor visibility and delay in flight operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here on Monday morning. An airport spokesperson said, "Due to heavy rains, the visibility is changing every minute.

Heavy rains caused poor visibility and delay in flight operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here on Monday morning. An airport spokesperson said, "Due to heavy rains, the visibility is changing every minute. Since 9:15am today, the visibility at the airport has been fluctuating. There is a delay due to the weather. There has been no flight cancellation. However, three diversions have taken place." Earlier, the spokesperson had said, "Due to heavy rains, there was no movement of flights at the airport."Rains have wreaked havoc in Mumbai with 24 people dying in a wall collapse incident in Malad on July 5. A compound wall collapsed on the hutments built on a hill slope in Kurar Village in area of Malad East due to heavy downpour last week. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Minister of State for Urban Development Yogesh Sagar visited Shatabdi Hospital to meet the injured. He has also announced Rs 5 lakh to be given to the kin of the deceased while the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has also pledged to pitch in a similar amount.

Heavy rains delay flight operations at Mumbai international airport

Heavy fog blanketed Sydney on Saturday morning, delaying flights, creating hazards for shipping and setting social media ablaze with moody photographs of disappearing landmarks.

Ships had to use their foghorns for safety as they navigated out of the busy Sydney Harbour waterway to the open ocean.

A small number of flights in and out of Sydney were delayed, rerouted or cancelled, with affected airlines including Qantas and Virgin Australia.

International airline passengers were delayed by half an hour while domestic passengers endured waits of up to two hours.

Qantas and Virgin told Reuters they had cancelled fewer than six flights each and by 12.20 pm services were back to normal.

Sydney`s most iconic structures, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, gradually disappeared from sight, creating a spectacle for amateur photographers who posted their pictures on social media.

The fog lifted by midday and regular services resumed.

Heavy fog blanketed Sydney on Saturday morning, delaying flights, creating hazards for shipping and setting social media ablaze with moody photographs of disappearing landmarks.

Heavy fog blanketed Sydney on Saturday morning, delaying flights, creating hazards for shipping and setting social media ablaze with moody photographs of disappearing landmarks. Ships had to use their foghorns for safety as they navigated out of the busy Sydney Harbour waterway to the open ocean. A small number of flights in and out of Sydney were delayed, rerouted or cancelled, with affected airlines including Qantas and Virgin Australia. International airline passengers were delayed by half an hour while domestic passengers endured waits of up to two hours. Qantas and Virgin told Reuters they had cancelled fewer than six flights each and by 12.20 pm services were back to normal. Sydney`s most iconic structures, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, gradually disappeared from sight, creating a spectacle for amateur photographers who posted their pictures on social media. The fog lifted by midday and regular services resumed.

Fog blankets Sydney, causes flight delays

Goa Airport was temporarily shut down on Saturday after a portion of the main runway caught fire after a drop tank of a MiG-29K aircraft fell down from the jet while it was taking off. The minor fire was caused due to the fuel spillage. Both the pilot and the aircraft are safe.

Operations at Goa Airport resume after fire in a fuel tank dropped by MiG-29 disrupts flights

Jet Airways, on the verge of going belly-up, has suspended operations on as many as 13 more international routes till April-end even as it grounded seven more planes due to non-payment of rentals, taking the number of such aircraft to 54.

Besides, the airline has also reduced frequencies on seven other overseas routes, mostly from Delhi and Mumbai, according to airline sources.

"... An additional seven aircraft including two planes of JetLite have been grounded due to non-payment of amounts outstanding to lessors under their respective lease agreements," the airline said in a filing to the stock exchanges late evening Friday.&nbsp;

The company said that as mentioned earlier, it is actively engaged with all its aircraft lessors and is regularly providing them with updates on the efforts taken to improve the liquidity.

Earlier, sources said routes, where services have been temporarily withdrawn, include Pune-Singapore (seven a week), which was launched with much fanfare late last December, and Pune-Abu Dhabi (seven flights a week).&nbsp;

Jet Airways has already suspended services on the Mumbai-Manchester route.

Gasping for funds and no bailout on the horizon, the Naresh Goyal-controlled airline has now reduced its operations to one-fourth from over 600 daily flights earlier, with just one-third of its 119 fleet being operational.

The airline has discontinued services from Delhi to Abu Dhabi (nine a week), Dammam (14 weekly), Dhaka (11), Hong Kong and Riyadh (seven each a week) up to April 30, said the airline source.

Besides, the airline has also suspended services on the Bangalore-Singapore route, where it flies twice daily, till April 30.

The flights which have been suspended from Mumbai for this period include services to Abu Dhabi (12 weekly), Bahrain (4-7 weekly), and Dammam (14 weekly). These services will remain suspended till April 30, as per the source.

Similarly, flights on the Mumbai-Hong Kong (7 weekly) route will also not be operated between March 23 and April 30, while the Kolkata-Dhaka services have also been suspended till April 30.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Sources: Based on current listing, service reductions/cancellations are listed until 30 April inclusive. However, certain suspended service until 30 Apr is currently listed as not available for flights on/after 1 May 2019. Various domestic routes also see service reductions. <a href="https://t.co/W9gaMZhglk">https://t.co/W9gaMZhglk</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1109336954225733632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In addition to this, services from Delhi and Mumbai to Kathmandu, Bangkok, Doha, Kuwait and Singapore have been also reduced significantly.

Jet Airways, on the verge of going belly-up, has suspended operations on as many as 13 more international routes till April-end even as it grounded seven more planes due to non-payment of rentals, taking the number of such aircraft to 54.

Jet Airways, on the verge of going belly-up, has suspended operations on as many as 13 more international routes till April-end even as it grounded seven more planes due to non-payment of rentals, taking the number of such aircraft to 54. Besides, the airline has also reduced frequencies on seven other overseas routes, mostly from Delhi and Mumbai, according to airline sources. "... An additional seven aircraft including two planes of JetLite have been grounded due to non-payment of amounts outstanding to lessors under their respective lease agreements," the airline said in a filing to the stock exchanges late evening Friday. The company said that as mentioned earlier, it is actively engaged with all its aircraft lessors and is regularly providing them with updates on the efforts taken to improve the liquidity. Earlier, sources said routes, where services have been temporarily withdrawn, include Pune-Singapore (seven a week), which was launched with much fanfare late last December, and Pune-Abu Dhabi (seven flights a week). Jet Airways has already suspended services on the Mumbai-Manchester route. Gasping for funds and no bailout on the horizon, the Naresh Goyal-controlled airline has now reduced its operations to one-fourth from over 600 daily flights earlier, with just one-third of its 119 fleet being operational. The airline has discontinued services from Delhi to Abu Dhabi (nine a week), Dammam (14 weekly), Dhaka (11), Hong Kong and Riyadh (seven each a week) up to April 30, said the airline source. Besides, the airline has also suspended services on the Bangalore-Singapore route, where it flies twice daily, till April 30. The flights which have been suspended from Mumbai for this period include services to Abu Dhabi (12 weekly), Bahrain (4-7 weekly), and Dammam (14 weekly). These services will remain suspended till April 30, as per the source. Similarly, flights on the Mumbai-Hong Kong (7 weekly) route will also not be operated between March 23 and April 30, while the Kolkata-Dhaka services have also been suspended till April 30. Sources: Based on current listing, service reductions/cancellations are listed until 30 April inclusive. However, certain suspended service until 30 Apr is currently listed as not available for flights on/after 1 May 2019. Various domestic routes also see service reductions. https://t.co/W9gaMZhglk — ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2019 × In addition to this, services from Delhi and Mumbai to Kathmandu, Bangkok, Doha, Kuwait and Singapore have been also reduced significantly.

Jet Airways suspends services to 13 international routes till April-end

The Ministry of Home Affairs said Thursday that all central paramilitary personnel are to fly into Srinagar. There will no longer travel by road into the Kashmiri capital.&nbsp;

The announcement comes in the wake of the Pulwama attack in which at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel lost their lives.&nbsp;

Thursday's announcement by the MHA is applicable to 780,000 personnel of the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces.&nbsp;

"The decision will immediately benefit approximately 780,000 personnel of CAPFs in the ranks of Constable, Head Constable &amp; ASI who were otherwise not eligible earlier. This includes journey on duty and journey on leave, i.e; while going on leave from J&amp;K to home and return," the home ministry said.&nbsp;

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MHA: This facility is in addition to the existing air courier services for CAPFs that have been steadily extended in all sectors by the MHA to help the jawans cut down on travel time during their journey to and fro from home on leave. <a href="https://t.co/iYyd1qOv4T">https://t.co/iYyd1qOv4T</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1098501383467266049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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MHA: In J&amp;K Sector, it may be recalled that Air Courier Service for CAPFs jawans was approved for the Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu sector. 
Subsequently, the Service was extended to cover 1) Delhi-Jammu, 2) Jammu-Srinagar, 3) Srinagar-Jammu and 3) Jammu-Delhi sector in Dec 2017.
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1098501731670024192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The home ministry added that air support will be further provided from the Indian Air Force "as and when required".&nbsp;

On February 14, a local youth, Adil Ahmad Dar, rammed a car laden with explosives into a bus carrying Central Reserve Police Force personnel. The bus had been part of a convoy of 78 vehicles transporting 2,500 CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar.&nbsp;

The Ministry of Home Affairs said Thursday that all central paramilitary personnel are to fly into Srinagar. There will no longer travel by road into the Kashmiri capital.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said Thursday that all central paramilitary personnel are to fly into Srinagar. There will no longer travel by road into the Kashmiri capital. The announcement comes in the wake of the Pulwama attack in which at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel lost their lives. Thursday's announcement by the MHA is applicable to 780,000 personnel of the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces. "The decision will immediately benefit approximately 780,000 personnel of CAPFs in the ranks of Constable, Head Constable & ASI who were otherwise not eligible earlier. This includes journey on duty and journey on leave, i.e; while going on leave from J&K to home and return," the home ministry said. MHA: This facility is in addition to the existing air courier services for CAPFs that have been steadily extended in all sectors by the MHA to help the jawans cut down on travel time during their journey to and fro from home on leave. https://t.co/iYyd1qOv4T — ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2019 × MHA: In J&K Sector, it may be recalled that Air Courier Service for CAPFs jawans was approved for the Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu sector. Subsequently, the Service was extended to cover 1) Delhi-Jammu, 2) Jammu-Srinagar, 3) Srinagar-Jammu and 3) Jammu-Delhi sector in Dec 2017. — ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2019 × The home ministry added that air support will be further provided from the Indian Air Force "as and when required". On February 14, a local youth, Adil Ahmad Dar, rammed a car laden with explosives into a bus carrying Central Reserve Police Force personnel. The bus had been part of a convoy of 78 vehicles transporting 2,500 CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar.

Pulwama attack fallout: All central armed paramilitary personnel to fly to Srinagar, no more travel by road

Shortage of pilots continued to hamper budget carrier IndiGos operations with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/indigo-airlines-cancels-47-flights-hundreds-of-passengers-affected-9294">the airline cancelling as many as 30 flights Tuesday</a> from across stations and passengers allegedly being forced to buy last-minute high fares for its flights, a source said.

On Monday also, the Gurugram-headquartered airline had pulled 32 flights from its network.

On the other hand, there was no indication of any probe by the aviation regulator into the cancellation of such a large number of flights by the airline since last Saturday.

IndiGo has cancelled 30 flights for Tuesday due to the ongoing pilots' issue. Most of the flights have been cancelled from Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai, the source said.

While eight flights are not being operated from Kolkata, another five flights are cancelled from Hyderabad and four each from Bangalore and Chennai, among others, he added.

The source also alleged that IndiGo was forcing passengers to either buy last-minute fares or offering them alternate flights with one-stop connectivity with long transit time.

Response to the queries sent to IndiGo and Directorate General of Civil Aviation on this issue was awaited.

In a statement on Sunday, the airline had blamed on weather for disruption in operations across its network.

"As part of recovering our schedule, the positioning of the crew and aircraft had to be readjusted. As a result, a number of flights were cancelled, it had said without giving any specific number of flights were cancelled. 
&nbsp;

Shortage of pilots continued to hamper budget carrier IndiGos operations with the airline cancelling as many as 30 flights Tuesday from across stations and passengers allegedly being forced to buy last-minute high fares for its flights, a source said.

Shortage of pilots continued to hamper budget carrier IndiGos operations with the airline cancelling as many as 30 flights Tuesday from across stations and passengers allegedly being forced to buy last-minute high fares for its flights, a source said. On Monday also, the Gurugram-headquartered airline had pulled 32 flights from its network. On the other hand, there was no indication of any probe by the aviation regulator into the cancellation of such a large number of flights by the airline since last Saturday. IndiGo has cancelled 30 flights for Tuesday due to the ongoing pilots' issue. Most of the flights have been cancelled from Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai, the source said. While eight flights are not being operated from Kolkata, another five flights are cancelled from Hyderabad and four each from Bangalore and Chennai, among others, he added. The source also alleged that IndiGo was forcing passengers to either buy last-minute fares or offering them alternate flights with one-stop connectivity with long transit time. Response to the queries sent to IndiGo and Directorate General of Civil Aviation on this issue was awaited. In a statement on Sunday, the airline had blamed on weather for disruption in operations across its network. "As part of recovering our schedule, the positioning of the crew and aircraft had to be readjusted. As a result, a number of flights were cancelled, it had said without giving any specific number of flights were cancelled.

For second day, IndiGo cancels 30 flights because of shortage of pilots

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) inaugurated Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), a centre dedicated to human spaceflight.

While other countries are already running programs for crewed spaceflights, is the first facility in India to be devoted to human spaceflight.

The HSFC is situated at the ISRO Headquarter campus in Bengaluru.

During the inauguration on January 30, 2019, a full-scale crew model of Gaganyaan, crewed orbital vehicle, was also unveiled.

As ISRO notes on its website, the HSFC shall be responsible for implementation of Gaganyaan project which involves end-to-end mission planning, development of engineering systems for crew survival in space, crew selection and training.&nbsp;

The centre will also pursue activities for sustained human space flight missions.

Gaganyaan is being designed to carry three people into the orbit.&nbsp;

It is scheduled to fly in December 2020 in unpiloted form.

&nbsp;A crewed mission is likely to be scheduled a year later.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) inaugurated Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), a centre dedicated to human spaceflight. While other countries are already running programs for crewed spaceflights, is the first facility in India to be devoted to human spaceflight.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) inaugurated Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), a centre dedicated to human spaceflight. While other countries are already running programs for crewed spaceflights, is the first facility in India to be devoted to human spaceflight. The HSFC is situated at the ISRO Headquarter campus in Bengaluru. During the inauguration on January 30, 2019, a full-scale crew model of Gaganyaan, crewed orbital vehicle, was also unveiled. As ISRO notes on its website, the HSFC shall be responsible for implementation of Gaganyaan project which involves end-to-end mission planning, development of engineering systems for crew survival in space, crew selection and training. The centre will also pursue activities for sustained human space flight missions. Gaganyaan is being designed to carry three people into the orbit. It is scheduled to fly in December 2020 in unpiloted form. A crewed mission is likely to be scheduled a year later.

In Bengaluru, ISRO opens its first Human Space Flight Centre

Boeing Co raised its projection for India’s aircraft orders to a record high on Wednesday, predicting the nation’s carriers would order up to 2,300 new planes worth $320 billion from global planemakers over the next 20 years. The U.S. planemaker’s estimate for the period to 2037 is about 9.5 per cent higher than its previous prediction of 2,100 jets until 2036 made last year.

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, with domestic passenger traffic growing at around 20 per cent in recent years, and Boeing expects it to become the third-largest commercial aviation market by the early 2020s. High oil prices, hefty fuel taxes and a weak rupee have hurt airlines’ profitability this year, although pressure is starting to ease as oil prices fall and the currency firms.

The Indian market, dominated by low-cost carriers like IndiGo and SpiceJet, is also hobbled by cut-throat competition and chronically low fares that have left full-service airlines like Jet Airways and Air India strapped for cash. “India sees dramatic fares and discounts and that is going to hurt airlines more and more,” Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia Pacific and India sales at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told reporters on Wednesday.

“It is important that discipline in airfares comes in.” Domestic carriers like Vistara, a joint venture between Singapore Airlines and India’s Tata Sons, IndiGo and budget airline GoAir are looking overseas for better returns. Boeing expects single-aisle planes, such as its 737 MAX, to account for 84 per cent of global planemakers’ new jet deliveries to India from 2018-2037, higher than the global average.&nbsp;

Boeing Co raised its projection for India’s aircraft orders to a record high on Wednesday, predicting the nation’s carriers would order up to 2,300 new planes worth $320 billion from global planemakers over the next 20 years.

Boeing Co raised its projection for India’s aircraft orders to a record high on Wednesday, predicting the nation’s carriers would order up to 2,300 new planes worth $320 billion from global planemakers over the next 20 years. The U.S. planemaker’s estimate for the period to 2037 is about 9.5 per cent higher than its previous prediction of 2,100 jets until 2036 made last year. India is one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, with domestic passenger traffic growing at around 20 per cent in recent years, and Boeing expects it to become the third-largest commercial aviation market by the early 2020s. High oil prices, hefty fuel taxes and a weak rupee have hurt airlines’ profitability this year, although pressure is starting to ease as oil prices fall and the currency firms. The Indian market, dominated by low-cost carriers like IndiGo and SpiceJet, is also hobbled by cut-throat competition and chronically low fares that have left full-service airlines like Jet Airways and Air India strapped for cash. “India sees dramatic fares and discounts and that is going to hurt airlines more and more,” Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia Pacific and India sales at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told reporters on Wednesday. “It is important that discipline in airfares comes in.” Domestic carriers like Vistara, a joint venture between Singapore Airlines and India’s Tata Sons, IndiGo and budget airline GoAir are looking overseas for better returns. Boeing expects single-aisle planes, such as its 737 MAX, to account for 84 per cent of global planemakers’ new jet deliveries to India from 2018-2037, higher than the global average.

Boeing sees Indian carriers ordering up to 2,300 planes over 20 years

Singapore Airlines Ltd is poised for a major boost to its US&nbsp;footprint from Thursday evening as it resumes, after five years, the world's longest commercial flight - a near-19 hour non-stop from Singapore to New York.

The route, combined with the airline's plans to restart non-stop services to Los Angeles and add more non-stop flights to San Francisco next month, will give the premium Asian carrier its biggest-ever US&nbsp;presence.

The airline has already ordered seven new ultra-long range twin-engine Airbus SE A350-900ULRs fitted with just 161 business class and premium economy seats - and no economy class seats - for the US&nbsp;capacity increase.

Singapore Airlines had abandoned the marathon Newark and Los Angeles routes in 2013 when high fuel prices made the use of four-engine Airbus A340-500 jets uneconomic.

It has since flown to New York's JFK Airport via Frankfurt and to Los Angeles via Tokyo and Seoul.

The airline's revenue contribution from the Americas region is currently at 14 percent, down from 20 percent in 2013 due to the loss of the non-stop flights, Corrine Png, CEO of transport research firm Crucial Perspective, said.

"Operating trans-Pacific connecting flights opened Singapore Airlines to a lot more competition from other carriers and resulted in the loss of high-yielding business traffic," she said. "We expect Singapore Airlines to regain market share, especially in the premium travel market."

She said capacity would need to be managed carefully given high fuel prices, but there should be sufficient demand as long as the United States and global economies remained robust.

Non-stop ultra-long haul flights can typically command an airfare premium of around 20 percent versus those involving one or more stops, according to travel industry data, given their popularity with time-sensitive business travellers.

However, Singapore Airlines has been offering low initial fares on its US&nbsp;non-stop routes, including as little as S$1,438 ($1,040) return for premium economy on Singapore-Newark, CAPA Centre for Aviation Chief Analyst Brendan Sobie said.

"While it's early days, there will be questions whether the latest attempt at US&nbsp;nonstops will be profitable for Singapore Airlines given the very intense competition in the Singapore-US&nbsp;market, rising fuel prices and the large number of premium seats Singapore Airlines has to fill on the seven newly delivered A350-900ULRs," he said.

Brent crude prices are currently trading near $85 per barrel, significantly below a 2013 peak of about $119 but still up about 27 percent so far this year. The benchmark is on track for its third straight year of gains.

United Airlines offers non-stop flights from Singapore to San Francisco, while other carriers like Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and Taiwan's EVA Airways Corp compete with one-stop Singapore-US&nbsp;offerings.

The Singapore-Newark route will top Qatar Airways' Doha-Auckland route as the world's longest, but Australia's Qantas Airways is considering the introduction of an even longer 20-hour Sydney-London flight from 2022.

Singapore Airlines Ltd is poised for a major boost to its US footprint from Thursday evening as it resumes, after five years, the world's longest commercial flight - a near-19 hour non-stop from Singapore to New York.

Singapore Airlines Ltd is poised for a major boost to its US footprint from Thursday evening as it resumes, after five years, the world's longest commercial flight - a near-19 hour non-stop from Singapore to New York. The route, combined with the airline's plans to restart non-stop services to Los Angeles and add more non-stop flights to San Francisco next month, will give the premium Asian carrier its biggest-ever US presence. The airline has already ordered seven new ultra-long range twin-engine Airbus SE A350-900ULRs fitted with just 161 business class and premium economy seats - and no economy class seats - for the US capacity increase. Singapore Airlines had abandoned the marathon Newark and Los Angeles routes in 2013 when high fuel prices made the use of four-engine Airbus A340-500 jets uneconomic. It has since flown to New York's JFK Airport via Frankfurt and to Los Angeles via Tokyo and Seoul. The airline's revenue contribution from the Americas region is currently at 14 percent, down from 20 percent in 2013 due to the loss of the non-stop flights, Corrine Png, CEO of transport research firm Crucial Perspective, said. "Operating trans-Pacific connecting flights opened Singapore Airlines to a lot more competition from other carriers and resulted in the loss of high-yielding business traffic," she said. "We expect Singapore Airlines to regain market share, especially in the premium travel market." She said capacity would need to be managed carefully given high fuel prices, but there should be sufficient demand as long as the United States and global economies remained robust. Non-stop ultra-long haul flights can typically command an airfare premium of around 20 percent versus those involving one or more stops, according to travel industry data, given their popularity with time-sensitive business travellers. However, Singapore Airlines has been offering low initial fares on its US non-stop routes, including as little as S$1,438 ($1,040) return for premium economy on Singapore-Newark, CAPA Centre for Aviation Chief Analyst Brendan Sobie said. "While it's early days, there will be questions whether the latest attempt at US nonstops will be profitable for Singapore Airlines given the very intense competition in the Singapore-US market, rising fuel prices and the large number of premium seats Singapore Airlines has to fill on the seven newly delivered A350-900ULRs," he said. Brent crude prices are currently trading near $85 per barrel, significantly below a 2013 peak of about $119 but still up about 27 percent so far this year. The benchmark is on track for its third straight year of gains. United Airlines offers non-stop flights from Singapore to San Francisco, while other carriers like Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and Taiwan's EVA Airways Corp compete with one-stop Singapore-US offerings. The Singapore-Newark route will top Qatar Airways' Doha-Auckland route as the world's longest, but Australia's Qantas Airways is considering the introduction of an even longer 20-hour Sydney-London flight from 2022.

Lift off: Singapore Airlines to boost US presence with world's longest flight

The state-run Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed its services to the Lukla airport, two years after suspending the flight operation to the gateway to Mount Everest, according to a media report Sunday.

A large number of foreign trekkers and mountaineers, who want to climb the world's highest mountain, travel to this airport also known as Tenzing-Hillary airport, to reach the base camp.

The airline operated three flights on Saturday -- two with China-made Y12e plane while one with Twin Otter aircraft, an official spokesperson said.

"We have two charter flights and a scheduled flight for Sunday," NAC spokesperson Ashok Sigdel was quoted as saying in a report in the Himalayan Times.

Situated at a height of 2,845 metres from the mean sea level, the Lukla airport is the most lucrative airfield for domestic airlines. The cost of the 25-minute flight from Kathmandu for foreigners is probably the world's most expensive as they have to shell more than three times higher airfare than the fare charged on Nepali travellers, it said.

The flight to Lukla airport by the 15-seater Y12e plane, which is the improved version of China-made Harbin Yunshuji Y-12-II, was also its maiden passenger flights. The plane was inducted into the NAC fleet after a successful test flight to Lukla airport last month, the report said.&nbsp;

The state-run Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed its services to the Lukla airport, two years after suspending the flight operation to the gateway to Mount Everest, according to a media report Sunday.

The state-run Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed its services to the Lukla airport, two years after suspending the flight operation to the gateway to Mount Everest, according to a media report Sunday. A large number of foreign trekkers and mountaineers, who want to climb the world's highest mountain, travel to this airport also known as Tenzing-Hillary airport, to reach the base camp. The airline operated three flights on Saturday -- two with China-made Y12e plane while one with Twin Otter aircraft, an official spokesperson said. "We have two charter flights and a scheduled flight for Sunday," NAC spokesperson Ashok Sigdel was quoted as saying in a report in the Himalayan Times. Situated at a height of 2,845 metres from the mean sea level, the Lukla airport is the most lucrative airfield for domestic airlines. The cost of the 25-minute flight from Kathmandu for foreigners is probably the world's most expensive as they have to shell more than three times higher airfare than the fare charged on Nepali travellers, it said. The flight to Lukla airport by the 15-seater Y12e plane, which is the improved version of China-made Harbin Yunshuji Y-12-II, was also its maiden passenger flights. The plane was inducted into the NAC fleet after a successful test flight to Lukla airport last month, the report said.

Nepal's flag carrier resumes flight services to Lukla airport

A Hyderabad bound Jet Airways flight made an emergency landing at Indore airport after the crew encountered a technical glitch in the engine on Sunday, news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;

The flight, 9W 955,&nbsp;was carrying 96 passengers who were evacuated safely, the report added.

According to&nbsp;officials at Jet Airways, the engineering teams are currently inspecting the aircraft.&nbsp;

Last week, a Jet Airways flight was turned back to Mumbai mid-air after the crew forgot to select switch to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-jet-airways-flight-returns-to-mumbai-after-passengers-suffer-nose-ear-bleeds--166780">maintain cabin pressure</a> leading to nose and ear bleeds in several passengers.&nbsp;

The passengers of the Mumbai-Jaipur 9W 697 flight also complained of a headache while 30 out of the total 166 suffered ear and nosebleeds. Oxygen masks were deployed.&nbsp;

A Hyderabad bound Jet Airways flight made an emergency landing at Indore airport after the crew encountered a technical glitch in the engine on Sunday, news agency ANI reported.

A Hyderabad bound Jet Airways flight made an emergency landing at Indore airport after the crew encountered a technical glitch in the engine on Sunday, news agency ANI reported. The flight, 9W 955, was carrying 96 passengers who were evacuated safely, the report added. According to officials at Jet Airways, the engineering teams are currently inspecting the aircraft. Last week, a Jet Airways flight was turned back to Mumbai mid-air after the crew forgot to select switch to maintain cabin pressure leading to nose and ear bleeds in several passengers. The passengers of the Mumbai-Jaipur 9W 697 flight also complained of a headache while 30 out of the total 166 suffered ear and nosebleeds. Oxygen masks were deployed.

Hyderabad-bound Jet flight makes emergency landing at Indore airport

Jet Airways has said that they are extending full cooperation to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in the investigation into the matter where a Jaipur-bound flight of the airline was forced to return to Mumbai after several passengers suffered nasal and ear bleeding.

In a statement, Jet Airways spokesperson said, "Jet Airways is extending full cooperation to the DGCA for the ongoing investigation of the event. Jet Airways regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests."

Meanwhile, the spokesperson also informed that the Jet Airways would continue to offer necessary medical care and attention to the concerned guests as required.

"Five guests who were referred to a hospital for additional medical check-up accompanied by the Jet Airways' Care team have since been released, post medical examination. The airline will continue to offer necessary medical care and attention to the concerned guests as required," the statement reads.

He added, "Following the air-turn back of Jet Airways' flight 9W 697 of 20th September 2018; 144 of the 166 guests of the original flight travelled to Jaipur via an alternative flight of the airline, while 17 of them wished to travel at another point in time."

This comes after a Jaipur-bound flight was turned back to Mumbai on Wednesday after several passengers suffered ear pain and nose-bleeds, during take-off due to a loss in cabin air pressure.

Subsequently, oxygen masks were deployed for the passengers on board.

The Mumbai-Jaipur flight with 166 passengers and five crew members on board landed safely in Mumbai and all the passengers were deplaned. Of the 166 people who were on board, 30 were affected and have been given treatment.

Jet Airways has said that they are extending full cooperation to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in the investigation into the matter where a Jaipur-bound flight of the airline was forced to return to Mumbai after several passengers suffered nasal and ear bleeding.

Jet Airways has said that they are extending full cooperation to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in the investigation into the matter where a Jaipur-bound flight of the airline was forced to return to Mumbai after several passengers suffered nasal and ear bleeding. In a statement, Jet Airways spokesperson said, "Jet Airways is extending full cooperation to the DGCA for the ongoing investigation of the event. Jet Airways regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests." Meanwhile, the spokesperson also informed that the Jet Airways would continue to offer necessary medical care and attention to the concerned guests as required. "Five guests who were referred to a hospital for additional medical check-up accompanied by the Jet Airways' Care team have since been released, post medical examination. The airline will continue to offer necessary medical care and attention to the concerned guests as required," the statement reads. He added, "Following the air-turn back of Jet Airways' flight 9W 697 of 20th September 2018; 144 of the 166 guests of the original flight travelled to Jaipur via an alternative flight of the airline, while 17 of them wished to travel at another point in time." This comes after a Jaipur-bound flight was turned back to Mumbai on Wednesday after several passengers suffered ear pain and nose-bleeds, during take-off due to a loss in cabin air pressure. Subsequently, oxygen masks were deployed for the passengers on board. The Mumbai-Jaipur flight with 166 passengers and five crew members on board landed safely in Mumbai and all the passengers were deplaned. Of the 166 people who were on board, 30 were affected and have been given treatment.

Mid-air scare: Jet Airways extends full cooperation to DGCA over probe

An alert by Varanasi airport Air Traffic Controller or ATC prevented two aircraft from coming on a collision course at the runway on Tuesday, following which one of the airlines grounded two of its pilots.

Two SpiceJet pilots operating a Varanasi to Hyderabad flight this morning were grounded, confirmed a spokesperson of the airline.

The incident occurred when an IndiGo aircraft with 178 passengers onboard was about to take off for Mumbai. The ATC had asked the SpiceJet flight to remain at the holding point till the IndiGo plane took off, airport sources said.

However, according to the SpiceJet spokesperson, the aircraft while taxing to the runway "inadvertently" crossed the runway holding point.

Noticing the incursion, the ATC immediately alerted the IndiGo plane, which aborted take off, the sources said.

The matter has been referred to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), IndiGo said.

"IndiGo aircraft VT-IHS operating 3175 (Varanasi -Mumbai) in spite of having ATC clearance had to abort the takeoff at a low speed because the aircraft of another carrier came on the runway. IndiGo cockpit crew followed standard operating procedures in compliance with the ATC instructions. IndiGo has voluntarily reported the matter to the DGCA," the airline said in a statement.

SpiceJet, in a statement, said, "On 12th June 2018, SpiceJet Boeing 737 800 aircraft &nbsp;VT-SGH was scheduled to operate SG-705 , sector Varanasi-Hyderabad. At Varanasi while taxing to the runway the aircraft inadvertently crossed the runway holding point."

"The ATC asked the pilot to hold position and later cleared it for take off," SpiceJet said.&nbsp;

Two SpiceJet pilots operating a Varanasi to Hyderabad flight this morning were grounded, confirmed a spokesperson of the airline.

An alert by Varanasi airport Air Traffic Controller or ATC prevented two aircraft from coming on a collision course at the runway on Tuesday, following which one of the airlines grounded two of its pilots. Two SpiceJet pilots operating a Varanasi to Hyderabad flight this morning were grounded, confirmed a spokesperson of the airline. The incident occurred when an IndiGo aircraft with 178 passengers onboard was about to take off for Mumbai. The ATC had asked the SpiceJet flight to remain at the holding point till the IndiGo plane took off, airport sources said. However, according to the SpiceJet spokesperson, the aircraft while taxing to the runway "inadvertently" crossed the runway holding point. Noticing the incursion, the ATC immediately alerted the IndiGo plane, which aborted take off, the sources said. The matter has been referred to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), IndiGo said. "IndiGo aircraft VT-IHS operating 3175 (Varanasi -Mumbai) in spite of having ATC clearance had to abort the takeoff at a low speed because the aircraft of another carrier came on the runway. IndiGo cockpit crew followed standard operating procedures in compliance with the ATC instructions. IndiGo has voluntarily reported the matter to the DGCA," the airline said in a statement. SpiceJet, in a statement, said, "On 12th June 2018, SpiceJet Boeing 737 800 aircraft VT-SGH was scheduled to operate SG-705 , sector Varanasi-Hyderabad. At Varanasi while taxing to the runway the aircraft inadvertently crossed the runway holding point." "The ATC asked the pilot to hold position and later cleared it for take off," SpiceJet said.

SpiceJet flight "inadvertently" crosses runway , almost collides with aircraft in Varanasi

Low-cost carrier Air Asia issued a statement confirming that two of its flights on March 23 was diverted to Kolkata.

Flight I5 767 from New Delhi to Bagdogra was diverted to Kolkata owing to a technical requirement, the statement said.

Reports say that the plane was diverted due to air traffic congestion and because it didn&#39;t have enough fuel to keep hovering over the Jharkhand capital.

Around 90 passengers, including senior citizens and children, were stranded on the airport for hours.

Another flight I5 545 from New Delhi to Ranchi was diverted owing to unusual congestion at Ranchi.

Further, the flight to&nbsp;Bagdogra&nbsp;departed with a total delay of less than two hours.

The aircraft that is currently grounded at Kolkata is undergoing recovery.

AirAsia reinstated that the airline always prioritizes the safety of its passengers and regretted the inconvenience caused to them.&nbsp;

Flight I5 767 from New Delhi to Bagdogra was diverted to Kolkata owing to a technical requirement

Low-cost carrier Air Asia issued a statement confirming that two of its flights on March 23 was diverted to Kolkata. Flight I5 767 from New Delhi to Bagdogra was diverted to Kolkata owing to a technical requirement, the statement said. Reports say that the plane was diverted due to air traffic congestion and because it didn't have enough fuel to keep hovering over the Jharkhand capital. Around 90 passengers, including senior citizens and children, were stranded on the airport for hours. Another flight I5 545 from New Delhi to Ranchi was diverted owing to unusual congestion at Ranchi. Further, the flight to Bagdogra departed with a total delay of less than two hours. The aircraft that is currently grounded at Kolkata is undergoing recovery. AirAsia reinstated that the airline always prioritizes the safety of its passengers and regretted the inconvenience caused to them.

2 Air Asia flights diverted to Kolkata

The United Airlines flight with 266 passengers and 15 crew members onboard diverted its New Delhi bound flight to London&#39;s Heathrow Airport due to some medical emergency.

Meanwhile, a statement from the airlines read, &quot;Our team at London Heathrow Airport is providing assistance to customers of United flight 82 (New York/ Newark to Delhi) which diverted to London Heathrow Airport because of a medical issue on board.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;The flight now has been cancelled due to the crew reaching their maximum duty time,&quot; the statement also read.

&quot;We are providing hotel accommodation for our customers, and making arrangements for them to complete their journeys tomorrow. We have apologised to our customers for the inconvenience caused,&quot; it added.&nbsp;

Flight Radar, a verified Twitter account that helps social media users track air traffic, posted an update after the plane started heading to Heathrow, and after it landed confirmed that the aircraft was indeed UA 82.

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United flight <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UA82?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UA82</a> from Newark to Delhi is diverting to Heathrow.<a href="https://t.co/cZc1sbMu3H">https://t.co/cZc1sbMu3H</a> 
 
Reason is currently unknown <a href="https://t.co/HvJCrSuIEf">pic.twitter.com/HvJCrSuIEf</a>
&mdash; Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) <a href="https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/970260720033116160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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3 hours after the sharp turn over the North Sea, flight <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UA82?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UA82</a> landed safely at Heathrow Airport. 
 
Reason why Heathrow was selected as diversion airport can be crew or maintenance availability, and better possibilities to handle passengers. <a href="https://t.co/iKxENjbFFp">pic.twitter.com/iKxENjbFFp</a>
&mdash; Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) <a href="https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/970269335553040384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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United Airlines commonly referred to as United is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.&nbsp;

The flight had 266 passengers and 15 crew members

The United Airlines flight with 266 passengers and 15 crew members onboard diverted its New Delhi bound flight to London's Heathrow Airport due to some medical emergency. Meanwhile, a statement from the airlines read, "Our team at London Heathrow Airport is providing assistance to customers of United flight 82 (New York/ Newark to Delhi) which diverted to London Heathrow Airport because of a medical issue on board." "The flight now has been cancelled due to the crew reaching their maximum duty time," the statement also read. "We are providing hotel accommodation for our customers, and making arrangements for them to complete their journeys tomorrow. We have apologised to our customers for the inconvenience caused," it added. Flight Radar, a verified Twitter account that helps social media users track air traffic, posted an update after the plane started heading to Heathrow, and after it landed confirmed that the aircraft was indeed UA 82. United flight #UA82 from Newark to Delhi is diverting to Heathrow.https://t.co/cZc1sbMu3H Reason is currently unknown pic.twitter.com/HvJCrSuIEf — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 4, 2018 × 3 hours after the sharp turn over the North Sea, flight #UA82 landed safely at Heathrow Airport. Reason why Heathrow was selected as diversion airport can be crew or maintenance availability, and better possibilities to handle passengers. pic.twitter.com/iKxENjbFFp — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 4, 2018 × United Airlines commonly referred to as United is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

New Delhi bound United Airlines flight diverted to London

Panic broke out at China Southern Airlines flight from Guangzhou to Shanghai after a passenger&rsquo;s bag in the overhead compartment on a plane suddenly burst into flames.&nbsp;

A footage of the incident was captured and posted on Twitter by the China Aviation Review.&nbsp;

The video shows the bag on a flight bursting with flames, as a cabin crew member tries to battle it with a bottle of water.

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Power bank fire on board China Southern CZ3539, Feb 25 2018.???????? <a href="https://t.co/cby6E62qRv">pic.twitter.com/cby6E62qRv</a>
&mdash; ChinaAviationReview (@ChinaAvReview) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChinaAvReview/status/967655625009213442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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As per the media reports, the fire was caused by a passenger&rsquo;s power bank, which had overheated in the overhead compartment and combusted.

Fire and security departments attended to confirm the fire was dealt with.

The shocking blaze sparked three-hour delays on the flight from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to line up a replacement aircraft.

The bag&#39;s owner was taken off the place for questioning.

No injury has been reported and even the plane did not sustain any permanent damage. 
&nbsp;

A footage of the incident was captured and posted on Twitter

Panic broke out at China Southern Airlines flight from Guangzhou to Shanghai after a passenger’s bag in the overhead compartment on a plane suddenly burst into flames. A footage of the incident was captured and posted on Twitter by the China Aviation Review. The video shows the bag on a flight bursting with flames, as a cabin crew member tries to battle it with a bottle of water. Power bank fire on board China Southern CZ3539, Feb 25 2018.???????? pic.twitter.com/cby6E62qRv — ChinaAviationReview (@ChinaAvReview) February 25, 2018 × As per the media reports, the fire was caused by a passenger’s power bank, which had overheated in the overhead compartment and combusted. Fire and security departments attended to confirm the fire was dealt with. The shocking blaze sparked three-hour delays on the flight from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to line up a replacement aircraft. The bag's owner was taken off the place for questioning. No injury has been reported and even the plane did not sustain any permanent damage.

Watch: 'Power bank' in hand luggage bursts into flames in China airlines

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

Low visibility in the national capital left 20 flights delayed, six cancelled and 64 trains delayed, 24 rescheduled and 21 cancelled on Tuesday.&nbsp;

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20 flights delayed, six cancelled at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> airport due to prevailing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fog?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fog</a> conditions resulting in low visibility <a href="https://t.co/tDaiecQhK7">pic.twitter.com/tDaiecQhK7</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948009346125905920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Cold wave conditions continued unabated in parts of Delhi with the temperature dropping to 8-degree Celsius on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

Delhi has been covered with a heavy blanket of fog for the last few days which las lead to disruptions in flight and train operations due to low visibility.&nbsp;

Yesterday&#39;s average air quality index (AQI) was at 400 and the levels of Particulate Matter were in the &quot;Very Poor&quot; category, according to SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research).

Delhi woke up to a thick fog on Monday morning, the first day of the new year, and hundreds of passengers were stranded at the airport for several hours as flight operations were temporarily suspended after visibility on the runways dropped below 50 metres.

Five domestic and seven International flights were earlier delayed in the morning because of poor visibility.

Low visibility in the national capital has left 20 flights delayed, six cancelled and 64 trains delayed, 24 rescheduled and 21 cancelled

Low visibility in the national capital left 20 flights delayed, six cancelled and 64 trains delayed, 24 rescheduled and 21 cancelled on Tuesday. 20 flights delayed, six cancelled at #Delhi airport due to prevailing #fog conditions resulting in low visibility pic.twitter.com/tDaiecQhK7 — ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2018 × Cold wave conditions continued unabated in parts of Delhi with the temperature dropping to 8-degree Celsius on Tuesday morning. Delhi has been covered with a heavy blanket of fog for the last few days which las lead to disruptions in flight and train operations due to low visibility. Yesterday's average air quality index (AQI) was at 400 and the levels of Particulate Matter were in the "Very Poor" category, according to SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research). Delhi woke up to a thick fog on Monday morning, the first day of the new year, and hundreds of passengers were stranded at the airport for several hours as flight operations were temporarily suspended after visibility on the runways dropped below 50 metres. Five domestic and seven International flights were earlier delayed in the morning because of poor visibility.

Delhi fog continues; flights and trains delayed, cancelled

The second prototype of China&#39;s passenger aircraft, C919, successfully finished its very first test flight on Sunday, reports said.&nbsp;

This success has helped China move closer to its aim to penetrate the passenger jet market worldwide, which will approximately be worth USD 2 trillion in the next 20 years, reports said.&nbsp;

The C919 prototype took off from Pudong International Airport in Shanghai on Sunday morning.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The test flight lasted for around two hours during which performance of the plane&rsquo;s major systems and equipment like taking-off and landing, navigation and communication, speed acceleration and deceleration were tested,&rdquo; the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The first prototype of C919 completed its first flight in May this year and made its first intercity test flight last month.&nbsp;

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China aims to produce six such planes for flight testing and has decided to conduct over 1,000 tests in total.&nbsp;

The prototype C919, with a normal range of 4,075 kilometers, was built to compete with Boeing&rsquo;s 737 and the Airbus A320.&nbsp;

With the successful maiden test flight, the aircraft will move into an airworthiness certification phase, which its manufacturer are aiming to obtain from Chinese regulators as well as Europe&rsquo;s aviation safety regulator.

The prototype C919, with a normal range of 4,075 kilometers, was built to compete with Boeing?s 737 and the Airbus A320.

The second prototype of China's passenger aircraft, C919, successfully finished its very first test flight on Sunday, reports said. This success has helped China move closer to its aim to penetrate the passenger jet market worldwide, which will approximately be worth USD 2 trillion in the next 20 years, reports said. The C919 prototype took off from Pudong International Airport in Shanghai on Sunday morning. “The test flight lasted for around two hours during which performance of the plane’s major systems and equipment like taking-off and landing, navigation and communication, speed acceleration and deceleration were tested,” the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The first prototype of C919 completed its first flight in May this year and made its first intercity test flight last month. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China aims to produce six such planes for flight testing and has decided to conduct over 1,000 tests in total. The prototype C919, with a normal range of 4,075 kilometers, was built to compete with Boeing’s 737 and the Airbus A320. With the successful maiden test flight, the aircraft will move into an airworthiness certification phase, which its manufacturer are aiming to obtain from Chinese regulators as well as Europe’s aviation safety regulator.

China conducts successful test flight of second prototype of passenger jet

In the latest development in the actress molestation case, the accused was produced before the court on Monday and has been remanded in police custody till December 13.&nbsp;

The accused was arrested yesterday after a huge public outcry over the incident prompting the Maharashtra State Commission for Women to seek an enquiry into the shameful incident.&nbsp;

The accused allegedly molested the actress on a Delhi to Mumbai Vistara flight on Sunday.&nbsp;

The incident came to light after the young star took to Instagram and shared her ordeal, forcing the authorities to inquire into the incident.&nbsp;

Hours after the victim made the allegations, the airline apologised and said they had zero tolerance for such behaviour and assured an inquiry into the matter.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the wife of the accused denied all the molestation allegations and said her husband&#39;s foot was kept on the actress&#39;s armrest but not with an intention to harass.

She said it was nothing but a misunderstanding on the actress&#39; part.&nbsp;

The accused's wife meanwhile has denied the allegation of molestation

In the latest development in the actress molestation case, the accused was produced before the court on Monday and has been remanded in police custody till December 13. The accused was arrested yesterday after a huge public outcry over the incident prompting the Maharashtra State Commission for Women to seek an enquiry into the shameful incident. The accused allegedly molested the actress on a Delhi to Mumbai Vistara flight on Sunday. The incident came to light after the young star took to Instagram and shared her ordeal, forcing the authorities to inquire into the incident. Hours after the victim made the allegations, the airline apologised and said they had zero tolerance for such behaviour and assured an inquiry into the matter. Meanwhile, the wife of the accused denied all the molestation allegations and said her husband's foot was kept on the actress's armrest but not with an intention to harass. She said it was nothing but a misunderstanding on the actress' part.

Actress molestation case: Accused remanded in police custody till Dec 13

The Syrian army and its allies have taken Albu Kamal, Islamic State&rsquo;s last major stronghold in Syria, representing the end of Islamic State&rsquo;s project in the region, the army general command said on Thursday.

The army said it is now fighting the last remaining IS pockets in the country&rsquo;s eastern desert, an army statement said.

&ldquo;The liberation of Albu Kamal city is very important because it signals the general fall of the terrorist Daesh organisation&rsquo;s project in the region,&rdquo; a statement from the general command said.

Alongside Lebanon&rsquo;s Hezbollah and other Shi&lsquo;ite militias, and backed by Iran and Russia, the Syrian army has recently seized swathes of land from Islamic State.

Albu Kamal, on the Euphrates River, is located in Syria&rsquo;s eastern Deir al-Zor province on the Iraqi border.

On Wednesday, during the battle, Hezbollah forces entered Iraq and the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces crossed into Syria to help capture the town, a commander in the pro-Damascus alliance told Reuters on Wednesday.

Two pilots and five army officers were killed, Iraqi air force officers told Reuters.

The Syrian army and its allies have taken Albu Kamal, Islamic State’s last major stronghold in Syria, representing the end of Islamic State’s project in the region, the army general command said on Thursday. The army said it is now fighting the last remaining IS pockets in the country’s eastern desert, an army statement said. “The liberation of Albu Kamal city is very important because it signals the general fall of the terrorist Daesh organisation’s project in the region,” a statement from the general command said. Alongside Lebanon’s Hezbollah and other Shi‘ite militias, and backed by Iran and Russia, the Syrian army has recently seized swathes of land from Islamic State. Albu Kamal, on the Euphrates River, is located in Syria’s eastern Deir al-Zor province on the Iraqi border. On Wednesday, during the battle, Hezbollah forces entered Iraq and the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces crossed into Syria to help capture the town, a commander in the pro-Damascus alliance told Reuters on Wednesday.

Iraqi army helicopter crash kills seven, military says

A flight of Pakistan&rsquo;s national carrier on Saturday landed in Lahore due to low visibility and asked passengers onboard to travel by bus to their destination, according to a media report.

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Abu Dhabi in the UAE to Rahim Yar Khan landed at the Lahore airport reportedly due low visibility, Geo News reported.

The airline staffers offered to take the passengers to their desired destination by a bus. However, the passengers turned down the offer and refused to leave the plane.

Following which the airline staffers switched off the plane&rsquo;s air conditioning system, resulting in suffocation of passengers, including minors, in the plane.

The approximate distance from Lahore to Rahim Yar Khan is 624.5 km.

The passengers said that they had asked the airlines to drop them at Multan Airport which is 292 kilometres away from Rahim Yar Khan.

The airline staffers offered to take the passengers to their desired destination by a bus. However, the passengers turned down the offer and refused to leave the plane.

A flight of Pakistan’s national carrier on Saturday landed in Lahore due to low visibility and asked passengers onboard to travel by bus to their destination, according to a media report. A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Abu Dhabi in the UAE to Rahim Yar Khan landed at the Lahore airport reportedly due low visibility, Geo News reported. The airline staffers offered to take the passengers to their desired destination by a bus. However, the passengers turned down the offer and refused to leave the plane. Following which the airline staffers switched off the plane’s air conditioning system, resulting in suffocation of passengers, including minors, in the plane. The approximate distance from Lahore to Rahim Yar Khan is 624.5 km. The passengers said that they had asked the airlines to drop them at Multan Airport which is 292 kilometres away from Rahim Yar Khan.

Pakistan: Flight lands midway, asks passengers to take bus to destination

Insolvent German airline Air Berlin said around 100 flight cancellations caused on Tuesday (September 12) by large numbers of pilots calling in sick were threatening its existence and hurting its chances of saving jobs as it seeks investors for parts of the business.

The airline said around 200 pilots, mainly captains, had called in sick as hundreds of stranded passengers crowded the departures terminal at Berlin&#39;s Tegel airport.

While some took it with humour, others were raging with anger, saying the pilots should just &quot;do their job.&quot;

Union Vereinigung Cockpit said in a statement it was surprised by the absences and that it had not called on its members to call in sick.

The airline said around 200 pilots, mainly captains, had called in sick as hundreds of stranded passengers crowded the departures terminal at Berlin's Tegel airport.

Insolvent German airline Air Berlin said around 100 flight cancellations caused on Tuesday (September 12) by large numbers of pilots calling in sick were threatening its existence and hurting its chances of saving jobs as it seeks investors for parts of the business. The airline said around 200 pilots, mainly captains, had called in sick as hundreds of stranded passengers crowded the departures terminal at Berlin's Tegel airport. While some took it with humour, others were raging with anger, saying the pilots should just "do their job." Union Vereinigung Cockpit said in a statement it was surprised by the absences and that it had not called on its members to call in sick.

Air Berlin cancels 100 flights as pilots call in sick

Remember Britney Spears in her chartbuster music video &ldquo;Toxic&rdquo;?&nbsp;The song gained worldwide recognition after its release in 2004 and remained on the top charts in several countries.&nbsp;

But why are we talking about it now?

Assraf Nasir, a flight attendant on the Malaysian carrier AirAsia, mimics the popular pop singer&rsquo;s moves from her &quot;Toxic&quot; music video and nails it.&nbsp;In a tweeted video, Nasir is seen showing his well rehearsed dance moves in the aisle of an Airbus A330. He is seen singing into the intercom, pushing a food trolley and behaving like a total diva.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A Toxic performance on A330 by <a href="https://twitter.com/AssrafNasir">@AssrafNasir</a>. Cc <a href="https://twitter.com/britneyspears">@britneyspears</a> ???????? <a href="https://t.co/xoRksL1DZw">pic.twitter.com/xoRksL1DZw</a>
&mdash; huski ?? (@FarhanRzman) <a href="https://twitter.com/FarhanRzman/status/842405850673111040">March 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The video was originally uploaded by Nasir&#39;s co-worker Farhan Rzman. It has since gone viral and has been picked up by several global publishers.&nbsp;

This is the original for comparison:&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LOZuxwVk7TU" width="970"></iframe>

Many Facebook and Twitter users shared the video and have promised to book their flight on AirAsia now.&nbsp;

The video has now even been shared by Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia&nbsp;on his instagram account. In his post he said,&nbsp;&ldquo;Classic. Airasia version of Toxic. The talent in Airasia never fails to amaze me. @assrafnasir is the best. Love it that staff can just have fun and be themselves.&rdquo;

Here&#39;s some love from Nasir:&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">&nbsp;</div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BRH5jwCB9xe/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Tak sama set crew. Kalau sama, that&#39;s it. Habis terbalik kapal. ??</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Assraf Nasir (@assrafnasir) on <time datetime="2017-03-02T05:07:35+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Mar 1, 2017 at 9:07pm PST</time>
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</blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

(WION)

Assraf Nasir is a flight attendant on AirAsia who is now the latest internet sensation

Remember Britney Spears in her chartbuster music video “Toxic”? The song gained worldwide recognition after its release in 2004 and remained on the top charts in several countries. But why are we talking about it now? Assraf Nasir, a flight attendant on the Malaysian carrier AirAsia, mimics the popular pop singer’s moves from her "Toxic" music video and nails it. In a tweeted video, Nasir is seen showing his well rehearsed dance moves in the aisle of an Airbus A330. He is seen singing into the intercom, pushing a food trolley and behaving like a total diva. A Toxic performance on A330 by @AssrafNasir. Cc @britneyspears ???????? pic.twitter.com/xoRksL1DZw — huski ?? (@FarhanRzman) March 16, 2017 The video was originally uploaded by Nasir's co-worker Farhan Rzman. It has since gone viral and has been picked up by several global publishers. This is the original for comparison: Many Facebook and Twitter users shared the video and have promised to book their flight on AirAsia now. The video has now even been shared by Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia on his instagram account. In his post he said, “Classic. Airasia version of Toxic. The talent in Airasia never fails to amaze me. @assrafnasir is the best. Love it that staff can just have fun and be themselves.” Here's some love from Nasir: Tak sama set crew. Kalau sama, that's it. Habis terbalik kapal. ?? A post shared by Assraf Nasir (@assrafnasir) on Mar 1, 2017 at 9:07pm PST × (WION)

This flight attendant just gave Britney's song 'Toxic' a new spin and you have to watch it

Hopes of finding flight MH370&#39;s final resting place are &quot;fading&quot;, and the massive three-nation search for the doomed jet will be suspended if nothing is found in the suspected crash zone, Malaysia, Australia and China said today. 
 
With the designated search area due to be fully scanned within weeks, transport ministers from the three countries made their announcement after holding talks on the future of the unprecedented deep-sea hunt for the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane. 
 
&quot;With less than 10,000 square kilometres of the high priority search area remaining to be searched, ministers acknowledged that despite the best efforts of all involved the likelihood of finding the aircraft is fading,&quot; said a joint statement after the meeting in Malaysia&#39;s administrative capital Putrajaya. 
 
Unless &quot;credible new evidence&quot; turns up by the time the current operations are completed, &quot;the search would not end, but be suspended&quot; until solid new information pointing to a crash site emerges, they said. 
 
&quot;The suspension does not mean the termination of the search. Ministers reiterated that the aspiration to locate MH370 has not been abandoned,&quot; said the statement by meeting host Liow Tiong Lai, Australia&#39;s Darren Chester and China&#39;s Yang Chuantang. 
 
The use of the term &quot;suspended&quot; was an apparent nod to anguished families who have stepped up demands recently for authorities not to fully abandon efforts to locate the aircraft. 
 
The Boeing 777 vanished March 8, 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard, mostly Chinese nationals, in what remains one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history. 
 
The Australian-led operation is scouring the seafloor within a 120,000-square-kilometre belt of remote Indian Ocean where authorities believe the passenger jet went down. 
 
(AFP)

Until new information pointing to a crash site emerges, the hunt will be suspended but not terminated

Hopes of finding flight MH370's final resting place are "fading", and the massive three-nation search for the doomed jet will be suspended if nothing is found in the suspected crash zone, Malaysia, Australia and China said today. With the designated search area due to be fully scanned within weeks, transport ministers from the three countries made their announcement after holding talks on the future of the unprecedented deep-sea hunt for the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane. "With less than 10,000 square kilometres of the high priority search area remaining to be searched, ministers acknowledged that despite the best efforts of all involved the likelihood of finding the aircraft is fading," said a joint statement after the meeting in Malaysia's administrative capital Putrajaya. Unless "credible new evidence" turns up by the time the current operations are completed, "the search would not end, but be suspended" until solid new information pointing to a crash site emerges, they said. "The suspension does not mean the termination of the search. Ministers reiterated that the aspiration to locate MH370 has not been abandoned," said the statement by meeting host Liow Tiong Lai, Australia's Darren Chester and China's Yang Chuantang. The use of the term "suspended" was an apparent nod to anguished families who have stepped up demands recently for authorities not to fully abandon efforts to locate the aircraft. The Boeing 777 vanished March 8, 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard, mostly Chinese nationals, in what remains one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history. The Australian-led operation is scouring the seafloor within a 120,000-square-kilometre belt of remote Indian Ocean where authorities believe the passenger jet went down. (AFP)

MH370 hopes 'fading', search to be suspended

An airplane powered solely by the sun landed safely in Seville in Spain early today after an almost three-day flight across the Atlantic from New York in one of the longest legs of the first ever fuel-less flight around the world. 
 
The single-seat Solar Impulse 2 touched down shortly after 7.30 a.m. local time in Seville after leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2.30 a.m. EDT on June 20. 
 
The flight of just over 71 hours was the 15th leg of the round-the-world journey by the plane piloted in turns by Swiss aviators Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg. 
 
&quot;Oh-la-la, absolutely perfect,&quot; Piccard said after landing, thanking his engineering crew for their efforts. 
 
With a cruising speed of around 70 kilometres an hour (43 miles per hour), similar to an average car, the plane has more than 17,0000 solar cells built in to wings with a span bigger than that of a Boeing 747. 
 
(Reuters)

The flight of just over 71 hours was the 15th leg of the round-the-world journey piloted by Bertrand Piiccard and Andre Borschbe

An airplane powered solely by the sun landed safely in Seville in Spain early today after an almost three-day flight across the Atlantic from New York in one of the longest legs of the first ever fuel-less flight around the world. The single-seat Solar Impulse 2 touched down shortly after 7.30 a.m. local time in Seville after leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2.30 a.m. EDT on June 20. The flight of just over 71 hours was the 15th leg of the round-the-world journey by the plane piloted in turns by Swiss aviators Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg. "Oh-la-la, absolutely perfect," Piccard said after landing, thanking his engineering crew for their efforts. With a cruising speed of around 70 kilometres an hour (43 miles per hour), similar to an average car, the plane has more than 17,0000 solar cells built in to wings with a span bigger than that of a Boeing 747. (Reuters)

Solar plane lands in Spain after three-day Atlantic crossing

A solar-powered airplane left the United States today, taking off from New York City to fly across Atlantic for its historic bid to circle the globe. 
 
The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed as Solar Impulse 2, left New York&#39;s John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2:30 am local time (0630 GMT) &nbsp;today. 
 
The flight is expected to take approximately 90 to 110 hours before landing in Seville Airport, Spain, said&nbsp;the project team. 
 
The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015. 
 
The solar craft&#39;s cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods. 
 
Andre Borschberg alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight. 
 
On April 24, Piccard landed in San Francisco, completing a trans-Pacific crossing after a nearly three-day trip that began in Hawaii. The flight took more than three times the 18 hours for Amelia Earhart to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s. 
 
The propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel and its four engines are powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. 
 
Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights. 
 
The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 mph (55 to 100 kph). 
 
In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013. 
(Reuters)

The solar craft's cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert

A solar-powered airplane left the United States today, taking off from New York City to fly across Atlantic for its historic bid to circle the globe. The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed as Solar Impulse 2, left New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2:30 am local time (0630 GMT) today. The flight is expected to take approximately 90 to 110 hours before landing in Seville Airport, Spain, said the project team. The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015. The solar craft's cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods. Andre Borschberg alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight. On April 24, Piccard landed in San Francisco, completing a trans-Pacific crossing after a nearly three-day trip that began in Hawaii. The flight took more than three times the 18 hours for Amelia Earhart to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s. The propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel and its four engines are powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights. The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 mph (55 to 100 kph). In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013. (Reuters)

Solar-powered plane takes on Atlantic as part of round-the-world bid

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