Hyderabad: The Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has directed Delhi International Airport (DIAL) run by GMR group to stop collecting domestic cargo handling charges from air cargo agents.
The authority issued the order based on a representation by Domestic Air Cargo Agents Association of India (DACAAI). The DACAAI had moved AERA against the levy of Terminal, Storage and Processing (TSP) charges, X-Ray screening charges among others by Delhi Cargo Service Centre Pvt Ltd (DCSC) and DIAL at the new terminal at IGI Airport in the national capital.
The DACAAI in its application pointed ou that all domestic airlines provide the warehouse and X-Ray screening facilities and the overall freight charges by the airlines are inclusive of the charges for these facilities. Presently DCSC charges Rs 3.50 per Kg as TPS charges for both inbound and outbound cargo movements. The DACAAI also argued that neither DIAL nor DCSC had obtained necessary permission from the AERA.
Cat-III ILS sought at Rajasansi airport
Chandigarh: The Amritsar Vikas Manch has demanded that the Rajasansi International Airport should take measures to prevent discomfort to passengers during winters. Like Delhi airport, where the Delhi International Airport Private Limited (DIAL) installed Category III instrument landing system (ILS) three years ago to tackle the problem of fog, Rajasansi, too, should take similar measures, said AVM patron Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala. Cat-III allows compatible aircraft and trained pilots to land even when the runway visibility is up to 50 metres. The Amritsar airport has Cat-I ILS at present.
Airfares to shopping destinations soar
Mumbai: Despite a month left for the festival, flights to shopping and leisure destinations such as Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand are full, and fares have shot up between Rs 8,000 and Rs 14,000 across four airlines: Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Air India and Singapore Airlines.
A Mumbai-Dubai return ticket, normally available for Rs 16,000, is selling for Rs 24,000. Of these, Singapore is the most expensive destination on the Diwali week, with fares having almost doubled.
It’s all about high demand, said travel agents. “Laxmi Puja is on November 5. People are leaving for vacations the next day and schools re-open only after November 15,” said Anup Kanuga, owner Bhatija Travels.
Tour managers said the demand to these destinations peak during Diwali because people flock there to shop.
Saudia Airlines to operate Haj flights from Mangalore
Mangalore: The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has approved Saudia Airlines to operate its chartered flights for Haj pilgrims from Mangalore Airport to Saudi Arabia this year, according to M.R. Vasudeva, Director, Mangalore Airport.
He told The Hindu that Air India Express will not operate its flights for Haj pilgrims from here this year.
Kalanithi Maran’s company Kal Airways buys shares in Spicejet
Kal Airways Pvt Ltd has purchased a 5.03 per cent stake in Spicejet for an estimated Rs 91.52 Crore. Kal Airways Pvt Ltd is owned by Kalanithi Maran of Sun TV and the purchase will be made up of 19.37 million shares in SpiceJet at 47.25 Indian rupees for every share. The deal was done via an off-market transaction and comes as part of the larger deal to acquire 37.7 per cent in the firm.
With this fresh purchase, Maran's direct holding in SpiceJet now stands at 17.72%. the acquisition of the SpiceJet stake is pursuant to a share purchase deal done four months ago that involved Maran, with Kal Airways Pvt Ltd meant to purchase 37.7 per cent in Spicejet from US investor Wilbur Ross and Royal Holdings Services, held by the Kansagra family, for around Rs.800 Cr.
Begun five years ago, the airline is eligible to fly abroad and had approached the Indian government for permission to operate regular flights to Dhaka, Kathmandu and Colombo. Airlines in India have to fly at least five years on domestic routes before they are eligible to fly overseas. SpiceJet fulfilled that requirement in May.
Sovereign guarantee to cut AI interest
The National Aviation Company of India Ltd (Nacil) will be able to save more than 30 per cent on its interest payment per year, as the finance ministry recently agreed to furnish sovereign guarantees on loans raised by the company which runs Air India [ Images ].
Nacil pays Rs 1,800 crore (Rs 18 billion) a year as interest to banks.
"We will be able to save Rs 550 crore (Rs 5.5 billion) per annum on the entire working capital borrowing of Rs 18,500 crore (Rs 185 billion)," said a top Air India official, who did not want to be identified. "Our interest payment on the working capital loan is Rs 1,800 crore (Rs 18 billion) and the sovereign guarantee will be of much help to us," said another official on condition of anonymity.
With the sovereign guarantee, Air India could reduce its interest rates by up to 150 basis points. The carrier has been looking to convert its high-cost debt to low-cost to extricate itself from financial mess.
The working capital loan has been borrowed at an interest rate of 12 per cent per annum. The loan is for payment of employees salary and other operational payments.
Melbourne's Air India coup faces a tricky landing
Air India's plans to fly to Melbourne, heralded as a coup for Victoria when they were announced in June, are in doubt.
Melbourne Airport remains confident that Air India will still fly there, but says the service has been delayed to an unknown date because the airline is yet to gain approval from the Indian government for a new international route.
Air India, which is owned by the government, was scheduled to begin daily services between Tullamarine Airport and Delhi from November 1.
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The deal was hailed in June as a diplomatic and economic coup and evidence of Victoria's ability to beat NSW in a bidding war for airlines.
But Indian media have reported that India's Civil Aviation Ministry last month rejected the airline's plans to fly to Melbourne for the second time in two months.
It has also been reported that an Air India board member wrote to the regulatory authorities to stress that the route would not be viable and would only add to the losses of the cash-strapped airline.
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