The Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) at the Centre has enhanced the number of seats to 50,000 in flights that airlines from India and Abu Dhabi operate to each otherÂ’s countries. The IMG has taken a decision to this extent. This was done after overruling an inter-Ministerial committee of bureaucrats, which had recommended increasing the seats to 40,000. This is the line that the Ministry of Civil Aviation is taking in a note being prepared for the Union Cabinet.
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Category: Aviation & Airports
Kerala committed to Aranmula airport, says Chandy
Kerala government is committed to set up IndiaÂ’s first low-cost private airport in the stateÂ’s Aranmula town despite opposition from some corners, said the State Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on July 16 in Thiruvananthapuram. However, majority of the legislators in the state assembly (72/140) had last week signed a petition to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh calling for stalling the KGS Aranmula International Airport on environmental grounds.
Mangalore among top 10 small airports: AAI survey
A Customer Satisfaction Survey conducted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) between January and June this year in 52 small airports, having annual passenger load of less than 15 lakh, 14 airports, including Mangalore, share space in the Top 10. Hubli airport is ranked 19th. Of the 14, six are in the north, five in the south, two in the east and one in the west.
The airports were evaluated on 33 parameters, including availability of baggage trolleys, parking facility, waiting time in check
Surat airport to get strongroom to boost diamond export
Surat's gain is Mumbai's loss. Diamantaires in the Rs 80,000-crore world's biggest diamond cutting and polishing centre would no longer require to send their precious diamonds for export to Mumbai. Surat airport is all set to be equipped with a strongroom to handle precious cargo by July-end. Airport Authority of India (AAI) has given its approval to the proposal.
Odisha to grant Rs 50 cr for Jharsuguda airport growth
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on July 16 sanctioned Rs 50 crore for development of the oldest Jharsuguda Airport in the state. The Odisha government has decided to provide the Rs 50 crore to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for undertaking the first phase of construction of the strategic air-strip, which had been laid by the British. The first phase of development of the air port would be taken up at Rs 175 crore.
Govt may take a call on aviation FDI cap
The Union government's decision to let the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) clear FDI proposals beyond 26 per cent in the defence sector technically leaves it open for CCS to even allow 100 per cent foreign investment in what the Defence Ministry will define as 'state-of-the-art' segments with safeguards built in to ensure that the technology and equipment are not shared with other countries.
Srinagar airport gets nod for operation of night flights
Union Defence Ministry has given clearance for operation of civilian flights at the airport in Srinagar till 10 pm daily, paving way for extended air operations between Kashmir and rest of the country. In a letter to Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh last week, Defence Minister A K Antony had said Air headquarters has already issued instructions to extend watch hours for civil flights at Srinagar till 2200 hours on daily basis.
Assembly passes resolution to name terminal after MGR
Tamil Nadu has requested the Union government to name the second domestic terminal at the Chennai Airport after the former Chief Minister and the then popular hero actor MG Ramachandran. To this effect the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution. The State Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa moved the resolution in the Assembly.
Centre may take a call soon on Jet-Etihad deal
The Union Civil Aviation Ministry is likely to send a note this week to the Cabinet Secretariat, seeking a post-facto approval for the seat-sharing pact between Etihad Airways and Jet Airways where India offered an additional 36,670 seats on flights between the two countries over the next three years. The bilateral agreement was signed on the same day in April when the Jet-Etihad deal was announced.
Karnataka aims to utilise idle airport infra in state
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that the State government is to give a fillip to tourism and improve the air transport network in the state. For this, it will announce a new minor airport policy this year. The policy will help in utilising the existing idle airport infrastructure in the state.

