In India, the recent ‘unbundling’ of some services such as seat preferences or meals on board might be helping airlines to earn a lot of ancillary revenue, but the government is considering whether it could limit the number of ‘preferred seats’ on sale on each flight. The government has been prompted to step in just days after it unbundled these services, following reports that some airlines were charging for a very large number of seats, with one of them even imposing fees for the ‘congested’ m
Category: Aviation & Airports
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Govt to levy tax to increase air connectivity to small towns
The government is mulling to impose a new cess on flyers to help increase connectivity to smaller towns. An Essential Services Fund could be created with the money collected through the new tax that would help provide subsidy to airlines operating to smaller cities and areas like the north-east.
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Govt scraps airports charges for smaller cities
To boost connectivity to remote areas in the country, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry has decided to scrap most airport charges at tier II and tier III cities for scheduled airlines. Airlines will be exempted from landing charges, parking charges and navigation charges. The government has also decided to do away with the passenger service fee, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has said.
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IndiGo becomes India’s lead carrier with 30% market share
As per the data of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), budget airline IndiGo has widened its lead over rivals. IndiGo touched a 29.8 per cent market share, the highest since its 2006 launch. Jet Airways (India), which used to be market leader for many years together with subsidiary Jet Konnect, was second at 22.6 per cent.
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AAI set to get land for two airport expansion projects
According to media reports, the Tamil Nadu government is set to handover land for the expansion of Madurai and Tuticorin airports to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). For the Madurai airport project, the state government is set to issue acquisition notification, while for the Tuticorin project, the process of issuing acquisition notification would be completed soon, reports indic
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GoAir to add business class seats in key routes
GoAir is considering changing its business model by adding business class seats to its all-economy planes in the backdrop of Kingfisher Airlines exiting the Indian airline market, Italian-born Chief Executive Giorgio De Roni has said. GoAir is considering the change even as the airline examines proposals to sell a stake to a foreign airline after appointing JPMorgan as its adviser.
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India opposes EU aviation norms
Even as the European Commission said it might fine Air India and Jet Airways for not sharing emission data, the two Indian airlines remain opposed to the European Union (EU)Â’s emission norms for airlines. EUÂ’s emission trading scheme (ETS) requires airlines to report emission data (for flights within and to/from Europe) and purchase credits in case the emission exceeds capped limits.
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Gopinath’s Deccan winds up chartered flights in Gujarat
Deccan Shuttles, within just eight months of launching chartered flights in Gujarat, has suspended its operations in Ahmedabad. Promoted by Capt GR Gopinath, Daily ChartersÂ’s specialised wing, Deccan Shuttles had commenced daily chartered flights between Bhavnagar and Surat in the third week of August 2012.
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Small lights to connect Varanasi with 3 Bihar cities
A private operator SkyFisher Airways, for the fist time, will soon operate small flights from Varanasi to three cities in Bihar. The service will start either by the end of this month or the first week of June. The 12-seater aircraft would make to and fro flights connecting Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Varanasi in its first phase, officials concerned said.
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AAI to build wall around its 2.5 acres land in T’puram
A vacant land belonging to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in Thiruvananthapuram will be secured with a compound wall. AAI has decided to construct a wall around 2.5 acres of land belonging to them in the south-eastern side of the Trivandrum International Airport, near the Arattu gate. The vacant plot is currently being used to park trucks belonging to a private cement company and as a playground by the children in the neighbourhood.