Airliners-India.com

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:12 am Post subject:

Operator hopes to attract airlines by offering cheaper landing, usage charges

Kolkata, Nov 29:

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/durgapur-private-airport-to-take-off-by-april-next-year/article4147292.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_home

West Bengal’s first private airport is expected to be operational by March-April next year.
The airport is being developed near Durgapur — approximately 200 km south of Kolkata — by Bengal Aerotropolis Pvt Ltd (BAPL), a venture involving four Indian companies and the Singapore-based Changi Airports International.
“Nearly 80 per cent work has been completed. We are hoping that the project will be operational around the first half of next year, say, around March-April 2013,” Ang Cheng Nam, Vice-President, Changi Airports told Business Line.
Ang was in the city to attend Bengal Builds, a conference on urban development.
Changi holds 26 per cent equity in the project.
The airport is being developed under direct technical assistance from Changi and will be fitted with modern night-landing facilities. “It will be run differently from other Indian airports,” he promised.
Talks are on with two domestic carriers — Air India and Jet Airways — to start operations in Durgapur.
Clearances
BAPL will also approach the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by the end of this year seeking licenses for its aerodrome, and inspection of its equipment and other facilities that include safety and security measures.
According to BAPL officials, efforts are on to attract airlines by making landing charges, airport usage fees, rentals, and night-parking facilities cheaper.
The attempt is to woo leading airlines to use the airport as a terminal point instead of Kolkata.
Sources suggest BAPL has also approached the State Government for sales tax concessions for refuelling.
Township
Apart from the Rs 600-crore domestic airport, with peak hour capacity of nearly 450 passengers, BAPL is also developing an airport city (aerotropolis) on an 1,800-acre plot.
According to Ang , more traffic is expected once the adjoining housing project takes shape.
“Initially, there will be some challenges as it’s a greenfield airport. However, once the township comes up we can expect more flow of passengers,” he said.

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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 4:54 am Post subject:

View of landing on main runway with incomplete Kilo taxiway ( old video ) : http://youtu.be/kv6aB9tfsHU
Landing on secondary runway with full view of main runway/kilo taxiway complex: http://youtu.be/fgyXZTUrakc ; http://youtu.be/Uukrq9Zegco
Take off from Kolkata with full view of new terminal: http://youtu.be/evEttkD0XM4
Day time landing on newly extended secondary runway from south side: http://youtu.be/3iLy39D-cMk

Landing on main runway: http://youtu.be/66YCbiW5B1A ; http://youtu.be/u_aFEPxapyg
Bagdogra airport takeoff : http://youtu.be/isX5PPSA13g ; landing http://youtu.be/VwN9vhil1xU ; http://youtu.be/TpJEM1OorIU
Airport of Bhutan’s Paro: http://youtu.be/TpJEM1OorIU ; landing http://youtu.be/77awaQQNQ1A
Hard landing on Kolkata’s secondary runway ( north side ); http://youtu.be/1g5YrF42_LY
Take off from 19R secondary runway north side ; http://youtu.be/432o1eYmbR8 this aircraft did not use the 19R turning pad ? Is secondary runway that long now? Yes from this point ( near alpha taxiway ) it is 3 km to the end.
Landing on main runway and a view of terminal control radar : http://youtu.be/wbA5dJ5F0vg
ATR landing : http://youtu.be/Vfaj7rZbQis Business lounge possibly in domestic terminal : http://youtu.be/VFd0REnvU_w
Take off from main runway with a view of New Town ; http://youtu.be/Ea9XtnDXO60
Take off from 01R , main runway South side : http://youtu.be/ouR5qFgM-SU
Indigo A319 deplaning at Agartala airport : http://youtu.be/wATfvvJszPI
AI102 in flight video ; http://youtu.be/S8FREsDcWdY This is a popular AI flight to get into CCU from JFK.
Current status of nearby Behala airport : http://youtu.be/EUs-SmdkD-4
Loading of Dragonair A320 : http://www.flickr.com/photos/68716762@N08/8212523377/
ADB1420 from CCU to Singapore, an An-124 flight:
http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/7/2/0/2046027.jpg
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 8:20 am Post subject:

The Telegraph; http://www.telegraphindia.com/1121211/jsp/calcutta/story_16299211.jsp

Fasten seat belts but not to fly

SANJAY MANDAL

Calcutta airport’s long overdue integrated terminal will be inaugurated on January 23 and thrown open three days later but most fliers would have to make do with the ill-equipped old facility for several more weeks.
The Rs 2,325-crore project that has missed four deadlines since August 2011 is supposed to make amends for the substandard terminal facilities that fliers to and from Calcutta have had to bear with for years.
But for the majority of the domestic fliers, the wait to sample the new facility would be longer than for international travellers.
“We are planning to make the new terminal operational from January 26 with international flights. Domestic airlines will be shifted there in phases,” V.P. Agrawal, the chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), said on Monday.
Officials involved in the project cited a shortage of aerobridges, among other infrastructural shortcomings, as the reason for delaying the start of domestic operations.
Five aerobridges have already been installed and seven more set sail from Indonesia last Saturday.
The terminal has been designed in such a way that 80 per cent of the fliers would board or disembark from flights through 18 aerobridges.“Twelve aerobridges are enough to handle the existing passenger flow,” the AAI chairman said.
The software for the baggage handling and check-in counters have not been fully installed either.
“We are still awaiting readiness in terms of IT issues,” said Capt. Sarvesh Gupta, the chairman of the Airlines Operators’ Committee. “So the transition will need to be done in a phased manner over a few weeks’ time.”
Even if international airlines start operating from the integrated terminal on January 26, passengers might have to do without duty-free shops for some time.
The contract with the agency that currently operates duty-free shops ended earlier this year. “They are doing business on an extended contract,” airport director B.P. Sharma said.
Eight international agencies have bid for duty-free shops in the new terminal. “The tender is likely to be finalised by the end of this month. However, the customs authorities have yet to grant permission to use that space,” Agrawal said.
For domestic passengers, a few weeks’ delay in shifting to the new terminal means making do with the old, shabby facility for the entire tourist season.
The airport handled 12,000 domestic passengers daily on an average last week. The daily average of international fliers during the same period was 3,000.
With the passenger load set to increase further over the next three weeks, airport officials expect the number of domestic passengers to be around 15,000 daily during the Christmas and New Year’s Eve week. In an already rundown domestic terminal, a holiday rush would heap twice the trouble on passengers.
“The airport authorities have improved some sections of the old infrastructure but we still face problems,” said businessman Sunil Virwani.
He was flying to Mumbai last week and had to queue up for more than 15 minutes for the security check. “There are long queues at the departure gates too,” Virwani said.
Fliers also complain of dirty toilets and inadequate trolleys. Some of the trolleys that had been repaired have become defective again, often damaging luggage.
Businessman Satyajit Burman arrived from Delhi last week and faced the same problem. “The trolley I got was one with a jammed wheel. Of what use is a trolley without a proper wheel?” he demanded.
The condition of the international terminal is apparently worse, the saving grace being that it doesn’t handle as many flights as the domestic facility does.
Comments: Even if the new terminal starts with 5/6 aerobridges, it is OK. All international flights will avoid the cowshed terminal which must be demolished, an eyesore. Even if domestic flights might take a few more months time it is OK. Current domestic terminal should continue to be used as low cost airlines could not afford the new terminal. CCU needs a large terminal complex for its huge low cost passenger load to north/east. Perhaps babus of AAI still having pipe dream that this airport could be left alone. They are dead wrong!
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Sabya99

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 4:33 pm Post subject:

Sumantra, only you will know this aspect of domestic terminal as you are a frequent flyer over there. I agree that at some point it should be closed and renovated again. Very Happy

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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:53 am Post subject:

New international flights from Kolkata:

Fog disrupts several flights

TNN | Dec 22, 2012, 04.37 AM IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/17714429.cms

KOLKATA: Three aircraft were diverted and several flights delayed after the first major fog of the season disrupted flight schedules at Kolkata airport on Friday morning. The situation is likely to persist over the weekend.

The first major fog of the season disrupted flight schedules at Kolkata airport on Friday morning, forcing diversion of three aircraft and delaying several flights.

Though Kolkata airport is equipped with Category II Instrument Landing System that allows takeoff and touchdown up to 350 metre visibility on the runway, aircraft have to be also equipped with CAT II system and pilots trained on it.

Eight departing and three arriving flights were hit. The incoming flights- Jet Airways from Bangkok and SpiceJet and IndiGo from Delhi - were diverted to Guwahati and Bhubaneswar, while the departing flights were delayed by 20-30 minutes.

However, seven flights did take off during the period using CAT II technology. The fog situation is expected to persist on Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, IndiGo began its international operations from the city on Friday with a flight to Bangkok that was packed to capacity. Airline president Aditya Ghosh, who was in the city to flag off the flight, said IndiGo was keen to connect three more international destinations - Singapore, Kathmandu and Dubai - from Kolkata. "We will also introduce two domestic connections, one to Bagdogra in April 2013 and another to Agartala in mid-February. We will look at connections to Ranchi and Surat in future," he added.
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Sabya99

jbalonso777 · Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:55 pm Post subject:

No wonder my uncle was pissed off by the on time departure of IndiGo despite the fog in Kolkata Airport on Friday morning, he hoped that the transit time would have been cut short!
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http://www.youtube.com/c/JishnuBasu777

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 8:14 pm Post subject:

Merry Christmas to all my visitors: http://youtu.be/ihW56Xa3XGQ
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 8:18 pm Post subject:

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1121227/jsp/calcutta/story_16365765.jsp

Flier checks in with a slap

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
A woman allegedly slapped an IndiGo executive manning a check-in counter at Calcutta airport on Wednesday morning when she was refused a boarding pass for arriving late to catch a Guwahati-bound flight.
Seema Yadav, 28, from Kakinara in North 24-Parganas, was arrested and charged with assault and abuse based on a complaint by the airline. She has since been granted bail.
An officer at the airport police station said Seema and her seven-year-old son were booked on a flight scheduled for take-off at 11.15am but didn’t arrive for check-in until well after the deadline of 45 minutes before departure.
“She turned up at the check-in counter at 10.45am, which is 30 minutes before the Calcutta-Guwahati flight was to take off,” the officer said.
IndiGo employee Madhura Guha, who was at the counter, told the police that she politely informed Seema that issuing boarding passes half an hour before take-off would be a violation of the rules framed by the directorate-general of civil aviation (DGCA).
“The passenger refused to listen and demanded a boarding pass each for herself and her son. She told the employee at the counter that it was her right to board a flight for which she had bought tickets,” an IndiGo official said, quoting the colleague she allegedly assaulted. “She declined the offer of seats on the next Guwahati-bound flight.”
Seema allegedly slapped Madhura and verbally abused her in front of other employees. The airline’s security staff handed her over to the police around 11.15am.
The DGCA’s 45-minute deadline took effect in mid-2011, the primary objective being to avoid flight delay. “Any flight being delayed has a cascading effect on schedules across the country. There are also security reasons for insisting that fliers report for check-in at least 45 minutes before the scheduled take-off,” an official said.
Earlier, many passengers would report for check-in late and get in by requesting or threatening airline staff. Any such instance invariably resulted in the flight being delayed.
A strict check-in deadline is especially essential for an airport like Calcutta’s, where queues at the check-in and security check counters are often long.
At busier airports like those in Mumbai and Delhi, flights are given slots for landing. If any flight gets delayed, it has to forfeit that slot to another one. The affected airline then has a tough time avoiding a chain reaction of delays across airports.
Airlines have to regularly submit on-time performance reports regularly to the DGCA. A dip in performance invites censure.
“Since the deadline was implemented, the on-time performance of various airlines has improved by nearly 90 per cent,” an official of the airline operators’ committee said.
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Sabya99

jbalonso777 · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 8:32 pm Post subject:

The reason is simple; office time traffic which makes it overly crowded. Plus, the construction makes it much worse. I had 3 departures out of CCU this year, and boy it was crowded!
Luckily, I made it on time always..
Anyways, back here.
A clear case of people not giving a damn about rules; let it be time, baggage, refunds, whatever. What the lady was doing, of course, was trying to breach rules set by the Government of India.. Absolutely unnatural to slap anyone for a mistake made by the slapper itself!
Although she is from the 24 Parganas disrrict, someone should have atleast told her about the traffic in Kolkata!

Regards
Jishnu
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http://www.youtube.com/c/JishnuBasu777

Spiderguy252 · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 9:18 pm Post subject:

I've heard folks obtain boarding cards even minutes before the flight, perhaps the woman has been sucked in by such leniency in the past.
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Yeah.

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 7:49 pm Post subject:

AAI red tape delays the opening of extended secondary runway.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/17837732.cms

KOLKATA: It's been over a year since the secondary runway at Kolkata airport was extended to allow bigger planes to fly in and out of the city when the primary runway is not in operation. A rapid exit taxiway was also built to allow planes to vacate the primary runway soon after touchdown. But both facilities have been lying idle due to bureaucratic red tape.

While minor obstacles like coconut trees and cellphone towers in the flight path of the extended runway are yet to be removed, the taxiway has not been commissioned yet because a cartographer is yet to submit its drawing for publication in a manual that is circulated in the aviation industry.

The decision to extend the secondary runway was taken almost eight years ago so that large planes like the Boeing 747 could land in Kolkata even if the primary runway is shut due to maintenance or some exigency. But the original plan to extend the runway to the north was held up for years due to the presence of a mosque. When it because clear that he mosque authorities would not budge,

The runway was extended 431m to the south making its total length 3,270m. The primary runway is 3,627m in length and can handle Airbus A-380, the largest civilian aircraft in use.

However, the extended section of the runway could not be put to use till the flight path from the new threshold point was free of obstacles. In a survey conducted early in the year and submitted to airport authorities in May-June, coconut trees, lamp posts, cellular towers and buildings were identified in the Rajarhat-Gopalpur Municipality.

"We have notified the state government. The civic bodies have to now locate the premises and take the necessary steps," airport director B P Sharma said. However, sources said the official could have opted for a more direct approach and sent notices to the civic bodies with the premises numbers. That would have eliminated an entire tier of officialdom, thereby expediting action. The state government should have been approached only if the concerned civic authorities did not act," an official said.

However, one of the hurdles in the secondary runway has been ironed out. Initially, lights at the existing threshold point were elevated and protruded out of the tarmac surface. These lights now have inset fitting and were made flush a month ago. "This section can now be used for takeoff but not for touchdown," he said.

In the case of the idle taxiway, the issue that has prevented its use is even more bizarre. Initially it was conceived as a rapid taxiway to enable arriving aircraft to exit the runway quickly, thereby increasing runway efficiency. But the taxi exit that was ultimately built proved too sharp to allow a speedy exit. Hence, it was rechristened taxiway 'R'.

"Though planes have to slow down before taking taxiway R, it is a lot better than taxiway C as it is at a right angle to the runway. Hence, planes have to come to a complete halt before taking a right turn from the primary runway. That means excess time spent on the runway that reduces its utilization. It also means excess fuel wastage," an airline pilot said.

While the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has cleared the taxiway, it has not been commissioned yet because a cartographer is yet to submit the modified drawing to Airports Authority of India headquarters in Delhi. "Once we receive the Type A chart, it will be notified in the Airport Information Publication that is circulated worldwide," an AAI official said.

Even when taxiway R is commissioned, sources said it would have made more sense had the angular taxiway been extended between secondary runway and alpha taxiway. "When planes use taxiway R, after hitting secondary, it has to brake and take a sharp right turn to move towards alpha taxiway. If a pilot is not careful once he reaches the secondary runway, there is danger of the aircraft veering out of the taxiway and into the soft earth. A mere Rs 1.7 crore could have led to the extension of taxiway R. But that did not happen," an officer pointed out.

The airport director, while acknowledging the delay in commissioning the projects, said the facilities would be in operation when required. "At present, there is not too much traffic to require faster clearance of the runway. But once the new terminal is commissioned and traffic grows, pressure will increase. Both facilities will then be put into use," said Sharma.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:28 pm Post subject:

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY VISITORS! Very Happy

Sabya's trip reports in the forum:

I have described Delhi T3 here ; http://airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic12193.html and BOM transshipment here ; http://airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic12353.html . A trip to Kolkata from JFK by Air India : http://airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic12871.html Hope you enjoy!
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Sabya99

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

...on Sabyasachi's PM request Smile

35. Can't Cut Calcutta Calls! CCU, Mar'12
http://www.airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic12909.html

17. To the City of Joy and back, on Air India: Aug'11
http://airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic12238.html

I'll put up a link to my Calcutta trip reports on this thread. There is another one just round the corner, a Jun'12 trip. Stay tuned!
Cheers, Sumantra.

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:51 am Post subject:

sabya99 · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 6:01 am Post subject:

View of newly extended secondary runway an year ago : http://youtu.be/Wqx0X2fqJlg
Some recent infrastructure developments in Kolkata: http://youtu.be/pQyTTeIa-Kw
Landing at Kolkata : http://youtu.be/u_aFEPxapyg . A view of new integrated terminal ; http://www.anandabazar.com/9cal2.jpg Daytime landing from south side : http://youtu.be/QNPkQB5tV9U
Anatomy of a jet engine: GENX ; http://youtu.be/zy4A-z2WKhw ; Rolls Royce Trent : http://youtu.be/UazsDDFsS7Q ( Part 1 ); http://youtu.be/MQlgK5QOu-4 ( Part 2) ; http://youtu.be/sQPpdmoZhj8 (Part 3) ; http://youtu.be/zPIYBgZNrsg (Part 4) .
Take off from main runway: http://youtu.be/6f0A_jCp0P0 .Landing on main runway (old picture) ; http://youtu.be/kv6aB9tfsHU . CCU-Bangalore flight ; http://youtu.be/0pRgovSrbrw .

Top ten Indian airports : http://youtu.be/DUpOZWsPaYA . Port Blair airport ,hill top view : http://youtu.be/E3l2tEtRCaM . Kolkata Rabindra Sarovar dancing fountain: http://youtu.be/xCCkyj9fn6I
The new integrated terminal : http://openbuildings.com/buildings/kolkata-airport-new-integrated-terminal-profile-41617/media/285800/show ; http://s8.postimage.org/h2w7dzmit/Panorama_25.jpg
AI 101, the popular flight to JFK from India ( connected to CCU ) : http://youtu.be/Guql1eSl-kg and AI 102 take off from JFK ,nite time ( 1995 ) : http://youtu.be/A-e08fJ7B4E . Landing at DEL after 14hr. flight : http://youtu.be/k-EOiwgWm-s and http://youtu.be/gcE2yCThcyM .
AI 102 evening take off from JFK (note complex intersecting taxiways ) : http://youtu.be/0oHHmucy4w4
BA flight from CCU to LHR on a B777 ( 2007 ) : http://youtu.be/kvuCD-PkkCI and LHR-CCU flight : http://youtu.be/onMMhm9JO4o . Air Asia landing at BKK from CCU; http://youtu.be/aBrWZn4DFCc .Air India express BKK-CCU : http://youtu.be/oLCT0DLdH_0 .
Buddhist pilgrimage from Bangkok via Kolkata to Goya. CCU airport looks surprisingly clean : http://youtu.be/AlDUxOBX4Yo . Landing at NSCBI airport from southside : http://youtu.be/bzRmb_MUJ-M
Launch of a homemade PSLV rocket by ISRO : http://youtu.be/dD7Ka5Bve7w

Very Happy

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Sabya99

jbalonso777 · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 11:40 am Post subject:

Might as well post my stuff also Smile

sabya99 · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 6:36 pm Post subject:

Thanks Jishnu for posting your videos. Very Happy

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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 7:34 pm Post subject:

Jishnu,

Your first youtube video: landing from north on main runway north side 19L. As one could see runways are marked by high intensity edge lights, but taxiways are marked by blue taxiway lights. This way confusions are avoided.

Second video: also landing from north on main runway but now daytime landing. ATRs are very useful and profitable aircraft.

Third video: taxing first to secondary runway, then to 19R turning pad, then to Kilo taxiway ( my favorite taxiway Very Happy

) then a right turn to main runway. You have correctly mentioned that main runway is used bidirectionally in morning rush hours to increase capacity.
I have not gone through older videos. Will look into later on. Thanks for posting.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 4:39 pm Post subject:

At last new integrated terminal to open on Jan 20

The integrated terminal at Kolkata International airport that missed a number of deadlines is finally ready for take off. VP Agarwal, chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI), says that the new terminal will be inaugurated on January 20. “However, flight operations will begin only from January 23,” he told HT from New Delhi.
Agarwal said the new date is sacrosanct and there will be no more missed deadlines. Missing deadlines is not new for the AAI, which has already missed six deadlines in the past. At present there are apprehensions that the organisation may even fail to meet the seventh deadline.

The last deadline that the organisation failed to meet was September 30. Though the AAI has not announced the next deadline as January 23, but sources confirmed to HT that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport would begin operations on January 23, the birth anniversary of the iconic freedom fighter.

“Initially we would start international flight operations from the new terminal building from January 23. Gradually all international operations would be shifted and then we would look at starting domestic flight operations from the new terminal,” Agarwal said.

The Kolkata airport is being developed and modernised at a cost of approximately R2320 crore. The AAI would not charge airport development fee (ADF) from passengers but proposes to charge a minimum amount of user development fee (UDF).

According to sources at the airport AAI officials feel R450 per passenger as user development fee (UDF) would be fine. However, nothing has been officially decided.

“The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) would decide the amount of user development fee (UDF) that passengers would have to pay. It would not be decided by AAI,” said the AAI chairman. The AERA also determines other fees, such as landing, parking and other charges. Very Happy

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-...e1-985270.aspx
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 12:44 am Post subject:

Prez to open new airport terminal on 20 Jan

8 January 2013
bappaditya paul

KOLKATA, 8 JAN: The much-delayed new passenger terminal at NSC Bose International Airport here will see a formal inauguration on 20 January, but it will take at least two more months for the Rs 2,325-crore facility to start handling regular flight operations.
President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the terminal building on 20 January ~ three days ahead of the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose after whom the airport is named. Initially, the plan was to hold the opening ceremony on 23 January, but the timing has been advanced due to the President's pressing engagements, NSC Bose Airport director, Mr B P Sharma, said.
To make up for this, the airport authorities are planning the inaugural flight to take off from the new terminal on Netaji's birthday. Both Air India and IndiGo have been asked to stay prepared to operate the launch flight, but a final selection is yet to be made.
The terminal is now re-scheduled to be handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on 15 January for carrying out a “sanitisation drive” before the formal inauguration.
“After the inauguration, it will take about two months to shift the entire operations to the new terminal,” Mr Sharma said pointing out in justification that in case of the Delhi airport “the transition period was six months.”
The new terminal will be maintained by the Gurgaon-based Impression Services Private Ltd, which handles housekeeping at Delhi airport's Terminal 3.
Although the airport director is not clarifying whether regular flight services by at least one airline will be maintained during the two-months transition period, highly-placed sources are seeing a very thin possibility.
“The new terminal is not fully ready yet in terms of setting up offices of airlines, Customs, Immigration and other related establishments. Concessionaires and eating-outs have also not been put in place,” the sources said. “Given this, no airline is willing to relocate to the new building overnight because, they have regular flights and need to handle scores of passengers daily. At best, a flexible skeleton service may be operated.”
Vindicating this, chairman of the airport's Airline Operators’ Committee, Mr Sarvesh Gupta, said there is still time for regular flight operations to start from the new terminal. “Several vital facilities are still missing,” he said.
Amongst other things, only five aero-bridges have been installed so far, while another seven have arrived at the Kolkata Port from Indonesia yesterday. “They will reach the airport by 10 January and we will install all of them before the inauguration day,” the airport director said.
Work for the new terminal had begun in 2008 and the original deadline for completion was August 2011. After this, the airport authority has missed the deadline four times ~ December 2011, March 2012, June 2012 and October 2012. As a result, the project cost has shot up from the original Rs 1,948 crore to Rs 2,325 crore. Very Happy

http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=438474&catid=73
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Sabya99

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Hmm...as I mentioned on another thread, I plan to do a CCU-DEL on AI 701 on 26 Jan, which was as per the original schedule of the 23 Jan - 26 Jan opening, and initiation. So I guess I will fly out from the old terminal itself, in all probability. This official trip will have The Wife and Junior also in tow, with the hope of getting a Dream)liner ride. In my four attempts in about one month, I have been successful only once thus far, in getting a Dream)liner ride. This will be my first Duronto experience as well. NDLS-SDAH on the Duronto, and return on AI 701. 24 Jan - 26 Jan. Yes, I will write a trip report on it, too Smile

Cheers, Sumantra.

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:15 am Post subject:

Jan 20 unveil date for terminal minus flights
- Facility to be operational after two months

The new integrated terminal of the airport will finally be opened on January 20 after four missed deadlines but passengers will have to wait at least two more months to take a flight out of it.
The Calcutta airport authorities announced on Thursday that “full-fledged operations” from the integrated terminal will start from end-March.
Metro had highlighted more than once how delay in setting up infrastructure would come in the way of the new terminal becoming operational in January.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is executing the Rs 2,300-crore airport modernisation project that includes the setting up of the integrated terminal, had initially planned to unveil the facility in August 2011. It has missed three more deadlines since — December 2011, March 2012 and October 2012.
“The new terminal will be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee on January 20. But full-fledged operations will start exactly after two months,” Saugata Roy, Trinamul MP from Dum Dum and chairman of the airport facilitators’ committee, said on Thursday after reviewing the modernisation project.
The authorities have planned to shift international airlines to the new terminal first, to be followed by domestic ones. “The shifting will be done in phases and so it’ll take time,” airport director B.P. Sharma said.
He said professional private agencies were hired to set up several facilities at the new terminal, including common check-in and baggage handling systems.
The operations of around 70 per cent of the airlines flying to or from the city are synchronised with the new check-in software but that’s hardly enough to prevent chaos during rush hours as operators are yet to be allowed to conduct test runs simultaneously.
“Each airline has been asked to do test runs for the check-in system. However, if all airlines are not allowed to do test runs together, it’s not possible to know whether the system is capable of taking the pressure of handling several flights simultaneously,” said an official.
Departure baggage handling trial is yet to be conducted. According to officials, departure baggage handling is more critical than handling arrival baggage. “A lot of synchronisation is required. Baggage distribution will go haywire, resulting in passenger inconvenience, if the departure baggage handling system doesn’t work properly,” said an official.
Among the key areas of concern for international airlines are business class lounges and duty-free stores, which are yet to be ready.
The authorities said they would hire private agencies for cleaning, upkeep and trolley handling at the new terminal. “We are hiring 12 private agencies for various operations, including cleaning and maintenance,” said airport director Sharma.
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130111/jsp/calcutta/story_16428212.jsp
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:31 am Post subject:

Fog-beater on second runway too.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Fog-beater-on-second-runway-too/articleshow/17976005.cms

KOLKATA: Thursday turned out to be a lucky day for the city airport. While the integrated terminal finally got a date on Thursday for its inauguration, the category I instrument landing system (ILS) too became operational on the same day, 19 months after it was installed in June 2011. It means planes can now land on the secondary runway when the fog isn't too thick.

The primary runway at the airport does have a more advanced CAT-II ILS version, which allows flight operations till visibility drops to 300 metre, at both ends. But airport management had a tough time shutting down the runway for maintenance during winter as absence of ILS on the secondary runway would paralyze operations if visibility dropped.

The ILS on the secondary runway can be used by aircraft approaching from the Madhyamgram-end to the north of the airport. While flights are allowed to operate without ILS till there is clear visibility up to 2,000 metre, the visibility requirement is reduced to 800 metre if the landing strip has CAT-I ILS.

Sources said the delay had been caused by the mismatch between the report from the calibration aircraft and that of the ATC landing chart that led to a perceived error in the glide path of aircraft approaching the airport. The calibration was done three times, the latest on August 30, 2012.

The ILS comprises a localizer that provides information on horizontal deviation from the runway and glide-path that gives data on vertical deviation of the aircraft from the glide angle for landing.

It electronically guides planes to enable a perfect touchdown. This reduces human error as the pilot does not have to depend on visual landing alone.

The project, conceived over six years ago and scheduled to be completed by 2008, encountered a spate of delays following extension of the runway from 2,800 to 3,200 metre. On a couple of occasions, landings and takeoffs had to be suspended at night because the primary runway was under maintenance and the secondary runway was not equipped to handle night operations.

"Both runways now have ILS facility that will make operations at the airport more reliable and less prone to disruption due to emergency repair work on primary runway or bad weather. Also, if evening and night traffic increases manifold, the two runways can be pressed into operation," an airport official said.

However, the presence of a 120-year-old mosque 100 feet north of the runway continues to be an obstacle. Another design flaw which Kolkata airport suffers is the proximity between the two parallel runways. The distance between the two is less than what is required for parallel operations. If that were possible, it would have doubled the aircraft movements and reduced congestion during peak hours. Very Happy

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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:41 pm Post subject:

Jishnu, I have watched other videos you have recently posted. The fourth one is about taxing in front of international terminal. One could see international parking bay has six wide body aircraft spots where Singapur Airline is now parked. Here in old days BA B747 used to be parked. In another video reconstruction of apron in front of the aerobridge is clearly visible. At that time I was in Kolkata in 2008 and we had to bypass this area for LH flight. Other videos are about landing from north side on main runway. In those days this route was most heavily used . But recently south approach is equally busy. Overall it is a good collection of videos! Very Happy

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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:06 am Post subject:

Another integrated terminal in Eastern India:

Birsa Munda Airport’s long-in-the-making integrated terminal had its first trial run on Friday when 80 passengers of a Jet Airways Mumbai-Calcutta hopping flight used the domestic arrival lounge and gushed about everything from the ergonomics of the design to the elegance of the décor.
Unfortunately, however, Mahi’s boys in blue, Alastair Cook & Co. and other VVIP guests — who will reach Ranchi a day before the India-England ODI — will not enjoy the same privilege.
Airport director Raju Raghvendra Kumar has confirmed that it will not be possible to inaugurate the Rs 138-crore facility before the January 19 match. “Today’s trial was successful. Also, all major work at the new terminal is nearly complete. But, organizing an inauguration takes time,” he insisted.
Sharp at 11.40am on Friday, Jet Airways flight 9W 615 landed at parking bay one and surprised passengers were led to the new terminal, where they were greeted with roses and sweets.
“I was very impressed with the grandeur of the integrated terminal. It is so spacious and clean. The facilities are on a par with airports in Delhi and other big cities,” said Manoj Kumar, who had boarded from Calcutta.
Airline officials too could not hide their joy. “Like passengers, many of us looked too around in wonder,” said a Jet Airways ground staff.
The nearly 20,000sqm integrated terminal is centrally air-conditioned and boasts advanced fire protection, besides natural lighting, advanced online baggage inspection, 14 check-in counters for 500 domestic and 200 international passengers, a restaurant, eating joints and a parking lot for 600 cars. There is also an extended apron area for parking five aircraft at a time and ATM kiosks to offer passengers cash convenience.
Construction of sprawling complex had begun in early 2009 and over these four years, the deadline has been missed five times, land hurdle being the main reason behind tardy progress of work.
The first deadline was December 2009, the second June 2010, the third February 2011 and the fourth June 2012.
In December last year, when Airports Authority of India (AAI) chief V.P. Agarwal came to review the project, authorities in Ranchi had said they would try their best to inaugurate the integrated terminal before the ODI at JSCA International Stadium Complex in Dhurwa.
“But, finishing touches remain. Besides, organizing an inauguration necessitates prior requests to VIPs. So, the function is not possible at such short notice,” explained an airport official.
The defense ministry had issued a no-objection certificate to AAI in December for construction of an approach road to the new complex. Work on the kilometer-long and 30-metre-wide approach is also “nearly complete, but final touches are being given”.
“The date for opening the integrated terminal to all flights is yet to be fixed. In no case, can it be done before the ODI,” reiterated GVG Raju, general manager (project) at Birsa Munda Airport.
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130112/jsp/jharkhand/story_16429878.jsp
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:28 pm Post subject:

Airlines to shift facilities to new terminal in Kolkata from Feb 1
Ayan Pramanik
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/airlines-to-shift-facilities-to-new-terminal-in-kolkata-from-feb-1/article4307398.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_home

March-end deadline for operations ‘practical’, they say
Kolkata, Jan. 14:
After a prolonged wait, aviation companies are bullish about starting commercial operations from the renovated terminal of the NSC Bose International Airport in the city in March. The terminal will be formally inaugurated on January 20.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) last week announced that the new integrated terminal would be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee on January 20. They, however, added that “operations” would start only by the end of March.
Practical deadline
“For the first time, AAI has done a realistic assessment of the scenario at the modernised terminal,” a senior official of a private airline told Business Line. According to him, the end-March deadline is quite practical as “the carriers need time to set up due on-sight facilities and carry out system trials for both departure and arrival, before launching commercial operations”.
But, he added, there should be multiple trials of the baggage handling system, in the interim , to avert rush-hour chaos once commercial operations begin. “Such systems should get at least 80 per cent competency before the commercial operations start,” the official said.
“The carriers are expected to start shifting their facilities to the modernised terminal from February 1. Two month’s time for shifting is normal,” B. P. Sharma, Regional Director of AAI, said.
Interestingly, according to an airport official, even the common facilities such as VIP lounges, duty-free stores and others are unlikely to be ready by January 20, when the President will inaugurate the airport.
The Rs 2,500-crore modernisation programme, which is being carried out by the Thai-Indian consortium of ITD-ITD Cementation, has already missed three official deadlines for completion since August 2011.
The AAI could not begin operations at the terminal before Durga Puja in October last year as promised by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. According to sources, almost 95 per cent of the modernisation work has been completed as of now.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 6:20 am Post subject:

Iconic tower project back on board-TNN

Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/17975999.cms
________________________________________
KOLKATA: The spiral torch-shaped iconic air traffic control tower at the airport that was shelved earlier due to funds crunch two years ago has now been revived. The AAI top brass in Delhi has given an in-principal nod to the Rs 240-crore tower project.

"Construction of the tower should begin once the transition to the new terminal is complete. We will send the detailed project report to Delhi soon so that the budget is sanctioned at the earliest," said airport director BP Sharma.

While surface movement control and tower units will be housed in a glass chamber on the top, the remaining units - aerodrome control, approach control and area control - will be accommodated in a three-storied building at the base. Together, they will form the modern air traffic complex.

The challenging civil construction apart, it will take at least a year and a half to float tenders and then select bids for flight data processing system, radar data processing system, data control processing system and new monitors. Thereafter, six more months will be needed to install the systems and then test them. The new complex is expected to become operational in 2016.

At 86 metre, the structure will be equivalent to a conventional 28 storied building and tower over existing ATCs in Hyderabad (75m), Bangalore (62m), Delhi (60m) and Mumbai (60m).

The new tower is critical for air safety as the present one that is a third the height of the proposed facility does not offer a view of at least four bays in the new terminal. Moreover, space in the current building that was built in 1972 is inadequate for automation and air traffic management systems.

"The design of the current tower is outdated. The ergonomically designed glass tower will offer unobstructed view of the entire airport," an ATC official said.

The tower was a part of the initial upgrade plan but dumped to cut down on the cost. The construction plan was revived following criticism from a section of officers and intervention of then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who will inaugurate the new terminal on January 20 as President.

The land next to the new administrative building where the tower is to come up has already been cleared and construction may begin around July. But officials have urged air traffic management officials to check out if the proposed location of the new tower is suitable or should an alternative location be identified.

"In the past four decades, Delhi has had three towers and the fourth is under construction. That is because towers were built without long-term vision. The same shouldn't happen in Kolkata. The proposed location is fine to monitor aircraft movement in the current setup with two parallel runways. But if the terminal capacity goes up to 40 million in the next phase of expansion, a third runway will be required. What one has to ensure is that the tower is so located that it does not require an alteration if another runway comes up," he pointed out.
Comments: The location AAI has chosen is perhaps the only possible location available. A tower at this site could control both north and south sides of the runways and taxiways. Even if they build another runway further east, this control tower could be used. Only problem is south side of integrated terminal will be invisible from this tower. In that case AAI should set up a small apron control office over there. What CCU needs is good area control facility with modern gadgets to control large number of aircrafts overflying the city.

Slide show on NSCBI airport integrated terminal interior: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/infrastructure/netaji-subhas-chandra-bose-international-airports-new-passenger-terminal/articleshowpics/18093683.cms
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 7:56 pm Post subject:

Slide show on NSCBI airport integrated terminal interior:

1)http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/infrastructure/netaji-subhas-chandra-bose-international-airports-new-passenger-terminal/articleshowpics/18093683.cms
2) http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/article4325652.ece

Changi flight to city?

By Subhro Niyogi, TNN | Jan 20, 2013,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Changi-flight-to-city/articleshow/18096377.cms

KOLKATA: If all goes well, the new airport terminal that President Pranab Mukherjee unveils on Sunday, may be co-managed by Changi Airport Group (Singapore) Pvt Ltd, the operator of Changi Airport in the Southeast Asian city state.

While Die Flughafen Zurich AG, the operator of Kloten Airport in Switzerland's Zurich, Switzerland, has also expressed interest its keenness to join hands with state-owned airport operator Airports Authority of India (AAI) to manage Kolkata and Chennai airports, the Asian operator has a distinct cost advantage over the European firm. Moreover, Changi already has a presence in the country since it currently owns 26% stake in the private airport that is coming up at Andal near Durgapur.

Speaking to TOI on the eve of the inauguration ceremony, AAI chairman VP Agrawal said the agency needed to join hands with an operator of international repute in order an internationally-reputable operator to benchmark and adopt the international best practices in operations and maintenance of airports.

"By developing world-class terminals in Kolkata and Chennai, AAI has proved that it can deliver the goods. But we have quality issues in maintenance and operations. We need to join hands with an operator that is up there among the best to graduate to world-level," Agrawal explained.

A Planning Commission task force, led by member BK Chaturvedi, has already urged privatization of operations and maintenance of the two airports that have been modernized for Rs 4,340 crore. It recommended that the airports be managed through a private-public partnership (PPP) concession. Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh has also discussed the matter with Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

AAI also proposes to get a SWOT analysis done for Kolkata airport by leading research agency Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) to identify what measures need to be taken needs to be done to pitch it as an international hub. CAPA has already conducted the study for Chennai.

"We know that Kolkata has the strategic advantage to be a Southeast Asian hub. The study will pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in infrastructure and service and evaluate the overall potential," AAI member (operations) GK Chaukiyal said.

But even before the study is done, AAI has conceptualized a Rs 80-crore plan to set up four hangars at the south-western end of the airport for maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft. "Once we can offer space to set up MRO facility, any airline can seriously consider making Kolkata its hub," said AAI member (planning) S Raheja.

While AAI promised to do its bit, Agrawal hoped the state government would support the initiative by reducing taxes on fuel (Bengal levies 28% VAT). At present, Bengal levies 28% VAT that is higher than Delhi (20%) and Mumbai (25%). In Raipur, where VAT on ATF was reduced to 4%,

With the cash-strapped Mamata Banerjee government unlikely to give up the revenue, AAI hopes the Centre will declare ATF in the declared goods category so that the same VAT is charged across states. Very Happy

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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 7:57 pm Post subject:

Finally the new terminal at last !

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130121/jsp/calcutta/story_16462317.jsp
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130121/jsp/calcutta/story_16465882.jsp
http://youtu.be/tadfxXbugBk

Netaji’s statue outside the new terminal : http://s8.postimage.org/tiw3i0amd/Pc0021200_1.jpg

Inside the terminal:
http://youtu.be/sseguBrujGA , http://youtu.be/DwHrfw6dyBg , http://youtu.be/SIAKreWje3o , http://youtu.be/CHwGaGoqrP0 , http://youtu.be/gwMFZ31PSDo
http://yfrog.com/scaled/landing/860/gomfn.jpg , http://yfrog.com/scaled/landing/875/avmvd.jpg ,
http://yfrog.com/scaled/landing/532/968wb.jpg
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Sabya99

Nimish · Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 11:25 am Post subject:

Great to hear that the new terminal is finally open! Congratulations to CCU and AAI.
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We miss you Nalini!

Nimish · Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 4:50 pm Post subject:

From: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Fliers-jostle-for-lone-scanner-miss-flights/articleshow/18125485.cms

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

This is a selfish question, since I have a CCU-DEL trip on 26 Jan. It was supposed to be a Dreamliner family trip on AI 701 (CCU-DEL), with two award tickets for The Wife and Junior, in different hues. It was supposed to be after the formal inauguration of the new terminal on Netaji's birthday (23 Jan), and the formal opening of proceedings on 26 Jan, Republic Day.
New reports speak of passengers horrors post-the early inauguration. Will the flight depart from the new T2, or the old T1-Domestic? There are even more scary news reports of traffic congestion along both VIP road and Jessore road. the airline sites do not have any additional information about the terminal the flight will set out from. In the past, this flight used to come in as AI 20, park in front of T1-International, and we used to be bused from Gate 1 in T1-Domestic. My onward journey will be on a Duronto, which I will try out for the first time. The return will be on a 332 in all probability, going by the AI schedules, though this route saw a 744 operate briefly. What is the 01 Feb `moving date'?
Thanks, Sumantra.

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 4:30 pm Post subject:

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Valentines-Day-deadline-for-terminal-shift/articleshow/18158768.cms

Three months after domestic flights arrived at the new terminal during the first phase of trials, the swanky facility achieved a significant milestone on Wednesday when live trials were successfully carried out with a flight carrying both domestic and international passengers. Air India flight AI 021 was also the first operation from the new terminal after its inauguration by President Pranab Mukherjee three days ago.

"I am delighted that everything went off smoothly and as planned. It is a great confidence-booster before the transition sets off in a few days and airlines begin shifting to the new terminal," said a beaming B P Sharma, the airport director, after the flight took off for Delhi with 150 passengers, including 65 bound for a connecting flight to London. Though he announced a March-end deadline for full-fledged operations, the transition schedule that has been handed to airlines has set the deadline on Valentine's Day.

While only conveyer belts had been tested during the trial runs with domestic flight arrivals, several procedures and systems including check-in, security check, immigration and Customs were put to test on Wednesday. It was also the first time the automated baggage sorting system and an aerobridge were put into use.

Airlines, too, felt Wednesday's departure had allowed the new terminal to cross the proverbial hiccup and felt the robustness of the systems would be tested as more arrivals and departures were tied out in tandem. "There are a few issues like the transaction speed when all the check-in counters are functioning simultaneously, reliability of the baggage reconciliation system, and functioning of walkie-talkies in the new terminal. Once these issues are addressed, we are ready to move in the next day," an official of a private domestic airline told TOI.

Sharma and his team seemed confident of sticking to the new transition schedule. According to sources, the 14 carriers that fly on international sectors out of Kolkata will move into the new terminal from February 1 to 8, followed by the five domestic airlines from February 8 to 14. "By March-end, the new terminal will be fully operational and all flights will arrive and depart from it," said Sharma.
Officials of carriers hope that happens without any major teething trouble or technical glitch as they, too, are now eager to swap the congested and ill-serviced terminals for the new facility. "It will be good for the passengers and good for us. We are keen to shift, but need a business lounge to be in place," said an official of a foreign carrier.

Passengers who were lucky to taste the experience on Wednesday hit cloud nine even before the flight had taken off. Moni Patni and Nikhil Jain, who were headed for Dubai for their first wedding anniversary, spoke effusively about the transformation from a shabby, congested terminal to one that evoked awe and wonder. "Stepping into the terminal, it felt as though we were on our honeymoon again. That's how special it felt," Moni gushed.

Englishman Allen Shepherd, a frequent flier who has been to several airports around the world, felt the new terminal in Kolkata could compare with some of the best in the world. "It feels like Europe or America," he said. Very Happy

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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 4:39 pm Post subject:

Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130124/jsp/calcutta/story_16479303.jsp#.UQBZC_Ix-FA

State-run Calcutta airport is making a clean break with its unprofessional past, hiring private companies that maintain some of the country’s top airports to handle everything from housekeeping to health care in its new terminal.
Impressions Services, the housekeeping contractor for Delhi’s T3, is on board. So is German giant Siemens for maintenance of conveyor belts and technical supervision of baggage-handling operations.
Voltas will ensure the terminal is temperature balanced and Medica has been handed the contract for a mini health care facility to take care of any emergency.
“We have set the bar at four out of five points for the survey by the Airports Council International. If the score is less than four for a particular agency, it will be penalised and the contract might be terminated,” airport director B.P. Sharma told Metro.
The ACI is a global non-profit organisation that rates major international airports. The highest score that Calcutta has ever managed is three.
“We want to set a high standard for passenger amenities, which is why professional agencies have been hired for several departments,” Sharma said.
That’s a lofty ambition for an airport tainted by dirty toilets, overflowing bins, broken trolleys, malfunctioning air-conditioning systems, conveyor belt glitches and misbehaving personnel.
Ask Amritsar-based businessman Rohit Khanna what is the first thing that comes to his mind when someone says “Calcutta airport” and he is quick to list the pet peeves of every flier who has endured its unprofessional attitude.
“Your (old) domestic and international terminals are notorious for their dirty washrooms and the difficulty in getting a trolley that isn’t broken!” he said on Wednesday.
Rohit and wife Sheetal make frequent trips to Calcutta to visit relatives. The couple took the integrated terminal’s official debut flight — Air India’s Calcutta-Delhi-London service — and left the sprawling facility suitably wowed.
Moni Patani and husband Nikhil Jain, both stock market traders, were headed for Dubai on the same flight. The duo couldn’t believe they were inside Calcutta airport and impressed rather than disgusted, as usual.
“The first impression about the old terminal was dull and dirty. The toilets couldn’t be used and there was litter everywhere. Here it is so lively,” Moni said.
Metro, which had been highlighting the plight of passengers using the old facilities, gives a peek into what fliers will get once the integrated terminal becomes fully operational in end-March.
Cleaning
Impressions Services comes to the city airport with a spotless reputation in housekeeping. The agency has the contract for Delhi’s Terminal 3 and also handles housekeeping at the Forum Mall.
Airport officials said the company, which has an annual turnover of Rs 200 crore, was among 11 private bidders for the contract. It has already deployed 120 personnel to keep the terminal spick and span.
“We will try to maintain a standard of cleanliness that is on a par with Delhi’s T3. Passengers in Calcutta will have a completely different experience from what they are used to,” promised Lovkesh Bajaj, the company’s head of operations in Delhi.
A team from Delhi, including some supervisors at T3, were in Calcutta for a month to train the staff.
Cleaning will be done every day in three shifts, each of eight hours with 40-odd personnel. Eight supervisors will monitor each process.
The team will be equipped with four battery-operated scrubbing and mopping machines, five electrical mopping machines and two ride-on cleaners.
AC and illumination
Voltas International’s electrical and mechanical division has hired 80 people to maintain the air-conditioning system for the 1,90,000sq m terminal. Voltas staff equipped with measuring equipment will ensure that the ambient temperature of the terminal is just right at all times, unlike in the old terminals where Airports Authority of India staff would often struggle to keep passengers comfortable.
“We have set up a maintenance base near the AC plant of the terminal. The AC and illumination systems will be monitored round-the-clock,” a senior Voltas official said.
Engineers will be stationed at the airport to ensure every glitch is repaired without delay.
Baggage handling
The passage of registered baggage at the new terminal will be managed by Siemens, which set up the 16 conveyor belts at the arrival lounge and also those at the 128 check-in counters. The company has hired about 180 employees for its airport operations.
“Siemens staff will handle baggage once check-in is completed at a counter. They will sort and segregate the baggage for individual flights and then hand these over to the airlines,” the airport director said.
Baggage will be loaded on aircraft by the airlines themselves.
Complaints about theft and damage to registered baggage were frequent in the old terminals. “Things should improve now that we have professionals to handle baggage. And 720 closed-circuit cameras will keep an eye,” an airport official said.
Healthcare
Medica Superspecialty Hospital’s mini-health care facility at the airport promises to be as good as any.
“We will have doctors and nurses round-the-clock along with equipment like ECG and X-ray,” said Alok Roy, chairman, Medica.
One room in the arrival lounge will have two beds. The X-ray room and other diagnostic facilities will be in the basement. An ambulance will be parked at the airport at all times to take the critically ill to Medica or a nearby hospital. A telemedicine facility will be set up too.
Even basic health care facilities are not available in the old terminals. “We have to send people to a nursing home close by for an X-ray. There is only one doctor,” an official said.
Trolley management
No more trolley trauma for passengers, a mechanised system is being put in place to retrieve trolleys from the check-in zone and line them up outside the terminal for those arriving to catch flights.
But all this could come at a cost. Fliers might have to pay a higher user development fee in the new terminal, sources said.

NSCBI airport integrated terminal ( inside pictures) : http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130120/images/portbig.jpg ; http://www.anandabazar.com/24cal2.jpg
Flight operation begins at new integrated terminal: http://youtu.be/vqI6ezK4o3U
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:36 pm Post subject:

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/18174745.cms

Airline line-up for new terminal
By Subhro Niyogi, TNN | Jan 25, 2013, 02.48 AM IST
:

KOLKATA: Air India may have been the first to get an opportunity to fly into and out of the new terminal at the Kolkata airport, but it will be the last among airlines that operate international flights to move into the facility.

China Eastern, Air Asia, Biman Bangladesh, Druk Air and United Airways - all of which fly low-capacity small or narrow-body planes to Kolkata and operate in a low-fare bandwith - will be the first lot to shift into the swanky new terminal at Kolkata airport. Qatar, Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines will be in the next lot, followed by Dragon Air, Emirates, IndiGo, Jet Airways and finally Air India.

That is the transition schedule prepared by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Airlines Operators' Committee (AOC) for the migration of airlines from the existing terminals to the new one inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday.

According to sources, the schedule was fixed keeping in mind the frequency of flights that the airlines operate and the passengers they carry to ensure that the least number of people are inconvenienced, should the airport encounter teething trouble as it ramps up for full-fledged operations.

"Passenger profile has also been kept in mind because if someone pays more to fly a full-service carrier, the service expectation is also higher. While the new airport should exceed the expectations of most passengers, the transition committee did not wish to take a chance by allowing Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines or Emirates to head the queue," a member of the transition committee said.

Though airport director BP Sharma played it safe on Wednesday when he set the terminal would be fully functional by March-end, the transition schedule handed out to airlines has the entire process packed into a fortnight with international flights leading the pack from February 1 to 8 and domestic flights following suit in a tight queue till February 14.

While Go Air will be the first domestic airline to shift, Air India and SpiceJet, that operate comparatively fewer flights than Jet Airways and IndiGo will follow suit. Also, unlike the transition in the international wing, where two to three carriers will be shifted on a given day, the domestic transition will happen one by one.

"The transition may not follow the exact schedule as some issues like the speed of processing boarding passes at check-in counters; baggage reconciliation system; and functioning of walkie-talkies at the new terminal are yet to be sorted out. But these should not take too much time. As an airline, we are ready to shift as soon as the processes are in place," said an airline official.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:51 pm Post subject:

User fee for city fliers

Flying out of the swanky new Calcutta airport will become costlier from mid-February following the imposition of a user development fee for domestic and international travel.
From February 16 to March 31 next year, a domestic passenger flying out of Calcutta will have to pay Rs 400 as development fee, while those flying abroad will have to shell out Rs 1,000 each.
From April 1 2014 till the end of that fiscal, the rates will be 424 (domestic) and Rs 1,060 (international).
From April 1, 2015, it will rise to Rs 449 and Rs 1,124, respectively.
Calcutta airport has so long been exempted from the user development fee. The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority has decided to levy the fee to recover a part of the cost of building the integrated terminal.
There will, however, be no airport development fee (ADF) for Calcutta and Chennai airports.
The Airports Authority of India had earlier proposed to levy a development fee of Rs 300 on each outbound domestic passenger and Rs 1,000 on each out-bound international passenger at both airports.
The regulatory authority on Friday also determined the tariff for cargo carriage out of Calcutta airport, allowing a 5 per cent increase over prevailing rates from February 16, and a further 5 per cent increase every financial year from April 2013, April 2014 and April 2015.
Source:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130126/jsp/calcutta/story_16487346.jsp
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Sabya99

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

This is my latest trip report on AI.net, circa Jun'12, not my recent trip.

``Calcutta: A Short and Sweet Trip, June 2012''
http://www.airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic12982.html

I hope to write up and post a report on the recent trip too, soon!
Cheers, Sumantra.

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 11:28 pm Post subject:

GoAir to expand operations in eastern region

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/goair-to-expand-operations-in-eastern-region/article4353620.ece

Kolkata, Jan 28:
Wadia Group-promoted GoAir plans to introduce more flights Kolkata. The airline is expecting the eastern region’s share in its total revenue to move up from 10 per cent to 15 per cent in two years.
According to Giorgio De Roni, Chief Executive Officer, GoAir, the company plans to introduce daily flights to three new destinations — Ahmedabad, Guwahati and Bagdogra — from Kolkata on February 4.
“We also have plans to add three more destinations from Kolkata by March, 2014. We met the Regional Director of Airports Authority of India this morning to discuss these destinations,” De Roni told the media here on Monday. He, however, did not divulge the names of the three other destinations.
The airline, at present, operates daily flights to Delhi and Port Blair from Kolkata.
“The eastern region contributes roughly 10 per cent of our total operations now and it is likely to become 15 per cent by FY15. I foresee a significant growth in demand in the region,” he added.
According to De Roni, GoAir operates 110 daily flights across 22 destinations and plans to increase it to 170 flights by the end of next fiscal. “We will add eight Airbus 320 aircraft by July 2014,” he said.
Asked about bringing in a foreign investor, De Roni said the main objective of calling a foreign partner would be to increase the operational expertise. “We are evaluating the opportunities. We are not looking at cash injection, but looking forward to increasing our efficiency and expertise,” he said.
The carrier earned a revenue Rs 1,600 crore in the last fiscal and posted nearly 40 per cent growth. “We hope to maintain this growth in the next fiscal,” De Roni said.
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Sabya99