Airliners-India.com

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:39 pm Post subject:

Emirates B77 landing on secondary runway .That old secondary runway is still being used for much bigger birds like B777 : https://youtu.be/d_6PT8RFegI
Landing on 19L on a rainy day: https://youtu.be/36Yy7Zz7vVY
Kolkata from the top: https://youtu.be/s_RjTRZYIP4
Landing on secondary runway from north ( 19R) on a rainy day : https://youtu.be/SCXQJd0kypA
BLR-CCU flight landing on secondary runway : https://youtu.be/FTmuTv_4CRE ,
https://youtu.be/xGpR3xt0S1c

Haj flight ( B747) being pushed back near old international terminal : https://youtu.be/LmehG8ZB3nI
Dragonair midnight take off : https://youtu.be/eRO9psBAarw
Time lapsed flight from Dhaka to Kolkata : https://youtu.be/P3jbvv0pJgw
Flight landing in DXB from Manchester amidst Rabindra sangeet : https://youtu.be/Cm-LwFBumbA
The pilot who stole a secret Soviet fighter jet aircraft : http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160905-the-pilot-who-stole-a-secret-soviet-fighter-jet
Medico tourism ; Dhaka-Kolkata-MAA ; https://youtu.be/L1-dSTpmops
Mihin Lanka flight from Kolkata to Colombo : https://youtu.be/5EFXkbzwi7E
So many passengers going to Colombo?
Would you fly in a pilotless airliner ? http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160912-would-you-fly-in-a-pilotless-airliner
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 9:41 pm Post subject:

Singapore Airlines’ offer to mark 30 years operation from Kolkata

http://www.financialexpress.com/industry/companies/singapore-airlines-offer-to-mark-30-years-operation-from-kolkata/424323/

Singapore Airlines has offered a special all-inclusive return fares for business and economy class passengers from Kolkata to mark its 30 years of operation from the city.
“On this important milestone, Singapore Airlines has offered up to 30 per cent discount on Business Class and Economy Class fares from Kolkata with all-inclusive return fares,” David Lim, General Manager – India, Singapore Airlines, said.
“The fares to Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, China, Japan, Indonesia, the US, New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, Vietnam and Korea are available on sale from October 14 to November 30, 2016 for the travel period of October 14 to December 15, 2016,” he said.
“On October 29, 2016 Singapore Airlines will complete its 30 years of operation from Kolkata. It launched two weekly services to Kolkata with the Airbus A310 on October 29, 1986. Today,Singapore Airlines operates four weekly services to Kolkata on the Airbus A330,” Lim said.
Combined with its regional wing SilkAir, Singapore Airlines offers seven weekly services to Singapore from Kolkata, he added.

Comment: This flight was one of the oldest connection between Kolkata and US west coast and Australia/NZ.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 10:51 pm Post subject:

More flights on anvil as airport rides high on festive rush.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/More-flights-on-anvil-as-airport-rides-high-on-festive-rush/articleshow/54947866.cms

KOLKATA: Passenger traffic at the city airport has catapulted 30% in a fortnight -from under 19,000 people taking flights out of Kolkata in a day to 25,000plus. With similar arrival numbers, Kolkata airport is handling close to 50,000 passengers daily .

Passenger count hit a record high on Shashthi -October 7 -when 25,980 people took off in flights from Kolkata.Both domestic and international passengers contributed to the record -21,697 took domestic and 4,282 international flights.

On Saptami, 24,753 passengers departed Kolkata. The passenger flow dipped marginally to the 20,000-21,000 level over the next couple of days but bounced back to 23,000-plus since. On October 17, it again crossed the 25,000 mark after hovering in the 23,000-24,000 level for five days.

"Passenger flow at the airport has increased substantially since the beginning of Durga Puja and we expect the numbers to remain firm till February end-March beginning," airport director Atul Dixit said.

Anticipating the passenger rush, most carriers have either commenced additional services to Kolkata or are on the verge of doing so. Between Septem ber end and November, the city will get 28 new flights. Against October 5, 2015, when 112 domestic flights took off from the city, on October 5, 2016, the flight departure count was 147.

Most airlines reported a high passenger load factor of 90% and are scrambling to meet the added pressure."Passenger flow does increase around this time of the year but the surge this time is unprecedented. If the good run continues, we will have to further augment flights," said an official of Indigo Airlines that will soon have 75 flight departures from the city.

The sudden spurt has translated into a 50% revenue jump in food and beverage as well as retail at the airport. Baggage handling staff are, however, feeling the pressure as luggage count has shot up substantially . "Since a lot of passengers are on holiday , there are more bags per flight," an airport official explained.

Travel Agents' Federation of India chairman (east) Anil Punjabi said the spurt in air travel was due to a combination of increased capacity and attractive fares. "A lot of people are planning to travel because flight fares are low. At times, fares are lower than tatkal fares on premium trains," he said.

If the passenger trend continues, Kolkata airport's passenger count could cross the 13.5 million in 2016-17, up from 12.42 million recorded last year. The integrated terminal has a capacity to handle 20 million passengers annually .
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2016 6:52 pm Post subject:

Airport amenity scan
- Singapore Airlines GM seeks more lounges

Sanjay Mandal
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1161027/jsp/calcutta/story_115863.jsp#.WBH879IrKvE

Calcutta airport's integrated terminal has yet to impress David Lim, general manager of Singapore Airlines in India, in terms of facilities and choices for the discerning flier.
Lim, who was in Calcutta on Wednesday to celebrate 30 years of the airline's operations in the city, said he was particularly perturbed by the lack of choices for business class fliers, a segment crucial to any international carrier's profitability.
Singapore Airlines operates daily flights from the city and would like to see its passengers get more out of the integrated terminal, Lim said.
He tells Metro why long queues in the immigration area and a lone business class lounge in the international section are bad both for business and the airport's image.
Lounge
I would like to have more alternatives. More service providers should be having lounges. If there is only one service provider and one lounge, like in Calcutta, there is a chance of complacency creeping in. The service provider would then be reluctant to improve the quality of service.
Ideally, airlines should have their own lounges. In Changi (Singapore), there are many lounges. Airlines have their own lounges. If the airlines have their own exclusive lounges, they can control the quality of food and beverages along with service. An airline can do its own branding as well.
Sharing a lounge (as in Calcutta) may affect quality. We do get complaints from passengers about the quality of food and beverages and the service provided by the staff. That is the problem of having one lounge. If there is competition, quality is sure to improve.
We will raise this issue with the airport authorities through the airline operators' committee.
Immigration
There are long queues at the immigration counters. I would like Calcutta airport to have more counters so that the passengers don't have to wait too long for immigration clearance.
We do try to help our passengers but are unable to provide priority facilities for immigration clearance. Of course, things have improved. Earlier, things were worse and there has been some improvement. But more counters will help reduce the queues.
Inline baggage scan
It's been three years since the new terminal became operational and I am happy to note that inline baggage scanning has finally arrived (in the international section). Passengers previously had to queue up in front of an X-ray machine to get their baggage scanned. I am told there used to be instances of people turning up at the check-in counters without getting their baggage scanned separately because they didn't know the airport was still using the old system. Against this backdrop, inline scanning is a big step-up for the airport.
REALITY CHECK
Lim’s view: Need improved lounge service and choices.
Metro flashback: Not enough business-class passengers fly out of Calcutta and so the airport doesn’t have lounge choices in this segment.
Lim’s view: Need more immigration counters to reduce waiting time for passengers
Metro flashback: Queues have been a problem at Calcutta airport for years and the integrated terminal hasn’t been able to solve it.
Lim’s view: Inline baggage scanning is a big stride for the airport.
Metro flashback: Red tape and poor planning delayed the inline scanning system by three years.
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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2016 11:25 pm Post subject:

All your wishes will be fulfilled. I got sick after coming back to NJ. See you soon.
Sabya99
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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 6:19 pm Post subject:

Lounge with lonely days ahead
- READY BUT NO HURRY TO OPEN FACILITY FOR FLIERS ON PRIVATE JETS
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1161104/jsp/calcutta/story_117309.jsp#.WByA99IrKvE

A lounge meant for passengers taking chartered flights and private jets from Calcutta is almost ready, but the airport is in no hurry to open it because the city hardly generates such traffic.
The 1,000sqm lounge adjacent to the new terminal is a for-hire facility for those who seek exclusivity both on and off the ground. All major airports have had such a lounge for years. Calcutta didn't feel the need for one because a maximum of three to four general aviation or private chartered planes operate in a day. There are days when no private plane lands or takes off.
A general aviation flight denotes any service other than military and scheduled operations.
At Mumbai airport, 30 to 32 private chartered flights operate in a day on an average. The airport has a separate terminal for passengers of private and chartered aircraft that includes lounge, conference and other facilities.
"The lounge is booked round the year," said a spokesperson for Mumbai airport.
Calcutta, starved of industry, generates no such demand. The integrated terminal has one VIP and a lone business class lounge for international passengers.
The new facility for passengers taking chartered flights and private jets will operate as a general aviation lounge and provide exclusive check-in and security check for a fee.
Airport officials said they hadn't even considered when to open the general aviation lounge. "We have not fixed a deadline for the lounge's opening. It is almost ready and only the furniture needs to be set up. But we are in no hurry because there is no demand for such a lounge in Calcutta," airport director Atul Dixit told Metro on Thursday.
Sources said the lounge was supposed to be opened soon after the new terminal became operational in March 2013. Since there was no demand for one, construction started only in early 2015 and was completed in six months.
The Rs 1.6-crore facility has been under lock and key since the interiors were completed, except for furniture.
A passenger paying for the lounge can use the conference room and bedroom and partake of food and beverages. After clearing security check within the lounge, the passenger will be taken to the plane parked in a private bay in a vehicle.
"If required, immigration clearance can also be done at the lounge for international passengers," airport director Dixit said.
During the global business summit organised by the state government in January, only four private aircraft landed at the city airport, which has 60 parking bays. Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad struggle to accommodate private jets during such summits.
Comment: At least such facility will exist there, whether it will be used or not is a different story! If there are not enough fliers then GOI or defense ministry could used it for their routine jobs!
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 7:08 pm Post subject:

Sabya’s recent trip reports to Kolkata :
Sabya’s pilgrimage to Kolkata on the eve of Durga puja (2016).
http://airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic14788.html

Return trip to New Jersey after Durga Puja 2016.
http://airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic14804.html
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2016 9:25 pm Post subject:

Runway shuts due to stalled aircraft
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Runway-shuts-due-to-stalled-aircraft/articleshow/55323030.cms

KOLKATA: The main runway at Kolkata airport had to be shut down for two-and-a-half hours on Monday after an aircraft developed a snag during take off and was stuck on the tarmac. All flight operations were shifted to the shorter, secondary runway during the crisis.

According to airport officials, Singapore Airlines flight SQ517 operated with an Airbus 330 aircraft was taxing for take-off scheduled at 11.55pm when the plane developed a snag. As the aircraft rolled into the main runway, the pilot turned the nose to align the plane with the central runway line for the take-off run, the nose wheel mechanism jammed, stalling the aircraft on the runway.

The night was a crucial time for air traffic management (ATM) team as many international flights were scheduled to land. Once the pilot radioed the air traffic control tower, operations were switched from the primary runway to the secondary strip.

To avoid confusion among pilots coming in to land, the runway lights and instrument landing system of the primary runway was shut down and those of the secondary runway switched on. "There are standard operating procedures laid out when runways are changed and they were followed," said Airports Authority of India general manager (ATM), BK Sarkar.

The Thai Airways flight from Bangkok, Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur and Qatar Airways flight from Doha used the secondary runway while engineering and ground staff tried to clear the stranded aircraft with 175 passengers and crew on board. Around 2.20am the plane was moved for repairs and the primary runway reopened. The engineers fixed the snag an hour later.

Meanwhile, two passengers with health issues alighted from the flight and cancelled their journey. The plane finally took off at 3.55am with 173 passengers.

Comment: that secondary runway is not shorter runway . It is almost over 11,000ft and can handle F class aircrafts after modernization.
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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 11:54 pm Post subject:

To the best of my knowledge secondary runway is 10,800 ft end to end. This includes RESA on north side and blast pad on south side. The actual TORA (take off run available)is 9200 ft. So it is not a very small runway. It also requires little taxing time after takeoff and landing.
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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2016 7:39 pm Post subject:

A REALITY FINALLY - Flights to Singapore, Dhaka launched
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/A-REALITY-FINALLY-Flights-to-Singapore-Dhaka-launched/articleshow/55534365.cms

KOLKATA: Air India Express on Sunday launched direct, non-stop flights from Kolkata to Singapore and Dhaka. The Singapore-Kolkata flight arrived at 4.30pm, following which the Kolkata-Dhaka flight took off at 5.20pm. The flight returned from Dhaka at 7.50pm and took off for Singapore at 9pm. The flights were formally inaugurated by K Shyam Sundar, CEO, Air India Express.

The four times-a-week flights will be operated with a brand new 180-seater Boeing737-800 aircraft.

"This fulfils a longstanding demand for the national carrier's connectivity from Kolkata to South-East Asia after a hiatus of over six years," a spokesperson said.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 10:54 pm Post subject:

More flights to Myanmar soon
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/More-flights-to-Myanmar-soon/articleshow/55629986.cms

KOLKATA: From December 1, holidayers will have more options to travel to Myanmar, an emerging tourist destination that has been off the radar for several years during the five-decade military junta rule. Myanmar Airways International will operate twice a week flights from Kolkata to Yangon on Monday and Friday. Till now, Air India was the only operator to connect Kolkata and Yangon.
Stic Travel Group, appointed the general sales agent by the airline, announced a promotional return fare of Rs 13,200 all-inclusive. The Airbus 319 aircraft will have 130 seats. AI too operates an A319 aircraft on the sector.
Comment: A flight long overdue!
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 7:16 pm Post subject:

A-319 take off from main runway: https://youtu.be/tSLozKQ0tg0?t=1
24hr. beneath the flight path of Heathrow airport; http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-37721402
Emirates B777-3000 landing on secondary runway: https://youtu.be/d_6PT8RFegI . New face lift of Haj terminal (Old international terminal ) ? : https://youtu.be/17YZPrb7Juc
Long taxing after landing on main runway : https://youtu.be/cuMbgjNwAP0
Flight from Bagdogra to Kolkata : https://youtu.be/ubRlvfA3Nz0
Bhangra dance before SG flight take off : https://youtu.be/gXsRtuYB_ps
Night landing at NSCBI airport from south: https://youtu.be/-iZvCh01CtU
Landing BIMAN at Kolkata international terminal : https://youtu.be/rx4yKerAO0Y
Flight from MAA to CCU : https://youtu.be/dIvqXmGP1aQ
Kolkata airport landing from DEL, early morning : https://youtu.be/7FpYUDFLwF8
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 6:39 am Post subject:

Bags without tags, a good way to fly

Sanjay Mandal

Calcutta, Dec. 15: Domestic passengers at Calcutta airport were in for a pleasant surprise today - they were not required to put tags to their hand baggage.
The avoidable bureaucracy of stamping hand baggage tags and then checking the stamp, a process that delays boarding by several minutes, has been kept in abeyance as part of a weeklong pilot project by the CISF. After the trial, the civil aviation ministry will take a call based on the feedback from the airport authorities. Metro takes a look at how the new system worked on Day One.
The system
From December 15 to 22, domestic fliers at Calcutta, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore airports will not require tags for the hand baggage to board flights.
The objective of the pilot project is to expedite security checks and decongest the pre-embarkation area. "If we do away with tags, the process of boarding will be smoother. The new system is followed at all international airports," said Atul Dixit, director, Calcutta airport.
Earlier, a passenger used to attach a tag to his/her hand baggage after check-in. A CISF guard stamped the tag after the baggage underwent X-ray scan in the security hold area. Another CISF guard checked at the boarding gate whether the tag was stamped.
How it helps airlines
For a domestic flight with 170 to 185 passengers, the boarding usually stretches to 12-15 minutes. "Without the tags, the duration has come down to seven-nine minutes on an average," an official said.
"Stamping a tag and then checking the stamp at the boarding gate takes up several seconds. If we can save those seconds for each passenger, the cumulative gain for a flight is significant."
Besides, the passengers whose tags are found to be torn at the boarding gate are asked to go back to the security hold area for a repeat X-ray scan. "This delays boarding," the official said. "The move will help improve the on-time performance of the flights," said captain Sarvesh Gupta, chairman, Airline Operators' Committee of Calcutta airport.
How it helps fliers
At Calcutta airport, which lacks an in-line scanning system, domestic passengers have to stand in an extra queue, to get their registered baggage scanned. So, the pilot project was welcomed by all.
Achinto Bose, based in Delhi, said: "At least twice I have been sent back from the boarding gate to the security hold because the tag was torn or the stamp was not proper. I was harassed for no fault of mine."
Comment: Once I was thrown out of BA flight years ago for not having any tag. Airport ran out of AI tag, they gave us EK tag just to fly.I think any small paper that looks like a tag is good enough. So why not go tagless!
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1161216/jsp/calcutta/story_125006.jsp#.WFM77tQrLGg

jbalonso777 · Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 7:34 am Post subject:

I was at CCU on the 22nd. Security was messy because of just one x-ray scanner working, and some people getting priority for their private jet flight.

Quite liked the no tag procedure, however that didn't stop the CISF putting some one at the boarding gate - just after the magnetic scanning of boarding passes, a CISF person checked the boarding pass, which did not make sense to me.

I came back yesterday (25th), and I was taking a few pics on the tarmac. Not a Jet Airways employee, not the CISF, but a grumpy looking passenger asked me to stop filming. Wonder what his problem was. Stay tuned for adventures of Grumpy McGrumpface soon Smile

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

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

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 7:32 pm Post subject:

Air chief happy with cash 'aid'
https://www.telegraphindia.com/1161229/jsp/nation/story_127423.jsp#.WGUVb9IrKvE

New Delhi, Dec. 28: Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha today rated "the Great Rupee Airlift" of cash in the wake of demonetisation as one of his achievements during his tenure at the head of the air force.
"There has been a lot of hardship after a lot of cash was taken out (of the monetary system). We are there to serve the nation and the IAF has pitched in to carry cash. With our C-130s (medium lift transport and special forces aircraft) and C-17s (strategic airlift aircraft), large volumes of cash has been carried. We are also happy to have helped to run one of the mints 24x7," he said.
He said this was "aid to civil authorities", like the air force is often tasked for in the event of a natural disaster.
"We are quite OK with it," said.
Raha was speaking at a news conference three days before his retirement as the air chief and a day before passing on the baton as chairman, chiefs of staff committee - the seniormost uniformed soldier.
He described the news conference as "customary" for an outgoing chief. But it was difficult to recall another chief of air staff who had chosen to address a news conference so close to retirement in a decade-and-a-half.
Raha said IAF transport planes had so far flown 35 sorties carrying about 610 tonnes of cash.
Most of this had been flown from four airfields near currency printing presses - Kalaikunda (for Salboni in Bengal), Indore (for Dewas in Madhya Pradesh), Mysore (in Karnataka) and Ojhar (for Nasik in Maharashtra).
The air chief said airmen were helping to run the printing press at Salboni in Bengal's Midnapore round-the-clock.
Raha is scheduled to hand over the baton as the chairman, chiefs of staff committee, to Admiral Sunil Lanba, the chief of naval staff, tomorrow.
The current vice-chief of air staff, Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, is scheduled to take over as the air chief marshal from Raha on December 31.
Raha said that one of his main concerns was the dwindling strength of the fighter fleet.
The IAF's sanctioned strength of combat squadrons is 42. To make up for the phasing-out of the Soviet-origin MiG 21 aircraft, the IAF had assessed that it would need 200 to 250 medium fighter aircraft - a category between the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas and the heavy fighter aircraft - the Sukhoi 30 Mki.
The 36 Rafales that had been contracted this year was in this category. But, said Raha who described the Rafale as a fighter plane with extraordinary capabilities, 36 was just not enough.
He said the government would have to consider establishing a new assembly line of fighter aircraft that would roll out such planes in five to 10 years to meet the IAF's requirements
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 6:11 am Post subject:

Integrated terminal of two halves
SANJAY MANDAL
Dec. 29: Calcutta airport has an integrated terminal with segregated security holds for domestic and international operations, leaving one half overflowing for most of the day and the other section underutilised.
The state-run airport apparently hasn't found a way yet to break the glass - literally and figuratively - and make the entire terminal available for optimum usage, something private airports across India are doing.
The airport has 18 aerobridges, nine of them for the domestic section. Two of the other nine are for common use.

In Mumbai, the new terminal has about 50 aerobridges. "There is provision for all these boarding bridges to be used for domestic or international flight operations, depending on demand. Passengers can be moved through swing doors from one section to another," said an official of Mumbai International Airport Ltd.
Since Calcutta airport's integrated terminal has no such provision, long queues and delayed flights are common in the domestic section. Morning flights often get delayed by five to 10 minutes because of the boarding bottleneck, airline officials alleged.
A senior official said it was not possible to use the aerobridges meant for international flights to speed up domestic operations. "This segregation is required for security reasons. It is technically not possible to have aerobridges for common use because of customs and immigration issues."
Airport director Atul Dixit blamed airlines for the chaos. "Airlines should bring aircraft parked in the remote bays at night to the aerobridges. That will reduce congestion. We have written to them about this. They should also maintain on-time performance to avoid such chaos," he said.
When the new terminal became operational in March 2013, the airport authorities had said it could handle 20 million passengers annually. The terminal currently services about 13 million passengers and yet there is congestion at some points, for which airlines blame what has been the bane of this airport: red tape.
The number of domestic flights from the city has increased to 157 from 112 last year. There has also been a 14 per cent increase in the number of passengers.
Apart from these factors, most flights to destinations like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore have been going almost full the past few weeks because of the holidays. The surge in traffic has added to the chaos.
When the number of boarding bridges available for domestic flights prove inadequate, airlines line up coaches outside the ground-floor gates to take passengers till the aircraft the old-fashioned way.
But there's a hitch. Of the five boarding gates on the ground floor of the terminal's domestic section, two don't have the requisite infrastructure for accurate and quick recording of passenger data.
"If you create infrastructure, its use should be optimum. At Calcutta airport, there is room for improvement in this regard. There is congestion as well as confusion at the bus boarding gates whenever passengers of several flights have to simultaneously board through the same gate," said Captain Sarvesh Gupta, chairman of the airline operators' committee at the airport.
"This delays flights and there is also a chance that a passenger may mistakenly reach the wrong plane," he said.
An official said there was a plan to install three aerobridges in the old domestic terminal along with an air-conditioned corridor linking it to the new facility. Work could start next year, he added.
https://www.telegraphindia.com/1161230/jsp/calcutta/story_127567.jsp#.WGWo2dQrLGg

Comment: Work should start immediately and not next year. What is the point of keeping that not so old terminal sitting like a rock?It could be reserved only for NE flights relieving pressure on current terminal.
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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 6:28 am Post subject:

Airport plans inline scan
- Single-queue baggage drop for domestic flights
Sanjay Mandal

Jan. 3: Calcutta airport is finally doing away with a check-in system dating back to the stone age of aviation: passengers queuing up to get their registered luggage scanned.
Inline baggage X-ray, a facility that the Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad airports have had for years, is expected to be operational in the domestic section of the integrated terminal this summer.
An official said the Airports Authority of India had cleared the installation of an inline baggage X-ray system to replace the standalone X-ray machines. For a passenger, it means one queue less to board a flight.
Only the international section of the terminal currently has this facility. Inline baggage scanning was introduced for international flights in 2016, more than three years after the integrated terminal became operational.
The difference that a seamless inline system makes would be felt more in the domestic section because the number of passengers there far outnumber those in the international wing.
On an average, a little more than 3,000 passengers take international flights from Calcutta every day. In the domestic section, daily passenger traffic is more than 20,000.
"We need to provide inline baggage scanning in the domestic section for the system to benefit more people. The process of procuring equipment has started and we expect inline baggage X-ray for domestic flights will be in place very soon," airport director Atul Dixit told Metro.
The domestic section has five baggage belts for departure operations. The belts carry registered bags from the check-in counters to the baggage make-up area, from where these are put on the flights. All five belts will be integrated into the inline system.
A passenger often has to spend more than 10 minutes in a queue in front of an X-ray machine during the morning and evening rush. "Since the number of domestic flights has increased, it's becoming even more chaotic during those hours," said an official of a low-cost airline.
The number of domestic flights from the city has shot up to 157 from 112 last year. There has also been a 14 per cent increase in the number of passengers.
An official of another airline said many passengers from other cities queue up at the check-in counters without getting their bags scanned because they assume that Calcutta airport has inline scanning. "We need to look out for such passengers and send them back for baggage scan."
https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170104/jsp/calcutta/story_128395.jsp#.WGxFDNQrLGg
Comment: It is really painful to lift heavy luggage on the X-ray machine, and then put down without any assistance. This process must be altogether discontinued. I faced this situation only two months ago and it still hurts my back.
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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 9:00 pm Post subject:

Eye on China, India to base first squadron of Rafale fighter jets in Bengal.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/eye-on-china-india-to-base-first-squadron-of-rafale-fighter-jets-in-bengal/articleshow/56384484.cms

NEW DELHI: India will base its first squadron of Rafale fighter jets+ , which are also capable of delivering nuclear weapons, in the eastern sector as part of the overall policy to gradually build nuclear as well as conventional deterrence against China.

With Sukhoi-30MKI fighters already operating from Tezpur and Chabua in Assam, the IAF has now finalised plans for the first 18 Rafales to be stationed at theHasimara airbase in Bengal from late-2019.

This comes at a time when India is also conducting final trials of the nuclear-capable Agni-IV and Agni-V ballistic missiles after the Strategic Forces Command inducted the Agni-III a couple of years ago.

Under the Rs 59,000 crore (7.87 billion euro) deal inked with France in September last year, the IAF will get 36 Rafales in batches by mid-2022 or so. With 14 India-specific requirements, including the capability for "cold start" from high-altitude regions, the Rafale packs quite a punch with its ability to carry 9.3-tonne of weapons and simultaneously perform both air defence and ground attack missions.

"The Hasimara airbase currently has MiG-27s that will be retired over the next two-three years. They will be replaced by Rafales. A team from Dassault Aviationhas already visited Hasimara to review the maintenance and other infrastructure required there," said an official. (more...)
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 12:55 am Post subject:

http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=26.701108&lon=89.371333&z=15&m=b&search=Hasimara

New apron area for Rafeal (?) jet fighters are clearly visible in between old and new runway. A total of five parking spots have been built , may be more coming up.Old Mig 27 parked on old runway which is undergoing concretization. This AFS will become an important staging area for Eastern Air Command! Some old Mig 27 pits are also visible.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 7:32 pm Post subject:

Packed air & ground ( Bagdogra Airport )
https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170114/jsp/siliguri/story_130197.jsp#.WHotiNQrLGg

Siliguri, Jan. 13: The number of flights operating out of Bagdogra airport will almost double in six months but the facility is short of infrastructure to handle increased passenger traffic.
According to the summer schedule (from March 26 to October 2 Cool

for the Bagdogra airport announced by the Airports Authority of India today, 22 to 25 flights will operate everyday in the first few months, instead of 13 to 16 planes at present. The number of daily flights will reach 29 in August.
But the airport authorities are worried over the existing infrastructure that is struggling to cope with even the present traffic.
"The terminal, along with conveyer belts and other facilities, can cater for around 400 passengers an hour at present. Still, we are handling 600 travellers on an average an hour. Going by the new schedule, the terminal will be teeming with 1,000 passengers an hour. Besides, we have just five aprons and the number will have to be doubled in March," said a source at the airport.
The airport will face the biggest challenge from 2pm to 4pm from March-end when 23 flights will be landing or taking off during those two hours.
"Once the summer schedule kicks in, we apprehend overcrowding and chaotic situations at the airport from 2pm to 4pm. In fact, the present terminal can ideally handle three flights, that is, three arrivals and three departures, in two hours. But according to the new schedule, we will have as many as 13 arrivals and 10 departures from 2pm to 4pm," said the source.
Rakesh Sahay, the Bagdogra airport director, said today that it was a matter of pride that the flight number would touch 29 in a few months. "We had expected more flights because of a rise in the number of passengers in the past few years. The AAI needs to augment the infrastructure at the airport on a war footing," said Sahay.
For infrastructure expansion, the AAI had sought 118 acre of land from the state government. But the state, as part of its non co-operation with the central government, said it was not possible to give that much land at one go. The response made the AAI scale down the project and seek around 50 acre.
But the state later made it clear that it wouldn't give land free-of-cost for the airport expansion.
"If we had got 50 acre, we could have started our work to set up a new terminal and allied infrastructure. The AAI is ready to spend around Rs 1,500 crore for Bagdogra. But we are yet to get land from the state," said an AAI official.
The Bagdogra airport authorities said the increase in the number of flights was on account of three factors: rise in passenger traffic, abolition of surcharge on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and the Instrument Landing System (ILS) that will be set up in a few weeks.
"The number of passengers from April to November in 2015 at Bagdogra was 7,07,945. The figure reached 9,15,626 for the April-November period in 2016. That means there were two lakh more passengers. Besides, Bagdogra is the only airport that doesn't have a surcharge imposed by the state government on ATF. If the airliners can refuel at Bagdogra, they will save a lot of money. These factors have contributed to the rise in the number of flights," said an AAI official.
He said the ILS was almost ready and the authorities were waiting for the approval of the Director General of Civil Aviation. "In the absence of the ILS, there are chances of flight diversion or cancellation because of inclement weather at Bagdogra, particularly during monsoon and winter. Once the ILS is in place, flights can operate at night and during low visibility," said the official.
Stakeholders of tourism industry are elated over the development. "It is nice to hear that a person from Calcutta or Delhi can reach Bagdogra so early in the day and leave in the late afternoon and the number of daily flights will increase to 29 by August. Such services would bring in more tourists to north Bengal and we can make their itineraries flexible," a travel agent, Sandipan Ghosh.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 7:15 pm Post subject:

Silkair B737 takeoff from Kolkata airport : https://youtu.be/vcQoTHutTz4
Daytime takeoff from NSCBI airport : https://youtu.be/_8QN7vw2SBg
Early morning takeoff after long taxing from Kilo taxiway : https://youtu.be/h1NbsrwiY6g
Travel between Kolkata and Dhaka by Regent Air : https://youtu.be/5zptKWxjUyU
Morning take off from main runway: https://youtu.be/_8QN7vw2SBg
AIRBUS A320 FLIGHT TRIP REPORT: Mihin Lanka MJ331 Colombo (Sri Lanka) to Kolkata (India) : https://youtu.be/8Z2BDXFkjF8
Emirates landing from north side on main runway: https://youtu.be/ZVZq6DBSDSM
Landing from south side on main runway night time: https://youtu.be/-iZvCh01CtU
AI Dreamliner landing on main runway ( morning ), new apron area construction in the East and new taxiway J1 (?) : https://youtu.be/upc7gUA62qQ
Time lapsed photography of Kolkata airport : https://youtu.be/9kRohwzov-4
Dubai international : https://youtu.be/-Rpnv6mh_N0
Aviation Certification training: https://youtu.be/V705rV3PPO0
Apron view , new Kolkata terminal :https://youtu.be/Ufjt9K8jlKY
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 12:50 am Post subject:

Cool deal for Bagdogra fliers this summer.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/cool-deal-for-bagdogra-fliers-this-summer/articleshow/56742598.cms

KOLKATA: The number of daily flights to north Bengal, which serves as the
gateway to Darjeeling, Sikkim and the Dooars, is set to increase to 11 from seven over the next couple of months.

While IndiGo and SpiceJet operate two flights each and Jet Airways, Air India and Go Air have a daily connection, IndiGo is increasing its frequency to four a day. Jet is set to add one and Air Asia will start flights on the sector from February 19.

The flight timings are also crucial. Unlike now, when the first connection to Bagdogra from the city lands at 11.40am and the last flight out of there is at 4.30pm, one will be able to reach Bagdogra as early as 7.40am on a Jet Airways flight. The last flight out is at 4.50pm.

"Bagdogra is set to become one of the busiest airports in the region with 13 daily flights to Delhi, three to Guwahati and one each to Mumbai and Hyderabad," said Bagdogra airport director Rakesh Sahay.

The increase in flight frequency also poses a challenge as the terminal has a capacity of only 7 lakh. With 13 arrivals and 11 departures scheduled in two hours (12pm-2pm), the facility will face pressure.

To keep the show going, AAI is increasing the housekeeping staff from 14 to 28, apart from adding a new door-frame metal detector. But with the number of X-ray machines remaining constant, passengers could be in for a long wait.

Sahay hopes the flights will get spread out when Category II Instrument Landing System (ILS) is operational by mid-2017. The ILS will enable flights to operate from 7am," he said. Travel Agents' Federation of India chairman (east) Anil Punjabi expects the increase in flights to bring down return fares from Rs 8,000-10,000 to Rs 4,500-5,000 in summer. Transport secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said the key reasons for the surge in number of flights was the state's incentive to do away with VAT on aviation fuel
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2017 7:47 pm Post subject:

Flight boost for city
Sanjay Mandal

Jan. 31: Calcutta's domestic aviation sector is set to get a boost with AirAsia announcing flights to Delhi via Ranchi from March 15.
The low-cost carrier plans to introduce flights to Goa, Bagdogra and Jaipur from the city later this year, airline officials said. Towards the end of March or the beginning of April, AirAsia will also launch flights to Bali in Indonesia, a popular tourist destination which is not connected to Calcutta by any direct flight.

Aviation industry experts hope that the airline's entry into the Calcutta market - AirAsia India had been planning to make its foray into the city sector since last year - would bring down the fares further.
"AirAsia India is in its growth phase and is rapidly expanding its business. As part of our expansion plans, we intend to launch daily flights connecting Calcutta-Ranchi-Delhi," Amar Abrol, managing director & CEO, AirAsia India, told Metro today.
The airline - where Malaysia's AirAsia Berhad and Tata Sons have 49 per cent stake each - plans to run its Calcutta-Ranchi-Delhi flights with two Airbus A-320 aircraft, each with 180-odd seats.
Airline sources said one flight would leave Calcutta in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
The Calcutta-Ranchi sector is now serviced by IndiGo and Air India.
"AirAsia India is exploring routes which have fewer flights compared with the demand, instead of focussing on regular sectors such as the metros," a source said.
Tour operators said AirAsia India's entry into Calcutta's domestic market would help reduce the fares further and encourage more people to switch from train to flight.
The city airport handles more than 20,000 domestic fliers daily on an average.
"When AirAsia's full-fledged operations start, we expect the fares to drop below Rs 1,000 in some sectors. It will be accompanied by a surge in the passenger count," said Anil Punjabi, chairman, east, Travel Agents Federation of India.
As for AirAsia's international flights from Calcutta, Bali would be its third destination after Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.
"The airline is looking forward to tapping the market in the cities and towns close to Calcutta by flight," a source said. "It is set to offer cheap onward fares to the South-east Asia destinations for passengers from Ranchi, Bagdogra and other places."
https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170201/jsp/calcutta/story_133408.jsp#.WJHsqNIrKvE
Comment: Yes, desi folks get a friend from Bali!!
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 6:49 am Post subject:

Tie-up tailwind for UK flight
https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170210/jsp/calcutta/story_135000.jsp#.WJ0OztQrLGg

New Delhi, Feb. 9: Calcutta, which does not have a direct flight to anywhere in Europe, is among two cities for which India and the UK have agreed to ease restrictions on the number of flights to and from Britain.
"Limits on flights from key Indian cities, including Chennai and Calcutta, have been scrapped," Stuart Adam, spokesperson for the British High Commission, said in an email.
The agreement also opens all destinations in the UK for Indian carriers for codeshare flights and, reciprocally, UK carriers can do the same for any international airport in India.
The agreement was signed by the British aviation minister, Lord Tariq Ahmad, and his Indian counterpart P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju. Tourism from India makes an important contribution to the UK economy. In 2015, there were 422,000 visits from India to the UK, infusing more than £433 million into the economy.
The number of flights added after the agreement would be decided by airlines flying between the two countries.
They can apply for quotas from their respective governments, officials said. Besides British Airways and Air India, Jet, Virgin and British Midland Airways are in the mix.
Calcutta's air connectivity with Europe is currently through stopovers in Delhi or Mumbai and international carriers like Emirates and Qatar Airways that operate multiple flights to their hubs in Dubai and Doha, from where they offer direct links to almost every major destination.
Debashish Chatterjee, director of BT Travels, said: "There are no direct flights from Calcutta to the UK. Many people fly Air India or Jet Airways to other cities that connect them to UK-bound flights. There was a time when British Airways used to fly to Calcutta."
Travel trade analysts said that besides the east Indian diaspora and business travellers, there was "huge scope" to tap Bangladeshis who prefer to travel via Calcutta. "We expect Air India and Jet to take advantage of this decision.... But several other Indian carriers are now eligible to fly international. It (the agreement) could be a game-changer for the eastern and southern markets," said Krishnalekha Ghosh, Director of GlobeAir.
Air India boss Ashwani Lohani had said in Calcutta last August that Calcutta's direct London connection might be restored with a Dreamliner flight by mid-2017, six years after Lufthansa snapped the city's last Europe link.
"A Dhaka-Calcutta-London flight is on our radar and I have asked my people here to start a survey. It can be launched by the middle of next year with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft," he said.

Comment: MCA cares least about Kolkata passengers. Whoever becomes civil aviation minister will look after the interest of his own state at the cost of Kolkata. I don’t think GOI will ever develop any international civil aviation policy and continue to ignore East India for lack of political clout and indifference of travelling public. Besides BA could not compete with ME3 airlines in their business model. There is no chance of the flight being successful even after linking up with Bangladesh as they already have far better connectivity. Kolkata’s dependence on ME3 airlines will continue.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 1:16 am Post subject:

Landing at MUMBAI!! https://youtu.be/ONvCMcFDC2E,
Morning traffic at Mumbai Airport: https://youtu.be/oh0jVX3InCU
MUMBAI AIRPORT RUNWAY 14 LANDING; HEAVY TRAFFIC VIEW FROM OLD ATC TOWER :https://youtu.be/hiUQbfO-oPI
National Geographic documentary on ATC in India: https://youtu.be/Vyb0Sr_dNFA
Air Cargo unloading at NSCBI airport: https://youtu.be/OFU5YTAhKk8
Landing on secondary runway from south: https://youtu.be/9tLRN8w7O2M Day time landing on secondary runway from north (19R ): https://youtu.be/Za71jeG0jZQ
Flight take off from Kolkata airport: https://youtu.be/_8QN7vw2SBg
Take off from Ranchi airport and view of the city: https://youtu.be/9vlJysWDa7Y
Evidence of new apron construction in the East side of main runway : https://youtu.be/5DcO6zozPlI

Early morning take off from Kolkata airport :https://youtu.be/h1NbsrwiY6g ;
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 6:35 am Post subject:

http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=22.644863&lon=88.448262&z=18&m=b

Latest update on apron construction in the east as seen by Wikimapia. NSCBI airport marching in the east. Good job by AAI, but taking too much time. Keep up the development work!! Also could be seen near simultaneous movement on both runways.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2017 7:22 pm Post subject:

Another CCU-PNQ direct flight by VISTARA from 26th March, 2017.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/vistara-announces-direct-flights-between-kolkata-pune-and-delhi-port-blair/articleshow/57293080.cms
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 8:01 pm Post subject:

Longer flying time a handicap for direct flights to Europe
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/longer-flying-time-a-handicap-for-direct-flights-to-europe/articleshow/57424736.cms

KOLKATA: The city's location, often touted as an advantage due to its proximity to SouthEast Asia, is actually a handicap in attracting direct flights to Europe. For unlike Delhi and Mumbai, which are barely 10 hour flight from London, the 12hour time between Kolkata and London pushes it just beyond the deadline that can allow an aircraft to do a return trip within the same day.

"An international flight requires two-hour turnaround time. Thus a flight to Europe from Delhi or Mumbai can return the same day. But for Kolkata to have a daily service, an airline will have to put two aircraft on the sector. That may not be viable at present," said Jet Airways vice-president (commercial) Praveen Iyer.

Air India operated a direct flight from the city to London a decade ago, but it wasn't a daily service. Lufthansa also withdrew services from Kolkata as it could not introduce a daily frequency. While passenger load has never been a problem, deploying two aircraft to do a daily flight on a route with low yields due to poor occupancy of premium seats has prevented European carriers from venturing into Kolkata. Lack of business in the east has not helped the cause.

Iyer said out-manoeuvring the Gulf-based airlines that serviced the needs of Kolkatans flying West was a big ask. "It is difficult to match the tremendous network that Gulf carriers offer out of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. The journey is also not bad with a five-hour flight to the Gulf, followed by a 7-8 hour journey to Europe and then another eight hours to the US east coast," he said.

Iyer though did not rule out the possibility of a European flight from Kolkata as new generation planes reduced travel time. "There is also a possibility of combining the Europe-bound traffic from Dhaka and Kolkata. Jet Airways has a Dhaka-Delhi flight that carries many who take the Delhi-London connection," he said.

While full-service Indian airlines, such as Jet and AI, do minate long-haul international routes, low-cost carriers (LCC), like IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, consistently clock high loads of 90-95% in the domestic sector. In contrast, Jet and AI are doing 80% loads.

India has been witnessing strong growth in air travel, unaffected by demonetisation.Even demonetisation hasn't affected the growth, with load factor in the industry going up from from 76% before November 80%-85% now.

Aggressive capacity addition by LCCs that have been inducting planes has helped it increase market share. They are reaping the advantage of a price-conscious market by offering tickets at 5%-8% lower rates. Now, full-service carriers are trying to pitch their value anew and offer incentives to fill the price gap. Both airlines offer bonus reward points that can be converted into tickets, bridging the price differential with LCCs. "If one takes into account the food on board and free baggage allowance, we actually offer flyers more value for money," an AI official said
Comment: Please find some other excuse! Initially it was lack of passengers, then lack of First class passengers, then lack of good terminal, now geographical excuses. This bullS is just unacceptable. It all controlled by MCA, and they will marginalize Kolkata at all cost. No matter what excuse you write up!!
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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 7:42 pm Post subject:

I read a report that AI going to launch tri weekly flight to Tel Aviv. So they have aircrafts and passengers available for this pipe dream flight. But they don’t have resources for whole of Eastern India—What a contradiction! A national airlines will have to survive with such extreme parochial mind set. God bless GOI! Embarassed

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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:56 am Post subject:

Air force to consider land for airport
- Parrikar offer for Bagdogra
AVIJIT SINHA
Siliguri, March 5: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar said today that the Air Force would consider giving land under its possession for the expansion of Bagdogra airport, if a proposal to that effect came from the civil aviation ministry.
The Airports Authority of India's plan to augment the infrastructure at Bagdogra had hit a wall with the state government refusing to acquire the land for the purpose. The Bagdogra airport is located inside the Indian Air Force Station.
"Instrumental Landing System has been installed at the airport here and flights are allowed to operate from 6am to 10pm. If there is any requirement for land to expand the airport, a specific plan should come to us. We would definitely consider the proposal. At 14 to 15 other airports in the country, the defence ministry has provided land for similar purposes," the defence minister said.
Parrikar was speaking to the media at Bagdogra before leaving for Delhi this afternoon.
For infrastructure expansion at Bagdogra, the AAI had sought 118 acres from the state government. But the state, as part of its non co-operation with the central government, said it was not possible to give that much of land at one go. The response made the AAI scale down the project and seek around 50 acre.
But the state later made it clear that it wouldn't give land free-of-cost for the airport expansion.
But the passenger traffic at Bagdogra is increasing every year and the number of daily flights would reach around 30 by August.
In such a situation, Parrikar's statement has come as a breather for the AAI.
"There are some stretches of vacant land with the Indian Air Force at Bagdogra. Now that the defence minister himself has hinted at the transfer of land, we hope we can launch the expansion project. However, there are certain issues which we will have to consider like how much of the available land is contiguous with the terminal building and its annex and likewise," an AAI official said.
The AAI has sought land to build a new terminal with double the size of the existing one and set up new parking bays, aprons and hangers for aircraft. There is also a plan to earmark more space for car parking.
The defence minister said the Survey of India had been engaged to do the mapping of Bagdogra and its surroundings.
"The mapping would be done to find out obstacles like high-rises and other structures to take-off and landing within 25km radius of the Bagdogra airport. The exercise, we believe, will commence soon," a sources said.
Parrikar said he would speak to the governments of Bengal and Sikkim so that land was made available for for defence establishments in the two states.
Earlier in the day in Darjeeling, the minister seemed to have given oblique support to Gorkhaland when he was asked about the statehood demand. "Everyone has to give the push, you are pushing and I am also ready to give the push but the decision has to be taken by the home minister," Parrikar said in the presence of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung.
( From The Telegraph , Kolkata )

Bagdogra AFB ;http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=26.684961&lon=88.327487&z=17&m=b

×
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 11:47 pm Post subject:

Air Force base at Panagarh awaits Super Hercules aircraft.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/panagarh-awaits-super-hercules/articleshow/57545975.cms

KOLKATA: The hush-hush operations squadron complex for C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at Air Force Station Arjan Singh in Panagarh, Burdwan, has been completed and the base is awaiting the arrival of the first aircraft in the next few months.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has ordered the second squadron of six Super Hercules aircraft to be based in Panagarh. The first squadron is based at Hindon near New Delhi.

"The operations squadron complex for these aircraft is a special one and has been built under supervision of experts from Lockheed Martin, the manufacturers of the Super Hercules. Very few people have access to the complex that comprise the hangers and maintenance facilities," a senior IAF official said.

On Tuesday, the complex was inaugurated by Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh after whom the base, of World War-II vintage, was named after its upgradation in 2016. Among those present during the inauguration was Air Marshal Anil Khosla, AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command. After its upgradation, the air base can accomodate all aircraft used by the IAF.

The C-130Js are special tactical support aircraft. Just as they can be used to transport equipment to far flung areas (in this case Advanced Landing Grounds close to the Line of Actual Control with China), these aircraft can participate is special operations by clandestinely landing troops and evacuating them without much fuss.

According to another official, Special Forces stay within the operations squadron complex itself and practice on a regular basis till they are called in for the real thing. The squadron at Panagarh is also crucial as the Army's new mountain strike corps is based there
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Sabya99