Airliners-India.com

Caliguy · Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 7:22 pm Post subject:

AI has 3 daily LHR-DEL flights. My guess is one of them will be used for AMD. If they 2X daily to DEL nonstop and 2X daily to BOM with one via AMD (so routing of LHR-AMD-BOM), I think that's a good compromise and gives BOM pax some options

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

iah87 · Member Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 2566

megatop747

MUMBAI: An Air India technician was today sucked into the engine of a parked aircraft at the Mumbai airport. The crew member died immediately, according to reports.

The flight, AI 619, was at the parking bay and was being prepared for departure to Hyderabad.

"An Air India technician died in a mishap during pushback of flight AI 619, incident is being investigated," Air India Chairman and Managing Director, Ashwani Lohani, told news agency ANI.

"We are deeply saddened and regret the tragic incident at Mumbai airport. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family," Mr Lohani added.

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/air-india-ground-staff-sucked-into-engine-of-aircraft-at-mumbai-airport-1255794?pfrom=home-lateststories

Nimish

747-237 · Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2015 7:11 am Post subject:

Really terrible indeed.

Accident: Air India A319 at Mumbai on Dec 16th 2015, sucked engineer into engine during push back

An Air India Airbus A319-100, registration VT-SCQ performing flight AI-619 from Mumbai to Hyderabad (India), was being pushed back and engines were started, when an Air India engineer was being sucked into an engine (CFM56) and was killed at an instant.

A replacement Airbus A319-100 registration VT-SCX reached Hyderabad with a delay of 3:45 hours.

The airline is deeply saddened by and regrets the tragic event expressing their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The incident is being investigated by India's DGCA.

India's DGCA confirmed a high level probe has been opened in the accident.

Source: Avherald.com
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747-237 · Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2015 5:25 pm Post subject:

http://www.ndtv.com/mumbai-news/air-india-engineer-had-back-to-engine-when-he-was-sucked-in-revealed-colleagues-1256031

Air India Engineer Had Back To Engine When He Was Sucked In, Revealed Colleagues

December 17, 2015

A mail on the death of an Air India engineer who was sucked into the engine of a running aircraft, an Airbus A 319, at the Mumbai airport on Wednesday, reveals that Standard Operating Procedure may not have been followed during take-off.

Pradeep Singh Rawat, a maintenance manager of the private airline IndiGo in Mumbai, wrote the internal mail after speaking to the colleagues of the engineer, Ravi Subramanian, after his gruesome death last night. Mr Rawat says that a helper who was standing not far from the engineer had a narrow escape because he sat down instantly once the aircraft started unexpectedly moving.

"No chocks were placed after push back," Mr Rawat writes. Chocks are wedges that are placed to stop the wheels from inadvertently moving when an aircraft's engines are started up.

He also wrote that those witness to the tragedy claim that no clearance signals were taken from the engineer before taxi out and there was lack of proper coordination between the pilots and ground.

He says the incident took place after the engineer instructed the helper to remove the tow bar that is used to push the aircraft. "The helper, ET Shinde, removed the two bar and in all this time, the technician was facing the tow truck with his back towards the engine. In the meanwhile as per information, captain got taxi clearance from ATC (Air Traffic Control) and he was informed by co-pilot the [area around the] aircraft is clear."

"The technician (was) still on headset and with his back still facing the engines (when the) aircraft started to move with both engines on. With no chocks placed, the aircraft started moving and sucked the technician still on headset. The helper who was (witness) to this incident immediately sat down and got saved."

In his letter marked to several others in his airline, Rawat says "human factors" played an important role in this tragedy and also wrote on the importance of patience and the need to follow Standard Operating Procedures.

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747-237 · Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 9:50 am Post subject:

http://www.thequint.com/hot-wire/2015/12/22/jet-airways-bus-rams-into-air-india-plane-at-kolkata-airport

Jet Airways Bus Rams into Air India Plane at Kolkata Airport

22 December 2015

A Jet Airways passenger bus rammed into an Air India aircraft parked on the tarmac at the Kolkata airport, early Tuesday morning.

No casualties have been reported so far.

There were no passengers in the aircraft when the incident took place at around 6.30 am, according to NDTV. The same report says the Jet bus apparently went out of control and hit the aircraft and the driver is being questioned.

The Air India flight was reportedly scheduled to go to Silchar in Assam.

[img][/img]

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sri_bom · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2365 Location: Singapore

India's Minster of State for Civil Aviation Dr Mahesh Sharma stated (17-Dec-2015) Air India introduced a scheme to upgrade passengers on the basis of spot payment of cash at airports. The scheme is called 'Get Up Front' and is applicable for both domestic and international sectors. The upgrade at airport is subject to availability of seats and on First Come First Served Basis and also subject to the physical presence of a guest at the check-in counter. The scheme is being publicised through text cards at the airports.

747-237 · Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 5:04 pm Post subject:

A Jet Airways shuttle bus driver has confessed that he dozed off and crashed into an Air India aircraft at the Kolkata airport early this morning, causing damage worth crores though no one was seriously hurt.

The driver, Momin Ali, is likely to be arrested. "He has said that after a night shift, he had fallen asleep and deviated from his route," said airport director AK Sharma.

http://www.ndtv.com/kolkata-news/jet-airways-bus-rams-air-india-plane-at-kolkata-airport-1257582
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dan · Member Joined: 18 Dec 2012 Posts: 61

Some pics of the incident at CCU yesterday, taken by my Mom!
"Since when does the bus drop passengers so close to the plane?", she asked.

[/url

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Bu7YfQ]

megatop747

KOCHI: Kerala Governor P Sathasivam found out the hard way that a VIP doesn't always get to catch a flight at the last minute, an option denied to ordinary passengers.

Mr Sathasivam missed his Air India flight from Kochi to Thiruvananthapuram last night as he arrived minutes before take-off. His staff alleges that the pilot refused to wait.

The flight AI 048 was to take off at 9.20 pm, but was delayed to 11.40 pm, say Air India officials.

When the flight arrived at 10.57 pm, the governor's team was informed, say airline sources.

All passengers were on board by 11.24 pm. "We waited till 11.30 for any update on the governor. With no update, at 11.32 pm, we started push back process. The governor arrived at around 11.32 pm," an official said.

The governor's house says he reached the tarmac at 11.28 pm - he enjoys the privilege of boarding directly from there - but the stepladder was removed and the plane prepped for take-off.

Sources say an Air India officer was even holding the governor's boarding card, but that did not help.

Air India officials say the governor's car reached the tarmac only after the doors had closed, and "a commander cannot open the door to allow a passenger in until and unless it's an emergency."

The governor waited for some time and then left. Sources say his office is examining what action to take.

Mr Sathasivam's aides say he was returning to Thiruvanathapuram after attending an official programme in Kozhikode. After staying in Kochi overnight, he reportedly reached the state capital by road this morning.

Sources say that a governor has to be the last person to board a flight, so there may have been some "miscommunication".

Mr Sathasivam was chief justice of India for a year till April 2014. Four months later, he became the governor of Kerala.

http://www.ndtv.com/kerala-news/kerala-governor-sathasivam-not-allowed-late-entry-on-air-india-flight-1258153?utm_source=ndtv&utm_medium=top-stories-widget&utm_campaign=story-5-http%3a%2f%2fwww.ndtv.com%2fkerala-news%2fkerala-governor-sathasivam-not-allowed-late-entry-on-air-india-flight-1258153

iah87 · Member Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 2566

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/151221/nation-current-affairs/article/19-students-barred-boarding-us-bound-air-india-flight

19 Students barred from boarding an AI flight, students were going to SFO.

Blacklisted universities in the article are Silicon Valley University, San Jose, Calif. and Northwestern Polytechnic University, Fremont, Calif. AI took the action itself and prevented the students from boarding.

747-237 · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 5:29 am Post subject:

http://www.thestatesman.com/news/bengal/french-team-to-repair-damaged-air-india-plane/112343.html

French team to repair damaged Air India plane

24 December, 2015

A team of experts from Toulouse of France is expected to arrive at Kolkata airport to repair the damaged aircraft on Thursday. Officials from the Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Air India have arrived at NSCBI airport to asses the damage of the aircraft.

The aircraft suffered extensive damage after it was rammed by a tarmac bus of Jet Airways early in the morning of Tuesday. The exact cost of repair is yet to be determined, an Air India spokesperson said. The team is working out a repair plan for the aircraft. DGCA officials have also placed an interim report before the Airport Authority of India on the accident on Wednesday.

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747-237 · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 12:12 pm Post subject:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Air-India-plane-unfit-to-fly-may-be-scrapped-after-bus-crash/articleshow/50307194.cms

Air India plane unfit to fly, may be scrapped after bus crash

Dec 24, 2015

Air India may have to scrap the ATR 42 aircraft that was extensively damaged after a Jet Airways passenger coach ploughed into it on Tuesday.

Sources told TOI the collision of the 8-tonne coach with the 15-tonne plane appeared to have violated the structural integrity of the plane, making it unfit to fly unless sections of the starboard side, including landing gear and fuselage, are changed. The right wing and engine have been damaged.

After preliminary checks, the AI's team of ATR specialists from Delhi termed the damage `grave'. But their attempts at a detailed check on Wednesday were frustrated as the bus lodged it self into the plane's right wing, fuselage and landing gear. "Unless the bus is extricated, the exact damage can not be assessed," an AI official said. An engineer, on his way from ATR headquarters in Blagnac near Toulouse France, will provide a more considered view.

Extracting the bus would be a major engineering operation as could damage the plane more, said Kolkata air port director A K Sharma "The plane's right rear wheel is gone, its landing gear is damaged and the front left corner of the bus is lodged in the section of landing gear The bus roof is stuck under the wing and caught in the fuselage and engine," he said.

Sharma, on checking CCTV grabs, said it was an accident. "The bus was going straight and began to veer to the left, the usual direction an unattended vehicle goes It did not accelerate," he said Md Ghiazuddin, brother of bus driver Momin Ali, claimed continuous night shifts had resulted in the mishap.

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747-237 · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 9:07 pm Post subject:

In India, bus hits plane ...... In Turkey, plane hits bus back.

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stealthpilot · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2325 Location: BLR, DXB

747-237 · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 8:23 am Post subject:

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/mumbai/cover-story/Maharaja-turns-veg/articleshow/50328216.cms

Maharaja turns veg

Dec 26, 2015

Air India has decided to only serve vegetarian hot meals in economy class on its domestic flights with a flying time of 61 to 90 minutes from New Year.

A circular signed by General Manager Captain D X Pais on December 23 states: "It has been decided to provide all Indian vegetarian hot meals in economy class on all domestic sector flights between 61 and 90 minutes duration from January 1, 2016." Tea and coffee too have been taken off lunch and dinner time flights.

The circular marked as 'must read' has been issued from the office of the executive director, customer services, and is marked to all cabin crew and in-flight service personnel.

Explaining the move, a crew member said that a flight between 61 and 90 minute duration gives the crew a window of 30 to 40 minutes to serve passengers. "During take-off and as the aircraft begins to ascend, there is no scope for carrying out any service. The galley equipment has to be fastened at this point. The time available for service does not permit us to offer passengers the option of choosing a meal. Also, while nonvegetarians would eat a hot vegetarian meal it won't be the other way round," he said.

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747-237 · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 8:46 am Post subject:

http://www.newindianexpress.com/business/news/Air-India-Launches-Mumbai-Gwalior-Mumbai-Surat-Flight/2015/12/25/article3196050.ece

Air India Launches Mumbai-Gwalior, Mumbai-Surat Flight

25th December 2015

Air India today resumed its flight services to Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh besides launching air services to Surat from here.

Air India, in a statement said that both flights, Mumbai-Surat-Mumbai and Mumbai Gwalior-Mumbai will operate three times a week on (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) with an ATR 72-600 aircraft.

Air India had earlier in August 2013 also commenced services to Gwalior from Mumbai, which were later discontinued.

The launch of these flights will significantly boost connectivity of these two cities to Mumbai and will also be a boon to fliers looking for business opportunities or leisure travel to and from Mumbai, Air India said.

The inaugural Mumbai-Gwalior flight, AI 9628, took off with 50 passengers from Mumbai and touched down at Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Air Terminal in Gwalior this afternoon.

The flight will depart from Mumbai at 1055 hrs and arrive in Gwalior at 1255 hrs. On the return leg, it will leave Gwalior at 1325 hrs and reach the financial capital at 1525 hrs, the release said.

The service has been started with an aim to give regional connectivity a major push under the newly launched 'Connect India' programme, the national carrier said.

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Caliguy · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 10:06 am Post subject:

747-237 · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 10:34 am Post subject:

HAWK21M · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 3:17 pm Post subject:

jbalonso777 · Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 7:26 am Post subject:

nadarji · Member Joined: 11 Jan 2007 Posts: 305

747-237 · Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 8:59 am Post subject:

747-237 · Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 9:08 am Post subject:

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=374055

After uproar, Air India denies dropping non-vegetarian meals from menu

December 26, 2015

Air India today denied reports that the loss-making flag carrier has taken off non-vegetarian food from the menu for economy class passengers on flights up to 90 minutes duration.

Citing a circular dated, December 23, some reports had also said the airline has decided to strike off both tea and coffee from its lunch and dinner menu starting January 1.

But Air India officials said that hot meals, including non-vegetarian ones, were served only on flights over 90 minutes in duration. For shorter flights, only cold snacks were served, they said. This has now been "upgraded" to hot vegetarian meals, they added.

Junior aviation minister Mahesh Sharma said, "There is no change in the previous system, only upgradation has been done. Apart from snacks, some hot food has been started. There is no controversy of vegetarian and non-vegetarian. We have started offering hot food considering it is winter."

"In the long duration flights, the system of veg and non-veg will remain same. We have upgraded the existing facility," he added.

Among those questioning the move had been former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah.

As the controversy over the issue swelled, Air India chief Ashwani Lohani also issued a clarification on the reports, saying, "We used to give cold vegetarian snacks in short duration flights. So we converted to hot vegetarian snacks. As the winter times is there, so people used to demand snacks. I don't think so there is any issue in this."

Air India also said they will review the decision after taking feedback on their new meals. The primary reason for offering one standard meal and not a choice was because crew wouldn't have the time to serve different menu options, the company said.

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747-237 · Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 7:55 pm Post subject:

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/air-india-aircraft-and-jet-airways-bus-separated-after-100-hours/1/556688.html

Air India aircraft and Jet Airways bus separated after 100 hours

December 27, 2015

Nearly five days after a Jet Airways bus rammed into an Air India ATR aircraft at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, Air India's recovery team finally managed to separate the two on Sunday morning

In a joint operation which was initiated on Saturday evening, Air India's recovery team from the Mumbai Engineering division and the Engineering team of Kolkata used a balloon type equipment to pull the bus from the aircraft engine it had rammed into. The operation lasted overnight and was completed this morning.

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747-237 · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2015 7:32 am Post subject:

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/ai-may-seek-65-70-crore-compensation-for-kolkata-mishap-115122700511_1.html

Air India may seek 65-70 crore compensation for Kolkata mishap

December 27, 2015

Air India may seek Rs 65-70 crore compensation from Jet Airways for the damage suffered by one of its aircraft in the last week's incident at Kolkata airport, sources said today.

Alliance Air is assessing the damage to aircraft and revenue loss suffered due to the grounding of the plane and once the exercise is completed, it would serve a notice on Jet Airways, sources told PTI.

"A team from ATR has already completed inspection and has, prima facie, found substantial damage to aircraft. However, its report is awaited. Besides, our insurers (of Air India and Jet Airways) are also carrying out survey to assess the damage," Air India sources said.

Public sector insurers New India Insurance and Oriental Insurance Company are carrying out the survey for Air India and Jet Airways respectively, they said.

Based on reports, the legal notice for recovery of losses will be sent, they said adding "preliminary assessment suggests it should be to the tune of Rs 65-70 crore."

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747-237 · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 2:49 pm Post subject:

The former Air India A310 (and then Air India Cargo converted A310F) VT-EJI "Saraswati" has been involved in an accident in Mbuji-Mayi (DR Congo), while operating for her current owner, Services Air, as 9Q-CVH. Sadly, 8 people on the ground were killed.
Interesting to see she retained her name (in both languages) and AI cheatlines (albeit in different colors).

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Jeh · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 5:48 pm Post subject:

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

747-237: (just) for once, I got there before you, though hardly in the detailed format-with-informative-pictures you post news, for us:
http://www.airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic14588.html
Tragic incident, with the loss of lives.

Jeh · Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 11:54 am Post subject:

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

747-237 · Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 8:36 pm Post subject:

747-237 · Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 9:34 pm Post subject:

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/air-india-to-start-2nd-delhi-dehradun-flight-from-jan-1-115123000968_1.html

Air India to start 2nd Delhi-Dehradun flight from Jan 1

December 30, 2015

Air India today said it would start a second flight to Dehradun from New Delhi beginning January 1.

The airline also said it will discontinue its flight from Kochi to Sharjah from January 11 and will instead fly to Dubai.

"We will operate a second flight to Dehradun from New Delhi from January 1, using a 70-seater CRJ-700 aircraft on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays," it said in a statement.

Air India already operates a daily ATR flight to the Uttarakhand capital from New Delhi.

The Dehradun flight will leave Delhi at 1230 hrs and the return flight will leave Dehradun at 1345 hrs.

The airline did not offer any reason for ending the Kochi-Sharjah-Kochi flight.
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747-237 · Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2015 7:48 am Post subject:

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-ai-plane-hit-by-catering-van-at-newark-airport-in-us-2160899

AI plane hit by catering van at Newark airport in US

30 December 2015

An Air India plane was hit by a catering van today at the Newark international airport in the US after it landed from Mumbai.

The incident happened when the catering van was being aligned with the plane, a Boeing 777, operating on Mumbai-Newark route with flight number AI-191. Local engineers are assessing the damaged caused to the aircraft, Air India sources.

The passengers, whose number was not immediately available, of the flight were being accommodated on Air India's New York flight as it would be 'night-time curfew' at the airport by the time engineers give their report, they said. Further details are awaited.
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justbala · Member Joined: 11 Jan 2007 Posts: 1898 Location: Bangalore

747-237 · Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2015 12:34 pm Post subject:

nadarji · Member Joined: 11 Jan 2007 Posts: 305

747-237 · Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 8:52 am Post subject:

http://www.punemirror.in/pune/civic/Delays-plague-AIs-London-Abad-flight/articleshow/50429617.cms

Delays plague AI’s London-A’bad flight

Jan 4, 2016

Air India's Ahmedabad-London service via Mumbai launched after PM Narendra Modi made an announcement during his November visit to the United Kingdom, has been bogged down by delays ever since since it started operating on December 15.

The Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) has pointed out that despite the aircraft arriving in Mumbai from London at 4.03 am every morning, it takes off with passengers to Ahmedabad only around 7.15 am, though the official departure time given is 5.30 am. APAI president Sudhakar Reddy questioned the logic behind an airline publishing a schedule, despite knowing that it would be unable to stick to it.

Since its launch, flight AI-130 London-Ahmedabad, via Mumbai, operating using a Dreamliner aircraft, has been delayed by at least two hours every other day on an average.

"Since December 25, this flight has been getting delayed by two hours every day. On January 1, the London flight landed over six hours late at Ahmedabad airport," airport officials in Ahmedabad said.

Reddy told Mirror that people living in the UK were very happy when this service was announced. "Little did they know that they would suffer regular delays," he said.

During the launch of the flight service, Air India officials had said that the airline was looking at catering to the six lakh Gujaratis settled in the United Kingdom.

Airline officials blamed the delays on shoddy planning and crew management. "After arriving in Mumbai at 4 am, passengers from London heading to Ahmedabad are officially told that their flight will take off at 5.30 am. However, the pursers and air hostesses arrive only at 5.45 am. Subsequently, departure is delayed till at least 6.15 am," a crew member revealed.

Crew members point out that while passengers, pilots and the aircraft are ready, the delay is due to the wait for the arrival of cabin crew.

When contacted, the airline's official spokesperson said, "The delay was due to operational and technical issues and the airline is working towards resolving them."

Mukesh Bhatia, general manager, commercial (western region), Air India, informed that the national carrier was in the process of changing the service to a non-stop one by the middle of January.
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