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Kolkata ( NSCBI ) Airport: past, present and future.
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sabya99
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 8:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@ Mr. Pal I agree with you that CCU is neither a tourist destination nor a booming industrial center. It has some tourism potential from Buddhist countries of SE Asia and some desi tourist visit during Durga puja. Besides NRIs visit Kolkata during Nov.-January and June-July-August period. I don’t find any other time to visit that city.
However city of Kolkata will remain a major export center of desi technocrats. Kolkata may not export mason or carpenters as much as other Indian cities but techies and engineers are being exported in large numbers. This is going on even before my generation and will continue in future. Perhaps this is one of the reason Western industrial powers still maintain consulate over there. I heard Kolkata US consulate has service desk for returning US citizen. I know a few retired US citizen living as duel citizen in Kolkata. Hope their number will increase in future increasing the possibility of two way traffic between west and CCU.
Last May when I was leaving Kolkata I noticed Emirates A330 carrying full load of passengers. I carefully looked at them; not many blue color workers but mostly white color techies. Middle Eastern airlines have done a great service to Kolkata and really we don’t need BA or LH anymore. Latest DGCA number shows DXB-CCU carrying over 250,000 passenger ( 2011-12 ).
Another recent player in Kolkata sky is Dragon Air/ Cathy Pacific. After long neglect they understood the potential of HNG-CCU sector. People as far from Chicago are taking Cathy flight to HNG then connecting to CCU. But Cathy/Dragon Air will face stiff competition from established players like Thai/Singapore Airlines, But where is our own Air India!! I think in future Chinese airlines will also be a player for West Coast/ Pacific basin areas.
Perhaps loss of BA/LH/AI is not the end of the world.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Air Traffic Control in India : http://youtu.be/Vyb0Sr_dNFA
Air Traffic Control in BOM : http://youtu.be/SkZHfJ2JxJQ
World’s 5 top airports movement wise: http://youtu.be/DTMUC_0CLXk
Outside the new NSCBI terminal : http://youtu.be/Gw5naj8bpZ4
Apron view of NSCBI airport : http://youtu.be/jV8HZ9JZBMw
Take off from Imphal : http://youtu.be/sAsJr-FzIZo ; Take off from VIJP : http://youtu.be/SvoFKFfecAw
LCA Tejas weapon test ( Is it Kalaikunda AFB ? ): http://youtu.be/WFCdNuR6KZs
World’s busiest airports : http://youtu.be/pvl_pESmp6Q
Take off from NSCBI airport : http://youtu.be/t8bZnU8wVhM ; http://youtu.be/AJvOmkEEo5c ; http://youtu.be/bXJbA17STPk
Kolkata street food : http://youtu.be/1JB89VftQ3c
Helicopter trip from Bagdogra to Gangtok : http://youtu.be/nrGg0e7-fi4 ; http://youtu.be/bXk5SN_MPEg
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sabya99
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 8:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Army starts infrastructure development in Bengal with air defence station in Murshidabad

TNN | Feb 21, 2014
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/30771758.cms


NABAGRAM (Behrampore): The skyline of Nabagram in Murshidabad (about 220 km from Kolkata) is set to change four years from now, with several nine-storied structures reaching skyward amidst lush green fields and waterbodies. The compound housing these buildings will have a lethal component though.

Air defence missiles will be kept ready to protect the airspace over the narrow Siliguri corridor that connects the northeastern states to the rest of the country. The Berhampore Military Station (BMS), the foundation stone of which was laid by President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday, marks the beginning of the Army's capability enhancement drive in Bengal.

The BMS will be home to an Air Defence (AD) regiment. "This is part of our capacity development initiative. BMS will be a model, environment-friendly project that will protect the greens and waterbodies all around. Rs 600 crore has been earmarked for this station that will be completed by 2018. The military station will benefit the people of the neighbouring areas and we envisage immense socio-economic development. A scrupulous, disciplined code of conduct will be assured," Army chief Gen Bikram Singh said.

The 250-acre campus will house nearly 2,800 troops and about 800 family members. It will have a school, helipad and other infrastructure. Officers believe that development will be rapid around the campus once construction is completed.

"Of the Rs 600 crore, at least Rs 60 crore will go to the locals directly for services rendered. Since the BMS will be a residential campus, facilities such as markets will have to develop in the vicinity. Military camps are normally set up in barren territory but within years, such places undergo transformations beyond imagination. Even in this case, a lot of development will have to take place to cater to the needs of nearly 3,600 people. Not all their demands will be met inside the camp," an officer said.

According to Lt Gen MMS Rai, GOC-in-C, Eastern Command, the growth will be inclusive. "We will be locating our strategic assets here," he added. With an eye to counter any threat from China, the Army has sought land in several parts of Bengal to build infrastructure. While Panagarh will be the headquarters of a new strike corps, C-130J Hercules will be based at the air base there. The Army has also sought land for a Composite Air Base in north Bengal from where unmanned aerial vehicles can be operated, to keep watch along the borders. In addition to this, some more land will be required in north Bengal to station additional troops.
Comment: This air defense regiment could keep an eye on Bangladesh Air Force Mig-29 stationed in Jessore and Dhaka air bases.It could also give protection to nearby Farakka barrage!
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cathay Pacific to start direct Delhi-Hong Kong flights from March 31
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-03-12/news/48154394_1_delhi-hong-kong-charlie-stewart-cox-cathay-pacific

NEW DELHI: Buoyed by healthy India operations, Cathay Pacific airlines would add two more flights out of Kolkata in the coming days and convert the Delhi- Bangkok-Hong Kong flight to a direct service.
"India is among the top 10 markets for Cathay. It is a solid growing market, in order to provide convenient timings to our travellers, especially the business travellers, we are launching our second direct flight to Hong Kong from Delhi from March 31," Charlie Stewart-Cox, the airline's General Manager (South Asia, Middle East and Africa), said here
To questions on the Hong Kong-based carrier's expansion plan, he told a press conference that according to the existing bilateral agreement, "we can introduce only two more flights from India. We are planning to launch these flights from Kolkata to Hong Kong."
Cathay currently operates 47 weekly flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad and with its sister concern DragonAir from Kolkata and Bangalore. The airline has a fleet of 139 planes, including Boeing 747, 777s, Airbus 330 and Airbus 340 and would induct 93 new ones by the end of this year.
Asked whether the airline had plan to invest in any Indian carrier like Singapore Airlines or Etihad Airways, he said Cathay Pacific "looks at organic growth in India and there is no plan to invest in any India airlines". Regarding its India operations, Stewart-Cox said "our aim would be to get the schedules of most of our flights to Hong Kong from India to adjust in such way that passengers have greater choice and convenience" and they could conveniently connect to destinations beyond, including North America.
Maintaining that the two daily flights from Delhi would become direct services to Hong Kong from March 31, he said "our non-stop flights will offer passengers convenient arrival times into Hong Kong to enable easy connections to our extensive global network".
"The timings have been adjusted so as to provide passengers with greater choice and convenience when travelling to Hong Kong or beyond," he said. On high airport charges at Delhi and Mumbai airports, he said these factors were definitely of concern as "aviation is a tough business and high fuel cost is also a cause of concern for us".
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 8:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

City not business class for big airlines
- Three carriers turn away, one steps back

SANJAY MANDAL

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140320/jsp/calcutta/story_18098622.jsp

Three international airlines have all but rejected Calcutta airport’s invitation to operate from the city and another has aborted take-off after initially showing interest.
Japan Airlines hasn’t even responded to the last email from the airport authorities while Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines seem to have excused themselves, citing the lack of business travellers to sustain full-service international carriers.
Sources in these airlines said cargo volumes were also not enough to make up for the shortage of business travellers.
The Airports Authority of India had approached the three airlines in March 2013, when the integrated terminal became operational.
“We have been talking to the Japanese, German and Turkish carriers for the past year but haven’t got a positive response from them till date,” airport director B.P. Sharma told Metro.
The new terminal is equipped to handle 20 million passengers annually and the airport authorities are keen to have more international airlines on board.
Lufthansa has verbally communicated its inability to start flights from Calcutta because of poor business prospects, sources said.
Turkish Airlines, which had said in 2013 that it did not having flying rights for new routes in India, hasn’t reviewed its status.
Japan Airlines has yet to respond to an emailed request sent around a couple of months ago.
Tiger Airways, the Singapore-based budget carrier, had shown interest in starting flights to and from Calcutta in April, but is understood to have kept the plan on hold.
Business travel is the lifeblood of aviation and Calcutta provides little of that to the industry.
“The viability of an international full-service airline on a particular route depends on the sale of business-class seats, which provide high yield,” said Kapil Kaul of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.
Industry sources said only 30 per cent of the tickets sold on flights to and from Calcutta were for business travel, against 70 per cent in Mumbai and Delhi and nearly 60 per cent in Bangalore. The primary reason for the city failing to generate business travel is, of course, the lack of industry in Bengal.
“Corporate travel ensures year-long traffic volumes for an airline whereas leisure and education travel are seasonal,” said an official of a private airline.
Business travel is usually not price sensitive and accounts for the majority of high-fare seats sold, including those in business class.
Tour operators in Calcutta said the bulk of their customers were leisure travellers. In Mumbai, business travellers constitute the majority of the clientele.
“Hardly 30 per cent of our clients are business fliers who travel round the year. The rest are leisure travellers or students and the business is seasonal. Also, the maximum number of tourists are budget travellers,” said Anil Punjabi, chairman of the Travel Agents’ Federation of India.
Even cargo, which constitutes 20 to 30 per cent of a flight’s yield, isn’t adequate.
“Calcutta handles far less cargo than the other metros,” said an official at Calcutta airport.
Mumbai handles 35,000 tonnes of cargo every month while Chennai records 30,000 tonnes. Calcutta handles barely 4,000 tonnes every month.
Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines and Japan Airlines had conducted market surveys in eastern India, which revealed that it wouldn’t be viable for them to start flights from Calcutta, sources said.
An airline looks at several factors while conducting surveys, including the reason why people fly between two cities (business, tourism or religious travel), average fares and occupancy of high-yield seats.
Calcutta fared low in all categories, the sources said.
“We have no plan to start operations from Calcutta in the near future. We are looking at Chennai,” a Japan Airlines official said from Delhi.
Tamil Nadu has 15-plus automobile and two-wheeler manufacturing units. Bengal has only one in Hindustan Motors.
German airline Lufthansa used to operate from the city but pulled out in March 2012 after its Calcutta-Frankfurt service failed to generate revenue.
The airline has told airport officials that it does not intend returning to Calcutta anytime soon.
“Barely 10 per cent of the business-class seats would be sold when we were operating here. The yield was low from each flight and the situation doesn’t seem to have changed much,” a Lufthansa official said.
Since Calcutta’s integrated terminal opened in March 2013, not a single airline has been added to the roster. Air Asia withdrew its Calcutta-Bangkok flight earlier this month and Jet Airways has decided to pull out both its flights to the Thai capital by the end of March.
For the AAI, fewer flights mean lower than projected earnings.
The airport charges a user development fee of Rs 450 from every passenger booked on a domestic flight from Calcutta and Rs 1,125 for each international ticket. The fee, levied since March 15, is meant to ensure a fair return on the Rs 2700-crore investment in the terminal.

Comments: After the inauguration of integrated terminal the biggest beneficiary is CCU-Hong Kong sector. This flight by Dragon Air/Cathy is here to stay and will benefit North American passengers. I personally don’t want to fly by LH, BA may be OK. We all know there are few business class passengers here , but lot of cattle class passengers. ME airlines are better suitable under such condition.
Very Happy
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good to see some hard numbers quoted. Time for the political establishment in WB to review what they've let happen. Perhaps it's what the folks want, in which case no regrets. Perhaps this is not the outcome they really wanted, in which case it's never too late to make changes...
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sabya99
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nimish wrote:
Good to see some hard numbers quoted. Time for the political establishment in WB to review what they've let happen. Perhaps it's what the folks want, in which case no regrets. Perhaps this is not the outcome they really wanted, in which case it's never too late to make changes...

Nimish,
I don’t know who control Bengal politics and what grand design they have for future. But sitting here in New Jersey it seems anarchy is their goal. I don’t want to get involved in political controversy as I have antagonized many people in the past. There are ups and downs in every civilization and Bengal is no exception. It is time for that state to occupy lowest rank among all India states at this time.
Smile
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 10:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Take off from Kolkata and landing at Del ; http://youtu.be/UWi4uN0dHb4
Taxing and take off from 01R at Kolkata airport : http://youtu.be/HJas1_IyQts
Landing at NSCBI airport followed by exit through taxiway R : http://youtu.be/H6kBB_eWawQ
Battleship row on Hooghly river : https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/15120_10151964853832087_589712415_n.jpg ( copy right : Tarun Kumar Singha )
News about Andal airport : http://youtu.be/5WuFSjgx1BQ
New Kolkata airport : http://youtu.be/5wY0qyy5Aew ; http://youtu.be/AmGsWJWhIYY
Take off from Kolkata airport : http://youtu.be/OtCobbY4xoI ; http://youtu.be/zugfYeUOQBs
Dragon Air flights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waiAFxEqx9o ; http://youtu.be/aBcRrXRrg_I
Taxing from 01L and 01R at Kolkata airport : http://youtu.be/HJas1_IyQts
B777 landing at Kolkata ; http://youtu.be/iI0n_uhMIOA
Spice jet and Tiger Air : http://youtu.be/kKq8VMR13mQ
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 10:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

wrote:
Industry sources said only 30 per cent of the tickets sold on flights to and from Calcutta were for business travel, against 70 per cent in Mumbai and Delhi and nearly 60 per cent in Bangalore.

70% ehhh Laughing
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2014 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Traffic statistics for Kolkata airport in January, 2014. For April 13-March 14 CCU will have almost 10.5 million traffic. It seems after the integrated terminal international traffic is growing faster even without the presence of EU airlines. Poor growth of domestic traffic may reflect dismal performance in industrial/ commercial sector as also grounding of KF!

http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/jan2k14annex3.pdf
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Surat-Kolkata flight receives overwhelming response

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Surat-Kolkata-flight-receives-overwhelming-response/articleshow/33009818.cms

SURAT: The newly launched Surat-Kolkata flight has received an overwhelming response by the residents in the diamond city, especially the Bengali residents.
Around 400 passengers travelled on the Surat-Mumbai-Bangalore and Surat-Kolkata-Delhi sectors respectively on Sunday.
Sources said that the Surat-Kolkata flight service via Delhi has started by Spice Jet from Sunday to cater to the business and the individual travelers having links with Kolkata.
Surat's textile industry is closely connected with Kolkata and that around Rs 20 crore worth of textile goods are supplied on daily basis including finished fabrics.
In the return journey, the passengers travelling in Spice Jet are taken to Mumbai in the morning flight and that the same flight returns to Surat at about 12:30pm.
Sources said that Spice Jet has connected Surat with various destinations via Mumbai and Delhi, which includes Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Chandigarh, Mangalore, Bengalore etc.
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Flight scare over runway man

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140405/jsp/calcutta/story_18157388.jsp#.U0A8IaLLJvA

An eagle-eyed pilot of a SpiceJet flight from Bangalore swooshed the plane back to the sky seconds before landing as he saw a man trudging on the runway at Calcutta airport on Friday.
The man, S.N. Murumu, was a hired bird-chaser from the vicinity of the runway but the cardinal mistake of walking on the landing strip cost him his job. Airport officials immediately derostered him and the directorate general of civil aviation has started a probe.
The SpiceJet flight, carrying 165 passengers, was about to land on the secondary runway of the airport around noon.
“Just before the final approach, the pilot saw a man walking along the runway. He immediately alerted air traffic control. He was told to abort landing and make a go-around,” said a senior airport official. The flight landed after hovering for about 10 minutes.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) employ bird-chasers to keep the runway and its surroundings free of winged creatures that could lead to aeroplane bird-hits.
According to airport sources, the SpiceJet flight was landing on the northern end of the secondary runway and was about 3.5km from the airport on the Madhyamgram side. “It would have taken less than a minute for the aircraft to land. Had it landed, there could have been a disaster,” said an official.
Experts said the narrow-bodied SpiceJet aircraft has an average landing speed of 250kmph. “If the pilot had noticed the man a few seconds later, he wouldn’t have been able to abort landing. If he had tried to stop the plane at that speed, there could have been a disaster,” an official said.
“A bird-chaser is not supposed to enter an operational runway, whatever the circumstances. They can stay a few feet away from the edge of the strip and set off firecrackers if they spot a bird,” said the official.
Sources said Murumu had worked as a chowkidar at the old terminals. After the new terminal was opened in March 2013, private agency guards replaced him and several others.
“Murumu was given the new responsibility a few months ago,” said an official. He said the bird-chaser had been briefed about his job with special instructions that he would not enter a runway.
Calcutta airport has witnessed several cases of pilot heroics in the past.
In 2009, the pilot of Air India’s Haj flight, which was about two minutes from landing, spotted an aircraft a few hundred metres ahead entering the same runway and made a go-around after alerting the ATC.
In 2011, a Thai Air Asia flight from Bangkok with 140 passengers landed on the primary runway that was closed for repairs. The engineers and workers managed to flee before the plane landed.
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 10:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NSCBI Secondary runway south side (01L): Last year there was a report that PAPI (precision approach path indicator ) , a kind of light device for better aiming of aircrafts on runway was not properly calibrated on south side of secondary runway. Perhaps it is now fully calibrated as I saw both the old and new PAPI adjacent to south side of secondary runway in Google map. Recently I saw a tender call for construction of simple light track on the south side of this runway. It seems AAI is gearing up to use NSCBI secondary runway as all weather system.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

10 world’s most dangerous airports : http://youtu.be/GOTuo1vdDkk
Jet Airways taxing at NSCBI airport : http://youtu.be/8fgCL5AUAYY
Take off from Guwahati airport and flight over Brahmhaputra river : http://youtu.be/UVwQAhXBhOQ
Arrival area of the new terminal : http://youtu.be/b9l10V-5s4U
Night time take off from 19L at NSCBI airport : http://youtu.be/72V1Wc-StEs
Jishnu’s old video : http://youtu.be/3ZAw6jxu7Ok
Take off from Dhaka airport on board MAS : http://youtu.be/ao_rsBTLdz0
Wide body take off from AMS airport : http://youtu.be/xDjMPq-jDao
Landing at Kolkata : http://youtu.be/OKFFsiAdqPQ ; http://youtu.be/JsuN1_2bZGU ; http://youtu.be/-n4bkI5W5Sc
Newtown Rajarhat Kolkata – way back from airport ; http://youtu.be/xf5F-uv9bbw ( copy right Sanjib Banerjee )
Mid air Holi performance by Spice jet crew : http://youtu.be/h9zkh6bNhzw
Art and Culture at Indian Airport : http://www.aai.aero/misc/CompetitionRefresher-27813.pdf
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 6:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bumpy ride to runway repair

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140428/jsp/calcutta/story_18271125.jsp

Calcutta airport’s worn-out main runway would have to make do with another round of patchwork as the plan to resurface the pockmarked tarmac has been postponed.
In its present state, the runway is a bumpy ride for aircraft with years of patchwork leaving the surface uneven.
Of the 3,627-metre stretch, only 600 metres on either side of the main runway — the touchdown zones where planes land — have had repairs. The work was completed on March 31 but pilots and passengers continue to complain about bumpy take-offs and landings.
The main runway was scheduled to be resurfaced this summer after a study by the Central Road Research Institute last year revealed damage to various portions of the tarmac. The report recommended giving the runway a new surface and laying a sheet of synthetic fabric under the bituminous layers to prevent rainwater from percolating down.
The overhaul was to start by the end of 2013 and be completed before the start of monsoon, but sources said the Rs 60-crore project was yet to be cleared by the Airports Authority of India in Delhi.
The green signal, when it comes, would require the authorities to coordinate with airports abroad before imposing restrictions on emergency landing and take-off for the duration of the project. Calcutta airport handles higher number of overflying aircraft compared to other Indian cities.
“There will also be flight delays for months because the main runway will be closed,” an official said.
The main runway can handle about 30 flights an hour, 10 more than the secondary runway over the same period, sources said.
The last time the main runway had an overhaul was in 2003-04. Resurfacing has been due since 2011 but patchwork is all that the AAI has done to keep the runway in business.
For the latest round of stop-gap repairs, machines were used to peel off four to eight inches of the runway surface and put a fresh coat of bitumen on the two touchdown zones at the northern and southern ends.
“Preventive maintenance has been done at both ends of the main runway as that was urgently needed. The runway requires complete rehabilitation and not resurfacing. Rehabilitation will start after the monsoon as that would require the runway to be closed for a long period. We need to make preparations for that,” airport director B. P. Sharma told Metro.
He said it would take six months to complete the overhaul.
Pilots and airlines have complained repeatedly about the uneven runway that makes for rough landings. “Post repairs, the condition of the main runway has improved but there is still a long way to go. What the runway requires is complete resurfacing rather than patchwork,” said Captain Sarvesh Gupta, senior pilot and chairman of the airline operators’ committee.
The committee has been requesting the AAI over the past few months to resurface the runway.
Most domestic airlines, including IndiGo, Jet Airways and SpiceJet, operate narrow-bodied Boeing 737 and Airbus 319 and 320 aircraft that weigh 60 to 65 tonnes and land at speeds of around 250kmph. Most international airlines operate wide-bodied aircraft — mainly the Airbus 330 and Boeing 777 — that weigh around 350 tonnes each with landing speeds of around 250kmph.
The two runways handle around 250 flights every day, far fewer than Delhi’s average of 900 but with a surface several times more vulnerable to damage.
Apart from normal wear and tear, the runway suffers additional damage due to a rise in the groundwater level till one metre below the runway during monsoon. Accumulated water eats into the bituminous layers, causing the surface to become brittle. Parts of the runway become uneven because of rubber deposits from aircraft tyres.
The runway also suffers from the ravages of extreme weather during different seasons — hot and humid summer days, heavy rain during monsoon and low winter temperature.
Airport director Sharma said the drainage system inside and outside the airport was being improved. Outside the airport, the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority and irrigation department are working on a Rs 60-crore drainage project. The AAI is spending another Rs 28 crore on drainage within the boundary walls.
Have you had a rough take-off or a bumpy landing at Calcutta airport? Tell ttmetro@abpmail.com
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PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2014 6:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Flat tyre delays flight
OUR BUREAU

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140504/jsp/bengal/story_18305649.jsp#.U2Y8xYFdVr4

Calcutta, May 3: A flight to Hong Kong from Calcutta was delayed by more than 24 hours because a flat tyre was detected minutes before take-off and the replacement had to be flown in from Hong Kong.
The passengers of KA169 Dragonair, which was scheduled to take off at 1.15am today, had boarded the flight and had to wait over three hours in the plane before being told that the tyre had to be procured from the airline’s maintenance base.
They are expected to fly by the 4.15am flight on Sunday, which is slated to reach at 10.30am Hong Kong time. The flight was scheduled to reach at 7:50am Hong Kong time on Saturday, which is 5.30am in India.
“Around 1.30am today, it was announced on the public address system that the ground staff had located some problem with the landing gear,” said Soma Roychowdhury, who works for a newspaper in Hong Kong.
“Around 2pm, we were told the engineer had confirmed that it was a flat tyre. After another 45 minutes, they said the tyre had been procured from another airline operator but for the next 90 minutes or so they could not fix it,” she added.
Around 4.20am, the pilot informed the passengers that the flight could not take off unless the replacement came.
The official statement issued by the airline said: “Our engineering team has been working to resolve the problem…. We are doing everything possible to ensure that passengers reach their final destination at the earliest.”
But some like 59-year-old Ron Comstock had no idea when he would get a connecting flight to San Francisco from Hong Kong.
“I had a connecting flight a couple of hours after I was supposed to reach Hong Kong today. But the itinerary they have given me is an old one and I don’t know when my flight to San Francisco is,” said the interior designer based in San Francisco.
“I hope they give me some information at Calcutta airport. But the airline is not giving any information and we are having to catch hold of people to get some clue,” said Comstock.
The replacement tyre is supposed to be brought by the 12.20am flight on Sunday, sources said.
Comment : At least there are passengers available for CCU-Hong Kong sector.
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PostPosted: Sat May 10, 2014 11:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tata-SIA gives city a miss for now

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140510/jsp/business/story_18327089.jsp

New Delhi, May 9: Tata-SIA — the full-service airline that won investment approvals just 35 days after filing its application on September 19 last year — won’t be flying to Calcutta anytime soon.
Patna — and not Calcutta — is the airline’s first destination of choice in eastern India.
The airline, in which the Tatas hold a 51 per cent stake and Singapore Airlines (SIA) 49 per cent, aims to launch operations from September 1 and will fly to nine destinations from Delhi, where it will have its headquarters .
The airline laid out its operations time-table for the first year in its statement of intent for air operator’s permit to the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA).
“We have done the route dispersal in a phased manner on the basis of market attractions and route planning,” said Sanjay Singh, vice-president, Tata-SIA Airlines.
Calcutta will figure as a destination in the second year of Tata-SIA’s operations. It aims to fly seven flights a week directly to the city. It also plans to fly seven other flights to Guwahati in the second year via Calcutta — effectively offering two flights a day to the City of Joy.
Robin Pathak, aviation analyst and former Air India director, said: “Almost all domestic airlines have daily flights to Calcutta. For Tata-SIA, it makes sense to grab markets that are relatively under-explored.”
However, analysts say there ought not to be any ground for disappointment in Calcutta as the Tatas probably have bigger plans for the city.
“I believe Tata would use it as a hub for its Southeast Asia operations. Flights to Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam would all be routed through Calcutta. The airport anyway has a high international traffic movement,” added Pathak.
Calcutta witnessed a 23.7 per cent increase in international traffic, according to the December 2013 figures of the Airports Authority of India.
Meanwhile, the DGCA has issued a public notice seeking objections, if any, to the grant of an air operator’s permit to Tata-SIA, the proposed full-service carrier.
It issued a similar notice under the Aircraft Rules of 1937 before the licence was granted to AirAsia India. The DGCA had rejected the objections and granted the licence to AirAsia India on Wednesday.
In the latest notice, DGCA said Tata-SIA Airlines Ltd had applied for the grant of the flying licence to provide scheduled air transport services in the country. The objections, if any, must be submitted within 20 days.
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PostPosted: Sun May 11, 2014 1:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

^^ This sucks for CCU - I hope they get service sooner than later!
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PostPosted: Sun May 11, 2014 5:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nimish wrote:
^^ This sucks for CCU - I hope they get service sooner than later!


Yes, it is a bad news for Kolkata. But CCU is well served by AI and other budget airlines. May be TATAs don’t have enough aircraft to serve all points in the subcontinent. Besides Kolkata- North East sector is a poor man’s sector. It has to be subsidized otherwise no money could be made here. May be that just don’t fit their business plan. I think they will come back soon as trunk routes from Kolkata have good passenger demands.
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PostPosted: Thu May 22, 2014 6:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kolkata gets new flights to six US cities

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Kolkata-gets-new-flights-to-six-US-cities/articleshow/35450415.cms

KOLKATA: Keen to woo US-bound travellers from Kolkata who have been flocking to Emirates, Qatar has introduced immediate onward flights from Doha to six US cities. In the absence of a direct non-stop flight to the US, corporate executives will find the offering extremely attractive as it will sharply reduce travel time.

According to the airline, passengers boarding the flight in Kolkata will reach in 21-24 hours, depending on the destination. The return flights are even shorter due to tail wind and will take between 18.5-22.5 hours. While the flights to New York JFK, Houston, Washington and Chicago are already operational, flights to Dallas Fort Worth and Miami will be launched in June.

Qatar Airways country manager (India) Henry Moses said: "Kolkata-US is one of the fasting growing routes in India and we see tremendous potential from this market. In line with Qatar Airways' growth strategy in India, many routes are served with multiple frequencies, ensuring maximum connectivity and convenience by providing some of the shortest travel times in the industry."

Go Air, the domestic carrier that Qatar is believed to be in talks for strategic equity purchase, is also focusing on Kolkata and plans to park a brand new Airbus 320 aircraft in Kolkata to launch early morning flights out of the city. While the aircraft is scheduled to fly into India from the Airbus facility at Toulouse, France, sometime in July, it will be based in Kolkata around October after necessary checks and regulatory clearances.

The decision follows the huge growth the airline has experienced in the Kolkata market. The carrier recorded a 65% jump in passengers in 2013-14 against the previous year with passenger arrivals and departures from 2.6 lakh to 4.2 lakh. It is now targeting a further 45% growth in 2014-15 to touch 6.1 lakh.

Speaking to TOI, Go Air chief executive officer Giorgio De Roni said the robust growth in Kolkata and the east had forced the airline to change tack and focus on the region. "We have a strong presence in the north and northwest. Out of the 19 aircraft in the fleet, 10 are based in Delhi. But now, it is time to invest in the east," said De Roni.

Emphasizing on increased presence in the east, the CEO said the airline was evaluating at least three new flights out of Kolkata, including one to Bhubaneswar. At present, Go Air connects Kolkata to Delhi, Nagpur, Port Blair, Guwahati, Bagdogra, Ahmedabad and Patna.
Comment: Still could not figure out how CCU got connected to six cities! Cool
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PostPosted: Thu May 22, 2014 8:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

World’s top ten safest airlines: http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-10-safest-airlines-in-the-world/20140129.htm
Landing at Kolkata on board Air India A320: http://youtu.be/joNn_btBP0E
Spectacular landing at Paro, Bhutan : http://youtu.be/Wc1gIZaryQw
Spice jet take off from Kolkata main runway via Kilo taxiway: http://youtu.be/EkPa1yjb9js http://youtu.be/NhHVlmOKLR0 ; http://youtu.be/t8bZnU8wVhM
Interior of Kolkata integrated terminal : http://youtu.be/AmGsWJWhIYY
More pictures of Kolkata integrated terminal : http://youtu.be/lmzdSiETGak
Taxi and take off from Kolkata airport, night time: http://youtu.be/72V1Wc-StEs
View of integrated terminal from Biman Bandar railway ( night view ) ; http://youtu.be/aS_4LEWLHHc
World’s ten most dangerous airports: http://youtu.be/UFzrNAU3Szo
NSCBI airport apron view : http://youtu.be/gFDTIOl2v7M
Night time landing and taxing of Air India plane at Kolkata airport: http://youtu.be/IghZyYyB5JY copyright : Jishnu Basu
Take off from Chittagong airport to Kolkata : http://youtu.be/2VncZbsKSsQ
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PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2014 7:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Runway visibility tool, made in India

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, May 22: A visibility measurement instrument developed by Indian scientists will be installed at 40 airports across the country over the next two years and could help India enter a market that scientists say is dominated by Australian and European products.
The National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore, and the India Meteorological Department announced today that they would jointly produce the NAL-designed instrument that was field-tested near airport runways in Calcutta, Delhi and Lucknow over the past three years.
The instrument, called a transmissometer, is designed to provide information on runway visibility that is critical for landings and take-offs, NAL scientists said. Under their joint initiative, the NAL and the IMD would install 70 transmissometers at over 40 airports in the country in two years.
All Indian airports, the NAL scientists said, have been using transmissometers imported mainly from Australia or Finland.
“We’re promising reliable visibility measurements at reasonable costs,” Shyam Chetty, the NAL director, told The Telegraph over the phone from Bangalore. “This has been a 20-year research effort — and we’re happy that it has worked out.”
The NAL product, scientists said, will cost about Rs 25 lakh, only about a third of what the imported instruments cost. Its low price and comparable performance, they are hoping, will also draw interest from other countries.
A UK-based firm, Chetty said, has shown an interest in procuring the NAL transmissometer and marketing it in Europe and elsewhere, although there is no formal pact yet.
The transmissometer was developed by a team led by Shubha Venkatesha Iyengar, head of materials sciences who’s spent 40 years at NAL designing and fabricating instruments — from heat-resistant composites that can tolerate 3,000°C to instruments for physics laboratories.
The visibility measurement instrument is made up of a lamp and a sensor placed 30 metres away that detects light from the lamp and generates a figure for visibility — from less than 25 metres to more than 2km.
“The instrument combines optics, filters, software and signal processing,” Shubha told this newspaper. The sensor will catch all the light that falls on it, but we use filters to ensure it extracts only the light from the lamp for determining the visibility.”
The NAL installed its first instrument at Lucknow airport three years ago, then deployed five at Delhi airport two years ago, and one at Calcutta airport 18 months ago. The decision for joint production, Chetty said, was taken after detailed observations of these instruments’ performance through these field tests.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140523/jsp/nation/story_18372838.jsp#.U39JY9JdWGM
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 6:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Andal airport set to take wing

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Andal-airport-set-to-take-wing/articleshow/36119031.cms

KOLKATA: The airport, a critical component of Aerotropolis - the state's Rs 10,000-crore airport-township project - is all set to take off around September-October with operations by non-scheduled airlines. Among the companies the airport authorities are speaking to are Spirit Airlines, Pinnacle Air and North-East Shuttles. Flights by scheduled operators like Air India and Indigo Airlines are likely to commence sometime next year.

The prospect of the first fixed wing aircraft touching down at the airport near Durgapur has become bright with the state administration going that extra mile to clear all bottlenecks. Several issues coming in the way of the project were resolved on Wednesday with transport department taking a proactive stance to clear the deck. "More than 95% of work at the airport is over. One of the major bottlenecks was shifting of high-tension power transmission lines on the way of the approach-road to the airport. On Wednesday, this issue was resolved along with several others," said Partha Ghosh, MD of project promoter Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL).

Of the 96 high-tension transmission towers in the flight path, 50% were shifted by L&T. The remaining half lay on the approach way. Local syndicates dealing in construction material have been arm-twisting people working on the project, thereby delaying the completion. "Land holders were apprehensive. But principal secretary of transport department, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, assured them that the right of land, on which the towers are being constructed, would remain with them. In addition, they will receive compensation," said Ghosh.

Bandyopadhyay said most of the bottlenecks have been removed. "We tried to ensure that all government agencies work in tandem to clear hurdles. Work on shifting the transmission line has started on Thursday," he said.

Another issue was the 4.2 km link between the airport and National Highway 2 without which DGCA clearance would have been a problem. Land acquired for this had been reoccupied by a section of land holders along a 900-metre stretch following the Mamata Banerjee government's policy against land acquisition.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to undertake an inspection after a 4.2 km road linking the airport with National Highway 2 is completed. This will be followed by trial flights. The DGCA clearance is likely to take around two and a half months. BAPL is already in talks with several carriers for flights to the airport that has several industrial towns like Durgapur, Burnpur, Raniganj and Dhanbad in its catchment area.

Earlier, CIA (Changi International Airport), which is believed to be one of the best managed airports of the world, holds 26% stake in BAPL. The BAPL proposed flight operation at Andal airport from April 2014, but, shifting of high-tension electricity transmission lines on the flight path has been taking more time than anticipated. This has led to unnecessary delay in obtaining the final clearance from the DGCA.

Apart from the 650-acre airport, BAPL plans to develop residential townships, hospitals, IT hubs and industries in the remaining 1,200 acre. The Mamata Banerjee government, that was initially critical of the project, has made it clear that it will take a call on the rest of the project only after the airport is ready. The project with land requirement of nearly 2,000 acre, faced multiple hurdles including objections from Coal India during the initial land acquisition stage and later from locals demanding higher compensation. The state government's hands-off policy on land has not helped matters.
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 4:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

flydubai set to spread wings

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140610/jsp/business/story_18495657.jsp#.U5ZAynJdVr4

New Delhi, June 9: Dubai-based low-cost carrier flydubai plans to start flights to at least 35 small cities in India, including Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar and Shillong.
The airline expects the new government to open up India’s skies further to enable it to realise its plan.
“We want to fly to more airports in the country. There are at least 35 tier-II airports we want to fly to. There is a need for flights to places such as Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar and Imphal. We want to start more flights to the eastern and western sectors but with our limited number of seats such an expansion is not possible at present,” said Sudhir Sreedharan, senior vice-president (commercial operations) at flydubai.
The Dubai government has allowed Emirates Airlines and flydubai to operate flights to India. Jet, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India fly from India to Dubai.
flydubai was launched in March 2008 with a vision to offer a low-cost alternative on popular routes from Dubai and open up destinations underserved by direct air links to the UAE, thereby boosting trade and tourism.
The no-frill airline added 10 new flights to India with four weekly flights to Delhi and three weekly flights to both Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
The expansion follows a recent change in the bilateral air services agreement that will add 11,000 more seats per week on the Dubai-India route.
The airline also operates nine weekly flights to Lucknow, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 7:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Durgapur chopper fare slashed

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140613/jsp/calcutta/story_18506253.jsp#.U5r9yXJdWGM

Helicopter rides between Calcutta and Durgapur will cost Rs 1,000 less a trip from Monday.
State transport department sources said lack of demand for the helicopter service had prompted the rollback of the one-way fare from Rs 2,500 to Rs 1, 500.
“In keeping with chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s wishes, the transport department has decided to reduce the fare and make the route more popular,” transport minister Madan Mitra said on Thursday. “A round trip would cost Rs 3,000 now, slightly less than what one would pay for a road trip in a luxury car.”
Helicopter services in the state were started in December 2013 after the transport department signed an agreement with Pawan Hans. According to the deal, the government has to pay Rs 50 lakh for 40 flying hours a month to Pawan Hans.
“The average booking is less than 80 per cent, which is not viable. Passengers are few and five to six flying hours are wasted every month,” said a transport department official.
With the service struggling to take off, the transport department had entered into an understanding with Bengal Aerotropolis Private Limited where the promoters of the private airport in Andal, Burdwan, agreed to underwrite seven seats at Rs 4,200 a seat for a one-way trip “to promote the culture of flying” in Bengal.
With the new fare structure in place, the company would be shelling out more for every seat on flights to and from Durgapur and receiving less for each seat as well.
“With the slash in the Calcutta-Durgapur fare, a ride to all destinations would cost Rs 1,500 barring Malda, which would cost Rs 1,300,” said a transport department official.
Aviation experts said more subsidy might not help improve passenger count.
“Subsidies cannot be an alternative to traffic and industry-starved Bengal cannot guarantee enough traffic for a helicopter service,” said an official of a private helicopter company.
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Top ten Indian airports 2014 : http://youtu.be/8fU1V05BLks
Interior of Kolkata integrated terminal : http://youtu.be/lmzdSiETGak
Water fountain in Kolkata : http://youtu.be/HMis4pKiu-c
Airports of the world : http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140513-the-10-most-beautiful-airports
Top ten fighter jets of the world : http://youtu.be/65fLGF3sCaY
Harsh landing on Kolkata secondary runway ( 19R) : http://youtu.be/1g5YrF42_LY
Landing at Kolkata airport : http://youtu.be/u_aFEPxapyg
Runway problem at Kolkata airport : http://youtu.be/32BMUDJP2wM
Wonderful take off at Kolkata airport : http://youtu.be/EkPa1yjb9js
Activities of Kolkata airport during a day long strike ( bandh ): http://youtu.be/-7qlIKtuTiQ
Arrival section of new integrated terminal : http://youtu.be/b9l10V-5s4U
Landing and use of Kilo taxiway : http://youtu.be/zErzUhVP-Uw
Indi Go flight to Dibrughar airport : http://youtu.be/EvhlCyZdhT0
Long distance flights of the world : http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-sixteen-longest-non-stop-flights-in-the-world/20131224.htm
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 9:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Midair scare as flight drops 5000ft in seconds

PIYUSH KUMAR TRIPATHI
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140623/jsp/nation/story_18540686.jsp#.U6g4tJRdWGM

Patna, June 22: A Patna-Delhi Air India flight sharply tilted left and then right and lost thousands of feet in seconds, giving passengers a sensation of “free fall”, apparently because two planes had been allowed to come closer than stipulated.
It all happened as air traffic control (ATC) allowed Flight AI-410, carrying 119 passengers, to try and climb to 33,000ft from its assigned height of 32,000ft.
An aviation expert said the A319 probably got caught in the wake turbulence — the turbulence that forms behind a flying aircraft — of a bigger plane that had possibly flown above it a little earlier breaching the critical separation limit of 1,000ft between flights.
No Air India official at Patna airport would confirm the incident but an airline source said it was not a safety threat.
Among the passengers was Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, former director-general of police D.N. Gautam and an aviation expert, Atul Singh.
“The flight first tilted 40 degrees to the left and began losing altitude. Then it tilted 80 degrees the other way and continued to lose height,” said Singh, executive director of the Delhi-based company, Centre for Aviation Policy, Safety and Research.
“It lost around 5,000ft from its assigned height of 32,000ft within 10 to 12 seconds.”
He said the aircraft almost seemed out of control and was on the verge of entering into a stall — a situation where a plane can fall vertically because of lack of speed.
Gautam said from Delhi that the passengers “had to hold the meals kept on the tray as they were falling”.
Retired IAS officer Phool Singh said: “Suddenly, there was a thud and a feeling of free fall. The flight stabilised in a few seconds. A similar turbulence was felt a few moments later for 2-3 seconds. There wasn’t much panic among the passengers.”
Captain Amitesh Ahuja, the pilot, announced the situation was under control.
Singh, the aviation expert, said he spoke to Ahuja in the cockpit. “He said he had requested the Varanasi ATC to grant permission to ascend to 38,000ft but was directed to go up to 33,000ft only,” Singh said.
“Ahuja said probably a Boeing 747 or Boeing 777 had passed through the same altitude a little earlier. He said he had never experienced such wake turbulence in his career. As I am certain there was a human error, I shall file an official complaint with the (aviation regulator) DGCA.”
Another aviation expert, Mirza Faisan, who was not on the plane, said a “bank (flying with one wing above another) of 40 degrees is quite sharp for an A319, as the maximum permissible banking according to its design is 45 to 60 degrees”.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Power lines to go underground to make way for airport

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/power-lines-to-go-underground-to-make-way-for-airport/article6180171.ece

Rs. 10,000-crore project has capacity of one million passengers of which 28 per cent is expected to be business traffic

Several kilometres of power transmission lines will have to be realigned and laid underground to make way for a greenfield airport project that is being implemented near Durgapur in West Bengal.
The extra high voltage (EHV) transmission line was a major hurdle in the progress of the project, which was announced in 2009.
The realignment of the EHV line, belonging to the West Bengal State Electricity Transmission Ltd, became necessary due to stipulations by the airport regulatory authorities.
For Bengal Aerotroplis Projects Ltd (BAPL), which is implementing the airport city project, the realignment became a necessity as no tall structures are allowed within a specified perimeter of a runway. “The realignment will now be over 25 km of which some will be underground.. which is a rarity for a power line,” officials associated with the project said. The job has been assigned to L&T and the cables are being requisitioned from South Korea.
The project spread over 1,818 acres is located in Andal ahead of Durgapur in Bardhaman district and is close to Ranigunj coalfields. However, it is this hinterland that gave the project its birth pangs and Coal India Ltd put up a stiff resistance when the project was first conceived in 2009, saying that prime coal reserves would be locked up if an airport came up in this area. The project had to be reworked and its area was curtailed from the original 2,300 acres.
The government of the day did the land acquisition, handing it over to West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation which then leased it to BAPL.
Although after coming to power, the Mamata Banerjee government had reservations about the project seeing it as a case of land grab in the garb of an airport, the Chief Minister later came around and named the airport Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport after the poet. The entire project entails an investment of Rs. 10,000 crore.
The project, in which 26 per cent equity is held by Changi International Airports of Singapore, entails setting up an airport over 600 acres and an industrial city over the rest of the land. The airport has a capacity of one million passengers of which 80 per cent is expected to be business traffic.
The project is slated to ease journey time for the people in the industrial belt of Jharkhand, particularly those from Dhanbad and Ranchi, who have to travel to Kolkata to emplane for Delhi. It will also help the people in the Durgapur steel belt. The air traffic control tower, the runway, and the terminal buildings have been kept in a state of readiness. BAPL also has a MoU with the Punjab government for implementing a similar airport city near Ludhiana, the company said.
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Passenger chokes on pins in flight food
- Teacher plans to sue airline for mid-air horror


http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140709/jsp/calcutta/story_18595959.jsp#.U71aqZRdWGM

A Calcutta schoolteacher is preparing to sue an international airline for a mid-air medical scare after stapler pins in the rasmalai served on board for dessert got stuck in her food pipe, making her bleed and throw up repeatedly.
Ratnam Sen, husband Indradeep and daughters Anushka, 10, and Priyanka, 13, were on a Calcutta-Dubai Emirates flight on May 16 en route to New York for a holiday when the incident occurred, leaving her ill, scared and helpless.
Indradeep remembers “feeling metal” the moment he put a finger down his wife’s throat to find out what was choking her. “It turned out to be a stapler pin,” the businessman said.
Ratnam was in agony and throwing up every few minutes even after the pin was taken out, so the cabin crew made an announcement seeking out doctors among the passengers. Dermatologist and t2 columnist Sachin Varma, who was on board EK 573, volunteered to examine the schoolteacher and found her “with an aberration in her mouth and blood-stained saliva”.
“She had difficulty swallowing. After examining her, I brought out some more stapler pins from deep inside her throat. I was told that there were some pins in the food she had swallowed,” Varma recalled.
The Sens, who live in a house on Ekdalia Road, had considered cancelling their holiday when Ratnam continued to feel pain in her throat but decided to proceed to New York from Dubai because returning home would entail waiting longer for a flight.
“In Dubai, medical attendants measured my blood pressure and blood sugar while I was still on board. They also examined my throat with a torch,” Ratnam said.
The remaining pins stuck in the schoolteacher’s food pipe were extracted by doctors at a hospital in the US. The family later filed a complaint with Emirates, which allegedly hasn’t acted on it except seeking Ratnam’s medical bills, doctor’s report and other documents for “a review”.
When Metro contacted a senior Emirates representative last week, she sought a couple of days to respond. Till late on Thursday, there was no communication from the airline regarding the complaint about deficiency of service and negligence leading to a trauma for a passenger and her family.
The family of four were travelling economy class on Emirates with a stopover in Dubai to catch a connecting flight to New York. According to Indradeep, the return tickets for four cost around Rs 3.7 lakh.
The Sens’ long-awaited overseas holiday took an unexpected turn the moment Ratnam felt a stab at her throat with her first helping of rasmalai, a dessert comprising small cheesecakes swimming in a thickened milk gravy.
“Dinner had been served around an hour after take-off. I was seated in the row in front of my wife and daughters and I heard Ratnam call out to me and say that something was stuck in her throat and she was choking,” Indradeep recalled.
He turned around to find his wife breathless and immediately got up to help her to the washroom, where she started vomiting. “I had been busy feeding my daughters and didn’t really pay attention to the rasmalai I was having as dessert. The pain started soon after I had had the gravy,” Ratnam said.
What made the Sens’ trauma worse was the airline’s alleged failure to ensure that Ratnam received special assistance for the rest of the journey, including the stopover in Dubai.
“I was dehydrated and feeling very weak, not to speak of the pain in my throat. But no Emirates official offered to assist me till the departure terminal at Dubai, from where we were to catch the connecting flight to New York,” she said.
In New York, Ratnam visited the White Plains Hospital Centre’s emergency department, where doctors put her on drip. “Pain (in) left neck and in mouth. Visible staple noted…lodged in around tooth lower mouth, left side,” the hospital’s report states.
Doctors say Ratnam’s condition could have turned life threatening had some of the stapler pins not been extracted immediately. “Sharp objects like pins can cause perforation in the oesophagus or stomach,” said critical care expert Subrata Maitra. “There is no supportive care for such a condition. One has to wait for an investigation, locate the foreign body and retrieve it. However, in an emergency situation, a physical examination can be carried out and if pins are in the throat then those can be taken out physically.”
Although the Sens made it to New York, they couldn’t enjoy their holiday. “I felt unwell throughout the trip. There was a pain in my throat and my voice had become hoarse. We couldn’t enjoy ourselves,” Ratnam said.
Indradeep has since written several emails to Emirates, the last of which elicited a response a week ago.
“… we empathise with your concerns and the events you have described. First, may I please request you to provide us with relevant copies of the medical bills/receipts, and a detailed report from your wife’s doctor…. However, there is no guarantee that any reimbursement will be made,” Adriana Torres of the airline’s customer affairs department said in the mail that landed in his inbox on June 30.
The airline had sought 30 days for an internal probe but have yet to share the findings with the Sens. “We will move court seeking compensation,” Indradeep said
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 6:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Emergency landing of Bhutan Airways at Kolkata airport: http://youtu.be/G9MsGwJWAoY
Night time landing on main runway : http://youtu.be/ca731e_F0vY
Landing and taxing at Kolkata airport : http://youtu.be/Ou4iM3KQiLE
Day time take off from Kolkata airport by Emirates : http://youtu.be/yGfBk9ZUQJw
Night flight from Kolkata to Dxb on A330 : http://youtu.be/TkNAmwcE1dQ
In flight experience on Emirates ( DXB to Kolkata ) ; http://youtu.be/0Qcd1KdJPgI
Emirates A380’s inflight bar : http://youtu.be/4peiyZRJ7Jk
Kolkata New Airport Façade : http://youtu.be/zeLxn743gRc

DragonAir A320 Kolkata Take- off ka169 B-HSO : http://youtu.be/waiAFxEqx9o

Take off from kolkata .. emirates,....: http://youtu.be/yGfBk9ZUQJw

Landing and exit via rapid exit taxiway R : http://youtu.be/zErzUhVP-Uw

Antonov 225 take-off from Manchester Airport: http://youtu.be/iYF6fYteIq8
A320 take off : http://youtu.be/TcASC96qZFY
Takeoff at Kolkata on 9W 628 ( Night time ) : http://youtu.be/KutGnC_IfIc

Kolkata Airport to Esplanade : http://youtu.be/kSoo8mVlVbM

Andal Airport construction is almost complete. It will start functioning from 2014:
http://youtu.be/5WuFSjgx1BQ

South side extension of secondary runway is being used for launching aircrafts: http://youtu.be/WeOQ77Q9_pc I feel proud with the upgrading of NSCBI airport infra!!
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cross posting from Civil Aviation section:

Etihad begins CCU effective 15FEB15

EY256 AUH1110 - 1650CCU 320 D

EY255 CCU1830 - 2230AUH 320 D

Connects to 2nd Daily JFK + EU + GCC/Levant + JNB

Africa + Canada + IAD/YYZ/DFW/ORD/LAX missed.

With this, EY will operate 126 weekly flights between AUH and India
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Comment: More flights will be available from CCU without going to BOM/DEL for destinations like EU, north America, Africa. Perhaps this will not affect much Emirates passenger load but AI will be affected.
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Etihad to fly from Kolkata next February
TNN | Jul 11, 2014, 03.11 AM IST


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Etihad-to-fly-from-Kolkata-next-February/articleshow/38162473.cms


KOLKATA: After Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways, it's time for Etihad Airways to woo passengers from Kolkata and rest of the east to not just Abu Dhabi but beyond cities in Europe and the US. For West-bound fliers from the city, there is good news as intense competition will mean improved services and lower fares.

With no Indian, European or American carrier flying westward out of Kolkata, the Gulf airlines has been a boon to business, holiday and leisure travellers based in the city and elsewhere in the region.While Emirates currently has 12 flights a week between Dubai and Kolkata, Qatar has a daily connection to Doha. From February 15, 2015, Etihad will operate a daily flight to Abu Dhabi.

Etihad Airways had last year purchased 24% stake in Jet Airways to gain greater access to India and its vast market. Kolkata is the 11th city in India that Etihad will connect to after Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, New Delhi and Trivandrum.

Commenting on the flight to Kolkata, Etihad Airways president and chief executive officer James Hogan said, "India, one of the world's largest growing travel markets, has always been an important destination for Etihad Airways. The launch of our new Kolkata services demonstrates our enduring commitment to serve the Indian market and people, whether in India or overseas."

Hogan said he was confident that the new service, the first to eastern India, will boost travel and trade between UAE and the entire region. "Beyond our Abu Dhabi hub, travellers will have great opportunities to conveniently connect to the Gulf region and Middle East, as well as Europe, North America and Africa," he said.

The new Abu Dhabi-Kolkata route will be operated by a two-class Airbus A320 aircraft configured to carry 136 passengers, with 16 seats in business class and 120 seats in economy class seats, offering a total of 1,904 seats per week. The incoming flight will touch down in Kolkata at 4.35pm and take off at 7.45pm. The flight duration is around three and a half hours.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Turk plane gets IAF scrambling

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140714/jsp/nation/story_18612479.jsp#.U8PspJRdWGM

July 13: The Indian Air Force today scrambled fighter jets after two commercial flights, entering through Pakistan half-hour apart, gave the same identification code.
The Jodhpur Air Force Station sent two MiG21 fighters to investigate after a Turkish Airlines plane “squawked” the same code that another flight of the same airline had given out earlier. However, after verification, the plane was allowed to proceed, sources said.
The air force confirmed it had scrambled jets after a suspected air space violation but did not give details.
The unique identification code is assigned by civil aviation authorities — such as the Delhi ATC for India — to foreign aircraft that fly through national air spaces.
In this case, the codes for the two aircraft would have been given by Karachi Area Control and Delhi Area Control. Delhi Area Control shares the data with the Indian Air Force, which has a surveillance unit based in Jodhpur and has the air space above the border under radar coverage.
The goof-up could have been the civil aviation authorities’ or the airline’s.
As part of standard procedure, the air force scrambles its fighter aircraft and alerts its defence units if any unidentified aircraft is seen in Indian air space.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 11:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Passenger traffic loads ( both ways ) between CCU and various international destinations with direct air links:

BKK ( Subarnabhumi )-CCU : 506033 , BKK(Don Mueang) –CCU : 98220 , DAC-CCU : 223645 ,
DOH-CCU : 82349 , DXB-CCU : 277875 , KMG-CCU : 66691, KTM-CCU ; 33154 , KUL-CCU ; 83522,
PBH-CCU: 21355 , RGN-CCU : 17359, SIN-CCU: 134003 , CGP-CCU: 28950 , RGN-GAY : 33819.
Source: DGCA, India; http://www.dgca.nic.in/reports/rep-ind.htm , Year 2012-13.
Destinations with multistep flights are not available!
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Abandoned Dakota aircraft at Kolkata airport was flown by Biju Patnaik

Jayanta Gupta,TNN | Jul 26, 2014, 06.36 PM IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Abandoned-Dakota-aircraft-at-Kolkata-airport-was-flown-by-Biju-Patnaik/articleshow/39055736.cms

KOLKATA: A Dakota DC-3 aircraft parked for decades at the Kolkata airport was used by former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik to rescue former Indonesian vice president Md Hatta and prime minister Sutan Sjahrir on July 22, 1947, a researcher has unearthed. Anil Dhir, who is based in Bhubaneswar and has made efforts to track down all the aircraft of Kalinga Airlines over the last two years, has written to Odisha chief minister and Biju Patnaik's son Navin Patnaik to salvage the aircraft and park it outside the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.
Kalinga Airlines was a private airline that operated from Kolkata. It was founded by Biju Patnaik and operated nearly a dozen Dakotas. Patnaik was it's chief pilot. Indonesia was under Dutch control till 1941 when the Japanese occupied the country. After the Japanese surrender in World War II, Indonesian freedom fighters declared independence. The Dutch would have none of it though and made an attempt to regain control of the country, launching a full-scale attack on July 21, 1947.

After the Dutch attack, Dr Sukarno, who had declared himself the president of independent Indonesia, ordered Sjahrir and Hatta to leave the country to create international public opinion. The two were unable to do so, however, as the sea and air routes were controlled by the Dutch. This was when Jawaharlal Nehru came to Indonesia's assistance and asked Patnaik to fly to Jakarta and rescue Sjahrir and Hatta.

Patnaik was only 32 when he dodged the Dutch and landed at a makeshift airfield in Jakarta, returning to Delhi with the two freedom fighters. For his effort, Patnaik became Sukarno's friend for life and was awarded the title 'Bhoomi Putra' by the Indonesian government.

"That was not the only contribution that Biju Patnaik made during the Indonesian crisis. The Dakotas of Kalinga Airlines flew several sorties into the country carrying medical assistance and supplies. On their way out, the aircraft carried refugees. For the last few years, I have been trying to trace all the Dakotas of Kalinga Airlines. I plan to write a book on them. I saw the Dakota at Kolkata airport about two-and-a-half years ago and identified it from its tailfin number. It would be nice if this aircraft is taken to Bhubaneswar," Dhir told TOI.

Sources at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata confirmed that a Dakota DC-3 is parked as a piece of scrap to the east of the runway. "The aircraft, similar to ones used to transport troops and material during World War II is rotting, exposed to the elements as it is without being serviced or flown. The aircraft can seat around eight passengers. The aircraft can never fly again but can be restored for display at a museum," a source in Kolkata said. Incidentally, none of the Kalinga Airlines aircraft had the name painted on the sides of the aircraft, unlike other companies.

Aviation experts feel that it is sad that the Dakota has been treated in that manner. After all, the first aircraft to land at the Kolkata airport in 1924 was a Dakota-3, a predecessor of the DC-3. The last Dakota DC-3 to land in Kolkata was in September, 2012.

Comments: We have discussed this in early days of the forum!
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Six entities get permission to start airline operations

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/six-entities-get-permission-to-start-airline-operations/article6238846.ece

The Civil Aviation Ministry has issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to six entities whose applications to start airlines in India were pending for long. These six — Air One, Premier Air, Zexus Air (all national), Turbo Megha, Air Carnival and Zav Airways (all regional) — are in addition to the Tata-Singapore Airlines joint venture that is likely to start operations by this year-end.
The grant of NOC was confirmed by officials but Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Prabhat Kumar was not available for comment.
Another new airline, AirAsia India, commenced domestic operations last month. Air Pegasus is also likely to get Air Operators Permit, the final nod to start operations, soon.
Air One, which is now into air charter business, wants to be national scheduled airline.
“We have applied for pan-India licence, and if the five years and 20 aircraft rule goes away, then we will fly international as well. We plan to start operations in the first quarter of 2015,”Alok Sharma, promoter and director, Air One, told The Hindu.
Earlier, Mr. Sharma was President of Air Sahara before it was acquired by Jet Airways.
At present, India has eight airlines — Air India, Jet Airways, Jet Lite, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Go Air, Air Costa and AirAsia India.
In 2005 three new airlines — Kingfisher Airlines, Go Air and SpiceJet (re-launched) — commenced operations. In 2006, IndiGo joined them offering low fares.
Thus, after nearly a gap of 10 years, India will have several new airlines.
“The current cartelisation of incumbent airlines need to break, and it can only be possible with the entry of new players. During peak season, airlines are charging up to Rs.50,000 for a return ticket to a prime domestic destination. Consumers are being exploited. With the entry of new players, fares will come down by 20-25 per cent,” said Subhash Goyal, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) and Chairman of STIC Travel Group.
“Having so many new airlines is excellent from passenger point of view. More airlines and more aircraft will drive growth. There is opportunity and competition will drive growth,” said Sharat Dhall, President, yatra.com, an online travel company.
“In the last two years, air fares have gone up by 20-25 per cent, and this has resulted in a stagnated growth. With the new players, we hope fares will see a correction of 20-25 per cent, which will help the market to revive,” Mr. Dhall said.
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 6:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

New features in the latest Google Earth picture of NSCBI airport:

An elaborate open cut drainage system is in place near the outer perimeter wall all around the airport. Parallel to this drainage canal an extensive net work of airport service road has been built. Extension of secondary runway ,south side is complete and currently being used for routine aircraft movement. On the eastern side of main runway two major construction projects are going on: a new fire station ( as per Wikimapia post ) and a new monopulse secondary surveillance radar building ( MSSR ). Are they trying to relocate current fire station to the east side? Then space occupied by old fire station could be used for new taxiway/ apron construction. We have to wait for more updates!
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Unique memorial service to honour brave airmen.

Jayanta Gupta,TNN | Jul 29, 2014, 08.56 PM IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Unique-memorial-service-to-honour-brave-airmen/articleshow/39248040.cms

KOLKATA: On Saturday, a unique memorial service was organized at the Rasgovindpur Airstrip (also known as the Amarda Road Airfield) in Odisha to honour 14 airmen of the Royal Air Force (RAF) who were killed in a mid-air collision between two B-24 Liberator bombers on July 26, 1945. It was Bhubaneswar-based war historian Anil Dhir who dug up this historical fact. He along with Aditya Patnaik of the Gandhi Eye Hospital and school children were among those who laid wreaths in memory of the dead airmen.

"Very few people are aware that 69 years ago two Liberators (EW225 and EW247) collided at low altitude during a practice flight. They were part of a six-aircraft contingent from the Air Fighting Training Unit engaged in a formation flying exercise. The Rasgovindpur Airstrip had the longest runway in Asia (more than 3.5 km). The total length of the runway, taxiways and aprons was more than 60 km. Part of the runway (nearly 11,000 feet) still remains but there is no activity save for the grazing of cattle. This airfield played a very crucial role in the defence of India during World War II. It was a forward airbase against the Japanese and was used for 'Over the Hump' operations as well as training pilots for special bombing raids. Unfortunately, there aren't any details available of the activities that took place here between 1943 and 1945, even in military archives," Dhir says.

It was during a visit to the Madras military cemetery that Dhir came across the graves of 14 airmen who were killed at the Amarda Road Airstrip crash. It took a lot of doing on his part to find out that the 900 acre airstrip was built at a cost of Rs 3 crore in the 1940's. During his research, Dhir received assistance from Matthew J Poole from the USA who has studied the crash and prepared a report. With Poole's assistance, Dhir was able to locate the relatives of none of those killed in the air crash. One of them is 101 years old now.

"The two aircrafts took off from the airfield in Odisha but the crash took place over West Bengal. The debris was strewn across flooded paddy fields in Bengal. I have requested both the Odisha and Bengal governments to erect small memorials at the airfield and the crash site to honour the brave souls who gave up their lives for the defence of our motherland," Dhir added.

Comments: Rasgovindapour RAF airstrip of WWII:
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=21.8189549&lon=87.0362663&z=12&l=0&m=b
We have discussed these stories in early days of this forum !
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 6:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jharsuguda ready to soar

BIBHUTI BARIK
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140731/jsp/frontpage/story_18671696.jsp#.U9o4xeNdWGM

Airports Authority of India chairman Ashok Sinha (left) and general administration department’s special secretary Niten Chandra sign an MoU to develop Jharsuguda airport as chief minister Naveen Patnaik looks on at secretariat in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee
Bhubaneswar, July 30: The state government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) today inked a deal to develop the existing airport in the west Odisha industrial hub of Jharsuguda into a full-fledged one with landing facility for Airbus 320 aircraft.
Jharsuguda has a concentration of metallurgical industries such as steel and aluminium. Vedanta Group’s 1.75-million tonne aluminium smelter and 2,400MW power plant are located in the industrial town. Aditya Birla Group has one of its largest cement units at Dhutra in the district. There are also a number of thermal power plants in the district.
Jharsuguda is centrally located in west Odisha and is 95km from Rourkela.
“A full-fledged airport will definitely provide better connectivity for the officials and businessmen, as till now, they have to depend on Bhubaneswar (363km) or Raipur (364km),” said Bibhudutta Mohapatra, general manager of the Aditya Birla Group.
With direct air connectivity, officials and associates of Aditya Alumina, Hindalco, Bhusan, Sesa-Sterlite and Ultra Tech Cement in Jharsuguda and industries in Rajganagpur (50km), Bargarh (125km) and Rourkela will benefit.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik said: “The airport at Jharsuguda will ensure better regional development and strengthen industrial growth in the west Odisha region.”
The existing airport has 902.22 acres and the government will provide another 296.50 acres for the facility.
The old existing runway has an air traffic control tower and only charter aircraft use it occasionally. Earlier, the state government’s civil aviation wing had requested the AAI for modernisation of Jharsuguda airport. The government has assured full co-operation for land acquisition and allocated Rs 75 crore as its share for the new airport.
Besides the extended runway, the airport will have apron of 288 metres and associated facilities, new ATC building, isolation bay, technical block, fire station and control tower, upgrade of the navigational and visual aids and ground lighting facilities.
The AAI will get the additional 296.50 acres free of cost. The government will provide 118.75 acres immediately and the rest 177.75 acres in due course.
“At present, only small charter aircraft can land here. But a modern airport with a 1,883-metre runway can facilitate landing of A-320,” said AAI chairman Alok Sinha.
“The state has 15 airstrips and there is also a plan to develop two or three airstrips into smaller airports in order to have more regional connectivity through air,” said director of Biju Patnaik International Airport Sharad Kumar.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 1:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

World’s best airline is : http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/15/travel/the-worlds-best-airline-is-/index.html?hpt=hp_c3
Kolkata’s old domestic terminal is still being used : http://youtu.be/gFDTIOl2v7M
Bhutan 2010; Paro airport : http://youtu.be/-DByyrmLQJw
NSCBI airport Kolkata, gate 22; http://youtu.be/rHZKiokciZ0
Airbus A-320 [Air Asia] From Kuala Lampur to Netaji Subhash Airport Kolkata : http://youtu.be/9zpislJbUxs

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport Departure (Spicejet 737-800) ; http://youtu.be/OtCobbY4xoI

Dubai to Kolkata : http://youtu.be/OSXXOLK94jE

Landing at Kolkata airport main runway : http://youtu.be/rNOjw8gDZfg

Indigo 6E 523 landing at Kolkata from Pune : http://youtu.be/VL7P5QWtBy4 http://youtu.be/HA9MIy1Snkw This aircraft using taxiway Roger ( R).

Trouble with Spice jet fire alarm : http://youtu.be/WkDGrreQYuE
Take off from NSCBI airport and landing to DEL : http://youtu.be/UWi4uN0dHb4
Another late afternoon landing through taxiway R : http://youtu.be/zErzUhVP-Uw
Take Off from Leh airport, Ladakh: http://youtu.be/-lSoNIpZxzo
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