Airliners-India.com

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 10:44 pm Post subject:

@Sumantra, I think you are right; AAI is getting ready for large parking bay/ MRO complex on the east side. I did some distance measurement. From the beginning of 01L to the end of current northeast perimeter wall there are about 1.6 miles of linear space available for a wide body (150 ft wide ) runway. May be CCU may not need it now but who knows about the future! Some agency report says that proposed high-tech control tower will be relocated to east side! Let us hope for the best. Yes, I remember seeing F27 turbo operation on now defunct east/west runway in 1968. Very Happy

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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 6:37 pm Post subject:

@Sumantra, prevailing wind direction in Kolkata area is SW by NE in summer/ monsoon time and due north by south in winter three months. In that capacity Turbo aircrafts could be launched from O1L for NE India while they could land on the opposite side. Besides modern jet aircrafts are not that dependent on wind direction and speed. A third parallel runway will be good for total independent operation but it requires 2000ft separation; which is not possible here. The east/west runway could be used for near independent operation along with current parallel runways. May be east/west runway could be used for tubo only for NE India. I admit there is no need for third runway now but after CCU reaches 25 million passenger load ( say by 2080 ) one could think of third runway. Till then it will be a pipe dream. But CCU already touching 11 million pax. capacity by 2014. There is a need to develop land around the airport for future use and there is no harm in it.
Andal airport should have no effect on CCU traffic pattern as it will cater mainly the steel belt and coal field areas of Bengal/Bihar. CCU will remain the entry point for NE India and jump of point for SE Asia.
I think the pressing need for NSCBI airports are: 1) built a parallel taxiway in the east of main runway, 2) built a parallel taxiway around 19R turning pad 3) construction of isolation bay in the north beyond the mazar 4)built a better road link preferably elevated with downtown Kolkata 5) establish Metro link with rest of Kolkata 6) keep on reclaiming land in the east and prepare for east/west runway 7) new air traffic control tower in the east 8)better drainage system and perimeter wall etc. With all these developments airport will survive with or without any political patronage from DEL.
Very Happy

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Sabya99

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

Sir, thanks for this nice write-up. Very educative!

sabya99 · Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 12:27 am Post subject:

Panagarh AFB ( West Bengal ) :
History:
Panagarh Airport (ICAO: VEPH) is an airport serving Panagarh, in the state of West Bengal in India. It also serves as an Indian Air Force base. During World War II, the airport was used as a supply transport airfield from 1942-1945 by the United States Army Air Forces Tenth Air Force and as a repair and maintenance depot for B-24 Liberator heavy bombers by Air Technical Service Command.
The airport resides at an elevation of 240 feet (73 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 15/33 with an asphalt surface measuring 2,743 by 46 metres (8,999 ft × 151 ft).[1] The Air Force is planning to deploy six mid-air refuelling tanker aircraft at Panagarh air base in West Bengal. With the deployment of these tanker aircraft in Panagarh, the striking range of fighter planes like Su-30 MKIs based in Tezpur and Chhabua (both in Assam) will be enhanced as these can get fuel mid-air. Panagarh is also the likely location of a proposed Army Mountain Corps headquarter. ( Source : Wikipedia )
Today, after nearly 70 years, Panagarh in Burdwan is well on its way into being developed as a hub that will deal with the defences of states like Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). With routine incursions by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) reported from Arunachal Pradesh, the process to develop Panagarh has been expedited by the Army and Indian Air Force. The second lot of C-130J Super Hercules, that are to be procured by the IAF soon, will be stationed at Panagarh. Induction of the C-130J at Panagarh will enable IAF to mobilise troops to the forward eastern front in the shortest possible time. Lockheed Martin will build necessary infrastructure for the aircraft at Panagarh, as part of the package. ( www.panagarh.com).
Geography :
Panagarh is located at 23.45°N 87.43°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 58 m (190 ft). The Asansol-Durgapur region is composed of undulating laterite soil. This area lies between two rivers – the Damodar and the Ajay. They flow almost parallel to each other in the region – the average distance between the two rivers is around 30 km. For ages the area was heavily forested and infested with plunderers and marauders. The discovery of coal led to industrialisation of the area and most of the forests have been cleared. Vehicle Depot Panagarh and Ammunition Depot Panagarh are army largest military suppliers in the country.

Panagarh AFB shaping up with new apron construction and runway extension :
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=23.467655&lon=87.436559&z=16&m=b
This will be the home base of new C 130 Herc. Squadron. The new Andal airport is just 20 miles north/west of this point.

Landing at Kolkata main runway from south side: https://youtu.be/jGyZI0qf0C8 ,
Apron view from new departure terminal of NSCBI airport : https://youtu.be/3bBLQOlv5Jw
Take off from Port Blair airport, Andaman Island : https://youtu.be/unt534N0nGk
Landing at Kolkata airport from North side : https://youtu.be/BgqIvfOpicQ
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 6:55 pm Post subject:

Take-off licence for Andal airport

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Take-off-licence-for-Andal-airport/articleshow/47077226.cms

KOLKATA: Bengal's showcase project — the greenfield airport at Andal in Burdwan district — finally received the director general of civil aviation (DGCA) licence for commercial flight operation. DGCA granted requisite clearances after the detailed scrutiny and installation of navigational equipment by the communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS), the final component for the facility to become operational.

Flight calibration is considered to be a must for getting the all-important DGCA clearance. Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL) is optimistic about starting full-fledged scheduled and non-scheduled flight operation from mid-May. National carrier Air India is likely to fly along the Delhi-Andal-Kolkata sector on May 17. IndiGo and Air Pegasus will follow shortly, said airline sources.

"We are at a very advanced stage of negotiation," said BAPL managing director Partha Ghosh.

It will definitely be a feather in BAPL's cap if the national carrier decides to operate some of its domestic flights from Andal. BAPL has already offered some compelling concessions for both scheduled and non-scheduled airline operators.

The airport was named the Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport by chief minister Mamata Banerjee. A 12-seater aircraft has already touched down at Andal airport runway and later took off from it.

Airport Authority of India (AAI) flew in a Beechcraft-350 — with engineers and technicians from the communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) department onboard — on March 14, 2015. This flight by AAI marked the initiation of a three-day flight calibration schedule of the navigational and meteorological equipments at the physically complete 650-acre Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, the centrepiece of the Rs 10,000-crore airport city developed by BAPL.

With the calibration exercise being the last significant milestone to be achieved pre-operationalisation of the airport, Ghosh said, "Reaching this stage in the project required a monumental effort, which included relocation of 126 towers of the extra high voltage transmission lines. We thank chief minister, Mamata Banerjee and the entire state government whose support has helped ease the unique and various challenges a large project of this nature had faced."

Airport developer BAPL has sought for permission to operate Airbus A320 or Boeing B737 (category 4C) aircraft from Andal. It can only make the final application after the airport is absolutely ready to handle flights.

The Bengal government has 1.2% stake in BAPL, and Singapore's Changi Airport is the single largest shareholder. BAPL sources said Pinnacle Air, a non-scheduled airline, will begin its operations from Durgapur four days a week, connecting Bagdogra, Cooch Behar, Durgapur and Kolkata shortly.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 6:43 pm Post subject:

New construction activities currently undergoing at NSCBI airport or in the planning stage:
1) New A/C Tower and Technical block, 2) Construction of Isolation Bay 3) Strengthening of Main runway 4) Resurfacing of Secondary runway 5) Construction of 3 hangars associated with taxi track and aprons 6) Extension of parallel taxiway and 7) Covered link between metro station and Terminal building.

Number of parking bays at the NSCBI airport : F class only 1, E class bays 16 , D class bays 6 , C Class bays 36 .
Runway parameters of NSCBI airport :
19L (North side of main runway): TORA 3627 meters, LDA 3200 meters. 01R (South side of main runway ):
TORA 3627 meters, LDA 3627 meters. 19R (North side of secondary runway) : TORA 2839 meters and LDA 2749 meters. 01L (South side of secondary runway) : TORA 3270 meters and LDA 2839 meters. TORA= Take off run available and LDA = Landing distance available. This runway extension took place during recent modernization (phase 1), hopefully AAI will start phase II without delay.
Source : http://www.aai.aero/misc/Aerodrome_Database_DP.jsp

On the approach road to new integrated terminal :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=F88PcOALb4k
Aircraft marshalling at the new terminal : https://youtu.be/imjVPivHpu0
NSCBI Airport- Engineering Marvel Travelers Delight (by AAI ) : https://youtu.be/j8-bw5tH28w
Daytime landing on secondary runway from north side: https://youtu.be/1g5YrF42_LY
Secondary runway south side on a foggy winter morning: https://youtu.be/JOfM5pv-1cY
Daytime landing and taxing through rapid exit taxiway : https://youtu.be/HA9MIy1Snkw?list=PL4m2oc_WaMXN07s7Xf4i7ItE2mzuPVoUG

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/47182304.cms

ANDAL: The first greenfield airport in eastern India will take wings on May 10 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi flies to Delhi from Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport in Andal. Commercial operations at the airport will begin two days later with an Alliance Air ATR-48 aircraft flying in from Kolkata.

The maiden VVIP flight from Andal is expected to take off around 1pm with Modi, civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju and civil aviation secretary V Somasundaran on board an Indian Air Force aircraft that will fly straight to Delhi.

Sources said the PM was originally scheduled to take the helicopter to Ranchi from where he was to fly back to Delhi but decided to take the return flight from Andal following chief minister Mamata Banerjee's request. Top officials of Indian Air Force and Airports Authority of India have already visited Andal and inspected the brand-new facility that received the nod for commercial operations from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation only recently.

Sources said Modi was aware of the country's first privately constructed aero city project at Andal even before the request from Mamata and readily agreed to the change in flight plan. The Rs 10,000-crore project that includes a full-fledged airport capable of handling flights like Boeing B 737-800 and Airbus A320 aircraft has been developed by Bengal Aerotropolis Project Ltd (BAPL).
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Sabya99

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

Dr. Ganguly, thanks for the Andal updates. Rumours are flying about first, an Air India DEL-KNI-CCU service on an A319/CR7, and now, it is a KNI-CCU on an AT4: wait, 10 May, and we have no mention of anything on any website: AI's or any other one, for that matter.
I would love to learn more about this.
I may have a possible Dhanbad trip, which I do not want to make on a Rajdhani. I would love to go through Andal.
Cheers, Sumantra.

sabya99 · Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 10:47 pm Post subject:

@Sumantra, I will post whatever new information I get from desi sources about Andal airport. This area sits over 40% of India’s known coal reserve. Surely it needs a civilian airport.
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Sabya99

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

Hmm...now, May 18, according to this article:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hectic-first-day-at-Andal-airport/articleshow/47227728.cms
However, nothing has been loaded onto the GDS.

sabya99 · Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 6:36 pm Post subject:

@ Sumantra, thanks for posting. This news will also sweeten your mouth.

Food flies off airport counters
- CALCUTTA BEATS MUMBAI AND DELHI'S T3 IN F&B GROWTH

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150511/jsp/calcutta/story_19343.jsp#.VVCnoo5Viko

Calcutta airport's food and beverage counters have rustled up a growth rate several times higher than Delhi and Mumbai's, though there's more to the statistic than just the city's famous appetite.
The percentage of passengers buying from the 45-odd counters in the integrated terminal has more than doubled in the first year of F&B services managed by a concessionaire: from 15 to 32 per cent. The same concessionaire, Travel Food Services, has had to wait five years to achieve comparable passenger penetration in Mumbai and Delhi's T3.
"The growth in passenger penetration at Calcutta airport has been phenomenal. It has more than doubled in one year. In Delhi's T3, where we started five years ago, it's 40 per cent. In Mumbai, where we have been around for the same period, it's 42 per cent," Gaurav Dewan, CEO of Travel Food Services, told Metro.
The flip side of Calcutta surpassing Mumbai and Delhi in the airport food chain is that the city is short of full-service flights where passengers don't have to bother about going hungry.
"A combination of two factors has helped Travel Food Services do great business in Calcutta. Since passengers never had the choice of brands that we have now, there is an eagerness to sample what's on offer. The downer is that fewer full-service flights from the city force a lot of people to buy food before boarding," an airport official said.
More than 75 per cent of the domestic flights from Calcutta are operated by low-cost carriers that don't provide complimentary food and beverages. Passengers have the option of buying food on board, of course, but when the choice is between frozen and fresh, few would opt for the former.
"In Mumbai and Delhi, the growth in passenger penetration has been low because both cities have more full-service airlines operating flights than in Calcutta," Dewan said.
The city's sprawling integrated terminal opened two years ago but there's been little to cheer about in terms of domestic and international flight traffic to and from the city. In the domestic section, Jet Airways and Air India are the only full-service airlines and neither operates as many flights from Calcutta as they do from Delhi, Mumbai and even Bangalore.
Businessman Rajesh Hathiramani, who makes frequent trips to Mumbai and Delhi, is among those who prefer a bite at the new F&B counters before boarding a flight. "The cold sandwich served on board a low-cost flight isn't what you would like to have if there's an alternative. Also, the price is higher than what you would pay for a sandwich or something else at an airport counter."
Company executive Sanjib Mukherjee too prefers a bite at one of the counters offering fresh food rather than buy something on board. "Price is a factor. I get a sandwich for Rs 120-Rs 160. On board, I have to buy one for around Rs 200," he said.
Ideally, he would fly a full-service airline for business trips but there aren't many of them going to the destinations he often travels.
An official at IndiGo, the budget carrier that currently dominates the domestic sector, said many of the airline's passengers book meals online. In some fare categories, a small meal is complimentary.
"Few passengers go through a flight buying nothing. Most prefer a packet of cashew nuts, tea, coffee or juice," the official said.
When Travel Food Services came to Calcutta a year ago, the F&B outlets had been selling about 300 sandwiches a day. Now, they are selling more than a thousand on an average.
According to CEO Dewan, some of the other top-selling food items in the domestic section of the integrated terminal are chole bhature and momos. Kusum's rolls and Flurys are also among the favourites.
The varied food options inside the terminal are crumbs of comfort in times of despair for a state-run airport struggling to match the other metros in the revenue stakes. Of the 330 domestic flights that operate every day, more than 75 per cent are of low-cost carriers. In the international section, where most flights are full-service, Calcutta has lost more airlines than it has gained in recent years.
In contrast, Delhi has 900 domestic flights, about 40 per cent of them full service. In Mumbai, where 780 flights operate daily, the percentage of full-service domestic airlines is almost the same, sources said.
Vistara, the full-service domestic airline started recently by Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, has yet to introduce a flight from Calcutta.
"Passengers often ask for full-service flights but we can't find one at the time they want to fly," said Anil Punjabi, chairman (east) of the Travel Agents' Federation of India.
In the Calcutta-Bangalore route, IndiGo has six flights while full-service airlines like Air India and Jet Airways operate only one each. For this, airlines blame the old bugbear: a very low percentage of business travel to and from Bengal's industrial desert.
If anyone is happy apart from the passenger who gets to have a fresh and yummy pre-flight snack, it is Travel Food Services. Chief executive Dewan said the concessionaire was planning to add 15 stores in six months, including some big international brands. "We are speaking to an international burger chain that recently came to India," he said. "If there are more options, spending will be more."
Two more lounges are also in the making. The integrated terminal currently has two business-class lounges, one each in the international and domestic sections.
Have you sampled the food on offer at the city airport? Tell ttmetro@abpmail.com
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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 6:42 pm Post subject:

Dragonair increases flights from Kolkata

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/dragonair-increases-weekly-flights-from-kolkata/article7197815.ece

KOLKATA, MAY 12:
Hong Kong-based carrier Dragonair has introduced an additional flight from the city beginning today (Tuesday).
This will take its total number of weekly flights from Kolkata (to Hong Kong) to six. Dragonair is a part of the Cathay Pacific Group.
“We are satisfied with the passenger load from Kolkata. The average passenger load from here to Hong Kong has been around 80-85 per cent,” Charlie Stewart-Cox, GM (South Asia, Middle East and Africa) Cathay Pacific and Dragonair, said.
The carrier will operate an Airbus A-320 aircraft from the city, and there are no immediate plans to introduce a larger aircraft. Dragonair began operations from Kolkata in November 2013.
Apart from Kolkata, the Cathay Pacific Group (Dragonair and Cathay Pacific) has operations from Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai. It has 48 passenger flight operations across these 6 cities.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Wed May 13, 2015 6:41 pm Post subject:

Some recent statistics on major Indian airports:

Daily domestic aircraft movement :
CCU 221 MAA 240 DEL 589 BOM 535 Bangalore 308 HYD 207.

Daily International aircraft movement :
CCU 44 MAA 94 DEL 235 BOM 202 Bangalore 57 HYD 50

Annual domestic passenger :
CCU 9M MAA 9.6M DEL 27.4M BOM 25.2M Bangalore 12.4M HYD 7.6M

Annual international passenger:
CCU 1.92M MAA 4.7M DEL 13.5M BOM 11.4M Bangalore 2.93M HYD 2.79M

Time period April 2014- March 2015. Source: http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/mar2k15_trafficnews.jsp
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 6:34 pm Post subject:

Andal airport promises a star-studded take-off today

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Andal-airport-promises-a-star-studded-take-off-today/articleshow/47322737.cms

KOLKATA: Stars will literally descend on Andal near Durgapur on Monday evening, adding glitz and glamour to the inauguration of commercial operations at Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport. The unassuming 42-seater turboprop plane that is scheduled to touch down on the runway of the country's first greenfield airport at 5.40pm has on its passengers manifesto matinee idol Dev and a host of Tollywood celebrities including Moon Moon Sen, Nusrat Jahan, Mimi Chakraborty, Hiron Chatterjee, Raj Chakraborty, Shrabonti and Soham Chakraborty. Film producer Srikant Mohta will also be on the flight as will be housing minister Arup Biswas, chief minister Mamata Banerjee's points-person in Tollywood.

State finance minister Amit Mitra and labour minister Moloy Ghatak may also join in the maiden flight that will put the state's industrial belt on the aviation map. Last Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to use the airport when he travelled from Andal to Delhi in an Indian Air Force aircraft.

The Alliance Air flight carrying the celebrities will take off from Kolkata airport at 5.15pm and fly in the north-westerly direction for 20 minutes to reach Andal 170-km away. There, VIPs will alight from the aircraft and walk to the passenger terminal for a brief ceremony before returning to the plane for the flight back. The scheduled time for the flight's departure for Kolkata at 6.05pm is likely to be delayed by almost 30 minutes on Monday to enable the star cast some breather and squeeze in a brief ceremony.

Though all eyes will be on the star-studded ATR flight, it is a much smaller 13-seater D350 Beechcraft Super King aircraft that will officially be the first passenger flight to the airport, touching down at Andal airport at 2.15pm before taking off for Bagdogra 15 minutes later. That plane will also carry 'VIPs' but who they will be is yet to be finalized by the state government. Sources said the finance minister could hop on to this flight with a clutch of bureaucrats to make the hop-skip journey across the state.

Operated by private regional carrier Pinnacle Air, the flight will take off from Kolkata and fly to Andal. It will then head to Bagdogra, an hour's fight. From there, the flight will go to Cooch Behar, the airport that has been in readiness for years but failed to attract commercial flights. The return flight will stop at Bagdogra and Andal before arriving at Kolkata around 7.15pm.

"We will have three flights on the inaugural day, two flights from and to Kolkata and a third flight to Bagdogra and back. Initially, Alliance Air will operate six days-a-week while Pinnacle Air will operate four times-a-week," an airport official said.

Officials had initially wanted to schedule one flight to Kolkata in the morning and the other in the evening but it didn't work out as Airports Authority of India (AAI) was keen on scheduling flights in one half of the day so that controllers could be deployed gainfully. Day-long operations will be considered when the number of flights increase.

If Air India subsidiary Alliance Air gets a good response from the flight that will operate on all days except Friday, AI may consider operating an Airbus A320 or Boeing B737-800 aircraft between Delhi and Andal. Talks are also on with IndiGo to operate a Mumbai-Andal-Guwahati service while Air Costa may connect Hyderabad and Vijaywada with the airport.

The Pinnacle Air flight may receive a good response on the Andal-Bagdogra sector, particularly during holiday season, but there are doubts on the viability of the Bagdogra-Cooch Behar-Bagdogra sector that was added on the CM's insistence. Airlines officials believe the only way to make a flight to Cooch Behar viable is by putting a bigger aircraft like the ATR 42 so that the average fare comes down and entices people to travel by air. But to do that, the runway needs to be extended. AAI has long ago urged state government to help do that by constructing a culvert over a dry river Mora Torsa. Notwithstanding the commercial reality, Monday will be a new high for Mamata as the day marks the fulfilment of air connectivity to Andal and Cooch Behar that she promised in the Trinamool Congress manifesto prior to the Assembly elections in 2011.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 11:41 pm Post subject:

A few images from newly built Andal airport , West Bengal ; copyright by Tanmoy Thakur:
https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x39f76c951424377d:0x3093a902a57a1717!2m5!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i100!3m1!7e1!4shttps://plus.google.com/101936457160959036959/photos?hl%3Den%26socfid%3Dweb:lu:kp:placepageimage%26socpid%3D1!5snew+airport+andal+west+bengal+-+Google+Search&sa=X&ei=uihaVeyUJ4inyQTmq4HwCw&ved=0CIIBEKIqMA0
Control tower looks impressive, in fact better than current CCU tower!
Very Happy

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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 11:08 pm Post subject:

Andal airport receives first flight

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/commerical-flight-operations-from-andal-airportcommence/article7218649.ece

KOLKATA, MAY 18:
Two fully-geared fire tenders greeted the first commercial flight to Andal airport as a host of Tollywood stars like Dev and Moon Moon Sen ( also Trinamool Congress MPs) and two Cabinet Ministers – Malay Ghatak and Aroop Biswas – made history by being the first passengers on board the historic flight.
Conceptualised in 2008, it was a pet project of former West Bengal Chief Minister Budddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The commercial flight operations to Andal airport, which has now been named as Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, had finally begun on Monday.
Located just 180 km from the city, Kazi Nazrul Islam airport is Eastern India’s first Greenfield airport. It is promoted by the Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL), in which Singapore’s Changi Airports International has a 36 per cent stake.
This apart, BAPL’s Indian promoters include Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS), Pragati Social Infrastructure & Development, Pragati 47 Development Ltd, Lend Lease (India) Ltd. and Citystar Infrastructures.
Years ago, a private air taxi was allowed to operate Durgapur-Delhi flights from the nearby Panagarh military airport. It was a roaring success. Unfortunately the air taxi operator went bust, says Kripal Singh, President of Durgapur Small Scale Industry Association.
Singh, however, is sure the private greenfield airport will be a commercial success.
Durgapur has 15,000 engineering and management students; which form a rich catchment area with Bengaluru, Delhi and the north-east being the preferred destinations.
“Travelling by road and the risks associated with it can be done away with,” he said. SAIL’s modernisation project should also provide scope for traffic to airlines operating from the new airport. But it will still take some time before operations at the airport stabilise, a BAPL official says.
For starters, flights will have to re-organise their schedules to connect to Durgapur through direct flights to cities such as Bengaluru or New Delhi or Mumbai. As a result, many operators need to rework their fleet utilisation plans.
“The summer schedules are already done, so it will take some more months before things pan out,” the official adds. Air India became the first operator connecting Kolkata to Durgapur and back. The inaugural flight was operated by Alliance Air, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India, with a 48-seater ATR-42 aircraft.
Apart from Air India, non-scheduled operators such as Pinnacle Air are expected to start operations soon. Pinnacle Air, in technical collaboration with BAPL, carried out trial runs over the last two days from Kolkata to Cooch Behar, touching down at Durgapur and Bagdogra respectively.
According to Partha Ghosh, MD, BAPL, the airport will “usher in a new era of development in the State.”
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Sabya99

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

...and it is finally on the AI website. The Kazi Nazrul Islam (KNI) airport at Andal for Durgapur-Asansol will have code RDP.
http://www.airindia.in/durgapur-on-ai.htm
Let me see if some official work takes me somewhere close.
Cheers, Sumantra.

sabya99 · Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 7:00 pm Post subject:

sabya99 · Posted: Fri May 29, 2015 1:14 am Post subject:

Oops, flight forgets the fliers

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150528/jsp/calcutta/story_22533.jsp#.VWdtc9JViko

In the last 10 days, Air India has struggled to get into double figures with their Andal flight carrying barely 10 to 12 passengers a day. And that it's anything but smooth SAIL-ing for the new sector is proved by the fact that most passengers are employees of SAIL.
The operations started on May 18 but the national carrier has not been able to fill up even half of their 46-seater ATR aircraft except on the inaugural day when the state government had ferried several guests to the opening, said airline sources.
There was one day when the passenger count was above 20 but the rest of the days it has been between 10 and 12.
Most of the passengers are going from Durgapur to Delhi, where SAIL is headquartered. Sources said there were hardly any passengers flying only between Calcutta and Andal.
SAIL sources said everyday on an average about 10 officials of the PSU fly between Durgapur and Delhi.
"It's a convenient flight because of the through check-in. But not everyone opts for this flight because of the timing," said a SAIL source.
The flight takes off from Calcutta at 5pm and lands at Andal airport at 5.45pm. The return flight takes off from Andal at 6.05pm and reaches Calcutta at 6.50pm.
To make it viable, each flight of Air India needs to fill up at least 40 seats but it is now struggling to reach the half-way mark. The carrier is not feeling the pinch yet because Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL), the Andal airport promoter, has been paying for the seats that are now going empty. The state government has also waived the aviation turbine fuel sales tax at Andal.
"As a national carrier, it's our responsibility to connect tier I and tier II cities and the Andal operations is part of that. We have just started operations and expect the number of passengers to grow," was the official line from an Air India spokesperson.
But aviation experts said such an arrangement was unlikely to work for long.
"The airport operates like an engine. Initially it does need subsidy and other help like waiving the fuel sale tax. But an engine needs support for start-up and then functions on its own. Similarly, an airport has to be self-sustainable to stay operational," said Captain Sarvesh Gupta, chairman of the Airline Operators' Committee, Eastern India.
Also, Calcutta airport, the biggest in eastern India, remains underutilised. The new integrated terminal has an annual capacity of 20 million passengers but sources said it now handles no more than 12 million passengers.
Calcutta airport's growth has remained more or less stagnant in the last few years because of lack of industrial growth. The international passenger count has grown by around five per cent, far less compared to Delhi, Mumbai or Bangalore. In the domestic sector too, the lack of demand has seen new airlines like Vistara bypassing the city.
"So how can another greenfield airport, barely 100km away from the big airport be viable?" Gupta asked.
The answer to that question isn't even blowin' in the wind.
An airport can become self-sustainable only when the base city or town has enough industry and business to ensure round-the-year corporate fliers.
So, the initial Calcutta-Andal numbers have hardly taken Kapil Kaul, CEO, South Asia, CAPA-Centre for Aviation, by surprise. "Generating demand in the near term will be very challenging. However, this was expected and hence is no surprise," said Kaul from the global aviation research and consulting practice.
To generate demand, he added, the catchment areas need "more industrial growth". That, of course, in today's Bengal remains a million-rupee question.
Not only does Durgapur and its surrounding areas lack big companies, the 1,400-acre township around the airport is yet to be built.
The project was conceived in 2007, when the Tatas were setting up the Nano factory in Singur on the Durgapur Expressway, less than two hours from Durgapur. But with the Nano being driven away, the hope of industrialisation along the stretch lies dead and buried.
Several tour operators in Calcutta said they were not receiving "any queries" about the Andal flight.
The two major factors, they said, were the fares and the flying time.
Being an ATR aircraft, the flight takes longer compared to a Boeing or Airbus with more powerful engines.
For the 45-minute flight to Andal, a passenger needs to report to the airline counter two hours prior to departure. Also, after landing one has to spend some time for collecting baggage and then almost an hour to drive from Andal to Durgapur. And the fare? Rs 2,500.
"One has faster and cheaper options to travel to Durgapur," said Anil Punjabi, chairman, east, Travel Agents Federation of India.
A Volvo ride from Calcutta to Durgapur takes about three hours and costs around Rs 400. The Shatabdi Express starts from Howrah station at 6.05am, reaches Durgapur in less than two hours, and costs less than Rs 500.
No wonder no private airline has shown any interest in the new airport.
"We are seriously apprehensive that there won't be enough passengers," said a source in Jet Airways. He said a domestic flight needed 90 per cent occupancy for viability. Jet operates an ATR aircraft with 68 seats.
SpiceJet and IndiGo operate bigger aircraft and feel they wouldn't be able to fill even one-third in the present situation.
"There is a catchment area around Durgapur but we don't have a small aircraft to operate here," said Debjit Ghosh, regional sales head (east) of SpiceJet. The airline operates 186-seater Boeing 737-800 and 212-seater Boeing 737-900 series aircraft. The smaller 75-seater Bombardier aircraft operate in south and north India.
So what will the BAPL team in the Andal cockpit do about this? A source said the operators were taxiing to launch "campaigns and promotions" to make the airport "popular" and "expected more flights soon".
Comment: Perhaps DEL-Andal-CCU will be more viable than current Andal-CCU only route. After all who wants to fly to CCU from Durgapore area by air?

Daytime landing on NSCBI secondary runway from north : https://youtu.be/1DmYktRaje8
New Kolkata airport city side near underground garage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMi6VbPyQGM
Kolkata to Patna airport landing : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjU_pv9_Nuw
Apron activity at NSCBI airport : https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JI4HmhbURGA
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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Fri May 29, 2015 7:01 pm Post subject:

@Sumantra, you are right ; this experiment is bound to fail with large aircrafts. BAPL should try using smaller aircrafts. Also they should connect Andal airport with Patna, Ranchi and DEL to attract more passengers. May be this will take a year time! Good luck!
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 6:54 pm Post subject:

AJT Hawk crashed in India’s Bermuda Triangle
Jayanta Gupta,TNN | Jun 4, 2015

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/AJT-Hawk-crashed-in-Indias-Bermuda-Triangle/articleshow/47544823.cms

KOLKATA: The AJT Hawk from Air Force Station Kalaikunda that crashed near Bahragora in Odisha on Wednesday joined a long list of aircraft that have crashed over the last several decades in what is known as India's very own 'Bermuda Triangle'. According to military historians, at least a dozen aircraft have crashed in the small triangle formed by Piardoba (Bankura) in West Bengal, Chakulia in Jharkhand and Amarda Road Airfield in Odisha.

" There have been numerous crashes in this area due to the large number of airfields that were set up in the last years of World War II. On May 4, 1944, an American Liberator collided with a Harvard Havilland and crashed at the Amarda Road Airfield, killing four crewmen. This spot is just 75 km from Wednesday's crash site. On the night of May 7, 1944, another Liberator from Digri, on a special mission, crashed 20 minutes after takeoff, killing all 10 persons on board. Digri is only 100 km from where the AJT Hawk crashed," says war historian Anil Dhir who holds a memorial service every year at Amarda Road Airfield.

On May 13, 1944, another De Havilland crashed soon after takeoff from Amarda Road but the crew managed to escape. On October 28, 1944, a Liberator that took off for a night sortie crashed near Salboni, nearly 90 km from Bahragora. Eight persons were killed in this crash.

" The worst crash occurred on July 26, 1945, when two Royal Air Force B-24 four-engine Liberators (EW225 and EW247) collided midair at low altitude. The aircraft were based at Amarda Road Airfield and part of a six-plane contingent from the Air Fighting Training Unit and were engaged in a formation flying exercise. Fourteen airmen, the crew of the two aircraft, died due to the collision and after the mangled remains of the planes crashed to earth from 2,000 feet. The debris fell into paddy fields swollen by monsoon rains. The exact spot is now in West Bengal, just 50 km from where the Hawk crashed," Dhir adds.

According to him, there were many more crashes from neighbouring airfields. In many cases, aircraft crashed into the Bay of Bengal and were never traced. The allied forces had anticipated the Japanese onslaught from the northeast and a string of airfields were set up in the area. These included those at Jharsuguda, Amarda Road, Charbatia, Hijli, Dudhkundi, Digri, Salua, Chakulia, Kalaikunda and Bishnupur. Amarda Road had one of the longest runways in the world. The runway still exists. Hundreds of aircraft were stationed at these airfields and the entire operations in Burma and beyond were controlled from there.

" The Burma and China Hump operations resulted in the highest number of casualties. The Hump route was called the graveyard of aircraft. One in eight pilots who operated this route lost his life. Nearly 594 aircraft crashed, went missing, or were written off and 1,659 crewmen killed or went missing in action there. In fact, crash sites with wrecks are still being discovered in the hills of Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Most of these airfields are now disused and forgotten," Dhir says.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2015 6:19 pm Post subject:

Direct Kolkata-Sri Lanka flights from June 17
TNN | Jun 8, 2015,

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Direct-Kolkata-Sri-Lanka-flights-from-June-17/articleshow/47579109.cms

KOLKATA: Sri Lanka will soon be just three hours away. Sri Lanka government-owned low-cost carrier Mihin Lanka will connect Kolkata with Colombo from June 17. The thrice-a-week service will be the first flight between Kolkata and the emerald isle. At present, passengers from Kolkata take a connecting flight through Chennai or Bengaluru.

While the airline has an Airbus-319 aircraft in its modest fleet, the aircraft that is likely to be pressed into service in the Kolkata-Colombo sector will be either an Airbus A-320 or A-321.

Subhash Goyal, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, said the flight will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. "Not only will passengers save time, the return fare of Rs 15,500 will be much lower than the options currently available. We expect the flight to kick off tourism in Bengal as well as Sri Lanka," he said.

Mihin Lanka also proposes to join hands with local tourist operators to offer Durga Puja packages. "We will organize special travel packages during Durga Puja and Diwali with attractive discounts on hotel rooms and sight-seeing," said Chiranjiv Mitra, sales manager (passenger and cargo), Mihin Lanka.

Till recently, picturesque locations in Kandy and Galle were seen only during cricket matches in the country. But with Mihin Lanka now flying to the city, the travel trade industry expects a good chunk of tourists who look for five to seven-day overseas holidays to opt for Sri Lanka.
Comment: Now Jishnu will be able to visit Kolkata more frequently!!

Daytime landing on main runway from the north followed by exit using taxiway Roger : https://youtu.be/WJMjex-VuQM
Daytime landing on Bagdogra (IXB ) airport : https://youtu.be/cUYFumAxwnQ
Landing at Port Blair airport daytime : https://youtu.be/YJv1xuhoxAY?t=91
Very Happy

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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2015 9:48 pm Post subject:

jbalonso777 · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2015 11:54 am Post subject:

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

sabya99 · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2015 10:38 pm Post subject:

@ Jishnu, good luck with your exam! We all are waiting for a series of TR from father and son.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 12:46 am Post subject:

Daytime landing at ANDAL airport : https://youtu.be/9eyJtyQlmNw
Inside the ANDAL airport and first flight calibration: https://youtu.be/DHLER4R6E50 The infra. looks impressive considering all built by private sector.
Airport city ANDAL-DURGAPORE : https://youtu.be/kq5wrXAcqp0
FUTURE AIRPORT CITY -Andal/Durgapore : https://youtu.be/swzI_0l_bDY
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Sabya99

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

Sir, thanks for crawling the web to search out for videos of RDP!

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:52 pm Post subject:

@Sumantra, I was also surprised why a reputed organization like Changi will get involved in this type of project in the state of West Bengal? This project was initiated by the patronage of ex CM Mr. Bhattacharya. Perhaps he thought Singur and other projects in the pipe line will create demand for air travel in this part of Bengal. Current generation of politicians with tacit support from then ruling Congress tried their best to scuttle this project. But good sense prevailed and that did not happen and accidentally Bengal got an airport without knowing what to do with it. This is the end result when you have too much democracy without any vision. Someday desi folks will realize that!!
I have information passenger number now is not so low and catching up because of nearby army/AF base. But people are talking about direct connectivity to DEL or BOM. Some private airlines must step in to do that job.
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Sabya99

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

jbalonso777 · Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 12:12 am Post subject:

sabya99 · Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 6:10 pm Post subject:

First flight from Andal to Patna

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/First-flight-from-Andal-to-Patna/articleshow/47699108.cms

ANDAL: The first flight from Andal to Patna took off on Monday.

Spirit Airlines, a non-scheduled flight operator, started services on the Kolkata-Andal-Patna route which will have three flights a week. The first nine-seater aircraft of Spirit Airlines landed in Andal on Monday. On the first day, three passengers travelled to Patna from Andal.

Regional manager (operations) of Spirit Airlines Gouranga Bhattacharya said online booking of tickets on Kolkata-Andal-Patna route also started from Monday. Passengers would have the option of being picked up from their homes, he added.

The fare has been fixed at Rs 720 a passenger, said sources. At 11am, a flight from Kolkata will land in Andal, from where it will leave for Patna at 11.25am. Similarly, the flight will arrive at Andal from Patna at 3.25pm and will depart for Kolkata at 4.30pm.
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Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 6:23 pm Post subject:

Latest Wikimapia.org picture showing dismantling of Air India hangars #8 and 9 at NSCBI airport near erstwhile old international terminal.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=22.651861&lon=88.442143&z=19&m=b
This is prelude to new extension of apron area and future construction of taxiway around the 19R turning pad. We have to wait and watch.
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Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 10:44 pm Post subject:

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

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 6:53 pm Post subject:

More flights from Andal airport:

AI 9713 CCU-RDP ( Kolkata- Durgapore-- Andal Airport ) operated by ALLIANCE AIR six days a week excepting Friday. Flight time 40 minutes. Source: Airindia.com. Frequency has gone up as number of passengers in this sector increased. This is one of few success story of Bengal Aviation sector.

Kolkata travel video : https://youtu.be/9qlUWCsm_es Kolkata has many more nicer and picturesque spots. Is it too difficult to publicize them?
How to eat your way through Kolkata ( Calcutta ) : http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/11/travel/kolkata-food-culinary-journeys/
World’s top ten fighter aircrafts : http://www.shockpedia.com/top-10-fighter-jets/
Landing on main runway and exit through taxiway R ; https://youtu.be/WJMjex-VuQM It seems east side new fire station is nearing completion.
Etihad Airways Airbus A-320 take off at Kolkata Airport using Kilo taxiway : https://youtu.be/TreIO2DULfg
Landing on secondary runway 19R from north: https://youtu.be/cYLIwoDu0ds?t=427
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Sabya99