Airliners-India.com

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 9:39 pm Post subject:

@Sumantra, you are always right. I thought AI started with 3 flights/ week.
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 6:07 am Post subject:

Fare cap plan in air pocket
- Junior minister favours, others cite Saudi experience

Sumi Sukanya

New Delhi, July 9: Early birds may have started making travel plans for the approaching festival season but a contentious proposal to impose a price cap of Rs 20,000 on domestic economy-class air tickets is stuck amid disagreement between two Union ministers.
A difference of opinion between civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju and his junior Mahesh Sharma has stalled a decision on a concept note prepared by the government to ask airlines to cap the fares, sources said.
According to officials in the ministry, the note prepared in December last year had recommended that the economy fares be capped at Rs 20,000 to check airlines from charging "exorbitant" rates.

Junior minister Sharma is in favour of reining in prices but sources close to his senior said such commercial decisions should be left to the airlines.
"Many carriers are charging very high spot fares and we have received many complaints from people who have to buy tickets at short notice in emergencies - they are forced to pay a bomb," Sharma told The Telegraph.
"The situation is particularly bad for travel to Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and to Andaman and Nicobar.... We cannot turn a blind eye to it," the minister said.
A one-way ticket from New Delhi to Port Blair on December 25 will cost between Rs 17,000 and Rs 43,735 on various airlines. But the fare in the first week of August (a non-festival phase) is around Rs 6,700.
The economy fare for evening flights from Delhi to Calcutta around the Durga Puja days in October stretches up to Rs 32,000. The fare in August comes to around Rs 4,700.
However, the price-cap recommendation has not yet been sent to the Union cabinet because Raju, the senior minister, is against the plan, an official said.
Raju was not available for comment but a senior official close to him said the minister was not keen on introducing any price cap as he believes airlines in India should be allowed to continue with the dynamic pricing system, as they do elsewhere in the world.
"There are bad precedents from other markets on the impact of fare caps - in Saudi Arabia, an airline called Sama had to shut down partly because of such restrictive economic regulations," the official said. "Saudi Arabia has now relaxed the fare-cap rules as they were seen as detrimental to the health of airlines. We should not venture in that direction, given the crises our airlines are already facing."
Pricing on certain dates or occasions is done by factoring in the high demand, another official explained.
"The demand around Christmas time for travel to Goa, for instance, is always high and airlines typically offer fewer lower-priced tickets or open only mid-to-high fare tickets for sale. So, the fares tend to be higher even when booked six months in advance."
Sharma said the subject would be referred to the Prime Minister's Office after a formal discussion with private carriers.
Executives with private airlines have asserted that it is only during festive seasons that fares cross Rs 20,000.
"If the government imposes a ceiling of Rs 20,000, it should also set a minimum fare so that some airlines do not offer rock-bottom fares, forcing competing airlines to drop fares," said an official with a low-cost carrier.
"We are a developing country where the per capita income is still very low and the government cannot wash its hands of welfare initiatives," said D. Sudhakar Reddy, president of the Air Passengers Association of India.
In February, a group of MPs had sent a letter to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) complaining against alleged price gouging by airlines. The CCI has ordered a probe.
The CCI had ordered a similar probe four years ago when it received complaints that airlines had suddenly jacked up prices after Air India pilots called a strike from the midnight of April 26, 2011. The investigation did not turn up any evidence of collusion or cartelisation among the airlines that would warrant action for anti-competitive practices.
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150710/jsp/frontpage/story_30745.jsp#.VZ8Pul9VhHw
Comments: Are desi airfares that volatile? We know everywhere airfares fluctuates during peak travel seasons, sports events and religious occasions like Christmas. But a six fold fluctuation of CCU-DEL fares during Durga Puja was unheard off. It is just a rip off and has to be stopped! This is not Capitalism!!
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 6:17 pm Post subject:

Air Force Station Panagarh prepares for C-130Js
Jayanta Gupta,TNN | Jul 17, 2015,

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Air-Force-Station-Panagarh-prepares-for-C-130Js/articleshow/48112789.cms

KOLKATA: Resurfacing of the runway at Air Force Station Panagarh, about 120 km from Kolkata, is expected to be completed by the end of July. The air base, of World War II vintage is being upgraded to meet the requirements of C-130 J Super Hercules aircraft that will start arriving in 2016. Engineers and technicians from Lockheed Martin are also working at the air base to build hangers and other facilities, sources in the Indian Air Force said.

"Restructuring of the runway and allied works at AFS Panagarh was undertaken by PNC Infratech Ltd in 2013. The work is expected to be completed by July 31. The air base will house the second lot of six Super Hercules aircraft that has been ordered by India. These aircraft have been modified to participate in special operations. The aircraft are being stationed at Panagarh keeping in mind the situation in the North East and requirements along India's northern border and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The new mountain division that is being raised will also be headquartered at Panagarh," the source said.

According to a Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) published by the Department of Defense, USA: "The second India case, recently signed, has evolved since its inception. First envisioned as an additional six aircraft amended to the previous case, it is now an independent entity. The Indian Air Force will now stand up a new C-130J squadron at Air Force Station (AFS) Panagarh in West Bengal, located approximately 120 kilometers northwest of Kolkata. Lockheed Martin will be contracted to construct the facilities. AFS Panagarh currently serves as an ammo storage facility and shares its runway with the Panagarh civil airport. Soon, it will also become the home of 80,000 Army troops of the newly formed 14 Corps."

The runway at Panagarh is 2,743 metres long and has been sufficiently strengthened to operate the Super Hercules transport aircraft. The first batch of C-130J aircraft is based at AFS Hindon. The IAF already lost one of these in a crash in 2014. Initially though to be a technical glitch in the aircraft, inquiry revealed possible pilot error.

Comment: Yes, I could see all those construction activities on wikimapia. Hope this place becomes a major command/control center of desi forces. This will generate employment in industry starved Bengal!
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:29 pm Post subject:

Scanner snag halts export

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150723/jsp/calcutta/story_33146.jsp#.VbDipKRVikp

Export of vegetables through Calcutta airport was stalled on Wednesday after the lone X-ray machine to scan perishable cargo started malfunctioning, officials said.
Airlines and exporters alleged that snags in the X-ray scanner had led to the suspension of export a number of times over the past two-three years, prompting a call for the installation of a back-up.
On Wednesday, thousands of cardboard boxes containing long beans, snake gourds, pointed gourds and other vegetables lay piled at a warehouse in the airport's cargo terminal.
In the afternoon, the airport authorities decided to get the fresh arrivals scanned by the X-ray machine meant for non-perishable cargo. "There is no facility to transfer goods from the warehouse for perishable items to that for non-perishable ones. Hence, the vegetables that had arrived in the morning and were lying in the perishable cargo warehouse could not be shipped," an airport official said.
"We have been suffering for more than a year. The airport authorities have been unable to provide basic infrastructure such as back-up X-ray scanner," alleged Mrinal Saha, an exporter and secretary of the West Bengal Fruits and Vegetables Exporters' Association.
He was supposed to send 1,200 boxes of green vegetables to London and Dubai on the Emirates flight that took off at 8.15pm. "We have written several letters to the airport authorities but there is no response yet," he said.
Another exporter, Tapan Sarkar, said he was to send 5.5 tonnes of vegetables to Dubai, including long beans and pointed gourds.
The consignment is worth Rs 4.5 lakh.
The consignment is likely to be shipped on Thursday morning but Sarkar fears that the importer might reject half of it. "We need to send fresh vegetables. If the consignment is even a day old, it gets rejected," he said.
The cargo terminal, situated beside the old international passenger terminal, has two warehouses - one for the perishable items like fruits, vegetables and tea and the other for non-perishable ones such as garments, leather goods and machineries.
Each section has an X-ray scanner.
Airline sources and exporters said either of the two X-ray scanners in the cargo terminal had been developing a snag once a month on average over the past two-three years.
Airport officials said they had applied for an additional X-ray machine and were awaiting clearance from Delhi.
The airlines that could not upload any perishable items included Emirates and Air India.
In the night, Thai Airways and few other airlines could upload small amounts.
The state exports around 2,500 tonnes of vegetables annually, 30 per cent of which go to Europe.

Comment: Europe and Middle East live on Bangla vegi.? It’s a wonderful idea !! At last another round of justification for upgrading NSCBI airport, Kolkata.
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 7:53 pm Post subject:

Kolkata airport tops list for unscheduled int'l flight

Press Trust of India | New Delhi
July 30, 2015 Last Updated at 20:07 IST

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/kolkata-airport-tops-list-for-unscheduled-int-l-flight-115073001543_1.html

A total of 1,365 foreign planes made unscheduled landings at 14 domestic airports in the country since January, 2012, driven by bad weather, medical emergency, technical glitches and bomb threats, among others, Parliament was informed today.

Of these, the maximum number of flights were diverted toKolkata airport with 1,117 foreign planes making an unscheduled landing there in the over three-and-a-half years between January, 2012, to July, 2015 (till date), Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Mahesh Sharma, told Rajya Sabha.

The number of foreign aircraft diverted to Lucknow was 139 during this period. The number of flights diverted to Mumbaiand Delhi airports stood at 64 and 63, respectively, he said.

The other airports where foreign planes have made unscheduled landings are Agartala, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Patna, Thiruvananthapuram and Varansi, the minister said.

The unscheduled landings are due to diversion of flights on account of bad weather at the destination, medical emergency, aircraft emergency, technical reason and bomb threats, he said.

However, no expenditure is incurred by the government or the airport operator on this account, Sharma added.
Comment: Why? BOM/ DEL are well developed airports. They could handle any emergency easily. I admit CCU has a parallel runway and lot less passenger loads. I think if something really bad happens let it be to Kolkata and not any other places in India. Any other idea!!

Day time scene at NSCBI airport : https://youtu.be/JI4HmhbURGA
How a battle in north-east India changed WW2? : http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-20270730
Epic battle of Kohima was the beginning of the end of Japanese occupation of Burma/SE Asia. Much of Independent India’s Army/ Air Force also born at this battlefield.
Recent view on landing on secondary runway followed by parking at integrated terminal: https://youtu.be/cYLIwoDu0ds?t=114
Landing under watchful eye of new monopulse radar ( Indra ? ) installed on east side of main runway : https://youtu.be/4cxvOm-ItUM
Landing and takeoff from Bagdogra airport : https://youtu.be/WJMjex-VuQM
B737 landing on CCU main runway at dusk : https://youtu.be/hJRrKklxF6g
Spicejet takeoff from Kolkata airport using Kilo taxiway : https://youtu.be/Gru2pdSkXRw
Smile

_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 6:24 pm Post subject:

Panagarh air base gears up for special operations

Jayanta Gupta,TNN | Aug 2, 2015, 03.12 AM IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Panagarh-air-base-gears-up-for-special-operations/articleshow/48313457.cms

KOLKATA: There is hectic activity at Panagarh Air Force Station, a World War-II vintage air base located about 112kms from Kolkata.

The last time this air base saw action was 44 years ago during the 1971 Indo-Pak War when it was home to two squadrons of MIG-21 and Sukhoi-7 aircraft. On Tuesday, a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft of the Indian Air Force, from the Veiled Vipers squadron based at Hindon, will land at the resurfaced runway of Panagarh air force station.

"The landing will be witnessed by Air Marshal S B Deo, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern air command, and other senior IAF officers. There is reason for this. In 2016, a squadron of six more Super Hercules will be stationed at Panagarh for operations in the Eastern and North Eastern region. Air Marshal Deo will inaugurate the runway that day. He will also visit various operational facilities and lodger units at the air base and interact with air warriors. The new runway at Panagarh can accommodate all aircraft in the IAF's inventory," a senior IAF officer said.

Facilities such as hangers and maintenance units have been developed at Panagarh by Lockheed Martin, the US company that manufactures the Super Hercules. It is a strategic transport aircraft that India wants to use not only for transport of troops and humanitarian aid but also for special operations. According to a senior Army officer, conventional wars are a thing of the past and Special Operations will be the key to victory in the days to come. With the Army's Special Forces being trained at Jorhat in Assam, the IAF has been carrying out regular drills for Special Operations, particularly during the night.

"AFS Panagarh has become a strategic asset and will be one of the premier air bases under Eastern Air command. Latest assets such as C-130J, a state-of-the-art technology radar system and surface-to-air missile system are planned for induction at this station. Availability of this airfield will also enhance the mobility of Indian Army's Mountain Strike Corps, which will also be stationed at Panagarh in near future. Additionally, this station will provide a launching base for all humanitarian and disaster relief missions," he said.

The aircraft operating surface at Panagarh was constructed between 1942 and 1944 during WW-II by the US Air Force to help it participate in the China-Burma-India Campaign. Given its proximity to the international border, Panagarh is ideally situated to launch operations in case of any aggression from the north.

Comment: This AFS upon completion will be an important asset for desi airforce in the east. May relieve pressure from Barackpore AFS. It may be also suitable for heavier aircrafts.
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 12:50 am Post subject:

More on the history of Panagarh AFB:

PANAGARH: What is common to R Johnson and Danny Kleckner? Nearly 71 years ago, these two US citizens were at work several thousands of kilometers away from their homes at an obscure place called Panagarh in the eastern part of India. While Johnson seems to have been a resident of Baldwin, Long Island, New York, Kleckner was apparently from Allentown, Pennsylvania. These two were among the hundreds of others working to create an air base at Panagarh on July 28, 1944 for operations in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theatre. All this is evident from a stretch of concrete on which the two men decided to leave their palm impressions in what was probably tar and scribble their names, the places they came from and the date. The concrete slab is now on display at Air Force Station Panagarh.

The United States Army Air Force used this air base for their B-24 Liberators. It is also rumoured that one of the two aircraft that dropped atom bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki took a refuelling break at this air base in West Bengal. However, there are no records to confirm this. After the Americans left, the airport was taken over by the National Airports Authority of India. In 1964, the Indian Air Force (IAF) reclaimed it and two fighter squadrons operated from there during the 1971 Indo-Pak War. After the war, it was returned to NAAI till 1986 when the IAF took it back. Today, it is on its way to become a strategic air base from where the IAF and Army can launch special airborne operations. Apart from advanced radar, the air base will also be armed with surface to air missiles.

"We have detailed plans for all the old airfields in this region that are lying unused at the moment. We plan to invest money to make them capable of emergency landings. This is crucial. Recently, we landed a Mirage 2000 on a highway. Such options have to be kept open in case frontline air bases are bombed and rendered unusable. I won't give out details of what we plan to do exactly at the airfields but don't be too surprised if you see a C-130J Super Hercules land or take off from the air strip at Rampurhat. There will be a lot of activity at these air strips as we will also need to set up air defence units. We have taken up the issue of encroachment and other matters with the state government," said Air Marshal S B Deo, AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command.

Now that the runway of AFS Panagarh has been resurfaced, all assets of the IAF, including fighters, can use it. Deo believes that upgradation of airfields will lead to overall development. This has happened elsewhere in the country where entire townships have emerged around military establishments. Panagarh already has an Army base which will be the headquarters of the Mountain Strike Corps that is being raised.

"Now that the air base has been re-activated, development is imminent. Families will be stationed here and they will require all kinds of items. There will be employment generation, both direct and indirect," Air Marshal Deo added.

The stretch of highway that passes through Panagarh town is in a shambles. There are regular traffic jams that can last for hours. This is something that has been holding up development of the area. A bypass that is expected to come up in a year's time will change things, officers hope.
Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/They-left-their-marks-on-the-tarmac-nearly-71-years-ago/articleshow/48350235.cms

IAF bolsters its capabilities in the eastern sector, lands Super Hercules at Panagarh

PANAGARH: Shortly after 10 am on Tuesday, three Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers from Air Force Station Kalainunda flew in 'Vic' formation over the resurfaced runway of Air Force Station Panagarh. This was followed by a C-130J Super Hercules flying at 300 feet. The strategic aircraft then made a sharp turn and landed effortlessly at 10.26 am amidst loud cheers from those on the ground. This was the first fixed-wing aircraft to land at Panagarh since March, 2014, after which resurfacing of the runway started.

History had been created. AFS Panagarh, had turned into a base for the C-130J strategic aircraft. Ironically, AFS Panagarh had been built 71 years ago by the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) to protect the interests of China against the Japanese onslaught during World War II. The Super Hercules' landing on Tuesday was to bolster the Indian Air Force's capabilities in the eastern sector where China is considered a possible threat. Air Marshal S B Deo, AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command was probably right when he quoted Lord Palmerston that "Nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests."

More : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/IAF-bolsters-its-capabilities-in-the-eastern-sector-lands-Super-Hercules-at-Panagarh/articleshow/48350203.cms
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 7:01 pm Post subject:

Recently I visited the NSCBI airport webpage of Wikipedia.org. Someone has edited this page and posted much of the history of Dumdum airport posted earlier in this forum. Editor also posted the cross reference of airlinersindia forum address. I thank the editor of Wikipedia for acknowledging my earlier post.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netaji_Subhas_Chandra_Bose_International_Airport
_________________
Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2015 6:40 pm Post subject:

Kolkata, Chennai airports taken off privatization list
Subhro Niyogi,TNN | Aug 13, 2015

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Kolkata-Chennai-airports-taken-off-privatization-list/articleshow/48460438.cms

KOLKATA: The airports in Kolkata and Chennai will not be privatized. The decision was taken at a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.

Confirming the development, Airports Authority of India chairman RK Srivastava told TOI on Wednesday that both airports would continue to be developed, operated and managed by AAI.

Sources said AAI could offer management contracts to private parties to run certain operations at Kolkata airport for a fixed fee but there would be no lease agreement. The AAI has already spent over Rs 5,000 crore in modernizing the two airports.

The government's decision seems to have been influenced by fears of a massive hike in airport charges following privatization. Airlines and trade unions had vehemently opposed %the move saying it would be detrimental to passenger growth in the country. The Bengal government's opposition to privatization of the Kolkata airport also seems to have played a part.

Civil aviation ministry officials said that the two airports have increased their revenue in the past year. While Kolkata airport generated Rs 668.93 crore in 2014-15, up from Rs 630.62 crore in 2013-14, Chennai's revenue went up from Rs 908.32 crore to Rs 1,022.80 crore during the same period.

While Kolkata and Chennai have been dropped from the PPP palette, the Centre will go ahead with the 30-year lease of Jaipur and Ahmedabad airports to private developers. This PPP model will also be different from the one adopted for Delhi and Mumbai airports as AAI will not retain any equity stake. Jaipur and Ahmedabad airports are proposed to be handed over entirely to private parties.

However, with Kolkata and Chennai being withdrawn from the PPP proposal, large airport developers like GMR, GVK and Reliance may not take interest in Jaipur and Ahmedabad as traffic potential in these airports is far lower than Kolkata or Chennai. Though Jaipur is being positioned as a tourist hub and Ahmedabad as a business destination, traffic projections for both Kolkata and Chennai are far higher.

Following Tuesday's decision, the fate of tenders on PPP for the four airports has become fuzzy. The request for qualification (RFQ) inviting private parties for the bidding process was issued recently with the last date for sale of tenders set at August 31.

Comment: These two airports are power projection type airports and not just commercial show piece even in peacetime. This logic was used by Buddhadeb Bhattachrya govt in 2007 to neutralize opposition to central govt. investment and it worked well. I hope this issue has been settled for all parties and the ball is in central govt.’s court. Central govt. must be responsible for up keeping of these two airports in future and nobody else.
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 6:17 pm Post subject:

Air travel from Kolkata to get faster

Subhro Niyogi,TNN | Aug 19, 2015, 03.03 AM IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Air-travel-from-Kolkata-to-get-faster/articleshow/48535458.cms

KOLKATA: From Thursday, men and women seated in a windowless room in Kolkata airport will control nearly half of India's continental airspace. They are the air traffic controllers who will guide about 1,000 flights a day, ensuring the safety of more than 2 lakh passengers.

At present, Kolkata air traffic region (ATR) controls the skies between Yangon in the east and Bilaspur in the west and Janakpur-Biratnagar along Nepal border in the north and mid-Bay of Bengal in the south.

But from Thursday, the jurisdiction of Kolkata ATR will be expanded till Lucknow in the north, Khajuraho in the west and Visakhapatnam in the south. It will manage traffic on 15 international routes, 37 crossings and 10 converging points, making it one of the most challenging ATRs in the country.

Apart from managing more flights, the restructuring of airspace will also enable controllers to assign direct flight paths, cutting on detours and reducing travel time. Ten minutes can be shaved off a flight to Mumbai from Kolkata that now takes 2 hours and 15 minutes. Similarly, the flight time between Delhi and Kolkata could go down by 5-6 minutes. Travel time of intercontinental flights between Singapore and Europe will also be at least 10 minutes shorter.

Airspace management will also become smarter, allowing controllers to pack nearly twice the number of flights at each level or altitude as the gap between two aircraft in the same flight level will be reduced from 80 nautical miles to 40 nautical miles.

"Different flight levels on a two-hour flight can save about 200kg aviation turbine fuel or Rs 14,000. This, coupled with direct flight routes, will result in fuel efficiency. That means lower operational cost for airlines and cleaner air. It can also lead to lower fares," a commercial airline pilot said.

While the aviation industry is excited about the development, there are murmurs of discontent among the air traffic controllers. Though their workload will increase following expansion of airspace, ATC Guild's demand for more controllers to man the workstations has not been met yet. Worried about tiredness creeping into controllers, the guild already shot off three letters to Airports Authority of India, but to no avail.

"Duty time limitations are being flouted and controllers are being asked to perform additional duties. That can happen over a limited period, not indefinitely. We are here to help the management, but not at the cost of our health which can ultimately impact air safety," a guild official told TOI.

Comment: A very good news but how long will it take to build the new ATC complex at NSCBI airport. Responsibilities for Kolkata ATC going up but infra. is going down ! A lot more manpower is also needed in the east. CCU-BOM/DEL will remain very crowded highways in the sky besides numerous east-west over flights. This will keep this ATC a hot bed of activity.
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 12:35 am Post subject:

Tracking Emirates flight to Kolkata on a real time basis by www.flightaware.com .

I tracked the entire flight from JFK to DXB and then to CCU on a real time basis. Initially it was 30 min. interval but as the Emirates flight nears Kolkata every five minutes updates were given. EK572 took a wide semicircular turn on city of Midnapore. Then to port city Haldia, crossed Hooghly river over to Raichuck. At this point at 6500ft it traveled north to Diamond Harbor and then to Sonarpore due North. Then a few D loop turn on south marker located near salt lake area and landed at the airport. I could literally see this terminal D loop turns on my web page. But target runway not indicated (possibly 01R). This site is very useful for real time tracking international flights when your loved ones travel. Before they land you know about their situation. Ah, I am relieved.
Tracking return flight from CCU to JFK :

After push back from new terminal it took almost 20 minutes to reach the 19L take off area on main runway. It was 8.30 evening so only main runway was operational. Perhaps EK573 took Kilo taxiway to reach there and the launch was south facing. Software showed brief flight straight south then changed course south west direction at 3000ft , crossed Ganges river. Next location over to Bankura town at 8000 ft heading west. Over to Tatanagar at 22000 ft heading west say about 15 mins. later. Speed was high 350 kt/h .Aircraft was controlled initially by Kolkata ATC then by BOM ATC and finally by AMD ATC. It headed straight to west Indian city Baroda then to Arabian sea touching the southern tip of Saurastra. After 4 hrs. it was heading for Oman/UAE border, here EK 573 started to take huge D loop turns twice. First one dropped height to 13,500ft and then second one dropped height to 6000 ft. Aircraft headed for Dubai City at this height and took a huge S shaped turn over the airport, locked up with landing beam and then touchdown.

Connecting flight EK 203 was at a gap of 2.30 hrs but it was even 25 mins. late. It was A380 flight with 500 passengers from all over Indian subcontinent. After takeoff it took S shaped turn over Gulf then to Iranian air space. It was at 25000 ft with a speed of 480 kt. I noticed first two three hours it did not reach altitude of 30,000ft. Once it was in central Europe it gained altitude and speed. Possibly huge fuel load prevented it to go up that high altitude. It crossed Atlantic Ocean in the same area as AI102 but at 38,000 ft at 510kt. While it was crossing Labrador Channel updates were posted every 2-3 minutes. I learnt by 3 hrs. flight will be at JFK. At this stage Gander ATC was controlling the aircraft. It flew directly over Boston, then east end of Long Island over to outer islands then locked up with landing beam at 3000 ft. Then touch down, taxing to Terminal 4. I got out of home to pick them up. This tracking software helped me a lot to plan my trip to JFK.

At JFK T4 I noticed about 25-30% Emirates passengers are of Bangladesh origin almost like Bangla express. Rest Indians, Pakis, African people ,few white American tourists. Only one Sarderji while at one point AI101 had 50% Sarderji. I could not find any first class passengers but good number of business class passenger. A380 interior was so large you could play field hockey inside. Food was better quality than AI. Rest rooms were clean in spite of large desi passengers! DXB airport a large shopping mall like Woodbridge Center Mall. Flight to CCU was full both ways and they served goat curry with yellow rice. Emirates booking office in NYC has well behaved and polite support staff as also in the air. Desis from New Jersey seems to like this flight a lot.

Emirates services in East India: DXB-CCU : 13 flights/week ( 7 x B777 + 6 x A 330 ). But nearby Dhaka has 21 flights/week: DXB-DAC (14 x B777+ 7 x A330 ) flights. In July, a peak season these two cities had 15 and 24 flights respectively. No wonder EU flights are out of the sky here. Who could compete with such large capacity?

Top international destinations on Emirates network from DXB : LHR( 1.6 M ), BKK (1.3 M ) , BOM (1.0M) DEL (0.80 M) JFK (0.63 M ) and CCU ( 0.27M; DGCA data ) for the year of 2014. From 2016 LHR will be all A380 destination with two class. Source : http://www.routesonline.com/news/29/...mpaign=the-hub

ETV and NRI travel to INDIA: The newly introduced electronic tourist visa application seems to be one of the finest job GOI has ever done for NRIs. All you need is scanned copy of passport pages and picture. The application page will adjust size provided it is in JPEG format. Then a fee of $60.00 by credit card. You get acknowledgement next morning and VISA by afternoon, all sitting at home. eTV ( electronic Tourist Visa ) application : https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/index.html and https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/info1.jsp
Once you are in India immigration official takes care of rest of formalities. This is a 30 days once a year visa.

Landing on NSCBI airport secondary runway from south side on a rainy day: https://youtu.be/0Efulqk0SLU?t=10
Emirates night landing at Dubai : https://youtu.be/XMHmYNliQRw?t=79
Main runway of NSCBI airport, south side : https://www.flickr.com/photos/rameshng/13914482931/in/photostream/
New Integrated terminal of NSCBI airport : https://www.flickr.com/photos/rameshng/13937613645/in/photostream/
Dubai International Airport terminal 3 : https://youtu.be/h85imPoddjU?t=489
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 7:20 am Post subject:

Outside help to tide over ATC crisis

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Outside-help-to-tide-over-ATC-crisis/articleshow/48550426.cms

KOLKATA: The air traffic navigation wing at Kolkata airport is requisitioning controllers from other airports on emergency basis to tide over the manpower crisis that has arisen after the redrawing of airspace.

From Thursday, controllers in the city will manage 22 lakh sqkm airspace, up from the existing 17.65 lakh sqkm. This will bring more flights under their purview and add to their work pressure.

Controllers in Kolkata will put in additional hours to manage the expanded airspace till the end of this month, but the guild has made it clear that there will be no additional work hours beyond August 31.

While the DGCA mandates 24 hours of duty for five days, with at least 24 hours of rest between shifts and a clear day's leave after a night shift, AAI had asked controllers to work for 36 hours in a five-day cycle to manage the extra airspace. The guild wants 226 new controllers to be added to the current strength of 225. At present, there are 38 controllers per shift. Following the ultimatum, senior AAI officials met guild members and assured them of steps to ease the manpower crunch. While recruiting and training controllers is a long-term solution, a couple of short-term measures have been agreed upon to bring immediate relief. Firstly, controllers who are on general duty will be assigned shifts. At present, 190 of the 225 controllers do shift duty.

Secondly, controllers from Nagpur and Bhubaneswar will be deputed to Kolkata as work load in these centres will reduce following the restructuring of airspace control from Thursday. Later on, controllers may also be requisitioned from Varanasi, Patna and Guwahati.

While the DGCA mandates 24 hours of duty for five days, AAI had asked controllers to work for 36 hours in a five-day cycle to manage the extra airspace
Comment: I thought of this situation yesterday. Was it necessary to over centralize all the ATC activity in one place named Kolkata? Think hard babus!
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2015 6:01 pm Post subject:

IAF to celebrate 50 years of dogfight over IIT-Kharagpur soon

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/IAF-to-celebrate-50-years-of-dogfight-over-IIT-Kharagpur-soon/articleshow/48632820.cms

KOLKATA: In a few days, Indian Air Force (IAF) will celebrate 50 years of the famous dogfight in the skies above the Indian Institute of Technology's Kharagpur campus, which led to the downing of a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-86 Sabre on September 7, 1965.

This was the only Pakistani aircraft downed by the IAF in the eastern theatre during the 1965 Indo-Pak War.

More importantly, this downing resulted in the cessation of air operations by the PAF over Kalaikunda airbase from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

Air Marshal (retd) GCS Rajwar said the IAF owes its success on that day to the exemplary courage and outstanding performance of two Anglo-Indian officers posted at Air Force Station Kalaikunda.

While Air Commodore (retd) Alfred Cooke, who was then a Flight Lieutenant, flew a Hunter aircraft and shot down the Sabre, the operation may not have been possible without the planning of Air Commodore (retd) P M Wilson, who was then a Wing Commander and in charge of the 16 Canberra Squadron based at Kalaikunda.

Rajwar was then a navigator in the Canberra Squadron and had taken part in the bombing raid on Chittagong air base, barely hours before the historic air battle.

The day's operation started from Kalaikunda with two Canberra aircraft taking off for the raid on Chittagong. The raid was led by Wilson himself and Rajwar was in the second aircraft.

Despite bad weather conditions, the raid was by and large successful and the aircraft returned to Kalaikunda unscathed. But, none was aware that they had been followed in by five Sabres of PAF's 14 Squadron based at Tezgaon near Dhaka. Wilson, Rajwar and the others were being debriefed on their mission around 6.30am when the Pakistani's struck.

"After the Sabres left, Wilson calculated their transit times to Kurmitola (Dhaka) and back including turnaround time for refuelling and rearming. He predicted a second raid by Sabres around 10.30am over Kalaikunda. He assumed that the Pakistanis would attack Kalaikunda again ," Rajwar added.

Wilson's prediction and timing came correct. But this time, IAF Hunters were waiting for the Pakistani Sabres. Flight Lieutenant Cooke engaged four Sabres and shot down one. A second one was damaged. Cooke won the Vir Chakra for his bravery.
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 4:39 am Post subject:

Flights to Nepal

Nepal Airlines is likely to resume direct flights between Calcutta and Kathmandu by November this year.
Initially, the flights will operate thrice a week.
"Nepal Airlines may restart operations from Calcutta to Kathmandu by Diwali," Deep Kumar Upadhyay, Nepal's ambassador to India, at an event organised by the CII Eastern Region in the city on Friday.
The airline is planning to operate Airbus 320 that can seat 160 passengers.
The airline's direct flights between Kathmandu and Calcutta had stopped around three years ago.
At present, Air India is the only carrier that operates direct flights between the two cities.
"If the volume of business rises, it will soon become a seven-day-a-week service," said Upadhyay. Currently, Nepal Airlines runs direct flights from Kathmandu to Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150829/jsp/calcutta/story_39640.jsp#.VeDoMyVVhHw

Comment: Who says there are not enough airlines passengers between CCU and Nepal!!
_________________
Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 6:46 pm Post subject:

Massive jump in Emirates services between CCU-DXB in upcoming holiday season (2015-2016).

Is this just to corner Qatar airline’s new B787 flight from Kolkata ? Or there are really high volume traffic loads between CCU and the west during Christmas time? Mid-January EK flights to Kolkata from DXB : 20 flights a week . Two B777 flights in three class config. each day and 6 by A330 in two class config. every week. I think Ek will put neglected and long marginalized East India into world airlines map.
Source; http://www.emirates.com/english/destinations_offers/timetables/flightscheduleresults.aspx?schedule=W&itinerary=R&DepStn=CCU&ArrStn=DXB&FromDate=151215&ToDate=151215&searchType=Schedule&fn=f&h=2719af19c124b323e926746bb622f2ba448437

Kolkata airport after landing on a rainy day : https://youtu.be/m3X4vTPithg
Inside the Kolkata integrated terminal : https://youtu.be/CyJgty49Aus
Top ten Indian airports 2014-015 : https://youtu.be/8fU1V05BLks
Lengpui airport in Mizoram, one of the trickiest airport in India : https://youtu.be/6JoBy1HrMrk
Kolkata taxing ,take off and nite landing on main runway ; https://youtu.be/5W7Ed-VEb0U
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 6:21 pm Post subject:

Calcutta to get 3 more aerobridges

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150904/jsp/calcutta/story_40690.jsp#.VemQe9JViko

Calcutta airport will get three more aerobridges that have been lying unused at the old terminal.
A 25-metre air-conditioned corridor will link the new integrated terminal with the old domestic terminal building where the three aerobridges used to operate till March 2013 before the new facility became operational.
"The 25m gap will be joined and the passenger boarding bridges will be made use of," said R.K. Srivastava, chairman, Airports Authority of India.
The new terminal has 18 aerobridges - 10 in the domestic area, six in international and two common bridges used for both.
"During rush hours, the number of aerobridges in the domestic area becomes inadequate and planes have to be parked in remote bays," an airport official said.
The additional aerobridges will be used for domestic flights, he said.
The AAI chairman said a covered link between Metro Railway's proposed station at the airport and the integrated terminal building and a domestic cargo terminal were part of the development plan for Calcutta.
Aerobridges are basic requirements for a modern airport.
Mumbai airport has been upgraded to handle 40 million passengers a year with four times more aerobridges than in Calcutta. Delhi's Terminal 3 has 78 aerobridges for an annual traffic of 35 million. Calcutta airport has an annual capacity of handling 20 million passengers.
The shortage of aerobridges in Calcutta is one of the reasons why baggage takes more time to arrive than at any other metropolitan airport, a source said.
'Tractor trolleys have to cover long distances when aircraft are parked in remote bays. That delays baggage arrival," an official said.
It takes three to four minutes for luggage to be unloaded from the belly of an aircraft and put on a tractor trolley, which then covers 2 to 2.5km till the integrated terminal. A tractor trolley takes at least seven minutes to reach the building, the official said.
Comment: This should have been done earlier even before the inauguration of new terminal. There is no point in letting the old domestic terminal sit like rock just 75 ft away unused while passengers are walking/ busing half a mile to board there domestic flights. AAI babus wake up, plan carefully. A large increase in capacity at NSCBI airport is needed down the road. May be old international terminal should also be refurbished and put to use for domestic flights. It can easily handle five more wide body gates.
_________________
Sabya99

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

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

jbalonso777 · Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:12 am Post subject:

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 10:48 pm Post subject:

Yes, both of you are correct. I made a mistake in interpreting the original website and sorry for that. The flight frequency is 13 per week. But I heard that EK changing A330 to B777 frequently whenever they have 100% or more occupancy.
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 6:04 pm Post subject:

Tour operators from Kolkata want cheaper fares to the Andamans

Sep 8, 2015, 09.33 PM IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Tour-operators-from-Kolkata-want-cheaper-fares-to-the-Andamans/articleshow/48874703.cms

KOLKATA:The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have the makings of much sought after tourist destinations in countries like Thailand but exorbitant air fares and lack of infrastructure are keeping tour operators in Kolkata from exploiting the situation. The Kolkata - Port Blair air route is among the most expensive in India. Fares for the 2 hours 15 minute journey shoot up to anything between Rs 18,000 and Rs 20,000 during vacations. Even otherwise, air fares rarely fall below the Rs 7,000 mark. Tour operators say that the government needs to take steps to try and bring this down if it wishes to promote tourism in the Andamans in a big way. According to the Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) Administration, annual tourist figures hover around 2.5 lakh but there is capacity for more. It also wants more international tourists on the islands that have some of the best natural beaches in the world.
"There is a lot of scope. Nowadays, a large number of international tourists want to cover an entire circuit in a span of a few days. They come to Kolkata and want to cover Darjeeling, the Andamans and other locations in one go. We can sell the Andamans provided infrastructure in the islands improves. So far as domestic tourists are concerned, this is a price sensitive market. People wouldn't want to travel to the Andamans if air fares are the same or even higher than to Phuket. After all, infrastructure in Phuket is far better than in the Andamans. Air fares need to be brought down but airlines complain that the route is not viable due to insufficient passengers," said Anil Panjabi, honorary chairman, eastern India, Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI).

The Veer Savarkar International Airport at Port Blair will soon get night landing facilities. The Indian Air Force's base at Car Nicobar has also granted permission to use its runway as an alternative one in case civil aircraft can't land at Port Blair. Now, efforts are also being made to operate a Port Blair - Phuket service for international tourists.

"A study is on to introduce a Port Blair - Phuket service. This will allow international tourists to travel to the Andamans directly without stopping over in the mainland. We also have plans to park aircraft at Port Blair in the night so they can take off early in the mornings for international destinations. Tourists prefer morning flights as it allows them have the whole day to themselves after they reach their destinations. We want to develop the islands into a tourist attraction like any other location in South East Asia. The process has already started. The new terminal building of the Veer Savarkar International Airport is being developed at a cost of Rs 413 crore," said Bishnu Pada Ray, MP, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Comment: One reason flights to Port Blair from main land is so expensive is due to lack of aviation fuel storage facility on the island. Aircrafts from CCU has to carry entire fuel load for round trip journey by sacrificing passenger and cargo volume which increases fare considerably. Hope GOI will convert this airport like any other full service airport of the main land!
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 6:35 pm Post subject:

Recently upgraded port Blair airport suitable for night landing :

http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=11.647918&lon=92.734019&z=17&m=b

Still no sign of large jet fuel tank, so passenger aircrafts will have to carry extra fuel with then or lighten the load.

SpiceJet becomes first airline to make night landing at Port Blair

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/spicejet-becomes-first-airline-to-make-night-landing-at-port-blair/article7651447.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication
A milestone was achieved at Port Blair’s Veer Savarkar International Airport on Friday after a Kolkata flight of budget carrier SpiceJet made the first ever night landing by a civil airliner at the airport.
The successful operation of the flight SG-251 on September 11, 2015 at 6.10 pm, 50 minutes post-sunset, paves the way for similar flight movements after sunset. The airport was recently upgraded with improved runway, lighting and navigation systems to allow commercial night flying.
The upgrade of the airport has been carried out by the Andaman and Nicobar administration, with support from the Civil Aviation Ministry, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Andaman and Nicobar Command and Airports Authority of India. The first night landing was allowed after a thorough safety risk assessment was conducted.
The SpiceJet flight was commanded by Capt. Gurcharan Arora and Capt. Ranbir Singh and the 212-seater Boeing 737-900ER aircraft VT-SLD was greeted upon arrival by a grand water cannon salute, an aviation tradition to mark key milestones.
The aircraft later departed for Kolkata at 6.45 pm as SG-261, thereby completing a cycle of landing and take-off from the Port Blair airport during the night time, an airline spokesperson said.
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 6:37 pm Post subject:

Airports Authority of India to invest in expansion of Chennai airport

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/49075594.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

NEW DELHI: State-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) would invest up to Rs 1,400 crore in further expansion of Chennai Airport and setting up an ATC tower at Kolkata Airport, a move which comes after the government dropped its privatisation plans.

Besides, the national airport operator plans to develop city side of Lucknow, Raipur and Tirupati airports to shore up additional revenue and curtail operational losses of these airports, a senior AAI official said today.

"We are integrating domestic and international terminals at Chennai airport for facilitating passengers an easy access as part of the second phase of its expansion plans. We are in the process of appointing a project management consultant for this purpose. The entire (integration) work will require an investment of around Rs 1,000 crore," the official said.

The AAI has also drawn up a plan to set up a new ATC (Air Traffic Tower) at Kolkata airport at an investment of Rs 300-400 crore, the official said, adding, "These two projects would be funded through internal accruals as well as by raising debt from the market."
COMMENT: As number of flights from Kolkata and over flight on CCU ATC region increases this single project becomes indispensable for future development of Kolkata Airport! Lot of talks going on for few years but nothing concrete happened! Embarassed

_________________
Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2015 6:31 pm Post subject:

@Sumantra, current ATC building which is only eight story high was built in 1970 and still serving the city of Kolkata. Since then number of over flights and flight density over CCU airspace have gone up considerably. Other economic centers are getting multiple and fancy ATC ; why MCA babus are ignoring Kolkata airport for such a long time. I smell it is a deliberate attempt to undermine the importance of airport. Don’t forget it will remain the gateway to north east India and will have to control large overflight of international flights over the city! Those babus have lost their mind.
Regarding visibility of south end of runway: I think in 1970 south end and delta taxi track was visible form the top of ATC tower. But as you know a large land area was incorporated in south side in 2009 and runway extended by say 500 meters, that scope of visibility was gone. You now need a bigger, taller ATC. Kolkata should have it without delay. I think it should be located on East side of the airfield near the land encroached by junkies.
Embarassed

_________________
Sabya99

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

Sir, I doubt if it is a conspiracy against Calcutta: I think it is plain and simple red-tape and sluggishness of official machinery. Of course, having a pro-active airport director helps, and to the best of my knowledge, Dr. B. P. Sharma did a real lot for the NSCBIA T2. Talking of ATCs, even the DEL ATC tower has been in the works for a very long time. I believe that the lovely BOM one was also delayed.
Cheers, Sumantra.

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2015 9:49 pm Post subject:

CM wants London flight back on radar

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/CM-wants-London-flight-back-on-radar/articleshow/49096884.cms

KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday urged civil aviation minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju to facilitate direct connectivity between Kolkata and Europe. At present, passengers from Kolkata have to fly to Europe either via Delhi or Mumbai, or via the Gulf cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

Impressing upon Raju the need to ask national carrier Air India to operate a flight between Kolkata and London or any other European city, Mamata pointed out that the airline had withdrawn services some years ago despite good traffic.

Following lack of response from major European carriers like British Airways (BA) and Lufthansa, whom Kolkata airport director A K Sharma had contacted last month, Mamata said the national carrier was the only hope till bilateral issues were resolved to facilitate the entry of Turkish Airlines. Turkish Airlines is keen on a flight between Kolkata and Istanbul, but is unable to operate it as it does not have permission from Indian authorities.

Incidentally, BA and Lufthansa used to operate to Kolkata earlier but withdrew services as yields were low in the absence of business-class passengers.

Sources said the CM also asked the minister to help improve connectivity between Kolkata and other Indian cities as well as intra-state travel by making some defunct air strips operational. She pointed out that flights from Kolkata were far fewer than those from other Indian metros and said it was hampering the state's business and tourism potential.

Pitching for more flights to the newly commissioned Kazi Nazrul Airport at Andal near Durgapur, Mamata offered all help to Airports Authority of India (AAI) to make Cooch Behar airport as well as Malda and Balurghat air strips operational. Jadavpur University has been asked to evaluate the possibility of diverting Mora Torsa river at Cooch Behar airport so the runway can be extended. At present, only small propeller aircraft can fly in and out of the airport.

Sources said the Malda and Balurghat proposals were unviable as the current facilities were not fit for operation following rampant encroachment and unauthorized construction around the airport. AAI chairman R K Srivastava, who was present at the meeting, said feasibility studies will be done at both places.

COMMENT: I have discussed this issue in the forum earlier. One reason EU airlines left Kolkata was lack business class passengers. Another reason ME airlines are coming to Kolkata is plenty of cattle class passengers and some business/first class passengers. It seems EU airlines are in no position to challenge the might of ME airlines and Kolkata people should get used to stop over at DXB etc. It will take few hours extra time but far better than transshipment to BOM. As far AI ,they don’t care ; too busy keeping politicians happy! I think this system will continue for many years, till India’s own private airlines take the initiative for using NSCBI as major international hub. Will that happen soon? I doubt!!
Self-destructive Bongs are not that fortunate.
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 7:33 pm Post subject:

New construction activity noticed at hump era airport SURICHURA ( Rampurhat Airport ):

http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=24.186847&lon=87.700939&z=16&m=b OR
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=24.189157&lon=87.697270&z=16&m=b

I reported earlier that this abandoned airport will be reactivated by IAF for C-130 type aircrafts. The north/south runway is 1.80 miles, while E-W runway 1.90 mile. New turn pad, runway marking and smooth runway edges are clearly visible in this picture. This abandoned hump era airport almost became a cattle grazing ground. The progress of the runway repair is pretty fast. Keep up the good job IAF. This airport could handle C-130/ AN-32 but Migs/Su I don’t know!
_________________
Sabya99

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

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

sabya99 · Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 8:27 pm Post subject:

@ Sumantra, so you read my posts regularly !! Smile

_________________
Sabya99

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

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 10:45 pm Post subject:

Thai Airlines ends its service to US by October 25th, 2015:

The airline was once the operator of two of the world's longest non-stop routes between Bangkok and Los Angeles and New York City, but due to high fuel prices, the withdrawal of aircraft, luggage weight limits and rising airfares, the airline abandoned all non-stop U.S. services in 2012 indefinitely. As of 2013, services between Bangkok and Los Angeles are served via Incheon International Airport near Seoul, however, it will end its service to the U.S. by October 25, 2015.( Wikipedia ).

Historically flights to LA started in early 1970s with DC-10. This flight was connected to CCU after an overnight stop. Many of my friends used to take this flight from Kolkata on the way to US West coast/ mid-west even as far as Chicago. Decent price and good inflight service of Thai Air made it popular with student and tourist alike. But those days are gone and Thai has to face stiff competition from ME3 airlines funded by Petro dollar. When ME airlines offering flights to places like Atlanta, Miami, LAX and SFO nonstop, Kolkata passengers are in no mood to fly by BKK-LAX. Besides Kolkata now have dependable services of Cathy via Hong Kong. But this Thai transcontinental flight will be remembered as one of the few international flight available short distance away from Kolkata for many decades particularly after all international flights were terminated just after Bangladesh war in 1971. Good job Thai folks!!

Bangkok – Seoul Incheon – Los Angeles
TG692 BKK1340 – 2105ICN2220 – 1755LAX 77W x135
TG693 LAX2350 – 0615+2ICN0745+2 – 1130+2BKK 77W x135
Based on current schedule and inventory listing, this would mark the end of THAI’s operation to the US.

Bangkok – Kolkata operation, which sees TG335/336 operates with Boeing 777-200ER, replacing A330. This flight operates 3 times a week during daytime.
TG335 BKK1140 – 1245CCU 777 246
TG313 BKK2345 – 0045+1CCU 333 D
TG314 CCU0200 – 0610BKK 333 D
TG336 CCU1355 – 1805BKK 777 246
www.airlinerroute.net/
_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 6:30 pm Post subject:

Puja blues for Bangkok & bars
- Flights to Thailand fail to fill seats

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151016/jsp/calcutta/story_48299.jsp#.ViDya9KrTGI

Puja flights to Bangkok have rows of seats still empty as Thailand struggles to woo tourists from the east like it once did.
Political unrest over the past year and possibly a Phuket-Pattaya overkill are responsible for Thailand becoming a not-so-attractive destination for the festive season.
In the four days of Durga Puja, around 18,000 Calcuttans fly abroad, which is about 50 per cent more than the average for that period in any other month except the winter and summer holiday seasons.
More than 40 per cent of the Puja holiday traffic is to Southeast Asia and around 30 per cent to West Asia and Africa (mainly Egypt). Europe accounts for 20 per cent and the rest is divided among US and Australia, according to sources in the aviation industry.
Among the Southeast Asian countries, Thailand had been the evergreen sector for more than a decade. For many Calcuttans, Thailand was the Digha, Puri or Darjeeling of international holiday destinations - near to home, full of activity options and affordable.
The trend has changed this year, which airlines and tour operators hadn't expected.
About 30 per cent of tourists for whom Thailand would have been an easy choice to make for the Puja holidays until a couple of years ago have opted for destinations like Hong Kong, Macao, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and even Europe.
Thai Airways had added an afternoon flight for five days between October 15 and 24 in anticipation of the usual rush, only to be left counting empty seats. Officials of the airline said at least three of these flights had more than 30 per cent empty seats with less than a week to go for the festive break.
"In the last few years, all our flights have had full occupancy at this time of the year. A week before Puja, travel agents would call us multiple times for one seat. This year, the maddening rush isn't there," said Vichaya Singtoroj, general manager of Thai Airways in Calcutta.
SpiceJet, which operates daily flights to Bangkok, has reported 80 per cent bookings for the Puja period.
Last year, the average Calcutta-Bangkok return fare for a last-minute booking was around Rs 30,000. Airline officials said tickets were available for around Rs 20,000 this year. Travel agents who had blocked seats in bulk have been left with unsold tickets.
A senior marketing professional based in Mumbai said Bangkok was facing a problem that wasn't uncommon to businesses: demand diversification. "The market remains the same but the loyalty towards Thailand is changing because the consumer has ready and affordable alternatives," said Rajesh Chakrabarti, former chief marketing officer at Reliance Commercial Finance.
Direct connectivity to places like Hong Kong and Colombo have played their part in removing Thailand from the bucket list. "Destinations like Colombo have surprised us with almost full flights," said Anil Punjabi, chairman (east) of the Travel Agents' Federation of India.
Budget airline Mihin Lanka launched flights from the city earlier this year. Dragonair, a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific, has direct flights to Hong Kong.
Businessman Kamal Talreja has been to Thailand with his wife Mehek and their daughter Samaira three times out of their last four foreign trips. This Puja, they are off to France.
_________________
Sabya99

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

Troubled times for RDG, as anticipated?
Ameya's lovely analysis ponts out some unflattering figures:
http://networkthoughts.in/dgca-declares-city-pair-traffic/
AI has discontinued PNY, and the moment the West Bengal Government sop on the RDG flights go, possibly so will the flights. MYQ possibly still exists due to the Karnataka Government sops. The DGCA statistics are quite representative, even from some circumstantial evidence I have: occasional numbers for some specific flights on some specific days. Quite representative, and quite damning, unfortunately.
Cheers, Sumantra.

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:18 am Post subject:

HAPPY DURGA PUJA TO ALL MY VISITORS. Very Happy

_________________
Sabya99

sabya99 · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:24 am Post subject:

If SAIL could supply 10 passengers a day to Andal airport then why not 10 each from Coal India/IISCO/Panagarh base. That will keep this airport alive. I hope someday a few Bongs will get out of Rajdhani /Satabdi express and would like to fly. What a traditionalist folks! Embarassed

_________________
Sabya99