29. January 2007


Date: 29. Jan. 2007
Air traffic was affected this morning at the N S C Bose international airport here due to dense fog for the second consecutive day.
Airport sources said the thick blanket of fog affected all air traffic to and from Kolkata for about four hours in the morning.
A spice jet flight to Hyderabad was the last one to take off from the city at 6:10 am, airlines sources said.
Among international flights, Air India`s plane from Jeddah with Haj pilgrims had to be diverted to Nagpur.
The clearance for the operation of flights was obtained after 10 am as the weather conditions improved.
The Haj flight is expected to arrive here later in the day, AAI sources said.
The delay in the morning hours will likely affected movement of several flights during the day, the sources said.
Source: http://www.zeenews.com


Date: 29. Jan. 2007
Employees of state-owned airline Indian, who were on a protest for the last few days over demands including wage hike, on Friday threatened to strike work.
Though no final decision on the strike was announced, the Air Corporation Employees' Union (ACEU) said the delay by the Indian management in implementing the 1997 Demand Charter could lead to employees staying away from work, an ACEU statement said here.
It said the responsibility for strike would "totally lie with the management which was not showing any interest for settlement of the genuine demands", ACEU Regional Secretary S D Bhatt said.
The employees, who have been wearing black-badges and observing hunger strike for the past few days, on Friday staged a lunch-hour demonstration at their office near the Delhi airport.
The ACEU would continue sit-ins and hunger strikes near the airport entry gate on December 30 to January 1, the statement said. The ACEU would chalk out its future course of action after January 1.
Their demands include immediate settlement of the Demand Charter of 1997, higher wages, career progression and a pension scheme.
"On wage revision and career progression, everything has been negotiated and settled, but the management is unnecessarily causing delay," the ACEU had said in a circular to its regional affiliates recently.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com


Date: 29. Jan. 2007
QUEENSLAND Tourism Minister Margaret Keech yesterday declared that within a decade India would overtake traditional markets such as Japan and New Zealand as one of the state's most powerful trading and tourism partners.
Mrs Keech, who spent yesterday at the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, has joined tourism officials and delegates from about 25 Queensland businesses who have a series of meetings this week in Indian trading capitals Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai.
While Australian tourism chiefs have been working on the American market, through its 'G'day LA' promotion, Mrs Keech said millions of dollars in new trade would be established between India and Queensland over the next seven days and much of this would benefit the Gold Coast.
"It's an exciting time for relations between Queensland and India and this delegation has grown from seven people three years ago," said Mrs Keech. "We will be hosting a series of meetings with key Indian government officials to open up tourism and trade opportunities.
"A visa scheme between the two countries has now been streamlined so that Indians who have business in Australia can be on a plane within hours if they have to."
Mrs Keech and Gold Coast tourism boss Pavan Bhatia also have meetings with Air India, Qantas and Singapore Airlines to explore the possibility of direct flights into the Gold Coast.
The Indians have always been attracted to the Gold Coast theme parks and in fact a Delhi consortium investigated a new theme park in the city's Hinterland about five years ago, but this was vetoed after council planning obstacles.
Included in this week's delegation are a number of Gold Coast organisations including Dreamworld and prominent local restaurateur Nino Miano.
Mrs Keech and the entourage will be guests tonight at a dinner hosted by Delhi tourism minister Arvand Singh Lovely.
Mr Bhatia said the entourage would meet Australian Deputy High Commissioner David Holly tomorrow to discuss trade opportunities with India.
Former Queensland premier Mike Ahern is on the trade mission and believes that India and China will ultimately prove to be Queensland's best tourism market.
"India is the last of the world's true trading powerhouses and I think we have to understand that there are growing opportunities in this country," he said.
Mr Ahern likened the Indian opportunity to the Japanese invasion of the Coast in the 1980s, which spawned a raft of hotels, golf courses and related tourism activities.
Mr Ahern said he was particularly keen to meet the Mumbai movers and shakers, including Bollywood directors and producers.
"We have a world-class movie-making industry in Queensland and we need to exploit that," he said.
Source: http://www.gcbulletin.com


Date: 29. Jan. 2007
Low-cost carriers are on a fund raising spree. New Delhi-based SpiceJet and Bangalore’s Air Deccan are in the process of raising funds to build warchest for massive expansion of their fleet.
SpiceJet just finished raising around Rs 300 crore by divesting up to 25% stake. The Tata group — through two of its investment arms — picked up 7% stake for Rs 75 crore. SpiceJet is in the process of firming up orders worth around $400 million for 10 Boeing 373-900 aircraft to be delivered in 2009. “We would require around $50 million for part payment if we decide to place firm orders for additional 10 aircraft,” SpiceJet CEO Siddhant Sharma told ET. SpiceJet is likely to approach US-Exim Bank for financing over 85% of the fund requirement. The balance would be raised through another round of equity dilution.
Air Deccan plans to raise up to $75 million over the next three months by diluting around 15% equity to part finance 12 aircraft purchases — comprising eight ATR and four A320 — that are to be delivered in the current calendar year. The total fund requirements will be around $300 million, most of which will be met through sale-lease-buyback process. Air Deccan finance director Mohan Kumar told ET that the airline is evaluating the option to further dilute equity to raise funds for expansion of its fleet.
Earlier this month, Go Air had announced plans to dilute up to 20-25% of promoter’s equity to raise funds. Indian carriers have enhanced seat capacity by around 40%. Air Deccan would add on an average one aircraft a month in 2007 while SpiceJet would take delivery of at least seven new aircraft.
Other low cost carriers such as IndiGo and GoAir are likely to add another dozen odd aircraft between them in 2007.
“Given the aggressive expansion plans of our rivals we have to stay ahead of the pack,” said CEO of low-cost carrier. Low-cost carriers captured around 32% market share in 2006. As per an estimate by Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation, LCAs are expected to garner 70% of the domestic market over the next three years.
Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com