Civil Aviation

CISF sets up 'quality control' unit to enhance civil aviation security

CISF has set up a quality control unit to "enhance" the "operational efficiency" of its aviation security wing that provides a counter-terrorist cover to 68 civil airports of the country. An spokesperson for the paramilitary force said on Saturday that the Internal Quality Control Unit (IQCU) will play a "crucial" role in establishing "world-class" security procedures and technology for the airports that are used by lakhs of domestic and international passengers every day. The initiative is in compliance with the National Civil Aviation Security Quality Control Programme (NCASQCP) of 2024 issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Aircraft (Security) Rules of 2023, he said. The BCAS, under the civil aviation ministry, frames security policies for the Indian civil aviation sector. The new unit will bring about uniformity in civil aviation security procedures and training, recommend new technology available world over, allow internal audits of CISF security units

International Civil Aviation Day 2024: 50 wishes, quotes, messages to share

International Civil Aviation Day 2024 is celebrated every year on December 7. The day was established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

Six airports leased out through competitive, transparent process: Naidu

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Thursday said six airports were leased out to the Adani group through a thorough, competitive and transparent process. State-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) has leased out six airports -- Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram -- to the Adani group. While mentioning about the leasing out of these airports, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy said in the Lok Sabha that Niti Aayog and the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) were of the view that two airports should not be given to the same entity. Naidu, however, said there was no fact in the member's statement. These are wild allegations and an empowered group of secretaries, headed by Niti Aayog CEO, where DEA secretary was also a member, was constituted, he said. A thorough process was followed for the leasing out of the airports, he said, adding when they (Niti Aayog CEO, DEA secretary) were members of the group, where does the point arise tha

Air India to set up aircraft maintenance training institute in Bengaluru

Air India on Friday said it is setting up a Basic Maintenance Training Organisation (BMTO), which will offer an integrated 2+2 years Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) programme certified by the Indian aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The Air India BMTO is a step towards building a robust, future-ready aviation ecosystem in India, the company said. It will serve the ambitions of the airline as it moves ahead in its transformation journey, strengthening the availability of aircraft maintenance engineers as Air India expands its fleet, making it self-reliant, it said in a release. Air India has signed an agreement with Bengaluru Airport City Limited (BACL), a subsidiary of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), to develop a build-to-suit facility for the AME programme that will feature modern classrooms, well-equipped laboratories for practical training and a team of qualified trainers. The purpose-built campus, spread over 86,000 square f

Domestic airlines' fleet to touch 1,400 planes in 5 years: Official

Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam on Thursday said the number of planes with domestic airlines will increase to 1,400 in the next five years as he highlighted the growth potential of the country's aviation space. Currently, the fleet is around 800 aircraft and leading carriers IndiGo and Air India have placed significant plane orders. At a function in the national capital, the secretary also mentioned about the opportunities for women in the aviation sector, including in the drone segment. In the last 10 years, the number of airports has more than doubled from 74 to 157, Vualnam said. He also said the number of passengers has doubled to around 22 crore from 11 crore. The secretary was speaking at the 'Giving Wings to Dreams Awards 2024' hosted by Women in Aviation India in collaboration with the civil aviation ministry. According to him, the Rs 120-crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme was successful and that beneficiary companies have seen their overall turnov

Civil Aviation Minister Naidu vows action amid surge in hoax bomb threats

On Friday, over 20 flights of various airlines reportedly received bomb threats, according to Civil Aviation ministry

Aviation minister Naidu urges Airbus to make commercial aircraft in India

Minister inaugurated prominent aerospace company's new headquarters in Delhi

Vistara flight denied Afghan airspace after bomb scare, returns to Delhi

When Afghan airspace officials were notified of the 'non-specific' bomb threat, they refused permission for the Vistara flight to pass through

Govt may introduce new law to crack down on hoax callers disrupting flights

This move comes in response to a recent dramatic surge in hoax calls, with over 20 incidents in the last four days leading to flight diversions and delays

Scaling up plane production is main challenge, India can help: Airbus CEO

When asked about his plans to set up a final assembly line (FAL) for commercial planes in India, he replied that the FAL is just the tip of the iceberg and it is not a "limiting factor"

Bhubaneswar Airport capacity to rise to 8 mn per year: Aviation minister

Ram Mohan Naidu further said that the NDA government was formed in Odisha and the effort was to take the state forward in the civil aviation sector

Air India hired 9,000 employees in two years to meet needs: Airline chief

Air India has hired 9,000 employees, including 5,000 crew members, in the last two years to meet the workforce requirement for its expanding fleet and network, the airline's chief Campbell Wilson said on Friday. In a message to staff, he said the airline's domestic market share rose from 24 per cent in FY23 to 27 per cent in FY24 and the international market share climbed from 21 per cent to 24 per cent during the same period, on the back of network expansion and service improvements. The airline has completed two years of its five-year ambitious transformation plan Vihaan.AI. On a consolidated basis, the Tata Group-owned airline recorded a 25 per cent rise in operating revenues and a more than 50 per cent reduction in loss in the last financial year. "When we consider that the FY in question covered only the early part of our transformation program, before most of the initiatives we have been working on were implemented, these early results should encourage us that the effort is .

IndiGo pays reduced Rs 70 lakh fine to BCAS over Mumbai airport incident

IndiGo has paid the reduced penalty of Rs 70 lakh imposed by regulator BCAS on the airline in connection with the incident of passengers having food on the Mumbai airport tarmac in January this year. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had imposed a fine of Rs 1.2 crore on the airline on January 18 for the incident that happened on January 14. In a filing to the BSE on Tuesday, IndiGo said that pursuant to an appeal, BCAS reduced the penalty to Rs 70 lakh through an order dated August 12. "There is a delay in submission of the disclosure within prescribed timelines since the company was in the process of reviewing the legal remedies available against the order. Post review, the Company has paid the revised/reduced penalty amount to BCAS on September 10, 2024," the filing said. Many passengers rushed out of an IndiGo aircraft at the Mumbai airport, sat on the tarmac, and some were also seen having food there as soon as their diverted Goa-Delhi flight landed after a long del

Govt to set up SPV to push for aircraft manufacturing in India: Naidu

The government will set up a special purpose vehicle to push ahead with plans to start manufacturing commercial aircraft in India, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Wednesday as he highlighted the potential of the country's fast-growing aviation sector. The Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill 2024, which was passed by the Lok Sabha in August, includes provisions to regulate the design and manufacturing of aircraft, supporting the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative for self-reliance. "The government is strongly pushing the idea of India manufacturing its own planes," Naidu said, adding that a special purpose vehicle will be set up with industry stakeholders and others. According to him, efforts are being to ensure that aircraft manufacturing activities can start in the next five years, he said. "We want to be a big player for manufacturing planes and also export them," Naidu said. India is a key market for aircraft manufacturers - Boeing and Airbus. State-owned Hindustan ...

Civil aviation ministry announces simplified norms for seaplane operations

The civil aviation ministry on Thursday announced simplified regulations for seaplane operations, including allowing non-scheduled entities to operate such services and putting in place a simplified certificate process. The relaxed norms are aimed at encouraging seaplane operations under the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik). Generally, seaplanes are amphibian aircraft that can take off and land on the sea. Under the relaxed norms of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), there will be no need for a waterdrome license and compliance requirements have also been reduced. Waterdromes are for landing and take off of seaplanes. The revised regulations have been carefully planned and prepared after extensive consultations, said Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu. Speaking at an event in the national capital to announce the revised regulations, Naidu also said that seaplane operations can help stimulate tourism. Among other regulatory chang

Central Asia gives India's largest budget carrier IndiGo its wings

Just over a three-hour flight from Delhi, these four countries have seen a big jump in visitors

Aircraft MRO industry to reach $4 bn in seven years: Aviation min tells LS

The government has taken several steps to facilitate setting up of aircraft MRO services in India and the value of the total business may go up from USD 2 billion to USD 4 billion in seven years, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. He also said that, in a major boost to the domestic Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) industry and the aviation sector, the government brought a uniform rate of 5 per cent GST on aircraft parts components, testing equipment, tools and toolkits. "The MRO industry in the country is expected to go up to USD 4 billion in seven years from the present USD 2 billion," he said during Question Hour. Naidu said if anyone wanted to set up an MRO industry with an airstrip or airport anywhere in India, the Centre was ready to provide all assistance. He said the country's aviation industry had seen massive transformation and growth during the past 10 years under the Narendra Modi government, with domestic airlines

Union Budget 2024: Companies get limited relief to push MRO services

Indian carriers allocate approximately 12-15 per cent of their total revenues to MRO services, positioning it as the second-largest expenditure following fuel costs

2 days after global outage: Airlines play catch-up with flight schedule

About 1,000 flights delayed at country's three busiest airports

Panasonic Avionics opens new software design & development facility in Pune

In-flight Engagement and Connectivity (IFEC) solutions provider Panasonic Avionics on Wednesday opened a new software design and development facility in Pune. The new facility, inaugurated by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, is the first in the country by Panasonic Avionics Corporation dedicated to supporting the development and delivery of IFEC solutions. The facility employs over 200 skilled engineers in the beginning with growth plans in place to scale it up further to support the increasing demand from airlines for these solutions, the company said. Panasonic Avionics said the new facility will accelerate its software development capabilities and help improve the time-to-market for robust, next-generation IFEC and digital solutions. "With its huge number of skilled engineers, and fast-growing aviation sector, India is a natural location for us to invest in for the future of our business, and we look forward to accelerating our software innovation and .