Page 10 - Jyotiraditya Scindia

Navi Mumbai airport to become operational from this year-end: Scindia

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said the Navi Mumbai international airport will become operational from November or December this year, and also announced that in the next 10 to 15 years, at least 10 cities in India will have two airports each. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of AAR-Indamer MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility at the MIHAN SEZ in Nagpur. "The country had been waiting since the last 60 years to see Mumbai getting connected to Navi Mumba, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is today bringing to reality the dreams of people," he said, referring to the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) scheduled to be inaugurated by the PM later in the day. "The Navi Mumbai international airport will start its operations in November or December this year. This airport's first flight will land in November or December. The airport will pave the way for the big development of Navi Mumbai," the Civil Aviation Minister said. "In the nex

Passenger traffic at B'luru international airport increases by 35% in 2023

The Bengaluru international airport had a footfall of 37.2 million passengers in 2023, marking a 35.3 per cent increase compared to the previous calendar year, airport authorities said on Friday. The airport, known as Kempegowda International Airport, said that 32.7 million of these passengers were domestic and 4.5 million were travellers to international destinations. On April 29, 2023, the airport recorded the highest number of passengers in a single day--1,16,688. In 2023, factors such as reduced travel limitations, improved economic conditions, and increased demand for leisure and business travel led to a notable rise in growth numbers, a statement issued by the airport said. It said that March 17, last year had 748 air traffic movements (ATMs), defined as the landing or take-off of an aircraft, the highest for a single day in the year. "It is a notable recovery, considering that the highest ATMs on any single day in calendar year 2022 was 693. Domestic ATMs last year saw a ...

UP to get 5 more airports: Scindia after flagging off Ayodhya-A'bad flight

Uttar Pradesh will have five more airports in the next one month that will take the total number of airports in the state to 19, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday as he flagged off direct flight from Ayodhya to Ahmedabad. The Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30. Scindia said that five new airports will be inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh in one month. The airports will be at Azamgarh, Aligarh, Moradabad, Chitrakoot and Shravasti, taking the total number of airports in the state to 19. IndiGo, which has started services between Ayodhya and Delhi from January 11, will operate flights between Ayodhya and Ahmedabad thrice a week. The carrier will commence operations on the Mumbai-Ayodhya route from January 15. Scindia flagged off the flight from Ayodhya to Ahmedabad virtually from the national capital. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state's Tourism and Culture

Ram Mandir: Aviation minister flags off Ahmedabad-Ayodhya direct flight

Indigo will operate on the Ahmedabad - Ayodhya route, thrice a week, Thursday onwards

Uttar Pradesh to have 5 more airports in one month: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday said five new airports will be inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh in one month. He was speaking at the virtual function for the inauguration of flight service by IndiGo from Ayodhya to Ahmedabad. Ayodhya airport will be expanded and the runway will be extended that will allow landing of bigger aircraft and operation of international flights, Scindia said. The Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30. On that day, IndiGo and Air India Express operated flights to Ayodhya. Scindia on Thursday said five new airports will be inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh in one month that will take the total number of airports in the state to 19. The airports at Azamgarh, Aligarh, Moradabad, Chitrakoot and Shravasti will come up in the state. Regarding Ayodhya airport, Scindia said the second phase expansion will start soon and that more flights will be connecting the city. The

Centre sanctions over 150 CISF commandos security cover for Ayodhya airport

The Union home ministry has sanctioned a more than 150 personnel strong CISF anti-terrorist cover for the Ayodhya airport, days before the high-profile consecration ceremony at the Ram temple on January 22, official sources said on Tuesday. The 'Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham' has become the 68th civil airport terminal in the country to come under the umbrella of the specialised aviation security group (ASG) of the central force. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will provide an anti-terrorist and anti-sabotage cover to the Ayodhya airport that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2023, official sources said. The force will frisk passengers and their baggage and secure the perimeter of the facility, like what is done at other national and international airports, they said. An armed contingent of more than 150 CISF personnel under the command of a Deputy Commandant rank officer has been sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affair

No adverse findings in Boeing 737 Max planes, says Akasa post-inspection

Akasa Air on Monday said it has completed a thorough inspection of its entire fleet of in-service Boeing 737 Max planes and that there are no adverse findings. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on January 5, directed domestic airlines to immediately carry out inspection of emergency exits of all Boeing 737-8 Max planes in their fleets as an "abundant precautionary measure" in the wake of the Alaska Airlines incident. On January 4, an Alaska Airlines plane's outer section, including a window, fell off mid-air and the aircraft involved was Boeing 737-9 Max. In a statement on Monday, Akasa Air said subsequent to the guideline issued by DGCA, it has completed a thorough inspection of its entire fleet of in-service Boeing 737 Max aircraft. "We can confirm that there are no adverse findings. We can also confirm that there was no disruption to our operations during this time," it said. Akasa Air has 22 Max planes in its fleet. Currently, there are more than 40 Boeing 737-

Airports are not only a medium of travel, but centre of growth: Scindia

After holding a convocation event at Bharathidasan University, PM Modi was felicitated by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin at the public programme

Aviation Minister Scindia reaches Ayodhya Airport ahead of inauguration

The Union Minister took stock of the arrangements before Prime Minister Modi dedicates the first airport in the temple town to the nation

Steps being taken to deal with fog impacting flight operations: Scindia

Amid dense fog disrupting flight operations at the Delhi airport in the last few days, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said the ministry is coordinating with the airport and airlines, and putting in place measures to deal with the issue. Terming the fog issue as a "transitory phenomenon", the minister in an interview to PTI also said this year the situation has been slightly unprecedented in terms of the density of fog. Many flights were diverted and scores were delayed at the Delhi airport due to dense fog. "Fog issue is an issue that we encounter 15-20 days every year... this year, there has been unprecedented fog for the last three or four days. We are coordinating with all the airlines to make sure that they have CAT II and CAT III-trained pilots during fog hours, thereby easing congestion," Scindia said. CAT II and III requirement pertains to operating flights in low visibility conditions. The civil aviation ministry is monitoring the fog situation on a

Ayodhya airport inauguration will be historic day for India: Scindia

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said tomorrow will be a historic day for the country with the inauguration of the Ayodhya airport, which will be expanded hugely in the second phase by augmenting overall area and increasing the runway length. The Ayodhya airport, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, is built over an area of 6,500 square metres. In an interview to PTI, Scindia said the connectivity from the Ayodhya airport will only grow in the days to come. "There is tremendous potential with civil aviation across the country providing capability and especially for Ayodhya which is religiously and spiritually entwined in our hearts," he said. According to him, the second phase of the airport project will be hugely expansive going from the 6,500 square metres facility to 50,000 square metres. "We are expanding the runway to 3,750 metres which is good enough for international flights," he added. The first phase of the Ayodhya .

More than 1500 people perform tabla in Gwalior, set Guinness World Record

Expressing his joy, Chief Minister Yadav announced that December 25 will be celebrated as 'Tabla Divas'

New surveillance tech to reduce midair gap between aircraft from Jan 1

A reduction in lateral separation of aircraft will enable flight operators to take more direct routes, saving fuel in the process

Govt asks airport operators to explore biometric models for smooth travel

The civil aviation ministry, which is taking measures to prevent congestion at airport in the upcoming festive season, has asked airport operators to look at the successful biometric models being used in other countries for smooth travel of air passengers. During a meeting with an advisory group, civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia asked airport operators to promote Digi Yatra, which provides for contactless, seamless movement of passengers at various check points at airports based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT). Currently, Digi Yatra is available for domestic passengers at 13 airports, including Delhi, Mumbai and Varanasi. At the meeting on Tuesday, the airport operators were also tasked with presenting biometric enabled models being successfully used in other countries, according to an official release. On December 15, Scindia said the Digi Yatra facility will be available at 25 more airports in 2024. The release said that a suggestion at the meeting was to ...

Centre boosts CISF personnel headcount to avoid congestion at airports

Steps up efforts to ensure smooth passenger flow during Christmas and New Year

More immigration desks, entry gates added at Delhi airport, says Scindia

In December last year, there were 31 entry points, which have been increased to 66. Similarly, X-BIS machines have been increased from 50 to 66

Digi Yatra facility to be available at 25 more airports in 2024: Scindia

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said Digi Yatra facility will be available at 25 more airports in 2024. Currently, the facility is available at 13 airports for domestic passengers. Digi Yatra provides for contactless, seamless movement of passengers at various check points at airports based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT). At a briefing in the national capital, Scindia said Digi Yatra will be introduced at 14 airports in the first phase and another 11 airports in the second phase next year. By the end of 2024, Digi Yatra will be available at 25 more airports and the total number of airports that will have the facility will increase to 38, he said. Currently, Digi Yatra facility is available at 13 airports that handle around 85 per cent of the country's domestic air passenger traffic. Next year, the facility will be available at a total of 38 airports that handle around 95 per cent of the traffic. The data shared by a passenger for Digi Yatra is store

Scindia discusses airfares, ways to improve airlines' on-time performance

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday reviewed the self-monitoring mechanism for airfares put in place by individual airlines and emphasised keeping fares in check on select routes. During an advisory group meeting, there were discussions on airlines' on-time performance (OTP), and the minister instructed the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to relook technical specifications at VFR-equipped (Visual Flight Rules) airports to help enhance OTP, according to an official release. Scindia held a meeting with the airline advisory group that was attended by representatives of various carriers, including Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan. In a post on social media platform X, Scindia said that he met the advisory group to discuss solutions to enhance on-time performance and "airfares on a few sectors, and in-house practices followed by each airline". Specific details about the discussion on airfares and the particular routes could not be immediately ascertained. There have been

SpiceJet, IndiGo among seven airlines owing more than Rs 95 crore to AAI

Seven airlines, including Alliance Air, SpiceJet, IndiGo and Emirates, together have pending dues of more than Rs 95 crore to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), according to the government. Other foreign airlines that have pending dues are Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd, British Airways Plc and Qatar Airways, as per data provided to the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The figures exclude interest and take into account only dues that are over Rs 1 crore pending for more than one year as of November 30, 2023. As per the data provided by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in a written reply, three domestic carriers -- Alliance Air, SpiceJet and IndiGo together owe Rs 86.89 crore to the AAI. Out of them, the maximum dues amount is that of Alliance Air at Rs 83.38 crore, followed by SpiceJet (Rs 2.13 crore) and IndiGo (Rs 1.38 crore). Among the four foreign airlines, Biman Bangladesh Airlines has the highest dues of Rs 4.02 crore, followed by British Airways (Rs 1.85 crore), Emirat

Scindia lays foundation for Rs 350 cr new terminal at Rajamundry Airport

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday laid the foundation for a Rs 350 crore new terminal building at Rajamundry Airport. Spread across 17,029 sq metres, the new terminal can handle 2,100 passengers during peak hours and has a capacity to handle 30 lakh passengers annually. "Andhra Pradesh is a culturally rich state with traditional festivals, arts and handicrafts. Expanding Rajamundry airport will protect and encourage this legacy," said Scindia's office in a post on 'X'. According to the Civil Aviation Minister, the new terminal will be four times larger than the existing one. Insulated roofing, LED lighting and a rainwater harvesting system are some of the environmental friendly features of the new terminal, which will also be equipped with 28 check-in counters and four conveyor belts.