Indian Aviation News: Last Updated on 11th June 2012

Air India craft loses nose wheel mid-air, lands in emergency

Guwahati: Fifty two people on board Silchar-Guwahati Air India flight had a narrow escape on Sunday when the plane lost one of its nose wheels during take off and had to land under emergency conditions at Guwahati airport.

All the 52 people - 48 passengers and four crew members- on ATR 9760 flight are safe, Air India sources said.

Sources said the plane lost one of the nose wheels during take off from Silchar airport, 235 kms from here, this morning. The pilot Captain Urmila, however, flew the plane to Guwahiti which has better landing facilities and the aircraft landed under emergency conditions at the Lokopriyo Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here.

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/NAT-TOP-air-india-craft-loses-nose-wheel-mid-air-lands-in-emergency-3396274.html

Agra may soon get international air terminal

Taj city Agra may soon get a brand new international air terminal at Dhanuali, close to the Kheria IAF base here, if the project gets the green signal from the union civil aviation ministry, says an official.

After visiting the terminal site, Raghu Raman, general manager-planning of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), held extensive discussions on the project with local administration officials and tourism industry leaders.

Raman told reporters Friday evening that a detailed proposal would now be sent to the ministry within a week and, if approved, "construction would begin soon".

"It may take around 18 months to two years for the terminal to be ready," Raman said.

The AAI is currently unable to optimally utilise the facilities at Kheria airport. Apart from government planes and some chartered flights, domestic majors like Air India and Kingfisher operate from here only during peak tourist season (October-March).

According to airport officer Kuldeep Singh, besides state government planes, about 60 chartered flights landed here last year.

AAI is spending around Rs.40,00,000-50,00,000 a year on maintaining the existing facilities at the airport but "this expenditure is of little use as regular flights do not touch Agra", officials said.

http://www.smetimes.in/smetimes/news/indian-economy-news/2012/Jun/11/agra-may-soon-get-international-air-terminal627465.html

Sacking all 440 Air India pilots inevitable

New Delhi: It has been more than a month since a section of pilots of Air India went on a strike. Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has said it is up to the Airline management to take strict action now. Sources in the Aviation Ministry say that sacking all 440 pilots affiliated to the Indian Pilots Guild is inevitable.

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said it was up to the management to take action. "It is for the Air India management to take action now. These pilots have been off duty for more than 30 days. It is an illegal strike, they have defied the high court, we have requested them to come back to work. Now it is up to the management to decide till when they can keep these pilots on their payroll," Ajit Singh said.

The pilots who went on a mass sick leave are adamant they won't return till all the 101 sacked pilots are taken back.

The Air India management is yet to take a final call.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sacking-all-440-air-india-pilots-inevitable-sources/265401-3.html