Aerospace Diary

AINONLINE by    NEELAM MATHEWS March 12, 2014, 3:09 PM International trip support provider United Aviation Services ( UAS ) is looking for a partner in India. Viney Garg, the Dubai-based group’s business development manager, said it wants to get a partnership up and running this year. One possible complication is the Indian government’s requirement that ground handling companies in the country are 51-percent owned by Indian nationals, and India’s complex tax rules could also be problematic. However, there is clearly strong demand among business and private aircraft operators for help in India with flight and landing permits and all aspects of trip support in a country that remains short on infrastructure and where bureaucracy can be an impediment to smooth operations. “India is a promising market but continues to face regulatory issues,” Garg told  AIN . “For instance, while the notice period for an arriving flight has been reduc...

Neelam Mathews March 11, 2013 The ministry of civil aviation's decision to permit airlines form a JV, a subsidiary or "a consortium," for ground handling in Oct last year, was echoed by minister Ajit Singh at a recent conference in Delhi. The case, subjudice, is expected to come for a hearing in the Supreme Court in a few days and bring the matter to rest. That there will be congestion in the apron area if every airline handles on its own, was brought out by the minister who made it clear that airlines could not independently do the ground handling. His suggestion that airlines create a consortium has resulted in more queries. A fact that is little known is that the airlines will only be allowed to form a JV when the ministry releases a new bid! If this were to happen, questions remain. "How does an airline handle two flights at a time for instance? Besides, they are all competitors! Also, can an airline afford all the expensive equipment that is mandated now ...

Asian Airlines Neelam Mathews March 2011 Security issues policy puts limits on ground handling options at India’s Airports A confrontation between India’s Government and airline industry over ground handling that has been ongoing since 2007 might now be drawing to an end after airlines lost a case in the High Court. The airlines were arguing against a government policy that restricted airlines to approved ground handlers only. Many airlines outsource the work to specialist firms. The business is estimated to be worth around US$500million per year. Stressing the issue of security, the Delhi High Court dismissed arguments against the policy in a judgment pronounced on March 4. This resulted in the airlines going to the highest court, the Supreme Court of India, where analysts say, their plea is likely to be rejected in April. Instead of outsourcing manpower, airlines will now have to deploy full-time employees or hire the services of security-cleared ground handling agencies....

Airframers/Suppliers Aviation Daily Feb 02 , 2011 , p. 16 Neelam Mathews With new regulations expected to be introduced soon in India pertaining to its ground-handling infrastructure, Turkish company Celebi Holdings has started investing in standardized equipment at New Delhi and Mumbai airports. Instead of using fuel-inefficient farm tractors, Celebi has introduced electrical baggage tractors costing $60,000 that conform to strict Indian law requiring environmentally friendly equipment. Celebi’s six German Cobum buses in Mumbai and Delhi, costing $20,000 each, carry 110 passengers and can be used only at airports since they have a low step to aid alighting passengers carrying hand baggage. Celebi is also the only ground-handling company at Delhi airport that can handle the Airbus A380, for which it has imported equipment worth about $2 million to move baggage and cargo and push-back equipment, says Can Celebioglu, chairman o...