The Indian state of Punjab is making a major stride towards becoming India’s densest civil aviation destination. The latest step came with the clearance of a new greenfield international airport near Ludhiana. This would be the third international airport in Punjab after the ones at Amritsar and Mohali, and the second to come up within a span of just14 months. Disclosing this, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister said that clearance to this dream project “signals the … [Read more...] about INDIA & MIDDLE EAST: New Aerotropolis project for Punjab
airways cargo
Open skies between EU and Canada ok'ed
European Union transport ministers have backed an 'open skies' aviation pact with Canada that will deregulate cargo and passenger services across the Atlantic, from 6 May this year. The accord will allow European and Canadian carriers to fly between any airport in the 27 nation EU and any Canadian airport and includes a provision for cargo carriers to fly onward to third countries from both the EU and Canada. The agreement also lowers barriers to foreign investment in Canadian airlines, allowing … [Read more...] about Open skies between EU and Canada ok'ed
Continuous descent for Europe by 2013
Starting in 2013, up to 100 European airports will take part in a plan to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by half a million tonnes a year by using Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) landings. The CDA approach allows planes to descend all the way from cruising altitude to the runway in one smooth glide, saving up to 450 kilograms of CO2 per landing, compared with the traditional stepped descent, the International Air Transport Association said. The plan was officially announced at the … [Read more...] about Continuous descent for Europe by 2013
100% of IATA carriers meet IOSA safety audit
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that all 224 of its member airlines, comprising 93 per cent of all scheduled international air traffic, are listed on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry.  “Today is a momentous day for aviation safety–our number one priority,†said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO. “IATA membership is now synonymous with best practice in airline safety. This is a great achievement … [Read more...] about 100% of IATA carriers meet IOSA safety audit
MD-11 crash raises history of problems
The FedEx MD-11 aircraft that slammed into the runway and burst into flames Monday morning while landing at Tokyo's Narita International Airport during windy conditions has raised the issue of the aircraft's overly sensitive flight-control systems and reputation for being difficult to control during rough landings. Airline-related blogs have been full of discussions of the hard-landing that ultimately culminated in the total loss of the aircraft and death of both pilots. Shocking video footage … [Read more...] about MD-11 crash raises history of problems
IATA ups ’09 forecast with $4.7B industry loss
Estimated losses for the global air industry are expected to nearly double from December's forecast for 2009 as air carriers grapple with the worst crisis in over 60 years, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) saying a significant recovery in 2010 would "require more optimism than realism". The IATA has announced a revised outlook for the global air transport industry with losses of US$4.7 billion in 2009, significantly worse than its December forecast of US$2.5 billion in … [Read more...] about IATA ups ’09 forecast with $4.7B industry loss
