News Analysis India

Tag: Aviation Ministry

  • 63 passengers put on ‘No Fly List’ in 2022: Civil aviation ministry

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The civil aviation ministry on Monday said three passengers have been put on the ‘No Fly List’ this year while a total of 63 passengers were placed on the list in 2022.

    A total of 143 passengers have been put on the list since 2017, according to data provided by the ministry to the Rajya Sabha.

    These passengers were placed on the list as recommended by airlines’ internal committees set up as per aviation regulator DGCA’s Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) pertaining to the handling of unruly/disruptive passengers.

    The CAR was notified in September 2017 as a measure to deal with the issue related to the handling of unruly/disruptive passengers.

    “As on date, there are 143 passengers who have been placed in ‘No Fly List’ for such period, as per the recommendations of airline’s internal committee since 2017,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

    As per the data, Air India has put three passengers on the list in 2023.

    In 2022, IndiGo placed 46 individuals on the No Fly List while Vistara had put 16 passengers on the list.

    SpiceJet had put 1 passenger on the list, the data showed.

    According to the data, in 2021, a total of 45 individuals were put on the list by IndiGo, 19 by Vistara and 2 by AirAsia.

    IndiGo had put 10 people on the list in 2020 and the now defunct Jet Airways had placed one passenger on the No Fly List in 2017.

    ALSO READ | Top Air India officials aware of urination incident hours after flight, reveals emails

    In another written reply, the minister said that a total of 63 passengers have been placed on the list last year.

    “These include two incidents of urinating that have come to the notice of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in last year. The majority of the passengers placed on ‘No Fly List’ were for the violation related to not wearing masks or not obeying the instructions of the crew members,” he said.

    The CAR related to the handling of unruly passengers is applicable to all Indian operators engaged in scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services, both domestic and international, for carriage of passengers.

    It is also applicable to all airport operators within Indian territory, all passengers during the period of air travel in or over India and all foreign carriers subject to compliance of the Tokyo Convention 1963.

    The CAR provides measures to pre-empt such incidents by way of training of flight crew, cabin crew and ground staff in soft skills to deal with unruly passengers besides how to detect, diffuse and prevent a critical situation.

    “It also provides for training of such operative personnel for dealing with conflict and its aftermath, ways/means to mitigate situations arising due to long waiting lines, flight being overbooked, delays and diversion/cancellation as well as lack of information, etc,” Singh said.

    NEW DELHI: The civil aviation ministry on Monday said three passengers have been put on the ‘No Fly List’ this year while a total of 63 passengers were placed on the list in 2022.

    A total of 143 passengers have been put on the list since 2017, according to data provided by the ministry to the Rajya Sabha.

    These passengers were placed on the list as recommended by airlines’ internal committees set up as per aviation regulator DGCA’s Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) pertaining to the handling of unruly/disruptive passengers.

    The CAR was notified in September 2017 as a measure to deal with the issue related to the handling of unruly/disruptive passengers.

    “As on date, there are 143 passengers who have been placed in ‘No Fly List’ for such period, as per the recommendations of airline’s internal committee since 2017,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

    As per the data, Air India has put three passengers on the list in 2023.

    In 2022, IndiGo placed 46 individuals on the No Fly List while Vistara had put 16 passengers on the list.

    SpiceJet had put 1 passenger on the list, the data showed.

    According to the data, in 2021, a total of 45 individuals were put on the list by IndiGo, 19 by Vistara and 2 by AirAsia.

    IndiGo had put 10 people on the list in 2020 and the now defunct Jet Airways had placed one passenger on the No Fly List in 2017.

    ALSO READ | Top Air India officials aware of urination incident hours after flight, reveals emails

    In another written reply, the minister said that a total of 63 passengers have been placed on the list last year.

    “These include two incidents of urinating that have come to the notice of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in last year. The majority of the passengers placed on ‘No Fly List’ were for the violation related to not wearing masks or not obeying the instructions of the crew members,” he said.

    The CAR related to the handling of unruly passengers is applicable to all Indian operators engaged in scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services, both domestic and international, for carriage of passengers.

    It is also applicable to all airport operators within Indian territory, all passengers during the period of air travel in or over India and all foreign carriers subject to compliance of the Tokyo Convention 1963.

    The CAR provides measures to pre-empt such incidents by way of training of flight crew, cabin crew and ground staff in soft skills to deal with unruly passengers besides how to detect, diffuse and prevent a critical situation.

    “It also provides for training of such operative personnel for dealing with conflict and its aftermath, ways/means to mitigate situations arising due to long waiting lines, flight being overbooked, delays and diversion/cancellation as well as lack of information, etc,” Singh said.

  • Jyotiraditya Scindia to lead ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign in Gwalior

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia will be inaugurating a photo exhibition and spearheading various programmes at Maharani Lakshmi Bai Ki Chhatri and Central Jail in Gwalior as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and Partition Horrors Remembrance Day on Sunday.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last year announced that August 14 will be observed as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ to remind the nation of the sufferings and sacrifices of Indians during the partition in 1947.

    According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, a photo exhibition will be organised by Civil Aviation Ministry on August 14 at Maharani Lakshmi Bai Ki Chhatri in Gwalior.

    The event will be inaugurated and led by Scindia.

    During the event, he will be hoisting the national flag at Maharani Lakshmi Bai Samarak, paying his tributes to the freedom fighters of our freedom struggle and will also meet and felicitate their family members.

    During this visit, the Minister will also be inaugurating Railway Hockey Stadium, Media Center at Phoolbagh and various upgradation works at a district hospital in Murar.

    Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) is being observed by the Central government and the Indian populace to mark the country’s 75th anniversary of independence with an enthusiasm to bring the Tiranga home and be a part of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign.

    ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ is a campaign under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and to hoist it to mark the 75th year of India’s independence.

    The programme envisages inspiring Indians everywhere to hoist the national flag at their homes. The aim of the programme is to make the relationship with the national flag a more personal one rather than just keeping it formal or institutional.

    Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of India’s people, culture and achievements.

    This Mahotsav is dedicated to the people of India who have not only been instrumental in bringing India thus far in its evolutionary journey but also hold within them the power and potential to enable Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of activating India 2.0, fuelled by the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

    The official journey of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commenced on March 12, 2021, which started a 75-week countdown to our 75th anniversary of independence.

    Last month, Prime Minister Modi launched the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign to encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and hoist it to mark the 75th year of India’s independence. The idea behind the initiative is to invoke the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of the people and to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Ministry of Culture said.

    He also urged the people of India to hoist the tricolour at their homes between August 13th and 15th to celebrate the 75th Independence Day.

    PM Modi on Friday shared pictures of people taking Tiranga rallies from all over India. Sharing a photo in which hundreds of people took out a Tiranga march, PM Modi said: “This is a great collective effort by the people of Visakhapatnam. I admire the enthusiasm towards #HarGharTiranga.”

    Earlier, Indian citizens were not allowed to hoist the National Flag except on selected occasions. This changed after a decade-long legal battle by industrialist Naveen Jindal culminated in the landmark SC judgement of January 23, 2004, that declared that the right to fly the National Flag freely with respect and dignity is a fundamental right of an Indian citizen within the meaning of Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution of India.

    Lauding the Centre and PM Modi for the Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign, Naveen Jindal has urged every Indian to make ‘Har Din Tiranga’ their motto. 

    NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia will be inaugurating a photo exhibition and spearheading various programmes at Maharani Lakshmi Bai Ki Chhatri and Central Jail in Gwalior as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and Partition Horrors Remembrance Day on Sunday.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last year announced that August 14 will be observed as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ to remind the nation of the sufferings and sacrifices of Indians during the partition in 1947.

    According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, a photo exhibition will be organised by Civil Aviation Ministry on August 14 at Maharani Lakshmi Bai Ki Chhatri in Gwalior.

    The event will be inaugurated and led by Scindia.

    During the event, he will be hoisting the national flag at Maharani Lakshmi Bai Samarak, paying his tributes to the freedom fighters of our freedom struggle and will also meet and felicitate their family members.

    During this visit, the Minister will also be inaugurating Railway Hockey Stadium, Media Center at Phoolbagh and various upgradation works at a district hospital in Murar.

    Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) is being observed by the Central government and the Indian populace to mark the country’s 75th anniversary of independence with an enthusiasm to bring the Tiranga home and be a part of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign.

    ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ is a campaign under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and to hoist it to mark the 75th year of India’s independence.

    The programme envisages inspiring Indians everywhere to hoist the national flag at their homes. The aim of the programme is to make the relationship with the national flag a more personal one rather than just keeping it formal or institutional.

    Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of India’s people, culture and achievements.

    This Mahotsav is dedicated to the people of India who have not only been instrumental in bringing India thus far in its evolutionary journey but also hold within them the power and potential to enable Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of activating India 2.0, fuelled by the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

    The official journey of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commenced on March 12, 2021, which started a 75-week countdown to our 75th anniversary of independence.

    Last month, Prime Minister Modi launched the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign to encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and hoist it to mark the 75th year of India’s independence. The idea behind the initiative is to invoke the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of the people and to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Ministry of Culture said.

    He also urged the people of India to hoist the tricolour at their homes between August 13th and 15th to celebrate the 75th Independence Day.

    PM Modi on Friday shared pictures of people taking Tiranga rallies from all over India. Sharing a photo in which hundreds of people took out a Tiranga march, PM Modi said: “This is a great collective effort by the people of Visakhapatnam. I admire the enthusiasm towards #HarGharTiranga.”

    Earlier, Indian citizens were not allowed to hoist the National Flag except on selected occasions. This changed after a decade-long legal battle by industrialist Naveen Jindal culminated in the landmark SC judgement of January 23, 2004, that declared that the right to fly the National Flag freely with respect and dignity is a fundamental right of an Indian citizen within the meaning of Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution of India.

    Lauding the Centre and PM Modi for the Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign, Naveen Jindal has urged every Indian to make ‘Har Din Tiranga’ their motto. 

  • Domestic airfare caps to be removed from August 31, says government

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Limits imposed on domestic airfares will be removed from August 31, after a span of approximately 27 months, the Union Aviation Ministry said on Wednesday.

    “The decision to remove air fare caps has been taken after careful analysis of daily demand and prices of air turbine fuel (ATF). Stabilisation has set in and we are certain that the sector is poised for growth in domestic traffic in the near future,” Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Twitter.

    ATF prices have been coming down during the last few weeks after jumping to record levels, primarily due to the Russia-Ukraine war that began on February 24.

    On August 1, the price of ATF in Delhi was Rs 1.21 lakh per kilo-litre, which was around 14 per cent lower than last month.

    The ministry had imposed lower and upper limits on domestic airfares based on flight durations when services were resumed on May 25, 2020 after a two-month lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    For example, airlines currently cannot charge a passenger less than Rs 2,900 (excluding GST) and more than Rs 8,800 (excluding GST) for domestic flights of less than 40 minutes.

    The lower caps were there to protect the financially weaker airlines and the upper caps to protect passengers from high fares.

    On Wednesday, the Civil Aviation Ministry stated in an order: “After review of the current status of scheduled domestic operations viz-a-viz passenger demand for air travel. It has been decided to remove the fare bands notified from time to time regarding the airfares with effect from August 31, 2022.”

    The airlines and airport operators must, however, ensure that the guidelines to contain the spread of Covid-19 are strictly adhered to and Covid-appropriate behaviour is strictly enforced by them during travel, it added.

    Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan had on June 19 said that he would be happy if the lower and upper limits on airfares were increased but the best solution would be for the airlines to have absolute freedom on airfares.

    NEW DELHI: Limits imposed on domestic airfares will be removed from August 31, after a span of approximately 27 months, the Union Aviation Ministry said on Wednesday.

    “The decision to remove air fare caps has been taken after careful analysis of daily demand and prices of air turbine fuel (ATF). Stabilisation has set in and we are certain that the sector is poised for growth in domestic traffic in the near future,” Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Twitter.

    ATF prices have been coming down during the last few weeks after jumping to record levels, primarily due to the Russia-Ukraine war that began on February 24.

    On August 1, the price of ATF in Delhi was Rs 1.21 lakh per kilo-litre, which was around 14 per cent lower than last month.

    The ministry had imposed lower and upper limits on domestic airfares based on flight durations when services were resumed on May 25, 2020 after a two-month lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    For example, airlines currently cannot charge a passenger less than Rs 2,900 (excluding GST) and more than Rs 8,800 (excluding GST) for domestic flights of less than 40 minutes.

    The lower caps were there to protect the financially weaker airlines and the upper caps to protect passengers from high fares.

    On Wednesday, the Civil Aviation Ministry stated in an order: “After review of the current status of scheduled domestic operations viz-a-viz passenger demand for air travel. It has been decided to remove the fare bands notified from time to time regarding the airfares with effect from August 31, 2022.”

    The airlines and airport operators must, however, ensure that the guidelines to contain the spread of Covid-19 are strictly adhered to and Covid-appropriate behaviour is strictly enforced by them during travel, it added.

    Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan had on June 19 said that he would be happy if the lower and upper limits on airfares were increased but the best solution would be for the airlines to have absolute freedom on airfares.

  • Airlines can now operate 85 per cent of pre-Covid domestic flights: Aviation Ministry

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Airlines can now operate a maximum of 85 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic flights instead of the 72.5 per cent allowed till date, the Ministry of Civil Aviation stated on Saturday.

    The carriers have been operating 72.5 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic flights since August 12, according to the ministry’s order.

    Between July 5 and August 12, the cap stood at 65 per cent.

    Between June 1 and July 5, the cap was at 50 per cent.

    The ministry issued a fresh order on Saturday, in which it modified the August 12 order stating that “72.5 per cent capacity may be read as 85 per cent capacity”.

    Saturday’s order also noted that the 72.5 per cent cap will remain in place “until further order”.

    When the government had resumed the scheduled domestic flights on May 25 last year after a two-month break, the ministry had allowed the carriers to operate not more than 33 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic services.

    The cap was gradually increased to 80 per cent by December.

    The 80 per cent cap remained in place till June 1.

    The May 28 decision to bring down the cap from 80 to 50 per cent from June 1 onwards was taken “in view of the sudden surge in the number of active COVID-19 cases across the country, decrease in passenger traffic and the passenger load (occupancy rate) factor”, the ministry had said.

  • Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurates first direct flight between Gwalior, Indore

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday inaugurated the first direct flight between Gwalior and Indore.

    He virtually flagged off two flights strengthening the international and domestic aerial connectivity of Madhya Pradesh.

    According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the event marked the commencement of Indigo’s new direct flights on the Gwalior – Indore – Delhi route and the resumption of Air India’s Indore – Dubai.

    Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh graced the event virtually from Bhopal.

    Speaking on the occasion, Scindia said, “The establishment of direct flight connectivity on the Indore – Gwalior – Delhi route aligns with the objectives of the Sab Uden Sab Juden initiative of the Government of India. With the aerial connectivity of the two cities of Madhya Pradesh with immense potential, new opportunities will get a boost in sectors of trade and tourism.”

    Air India currently operates flights from/to Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Bilaspur to various destinations within India.

    On the international route, Air India has been operating a direct flight from Indore to Dubai since 2019, which is recommencing now with this non-stop connection.

    Scindia further informed that in the last 53 days, Madhya Pradesh got 58 new flights and with 314 new aircraft movements the number of aircraft movements in the state has increased from 424 to 738.

    “Indore which was earlier connected to eight cities, has now been connected to 13 cities. In a similar way, aerial connectivity of Gwalior has expanded from four to six cities,” he added.

    Several other union ministers, BJP leaders, senior officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India (AAI) participated in the virtual inauguration session from New Delhi and Gwalior.

    Gwalior is known for its beautiful forts, temples, tomb, museum and palaces. The increased accessibility will not only enhance tourism but also promote trade and commerce in the region. 

  • Domestic airfare limits to remain in place till March 31: Aviation Ministry

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The upper and lower limits on domestic airfares will remain in place till March 31, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Friday.

    The ministry had on May 21, 2020, placed these limits through seven bands, classified on the basis of flight duration, till August 24.

    Later, they were extended till November 24, and then till February 24, 2021.

    “The capping of fare…is hereby further extended till 23:59 hours on March 31, 2021,” the ministry said in an order.

    The order also said that airlines need to sell a minimum of 20 per cent of seats on each flight below the midpoint of the upper and lower airfare.

    Till date, airlines were selling a minimum of 40 per cent of tickets for a flight below the midpoint.

    Domestic passenger services resumed in India on May 25, 2020, after nearly two months of suspension to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

    The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had on May 21, 2020, announced seven bands of ticket pricing with lower and upper fare limits based on flight duration.

    The first such band consists of flights that are of less than 40 minutes duration.

    The lower and the upper fare limits for this band are Rs 2,000 and Rs 6,000.

    The subsequent bands are for flights with durations of 40-60 minutes, 60-90 minutes, 90-120 minutes, 120-150 minutes, 150-180 minutes and 180-210 minutes.

    The lower and upper limits for these bands are: Rs 2,500-Rs 7,500; Rs 3,000-Rs 9,000; Rs 3,500-Rs 10,000; Rs 4,500-Rs 13,000; Rs 5,500-Rs 15,700 and Rs 6,500-Rs 18,600.

  • 50% discount on Basic Fair for 60 years or older, booking 7 days in advance

    Air India, which is in huge loss, has announced a 50 percent discount on tickets to senior citizens. People 60 years or older will get this discount. The aviation ministry gave information about this scheme on Wednesday.

    Some conditions have also been kept for this. For example, on the day you want to travel, at least 7 days before ticket booking is necessary.

    This scheme is for domestic flights. If the valid ID is not shown at the time of check-in, the basic fare will be forfeited and there will be no refund. The complete details of this scheme have been given on the website of Air India.