Industry News

Airports

Delhi Airport to be radically transformed by 2010
25 September 2008
Source: The Economic Times

IGI is being revamped to cater to the future demands for both international and domestic air travel with an all-new terminal and a new runway to the south. A New technology Concept of Airport Services Building is being introduced and will include a Test & Integration Centre, together with a state-of-the-art Airport Operations & Control Centre (AOCC). Delhi airport will become the first airport terminal in India to have a fully automated Baggage Handling Sortation System capable of handling some 12,000 bags an hour and the first airport terminal in India where airport systems support remote check-in facilities. Furthermore, internationally accepted In-Line Baggage Screening system will eliminate the need for passenger bags to be X-Rayed before check-in.

Hyderabad airport achieves LEED Silver Rating
15 September 2008

The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design New Construction (LEED NC) Silver Rating by the US Green Building Council. Hyderabad airport is the first Asian airport that has been awarded the LEED certification while Delta Terminal ‘A’ Redevelopment, East Boston, USA and Signature Logan Terminal, East Boston, USA are the other two airports in the world to have achieved LEED New Construction Certified Rating.

New BIA is shoddy: Yeddyurappa
09 September 2008
Source: The Economic Times

According to Karnataka Chief Minister Mr. B. S. Yeddyurappa, the three-month old Bangalore International Airport (BIA), a US$ 584 million Greenfield project, was shoddy in comparison to other international airports. The airport built and operated by a consortium of Unique Zurich Airport, Siemens Projects Ventures and Larsen and Toubro, started operations on May 24, 2008 after several delays and amidst criticism of the design and lack of facilities by the civil aviation ministry.

The state government and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) are minority stake-holders in Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), set up to construct and operate the airport. It is located about 40 km away from the city centre and 70 km from the 'electronic city', where most IT firms are located. Road connectivity to it remains a problem.

Centre approves Greenfield airport in Sindhudurg, Goa
04 September 2008

The Centre has approved a proposal for setting up a domestic airport in Sindhudurg district, about 100 km north of Goa’s congested Dabolim airport with an investment of US$ 115 million via PPP (Public-private partnership) route. A newly-created steering committee, comprising officials of the concerned ministries, gave clearance to the proposal. For the project, 271 hectares of non-agricultural land owned by the state government has already been identified.

GHIAL gets government nod on domestic fliers
20 August 2008

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) announced that it has received government approval to charge US$ 9.375 each from all domestic outbound passengers at the new airport in Hyderabad from August 22, 2008 onwards. According to Mr. Viswanath Attaluri, Chief Commercial Officer, GHIAL, “The levy of UDF has become necessary in view of the huge investments made by the GMR-led consortium for creating the world class facilities for the passengers who use the Greenfield airport." The Company has developed the first phase of the airport by making an investment of US$ 620 million.

Modernization work of Chennai & Kolkata airports starts in Sept
11 August 2008

Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to start the modernization work of Chennai and Kolkata airports in September 2008. The modernization plans for both Chennai and Kolkata airports have been cleared by the Public Investment Board (PIB) and detailed project reports submitted to the government for approval, according to Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Praful Patel. Mr. Patel also said that trial runs on the new third runway of IGI Airport would start in the next 10 days. Once operational, it would ease the air traffic congestion over Delhi airspace.

 

Airlines

SpiceJet about to get US$ 65 million second tranche
26 September 2008

SpiceJet has already received the first tranche of US$ 35 – 40 million and now it's about to receive US$ 65 million within the coming week as the second tranche of investment by US private equity firm WL Ross and Co and by Goldman Sachs. Wilbur Ross had earlier agreed to invest US$ 80 million in SpiceJet by buying out its foreign currency convertible bonds from Goldman Sachs Group Inc of the US and Istithmar PJSC, a UAE-based investment house. SpiceJet Director Mr. Kishore Gupta said the investment was to be made in two tranches.

NIIT Tech inks 3-year deal with British Airways
26 September 2008

Software Company NIIT Tech has inked its largest deal ever in a multi-million pound three-year outsourcing deal with existing client British Airways to provide support and testing of critical business applications across diverse business areas of the airline.

Spice Jet rated as one of Asia's top low-cost airlines
22 September 2008

According to online magazine Smart Travel Asia, SpiceJet has ranked among the top 10 low-cost or budget airlines in the Asia continent. It has made its mark by maintaining schedules, competent service and extensive route network and access. The airline currently operates 94 flights daily to 16 Indian cities. The airline was also previously marked as the best LCC for 2007 by the Travel Agents Federation of India.

Air India to rent out two air freighters
21 September 2008

Domestic airline Air India is planning to invite global bids to lease out two of its Airbus A-310 aircrafts that are presently being converted into freighters and are likely to be delivered by the Month-end. The airline is also planning to introduce a cargo service with the two aircrafts. So far, Air India has converted six of its Boeing 737-200 aircrafts into freighters as these were not safe for ferrying passengers. The carrier has already inked agreements with India Post and logistics major Gati to convert the rest of the aircrafts into freighters. Gati has inked a JV with Air India Cargo to take on domestic aviation cargo major Blue Dart Express, owned by DHL India, a unit of German postal services giant Deutsche Post.

Air India inks US$ 550 million financial deal with US Exim Bank
21 September 2008

Air India has signed a financial agreement worth US$ 550 million with Export-Import Bank of the US (Exim Bank) to buy eight aircrafts. The guarantee will be provided by Standard Chartered Bank to Air India for purchasing three 777 aircrafts and five 737-780 aircrafts. According to Air India Chairman and Managing Director Mr. Raghu Menon, “We greatly value US Exim's contribution in partnering Air India in our project of acquiring 68 aircrafts from the Boeing Company. Induction of these aircraft would be a major step forward in making Air India a truly global airline.”

Air India requires US$ 220 million infusion: Praful Patel
19 September 2008

According to Union Civil Aviation Minister, Mr. Praful Patel, domestic airline Air India, is in need of a capital infusion of US$ 220 million for its up-gradation. Mr. Patel said that Indian airlines need some kind of relief for their fuel bills. Air Turbine Fuel prices in India are very expensive for various reasons. The taxes, both of the Central Government and the State Governments are very high. The Ministry will support airlines on the issue as it will help them reduce their operational costs.

Airlines seek permission from DGFT to import ATF
17 September 2008

Airlines, under the guidance of the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), have sought directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) permission to import Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF). The import of ATF will reduce 10% of operating costs as it will mean customs duty of 5% and zero sales tax as against the average prevailing sales tax of 21%. As per estimates, the imported ATF will cost 25% less than the domestic production.

Shell- MRPL starts its operations in India
15 September 2008

Shell-MRPL Aviation Fuels and Services Pvt Ltd has started commercial operations in India with the fuelling of Jet Airways and Lufthansa aircrafts at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA). The company has recently inked a MoU to supply ATF to Jet at BIA and Hyderabad airports. It had also inked a MoU with Lufthansa to supply part of its ATF requirements at BIA.

Jet starts its flight service from Kerala to Muscat
15 September 2008

At a time when most airlines are reducing number of flights due to increasing ATF prices, Jet is continuing with its expansion plans and has introduced a Kerala-Muscat flight, which is operated by a Boeing 737-800 has two class configurations. Jet has also started three new domestic flights from Hyderabad to Vishakhapatnam, Goa and Pune with its new turbo-prop ATR-72-500 aircraft. After this single flight to Muscat, the private airline is now planning to fly to six destinations in the Gulf: Oman, Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai, from five gateways in India.

Jet targets US$ 4 billion turnover by 2010
13 September 2008

The Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways hopes to achieve a turnover of US$ 4 billion by the end of the current fiscal year and to breakeven in 2010. Last year, the airline had registered revenues of US$ 2198 million for the year ended March 31. To achieve these targets, the airline is targeting big revenue from international operations. The airline is also looking at a spurt in corporate traffic to fillip its load factor in the next two quarters. To support the bottom line, it is working on a plan to integrate its LCC JetLite with itself.

Kingfisher launches first flight to London
03 September 2008

Kingfisher Airlines has launched its first international direct non-stop flight to London from Bengaluru International Airport (BIA). The air-carrier will operate a daily service on the Bangalore-London-Bangalore route with 217 seats including 30 in first class and 187 in the premium class.

Kingfisher about to launch flight to San Francisco from Bangalore
02 September 2008

India’s leading private airline Kingfisher is planning to start direct operations to San Francisco from Bangalore from November 01, 2008, connecting this IT city with Silicon Valley. As per Industry estimates, approximately 12,000 passengers fly between Bangalore and San Francisco every month. As there is no direct flight between the two 'Silicon Valleys', most travelers are forced to take connecting flights from New Delhi, Mumbai, or Chennai and vice versa.

According to Mr. Vijay Mallya, "We have five brand-new Airbus aircrafts to roll out our international operations from Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and other metros. Once we complete the statutory formalities, we will roll out direct flights to Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai and Maldives in the coming months."

Indian Airlines aims to compete on global platform
02, September 2008
Source: The Economic Times

With the aim to compete with their competitors in the overseas market, the fast-growing Indian airline is eyeing global platforms to expand their global presence. The two Indian international airlines, Air India and Jet Airways, currently have less than 25% share in the long-haul market to and from the country. With the third carrier Kingfisher Airlines joining the ranks this month, the Indian aviation scenario is all set to change.

Kingfisher Airlines launched its first international Bangalore-London flight on September 03, and is now considering joining the SkyTeam Alliance led by Air France-KLM and Delta Airlines of the US. Like Kingfisher, Mumbai-based Jet Airways eventually signed the partnership agreement with Oneworld Alliance, led by British Airways and American Airlines. Under such global alliances, airlines agree to co-operate, tie up to provide better connectivity to international passengers and share terminals as well as expertise in back-end operations.

By making alliances with global airlines, international Indian carriers are set to ride on a global platform and compete with international air-carriers.

Ross and Goldman Sachs about to invest US$ 100 million in SpiceJet
12 August 2008

US private equity player Wilbur Ross and Goldman Sachs both signed a definitive agreement to invest US$ 100 million in India’s second biggest budget air-carrier SpiceJet. This will give the staying power the company needs to get through the industry consolidation that is underway. The investment will be made in two phases depending upon shareholder approval and certain unspecified conditions. Under the earlier agreement signed on July 15, Ross was supposed to invest $80 million.

Kingfisher and Deccan tie up for US$ 250 million funding
27 August 2008

Deccan Aviation Kingfisher Airline combine has lined up about US$ 250 million of funding from ICICI Bank Ltd, according to UB Group’s CFO Mr. Ravi Nedungadi. UB Group holds a controlling stake in the airline and the airline is also in talks with other financial firms to raise more debt.

JetLite about to merge with Jet Airways
25 August 2008

Jet Airways, India’s largest private airline is expected to merge with its wholly-owned subsidiary JetLite in the current fiscal year. Jet Airways had acquired Air Sahara in 2007 and had renamed it as JetLite, a low-cost air-carrier. JetLite with 12% of market share has already cancelled 15 flights and is planning to scrap 10 more in the coming months. It reduced its total flights to around 125 from 150 because of increasing crude oil prices.

Jet Airways looks for 2nd operational hub in Europe
24 August 2008

As part of the next phase of its global expansion plan, Private airline Jet Airways is looking for a second operational hub in Europe. The airlines existing hub in Brussels, is working very well but the airline wants to keep its options open and is in talks with, Germany and Italy. At present, the airline is operating to 20 international destinations and planning to increase to 22 by October 2008.

Jet plans to add 14 new overseas destinations
23 August 2008

Jet Airways added 14 international flights in August 2008 taking the total number to 20. The airline currently operates 20 wide-aircrafts in its fleet and is planning to add another two soon. With this, the airline will further expand its network and add more flights. Jet has launched direct flights to Dubai from Delhi and Mumbai, making it its sixth destination in the Gulf region after Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Kuwait, Bahrain and Doha.

Etihad Airways about to expand its network in India
19 August 2008

The national airline of the UAE, Etihad Airways, is planning to expand its network in India predicting abundant strategic importance to its business. The airline has launched daily flights to Abu Dhabi from Kozhikode to connect more destinations from India. The new service from Chennai to Abu Dhabi started in early August 2008 and has taken the number of Indian destinations served by Etihad to six which makes it the largest market served by the airline. The airline is currently serving 48 global destinations, and this number is expected to increase to 50 destinations by the end of 2008 with the launch of new services to Moscow and Almaty in Kazakhstan.

Kingfisher launches its first international flight on September 3
17 August 2008

Kingfisher Airlines is planning to launch its first international direct flight on September 3 from Bangalore to London. The airline has already secured permission to fly to 13 overseas destinations. After getting the permission, the air-carrier is planning to launch flights to the US, UK, UAE, Singapore, Thailand, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Hong Kong too.

Mallya plans to offer internet & mobile service on board
16 August 2008

UB Group Chief Dr. Vijay Mallya- wants Kingfisher airlines to be the country’s first airline to allow use of mobile services on board. The airline has asked for permission from DGCA to offer in-flight mobile and internet services, as under current DGCA rules, use of mobile phone on board is not permitted. The provision to use mobile phone on board is expected to be introduced in Kingfisher’s Bangalore-London flight planned for September 3. The airline also plans to offer internet connectivity on this flight.

Air India to buy 8 aircrafts
12 August 2008

National air-carrier Air India's holding company, National Aviation Company of India (NACIL) has signed a US$ 214.118 million loan facility on July 30 in London to buy three 777-200LRs and five 777-300ERs aircrafts. All aircrafts will be delivered in 2009 and 2010. The lead arrangers of the loan are Bank of Scotland and Deutsche Bank while the co-arrangers are ING Bank and Natixis Transport Finance.

AI planning to rationalize its global operations
10 August 2008

Mounting losses due to high fuel prices and low passenger loads are forcing Air India to curtail its international flights. Initially, the airline is thinking of withdrawing services on certain destinations for “a temporary period” so that bookings already made are not affected. The airline is planning to restrict the services to Osaka, Seoul, and Los Angeles. Air India is also considering limiting its flights to London. AI, which is curtailing or canceling their frequencies on international destinations, has already reduced its domestic operations by about 10%.

General

Public oil companies about to reduce ATF prices
30 September 2008

State-run oil companies reduced ATF prices by over 5% in step with the fall in international oil prices. ATF prices in Delhi were reduced by US$ 70 per kilolitre making the present price US$ 1227 per kl. IOC, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have reduced jet fuel prices by over 16% in the single biggest reduction in fuel price. ATF prices in Mumbai, the city with the nation's busiest airport, have been reduced by US$ 72.9 per kl making the present price US$ 1271.2 per kl.

BICIPL seeks to bid for US$ 20 billion defence deals
25 September 2008

The Indian subsidiary of Boeing Co, Boeing International Corporation India Private Ltd (BICIPL), is eyeing the bid for the $20-billion defence aircraft orders expected in India over the next 10-15 years. According to Dr Ian Thomas, President, Boeing India,, “As a company half of our revenues come from the defence sector, so we are actively working with the Ministry of Defence to compete for a number of opportunities in India.”

The Company is planning to bid for heavy lift helicopters, maritime patrol aircraft, F-18 Super Hornets, attack helicopters and host of other opportunities that the sector offers. The company is also in talks with TIL for its proposed JV Company that will initially invest $500 million for defence-related aerospace component manufacturing in India. Boeing is also planning to set up a US$ 100-million MRO facility in Nagpur and pilot training facility in Mumbai.

AIG bailout likely to have its reverberation on Indian aviation sector
18 September 2008

The financial bailout of the American Insurance Group (AIG), the world’s largest insurer, is likely to have an impact on the Indian civil aviation sector. The customers of AIG include domestic aviation companies like Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Deccan Aviation and Spice Jet. However, Deccan Aviation Pvt Ltd Chairman, Capt G.R. Gopinath said, “We don’t see any impact now, since the lease contracts are already done deals. Some were fixed contract and some were floating linked to Libor.” But there is intense speculation in the international financial markets that AIG was likely to put this subsidiary on sale. This was in view of the tight conditions for the Federal Reserve’s bailout package, since the AIG bailout loan was for 24 months.

Vietnam plans to strengthen bilateral trade & tourism
15 September 2008

To strengthen trade and tourism between India and Vietnam, it’s vital to have a direct flight between the two countries. Vietnam is in talks with private airlines like Kingfisher and Jet to launch a direct flight for connecting India and Vietnam. The flight will be operated either from Mumbai, Kolkata or any other city depending upon the feasibility.

Bangalore Metro ties up with Ticketvala
10 September 2008

The Bangalore Metro Transport Corporation, which operates the ‘Vayu Vajra’ Volvo buses, has joined hands with Ticketvala.com, a real-time online bus service provider. They have LCD panels showing real-time route information, a public address system, distance and travel time apart from entertainment videos, pick-up points along the route, Internet connectivity, newspapers, mobile chargers and helper facility to handle luggage.

TCS partners Saab to set up ADDC in India
10 September 2008

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has partnered with aerospace and defence company Saab to set up Saab’s Aeronautical Design and Development Centre (ADDC) in India. It will create a single source of design and development capabilities within India, in addressing domestic and global defence and civil aeronautical applications.

According to Saab CEO, Mr. Ake Svensson, “This co-operation is not limited to any specific product but is aimed towards building a joint capability to leverage collective strengths across the globe.”

TIL set to invest US$ 350 million into overseas biz
02 September 2008

A promoter company of the Tata group - Tata Industries (TIL) – is planning to invest US$ 350 million in global start-up businesses. According to TIL Managing Director Mr. Kishore A Chaukar, in the last two years, TIL and Tata sons have together made an investment of US$ 30 million in support of new technological research conducted by various individuals across the globe in the fields of solar energy, drug discovery, contract research, water recycling and biotechnology.

Hero Group set to foray into aviation sector
01 September 2008

The Munjals-promoted two-wheeler maker Hero Motors has announced an investment of US$ 125 million to venture into the aviation sector as part of its diversification plans. The company is also planning to develop a 300-acre SEZ, further stretchable by another 100 acres, for the defence and aerospace industry, the location for which is yet to be decided. According to Hero Aviation Vice Chairman and CEO Mr. Pankaj Munjal, ”We are working on global defence industries to put up their own facilities or strategic alliance with Indian partners in our SEZ and to begin with we are putting up our own Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) manufacturing facility in technical collaboration with world class European player."

Airbus & Boeing expect sharp growth in Indian demand
04 August 2008

Despite a huge slump in the aviation sector, Airbus and Boeing are expecting a sharp growth in the demand for aircrafts in India. Boeing predicted that India will require 1,001 aircrafts in the next 20 years and according to Airbus estimates, the sector will need 1,100 aircrafts valued at US$ 105 billion in the next 25 years.

Govt. gives approval for airport regulator to fix & review tariffs
29 August 2008

According to Senior Minister, Mr. Kapil Sibal, the Indian cabinet has given approval for setting up an airport regulator to fix and review changes at domestic airports. The government also proposes to allow the new airport regulator to monitor pre-set performance standards.

Air fares expected to hike further by 10%
23 August 2008

As the Indian airline industry seemed to be succumbing under high fuel prices, airfares are likely to go up further by 10% in the coming future to enable carriers to maintain their financial bottom line. According to Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO, Jet Airways, the industry would require a hike of another 10-15% in airfares to break even and make profits.

Jet fuel prices have increased by 100% in the last one year and account for 35-40% of the total operational cost of a carrier in India. The ATF price has increased to over US$ 1775 per kilolitre now from US$ 525 in 2004. While ATF in Delhi costs US$ 1,291 per kilolitre, the same in Singapore is sold at US$ 1,067 per kl. It costs US$ 1,100 per kl in Hong Kong and US$ 1,113 in Colombo.

Kingfisher & Jet rivalry goes overseas
21 August 2008

The rivalry between Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines in domestic skies is now going to foreign skies. As Mr. Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher-Deccan combine is planning to set up its international operation base in Mumbai and Bangalore and Mr. Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet also decided to start its international operations from Bangalore to three North American cities of New York New Jersey and Toronto via its European hub Brussels, competition is becoming stiff. Kingfisher launched its daily flights from Bangalore to London on September 03, 2008, which will connect US cities like New York and San Francisco and other western destinations.

Currently, Jet is operating flights from Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai to Brussels with the aim of expanding them to US and Canada too. The airline is also planning to connect Ahmedabad and Bangalore to Brussels. On the other hand, Kingfisher is planning to have most of its foreign flights from India out of Mumbai and Bangalore. The airline would use Delhi for low-cost flights to nearby places like Kathmandu, Dubai, and Karachi. With the launch of Air India’s direct flight from Bangalore to New York, the fight for Bangalore's international traffic will be contested between Jet and Kingfisher.

SRS group to venture into Indian aviation biz in 2-3 years
17 August 2008

SRS group which has diverse interests in real estate, cinema, retail, educational institutions, and hospitality is now entering the aviation market and luxury segment. SRS group is planning to launch chartered services for short distance in the northern region with an approx investment of US$ 7.5 million to enter the domestic aviation market. The investment would be raised from debt and equity and also include an IPO by the end of the current fiscal year (2008-2009). The SRS group is planning to introduce an IPO for its entertainment arm, SRS Entertainment Ltd, by the next financial year, to raise about US$ 75-125 million from the market.

HAL about to set up manufacturing facility in Kerala
11 August 2008

State-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is planning to set up a strategic electronics manufacturing facility in Kerala with an investment of US$ 47.6 million. The facility is spread over an area of 200 acres at the Kinfra Industrial Park in Kasargod district. This unit is expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2009-10 fiscal.

India plans to produce 70-seater passenger jets by 2020: Kalam
11 August 2008

According to Former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, India should make optimum use of its Technology in the aero-space sector, to enable the country to produce 70-seater small passenger jets by 2020. This will lead to a business volume of US$ 15 billion.

MRO

 

TN Government plans to establish aero park
02 September 2008

The Tamil Nadu Government plans to set up an aero park for the global aerospace and aeronautics industry in the areas of design, manufacture and maintenance of aircrafts. This aero park would generate direct and indirect employment of 0.1 million for highly skilled jobs in aerospace and avionics. The Union Government has put a 30% offset clause under which the winning company has to make sure that it buys goods or services from India worth 30% of the total value of the contract. This offers a big opportunity for TN govt. to attract huge investment in the aviation sector.

GMR and Malaysia Airlines sign an MoU to set up MRO
22 August 2008

Malaysia Airlines and GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) signed a MoU to set up a world-class Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organization, which will cater to narrow-and wide-body aircrafts at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad. This agreement has opened up new opportunities for both companies to benefit from the fast growing aviation industry in India. The Indian aviation market is one of the fastest growing in the world with some 300 aircraft operations currently and more than 200 new will be added in the next two years, while 2,000 new planes are expected to be added in the next 8-10 years.

Air Cargo

 

RGIA set to emerge as cargo hub
09 September 2008
Source: The Economic Times

World-class cargo facilities at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has opened up potential opportunities for large-bodied freighter planes with the first two air charters-Boeing 747-200 freighter and Boeing 747-400 F-landing at the airport. According to the GHIAL Chief Commercial Officer Mr. Viswanath Attaluri, "These flights mark the first step in GMR Hyderabad International Airpot Limited's (GHIAL) endeavor to make RGIA a world-class cargo hub in this part of the country."

GHIAL about to set up perishable cargo centre in Hyderabad
16 August 2008

As there is huge potential for movement of perishable cargo like horticulture, poultry, and pharmaceutical products, the GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) is planning to set up a 13,000 tonne cargo facility with an investment of US$ 10 million for perishable commodities at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Shamshabad. The US$ 5 million subsidy will be given by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). This center will give a boost to horticultural activity in Andhra Pradesh.

APTPC plans to convert Cargo station into hub
03 August 2008

The Andhra Pradesh Trade Promotion Corporation (APTPC) is planning to convert the cargo station into a container hub at the old airport at Begumpet. According to Ms J. Geeta Reddy, the Minister for Major Industries, “Since the old airport is no longer functional, we intend to convert the cargo station there into a container station for which we are awaiting customs clearance.” The Minister also said that APTPC is planning to create a cargo hub at the Tirupati airport and make it similar to the one that APTPC has in Visakhapatnam.

GHIAL & DIAL sign MoU with Deccan Express
13 August 2008

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) and Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) have signed a MoU with Deccan Cargo & Express Logistics Pvt Ltd (Deccan Express) to develop express cargo hubs in Hyderabad and Delhi. Deccan Express will use the cargo terminal operated by Hyderabad Menzies Air Cargo Pvt Ltd (HMACPL) in the beginning.

HMACPL will offer over 300 Sq. M. and DIAL will offer over 2000 sq. m. to Deccan Express for setting up a cargo facility at the airport as a hub for its business. Deccan Express is expected to commence its operation by January 2009.

iCargo goes live at Japan-based NCA
06 August 2008

iCargo from IBS Software Services, a next-generation airline cargo management system, has gone live at Japan based Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA), the country’s only all-cargo airline. iCargo is an integrated solution, which supports the requirements of airlines’ cargo/freight business providing enhanced Web-enabled features that offer better product distribution. This was developed in association with leading cargo airlines like South African Airways Cargo, Air New Zealand Cargo, Gulf Air, Australian Air Express and Qantas Freight to provide comprehensive functionality for supporting the management of airfreight from shipper to consignee.

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