Bharat Rakshak

nelson wrote:http://profit.ndtv.com/2009/07/13171246 ... r-Ind.html

what a retrograde step?

chetak wrote:
Hell, one time they even took pity on me and gave me a bottle of expensive champagne at rome where I deplaned along with the crew change.

Suppiah wrote:I guess we have to accept babus would be forced to fly AI. One can be sure the senior & influential amongst them will find ways to circumvent that,so it is only lower level babus that will be 'affected' and hence no sympathy for them.

Dileep wrote:

Suppiah wrote:
Chetak, honestly, were you "just an ordinary passenger"? Or had any special attributes on you?

Bade wrote:Such restrictions on having to take the national carrier only exist in other 'free-economies' too. When we had visiting scientists from outside of US, they had to travel by delta if travel money was paid out of some federal funds.

Bade wrote:Ease of connectivity is dependent on destination and a few other factors. For instance for the last decade or so if one wanted to fly from Chicago, NY area and most of the east coast to Kerala, then the shortest connection times were for Air-India alone. All other private biggies would dump you at the cow-shed of an airport at the domestic terminal of Mumbai late in the night with no food or comfortable seating and plenty of mosquitoes to catch the early morning ( 8 am) Jet flight to Cochin or TVM, whereas with Air-India one would get a smooth connection at 2 am from the Intl terminal to Cochin.

Sriman wrote: Agreed. FWIW, flew AI last month on a trip to Desh and the in flight experience was certainly better than AA and AF. But their ground support in Desh was very poor. My return flight was delayed by 2 hours due a delayed incoming flight and no ground staff turned up at the gate for close to 90 minutes after scheduled departure . Apart from an announcement on the PA that the flight was delayed there was no other information available. There were no AI staff to be found anywhere in the terminal. Tempers flared up and finally someone turned up. To make matters worse, the international terminal at Mumbai is way too small for the number of flights it supports. By the time we boarded, the entire gate area was badly crowded. I hope there are more direct flight options to Bangalore soon.

Most of the people just want information. You can at least go and make a call or have some snacks or go out for a while or so on. Just putting all people in boarding area and not telling them when their flight will leave is bad CRM.

p_saggu wrote:Is air deccan still alive? They owe me 1800 bucks for a refunded ticket. No refund has arrived for the last 1.5 years.
Should I go to the Consumer protection forum?

Bade wrote:

p_saggu wrote:Is air deccan still alive? They owe me 1800 bucks for a refunded ticket. No refund has arrived for the last 1.5 years.
Should I go to the Consumer protection forum?

Air Dakkan having been gobbled up by the spirit king the chances are low that you will see your money. KF owes me Rs6000/- from 6 months ago which is lost for good from the looks of it. Orbitz the travel agent and now the credit card company has washed their hands off, citing more than 6 months. KF of course is not reachable in any meaningful way from massa. They did not accept any massa credit cards while I was there physically at their office, except American Express. So much for customer service and other hype. They are just good for ogling at the PYTs in their size zero dress on a size 2 frame.

Believe me, KF owes a whole lot of people a whole lot more - and they aren't going to be paying up any time soon. I work in the media industry, and KF has a terrible reputation for defaulting on payments to agencies, vendors - the list is endless. The debt to only ONE agency that I know of is in the region of 2.5 crores. This is debt to ONE agency. Anyone owed money by the spirit king in his various avatars can do their BP levels a favour and kiss that money goodbye - accept it, it's gone.

New Delhi, July 16 (PTI) Vijay Mallaya-owned Kingfisher Airlines owes state-run oil companies over Rs 950 crore in unpaid fuel bills while financial crisis-hit NACIL has cleared almost two-thirds of its outstanding. Kingfisher Airlines owned Rs 1,030.08 crore in unpaid bills for buying jet fuel from Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum on December 31, 2008.

It stood at Rs 950.46 crore as on May 31, 2009, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said in a written reply in Lok Sabha. On the other hand, National Aviation Company India Ltd (NACIL),which operates the merged state carriers Air India and Indian Airlines, has reduced its outstanding from Rs 1,311.91 crore to Rs 472.93 crore.

Jet Airways has reduced outstanding from Rs 1,266.21 crore to Rs 760.07 crore, Deora said. Kingfisher owned most to HPCL, with its unpaid fuel bill running into Rs 598.78 crore.

It owed HPCL Rs 523.34 crore on December 31, 2008. Kingfisher also owned BPCL Rs 314.32 crore and another Rs 37.36 crore to IOC. NACIL reduced its outstanding towards IOC from Rs 877.13 crore to Rs 307.49 crore while that towards BPCL came down to Rs 91.56 crore from Rs 250.43 crore.

It owned HPCL Rs 73.88 crore, down from Rs 184.35 crore, Deora said. In case airlines fail to pay their dues, they are put on ''cash and carry'' (pay cash to buy fuel) and interest is recovered on all overdue payments, he said.

The defence authorities had agreed to the AAI proposal to construct a new building for the defence instead of the existing structure at Pallavaram. Already, the AAI had completed the construction of the new technical office complex and erected signal transmitters on the land by May. The defence authorities had visited the new building, expressed their satisfaction and commended the AAI for completing the work in record time.

However, on July 17 a section of defence authorities entered the project site (measuring 16.25 acres area) with armed personnel and stopped construction at the site.

Dileep wrote:Defense guys always does that. Because of the naval air station here, any tall structures need the navy's permission. When the TV tower came, first the navy demanded the height to be reduced to 125mtrs from the original 150 mtrs. Then, after the station is commissioned, the new adrail saab sent letters demanding demolition of the tower. All the records of the approval was digged up and sent to shut him up.

Same thing happened when the new airport was being planned. It took some DefMin level ass-kicking by good old Karunakaran to get the old salts fold the sail and retreat.

Airports Authority of India officials said that following a meeting with the Chief Secretary, the AAI had entered the 2.99 acres of defence land, part of a 19.24-acre parcel of defence property,

The defence authorities had informally, i.e. basically illegally allowed the AAI to start the earthwork and clear the bushes on the site, measuring 16.25 acres. However, on July 17 a section of defence authorities entered the project site (measuring 16.25 acres area) with armed personnel and stopped construction at the site.illegality stopped

The AAI officer said that at the meeting in February the local defence authorities had agreed to permit the AAI to start civil works relating to the international terminal expansion, and this fact had been recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

Dileep wrote:The article further notes:

The AAI officer said that at the meeting in February the local defence authorities had agreed to permit the AAI to start civil works relating to the international terminal expansion, and this fact had been recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

Just a show of arrogance, that is what exactly I mentioned in my post. The afsar came with the armed guards because he can.

I am sorry. The afsar showed off based on a technicality. It was not necessary.

ravi_ku wrote: quote="Dileep" The article further notes:

The AAI officer said that at the meeting in February the local defence authorities had agreed to permit the AAI to start civil works relating to the international terminal expansion, and this fact had been recorded in the minutes of the meeting. /quote

Just a show of arrogance, that is what exactly I mentioned in my post. The afsar came with the armed guards because he can.

I am sorry. The afsar showed off based on a technicality. It was not necessary.

so basically on few words said in some meeting, by some "local" authorities, you take it as words on rock? minutes of meetings as proof of land sale? if this was something, you want me to laugh at - I seriously would have.
These airport authorities without following the due process of law, wanted to take shortcuts. Why because of the arrogance of what the hell will these defence people do? If we do a hack job like the article in the media, it will anyway be "these defence people are always like that, they will never understand the civilian needs and want a raja life to themselves. if we grab few cents of land from them by thuggery, these arrogant ******** will come and show off their guns".

and then the land will be officially theirs. There is a reason why the forest lands, urban lands are all captured by land mafia and goons whereas defence lands are one of the lands which are not under kabza land mafias.

Dileep wrote:I have no problem in defense folk shooting private encroachers, but we are talking about AAI here. AAI or IAF, it is govt property. What ulterior self motive AAI can have with the land anyway?

All it would have taken was a phone call from the responsible IAF afsar to the responsible AAI babu if they have a problem with the construction. The babu would have happily folded the work and left.

chetak wrote:The very same thing has happened in Bangalore. Greedy folks have encroached on defence land.

Sachin wrote:

chetak wrote:The very same thing has happened in Bangalore. Greedy folks have encroached on defence land.

The parking lot for the great shoppers at Commercial Street used to be the Army land on both sides of the Kamaraj road in Bangalore. The Army used to allow this, provided that BBMP posted sentries and also kept the premises clean. BBMP just ignored this, the parking lot was used for all sorts of shady deeds, and better still as a public toilet for men. The Sub Area Commandant then decided enough is enough and sealed of the entire area. He placed sentries and blocked the entraces to the area by placing Army trucks. BBMP then went in for a compromise. The army officers said that if the BBMP did not come up with a good solution, the temporary ban would become a permenant one. Again all of this was started by army being magnanimous and allowing its premises to be used by civilians and civilian agencies.

chetak wrote:The issue of an explosives laden vehicle being parked in this area to target the Army also figured in the discussions.

Dileep wrote:I have no problem in defense folk shooting private encroachers, but we are talking about AAI here. AAI or IAF, it is govt property. What ulterior self motive AAI can have with the land anyway?

Bangalore, July 24 Foreign airlines have protested the increase in landing and parking charges at the Bangalore International Airport stating that it was ill-timed because of falling passenger traffic.

Airlines, especially international carriers operating to Bangalore, feel that the decision by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) couldn’t have come at a more inappropriate time. “BIAL is not doing anything unique. This hike in charges has been effected by the MoCA. But the timing is wrong,” Mr Arun Chandra, Chairman – Airlines Operators’ Committee, told Business Line.

He pointed out that this year has been a very difficult one for airlines, as the sector has been severely hit by recession and increasing fuel charges. “Hence to help airlines save on costs, airports worldwide are giving them some relief or incentive to see through these tough times. But it is ironic that the MoCA has decided to hike charges now, ” he added. Mr C.W. Foo, General Manager India, Singapore Airlines, said that besides landing and parking charges, “airports have also increased other charges such as the office space rentals.”

Mr Axel Hilgers, Director - South Asia, Lufthansa, said, “Lufthansa understands the need of India’s airports to increase some charges to generate additional revenue. India is investing in infrastructure, which is crucial for its future, and this needs to be financed.”

The airline hoped that Indian airports will reduce their charges once fresh investments have been paid for. “This will make tickets more affordable for customers, help airlines generate more business and boost the aviation industry in general,” said Mr Hilgers.
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NEW DELHI -- Air India sold 21 planes for an estimated $447.55 million between March 2007 and March 2009, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said Tuesday.

The country's flag carrier sold and leased back 14 Airbus planes and three Boeing aircraft for a total of $428.98 million, Mr. Patel said in a written reply to a lawmaker's query in the upper house of Parliament.

Air India also sold one Boeing and three Airbus planes during the period for $18.57 million, Mr. Patel said.

The minister said also Air India currently pays $13.61 million as rent each month for 46 leased planes.

Replying to another question, Mr. Patel said Air India spends 15 billion rupees ($311.8 million) each month before depreciation on its operations.

These costs also include benefits offered to Air India staff such as medical benefits, staff housing, holiday homes and travel passes among others, Mr. Patel said.

"Initiatives undertaken to bring down the overhead costs include rationalization of routes, rationalization of manpower costs and reduction of contractual employment," Mr. Patel said.

The airline has also been mandated to rationalize aircraft deliveries and return leased planes.

The government is considering establishing an international advisory board, reconstituting Air India's existing board, constituting a turnaround committee to spearhead cost reduction, shutting down off-line offices and reducing employees at foreign stations, Mr. Patel said.