Height of metro at airport is being investigated by HC, seeks report from aviation secretary

Radhika Bansal

19 Jan 2022

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday, January 18 asked the Civil Aviation Secretary to act as its special officer and conduct an independent study by looking into the grievances raised in the public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the construction of overground Metro 2B corridor (DN Nagar to Mankhurd), passing through Swami Vivekanand (SV) Road in the vicinity of Juhu airport in Mumbai.

The court, however, permitted the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to continue with preparatory work such as soil testing through geotechnical investigation and utility identification at the site and sought the report from the Aviation Secretary in six weeks.

Bombay High Court

It clarified that apart from such preparatory work, no other work may be carried out without prior leave of the High Court at the site.

The plea stated that the no-objection certificate (NOC) given by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to MMRDA for construction of the Metro corridor did not take into consideration the “potential threat” posed by the overground route passing through an airport’s imaginary “funnel” zone, the approach path of a low-flying aircraft.

Height of metro at the airport is being investigated by HC, seeks report from aviation secretary

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Makarand S Karnik was hearing a PIL filed by Harit Desai, social worker and Juhu resident, claiming that AAI, in 2017 had issued a NOC permitting construction of the corridor through the funnel zone in violation of Ministry of Civil Aviation (Height Restrictions for Safeguarding of Aircraft Operations) Rules, 2015.

Advocates Nishant Thakkar and Jasmin Amalsadvala, appearing for the petitioner, said the elevated Metro line would not have stipulated clearance from the funnel zone (area stipulated for take-off and landing of flights) from the eastern side bordering S V Road, therefore, lives of fliers taking off from the strip every year would be in danger.

The bench said the limited issue before it was whether the project has got nod and approvals as per the procedure established in law and even if sound reasons are not given for the same, its hands are tied if the due procedure is followed granting permissions and NOC.

“Accordingly, we proposed that the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)… could be requested to examine the concern raised by the petitioner in the light of his complaint of breach of the provisions of the 2015 Rules by the AAI as well as his apprehension of loss of lives resulting from accidents, if the metro rail line of the MMRDA were commissioned.’’

However, counsel Thakkar brought it to the court’s notice that Arun Kumar, who is the incumbent DGCA, was at the relevant point of time the incumbent joint secretary (airports), ministry of civil aviation, and that he was involved in the decision-making process leading to the issuance of the impugned NOC. He thus requested to substitute the DGCA by the secretary, civil aviation, which the HC accepted after Kumbhakoni and Marne did not object.

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni and advocate Akshay Shinde for the MMRDA opposed the plea and said the authority has initiated preparatory work for the project of “public importance” and the same should be allowed to continue till the next hearing, which the court accepted.

Rajiv Bansal, Civil Aviation Secretary

The Court asked Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, Union Ministry of Civil Aviation to examine concerns raised by the petitioner to conduct a necessary investigation, together with a personal visit of the site, if required and to place a comprehensive report on the issue of height clearance granted through impugned NOC.

“He shall also consider the aspect of safety and security of the public, who reside in the vicinity of Juhu Airport, and throw light as to whether commissioning of the metro rail line of the MMRDA would in any way affect aircraft operations at Juhu Airport,” the bench noted. The bench posted a further hearing on February 28.

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Due to 5G rollout concerns, major international airlines cancel flights to the US

Radhika Bansal

19 Jan 2022

Ahead of the mega 5G rollout in the US, major airlines like Emirates, Air India, ANA and Japan Airlines have announced to cancel some flights over concerns that it could potentially interfere with some instruments and may put flyers' safety at risk.

Emirates said it's "suspending flights to the following US destinations from 19 January 2022 until further notice," listing Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Miami, Newark, Orlando, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Dubai's Emirates suspends flights to several U.S. destinations on 5G concerns

The airline will continue to fly to New York JFK, Los Angeles (LAX), and Washington, DC (IAD), reports The Verge.

Air India will also not be able to operate several US-bound flights. The airline further said passengers scheduled to fly to Washington DC from Delhi by AI103 of Wednesday, January 19 will operate as per schedule. 

Air India flies nonstop between several Indian and US cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, New York JFK, Newark (EWR), Chicago, Washington and San Francisco. United and American Airlines currently fly nonstop between the two countries and Delta is yet to resume those flights.

https://twitter.com/airindiain/status/1483509249376329731

Airline operators in the US warned that the rollout could cause "catastrophic disruption" to their flight schedules.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the concern is that the C-band 5G signals could interfere with the radar altimeters used in some planes, creating a safety issue.

Boeing has announced flight restrictions on all airlines operating the Boeing 777 aircraft. Boeing 787 is also not cleared for operations yet. The aircraft models approved include some Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767, MD-10/-11 and Airbus A310, A319, A320, A321, A330 and A350 models. 

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airlines have also cancelled some of their US Flights.

Japan Airlines also cites a notification from Boeing, saying that it was told that "5G signals for US mobile phones, which will begin operating in the US on January 19, 2022, may interfere with the radio wave altimeter installed on the Boeing 777."

Previously, the CEO of the major US airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines had warned about the impending dangers of the 5G rollout. The CEOs had said that the deployment of the new 5G spectrum will cause “catastrophic disruption” to flights operating across the country.

The letter from the CEOs noted that commercial and cargo flights would be affected due to the 5G rollout. However, now AT&T and Verizon have partially delayed the rollout in areas near the airports. AT&T noted that its delay is temporary and it is voluntary.

The telecom company is currently working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) "to provide further information about our 5G deployment since they have not utilized the two years they've had to responsibly plan for this deployment.”

However, both AT&T and Verizon have announced that they would voluntarily delay 5G antenna upgrades near certain airports.

Verizon said that it will launch its 5G Ultra Wideband network on Wednesday, January 19 which will enable more than 90 million Americans to experience the transformative speed, reliability and power of this game-changing network on the go or in their homes or businesses.

"As the nation's leading wireless provider, we have voluntarily decided to limit our 5G network around airports. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and our nation's airlines have not been able to fully resolve to navigate 5G around airports, despite it being safe and fully operational in more than 40 other countries," Verizon said in a statement.

US President Biden has thanked the carriers "for agreeing to delay 5G deployment around key airports and to continue working with the Department of Transportation on safe 5G deployment at this limited set of locations".

ALSO READ - After the deployment of 5G, US FAA has cleared 45% of the commercial plane fleet

ALSO READ - With uncertainties still looming over the apparent 5G spectrum rollout, FAA mandates rules for some Boeing 787 landings near 5G service

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With uncertainties still looming over 5G spectrum rollout, FAA mandates rules for some Boeing 787 landings near 5G service

Prashant-prabhakar

19 Jan 2022

The Indian Express

The chief executives of major U.S. passenger and cargo carriers on Monday warned of an impending "catastrophic" aviation crisis in less than 36 hours when AT&T and Verizon are set to deploy a new 5G service.

The airlines warned the new C-Band 5G service set to begin today could render a significant number of widebody aircraft unusable.

Unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded.wrote the chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others in a letter first reported by Reuters

Representative | Pinterest

That could potentially mean more than 1,100 flights and 100,000 passengers would be subjected to cancellations, diversions or delays.

In response, the Federal safety officials are now directing operators of some Boeing planes to adopt extra procedures when landing on wet or snowy runways near impending 5G service because, apparently, interference from the wireless networks could mean that the planes would need more room to land.

Wired

Reportedly, the interference could delay systems like thrust reversers on Boeing 787s from kicking in, leaving only the brakes to arrest the movement of the plane.

The FAA is in talks with Airbus and Boeing regarding information about many of its aircraft models.

Boeing said it is working with its suppliers, airlines, telecom companies and regulators to ensure that every commercial airplane model can safely and confidently operate when 5G is implemented in the United States.

The FAA said that based on information from Boeing, the 787s might not shift properly from flying to landing mode if there is interference, which could delay the activation of systems that help slow the plane.

The telecom companies and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are at loggerheads with the FAA with the former asserting  5G networks do not pose a threat to aviation. The FAA opines more study is required on the matter.

DW

The FAA is conducting tests to learn how many commercial planes have altimeters that might be vulnerable to spectrum interference and may possibly come out with an estimate this week, although no dates have been fixed.

Aircraft with untested altimeters or that need retrofitting or replacement will be unable to perform low-visibility landings where 5G is deployed.FAA

Very recently, the FAA had released a list of 50 airports that would have 5G buffer zones in which the telecom companies would turn off 5G transmitters or make other changes to limit potential interference through early July.

The 50 include the three major airports in the New York City area—LaGuardia, JFK and Newark Liberty—O'Hare and Midway in Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth International, Bush Intercontinental in Houston, Los Angeles International and San Francisco.

Las Vegas airport to have 5G buffer zone when service launches | Las Vegas Review-Journal

The CEOs of major airlines and Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun held a lengthy call with Buttigieg and Dickson on Sunday to warn of the looming crisisofficials told Reuters

United said it faces "significant restrictions on 787s, 777s, 737s and regional aircraft in major cities like Houston, Newark, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago."

Immediate intervention is needed to avoid significant operational disruption to air passengers, shippers, supply chain and delivery of needed medical suppliesAirlines for America stated

They further put forward the proposal that 5G be implemented everywhere in the country except within the approximate 2 miles (3.2 km) of airport runways at some key airports.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Key Aero

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At Bengaluru Airport, mid-air collision between two Indigo flights averted

Ridz

19 Jan 2022

Two IndiGo aircraft came close to colliding with each other mid-air while taking off from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) earlier in January. The incident occurred on January 7, when IndiGo flights 6E 455 departing for Kolkata and 6E 246 for Bhubaneswar were permitted to depart at the same time.

The incident was neither recorded in the logbooks nor was it reported by the Airports Authority of India to the country's aviation regulator, both of which are mandatory.

The report suggested that the two planes took off for their designated destinations and had an instant face-off in mid-air at an altitude of over 3000 feet in the skies over Bengaluru.

The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has two runways a north runway and a south runway. The runways are not used for simultaneous departures as flights taking off from the same distance can intersect with each other. In other words, parallel runway operations are not feasible from the airport.

Kempegowda International Airport (Picture Credit: Bombay Mirror)

Flight No. 6E 455 heading from Bengaluru to Kolkata and Flight No. 6E 246 on the way from Bengaluru to Bhubaneswar were involved in a 'breach of separation' at Bengaluru airport, as quoted by Arun Kumar, Director-General, DGCA.

The distance between the two airstrips at Bengaluru is not sufficient enough to allow parallel and simultaneous takeoffs and landings. A certain time difference has to be maintained between flights movement for operational safety reasons.

“On the morning of the incident, the north runway was being used for departures and the south runway for arrivals. Later, the shift in-charge decided to close the south runway but failed to inform the air traffic controller of the south tower. As a result, the two flights were given permission for take-off at the same time from the converging runways. This resulted in a situation where the aircraft moving in the same direction were about to collide with each other. A radar controller saw this and immediately intervened to alert the aircraft. None of the entities involved shared the information. It was during our surveillance that we discovered that this had happened."Senior official, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

The incident raises serious questions on lapses by air traffic controllers that led to the incident as well as failure on the part of both the Airports Authority of India and the airline to report it to the DGCA. The DGCA is investigating the matter and said that it would take the strictest action against those responsible for the incident. IndiGo declined to comment about the incident.

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EaseMyTrip forms an exclusive partnership with Flybig

Ridz

19 Jan 2022

Online travel service provider EaseMyTrip on January 18 said that it has entered into a partnership with regional airline Flybig to sell the latter’s tickets exclusively on its platform. All the bookings of Flybig by any other online travel portals will also go through and be processed by EaseMyTrip.

Flybig plans to induct five aircraft by the end of March 2022, and 75,000 seats to offer with over 35 departures in a day. It will operate mainly under UDAN, connecting the Northeast and Central East part of India.

EaseMyTrip forms an exclusive partnership with Flybig

“Air travel is witnessing a major boom across Tier II and III cities, and we are delighted to partner with Flybig during such a critical juncture for the industry. Through this partnership, We aim to bring more destinations within the reach of our growing customer base, and we will be providing a hassle-free booking experience and the best-in-class services for Flybig customers."Nishant Pitti, CEO & Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip

"The online travel platforms like EaseMyTrip control over a 50% market share in the air segment. Amid pandemic, this is the best opportunity for Flybig to control its cost, improve sales and increase profitability. Combining our local presence and EaseMyTrip’s market coverage, we are sure to redefine the travel experience for travelers. With this partnership, we hope to explore new avenues for growth, widen our network and flight options, and allow our customers to experience the best-in-class services."Capt Sanjay Mandavia, Chairman and MD, Flybig

About the Companies

EaseMyTrip is an Indian online travel company, founded in 2008 by Nishant Pitti, Rikant Pitti, and Prashant Pitti. Headquartered in New Delhi, the company provides hotel bookings, air tickets, holiday packages, bus bookings, and white-label services.

FlyBig is a regional airline based in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is promoted by Gurugram-based Big Charter Private Limited. The airline began operations in December 2020 and is focused on connecting tier-2 cities within India.

This airline majority functions under RCS UDAAN Scheme. RCS Udaan is the Regional Connectivity Scheme of the Indian Government which has an objective of “let the common citizen of the country fly”. The scheme focused on boosting national economic development and reducing unemployment in the states of India by making travel prices affordable.

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Vikram Dev Dutt named as the new CMD of Air India

Radhika Bansal

18 Jan 2022

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on January 18 appointed Vikram Dev Dutt as Chairman and Managing Director of Air India Limited. He will get the rank and pay of Additional Secretary.

Before this, Dutt was appointed as Principal Secretary for the Health and Family Welfare Department of the Delhi government in June 2020. However, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Anil Baijal transferred the IAS officer of AGMUT 1993 batch and posted him as principal secretary of the Services department in March 2021.

Vikram Dev Dutt

Dutt is a 1993-batch IAS officer of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre.

Dutt, in 2020, assumed the charge of Delhi's Health and Family Welfare Department as principal secretary to push the government's measures to contain the COVID-19 cases in the national capital.

Meanwhile, reports arrived that the loss-making national carrier Air India's takeover by Tata Group may be delayed by a month till January. The reason is the completion of procedures takes longer than expected.

As per the conditions in SPA, all formalities of handover would have to be completed within 8 weeks, but this date can be mutually extended by the buyer and seller and is being done in this case.

Earlier in October 2020, the Union government accepted the highest bid made by a Tata Sons company for 100% equity shares of Air India and Air India Express along with its 50% stake in ground-handling company AISATS — the first privatisation in 20 years.

On October 25, the government had signed the share purchase agreement with Tata Sons for the sale of national carrier Air India for INR 18,000 crore.

According to the deal, Tata’s would pay INR 2,700 crore cash and takeover INR 15,300 crore of the airline’s debt. The cash component would come once the handover process is completed.

Vikram Dev Dutt named as the new CMD of Air India

Also, 75% of this debt or INR 46,262 crore will be transferred to a special purpose vehicle AIAHL before handing over the loss-making airline to Tata Group.

Among other provisions, Tatas will not get to retain non-core assets, such as the Vasant Vihar Housing colony of Air India, the Air India Building at Nariman Point, Mumbai, and the Air India Building in New Delhi. Of the 141 Air India aircraft that Tatas will get, 42 are leased planes, while the remaining 99 are owned.

ALSO READ - Air India’s net loss increased by more than 43% to INR 5,422.6 crore in April-September

ALSO READ - Handover of Air India to the Tata Group postponed for a month

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