NCLAT orders Jalan-Kalrock consortium to share details of resolution plan with Jet Airways employees

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Thursday, January 20 directed the Kalrock-Jalan consortium, the winning bidder for bankrupt Jet Airways, to share portions of the resolution plan about claims of employees with the airline's workmen.

The Association of Aggrieved Workmen of Jet Airways (India) Ltd had sought a copy of the approved resolution plan and the latest direction has come on a plea filed by the association.

The development comes almost seven months after the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the Jalan-Kalrock Consortium's resolution plan in June 2021.

A two-member NCLAT bench, headed by Chairman Justice Ashok Bhushan, said as the consortium's resolution plan for the airline has already been approved by the NCLT, the plan "is no more confidential" and a copy should be provided to the aggrieved person.

"We are not inclined to issue a direction to provide the entire resolution plan to the appellant for hearing. We, however, are fully satisfied that the appellant is entitled to the relevant part of the resolution plan to the claims of the workmen and employee," the NCLAT said.

Further, the appellate tribunal directed that the part of the resolution plan which deals with claims of workmen and employees should be given to the association within "three weeks from today". The NCLAT's detailed judgement on the matter is expected soon, while for now, it has made an oral pronouncement.

K S Ravichandran, who represents the association, said they had asked for a copy of the resolution plan.

"NCLAT has directed that there is no confidentiality for the resolution plan after its sanction by NCLT. In respect of workmen and employees, that portion of the resolution plan shall be furnished to the appellants and this order is directed against the successful resolution applicant," Ravichandran told PTI.

In October 2020, the airline's Committee of Creditors (CoC) approved the resolution plan submitted by the consortium of the UK's Kalrock Capital and the UAE-based entrepreneur Murari Lal Jalan.

The State Government on January 24, signed MoUs with Thumby Aviation and Chipsan Aviation which will offer heli tourism services in Karnataka to domestic and international tourists.

The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), which signed the MoUs for five years, will help the chopper service providers with government approvals, permits, certification, and access to government helipads. It will also help the service providers in tie-ups with luxury hotels and resorts.

The MoUs are part of the state's heli tourism project. Coorg, also known as Kodagu, and Kabini are two top tourist destinations in the state that have access to helicopter services. Karnataka is home to several historical and religious places, wildlife parks, hill stations, and waterfronts.

"The service providers who come on board will need to provide heli tourism services at the notified locations. They should operate 50 trips of passenger services per year during the first two years and 100 trips per year after that.KSTDC will provide support to these agencies to get various government approvals and permits, certification, etc., and also assist in tying up with luxury hotels and resorts in the state. The promotion of heli-tourism will be carried out through the tourism department and KSTDC websites and social media platforms."Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Secretary, Tourism Department

Heli Tourism and BLADE

The Indian subsidiary of US-based helicopter transport firm BLADE first entered the state in December 2020 with its weekend private charter services. To boost heli tourism in Karnataka, helicopter transport firm BLADE has launched its scheduled by-the-seat services on Bengaluru-Coorg and Bengaluru-Kabini routes in the state. With the launch of the services on the two routes, travel time to the two cities from Bengaluru which is the state capital will be reduced from 6-7 hours by road at present

“Karnataka boasts of some of the most beautiful destinations in the country. However, their accessibility is a pain point. 6-7 hours of road travel from Bengaluru eat into the precious time that travelers could otherwise spend enjoying their holiday. BLADE mitigates this pain with an hour’s seamless experience.”Amit Dutta, MD, BLADE India

BLADE India, a joint venture between BLADE Urban Air Mobility Inc, headquartered in New York, and New Delhi-based venture capital firm Hunch Ventures, started operations in Maharashtra in 2019. According to the company website, the trip from Jakkur aerodrome in Bengaluru to Coorg costs INR 16,000 per seat. The company has also tied up with Evolve Back Resorts to enable customers to book their flight and stay at once; land at the property directly in an hour and be more accessible.

In June 2021, the Karnataka Tourism Department got approval from the Youth and Sports Services department and Airport Authority of India (AAI) to use Jakkur aerodrome and five other airstrips for heli-tourism purposes. The state government was planning to use Jakkur for landing and take-off purposes. The department is also planning a circuit for tourists to take helicopters to Goa, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, and Kerala.

Thumby Aviation

About the two chopper service providers

Chipsan Aviation was established as a Partnership Firm in 2009. Chipsan has been providing custom-stitched aviation services and expanding our clientele to become a Non-Scheduled Air Operator approved by the DGCA in 2017.

This milestone of buying our first helicopter was achieved with no investor backup and solely from the income generated over the 5 years from the line of activity. In 2019 Chipsan added two more aircraft to the fleet including a Twin Engine VIP configured Class I Performance machine.

In 2020, Chipsan has signed for 2 more Single engine multi-role helicopters with an EMS facility. Chipsan also manages four aircraft from various operators by inducting them on long-term wet-lease.

Thumby Aviation has given 40+ Years in Aviation & 20+ Years in Aviation Consulting. In the year 2007, they did over 2500 Joy rides for passengers during the Dubai Shopping Festival, Calicut. Other services like – Trivandrum Darshan, Heli-Tour packages.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of INR 20 lakh on Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBIA) for violating safety norms by neglecting runway maintenance. The DGCA's audit report suggested that the Kolkata airport has been negligent in the maintenance of the runway as per the mandated safety requirement. The aviation regulatory body has issued a show-cause notice to the airport for a "serious violation of security" rule at the airport.

Kolkata International Airport faces a fine of INR 20 lakh for poor runway maintenance.

As per reports, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has constituted an internal committee to look into the said incident, but there is no statement given from their end.

"After the regulator started safety auditing for airports a few months back, the audit report found that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport NSCBIA has committed serious safety norms violations, especially on the runway maintenance work. It has been decided to impose a fine of INR 20 lakh. According to the audit report, the maintenance of the runway at Kolkata airport was not done as per the guidelines, the lights on the runway were not fixed properly and Foreign Object Debris (FOB) was reported on the runway, which could have been a part of an aircraft's safety during landing and takeoff was a concern."Senior Official, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

About the Kolkata Airport

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (also known as Kolkata Airport), was renamed in 1995 in the honor of Subhas Chandra Bose a great freedom fighter, is located in the Dum Dum area approximately 5 Km from the newly developing industrial IT hub and 17 km from the centre of the city.

It is the fifth busiest airport in the country after Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Bangalore and presently handles over 9 million passengers annually. The airport is the largest in eastern India and the only international airport operating in West Bengal with huge prospects of becoming an aviation hub of this region.

With the realization that the current terminal has already saturated and would not be able to handle the influx of passengers due to massive growth in passenger volume during the past three to four years, the Airports Authority of India has planned and taken up construction of a new integrated airport passenger terminal with a capacity of 20 million passenger per annum with a floor carpet area of more than 2,00,000 sq meters.

At an age when many others would be contemplating joining college, Zara Rutherford had other plans in mind.

Darlington & Stockton Times

The teenage aviator with dual British-Belgian nationality has officially created the world record to become the youngest woman to fly around the world solo.

In an epic 41-country journey spanning over 52,000 kilometres, the 19-year old broke two Guinness World Records and landed at Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport in western Belgium on Thursday.

New York Post

My name is Zara Rutherford. I’m attempting to fly solo around the world.she said to the internet after leaving Belgium in August

The journey, however, was not a bed of roses (or "sky of roses, so to speak! ) for the aviator as she had her fair share of challenges along the way.

In the beginning, the entire journey was touted to take about 3 months, but that was before weather and visa issues would play the spoilsport, thereby pushing the schedule ahead by another 2 months. Ms Rutherford, 19, dodged giant clouds in Colombia and lightning flashes in Mexico. In Alaska, her tiny plane was grounded for weeks by bad weather and a visa delay.

I would say the hardest part was definitely flying over Siberia -- it was extremely cold. It was minus 35 degrees Celsius on the ground. If the engine were to stall, I'd be hours away from rescue and I don't know how long I could have survived for.Rutherford said during a press conference

Zara Rutherford while in Russia | Teller Report

After having flown the frozen, desolate patch of Siberia, it wasn't long before China barred her from entering the Chinese airspace. Air routes over India were smog-laden although it never deterred her from continuing.

When China barred her from its airspace as a coronavirus protocol, she had to fly more than six hours over the water toward South Korea.

I was hoping to complete it by Christmas but I guess that's not happening anymore. But it's an adventure.Rutherford told reporters at Gimpo International Airport, Seoul, South Korea after arriving from Vladivostok on December 13

Apparently, the young aviator faced challenges on the ground too.

She made an unplanned landing at a remote airfield in North Carolina. Owing to the small size of the airstrip and since the taxi company in the nearest city wouldn't pick her up, she had to hitchhike.

Regardless of the countless issues, she faced along the way, Rutherford was only grateful to all the people she encountered along the way for their gratitude and touch of kindness, despite being total strangers.

While she's flown to an array of destinations, such as Singapore, Egypt and Greece, along with Russia and South Korea, Rutherford has been unable to explore any of them on land due to Covid-19 restrictions.

When she landed in the Belgian city of Kortrijk on Thursday, she became the youngest woman to circumnavigate the globe solo, and in a microlight- a two-seater aircraft that is only about 22 feet long and not certified to fly on instruments alone. The aircraft flown by Rutherford had customizations such as a second radio, and an additional fuel tank in the place where the second passenger seat would typically sit. Additionally, it also featured an integrated parachute.

A long string of supporters lined up on the tarmac to show their support and welcome her home.

It will be very strange to not have to fly every single day anymore or try to fly every single day anymore. I’m just happy to finally also be in the same spot for a few months.she said at a news conference after landing

https://twitter.com/ABCNewsLive/status/1484330874300559365

ABC News Live

Although on a year gap now, Rutherford eventually plans to go to university in September to study computer engineering. She received her first license in 2020.

Did you know? Zara Rutherford's current record stands to break the previous one held by Shaesta Waiz. In 2017, Shaesta became the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft, although she was 30 at the time.

Shaesta Waiz (right) | Medium

SOURCE(s)

COVER: The Indian Express

On 22nd January, one Cessna 172 (VT-AMU) aircraft crash-landed at around 8 PM in an agricultural field near Aligarh's Dhanipur airport. As per the preliminary reports, the plane was being piloted by one of the flight instructors of Pioneer Flying Academy along with a trainee cadet. Both the occupants survived the accident with minor injuries.

The duo is believed to had gone for a routine night cross country flight. Bad visibility due to the thick blanket of fog and the non-availability of runway lights at the Aligarh airport is touted to be major contributory factors to the accident. DGCA's (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) investigation team reached the crash site on Sunday morning to inspect the damaged plane and nearby areas. A detailed report of this unfortunate accident is expected soon.

VT-AMU being used for Skydiving (Skyhigh)

Also not long ago, Ambitions Flying Club's training aircraft had overshot the runway on landing in Aligarh. There are three DGCA approved flying training organisations operating at this airport. They provide various types of flight training and aircraft maintenance courses.

The U.S. government said on Friday, January 21 it would suspend 44 China-bound flights from the United States by four Chinese carriers in response to the Chinese government's decision to suspend some U.S. carrier flights over COVID-19 concerns.

The suspensions will begin on January 30 with Xiamen Airlines’ scheduled Los Angeles-to-Xiamen flight and run through March 29, the Transportation Department said.

The decision will cut some flights by Xiamen, Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.

The suspensions will begin on January 30 with Xiamen Airlines’ scheduled Los Angeles-to-Xiamen flight.

Since December 31, Chinese authorities have suspended 20 United Airlines, 10 American Airlines and 14 Delta Air Lines flights, after some passengers tested positive for COVID-19. As recently as Tuesday, January 18, the Transportation Department said the Chinese government had announced new U.S. flight cancellations.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said the policy for international passenger flights entering China has "been applied equally to Chinese and foreign airlines in a fair, open and transparent way."

He called the U.S. move "very unreasonable" and added "We urge the U.S. side to stop disrupting and restricting the normal passenger flights" by Chinese airlines."

Airlines for America, a trade group representing the three U.S. carriers affected by China's move along with others, said it supported Washington's action "to ensure the fair treatment of U.S. airlines in the Chinese market."

(Image Courtesy - CTV News)

The Transportation Department said France and Germany have taken similar action against China’s COVID-19 actions. It said China's suspension of the44 flights "are averse to the public interest and warrant proportionate remedial action." It added that China's "unilateral actions against the named U.S. carriers are inconsistent" with a bilateral agreement.

China has also suspended numerous U.S. flights by Chinese carriers after passengers later tested positive.

The department said it was prepared to revisit its action if China revised its "policies to bring about the necessarily improved situation for U.S. carriers." It warned that if China cancels more flights, "we reserve the right to take additional action."

China has all but shut its borders to travellers, cutting total international flights to just 200 a week, or 2% of pre-pandemic levels, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said in September 2021.

(Image Courtesy - Reuters)

The number of U.S. flights being scrapped has surged since December, as infections caused by the highly contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus soared to record highs in the United States.

Beijing and Washington have sparred over air services since the start of the pandemic. In August 2021, the U.S. Transportation Department limited four flights from Chinese carriers to 40% passenger capacity for four weeks after Beijing imposed identical limits on four United Airlines flights.

Before the recent cancellations, three U.S. airlines and four Chinese carriers were operating about 20 flights a week between the countries, well below the figure of more than 100 per week before the pandemic.

(With Inputs from Reuters)