Rourkela Airport's expansion plan hampered by slow progress

The tardy pace of work on the new apron and taxiway of Rourkela airport has raised apprehensions about whether the facility can be made operational before the Men’s Hockey World Cup in January 2023. 

While the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been accused of deliberately limiting the runway length to operate only smaller aircraft from the airport, a tender of INR 5.69 crore for construction of the new apron and taxiway was awarded to Ranchi-based RK Mishra and Co in June 2021.

Rourkela Airport's expansion plan was hampered by slow progress.

It took the firm seven months to fill the earth. This apart, the cementing of the taxiway started only recently. It is unclear when work would start for the proposed terminal building to accommodate 200 passengers.    

What is more worrying is the present runway length is getting extended to around 6,330 feet (1,930 metres) to cater only to ATR-72 and it would not allow bigger aircraft like Boeing and Airbus to operate from the airport. 

This is even though the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) has provided an additional 146 acres using which the runway could be expanded to over 7,500 feet to operate big body aircraft like A320, A320 Neo and A321 Neo.  

The present runway of 5,655 feet (1,724 metres) is adequate to cater to ATR 72-600.

Aviation enthusiasts said the present runway of 5,655 feet (1,724 metres) is adequate to cater to ATR 72-600 and De Havilland 8-400 aircraft but three years back the airport was granted ARC 2B licence for 19-seater as such smaller aircraft was not available. 

Sources said around 1,349 feet of the existing serviceable runway is being discarded over reasons unknown. The AAI  has also downgraded its plan to apply for an ARC 2C licence from ARC 3C. 

Rourkela Development Steering Committee chairman and former president of Rourkela Chamber of Commerce & Industry (RCCI) Subrata Patnaik claimed the AAI is deliberately limiting the runway length to 6,330 feet, fearing that after the mega hockey event the airport may be closed to promote the Jharsuguda airport. 

Patnaik apprehended if commercial flights are not started from the airport before the event,  it will be an embarrassment for Odisha. 

Earlier, the AAI had hoped to complete the upgradation of the airport by March 2022, apply for replacing the ARC 2B licence with ARC 2C licence in May and start operation of ATR-72 from October. But, now it looks like a remote possibility. 

After a joint meeting with top Civil Aviation officials on February 15, 2021, at Rourkela, the then Transport and Commerce department Principal Secretary MS Padhi had hoped to complete upgradation works by September and start commercial flights from December 2021. 

The airport is mostly used by dignitaries visiting Rourkela, especially officials of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and other VIPs.

To expedite the works, the AAI had recently posted three officers at Rourkela. The Chief Minister’s Office is scheduled to review the progress of the airport with AAI officials on February 11.

Rourkela Airport, Airport Code - RRK, is a domestic airport located near Chhend Colony, 6 kilometres west of the steel city of Rourkela in the state of Odisha. The airport is mostly used by dignitaries visiting Rourkela, especially officials of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and other VIPs.

The airport's terminal is being upgraded to handle scheduled operations. Under the UDAN scheme, scheduled flights were to start but this has not materialized. A license for commercial usage of the airport was issued in January 2019.

Pieter Elbers has been appointed as Ronojoy Dutta’s successor after Ronojoy Dutta decides to retire by September, the company said in a press release on Wednesday, May 18.

Ronojoy Dutta will be retiring as the Chief Executive Officer of low-cost carrier IndiGo on September 30, 2022. Dutta, 71, was appointed at the helm of IndiGo in January 2019. 

“The Board of Directors of the Company, at its meeting held today, May 18, 2022, has approved the appointment of Mr. Pieter Elbers as the Chief Executive Officer and as a Whole Time Director of the Company, subject to necessary regulatory and Shareholders' approvals," India's largest airline said in a statement.

"What IndiGo’s employees and leadership jointly built, since its start 16 years ago, is ‘impressive’. I am very honoured and do look forward to build upon this, working together with the entire IndiGo team. I am delighted to become a part of the next stage of IndiGo’s incredible journey, further fulfilling the vision of what the airline can do and will be for its customers and for India."Pieter Elbers, Future CEO, Indigo

Elbers, 52, will be joining IndiGo on or before October 01, 2022. Elbers has served as the President & Chief Executive Officer of KLM Royal Dutch Airline since 2014. Elbers is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Air France – KLM Group.

Born in The Netherlands’ Schiedam, Elbers started his career in aviation by joining KLM in 1992 at their Schiphol hub and held various managerial positions in The Netherlands, Japan, Italy and Greece.

Pieter Elbers has served as the President & Chief Executive Officer of KLM Royal Dutch Airline since 2014

He was appointed as the Senior VP of Network and Alliances after he returned to The Netherlands before being promoted as the Chief Operating Officer in 2011. Elbers has a bachelor’s degree in logistics management and a master’s degree in business economics. 

“I leave knowing that IndiGo is in the good custody of Mr. Elbers and that the future for IndiGo employees is secure and bright. I would like to thank all the employees at IndiGo for the kindness and affection they have shown me over the past four years. As I move forward to the next chapter of my life, I will look back with nostalgia, fondness, and a tinge of separation regret."Ronojoy Dutta, Present CEO, IndiGo

“The Board of Directors and I would like to thank Rono for effectively leading our business for almost four years with a steady hand through what has been the most turbulent period in the airline’s history and aviation globally,” Rahul Bhatia, Managing Director of IndiGo said.

Direct international flights to Bali have resumed for the first time in two years as Indonesia opens the resort island to foreign travellers from all countries, but mandatory quarantine remains in place for all visitors.

Officials had said in October 2021 that Bali would welcome foreign arrivals from 19 countries that meet World Health Organization criteria, such as having their COVID-19 cases under control.

But there were no direct international flights to Bali until Thursday, February 3 when Garuda Indonesia operated its first such flight in two years from Tokyo.

Bali reopens to foreign visitors from all countries but quarantine is still required.

Though the island officially opened to visitors from China, New Zealand, Japan and a few other countries in mid-October, there have been no direct non-cargo flights since then.

The six foreign tourists arriving from Tokyo were travelling using business visas since the new rules for tourists were not ready when they applied to come, said Yustikarini.

Singapore Airlines will introduce a regular direct route to and from Denpasar in Bali starting February 16, said Taufan Yudhistira, the public relations manager at Bali's international airport.

Direct international flights to Bali have resumed for the first time in two years.

Fully vaccinated travellers need to quarantine for five days in a hotel or on a liveaboard boat certified by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, and travellers who have received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine must quarantine for seven days.

The country's latest surge in cases, driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant, has mostly been concentrated in Jakarta, but in recent days infections have “increased significantly” in Java and Bali, said Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the government minister who leads the COVID-19 response in Java and Bali.

The quarantine for foreign arrivals is intended to prevent the further spread of the virus, said Pandjaitan.

Bali's airport accommodated more than 200 international flights with at least one million passengers per day in 2019.

Indonesia is maintaining much stricter quarantine requirements than Southeast Asian neighbours Thailand, which resumed quarantine-free entry for vaccinated visitors and the Philippines, which will do the same from February 10.

ALSO READ - Thailand relaxes entry restrictions as Covid fear fades

Before the pandemic, Bali's airport accommodated more than 200 international flights with at least one million passengers per day in 2019. The island was closed to international flights after COVID-19 hit the world's fourth most populous country in 2020.

Tourism is the main source of income in Bali, which is home to more than 4 million people who are mainly Hindu in the mostly Muslim archipelago nation.

The reopening of Bali to travellers from all countries will help boost the island's economy.

Bali's tourist areas were deserted two decades ago after visitors were scared off by deadly terror attacks that targeted foreigners, but the island has worked to overcome that image.

The reopening of Bali to travellers from all countries will help boost the island's economy, which has been badly affected by the pandemic, Pandjaitan said.

It will also serve as a "trial," said Tourism and Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno, as the government prepares to host G-20 events in Bali later this year.

At a post-budget interaction, on behalf of the civil aviation, travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors, Ajay Singh, Vice-President, ASSOCHAM and Chairman, and Managing Director, SpiceJet raised with the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman the difficulties being faced by these sectors because of Covid.

He requested the Finance Minister to consider granting infrastructure status to these sectors to facilitate lending by banks and financial institutions. He also requested the Ministry of Finance to support the inclusion of Aviation Turbine Fuel under GST.

Ajay Singh, Vice-President, ASSOCHAM and Chairman, and Managing Director, SpiceJet

According to a statement issued by SpiceJet at the meeting, the Finance Minister has promised to consider granting infrastructure/ industry status to help the sectors of civil aviation, travel, tourism, and hospitality.

Sitharaman, in a post-Budget discussion with industry chamber Assocham, said a final decision of inclusion of ATF in GST will be taken by the Council, which comprises finance ministers from central and state governments.

"It is not with ... (the Centre) alone, it has got to go to the GST Council. The next time we meet in the Council, I will put it on the table for them to discuss it," she said. The next meeting of the Council is expected by either in end-February or in March.

Nirmala Sitharaman said that the centre will bring ATF inclusion in GST for discussion in the next Council meet

Sitharaman was responding to views expressed by SpiceJet Founder Ajay Singh where he sought the support of the Union finance minister in bringing ATF under the GST regime.

Currently, the central government levies excise duty on ATF while state governments charge VAT. These taxes, with excise duty, in particular, have been raised periodically with rising oil prices.

She has also assured that she will take up the issue of inclusion of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) under GST at the next meeting of the GST Council.

The Indian travel trade including associations, tour operators, and other stakeholders have also been seeking industry/infrastructure status so that the ailing sector can get tax relief and other benefits to survive the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic which has widely affected travel and tourism-related businesses.

Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for the 2022-23 Financial year on February 1 and the announcements didn’t include any substantial relief measures for the civil aviation, travel, tourism sector. The highlight for the sectors was the extension of the ECLG scheme till March 2023 to support the hospitality sector.

In what can be termed as a first of its kind, Lufthansa airlines is now testing a new service that would allow passengers to offset the carbon emissions of their air travel directly onboard. This service, with Internet connectivity, is to be available to all Lufthansa passengers flying to and from Munich on all short- and medium-haul flights.

Representative | Dezeen

How does it work?

Passengers can now choose how to offset the CO2 emissions of their flight via a range of options available through the onboard entertainment system.

The service can be accessed free of charge via the internet available onboard. Using a slider, passengers can navigate to one of three options available for offsetting, namely :

Sustainable Aviation Fuel made from biogenic residueHigh-quality carbon offset projects run by the non-profit organization myclimateCombination of both

Apparently, this new service incorporates the technology of the "Compensaid" platform for CO2-neutral air travel developed by the Lufthansa Innovation Hub in 2019.

Compensaid - Lufthansa Innovation Hub

Compensaid is Lufthansa Group's digital platform for CO2-neutral flying. Having been tested as a prototype in 2019,  integrated into the booking process of the various Lufthansa Group airlines and is also available as an offer for Lufthansa Group's corporate customers via the Compensaid Corporate Program.

Lufthansa Group

Lufthansa Cargo also offers a CO2-neutral freight product based on Compensaid technology.

The digital platform was developed in cooperation with the Lufthansa Group's fuel experts, who purchase the certified fuel globally and feed it into Lufthansa flight operations.

Lufthansa Group

Additionally, the company also has another venture by the name "Squake"- which also offers a CO2 compensation platform enabling travel and transport companies to choose sustainability initiatives from a bank from partners and projects.

The business-to-business platform calculates CO2 emissions of trips and offers ways for them to be offset within the booking process.

The platform is free for sustainability businesses to sign up to and Squake charges a 10% fee on every transaction made by the customers of the travel businesses using it.

We’re really trying to decarbonise everyone in the entire supply and travel chain and that’s a really grand vision which is why I’m excited about it. When you dial it down a little bit, it’s really about building the green backbone for each company in that segmentChristine Wang, managing director of LIH (Lufthansa Innovative Hub)

Christine Wang | KrASIA

There is an opportunity for Squake to help educate the industry, make it more transparent and offer ways to reduce carbon emissions over the next few years-she adds.

Did you know?  JetSetGo, a leading Indian aviation company, is all set to make flight operations carbon neutral by 2024. The company has set up a carbon offsetting programme, in association with  Auroville Consulting, which would assess emissions from ongoing and future operations to quantify the number of credits that need to be purchased from pre-selected socially and environmentally-beneficial carbon offset projects and reduce emissions by implementing innovative technological solutions. The remaining emissions would be neutralized using an active carbon offset strategy.

JetSetGo CEO- Kanika Tekriwal | The Economic Times

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Earth.org

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday, February 6 said that the Centre has elaborate infrastructure development plans for West Bengal including a second airport for Kolkata, but the Mamata Banerjee government has not yet provided land for it.

Mr Scindia claimed he has been asking for a dialogue with the chief minister for six months to set up a second airport since the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport has reached its capacity, but there has been no response from the other side so far.

"We want a new airport to be built in Kolkata, the existing one is at present running at maximum capacity and for several years, letters and views are being exchanged for a new site, but no concrete step has come from the state government," he told reporters at a press conference in Kolkata.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport has reached its capacity.

Maintaining that his ministry has elaborate plans for the development of civil aviation in West Bengal, Mr Scindia asked how to work for the proposed new airport would commence "until the land is made available" to the Airports Authority of India.

"We are investing INR 700 crore for the present (NSCBI) airport. A new technical block cum control tower will be made operational for INR 300 crore," he said, adding that a new taxiway is being built for INR 265 crore.

The minister said that INR 110 crore is being invested for connecting the Metro Railway with the airport terminal building.

The present NSCBI airport has a throughput of 2.5 crore people.

A two-lakh square metre new airport needs to come up to cater to the rising number of passengers to and from this eastern metropolis, he said.

Mr Scindia said that while the present airport has a throughput of 2.5 crore people, the new airport's terminal building should have a throughput of 3.5 crores.

"At present, the airport has 8,600 passenger capacity per day, we want that a new terminal building is built with capacity for 10,000 to 11,000 passengers per day," he said, maintaining that these plans can only be fructified if the state government cooperates and works together.

The West Bengal government has decided to construct a second airport in the vicinity of Kolkata, to decongest the NSCBI Airport, and Bhangar in neighbouring South 24 Parganas district is among the possible locations, an official had said last month.

The situation is similar for Bagdogra airport near Siliguri in north Bengal where the state government was dilly-dallying on handing over land for its augmentation, Mr Scindia claimed.

"The central government has written to the state several times for early handing over of land, but there is no reply... The (state) government is stuck in files," he said. He urged the chief minister to work in tandem with the Centre for the development of the state.

"For the last six months I have been trying to discuss with the chief minister so that we can move forward on these important issues," he said.

Claiming that there is a lack of will in the Mamata Banerjee government, he said how the Centre alone can carry out these projects if the state does not come forward.

Asserting that Ms Banerjee's claim that the common man got zero in the Union Budget for 2022-2023 was far from the truth, Mr Scindia said that the central government will infuse INR 1.5 lakh crore in West Bengal alone in the next three years for infrastructure development.

Mr Scindia claimed that the Trinamool Congress-ruled state's rate of inflation was 8.7% in 2020-21, while the national average was 6.2% for the same period.