A-I To Refurbish Its Brand
Air-India is all set to refurbish its brand. The airline will introduce changes in its work culture and rebrand itself within a time span of one year. The Air-India chairman and managing director, V Thulasidas, said, "By rebranding, I do not mean changing the colour or the logo.

US Carriers Head For Indian Skies At Last
Six months after the Open Skies Agreement between India and the US came into force, major American carriers are trying to grab a pie in the fast-growing Indian skyline. In the run-up to the peak traffic season, three major US airlines have announced their decisions to land in India.

Singapore Airlines To Start Hyderabad Service
Singapore Airlines is expected to launch operations from Hyderabad on October 30, replacing the services of its subsidiary SilkAir. This makes Hyderabad its eighth destination in India. The airline would operate its Boeing 777-220 aircraft, which can seat 288, four days a week.

Air NZ Signs Bilateral To Operate Flights Into India
Air New Zealand Limited, a part of Star Alliance, recently received permission to operate direct flights into India. That airline has its official presence in the Indian market since the past 10 years as a part of InterGlobe Air Transport.

New Hyderabad Airport To Be Ready By '08
The new international airport coming up at Shamshabad, in the outskirts of Hyderabad, is expected to take off by March 2008, according to the Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (HIAL).

Air Arabia First International Airline To Fly Nagpur
Air Arabia, one of UAE's leading low-cost airlines, kickstarted its operations to and from Nagpur on October 17, becoming the first international airline flying from the city. The flights will operate on the Nagpur-Sharjah sector thrice a week and comes with fares starting from Rs 2,400 for a one-way flight. This takes Air Arabia's destination count in India to two; Mumbai being the first for the airline.

In Brief

ATF Hike May Hit Air Traffic: Assocham
Faced with infrastructure bottleneck and frequent increase in prices of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), the Indian aviation industry will find it difficult to sustain the robust growth in air traffic, a study by Assocham Eco Pulse (AEP) revealed.

AA, Sahara Sign Codeshare Agreement
American Airlines signed a codeshare agreement with Air Sahara on October 14, 2005 for the daily non-stop flight that it will operate between Delhi and Chicago from November 17.

PIB Approves Aircraft Acquisition By AI
The Public Investment Board (PIB) has recommended acquisition of 50 new long-range, wide-bodied aircraft for Air India and 18 B737-800W aircraft for Air India Charters Ltd, (AICL). This is on a not-to-exceed-cost basis to the government with a sovereign guarantee.

Indian Aviation Will Be A Driver For Growth - Bisignani
Indian aviation will be a driver for the global aviation industry, according to Giovani Bisignani, director general of International Air Transport Association (IATA). With a majority of US airlines having filed for bankruptcy and European airlines also facing market saturation, it is Asia that will drive future industry growth, he added.

Oriental Insurance to cover Paramount Airways
Oriental Insurance Company Ltd has clinched a deal to insure the aircraft of the Coimbatore-based Paramount Airways.

Air Deccan Manages Top Keep Prices Low
With the recent surge in price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), Air Deccan has increased its fares by 10 to 15 per cent with effect from the second week of October.

‘The Problem Is The Manner In Which IA & AI Are Allowed To Function’ - Nilotpal Basu
Air-India and Indian Airlines, which have often been criticised for the manner in which they function, now have a saviour in the form of Nilotpal Basu, chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on transport, tourism and culture. Recently he took up the issue of public sector owned airlines.