Archive for March, 2010

India will be among the top five aviation markets in the world – both in terms of size and scale in the next five years, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said.

The US administration has informed India that their companies are very impressed with the growth displayed by that country’s aviation sector.

They are the big daddies of global aviation industry. Be it Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, Bell Helicopters, Eurocopters, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp, they are all there at the India Aviation 2010 show.

The second edition of India Aviation-2010 began at the Begumpet Airport here on Wednesday with Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel expressing optimism that the Indian civil aviation sector would see recovery by early 2011

According to International Air Transport Association (IATA), the total number of airline passengers in the year 2007 was 2,079.68 million, including 1,249.14 million domestic passengers and 830.54 million international passengers.

India would have a GPS-based aviation navigation system by next year, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said.

Early this morning, sources had informed CNBC-TV18 that the Aviation Ministry was keen on stake sale in the ailing Air India. However, the decision for a strategic sale in the airline would take time, ministry sources had said. “It is tied to changes in foreign direct investment (FDI) norms.”

In a bid to cut costs and rationalize capacity, India’s largest airline by market share Jet Airways said it has leased three of its wide-bodied B777-300 ER aircraft to Thai Airways for three years with immediate effect.

Domestic air traffic continued to soar with airlines flying 39.15 lakh passengers in February, up 17% over the same period last year, suggesting a better financial outlook for the loss-ridden aviation industry.