UK Aviation News: After 6500 flights, it turns out he's not a pilot

Tuesday 15 March 2011

After 6500 flights, it turns out he's not a pilot

New Delhi: As an Air India pilot, Captain JK Verma has been on 6,500 flights. You can drop the "captain". Mr. Verma's been arrested for faking it.

2 years ago, Mr. Verma bought his license for 12 lakhs. That involved forging mark-sheets with the help of a middleman. The fake documents allowed Mr. Verma to get a license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the watchdog for the aviation sector.

To qualify as a commercial pilot in India, pilots need to show 1500 hours of flight training; they also have to pass three papers which test their knowledge of navigation, atmosphere and instruments used.

Last week, the police arrested another pilot named Parminder Kaur Gulati, who had been suspended by private carrier Indigo 2 months ago. Like Mr. Verma, she had used a broker to fake her mark-sheets.

Two other pilots who cheated to get their licenses are missing.

The police became aware of the imposter pilot when the DGCA filed a complaint with them.

The police inquiry will try to nail any DGCA officials who may have been a part of the racket.

Because Mr. Verma and Ms. Gulati outwitted the system during the same period in 2009-10, another 4000 licenses issued during this time are being reviewed by the DGCA.

The Aviation Ministry says that it's working on new systems that will involve greater verification of marks scored by applicants.

In the meantime, if your flight is bumpy, you're forgiven for thinking the turbulence may not be because of bad weather.

2. Mangalore air crash case goes to The Hague

Nearly a year after the Dubai-Mangalore Air India Express IX 812 crash in Bajpe that killed 159 passengers, the families of victims have decided to approach the international court for getting ‘the right compensation’ from Air India.

The families of the victims have jointly hired a Swedish advocate Stephen Ericson, a well-known authority in aviation accident compensation issues.

The president of the Air India Crash Victims’ Families Association Mohammad Beary said the compensation arbitrated by Mulla and Mulla company of Mumbai was not more than Rs50 lakh whereas the international norms recommends it closer to Rs1 crore. The compensation has to be paid in accordance with the Montreal Convention to which India was a signatory.

Every person who died in an air crash on an international flight was entitled to get a final compensation of $1,76,000 in the currency of the country where the air craft had crashed and at the prevailing exchange rate at the time of the disbursement of the compensation.

The vice-president of the association Narayanan said a few families have already approached the Kerala high court, making the Air India fully responsible, as a court of enquiry has already cited that pilot error has caused the crash at Bajpe.

3. I-League: Jeje smashes four past Air India

KOLHAPUR: When Okorgor Praise Nanna opened the scoring for Air India in the fifth minute in the 19th round clash of the I-League at Kolhapur, little would he have anticipated what would hit them.

Indian Arrows' Jeje then got picture and hit four goals. Manandeep Singh gave Arrows the equalizer in the 7th minute but then Jeje scored two in four minutes as Arrows held a healthy 3-1 lead by the 15th minute.

His other two goals came in the second half before Okorgor reduced the margin of Arrows' victory in added-on time.

Churchill win

Boima scored in the 76 th minute as Churchill Brothers maintained the pressure on leaders Salgaocar with a comfortable win over Viva Kerala. Churchill have 23 points, five points behind Salgaocar who have played two matches less.

Last-gasp winner for Pune

Keita scored in the final moments of the game as Pune FC kept their thrust for thetitle going with a 1-0 over ONGC at Balewadi, Pune. Pune FC move to 22 points from 18 games. Pune, who finished third in their debut season, have not come up with the kind of results they would be hoping.

Prakash spoils Chirag party.

RC Prakash dashed Chirag United's party with a last-minute equalizer, which gave the Aircraftsmen one crucial point to keep alive their hopes of remaining in the I-League.

In fact, Chirag paid the penalty for their complacency as they clung onto a solitary goal lead - Joshimar's 74th minute strike - till the end. However, Prakash was brought down by Sukhen Dey in the 90th minute that awarded HAL a penalty. Prakash made no mistake in sealing a draw from the spot.

4. 'Air India's possible entry into Star Alliance will boost rev'

India's national carrier Air India's expected entry into the elite Star Alliance later this year will expand its global footprint and boost its revenues, according to the airline's Frankfurt-based Regional Manager for Central Europe Ratan Bali. The last major hurdle for Star Alliance membership was

removed when Air India and the Indian Airlines completed the integration of their codes and began using a common code two weeks ago, Bali told PTI at the travel trade show ITB Berlin.
The world's biggest fair, which kicked off on March 9, concludes on Sunday.

A common code for both the airlines was a condition for Air India to join the alliance, he added.

The airline also started using a new reservation system in preparation of joining the alliance.

Star Alliance network is a global leading airline network, in terms of daily flights, destinations and countries flown to and member airlines.

It was established in 1997 to offer customers worldwide reach and a smooth travel experience. In order to become a member, an airline must comply with the highest industry standards of customer service, security and technical infrastructure.

Bali said the planned delivery of the first batch of Boeing 787 'Dreamliner' aircraft to Air India later this year will also play a crucial role in expanding the airline's international operations.

These aircrafts, which have an eight-hour flight range, could be deployed in the Indo-European or Indo-far East sectors, he added.

Air India has placed orders for 27 'Dreamliners' and Boeing had recently announced that the first batch of aircraft will be delivered by the end of this year.

Talking about revenue, he said Air India has recouped its revenue losses from the closure of the European Hub at the Frankfurt airport last year, by increasing the passenger volume and reducing its operational costs in Frankfurt.

As part of its operational restructuring process, the airline rerouted four flights operating from Delhi to Chicago and from Mumbai to New York via Frankfurt airport as direct flights on the India-US routes.

It closed down its European hub in Frankfurt at the end of last year. Since then, the airline has been operating a daily non-stop flight between Delhi and Frankfurt. According to Bali, the loss of revenue for Air India due to the diversion of the four flights was "minimal" and was offset by a 70 per cent reduction in the operational costs in Frankfurt.

Air India lost some passengers after it took out four flights from the commercially important India-Germany route. But the loss of revenue was recovered by a higher utilisation of the seat capacity in the economy class and by increasing the number of first and executive class passengers on board the Boeing 777 200LR aircraft.

"The seat factor on these flights rose to 74 per cent," he said.

The diversion of the flights had very little impact on Air India's transatlantic traffic because the airline was already facing stiff competition from other major airlines on these routes.

Air India's passengers bound for the US or other destinations, however, could continue their journey from Frankfurt on board Lufthansa flights because of a code-sharing arrangement between the two airlines.

On expansion Bali said Air India plans to launch new flights connecting Frankfurt-Delhi service with Melbourne and Colombo.

NEHA JAIN

International Airlines Training Expo

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1. Airline pact paves way for O'Hare expansion

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- City officials here and United (UAL 24.23, -0.50, -2.02%) and American (AMR 6.55, -0.06, -0.91%) , the two biggest operators at O'Hare International Airport, have broken a logjam over the city's multibillion-dollar expansion and modernization plan, the federal Transportation Department announced Monday. The multiyear project has long been billed as a bid to combat flight delays by adding and reconfiguring runway capacity and as an engine of growth for the regional economy. When the plan was unveiled a decade ago, the carriers backed the expansion enthusiastically, committing to pick up a majority of the costs. But, as traffic growth slowed and the airline industry entered a period of uncertainty and upheaval, United and American backed away from their prior support, suing in January to stop the city from pushing forward without airline backing. The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that a dismissal of that suit played a role in the compromise announced Monday.

2. High Hopes For Low Prices At GSP

GREER, S.C. -- This week's arrival of Southwest Airlines at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport and another discount air carrier later this month have raised passengers' expectations of lower fares.
Southwest's first flight out of GSP was Sunday.
On Monday, a steady stream of passengers checked in at the airline's new ticket counter. The first flight out for the day was at 6:25 a.m. bound for Baltimore.
A few hours later, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly joined airport officials for one last kick-off event.
"This is really an opportunity to win new customers, to serve our existing customers and that's the real exciting part of adding South Carolina to the route map," said Kelly.
Southwest also began service out of Charleston over the weekend. Kelly said bookings were up a little more there than in Greenville initially.
Kelly also commented on his company's announcement of adding a $10 surcharge to the price of a roundtrip ticket on all domestic flights because of rising jet fuel costs.
"It's about 40 percent of our costs now," said Kelly. "It's a huge expenditure and one that is also not stable. We're doing the best we can to conserve as much fuel as possible. We're focusing on the rest of our cost structure so we can share those savings with our customers."
Kelly said his company does not nickel and dime passengers. He said they prove that by not charging baggage fees or to change flights.
"We try to make changes to fares very modestly and very infrequently," said Kelly. "Unfortunately, fuel prices are up 30 percent over the last year."
Kelly said the fare increases enacted this year have not offset their increase in fuel prices. He said it fuel prices are volatile and and hard to predict, so he could not predict if another fare increase was likely.
Curtis Quarles flew into GSP on Southwest on Monday morning. He said his wife searched for the cheapest fare and Southwest was it. He'd never flown into GSP before this trip.
"We paid less than all the other times we've flown here," said Quarles, referring to South Carolina to visit his mother.
Another discount air carrier will begin doing business out of GSP on March 25.
Vision Airlines will offer roundtrip service to the Destin-Fort Walton Beach airport three days a week at 7:30 p.m.

The company's marketing director, Clay Meek, said Vision's business model is different than other major airlines. He said by offering service to just the one destination out of GSP, they really do not compete with other airlines.
"That is good for the area," said Meek. "That is also good for us and good for the other airlines to have other operators serving Greenville and Spartanburg. It gets people more mindful of coming here."
Vision charges $15 for the first checked bag. Meek said other than that, they try not to pass along any other expenses to the customer.
Meek said the way they keel prices low for passengers is by working with resorts in the destinations they fly to offer great deals.
"By keeping our fares low, keeping our expenses low and serving on a less than daily basis in the market, we are going to be able to stay profitable.

3. Religious Prayer Ritual on Alaska Airlines Flight Causes Cockpit Lockdown

Police escorted three men off an Alaska Airlines plane from Mexico City to Los Angeles yesterday after flight attendants were alarmed by their orthodox Jewish prayer ritual.

"Shortly after takeoff, a flight attendant saw what she believed was unusual behavior from three passengers on board. The three passengers were praying aloud in Hebrew and were wearing what appeared to be leather straps on their foreheads and arms," an Alaska Airlines spokeswoman explains to NBC LA.

"This appeared to be a security threat and the pilots locked down the flight deck and followed standard security procedures," the spokeswoman continues. "The pilots informed LAX and when the plane landed, TSA, customs, the FBI and law enforcement were there."

Firefighters and foam trucks met the jet as it taxied to the terminal, where the FBI removed the three Mexican nationals for questioning. After the suspicious activity turned out to be a prayer ritual called tefillin, the men were allowed to continue on their way.

"The plane was inspected by local law enforcement and has been cleared," says the airline spokeswoman.

In January 2010, a US Airways flight from New York to Louisville was diverted to Philadelphia after a 17-year-old practiced the same ritual.

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1. Smoke Grounds Air Canada Plane
An Air Canada Jazz flight bound for St. John's was forced to return to Halifax shortly after takeoff Monday morning, due to smoke in the cockpit. The plane, carrying 42 passengers and three crew, landed safely in Halifax shortly after 6 a.m. Airline spokesperson Manon Stuart says the smoke had dissipated by the time the plane touched down, and the plane experienced no other problems. Stuart says the crew detected smoke in the cabin just after departure from Halifax, followed standard operating procedures, and requested priority landing at the airport. There was no fire.

2. Airlines Test Tag Your Own Luggage Program

Travelers flying with American Airlines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will now be able to tag their own bags at self-service kiosks.
Domestic airlines began testing the self-service bag tagging last November. American Airlines marks the first airline to allow passengers to tag their own bags in the U.S., but Delta Air Lines and Air Canada also plan to implement the service. Internationally, self-service bag tagging is done at 35 airports.
The six-month trial by American will allow passengers to print and tag their own luggage without direct supervision by an airline employee. Ticket agents will still check passenger IDs, scan luggage tags, and place bags on the conveyor belt to be scanned by the Transportation Security Administration.
American hopes this will speed up the check-in process, but currently is not requiring passengers to use the new service.

3. Groupe Aeroplan's UK loyalty program signs easyJet as airline partner

MONTREAL - Groupe Aeroplan's (TSX:AER) UK Nectar loyalty program has signed one of Britain's biggest airlines as its partner beginning the end of March.
Nectar members will be able to redeem their points for seats or combine them with cash payments on easyJet flights.
Aeroplan's Canadian program airline partner is Air Canada (TSX:AC.B).
"From our experience with the Canadian Aeroplan program, we know how incredibly valuable flight rewards are to loyalty program participants," said Aeroplan CEO Rupert Duchesne.
EasyJet flies to more than 550 destinations in 30 countries.
Aeroplan said nearly one million Nector members have enough points to redeem for flights to popular destinations such as Amsterdam, Spain's Malaga, or Nice in France.
It estimates that about 300,000 seats will be booked annually using Nectar points.
Grocery partner Sainsbury's will support the easyJet addition through in-store promotional activity as well as other direct marketing initiatives.
Martin Landry of Desjardins Securities said adding an air travel redemption partner won't add direct revenues for Aeroplan but is key to keeping members engaged in the program.
About 75 per cent of miles redeemed in Canada are for air rewards, highlighting the importance of an airline redemption partner.
"With this partnership, Nectar UK fills an important redemption vertical that will enable it to strengthen its leadership position in the U.K.'s loyalty coalition market," he wrote in a report.
Landry said it remains to be seen whether the agreement will translate into an accumulation partnership since easyJet's low-cost business model makes it less conducive to join a full-fledged loyalty program, such as Nectar.
The 17 million Nectar members represent an attractive customer base for the airline given the intense competition among European carriers, he added.
"This partnership is a good first step in strengthening the ties between both companies."
The global loyalty business is expected to reach $100 billion by 2015.
Landry said Aeroplan, as a worldwide leader, is "well-positioned to leverage its strengths to gain market share in this expanding industry."
On the Toronto Stock Exchange, its shares were down six cents at $12.69 in midday trading Monday.

4. Eagle Offers Two Daily Nonstops Beginning July 2
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FORT WORTH, Texas, March 14, 2011 -- /PRNewswire/ -- American Eagle, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, will fly two daily round-trip flights between Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Wilmington International Airport in North Carolina, beginning July 2. The new service will be operated with 44-seat Embraer jets.

"We're delighted to serve the Wilmington area from our cornerstone hub in Chicago," said Gary Foss, Vice President – Planning and Marketing for American's regional network. "Now, it will be easier for Wilmington residents to access the United States and the world through American's gateway at O'Hare International Airport. Likewise, the Chicago connection will make Wilmington's many historic sites – and its white sand beaches – easily accessible through one of American's largest hubs, offering convenient connections throughout the oneworld® global network."

"I'm excited that American Airlines has announced nonstop service from Wilmington to Chicago's O'Hare airport, seven days a week with two flights a day," said Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo. "This will provide an opportunity for our community to access one of the top six destinations in the country and help our business travelers reach this Midwestern destination. This will also allow people from the Midwest an easy opportunity to visit and experience our great community and southern hospitality."

"This is great news for our flying public and, in particular, our business travelers flying nonstop into a new major market," said Jonathan Barfield, Chairman of the New Hanover County (N.C.) Commissioners. "I know our community will be ecstatic and we believe this air service will be very successful."

By
Neha Jain

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