(FEBRUARY, 2003)

Device to Save Frequent Fliers from Blood Clots
(February 28, 2003)

          LONDON: Frequent fliers tend to suffer from deep vein thrombosis, or blood clots. Computer users as well are prune to clots. Now, a retired British pilot has invented a device that may prove to be a life-saver for such people. Paul Richards' 'elegant' solution comes in the form of the Airogym, a plastic blow-up device which resembles inflatable travel pillows. What one needs to do is to press down on one side of the pillow with the ball of each foot alternately pushing the air from one side of the pillow to the other, reports Wired News. The exercise gets the blood circulating throughout the legs, preventing blood clots that can be deadly if they travel to the lungs. According to an Airogym spokeswoman, it also prevents ankles and feet from swelling during long flights.

India Needs to Develop Mature Aviation Industry: CII (Go To Top)
(February 23, 2003)

          NEW DELHI: A study conducted by CII and NCAER has concluded that it is imperative for India to develop a mature aviation industry to become globally competitive. With GDP growth expected to be above six per cent in the future, the aviation sector could be expected to grow at a rate of 7-8 per cent per annum.

           It is also estimated that every additional one million tourists visiting India will spend one billion dollars in the country. This would lead to a high multiplier effect, generating additional employment as well as increase the revenue earnings through sales tax collections by various States. However, the high tax structure within the country has affected growth in the sector and led to the inability of domestic carriers to increase market size.

          CII believes that urgent steps need to be initiated to rationalise taxes and increase competition in order to make air travel in the country affordable, says a release. Therefore, it recommends that to make the domestic market competitive, it is important for the excise duty to be brought down to eight per cent (from 16 per cent). Also States must be encouraged to follow the example set by Andhra Pradesh, which has lowered the sales tax levied on ATF to four per cent. This has led to an increase in uptake of over 50 per cent in the State which in value terms has resulted in an increase of Rs 19 crore.

            CII also feels that the Inland Air Travel Tax (IATT) of 15 per cent charged on airfare must be abolished. The release adds that there is also an urgent need to encourage general aviation activities in the country by encouraging flying schools. Moreover, the process of infusion of private sector management in the four gateway airports need to be expedited and a time-bound programme needs to be followed. The budget outlay for the aviation sector also needs to be increased.

Courtney Love and Branson at Daggers Drawn Again (Go To Top)
(February 11, 2003)

          WASHINGTON: Rocker Courtney Love and Virgin Airlines boss Richard Branson are at each other's throat again. A vicious row reportedly broke out between the two on Monday night. In two explosive interviews with Bizarre, the pair attacked each other and gave their versions of the events which led to the arrest of Kurt Cobain's widow last week after she became abusive on a Virgin flight from Los Angeles.

           The outspoken singer and Richard had kissed and made up at a charity concert by Elton John the day after Courtney had been nicked at Heathrow and locked in a police cell for 12 hours. But it turned nasty again last night as both gave their sides of the story to the world's No1 showbiz column, says a report in the Sun. Richard revealed Courtney had been travelling onboard with her own psychiatric nurse and his staff were unsure whether to allow her to fly because of her mental state. He was quoted by the Sun as saying that Courtney later admitted to him and police that she had been out of order on the flight.

Minister Speaks of Result-oriented Reforms in Civil Aviation (Go To Top)
(February 8, 2003)

          NEW DELHI: The reform in the Civil Aviation sector would be result-oriented, said Shripad Naik, minister of state for civil aviation, at a conference on civil aviation in India organised as part of the India Infrastructure Show and IETF here on Saturday. Naik added that the civil aviation is not meant only for the elite and the reforms would be to promote air travel by all sections of society. The policy would also cater for the promotion of air cargo.

           The minister informed the CII members that the civil aviation sector was key to export growth as it carries 40 per cent of trade in value terms. He said that the ministry was willing to work with private sector for increasing and improving India's cargo-handling capacity.

Multi-purpose Saras Rolls Out  (Go To Top)
(February 6, 2003)

          BANGALORE: Saras, the first prototype of multi-purpose light aircraft, was rolled out in Bangalore on Tuesday ( February 4). Saras, the first civilian passenger-cum-commuter transport aircraft with a capacity of 14 seats extendable into 18 seats, has been developed by National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), a constituent of CSIR. The multi-role aircraft with feeder airline and air taxi operations can also be used for executive transport, light package carrier, remote sensing, aerial research vehicle, border patrol and other community services.

           Dr RA Mashelkar, the director-general of CSIR, calling it a proud moment hoped India would become a leader in the manufacture of civil aircraft industry with hundreds of Saras plying across the country in the coming years. Developed with a total project cost of Rs 131.38 crore, the aircraft is a twin-engined turbo prop powrered by two Pratt and Whitney of Canada , PT 6A - 66 engines with five bladed pusher propellers . The successful development of Hansa and now Saras has added another feather in the cap of NAL which has played an important role in boosting the Indian civil aviation Sector.

Indian Airlines Chooses Airbus Over Boeing for 43-plane Deal: Raffarin (Go To Top)
(February 6, 2003)

          BANGALORE: Indian Airlines has chosen to buy 43 new passenger planes from Airbus, French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said on Thursday at an aircraft exhibition in India's technology hub. News reports had said Boeing was also vying for the contract.

          "Indian Airlines has chosen to buy 43 Airbus planes," Raffarin told business leaders, according to a statement French officials handed out. "I am, of course, hopeful that this choice will soon be made official." Indian Airlines is the domestic airline. Raffarin noted that the international carrier, Air India, "also needs long haul aircraft and I would be very pleased if it were also to choose Airbus, which, with its A340 range, offers highly competitive planes."

  US Pressured India to Purchase Boeings, Alleges Airbus (Go To Top)
(February 4, 2003)

           BANGALORE: Airbus Industrie has accused the United States of using "political pressure" on India to force it to buy Boeing aircraft to replace the ageing fleet of Indian Airlines. The domestic carrier proposes to buy 43 medium-range planes, including some A319, A320 and A321 aircraft, in a deal worth two billion dollars.

           David Velupillai, Airbus Industrie's regional spokesman, told reporters at a press conference here on Monday that his company had almost clinched the deal but was stalled due to the American intervention at the last minute. "It is clear that the American Government is applying political pressure and again we believe that the airlines should be free to make any economic choice and free from any political pressure," he told the reporters.

           The Cabinet postponed the decision in July 2002 following a visit from a senior American official,Veluppillai added. France-based Airbus, which has a market share of 53 per cent as against 47 per cent of the Boeing, eyes Indian and Chinese markets for future expansion. It plans to sell over 200 aircraft to both these big Asian countries over the next 20 years.

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