List of Airports equipped with Navigational aids and Radars

1. Airports equipped with Very High Frequency Omni Range (VOR) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME).

* En-route VOR Station (not airport)

(B) Airports equipped with Instrument Landing System (ILS)

(C) Airports equipped with Primary & Secondary Radars.

In addition to the above, the following are proposed to be provided at various airports in the near future:-

1. Secondary Radar at Nagpur, Varanasi, Mangalore and Berhampur ( last one not an airport)

2. ILS at Madurai, Bhavnagar, Dimapur, Silchar and Lilabari

3. DVOR & DME at Barapani, Agatti, Katihar and Moga.

PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION

• The Government of India keeping in line with its policy of liberalisation decided to corporatise Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Calcutta airports in order to induct the much needed capital for expansion and modernisation of these airports to world class standards. Accordingly, AAI sought for consultants, both for Financial and Legal to advise AAI for the entire process. AAI issued advertisements seeking Expression of Interests (EOI) globally from propective financial and legal consultants. Action for appointment of financial consultant is on hand.

• Government has decided to set up a parallel Cargo Terminal at IGI Airport by way of a joint venture between AAI and private sector, in order to offer an option to users so as to achieve better services and increased efficiency through healthy competition. AAI has invited Expression of Interest for appointment of a Consultant for advising on the modalities of forming a Joint Venture.

• AAI signed MOU in the month of May, 1999 with Karnataka State Industrial Investment & Development Corporation Limited (KSIIDC) to establish a new airport of interntional standards at a site near Devanhalli, Bangalore by bringing in funds from the private sector to handle both passenger and cargo, domestic and international traffic to meet the growing demand of Bangalore city.

• AAI signed MOU in May 1999 with Cochin International Airport Limited - the new airport constructed at Cochin (in Kerala State) jointly by State Govt and Private Sector. The MOU provides for limited equity participation of AAI towards the cost of CNS/ATM facilities and also for rendering the services for operation and maintenance of CNS/ATM facilities on chargeable basis.

FUTURE PLANS: TRANSITION INTO 21^st CENTURY

The passenger traffic at all airports in India is likely to almost double, according to the planning commission, from 23.40 million in 1996-97 to 40.55 million in 2001-02. Domestic passenger traffic is expected to touch 52.3 million; international traffic around 32.4 million and cargo about one million tons. The Airport authority of India (AAI) estimates that by 2012, Indian airports will handle 100 million passengers. AAI has control over 86 airports and 26 "civilian enclaves" in addition to five international airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta and Thiruvananthapuram. The existing aviation infrastructure can support a 20 per cent rise in passenger traffic and a 10 per cent growth in cargo. This effectively means a saturation of Indian airports over the next few years.

 In India though the number of airports is more than in some of the countries in the neighborhood like China, these are under utilized and under developed. Over the last 10 years, the government has invested more than US $ 315 million in the modernization of five international airports. The modernization measures include improvement in navigational equipment, upgradation of terminals and passenger support facilities. 

Traffic patterns for 1996-97 show that 73 per cent of traffic is handled by the international airports, resulting in bottlenecks in the terminal buildings. 

At present the government policy allows 76 per cent equity in airport projects through the automatic approval route and 100 per cent on a case to case basis. A core group has been set up by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and it includes representatives from the IDFC and ICICI, for organizing finances for new projects. The Planning Commission has set a target of US $ 817.6 million for airport development during the Ninth plan period, 1997-2002. This includes an investment target of US $ 473.57 million for developing international airports with the emphasis on capacity, demand and augmentation of passenger terminals at the five international airports. The Planning Commission lays emphasis on capacity augmentation at the terminals in Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram in view of the growth in traffic. The Ministry has identified 28 unused airports to be offered to state governments on very attractive terms. These include:

- Hasan and Mysore in Karnataka
- Khandwa, Panna, Bilaspur and Satna in Madhya Pradesh
- Vellore in Tamil Nadu
- Jhansi and Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh
- Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu

The AAI, till the year 2002 has projected funds requirement of US $ 831 million for airport infrastructure. These funds are meant for:

- New terminal buildings at Delhi and Mumbai (US $ 237.4 million )
- Cargo complexes at international airports (US $ 35.7 million ) Runways and taxiways at airports other than international (US $ 83.3 million )
- New communication/navigation equipment (US $ 166.6 million )

These investments of AAI are in addition to the expected investment of US $ 2.3 billion in each of the two major airport projects at Bangalore and Mumbai

The AAI has drawn ambitious long term plans to meet challenges posed by ever increasing air traffic and advancement in aircraft technology. Some of the major plans for implementation of ICAO CNS/ATM programme are:-

• Replacement of ground based Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) with Satellite based CNS system.

• Establishment of Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS).

• Automation in the Air Traffic Control Services.

• Establishment of Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS).

• Coverage of the Indian land mass through Satellite Communication, VHF Data Links and Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar with Mode 'S' Capability.

• Navigational Systems
  Fingers were pointed towards the adequacy of modern navigational systems at Indian airports after the Charkhi-Dadri mid-air collision in 1996. Nearly US $ 1.2 billion have to be injected till the year 2010 for navigational equipment and navigational programme.

Source: Ministry of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India

Budget Airlines

Low-cost airlines are mushrooming in India, and the traveller has become the king. “The Fare Well” carriers are putting a smile on the face of the Indian air passenger. The Indian budget airline industry is taking to the skies. Wallet-friendly aviation players are cropping up, much to the delight of the Indian budget air traveller.

It took some time for the budget airline industry to catch on in India. The concept originated in the west and was quickly picked up in the East Asian countries. Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines was the front runner in Britain, while Qantas took the major chunk of the Australian budget skies. In the post- WTC days of aerial terror, seat occupancies in established carriers crashed, leaving them to operate on losses. That was the time when the wallet-friendly carriers took off and still operated with profit margins. The non-frillers were characterized by few on-board services, elimination of catering and assistance services and little inflight glitz. Basically, a barebones mode of aerial transport from Point A to Point B. As Captain G R Gopinath, MD, Air Deccan unabashedly claims, “We are the Udipi hotel in airline industry.”

Air Deccan can claim credit for bringing the budget airline concept to the Indian skies. Started last year, the Bangalore-based company is a subsidiary of Deccan Aviation, which operates chartered air services, mainly with helicopters. Air Deccan unleashed cut-throat competition in the aviation scene with fares mostly equalling similar train fares. In response, leading domestic airlines like Indian Airlines, Jet Air and Sahara Airlines slashed rates and unveiled Advanced Purchase schemes (Apex) to take on the new challenger. Competition, as always, brought the best to the customer. “Our mission is to keep our fares low and keep lowering them with time,” says Air Deccan’s Gopinath. Air Deccan is initially planning to tap the budget air traveler to and from metros to non-metros.

But competition was not far behind. Barely a year after Air Deccan took to the skies comes news of Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airline. In June 2004, Mallya announced his plans to take to the skies with his own Indian no-friller. The flamboyant chairman of the multi-crore UB group is not known to do things half-way. And Mallya will be flying on the wings of the well-established Kingfisher brand. Bangalore’s King of Good Times, a trained pilot himself, went the whole hog with plans for a 16-strong Airbus A-320 fleet to run its operations. (Four have been ordered from Airbus, with options to buy eight more, and operating another four on lease basis.)

"It is always good to welcome a new customer to the Airbus family, and we derive great satisfaction in being its partner in delivering comfort and value to passengers," says Airbus President and CEO Noël Forgeard. Kingfisher is investing Rs 150 crore to kick off operations. Expect a dazzling show. Mallya’s birds will be taking to the skies in early 2005.

Here’s a sneak preview: Kingfisher Airlines, Mallya says, will not be a run-of-the mill Indian budget airline. Expect a value-added designer no-friller. Kingfisher Airlines will be emphasizing on spunky, well-done interiors and trained airhostesses. Each A-320 will carry 180 passengers. Borrowing from the Kingfisher beer tagline of “The King of Good Times”, Mallya is pushing the theme of “Fly The Good Times” for his unborn baby. Kingfisher is planning to capture the Indian budget airline market with the twin engines of ‘special flying experience’ and ‘value for money’. Contests like `Kingfisher flying face of the month' are on cards.

The Kingfisher air hostesses will be selected through a nationwide contest. Expect designer staff uniforms. The Kingfisher "Funliners" will have in-flight silent auctions for lifestyle products and sales of packaged food and beverages. Mallya is sure to leverage on the Kingfisher brand of exuberant, youthful and fast-paced image. The man behind the Kingfisher swimsuit calendar can be expected to put up a stiff challenge to Air Deccan and other low-cost aspirants. To begin with, Kingfisher Airline has roped in model Katrina Kaif to endorse the airline. We hope you get it. Don’t expect an Udipi hotel from Mallya. Await the smart fast food joint.

Vijay Mallya already has a company called UB Air, which is a non-scheduled airline. He will be probably moving the civil aviation authorities to convert this licence to one for a scheduled airline. Kingfisher Airline charges are expected to be higher than Air Deccan’s, but substantially less than those of the big players.

Even as the budget carrier battle hots up, the airline biggies are not sitting idle. Country’s flag carrier Air-India recently announced its move to set up a subsidiary called Air India Express, which will be an international low-cost airline. Air India Express will be taking to skies in March 2005. There will be a fleet of 14 Boeing 737-800s, which will be taken on dry lease in three phases. These aircraft will have 181 Economy Class seats in single class configuration. The new airline will operate 63 flights per week when six aircraft are inducted on dry lease at the time of the launch. With the induction of four more aircraft, effective winter 2005, Air India Express will operate 38 additional flights, and add another 26 flights in the third phase effective April 2006, when four more aircraft will join the fleet. Thus, within a year of operations, Air-India Express will operate a total of 127 flights with 14 aircraft to destinations in the Gulf and South-east Asia.

All Air India Express flights in the first phase, operated on Quick Turn Around (QTA) basis, will cover three online points in Kerala, Delhi-UAE/Oman and Chennai-Singapore/Kuala Lumpur. In the second phase, Air India Express will operate daily flights on Chennai-Dubai, twice-daily flights on Delhi-Dubai and Chennai-Singapore sectors. In the third phase, flights will be operated between Kerala, Mumbai and Doha/Bahrain; between Kerala, Mumbai, Chennai and Kuwait; and between Kolkata/Guwahati and Bangkok.

Meanwhile, Australian carrier Qantas Airways is planning to include Indian cities among many others for its low-cost airline to be launched in November this year. The as-yet-unnamed airline will be operated from Singapore, says Qantas Airways manager (India & South Asia) Khursheed Lam. The inclusion of Indian cities for Qantas low-cost low-cost airline is subject to bilateral seat sharing agreement and code-sharing, according to Ms Lam.

Bilateral discussions over seats and code-sharing between the two countries are likely to be held next week. "We have a flexible approach as far as flights, destinations in India and code sharing are concerned,” Qantas Airways, head of sales & distribution, Rob Gurney said. The planned Qantas budget airline is a move to participate in the booming intra-Asia travel mart. The no-frill airline is set to commence with four A320 aircraft in November out of the eight A320 aircraft, for which lease agreements have been signed. The airline has plans to build a fleet of more than 20 aircrafts over the next three years.

The ambitious plans notwithstanding, the history of private sector aviation in India is not very heartening. Ratan Tata is still sore that the Air India nationalisation left the Tata group high and dry. Tata’s late attempts to bid in the botched Air India privatization process came a cropper. Air India divestment plan itself was abandoned. Earlier, Indian private airline operators like NEPC Airlines and East West Airlines disappeared without a trace. Every few weeks, leading private carrier Jet Airways is faced with questions about its funding and promoters. It was Arun Shourie himself who said when he was divestment minister that he doesn’t know if Jet Air is an Indian or a foreign firm!

Meanwhile, another low-cost Indian carrier is reportedly facing problems in starting up. The Bangalore-based AirOne Feeder Airline, was supposed to start its flights with two Embraers from Brazil. The delay in Embraer delivery has forced AirOne Feeder to postpone its launch twice already. AirOne is now expected to take off only in early 2005. The company is looking at leasing two new Embraers with 50-seat capacity. The Embraer brand is not generally used in India. AirOne is believed to be targeting non-metro routes to corner its share of the market.

Air Deccan says its aim to keep reducing fares further and further. More carriers, both Indian and foreign are expected to come up. Airline industry experts believe that there is space for at least five domestic low-cost airlines in India. Meanwhile, expect the big daddies of domestic aviation to match up with cost-cutting and aggressive Apex schemes. The battle for budget skies has just begun.

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