AIRPORTS

More in AIRPORTS

• EU boosts green fuels for aviation: 70% of fuels at EU airports will have to be sustainable by 2050

  Under the new standards adopted during a European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, France, 2% of jet fuel must be sustainable as of 2025, with this share increasing every five years to reach 70% by 2050. The Parliament said that sustainable fuels will include "synthetic fuels, certain biofuels produced from agricultural or forestry residues, algae, bio-waste, used cooking oil or certain animal fats."

  

• Moscow airports suspend flights following latest reported drone strike

  Kyiv has since early this year sought to take the 18-month-war into the heart of Russia, also saying recently that it was behind strikes on Russian military assets far behind the front lines. A new drone attack on Moscow early August 26 forced a temporary shutdown of all three major airports serving the city, Russian state media reported.

  

• ATCs at Lebanon's only civilian airport to go on strike over staffing shortages

  Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport has faced power cuts and equipment shortages for months during the busy tourism season. Over 4 million people flew into Lebanon since the beginning of the year. The strike would begin September 5 and the controllers would not work overnight, between 8 pm and 7 am.

  

• Budget allocated but Aurangabad airport expansion work yet to take off

  While the expansion work has been lingering on for years now, there has been no official push for the project despite budgetary provisions. This has evoked mixed public reactions. A section of stakeholders has sought speedy completion of necessary formalities, while others have questioned the need for expansion as the airport is likely to be handed over to a private entity.

  

• Supreme Court recalls its verdict upholding no indirect taxes can be levied from duty free shops at airports

  A special bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra heard Additional Solicitor General N Venkatraman, appearing for the Centre and the Commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and Central Excise of Mumbai East, and allowed their review plea against the April 10 judgement of a two-judge bench of the top court on the issue.

  

• Avoid 'gold plating' of airports, ensure travel is 'affordable' for all: Par panel

  ​​The panel headed by Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar has said that the most important stakeholder in the sector is the common passenger whose aspiration and need to undertake air travel will deepen with the passage of time and growth of the economy. The committee has also suggested that user charges should remain affordable and competitive as compared to other airports in the Asia Pacific region.

  

• Airports put measures in place to tackle congestion ahead of festive season

  Deploying additional CISF personnel, reinforcing BoI staff, adding X-ray machines, check-in counters, and self-baggage drop facilities among measures adopted at major airports across India to handle rush and check delays. Social media will also be used for real-time updates. Travellers are also being encouraged to use DigiYatra for quicker clearances and to save time.

  

• Calicut airport: Kerala govt seeks more time to transfer land to AAI

  The airport at Calicut, also known as Kozhikode, is operated by the Airports Authority of India. Currently, only narrow-body aircraft are operating at the airport. In the wake of the deadly crash of an Air India Express aircraft on August 7, 2020, at the airport, a central government-appointed expert panel recommended that the state government may be requested to provide filled-up levelled land for the provision of Runway End Safety Area.

  

• Aena's profit jumps as Spanish airports bounce back

  The company said on July 26 it made a net profit of 608 million euros (USD 673 million) compared with 277 million euros in the same period last year. Some 144 million passengers passed through its terminals in the first six months of 2023, 5% more than in the same period in 2019, before the pandemic ravaged the travel industry in 2020.

  

• 122 ha spread over 14 villages to be acquired for Kangra airport in Himachal Pradesh

  The Himachal Pradesh cabinet on June 19 decided to go ahead with the land acquisition. After the expansion, the length of the runway would be extended to 3,010 metres, enabling the operation of A-320 type of aircraft and help the government develop Kangra as the tourism capital of the state.

  

• Air connectivity to Raj's Bikaner, Kishangarh airport likely to enhance soon: Official

  The Airport Authority of India along with the Ministry of Civil Aviation has put up both the airports for bidding in order to start new fights.​ "The bidding process will go on till July 15. By August 15, it is expected that airlines will come up to operate more flights from these two airports," Commissioner of Rajasthan Foundation Dhiraj Srivastava said.