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<keyword id="24240143" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chennai-International-Airport" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Chennai International Airport" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Chennai International Airport">Chennai International Airport</keyword> has been temporarily shut down till 7 PM on Saturday in view of <keyword id="24172195" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cyclone-Fengal" source="keywords">cyclone Fengal</keyword> making landfall today evening. As heavy rainfall and strong winds intensified ahead of the cyclone, it is expected to cross between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram coasts, near Puducherry tonight. Multiple airlines companies already issued travel advisories and updates on their flight plans due to the continuing heavy rainfall in Chennai Tamilnadu. Earlier, <keyword id="19900374" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IndiGo-airlines" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="IndiGo airlines" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="IndiGo airlines">IndiGo airlines</keyword> diverted all flights scheduled to come to Chennai. "Due to the impact of CycloneFengal in Chennai, flights operating to the city are being diverted. Our crew and airport teams are dedicated to providing all possible support &amp; assistance during this time. We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding," the X post by IndiGo said. Meanwhile, security at the Puducherry coast has also increased as Puducherry Senior Superintendent of Police, Kalaivanan visited the beaches and the coastal roads in the region and inspected them for preparedness. The authorities have advised the public to not visit beaches in Puducherry as well as in Tamil Nadu's Chennai, including Marina Beach, Pattinapakkam and Edward Elliot Beach. The tourist spots in Puducherry have been closed as a precautionary measure, owing to the impending cyclone Fengal. <keyword id="24240138" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puducherry-police" source="keywords">Puducherry Police</keyword> in a post on X advised citizens, "In view of Cyclone Fengal, we urge you to exercise extreme caution and avoid visiting beaches and coastal areas" The SSP said that 300 police personnel have been deployed on various coastal roads and beaches. "For the last four days, we have been deploying police personnel along the beaches and apart from that we are also informing the fishermen and people living in the low-lying areas to be careful. Fishermen are not venturing into the sea. Since last night, we have closed all beaches. We have deployed nearly 300 personnel across all the beaches of Puducherry and we are coordinating with the NDRF also," the SSP said. The coastal areas of Puducherry witnessed rough sea and gusty winds on Saturday morning due to the impact of the cyclone. Puducherry received moderate rain, as per IMD, in the morning today but the rough sea was seen more than usual.

Cyclone Fengal: Chennai airport shut till 7 PM

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Authorities at <keyword id="13684553" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bangkok" source="Orion">Bangkok</keyword>'s airport found at least 109 live animals packed into two suitcases. </li><li>Two women have been arrested and charged with violations of wildlife, animal disease and customs regulations.</li></ul>Two women were arrested in an airport in Bangkok, <keyword id="11906678" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="thailand" source="Orion">Thailand</keyword> after authorities found at least 109 live animals packed into two suitcases.The animals included 50 chameleons, 35 turtles, 20 snakes, two armadillos, and two white porcupines, according to Thailand's <a href="http://news.dnp.go.th/news/17734">Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.</a>At least two of the animals were dead, and many were dehydrated, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/06/29/thailand-live-animals-luggage-bangkok-airport-arrest/">The Washington Post.</a>Authorities made the discovery during a routine X-ray inspection at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on Sunday night, <a href="https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2334888/109-live-wild-animals-found-in-luggage-at-airport?fbclid=IwAR0khi-ZhjOsozgjaHj-yMv9PAoV7FoSCfjVwOVqrNTeHVe4rfYOjMR7NAA">The Bangkok Post</a> reported.The two women, Nithya Raja, 38, and Zakia Sulthana Ebrahim, 24, were attempting to travel to Chennai, <keyword id="11892747" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, with the animals in their baggage.<div type="image" title="bangkok airport animals seen in x-ray" height="1108" width="1478" msid="92622152" hostid="261" sizebytes="124464"></div><div type="image" title="armadillo found in bangkok airport suitcase" height="1478" width="1108" msid="92622153" hostid="261" sizebytes="130082"></div>They were arrested and charged with violations of wildlife, animal disease, and customs regulations, the paper reported.Illegal <keyword id="14350339" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wildlife-trafficking" source="Orion">wildlife trafficking</keyword> is rife in Thailand, with the country being a major transit hub for smugglers. Animal trafficking is one of the most lucrative illegal activities in the world.A <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/exclusive-wildlife-traffickers-creeping-back-pandemic-restrictions-ease-un-2021-09-21/">report from the UN </a>warned last year that wildlife trafficking in southeast Asia was likely to increase following a drastic reduction due to restrictions during the pandemic.

Porcupines among 109 live animals smuggled in 2 suitcases discovered at Bangkok airport

<ul><li>181 pilots of scheduled and non-scheduled operators in <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> were reported drunk in the alcohol test between 2015 and 2018. </li><li>India’s civil aviation minister Jayant Sinha said 43 pilots were found to have consumed alcohol during the tests in 2015. </li><li>In 2018 alone the number of such cases was 49. </li></ul>Finding out that the pilot on an airline failed an alcohol test just before a flight is the stuff of nightmares. Yet, it appears that scenario has become quite common in India. As many as 181 pilots of scheduled and non-scheduled airline operators failed alcohol tests between 2015 and 2018, Economic Times <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/181-pilots-tested-positive-for-alcohol-during-2015-2018-aviation-min/articleshow/67075356.cms">reported</a>, citing India’s civil aviation ministry. Speaking about the number of such cases, where the test results showed ‘positive’, the Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha said 43 pilots were found drunk in 2015 while the number of pilots who failed the test in 2016 stood at 44. There was certainly no drop in such cases in the next two years. In 2017 and 2018, the number of cases reported was 45 and 49 respectively. Delhi and Mumbai, which are also the prime cities to board flights in India, lead the list of cases where pilots have failed in alcohol test, reported India Today citing an RTI filed by an Indian media house. Both the cities have reported 18 cases each. The second in the list was Chennai followed by Bengaluru. Indian airlines have been struggling with unethical behaviour of pilots in India. Recently, The Directorate General of Aviation cancelled the license of Air India Captain, Arvind Kathpalia for three years since he failed the breath analyser <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/two-air-india-pilots-fail-breath-analyser-test-before-international-flights/articleshow/66586387.cms">test</a>. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/two-air-india-pilots-fail-breath-analyser-test-before-international-flights/articleshow/66586387.cms">Two Air India pilots fail breath analyser test before international flights</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-consumer-court-has-begun-cracking-down-on-budget-airlines-denying-boarding-to-passengers/articleshow/67020649.cms">India’s consumer court has begun cracking down on budget airlines denying boarding to passengers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-airports-may-soon-replace-security-dogs-with-robotic-canines-that-can-sniff-out-bombs-and-use-x-ray-vision-to-scan-luggage/articleshow/66939904.cms">Indian airports may soon replace security dogs with ‘robotic canines’ that can sniff out bombs and use X-ray vision to scan luggage</a>

India has seen 181 incidents of airline pilots failing alcohol tests in the past 3 years

With so many highway movies doing the rounds, sojourning from city to city and state to state feels like a romantic prelude to a long <keyword id="6374782" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="journey">journey</keyword> of self-discovery – till reality strikes. And just like a movie, the reality can be multilayered – varying from bad roads to gasping traffic and minimal road safety. But we promised you relief from those travelling conditions the next time we return with our <keyword id="2053047" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Open-roads">Open Roads</keyword> series. And here we are, with more information about a whole new bunch of <keyword id="2074695" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Intracity-and-inter-city-expressways">intracity and inter-city expressways</keyword> that not only reduce <keyword id="4251245" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Commute-time">commute time</keyword> but also reshape a country’s landscape, <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> and way of life. In the last slideshow of this series, the journey begins from the <keyword id="44875" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="West-coast">west coast</keyword> and goes down south. 
 As we have mentioned before, expressways are limited-access roads designed for high-speed traffic. The economic impact of an <keyword id="2074705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Expressway-network">expressway network</keyword> criss-crossing the country is all too obvious and the <keyword id="6404450" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Road-Transport-and-Highways">Ministry of Road Transport and Highways</keyword> (MoRTH) has already recommended a total <keyword id="2074707" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="E-way-network">e-way network</keyword> of about 18,637 km in the country. Development work is being done in three phases and is scheduled to be completed by 2022. During the Interim Budget, <keyword id="6355261" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Finance-minister">Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="43940" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="P-Chidambaram">P Chidambaram</keyword> also told the Parliament the road network in the country witnessed over sevenfold increase at 3.89 lakh km over the past decade. 
 Does that mean we may soon see an <keyword id="2074709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="E-way-ecosystem">e-way ecosystem</keyword> similar to the interstate system in the US? Given the obstacles in terms of <keyword id="6364579" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Land-acquisition">land acquisition</keyword>, <keyword id="414903" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="fund-crunch">fund crunch</keyword> and <keyword id="2074714" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Slow-implementation">slow implementation</keyword>, it’s definitely going to take some time. Meanwhile, hop into the driver’s seat and go off exploring some super-fast roads you have not travelled yet. After all, it’s a journey with no end… and wheels will always need roads. 
 
Image: Thinkstock Photos/Getty Images

Be It Intracity Or
Inter-city, These 5 Expressways Make Travelling A Breeze

<ul class="generic-article__summary--ul content--ul"><li class="generic-article__summary--li content--li">Incoming leader says he will not allow the island nation to be pulled into a proxy contest among the world’s major powers</li><li class="generic-article__summary--li content--li">But analysts foresee a cautious creep towards the pro-Beijing policies of predecessor and brother Mahinda</li></ul>Sri Lanka’s freshly elected president Gotabaya Rajapaksa will take a “low key” approach in restoring the cosy ties the country enjoyed with China during the 2005-2015 presidency of his brother, analysts said, as the new leader stressed on Monday that he would adopt a strictly neutral foreign policy. Paul Staniland, a prominent scholar of Sri Lankan politics, said Gotabaya was more likely to “spread his bets by reaching out to a variety of powerful states in the region and beyond”. Expectations before Saturday’s elections had been that he would not only sweep the polls against his main rival, Sajith Premadasa, but that he would also swiftly revert back to the overtly pro-Beijing foreign policy of his brother Mahinda. In his inaugural speech, the president said he would not allow the island nation to be pulled into a proxy contest among the world’s major powers. The 70-year-old won 52.25 per cent of the nearly 16 million votes cast, with the country’s majority Sinhala population overwhelmingly backing his platform that touted a return to his brother’s strongman leadership style and a focus on national security. The Rajapaksa brothers – alongside their two other siblings Basil and Chamal – are immensely popular among Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese population because of their role in crushing Tamil separatists and ending a 26-year civil war in 2009. “We will remain neutral in our foreign relations, and stay out of any conflict of world powers,” said Gotabaya after being sworn in on Monday. During the tenure of the outgoing president Maithripala Sirisena and the current Prime Minister <keyword id="300704" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ranil-Wickremesinghe">Ranil Wickremesinghe</keyword> – Sri Lanka’s key political mover and shaker of the last five years – the consensus has been that Colombo prioritised ties with the United States over Beijing. But foreign policy researchers said that a return towards a China-friendly policy was not so clear-cut. For one, there remains public trepidation about China from the Mahinda era, during which Sri Lanka chalked up large public debt due to the former president’s penchant for using cheap Beijing-backed financing to fund mega-infrastructure projects. A quarter of Sri Lanka’s foreign debt, which stands at 45 per cent of GDP, is owed to China. Among the projects built using Chinese financing are the now-infamous deep water port and airport in Hambantota, the Rajapaksa clan’s stronghold. The Sirisena government in 2017 was forced to hand over control of the seaport to Beijing as part of a debt-for-equity swap. The Rajapaksas’ dalliance with China also rattled regional power India, and Mahinda has previously accused New Delhi’s top spy agency of engineering his shock 2015 defeat to Sirisena. “This round is going to be about playing things in low key for China, but playing nevertheless,” said Jabin Jacob, an international relations professor at India’s <keyword id="44903" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shiv-Nadar">Shiv Nadar</keyword> University. “Perhaps the Rajapaksas have learned from the first time that there are consequences to playing the China card with India,” Jacob added. “It also does not help that the perception is that Chinese projects such as the Hambantota port and airport do not make money and have cost Sri Lanka.” Hemant Shivakumar, a senior analyst for India and South Asia at the consultancy Control Risks, offered a similar assessment – suggesting the new president is not likely to make dramatic changes to foreign policy even as he seeks to rebuild strained ties with China. “[Gotabaya] Rajapaksa is rightly perceived to be pro-China, and he will want to refocus the relationship and bring it back on track, while being cognisant of these [debt-related] issues,” he said. The analyst added that there was likely to be a “convergence of interests” between Gotabaya and China, with Beijing eager to show the new government that it was a “good development partner” and the new president hoping to show he would engage with the Asian power on Sri Lanka’s terms. Staniland, an associate professor specialising in South Asian security issues and political violence at the University of Chicago, said a likely effort by the new president to present Sri Lanka as open to having “multiple friends” would be in part due to “lessons of the past and a related desire not to rely too heavily on China”. He said it would be unsurprising if “in the medium term we see an overall tilt back towards China even as Colombo maintains a ‘portfolio’ approach to its international relations”. N. Sathiyamoorthy, a researcher based in India’s southern <keyword id="20154" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword> state close to Sri Lanka, offered an altogether different take – suggesting that the outgoing government of Sirisena and Wikremesinghe was in fact more China-leaning compared to the Rajapaksas. He said Mahinda merely signed the Hambantota deals that had been “hanging in the air for decades” and that “it is quite likely that others in his place would have done the same”. The same could not be said about the outgoing government, Sathiyamoorthy added. He said the Sirisena government, while blaming the Rajapaksas for plunging the country into a “debt trap”, was ultimately responsible for green-lighting the 2017 deal that handed over Sri Lankan land to China on a long-term lease. One mistake that the researcher – head of the <keyword id="12864" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chennai">Chennai</keyword> chapter of the Observer Research Foundation think tank – said the Rajapaksas were unlikely to repeat was their “indiscretion” in allowing Chinese submarines to be berthed in Colombo in 2014. Located off the tip of southern India, Sri Lanka has found itself increasingly a theatre for the US-China strategic tussle, with both superpowers seeking to strengthen their presence in the Indian Ocean. The Sirisena government – in particular Prime Minister Wikremesinghe – blocked further dockings of Chinese submarines but found itself having to furiously push back against rumours that it had <keyword id="7016615" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Secret-Plans">secret plans</keyword> to let the US build a naval base in the eastern region of Trincomalee. Apart from policies towards the world’s two superpowers, the new president’s view of Indian Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>’s government will be parsed by observers. Shivakumar, the New Delhi-based Control Risk analyst, said India would be scrutinising the new president’s national security policies in view of Sri Lanka’s extremist attacks earlier this year, as well as his policies towards the minority Tamils. Gotabaya, who like his brother Mahinda has denied allegations of presiding over <keyword id="52767" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Human-rights">human rights</keyword> abuses as they spearheaded the bloody civil war victory over Tamil separatists in 2009, has said he will significantly strengthen security and intelligence agencies that he says were sidelined by Sirisena’s administration. Jacob said he expected Gotabaya to visit India followed by China in his first 100 days in office. “But it will probably be China that will load him with the goodies,” the China-India watcher said. This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: New president set for low-key china approach

Sri Lanka’s tilt towards China expected to be ‘low key’ as new president Gotabaya Rajapaksa takes the reins

COIMBATORE: The government wants Indian airlines to take up more international routes and is ready to sign new bilateral agreements towards this, said Union <keyword id="13124" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Civil-Aviation-Minister">civil aviation minister</keyword> Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati on Monday. 
 
“The government would definitely not mind the increasing number of international passengers and raising freight. But this should contribute to our economy’s GDP and not to another country’s GDP,” the minister said while reacting to a request from the industry to directly connect Coimbatore with Dubai. 
 The minister was in the city on an invitation from <keyword id="166814" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Chamber-of-Commerce">Indian Chamber of Commerce</keyword> and Industry (ICCI), which submitted a memorandum to him on improving the Coimbatore airport’s infrastructure and connectivity. 
 
“It would be a great help if Coimbatore was connected directly with Dubai because then we are directly connected to any destination in Europe,” said ICCI president D Nandakumar. 
 “Now we are forced to send all our export-oriented goods to Dubai through Kochi, Bangalore, Kozhikode and Chennai, where we waste a whole night in transit,” said former head of PSG <keyword id="106925" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Institute-of-Technology">Institute of Technology</keyword> C R Swaminathan. 
 
“Recently SpiceJet, which is an Indian carrier, and Fly Dubai met us saying they were ready to operate flights from Coimbatore to Dubai and back, if only the city is included in the bilateral agreement,” he added. 
 
“Right now we have industries in Karur, Palakkad, Tirupur and Coimbatore which need to send their goods to Europe, but are forced to send it through Mumbai, Kochi and Bangalore. We can bring all that freight business back to Coimbatore if we are connected to Dubai,” stressed CII’s Coimbatore zone chairman Ravi Sam. 
 
The minister agreed to look into why Coimbatore was not included in the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement which included 18 cities, including Madurai and Trichy. However, he said Indian airlines were not making use of the existing bilateral agreements. “Such agreements are pointless if Indian airlines do not perform and use it,” he added. 
 He maintained that the government was open to privatizing non-performing assets like certain airports and airstrips but said it would not be a solution. “There are so many airstrips which are running on heavy losses. Those even in the private sector would not be interested in,” said Raju. “So we would probably try creating a mix which would result in the <keyword id="74939" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Airport-Authority-of-India">Airport Authority of India</keyword> (AAI) getting a revenue out of everything,” he added. 
 He said there were plans to professionalize the management of <keyword id="2573" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Air-India">Air India</keyword>. “There is a long way to go to turning around Air India and making it our nation’s pride,” he added.

Indian Govt Wants More Indian Airlines To Take Up International Routes, Says Civil Aviation Minister

If you had booked your air ticket from Delhi to somewhere before 7th July, you may now get some refund. Thanks to a new rule, the steep user development fee (<keyword id="6361745" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UDF">UDF</keyword>) has been drastically slashed. This fee was something you were paying while buying a ticket to fly from Delhi to both international and domestic destinations. "We will talk to the aviation ministry, Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) and other stakeholders next week. A decision will be taken after the meetings,” B S <keyword id="9268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhullar">Bhullar</keyword>, chief of <keyword id="6354705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Directorate-General-of-Civil-Aviation">Directorate General of Civil Aviation</keyword> (<keyword id="6354787" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="DGCA">DGCA</keyword>), told The Times of India. In a passenger-friendly move, the government has abolished UDF for incoming flyers at <keyword id="6356365" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="IGI">IGI</keyword> that, before July 7, was between Rs 462 and Rs 933 for a flyer coming from abroad and between Rs 207 and Rs 415 for a domestic passenger, according to a TOI news report. Now that the UDF has been brought down, a ticket for a Delhi-Paris/San Francisco-Delhi flight would have an UDF of Rs 54 instead of Rs 2,436 earlier. Similarly in domestic sector, <keyword id="280703" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-Chennai-Delhi">Delhi-Chennai-Delhi</keyword> tickets had an UDF rate of Rs 1,068, which would now be only Rs 12.

Airfares from Delhi are getting cheaper drastically. Here’s why

The first train from <keyword id="181971" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Chennai-Metro-Rail">Chennai Metro Rail</keyword> left from Alandur at 12.15 pm yesterday. 
 
The train would cover the 10.1-km stretch in 19 minutes (as compared to an hour via road), and halt a considerable 30 seconds at each station. 
 
Business Insider India compiles a host of lesser known facts about Chennai’s new Metro service. 
 
1. Chennai Metro trains offer the provision to ply without train operators. However, they will have operators for a while. 
 
2. Physically-challenged passengers can request for a longer stoppage time by pressing a button. 
 
3. The five trains would make 192 trips in two directions. 
 
4. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has funded 59.22% of the project with a hefty loan. The Centre has contributed a mere 15%. 
 
5. When complete, the 45 kms Metro project would cover two routes - around 23 kms from Wannarapet to Airport, and 21 kms from Chennai Central to St. Thomas Mount. 
 
6. Chennai Metro is India's most expensive metro rail service. Its commuters would pay Rs. 40 for a 10 kms journey where passengers in Delhi and Bangalore pay Rs. 18 and Rs. 23 respectively. 
 
7. Each train can hold a maximum of 1,200 passengers. 
 
8. The final metro rail network is expected to cover 32 stations - 19 underground and 13 elevated. 
 
9. The Chennai Metro’s average speed of 35 kmph is exactly in the middle of Bangalore’s 34 kmph and Delhi’s 36 kmph. 
 
10. The first train’s operator A Preethi was specially trained for a year and half for her role. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

10
lesser known facts about the Chennai Metro

State-run Airports Authority of India is eyeing the international markets at a bigger scale now. It could become the third Indian player in the overseas airports space, after <keyword id="6555177" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="GVK">GVK</keyword> and <keyword id="6380521" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="GMR">GMR</keyword>. 
 "<keyword id="47439" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aai">AAI</keyword> has the expertise and capability in airports development. Besides developing and managing its own airports, it has also helped some Gulf airports in the past in the development works. We now want to leverage our expertise to other international markets at a bigger scale," highly placed sources in the company told PTI. 
 
Of the 125 AAI-managed airports, 18 also cater to international traffic, 78 are domestic, seven customs airports and 26 civil enclaves at defence airfields. 
 
"We have recently modernised and developed several airports including those in Kolkata, Chennai, Lucknow, Jaipur and Chandigarh on our own. These are all modern airports and reflect our expertise and engineering capabilities in the area," they said. 
 
Moreover, AAI also has the advantage of a vast pool of manpower, which can be best utilised in executing overseas projects, sources said. AAI has a work force of over 18,000 people. 
 
AAI employees union, which is opposed to further privatisation of airports in the country, has several times in the past alleged that the handing over of four more airports--Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur and Ahmedabad--to private entities could result in mass lay-offs. 
 
As of now, private players GMR and GVK groups, which run Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore airports under a joint venture agreement with AAI, are present in overseas markets. 
 While the GMR group is developing Mactan Cebu International Airport in the <keyword id="3750" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Philippines">Philippines</keyword> in collaboration with a local partner, GVK group is executing two airport projects in <keyword id="8692" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indonesia">Indonesia</keyword>. 
 
"We have not yet decided which market to begin with and are exploring several geographies globally. But any decision in this regard would be based on the growth potential in that region," sources said. 
 
Sources also said that AAI is open to various business models while undertaking projects abroad which include development of Greenfield airports as well as management contracts. 
 
(Image credits: Indiatimes)

Know all about AAI’s international plans

Owing to the mounting dues of loss-making carrier <keyword id="6358032" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="SpiceJet">SpiceJet</keyword>, the <keyword id="54875" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airports-Authority-of-India">Airports Authority of India</keyword> (<keyword id="47439" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aai">AAI</keyword>) has decided to pull away credit facility relating to airport user fees, which it has to provide to the airline at all airports across India since Thursday midnight. 
 
A senior official at the AAI headquarters in New Delhi told The Times of India (TOI) that the office of the executive director (finance) has issued a circular to all airport authorities asking them to allow SpiceJet to operate only on cash-and-carry basis. 
 Currently, the airline is operating one international and 10 domestic flights out of Pune to <keyword id="6354321" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bengaluru">Bengaluru</keyword>, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Goa and Hyderabad, apart from Sharjah. 
 As Spicejet also plans to cut costs, it will operate 22-24 <keyword id="6357957" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Boeing">Boeing</keyword> planes until at least mid 2015, its chief operating officer told Reuters. 
Earlier in September, the airline also reduced its fleet by nearly a third of its original strength, but prior to this cut, SpiceJet had been operating 35 planes.

Trouble Mounts For SpiceJet, AAI Withdraws Credit Facility

In a bid to expand its connectivity, the Airport Authority of India (<keyword id="47439" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aai">AAI</keyword>) will be marketing 29 airports in the country to international airlines participating in <keyword id="2530577" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Route-Development-Forum">World Route Development Forum</keyword> that is being held in Chicago between 20th and 23rd September. 
	 
	The airports that AAI plans to develop, in order to market among the international airlines, include both domestic and international airports. These airports include Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Leh, Srinagar, Varanasi (Banaras), Bhubaneswar, Gaya, Kolkata, Port Blair, Ranchi, Raipur, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bhopal, Indore, Goa, Pune, Surat, Chennai, Coimbatore, Calicut, Madurai, Mangalore, Trivandrum, Trichy and Visakhapatnam. 
	 
	The apex body of airports has held one-on-one meetings with the carriers and has an exclusive stand at the forum. “The airport-specific brochures brought out by AAI on the occasion included salient features of the airports, catchment areas they belong to, aerodrome reference code, tourist attractions and aviation and tourism potential,” said the ministry in a statement. 
	 
	The ministry added that AAI plans to come up with no-frills airports to enhance air connectivity as well as facilitate availability of infrastructure in the sector, which will ensure smooth air operations across airports in the country. 
	 
	“Government of India is focusing and pushing for development of airport infrastructure in tier-III cities. AAI will have to play a key role in implementation and execution of no-frill airports in the country. As per the estimates, about 50 such airports are on the anvil. The five airports included in Phase-I are Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh, Jharsuguda in Odisha, Hubli and Belgaum in Karnataka and Kishangarh in Rajasthan,” added the ministry. 
	 
	The apex body has been participating World Route Development Forum for the past six years. AAI has 125 airports which consist of 21 international airports domestic airports, 7 customs airports (4 civil enclaves) and 19 other civil enclaves. Among the international airports, AAI has 3 civil enclaves and 3 joint ventures. 
	 
	Currently, Indian airports, on the domestic front, handle nearly 122 million passengers while 47 million international passengers. The airports expected to handle 217 million domestic and 76 million international passengers by 2020.

AAI
to display 29 airports at World Route Development Forum

The <keyword id="6518004" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ebola">Ebola</keyword> virus is deadly with a mortality rate of 90%. Although it has so far spared India, the danger of it entering and affecting the country is real. 
 
In India, very few are aware of what Ebola is. It is a deadly virus with flu or the recent chikungunya epidemic-like symptoms. It starts with a high fever, headaches, muscle pain, body ache and sore throat. This is followed by diarrhoea and rashes, as well as internal and external bleeding. It causes liver and kidney damage and eventually death. 
 
It is highly contagious, spread by contact with body fluids, stool and physical contact. This affects not only the patient, but also puts medical and health care personnel at considerable risk. Clothing, bedding and even dead bodies can spread the infection. The incubation period is long, with symptoms manifesting in eight to 21 days. The infection time period is very low, anyone can become infected within two to 14 days after contact. 
 
The danger is further compounded by the fact that there is no known treatment for it and regular medicines do not work. The severity is likely to be greater and with a population that already has low resistance levels, the spread of the disease is likely to be faster and fatal. 
Taking into account all the above factors, the immense population of India, the not so good healthcare and medical facilities and resources available, the Ebola virus is a real threat to India. 
 
Ebola needs a very careful monitoring and right handling to prevent spreading. 
 Ebola is at present restricted to West African countries of Guinea from where it started and has now spread to neighbouring countries of <keyword id="69498" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Liberia">Liberia</keyword>, <keyword id="134664" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sierra-Leone">Sierra Leone</keyword> and Nigeria. It seems to have also entered the Middle East countries. Ebola attacks humans and other primates such as monkeys and gorillas. Four strains of Ebola are African in origin while one strain is endemic to China and the Philippines. 
 
The only course of treatment for Ebola is through isolation and containment. Patients have to be strictly isolated, treated for dehydration, which is a major problem, and medical parameters for blood pressure and blood should be maintained. 
 
The virus can enter with visitors coming from affected areas such as West Africa and the Middle East. A strict vigilance and screening at all airports as well as sea ports of passengers arriving from these countries is essential. 
 
At present, India is requesting voluntary information from passengers and suspected cases in New Delhi were sent to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Fortunately, they tested negative. Quarantine units have to be set up as transferring patients to ICU only increases the danger of spreading the infection to other patients. 
 New Delhi’s <keyword id="1353204" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Airport-Health-Organisation">Airport Health Organisation</keyword> (APHO) has six quarantine units, but they are not fully in use due to paucity of medical personnel. Plans are afoot to use the airport quarantine units and send only the confirmed cases to the hospitals. The centre will also be ready to disinfect the aeroplanes, if required. 
 
Medical personnel and health care workers will have to be trained and exhorted to strictly adhere to all precautions and procedures for quarantine and treatment. Disposal of medical waste, clothing, linen, and so on should be stringently controlled and done properly. 
 
Reports from the Health Ministry indicate that since August 10, over 9,000 passengers have been screened at the major airports of New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi and Trivandrum. 
 
The public should be educated on the symptoms and spread of the disease and travel, unless strictly necessary, should be avoided to infected countries. 
 
Recently, drugs in the experimental stage have been used to treat two American medical personnel exposed to Ebola. Two companies -- GlaxoSmithKline and Mapp Biopharmaceuticals are testing drugs in the experimental stage. Mapp’s ‘Zmapp’ has been used to treat two Americans recently infected with Ebola. 
 
The WHO maintains that an effective vaccine against Ebola will be ready only in 2015. However, discussions between the WHO and the manufacturers to speed up the process and make the vaccine available earlier are underway. 
 
India’s need of the hour is strict monitoring of passengers from infected countries, rigorous quarantine procedures and facilities, creating public awareness and having trained personnel ready to handle the disease. 
Image: Thinkstock

It Is Not A Scaremonger’s Cry, But India Needs To Be Seriously Apprehensive About Ebola

<keyword id="20113876" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Adani-Enterprises-Ltd" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Adani Enterprises Ltd" meta.hostid="267" meta.entityid="Adani Enterprises Ltd">Adani Enterprises Ltd</keyword>, the flagship incubator of billionaire <keyword id="19929098" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gautam-Adani" source="keywords">Gautam Adani</keyword>'s conglomerate, on Thursday reported a 37 per cent drop in March quarter <keyword id="19942166" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="net-profit" source="keywords">net profit</keyword>, bogged down by one-time past airport dues and commercial mining losses. Its consolidated net profit of Rs 450.58 crore in January-March - the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023-24 - compares to Rs 722.48 crore net profit in the same period last year and Rs 1,888.45 crore earning in the preceding quarter, according to a stock exchange filing by the company. The firm, which incubates business from airports to data centres, reported an 8 per cent decline in EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) at Rs 3,646 crore in <keyword id="20028449" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Q4" source="keywords">Q4</keyword>. While incubating businesses like new energy and airports showed strong momentum, the firm suffered a loss of Rs 201.83 crore in commercial mining, while the pre-tax earnings from the road business plummeted 84 per cent to Rs 222.03 crore. Also, its unit Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) recognised a one-time exceptional expense of Rs 627 crore to make up for past payments. Adani New Industries Limited (ANIL), a unit of the company that holds the new energy business -- including solar module and wind turbine manufacturing, saw a 6.2x growth in EBITDA to Rs 641 crore, while the same at airports business more than doubled to Rs 662 crore. The number of passengers at company-run airports rose 19 per cent to 88.6 million. Its revenue from operations was up at Rs 29,180.02 crore in the three months to March 31 from Rs 28,943.84 crore a year ago. For the full fiscal 2023-24 (FY24), net profit soared 31 per cent to Rs 3,240.78 crore. This is despite revenue from operations falling to Rs 96,420.98 crore from Rs 1,27,539.50 crore in 2022-23. Its consolidated EBITDA for FY24 increased by 32 per cent to Rs 13,237 crore that of incubating businesses grew by 47 per cent year-on-year. "<keyword id="20113873" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Adani-Enterprises" source="keywords">Adani Enterprises</keyword> has once again validated its position not only as the premier business incubator in India but also as a global leader in infrastructure development," said Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group. "AEL's resilient growth model of incubation confirms the operational and organisational excellence. This is supported by high ratings and fully funded growth. Our commitment to excellence in project management and operations continues to set global benchmarks, ensuring sustainable long-term value creation for our stakeholders. We remain dedicated to corporate governance, meticulous compliance, robust performance and effective capital flow management." Giving an operational update, the firm said ingot and wafer units, which are used to manufacture solar modules that trap sunlight to produce electricity, are operational, while it has got orders for the manufacture of 254 sets of wind turbines. Its joint venture with EdgeConneX has one operational data centre in Chennai and construction in Noida and Hyderabad facilities is 81-88 per cent complete. It plans to build nine data centres with a total capacity of 1 gigawatt by 2030 to provide infrastructure for the booming digital services demand. Also, Adani started a copper unit in Mundra in March to foray into the metals business. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/april-auto-sales-hyundai-continues-to-hold-the-second-position-as-tata-motors-inches-closer/articleshow/109777834.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/april-auto-sales-hyundai-continues-to-hold-the-second-position-as-tata-motors-inches-closer/articleshow/109777834.cms" target="_blank">April auto sales – Hyundai continues to hold the second position as Tata Motors inches closer</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/upcoming-cars-and-two-wheelers-launching-in-india-in-may-2024/slidelist/109723620.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/upcoming-cars-and-two-wheelers-launching-in-india-in-may-2024/slidelist/109723620.cms" target="_blank">Upcoming cars and two-wheelers launching in India in May 2024</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/vivo-v30e-with-5500mah-battery-launched-in-india-starting-at-27999/articleshow/109781103.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/vivo-v30e-with-5500mah-battery-launched-in-india-starting-at-27999/articleshow/109781103.cms" target="_blank">Vivo V30e with 5,500mAh battery launched in India starting at ₹27,999</a>

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