September 2007 Chartering Flights to Disaster...
Chartering, buying and wet leasing an aircraft is the latest fashion trend of the Indian corporate sector and the rich Non Resident Indians are in the forefront of the small aircraft boom . Gone are the days of Vijayapath Singhania and Vijay Mallaya, who were among the privileged few to own and fly a private jet or aircraft...Now about 180 Indian businessmen own private jets - the number was only 12 two years ago. Owning and chartering a plane is becoming a status symbol and last year about 100 new applications were received at the Ministry of Civil Aviation for licenses to own new planes. New planes in name, but in content these could be old planes as well.
Even though some proud aircraft owners claim that they are buying new planes, or not so old planes the fact is that a number of substandard and used jets are available in the international market --aircraft retired from the air force or by leading airlines and the price range starts from as low as a million Indian Rupees. Commercials announcing chartered flight services are heard through radio channels and there was even plan to start a new airline bearing Kerala name with the use of leased and chartered old planes. During aviation shows , many old planes, mainly from the USA, former Soviet block and East European countries, are available at reasonable prices. Remember the plane crash a few years ago that killed and injured several passengers who were travelling from an Iranian island, Kish. Remember the Bangladesh Aircraft made in the 1990s which experienced a tyre burst?
Kish Airline Crash: Wet lease Flight made in 1991!
The Iranian Kish plane that crashed in Sharjah three years ago was in fact a chartered flight and the crash is reportedly due to a technical fault. All but three of 40 passengers and six crew on board the Fokker 50 belonging to Kish Airlines died when it crashed in Sharjah (April 2004) On board were 12 Indians, 12 Iranians, one UAE national, two Algerians, four Egyptians, one Nepalese, one Syrian, one Sudani, two Filipions, one Nigerian, one Bangladeshi and one from Cameroon, and one infant not mentioned on the passenger list.
"The crashed plane was not a scheduled flight of Kish Airlines. It was a chartered operation by a Dubai-based Al Jazeera and Qeshm Travels.The aircraft was wet leased from Kish Airlines only for visa change flights.
"We operate the chartered flights five times a week based on the passenger load. The aircraft are wet leased so the travel company is not involved in the maintenance of these aircraft," media quoted an official as saying. But the official claimed that the aircraft was fairly new and in good condition. The crashed aircraft was in fact manufactured in Holland in 1991 or 1992, but was purchased by Kish Airline in 2001. The aircraft's engine was from Canada according to the official quoted by Khaleej Times.
Chartering Flight of Disaster to Kochi!
Some journalists had the first hand experience of the dangers involved in travelling on an old repainted and chartered flight. A year ago, a leading radio station chartered a flight to Kochi to celebrate its anniversary in one of the water theme parks. A lot of listeners and a few privileged media personalities were on board the chartered anniversary flight.
Just ten minutes after take off from the Dubai International Airport, the plane's air conditioning system went off and the the crew members and passengers started showing signs of panicking. Some passengers were even praying,. Even before announcing that the flight was going for an emergency landing due to an unexplained "technical fault," the plane hit the run way -- not in Kochi, but back in Dubai.
Nearly 170 passengers, had a narrow escape from death. The flight was in fact considered to be bought by a Malayali business group, which was planning a new private airline service. Everyone onboard were tight lipped about the emergency landing, The public relations machinery of the flight chartering company worked hard to ensure that the news is not spread. The reason for the emergency landing is yet to be known and it is not sure whether the private airline company which planned to buy the aircraft after the test run backed out from the deal! Fortunately, a major accident was averted...and many passengers vowed not to travel in chartered flights.
A leading international financial consultant who studied the feasibility of a private airline service between the Gulf region and Kerala suggested that a number of old and used planes are available in the international market at cheap rate and it is possible to start an airline with just chartered flights. With the arrival of Jumbo jets and the latest model aircraft, old planes disposed by leading airlines are available for a song. These unsafe planes are dumped to the Third World market and a new rich business community bent on exhibiting their wealth and prosperity are the potential buyers. New budget airlines mushrooming in India, after the liberalisation of the domestic air route too are using such old planes which appear in new shape and colour.
Reports say the Indian airlines flights normally face technical problems and a towing vehicle is always ready to pull the faulty Indian from the runways...Jet Airliner Crashes Evaluation Centre, a German organisationg cataloging jet accidents across the world says most accidents happen in the developing world - Somalia, Congo, Russia, Cameroon...See the list...
Watch This space for more.
Sunil Joseph, the young piolot of the small private aircraft that crashed near Banglore Airport..
Air Force Retiring old Planes
The US Navy is planning to retire 14 per cent of the aircraft, which are as old as forty years and more. According to one report, about $ 17 billion is spend to maintain old and useless aircraft owned by the US Navy. Once retired these useless planes will come to the international market through air shows and dealers. The Russian planes retired from the former Siviet Airforce are also available in pleanty...
Kish Airline Crash...above.
The six seater plane that crashed in Banglore killing four piolots and engineers is said to be a 2005 model Vulcan Airline..The reason for the accident is not yet known, but initial reports said it is due to technical fault or piolot error...It is difficult to believe that a 2005 model aircraft will develop technical faults. While it is not impossible, these airlines have a good track record.
Private plane crashes, four on board die
Bangalore, Sept. 8: Three pilots and the operational manager of a private aircraft, died when their six-seater mini-aircraft crashed soon after taking off from the Bangalore HAL airport on Saturday, reported the Asian Age.
The aircraft first hit a coconut tree and an overhead tank before falling into a lake in Gowdanakerepalya in Uttarahalli in the city. A technical problem is suspected to be the cause of the crash.
According to the police, those killed are pilots Sunil Joseph, 32, from Kottayam, Mohammed Shabbir from Chennai, Captain Santosh Kumar from Patna in Bihar and the operational manager, K.S. Shanmugham from Coimbatore. The aircraft was bound for Kochi in Kerala.
The Pilactus 68 (P68/C), a mini-aircraft, was manufactured by the Italian company, Vulcan Air. It belongs to the Joy Alukkas jewellery group based in Kochi.
"Mr Alukkas had purchased the aircraft last December for his personal use, from a US-based businessman. The aircraft has flown less than 100 hours and had complied with all safety norms. A special team of the director-general of civil aviation will soon be visiting the crash site for an inspection. The black box is yet to be recovered," a close friend of Sunil Joseph told the Asian Age.
According to source at the Bangalore HAL airport the aircraft took off from the HAL airport at 3.15 pm.The pilot later told the air traffic control (ATC) tower that he was returning as the aircraft had developed a problem.
"Soon after this message, we lost contact with the aircraft," the source said.The police suspects that Capt. Santosh Kumar and Mohammed Shabbir were flying the ill fated aircraft.
