Pakistan did not attend the inaugural day of a regional aviation security conference in the capital despite having confirmed its participation earlier.

The highest individual final compensation for the Mangalore air-crash is likely to be `2.8 crores to the family of a wealthy Gulf-based businessman who died in the crash, senior government sources have told this newspaper. The second-highest compensation amount is likely to be `1.6 crores to the family of a software engineer who also died in the crash, sources said.

Cash-strapped national carrier Air India will ask the government to pay arrears of about `800 crores that has been incu-rred on account of VVIP travel so that it is in a position to make timely disbursement of salaries of employees and also bolster its financial position. In order to make an immediate salary payment for January to its

The GMR group will charter an aircraft to transport over 100 Maldivian students — who are studying in the strife-torn Egyptian Cairo — from Mumbai to the Maldivian capital Male.

Even in the event of a nuclear strike by a hostile neighbour, the Indian Army has developed the ability to march through contaminated areas and strike back at the enemy. This is significant given that Pakistan has been trying to build more nuclear warheads to negate the Indian Army’s traditional edge in conventional forces.

Transgressions from across the Line of Actual Control (Sino-Indian border) “have become a part of life” and cause “discomfort” to India but the LAC is among India’s most peaceful borders, minister of state for defence M.M. Pallam Raju has said. He added that India was building its deterrence capabilities and infrastructure adequately in order to ensure that no adversary “crosses the threshold”.

Congress veteran from Kerala and minister of overseas Indian affairs Vayalar Ravi — who was given additional charge of the civil aviation ministry on Wednesday — said his priority areas were to make sure that national carrier Air India overcomes the economic crisis in which it is in, apart from making sure that all airlines operate flights

The proposed deal for upgradation of the Indian Air Force’s 51 French-origin Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft — that could cost $2.2 billion — could soon be inked despite tough negotiations between India

On the lines of an alert issued in the US, the Indian Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has also issued an alert to all Indian airports that terrorists may try to conceal explosives in thermos flasks, top government aviation sources confirmed to this newspaper late on Wednesday evening. “The BCAS alert on thermos flasks has been

India is likely to soon approve levy of a monetary charge on those visiting foreign dignitaries — for use of the VIP lounge at the New Delhi IGI airport — who hail from countries where visiting Indian dignitaries are asked to pay up for use of the VIP lounge. “The ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) are