Scope of Ground Hostesses

Airlines not only need Air Hostesses, bt also needs the Ground Staff /Ground Hostess to Perform the various ground duties necessary before any flight takes off. The job of the ground staff is to assist the passengers in various ways for example with lost luggage, general enquiries and helping disabled customers. Being an Airline Ground Attendant means working long sometimes unsociable hours and can involve a lot of standing. Training & Qualifications Ground Hostess need to be at least 18 years old and able to read write and speak English proficiently. Some Ground Hostess may be required to work selling tickets so a foreign language is helpful.To be an airline ground attendant you should be well organised, patient, have good customer care skills and have a pleasant and friendly personality.

::: Career Enhancements :::
Ground Staff Job requires grooming and promoting from within. Typically, graduates start off in the junior management ranks, and with exposure, training and stellar performance, there are opportunities to eventually rise to senior management positions such as vice- presidents and above. The boom in the aviation industry opens the doors for Ground Handling specifically. The candidate has to cater to the requirements and all challenges in the exciting world of an airport environment. Airports are being upgraded (some by being privatized) and there is a major trust in the aviation sector from the central and state governments. With the extremely lucrative nature of these jobs, the prospects for a career in the aviation industry are extremely bright.

::: Career Opportunities :::
A spectrum of opportunities range from:
» Ground Personnel
» Ticketing and Reservations
» Restaurant Hostess / Hosts
» Customer Care Executives
» Marketing and Sales executives
» Guest Relations Executives
» Public Relations Executive
» Tours and Travel Industries

What Can You do with an Airport Management Degree?

If you love aviation, becoming a pilot isn't your only choice. Air traffic control and flight attendant are also options, but if you want a higher-level leadership position, consider getting a degree in airport management. This relatively new type of degree gives you the education needed to work in a variety of airport administration positions.

Airport Management Daily Tasks
We sometimes take it for granted, but an extreme amount of organization goes into ensuring that airports in the United States and around the world operate smoothly on a daily basis. Think of all the thousands of flights that take off and land successfully every day, the millions of passengers who make their way through airports, and the huge number of workers it takes to keep an airport operational! As an airport management student, you'll learn about everything that needs to be done to make travel in the sky as smooth and safe as possible. Running an airport is like running a small city, with the need for everything to be under close control at all times.

Airport Management Skills
As an airport management student, you'll learn about all aspects of aviation to be prepared for a wide variety of fields. Many programs require you to have a pilot's license before you enroll, and you may also have the option of completing an air traffic control course during your airport management degree program. Other classes you take will go over topics such as airfield safety, customer service, human resources, emergency planning, and even aviation engineering. The goal is to prepare you for any part of airport management you pursue when graduating.

Airport Manager Roles
At every airport, there is a single person in charge, much like a CEO runs a company, but there are dozens of support staff managers who work under this person to control specific departments. Managers control everything from airline relations to TSA compliance and safety to customer service and beyond, so work in the field that makes the most sense to you. Like with a business, it is a matter of working your way up the ladder to head a department. That climb begins with earning your airport management degree!

Aviation and Airport Management Degrees
The most common degrees in Airport Management and Aviation Management are: AAS in Airport Management, BS in Airport Management, BBA in Airport Management, BS in Aviation Management, and MBA in Aviation Management.

Frankfinn Diploma in Aviation, Hospitality and Travel Management

Diploma in Aviation, Hospitality and Travel Management, a Level 5 Qualification as per UK National Qualification Framework

Aviation, hospitality and travel industries are in for exponential growth. The aviation industry is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of over 25%. India needs 400 airports and 300 aircraft in the next decade. Also, the hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country. According to the tourism ministry, hotels in India will have a shortfall of 150,000 rooms. This sector is expected to be the second largest employer in the world by 2019. No other industry offers career benefits and payment packages as lucrative as these industries. In fact, cabin crew hired by international airlines stand to earn salaries as high os Rs. 70,000* per month.

Frankfinn Diploma in Aviation, Hospitality and Travel Management

DURATION
12 Months (Two hours a day, Five days a week) 18 Months (Two hours a day, Three days a week)

ELIGIBILITY Age: 17 to 24 years. 12th pass and above, having a pleasing personality and good communication skills.
The selection will be on the basis of personal interviews

How to Go for Pilot Training In India

Pilot Training Institutes train an individual on the various skills required to fly an aircraft. It teaches a pilot the process of flying an aircraft through the air with proper direction and control. It also teaches the students to understand the weather forecasts. A qualified pilot is supposed to be an expert in leading his crew and the passengers even in trying circumstances and a leader par excellence. Besides academic qualifications, a commercial pilot should have a sound mind in a healthy body, lot of courage, determination and self-confidence. There are quite a good number of flying schools in India that are recognized by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and provide excellent training to individuals aspiring to become pilots.

Pilot training institutes in India
Popular Pilot Training Institutes in India One of the most reputed commercial pilot training institutes in India is the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Academy at Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. Some other Commercial Pilot Training Institutes in the country are Amritsar Aviation Club, Academy of Carver Aviation Pvt. Ltd, Andhra Pradesh Flying Club, Assam Flying Club, Bangalore Aeronautics Technical Services, Mysore Aerodrome in Karnataka, Flying Club in Indore, Flytech Aviation Academy and West Bengal Flying Training Institute.

Benefits of these Pilot Training Courses
Pilots trained in the commercial pilot training institutes in India can fly both passenger planes and cargo planes. A commercial pilot should be well aware of his responsibilities which include mastery and control over the equipments and machines he handles, the ability to chart out flight timings and schedules and above all the dexterity and mental strength to land an aircraft to safety. With the opening up of the private sector for airline operations, the opportunities for commercial pilots have amplified by leaps and bounds leading to increase in the popularity of commercial pilot training courses in India.

Eligibility Required for Pilot Training Courses
A candidate desirous of enrolling in pilot training institutes in India should pass his/her Higher Secondary Examination with at least 50% marks in Physics and Mathematics and should be over 17 years of age. The entrance test for a Private Pilot License course is taken on subjects like English, General Knowledge, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.Applications for this test have to be sent to the Director General of Civil Aviation, Safdarjang Airport, New Delhi 110003 in the month of April.

Scope for Commercial Pilots in Abroad
With globalization, economic liberalization and a boom in the aviation industry, jobs as commercial pilots are available in airline companies outside India also. However, a commercial pilot needs to have a certificate for flying in the country he chooses. With the highest number of airlines, the US is the most desired destination for most commercial pilots. Even UK, Australia and some European countries can also be happy hunting grounds for ambitious commercial pilots

Kerala govt to take call on second airport in Kozhikode: AAI

Kozhikode: The Airport Authority of
India is ready to conduct feasibility
study on the demand for a new
international greenfield airport in
Kozhikode district if the Kerala
government comes up with the proposal, a top AAI official said here.
"There is reasonable growth potential
available even in the present airport.
But always another airport, if possible,
in the country is welcome," V P
Agarwal, Chairman, Airport Authority of India, said.
"The call is to be taken by the state
government whether they want it and
how they want it. If the state
government wants us to do the study,
we will do the study," he said. The existing Kozhikode International
Airport at nearby Karripur, is a 'critical'
airport, he said, adding that does not
mean the airport is unsafe to operate.
"By no standard, it is unsafe we are
having sufficient protection for the safe operations at the Kozhikode
airport," he said.
Kozhikode airport is presently
operating at 2.2 million (passenger)
capacity and comfortably could go
upto 20 million. "There is reasonable growth potential," he said.

SpiceJet looks to raise Rs 400 crore through a share offering

Mumbai: Low-cost carrierSpiceJet is
looking at raising funds through a
share offering, its top official said.
PromoterKalanithi Maran pledged a
large chunk of his holding 10 days
back to raise Rs 200 crore for the cash-strapped airline.
"A rights issue can be one option the
company might consider," SpiceJet
CEONeil Mills said, adding that
merchant banker Enam has been
appointed to suggest options and methods of getting capital into the
airline.
Mills, who spoke to ET on the phone
from Goa, did not disclose how much
the airline was looking at raising but
bankers said it could be Rs 400 crore through offering of shares. The carrier
hopes to conclude the process by the
end-December.
There have been concerns that Maran,
whose Sun TV network is under the
scanner for alleged financial irregularities, might look for an exit
from SpiceJet as he might not be able
to sustain losses, which are part of an
airline's cyclical business, for long
under these circumstances.
Industry insiders expect Gurgaon- headquartered SpiceJet to post a loss
of Rs 50-100 crore in the first quarter
of this financial year. The carrier made
a profit of 101 crore in FY10-11 but
posted a loss of Rs 59 crore in its last
quarter, as opposed to a profit of Rs 29 crore in last quarter of the previous
financial year

Jet, Indigo, Kingfisher and others worried on Air India Fare cut

Mumbai: National
carrier Air India's
move to lower fares by up to 20% on
certain routes since January this year
to prop up its falling market share is
making other airlines see red as they face the prospect of taking a hit on
their profits. Airlines are worried that the national
carrier's dash for market share has
come at a time when oil prices have
risen to record highs due to the Libyan
crisis, raising their operational costs as
much as 50% in some cases. " Air India is offering all their seats at
prices that are lying at the bottom of
the yield bucket. They are reducing
fares by as much as.`1,000 and
competing with us by dropping fares,
especially on the Delhi-Mumbai routes," said the CEO of a low-cost
airline who did not wish to be
identified. "A drop of .`100 in yield will
bleed airlines by .`3 crore." Despite having the largest fleet, Air
India was recently overtaken by low-
cost airline IndiGo in terms of market
share. The national carrier has a
market share of 15%. It has long
lagged behind Jet and Kingfisher , the two large sector airlines. Air India's
move has had some impact in
January-March 2011 quarter, say
analysts. "Air India has dropped fares in the last
quarter by 20%-30%. This forced
other airlines to follow suit. With fuel
costs up by more than 40%, this drop
in fares by Air India has become a
game changer for the fourth quarter of the last financial year," said Kapil
Kaul , CEO, (Indian sub-continent &
Middle East), CAPA. Air India defends the strategy by
saying that its market share has gone
up and it has become competitive.

Pilots win nothing, Air India Losses 150 crores

New Delhi: After 10
days of hard
bargaining, striking Air India (AI)
pilots patched up with the
government on Friday with the former
gaining hardly anything in the process but causing the bleeding national
carrier losses of more than Rs 150
crore and further denting its
reputation. With the pilots calling off
their strike, AI will resume domestic
services from midnight of Friday. The Indian Commercial Pilots
Association (ICPA) - which has as its
members 700 pilots belonging to the
former Indian Airlines - had declared a
strike from the midnight April 26-27. They were joined by another 200-odd
management pilots a day later,
crippling AI's domestic network. The AI management had sacked
seven pilots, suspended seven others
and derecognised the ICPA. So, after the 10-day face-off with the
government, all that the pilots got was
re-recognition of their association and
reinstatement of the sacked and
suspended pilots. The decision to call off the strike hasn't
gone down well with a section of ICPA
pilots and there was a clear split in its
ranks. "We are back to square one. The
government hasn't conceded an inch
and we, on the other hand, have lost
10 days' pay and an assurance of a
salary of 60-hours. What was the point
of doing all this?" a pilot asked. ICPA general secretary Rishabh Kapur
conceded that they hadn't got any
commitment on the allowances ICPA
had demanded. He said implementation of the report
of the justice (Retd) Dharmadhikari
Committee - which is looking into
issues of wage rationalisation and
level mapping - would be shared with
them by November.

Empire Aviation Group to begin operations in India

Dubai: Empire
Aviation Group
(EAG), a Dubai-based private aviation
specialist and operator of one of the
West Asian ' s largest managed fleets of business jets, has announced plans to
start operations in India, with the
opening of a new branch office in
Mumbai by mid-2011. The new branch — the company' s first operational base outside Dubai — will eventually offer the full range of
Empire Aviation Group services in the
subcontinent and will have an initial
focus on aircraft sales and
management. The announcement was timed to
coincide with the inaugural Kerala
Aircraft Static Display Show 2011 held
in Kozhikode where the company will
have an exhibit highlighting its range
of aviation services and featuring a Hawker 800XP business jet that EAG is
marketing on behalf of its owner. Mr Steve Hartley, Executive Director at
Empire Aviation Group, said this is the
right time to enter the Indian aviation
market, as private jet registrations
have continued to rise strongly over
the last three years. " Market reports suggest that there are around 130-140 private jets currently
based in the market, covering all the
major manufacturers.

Frankfinn Institute

After having established itself as the world' s number one airhostess training institute, Frankfinn Institute of
Airhostess Training is now eyeing
overseas markets and is in the midst of
freezing plans to foray into the Middle-
East.
While it already has an operation in Dubai, it is now eyeing other parts of
the Middle-East, where its Chairman, K
S Kohli, scents an immense potential
for its services. " We are the number one airhostess training institute. Now
we want to expand our footprint
globally," Kohli said. With this view, it has set up Frankfinn Institute of Air
Hostess Training FZ LLC and launched
its operations in Dubai. " Soon we propose to enter other Middle-East
markets, " he said. Frankfinn also has a presence in Mauritius and Hong Kong.
Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess
Training is a division of Frankfinn
Aviation Services.

IndiGo to hire 1,500 People in 2011

Low-cost carrier IndiGo on
Wednesday said it plans to hire up to
1,500 people this year to support its
major expansion drive. " IndiGo will hire 1,200-1,500 people in the
calendar year 2011, of which 400-500
would be cabin crew staff, 200-300
pilots, besides some engineers and
ground staff," IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh told PTI. At present, IndiGo has about 3,400
employees and by the end of this year
the number is expected to go up to
4,500-5,000.
In January this year, the no-frill carrier
made news by announcing acquisition of 180 A-320s, worth an estimated $
15.6 billion, from European plane
manufacturer Airbus — the single largest aircraft deal in global aviation
history.
This is the second time IndiGo has
placed such a massive aircraft order.
The company had first entered into an
agreement with Airbus in 2005, to buy 100 A-320s worth $ 6 billion.

Travel Tips:Tips for Safer Flying

Flying can be an adventure, but like
everything else in life, there are small
risks. Even though flying is the safest
way to travel in this modern age, here
are some tips to minimize any
unfortunate, but unlikely event of an emergency situation.
* Try to only fly nonstop routings
Takeoff, climb, descent, and landing
phases of flights have the most
occurrences of accidents. To reduce
these risks reduce the amount of
exposure to these phases of flight by
trying only to fly nonstop.
* Choose a larger aircraft
Aircraft under 30 passengers are not
required to be designed and certified
under strictest regulations. Also
statistically, in a larger aircraft, you
have a better chance of survival in an
unlikely event of a serious accident.
* Pay Attention to the locations of the
emergency exits
Preflight instructions have become
very repetitious. But the information
given regarding the exits are very
important to your safety. Pay attention,
the locations of the closest emergency
exits may be different depending on the aircraft and seat you are in.

Cracking Aircraft Windows with Directed Sound Waves

Today our modern military scientists
have found many uses for directed
energy beams. Some of these uses
include communication, non-lethal
weapons and high-energy lasers.
Directed sound waves and harmonics maybe the answer to stopping
manned aircraft in the battlespace on
its way to find our blue force as its
next target. Using such directed waves
we can penetrate and crack aircraft
canopies, rendering the aircraft useless to continue the mission. Or so
disrupt the enemies mission that it is
forced to turn back completely and
abort or even force the enemy pilot to
eject immediately.

ACARS - How does it work

Aircraft Communication Addressing
and Reporting SystemAircraft
Communications Addressing and
Reporting System (or ACARS) is
adigital datalink system for
transmission of small messages between aircraft and ground stations
via radio or satellite. The protocol,
which was designed by ARINC and
deployed in 1978,uses telex formats.
It will be superseded by the
AeronauticalTelecommunications Network (ATN) protocol and others
more sophisticated. History of ACARSPrior to the
introduction of datalink, all
communication between the aircraft
(i.e., theflight crew) and personnel on
the ground was performed using
voice communication.This communication used either VHF or HF
voice radios, which was further
augmented with SATCOM in the early
1990s.In many cases, the voice-
relayed information involves
dedicated radio operators and digital messages sent through an
Aeronautical Telecommunications
Network (ATN) to an airline teletype
system or its successor systems. Introduction of ACARS SystemsThe
airlines, in an effort to reduce crew
workload and improve data
integrity,introduced the ACARS system
in the late 1980s. (A few initial ACARS
systems were introduced before the late 1980s, but ACARS did not start to
get any widespread use by the major
airlines until the later part of the
1980s.)

17 Ways to Keep Safe and Secure When Flying

Here are 17 ways to keep safe and
secure when flying domestic or
abroad. Air travelers need to keep a
sharp eye and an ever present focus
on what's going on around them.
Even though it has been a few years since the September 11th 2001
hijackings, the threat of terrorist
actions against air travelers is still ever
present. Not to mention with the
hustle and bustle of a busy airport.
This is a prime place to be potentially burglarized by a professional thief or
criminal. 1. Keep Your Photo Identification
Handy. If you do not have photo
identification, make sure you have two
pieces of some other form of
identification, one of which must be
issued by a government authority.
Minors are not obligated to have identification. Failure to have proper
identification may result in additional
security inspection and search. Some
airlines may also prohibit you from
boarding without proper ID. For
international flights, airlines are required to collect your full name and
ask you for a contact name and phone
number. 2. Give Yourself Some Extra Time
During busy hours, or when traveling. With elderly or disabled passengers,
young children or infants, give
yourself more than enough time to
maneuver through a busy airport or to
make necessary arrangements with
airport personnel. 3. Do Not Park Your Vehicle and Left
Unattended in Front of the Terminal. The airport parking rules are being
strictly enforced and your vehicle may
be very swiftly ticketed and towed. So
make sure to park in well-lit,
designated areas. Find a parking
garage or lot you are comfortable with and is well populated.

AirAsia X orders more A330s

AirAsia X, the long haul low fare affiliate of the Malaysia-based AirAsia Group, has placed a firm order with Airbus for three
A330-200s. Scheduled for
delivery from 2014, the aircraft
will be operated on the carrier' s expanding network, offering low fare service to destinations in Europe, Asia and the Pacific. The latest contract brings AirAsia X ' s total number of A330s ordered
to 28. AirAsia X has ordered the 238
tonne increased take-off weight
version of the A330-200, which
is capable of flying non-stop from Kuala Lumpur to Europe. The
airline will configure the aircraft
in a two class layout with a total
of 288 seats. "

New Indian training centre boosts Airbus ’ regional facilities

Working in partnership with CAE
of Canada, Airbus Training India
has inaugurated its flight training facility in Bangalore, India – further underscoring the
company' s increased presence in one of the world' s fastest- growing aviation markets. " India is going to require more than 1,000 aircraft in the coming
years, and our training centre will
help meet the demand for pilots
and aircraft maintenance engineers" said Didier Lafrique, general manager of Airbus
Training India. The new facility provides training
for local customers, and also
supports other regional airlines from the Middle East to Southeast
Asia. Located within easy reach of
Bangalore' s Bengaluru International Airport, the facility – with fully-equipped, state-of-the-
art classrooms and screening
facilities – eventually will be able to train up to 1,000 pilots and
maintenance engineers annually. Airbus ' industrial cooperation with India began in 1988, when
an agreement was reached with
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL) to manufacture passenger
doors for the best-selling A320.
In recognition of the country' s strategic importance, Airbus has
made a long-term pledge to play
a major role in the development
of its aviation sector. Today, Indian companies contribute to
virtually all Airbus aircraft programmes.

China to launch first space lab by 2016

A Chinese senior space
technology expert said Thursday
that China is expected to launch
its first space laboratory before 2016. " With the technological program ready, the lab' s research and development are going
smoothly," Qi Faren, former chief designer of Shenzhou
spaceships. As the second phase of China ' s manned space program, the lab, likely to be named Tiangong-2,
will gradually be developed into
the core module or experiment
module, said Qi. China is to launch its first
unmanned space module,
Tiangong-1, or Heavenly Palace,
in the second half of 2011,
serving as a platform for spacecraft to rendezvous and dock – allowing for the building of the space station. China will have its own space station before 2020, said Qi, a member of the 11th National
Committee of the Chinese
People' s Political Consultative Conference, before the annual
session of the country' s top political advisory body, which is
scheduled to open Thursday.

Is the Airbus A380 really that different?

London, England (CNN) -- When Singapore Airlines first started flying
the Airbus A380 in 2007, it was still a
big question mark whether the aircraft
would be a hit with passengers. Early indications were that the plane
was a huge success in terms of
passenger comfort and after nearly
three years in service, routes that have
the A380 are at near capacity. Just last month, Emirates Airlines
placed a mammoth order for 32 more
Airbus A380s worth more than $10
billion -- the airline will have 90 super
jumbos in total. Other airlines like Qantas, Lufthansa
and Air France also fly the A380 on
some of their most lucrative routes. But, is the Airbus A380 really worth all
the fuss? Are passengers really willing
to switch airlines or choose different
routes just to be able to fly on the
super jumbo? On a flight onboard one of Singapore
Airlines' newest A380s from London
to Singapore, passengers would soon
find out. Noise There's been so much talk about the
A380's quiet interior, but until you
actually take a flight in one, it is nearly
impossible to get a sense of the
silence.

Measuring and Calculating Air Speed

Knowing how fast an aircraft is
traveling is just as important, if not
more so, than knowing how fast a car
is moving. However, the measurement
of an aircraft' s speed is a bit more complex than the speedometer on an
automobile. In this article we will
discuss the various types of air speed
and how they are measured. Pilots speak of several types of air
speed. When read directly off the air
speed indicator, the value is called
indicated air speed (IAS). Indicated air
speed has several factors that must be
corrected in order to determine the actual speed of an aircraft over the
ground. To determine the aircraft' s indicated air speed, two pressures are
measured. A pitot tube is positioned
on the exterior of the aircraft so that
the air molecules of the atmosphere
" ram" into it. The faster the aircraft is traveling, the greater the ram
pressure. As an aircraft climbs, the
atmospheric air pressure decreases, as
does the ram pressure. To account for
this, the aircraft has a static air
pressure port that is also connected to the air speed indicator. The greater the
difference between the ram and static
pressures, the greater the indicated air
speed.