Aviation industry in India small, says CEO of AirAsia

July 4, 2014

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Bangalore, Jul 4: AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tony Fernandes said considering the population and potential tourism market India has, the aviation industry in the country is very small.

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"....for the size of the population and for the size of the potential tourist market, the aviation industry is very small. There is huge scope for fourth airline, I would tell my competitors this is not about one airline or two airline or three airline- that all of us should work together in making it more affordable for Indians to fly, to help lot of Indians to fly overseas for business and also to bring people to this wonderful country," Fernandes told reporters here.

Speaking at the press conference to celebrate the launch of AirAsia India that was attended by Ratan Tata and S Ramadorai he said, "for the size of Indian population it is very small."

While Tata is the Chief Advisor to Airasia India, Ramadorai is the Chairman of the Board of the airline.

Thanking the Centre for its help in launching AirAsia India, he said "obviously we want to reduce cost as much as possible and transfer that to growth....; we hope that the government of India, and the state governments in the country will look at ATF, will look at developing low cost infrastructure going forward."

Breaking into Indian domestic aviation space, AirAsia India on June 12 had launched its operation with a flight from here to Goa in a foray that is expected to intensify the fare war among the no-frill airlines in the loss-hit sector.

The country's fourth budget carrier has also announced the addition of Kochi to its existing network from July 20.

"Indian aviation history has failed so far. Not many have made money, some airlines have gone bust," he said.

Air Asia India will break even in 12 months: Fernandes

Panaji: The new entrant in the budget airline club, Air Asia India, today said it would take about a year to break even.

"We need to put more planes. We are rushing to have six planes operational, after that we are confident that within 12 months we will attain the break-even. Right now the pressure is only to deliver," Tony Fernandes, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Asia, said at Dabolim airport here today.

Top Air Asia India officials, led by chief adviser Ratan Tata, held discussions with Goa's Deputy Chief Minister Francis D'Souza and officials of industry body CII as to how the coastal state can become a hub for it.

Fernandes said the aviation sector has high expectations from Narendra Modi-led Union Government, especially to help reduce the air fares.

Modi's plans to promote tourism and a favourable ruling to allow carriers to fly the international route soon could help the industry greatly, he said, adding that reduction in aviation fuel rate and airport taxes would also make domestic flying cheaper, and bolster the industry.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
November 30,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 30: A 22-year-old college student succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru today, days after she was hit by a goods tempo while crossing a road in Padubidri.

The deceased has been identified as Preksha, a resident of Nadsalu Billitota in Padubidri. The fatal incident occurred as Preksha, who was returning home after completing her examination, attempted to cross the service road towards Mangaluru. She was struck by a goods tempo approaching from the Udupi side, causing her to fall and sustain a severe head injury.

Prompt action from local residents ensured she received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Despite medical efforts, she passed away while undergoing care.

Preksha was a student at Karavali College, Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that she belonged to a financially vulnerable family, having previously lost her father. She is survived by her mother and brother.

A case related to the accident has been registered at the Padubidri police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision. The incident highlights the growing concerns over road safety, particularly on busy service roads, and serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of traffic accidents.

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News Network
December 3,2025

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Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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