The awesome video above shows an airplane shooting past, in front of the moon and sun, during the partial eclipse. Our friend David Walker posted it to the EarthSky Photo page on G+.
SOURCE:::::: http://www.earthsky.org
Natarajan
airlines
Busiest Flight Routes in the World….Sapporo -Tokyo Sector is on the Top of The List…!!!
Busiest flight routes in the world revealed … with number one carrying SEVEN MILLION passengers a year (and the two cities will surprise you)
- More than 14 million people travel between Sapporo and Tokyo every year
- Six of the world’s 10 busiest routes are found in Asia
- No cities in Europe or North America managed to crack the list
More than seven million people travelled on the busiest flight route in the world in 2013 – but the two cities may surprise you.
It wasn’t the short hop between the Brazilian cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro or the two-hour journey between Beijing and Shanghai in China.
Surprisingly, it was the 90-minute trek from Sapporo to Tokyo in Japan.
Crowded: The busiest flight route in the world is Sapporo to Tokyo, with the return leg a close second
Data prepared by FightStats for The Huffington Post shows that 7.4 million passengers travelled from Sapporo to Tokyo on 29,858 flights last year.
The return leg is the world’s second busiest route, transporting 7.3 million passengers on 29,484 flights.
Tokyo has the world’s most populous metropolitan area with more than 35 million residents, while Sapporo, in comparison, is home to just two million people.
An online search displays dozens of daily flights from Sapporo to Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports, departing every five to 30 minutes on a number of carriers.
All Nippon Airways is one of the carriers that ferries nearly seven million passengers from Sapporo to Tokyo
FlightStats says more than 8.3 million people take to the skies every day on more than 93,000 flights.
The third busiest route in the world in 2013 was Seoul to Jeju in South Korea, while the return flight was the fourth busiest.
Almost seven million people flew each way on about 37,000 flights in 2013.
The Sao Paulo-Rio de Janeiro route rounds out the top five with just over six million travellers. The return flight is the sixth busiest flight.
Six of the world’s 10 busiest routes are in Asia, while the others are located in Brazil and Australia.
Sydney to Melbourne and the return leg are the ninth and 10th busiest routes.
Tokyo was by far the busiest city for airport travel, claiming four spots. The routes between Tokyo and Fukuoka also cracked the list.
No cities in Europe or North America made the top 10.
BUSIEST ROUTES IN THE WORLD
- Sapporo-Tokyo (29,585 flights, 7,404,740 passengers
- Tokyo-Sapporo, (29,484, 7,376,637)
- Seoul-Jeju, South Korea, (37,167, 6,939,204)
- Jeju-Seoul, (36,809, 6,872,450)
- Sao Paulo-Rio de Janeiro (37,520, 6,094,249)
- Rio de Janeiro-Sao Paulo (37,420, 6,085,195)
- Tokyo-Fukuoka, Japan (25,214, 5,886,273)
- Fukuoka-Tokyo (25,130, 5,872,756)
- Sydney-Melbourne (26,534, 4,997,700)
- Melbourne-Sydney (26,512, 4,978,161)
Source: FlightStats
The website FlightAware compiled a list of the busiest routes on a single day, using July 30, 2014 as an example.
On that day, the busiest route in the world saw 94 flights travel from Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport to Jeju International Airport.
The busiest route in the US on July 30, 2014 was Los Angeles to San Francisco with a total of 55 flights.
Source:::: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Natarajan
Indian Airports Hold Top 6 Positions in South Asia Aviation Market…
Here we look closely at the airports of South Asia and highlight the region’s top performers.
Ahead of this year’s Routes Asia forum, Routesonline is providing a snapshot on the leading airlines and airports and most used aircraft types across the region. Here we look closely at the airports serving South Asia and highlight the region’s top performers.
Scheduled Air Capacity From South Asia (2005 – 2014)
Our analysis of published schedules for the past ten years shows that air capacity within and from South Asia has risen from 69,033,731 available seats in 2005 to 158,760,706 available seats in 2014. This represents a growth of 130.0 per cent across the period, an average annual increase of 14.4 per cent. In the past year capacity increased 7.3 per cent.
Hong Kong’s Third Runway Backed by IATA and Cathay Pacific….
The HK$150 billion project has been backed by both Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), with the interpretation that a third runway is necessary in order to see the aviation industry in Hong Kong flourish.
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is set to begin the construction of a third runway and associated infrastructure.
The HK$150 billion project has been backed by both Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), with the interpretation that a third runway is necessary in order to see the aviation industry in Hong Kong flourish.
Construction on the third runway is expected to commence next year, to be completed by 2023, and will help Hong Kong International Airport boost capacity to 100 million passengers and 9 million tons of cargo a year by 2030.
IATA have said that HKIA plays a crucial role as an economic catalyst – Hong Kong is home to some 3,500 regional headquarters and boasts a HK$250 billion tourism industry. The airport serves 63 million passengers and processes 4.4 million tonnes of cargo.
“IATA has long been an advocate of the need for a third runway in Hong Kong. And it is in the interest of everyone in Hong Kong to see the aviation industry flourish. Aviation and aviation-related tourism account for 8.2% of the Hong Kong economy. Increasing HKIA’s capacity to be able to serve 100 million passengers and 9 million tonnes of cargo by 2030 will ensure that the airport continues to be a pillar of Hong Kong’s success—provided the expansion is built, financed and funded wisely,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO in a speech to the Foreign Correspondents Club of Hong Kong.
IATA has outlined a framework which will allow Hong Kong’s new infrastructure to be built without increasing airline charges, without placing a burden on taxpayers, without making it more expensive for travellers, without adding an extra burden to shippers and while increasing competitiveness of the hub’s air transport network.
HKIA is consistently profitable, and IATA’s Tony Tyler has suggested the airport use its advantageous financial situation to fund its expansion by borrowing through commercial loans or bonds.
Flag carrier, Cathay Pacific has supported IATA’s suggestions to fund the project by saying that the third runway can be self-funded through existing income streams, especially as the number of passengers moving through the airport continues to grow.
“Hong Kong International Airport is extremely successful. It is the world’s busiest airport for international freight and the third busiest in terms of international passenger traffic. The Airport Authority enjoys the highest net profit of any airport in the world and benefits from strong cash flows, a healthy balance sheet, and growing income from retail and aeronautical streams,” said Ivan Chu, Cathay Pacific Chief Executive.
Cathay Pacific also believes that, as a public body, the Airport Authority should reinvest its income in the development of the third runway, so that the airport can maintain its premier hub status and continue to make an important economic contribution to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s air transport network is under pressure to remain competitive, after its share of the market connecting China to the rest of the world shrank from 20 percent to 17 percent between 2005 and 2013.
Its share on the ASEAN to North America market has remained at 10 percent, whereas the airport’s share on ASEAN to European traffic has contracted to 2.4 percent from 3.3 during the same period.
“There are lots of reasons why these changes are happening. The Middle East airlines are proving to be strong competitors with efficient and affordable hubs being a central piece of their success. And hubs closer to Hong Kong continue to improve their offerings to enhance the competitiveness of their networks,” said Mr Tyler.
SOURCE:::::::: Poppy Marello in http://www.routesonline.com
Natarajan
” A Jumbo Jet Made A Tricky Landing on a Short and Narrow Runway …” Why ?
The aircraft which is known as ‘The City of Canberra’ was cheered and applauded by a crowd of thousands as it made a tricky landing on the short and narrow runway.
A Qantas jumbo jet has made history by landing at a regional airport in New South Wales to become the first 747-400 in the world to go on display.
The aircraft which is known as ‘The City of Canberra’ was cheered and applauded by a crowd of thousands as it made a tricky landing on the short and narrow runway.
Illawarra Airport’s runway, which is only 1,800 metres, is less than half the length of Sydney Airport’s runways and at just 30 metres wide, the aircraft’s wingspan of 64 metres caused the two engines to hang over the runway’s edge on landing.
The aircraft was retired to Wollongong after 25 years of service, where it will become a prized addition to the aviation museum based at Illawara Regional Airport.
Qantas’ final 747 flight departed Sydney Airport last weekend, and flew at just 4,000 feet and at a much slower speed for its 15 minute journey to Wollongong.
The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society who will be looking after the jumbo jet has Australia’s biggest collection of historical aircraft including a plane known as ‘Connie’, a Lockheed Super Constellation originally built for the US Air Force.
“It’s a bit sentimental but it’s going to a great home down here and we know it’s going to be looked after by the society volunteers,” Captain Greg Matthews said.
The City of Canberra is the oldest aircraft in the Qantas fleet and holds the record for the longest ever non-stop commercial flight for its trip from London to Sydney in 1989.
In total, the plane has flow 85 million kilometres, which is equivalent to 110 return trips to the moon. Its last commercial flight was in January this year between Johannesburg and Sydney.
SOURCE::::: Poppy Marello in http://www.routesonline.com
Natarajan
” Spain’s Ghost Airport Set To Become Operational For Scheduled Flights Now…” !!!
A ‘ghost airport’ that opened four years ago in Castellon, Spain is finally set to begin operations after Irish LCC, Ryanair announced scheduled flights to the UK.
A ‘ghost airport’ that opened four years ago in Castellon, Spain is finally set to begin operations after Irish LCC, Ryanair announced scheduled flights to the UK.
Flights will link the €150 million airport to London Stansted three-times-weekly and Bristol twice-weekly from September this year.
Castellon-Costa Azahar Airport became one of Spain’s white elephant airports, after it opened in March 2011 and was one of the Valencia region’s many grand building projects. The city region is already served by Valencia Airport, and nearby airports Reus and Alicante both also serve similar markets.
Until recently, Castellon has only hosted charter flights carrying teams from the Spanish football league, and flights from the region’s general aviation flying club.
The airport has faced a multitude of problems which have contributed to the airport lying dormant for the past four years. In 2012, part of the runway had to be demolished due to an error of measurement, and in 2013 the airport received more backlash after it was revealed it had no provisions to fuel planes, as fuel stations had not yet been built.
Ryanair announced its plans to fly to Castellon in its latest press release which highlighted the airline’s London Stansted winter schedule.
“Ryanair is pleased to launch our biggest ever London Stansted winter 2015 schedule, with two new routes to Castellón and Ponta Delgada—110 in total—and more flights on 23 routes, which will deliver over 18 million customers p.a. and support 18,000 on site jobs at London Stansted Airport,” said Ryanair’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kenny Jacobs.
Ryanair will start selling the flights on Friday (13MAR15), and it said it has the capacity to bring 60,000 passengers a year to Castellon.
Castellon is the 24th airport in Spain to carry Ryanair flights, and the Irish budget airline handled nearly 32 million passengers in Spain in 2014.
SOURCE:::: Poppy Marello in http://www.routesonline.com
Natarajan
Grounded…An Angry Passenger Stands on the Runway Infront of Plane … !!!
One angry passenger managed to delay flights out of a Nigerian airport after stepping out on the runway in front of a plane.
After finding out his flight from Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport was cancelled, the flustered passenger decided to take his frustrations out by taking his luggage and entering the runway.
Passengers on board an Arik flight to Lagos were forced to disembark after the man refused to move, with one eyewitness saying security failed to show up and it took the pilot to plead with the man before the plane could take off.
The man was angry that his flight to Sokoto was cancelled, and so entered the runway
At least two flights out of the Nigerian airport, one to Calabar and one to Lagos, were delayed by two hours by the man’s actions.
Passenger Cedar Chinwuba, who was on the flight to Lagos, posted a series of photos on Twitter as the scene played out.
Speaking to MailOnline Travel, Mr Chinwuba said: ‘It was very terrible. What came to my mind was that Nigeria Airport Authority needs to step up.
‘For two hours, no security agent showed up. It got to the point the pilot announced that he had placed a call to Arik airline to send the Nigeria police but had no response.
The man’s actions caused panic among passengers on a flight bound for Lagos, who were forced to disembark onto the tarmac
‘An announcement was made by the pilot that we couldn’t take off due to some disgruntled passengers blocking the plane and he has tried to reach the airport security but no response.
‘After a few minutes, he requested that due to security reasons those who wish to disembark from the trip should do so.
‘Only in Nigeria issues like this happen and they never get penalised.
One of the angry passenger I had a chat with stated that all they wanted was a senior officer of Arik coming to the tarmac to address the issue.
‘It worries me as an airport user.’
He explained that along with all the other passengers on the Lagos flight were told to get off the plane and that ‘no Arik flight was leaving Abuja.’
MailOnline Travel have contacted Arik Air, and are awaiting comment. The flight is believed to have taken off at 5.15pm local time, two hours behind schedule.
SOURCE:::: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Natarajan
Solar-Powered Plane on Its First ” Round-The-World ” Flight !!!!
Solar-powered plane begins first round-the-world flight
Swiss plane Solar Impulse 2 landed Monday in Muscat, Oman, the first stopover in the attempt to fly around the world powered by the sun alone. Follow the flight.
Image credit: solarimpulse.com
A Swiss plane called Solar Impulse 2 took off from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Monday morning (March 9, 2015) and later landed at its first stopover in Muscat, Oman. Solar Impulse 2 is the first plane to attempt to fly around the world without a drop of fuel, powered by the sun alone.
Solar Impulse founder Andre Borschberg was the pilot Monday morning at take-off. Borschberg will trade piloting with Solar Impulse co-founder Bertrand Piccard during stop-overs on the months-long journey, expected to end in late July or early August.
You can track the plane’s progress on the Solar Impulse website.
You can also follow Solar Impulse on Twitter or FlightRadar 24.
The solar-powered plane Solar Impluse 2 lands at the Al-Bateen airport in Emirati capital Abu Dhabi on March 2, 2015.
The Solar Impulse 2 is made of carbon fiber and has 17,248 solar cells built into the plane’s 236-foot (72-meter) wingspan. The solar cells recharge four lithium polymer batteries. Solar Impulse’s wingspan is larger than that of the Boeing 747, but the plane weighs only around 5,070 pounds (2300 kg) – about as much as a minivan.
On Tuesday, the plane will head for Ahmedabad, India, and after India, to China and Myanmar. The next leg is across the Pacific to land in Hawaii. Then it will head to Phoenix, Arizona, and New York City. The path across the Atlantic will depend on the weather and could include a stop in southern Europe or Morocco before ending in Abu Dhabi.
SOURCE::::: http://www.earthskynews.org
Natarajan
Meet The Man Who Posted Himself From London to Perth in a Wooden Box…!!!
When Australian Reg Spiers found himself penniless in London without enough money for a plane ticket home to Adelaide, he decided to post himself back in a wooden box.
Spiers, now 73, lives in Adelaide with his new partner and two dogs and he remains close friends with the McSorley family.
It was 1964, and the 22-year-old champion javelin thrower was in Britain, desperate to get back to Australia for his daughter’s birthday and to see his wife.
He showed up out of the blue at the East London flat of his close friend – English javelin thrower John McSorley – and presented him with his problem.
Too impatient to work and save up the money for a plane ticket, together Spiers and McSorley hatched a harebrained scheme to build a timber box and send Spiers back to his home country via air freight.
Reg Spiers (left, in the 1960s) posted himself from London to Perth in a wooden box (replica pictured right)
Miraculously he survived the 63-hour journey across three continents inside the 1.52m by 91cm by 76 cm box
What followed was a nightmarish 63-hour journey across three continents in which he was delayed in fog for 24 hours, dropped from a forklift and almost suffered dehydration after being left on a scorching tarmac in Bombay, India.
But Spiers survived, and went on to live an extraordinary life in which he travelled the world with his lover, assumed false identities and smuggled narcotics for international drug syndicates.
His sensational life has been documented in a book by McSorley’s wife and son, Julie and Marcus McSorley, titled Out Of The Box: The Highs And Lows Of A Champion Smuggler.
The specifics of Spiers’ crazy plan to post himself from London to Perth were decided over drinks at Twickenham’s Crown pub in October 1964.
The largest box they were allowed to send measured five feet by three feet by two feet six inches (1.52m by 91cm by 76 cm).
They decided they would label the box ‘plastic emulsion’, to be sent from a fake British chemical company to a fake shoe company in Perth.
A ‘Mr Graham’ was listed as the cash-on-delivery recipient – but because no one would ever collect it the money would never be paid and Spiers’ trip would be free.
McSorley built the box inside his flat over a series of late nights, with a number of specifications including side straps and a belt to hold Spiers in place when the box was loaded onto aircraft.
The timber box also opened at both ends, so Spiers could get out and walk around the cargo once the plane was in the air.
Spiers had worked in a cargo shipping section of an airport, so had some inside knowledge about what could be shipped without drawing undue notice from customs and other officials.
He was also incredibly lucky. By the 1960s, the cargo holds of many commercial airliners were pressurised and heated, to protect goods being shipped. This meant Spiers was able to breathe inside the plane while the air outside became too thin as the plane gained altitude, and he did not freeze to death.
Spiers didn’t eat for a week in preparation for his journey, in order to slow his bodily functions down.
He packed a small bag with essential belongings such as his passport, and food and drink including a bottle of fruit juice, two tins of spaghetti, a packet of biscuits, a bar of chocolate and a tube of fruit gums.
On Saturday October 17 1964, McSorley and two friends loaded the box containing Spiers onto a van and drove it to the terminal at Heathrow Airport.
A clerk weighed the box and McSorley handed him his freight forms, before giving the box a quick pat and disappearing into the airport crowd hoping for the best.
Unfortunately for Spiers the journey did not begin well. A thick fog descended on the airport delaying all flights for more than 24 hours.
According to the watch he kept with him it was more than 28 hours before his box was transported to an airplane for the first leg of the trip – a short flight to Paris.
The timber box also opened at both ends, so Spiers could get out and walk around the cargo once the plane was in the air
Spiers survived the first part of his journey relatively easily – he managed to eat some food and relieve himself in a spare plastic bottle he had brought with him.
The second leg of the journey was from Paris to Bombay.
He was able to get out of the box and move around, but sleeping inside the crate was problematic.
Spiers could only stretch his legs if he was sitting up straight, and could only lie down if his legs were bent.
About 37 hours since he was first dropped off at Heathrow, the plane made its descent into Bombay.
The Indian airport staff that unloaded the aircraft upended his crate as they placed it on the tarmac leaving him dangling upside down from the box’s straps.
He was also precariously balancing a spaghetti can filled with urine, which he had been forced to use after filling the only plastic bottle he packed.
Spiers was left on the scorching tarmac for hours while the Indian ground staff ate their lunch and did other jobs.
He was able to unhook himself from his straps and sit upright in the box, but sunlight streaming through cracks in the wood turned the box into a sauna, and before long he was forced to strip off all his sweat-drenched clothes.
The story was the subject of a media circus after Spiers forgot to contact his friend McSorley back in London to let him know he arrived in Australia safely. Pictured is a cameraman with the box Spiers travelled in
Nearing dehydration, Spiers contemplated turning himself in, wary that the press would ‘have a field day’ if a mysterious naked man emerged from a wooden box on the tarmac in Bombay.
But after a number of hours relief came for Spiers when a vehicle arrived to move his box, driving him out of direct sunlight and onto the aircraft that would take him on the final leg of his journey.
The flight was supposed to travel directly from Bombay to Perth but made a fuel stop in Singapore
It continued on its journey and after 63 hours and almost 21,000 km Spiers arrived exhausted – but miraculously alive – at Perth Airport.
His box was offloaded into a freight shed and he managed to escape when airport workers left to take a smoke break.
He sneaked along a series of warehouses towards the airport terminal, before blending in with a group of passengers disembarking an Ansett plane that had just touched down.
Spiers used his passport to clear immigration and walk out of the airport like a regular traveller.
From Perth he hitchhiked his way across the Nullarbor before meeting a priest who shouted him a train trip to Adelaide.
The story was the subject of a media circus after Spiers forgot to contact his friend McSorley back in London to let him know he arrived in Australia safely.
Panicked, McSorley called a journalist he knew at a British newspaper asking for help to track him down.
The journalist called a correspondent based in Adelaide, and from there the story was picked up by media all over the world – so much so that the airline Spiers had sneaked onto was pressured into allowing Spiers to fly for free.
McSorley’s son Marcus McSorley – who co-wrote the book detailing his extraordinary feat – said the journey was ‘just the beginning’ of Spiers’ sensational life.
‘After the box incident Reg went on to smuggle a different kind of substance,’ Mr McSorley told Daily Mail Australia.
‘He went onto assume three different identities, was wanted in three different continents, he went on the run with his lover and was sentenced to death in Sri Lanka as a Frenchman.
‘The guy’s lived quite a life.’
In 1981 Spiers and his lover – known under the pseudonym ‘Annie’ in the book – were among a syndicate to be arrested and charged in Australia over a plot to smuggle $1.2 million worth of hashish into the country from India.
But while out on bail the couple fled to India.
They lived very much a Bonnie and Clyde lifestyle,’ Mr McSorley said.
‘On the run there they had to make money somehow and Reg was caught again in Bombay in 1983.’
Police in India alleged he and Annie tried to smuggle hashish back to Australia by attaching it to the bottom of a boat.
The couple spent time in separate Bombay prisons, but when they were out on bail they fled the country.
Spiers was arrested for drug smuggling a third time in Sri Lanka in 1984, over a plot to smuggle heroin to Amsterdam. At the time he was travelling using a French passport.
He was sentenced to death, but had his conviction overturned.
In 1987 he was transported back to Adelaide by Australian authorities where he served more than three years in Yatala, Mobilong, and Cadell prisons for the offences he was charged with back in 1981.
In 1994, Annie turned herself into an Australian embassy in Germany and was extradited home.
She was sentenced to six months in jail after a judge found that she committed her crimes due to ‘an infatuation, bordering on obsession,’ for Spiers.
Annie visited him in Adelaide after she was released, but after almost nine years apart the pair did not rekindle their romance.
Spiers and his first wife stayed married for several years after he risked his life to get back to her in the air freight box in 1964, but they separated after having a second daughter.
In 2012, Spiers appeared in court charged with cultivating and trafficking a commercial quantity of cannabis and illegal possession of a revolver.
In 2013, all charges against him were dropped in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court after prosecutors tendered no evidence.
‘Reg has such charisma and an aura about him whereby he can make anything happen,’ Mr McSorley said.
‘He makes you feel totally alive when you’re around him.
‘Given all he’s done he’s got a lot of great attributes.’
For more details on Spiers’ extraordinary life, read Out Of The Box: The Highs And Lows Of A Champion Smuggler.
Spiers, now 73, lives in Adelaide with his new partner and he remains close friends with the McSorley family
TIMELINE OF REG SPIERS’ EXTRAORDINARY LIFE
1964: Spiers travels from London to Perth in a wooden air freight box via Paris, Bombay and Singapore.
1981: Spiers is arrested in Australia over a plot to smuggle $1.2 million worth of hashish into the country from India.
He and his ‘lover’ Annie flee the country to India while out on bail.
1983: Spiers is arrested in Bombay and accused of trying to smuggle hashish back to Australia by attaching it to the bottom of a boat.
The couple flee the country again while out on bail.
1984: Spiers is arrested for drug smuggling in Sri Lanka, over a plot to smuggle heroin to Amsterdam. At the time he was travelling using a French passport.
He was sentenced to death, but had his conviction overturned.
1987: Spiers is transported back to Adelaide by Australian authorities. He serves more than three years in Yatala, Mobilong, and Cadell prisons for the offences he was charged with back in 1981.
1994: Annie turns herself into an Australian embassy in Germany and is extradited home.
She serves a six-month prison sentence.
2012: Spiers appears in an Adelaide court charged with cultivating and trafficking a commercial quantity of cannabis and illegal possession of a revolver.
2013: All charges against Spiers are dropped in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court after prosecutors tender no evidence.
SOURCE:::: SARAH MICHAEL in www. dailymail.co.uk
Natarajan
One Year on, This Chennai Family Waits for MH 370 Passenger… Whole World Still Looking For Clues…
Chandrika Sharma(L)was one of the 239 people on board the ill-fated MH370 flight that disappeared while on its way to Beijing on March 8, 2014. In this photograph, she is seen with her daughter Meghna and husband Narendran.
KS Narendran, Chandrika Sharma’s husband, is a shattered man. His wife was one of the 239 people on board the ill-fated MH370 flight that disappeared while on its way to Beijing, one year ago on March 8, 2014.
Sharma had taken the flight on her way to Ulan Bator to participate in a Food and Agriculture Organisation conference to represent the NGO she worked for. Narendran, a management consultant, is a quiet man and has since chosen to keep to himself.
A colleague of Sharma at the NGO she worked at, International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), said Narendran did not want to be disturbed. “Till date he has not received any death certificate,” the colleague added
The couple’s only daughter is studying in a Delhi college and is currently preparing for her annual examinations.
On Friday, Narendran was present at a workshop organised by the NGO where Sharma’s co-workers and government officials paid tribute and spoke about her commitment to the cause and dedicated service to the people.
A stoic Narendran looked on as speaker after speaker narrated their own experiences at the NGO and shared their thoughts about Chandrika Sharma. The ICSF in its website homepage has a section titled “Waiting for Chandrika Sharma”.
If the massive undersea search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 turns up nothing by the end of May, the three countries leading the effort will go “back to the drawing board,” Malaysia’s transport minister said on Saturday.
Liow Tiong Lai told a small group of foreign reporters on the eve of the anniversary of the plane’s disappearance that he remains cautiously optimistic the Boeing 777 is in the area of the southern Indian Ocean where the search is ongoing.
Despite the exhaustive search for the plane, which disappeared last March 8 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, no trace of the jet has been found. Malaysia’s government on January 29 formally declared the incident an accident and said all 239 people on board were presumed dead.
“By the end of May, if we still can’t find the plane, then we will have to go back to the drawing board,” Liow said.
Asked if Malaysia might stop the search if there are no new leads by the end of May, when bad weather usually sets in, Liow said it was “too early to pre-empt anything now,” and that the government would continue to rely on the group of experts leading the hunt.
“We stand guided by the expert team,” he said.
“I am cautiously optimistic it should be in this area,” he said, adding that “we need directions, we need plans, we need to review all the data that we have.”
Ships looking for debris from the plane on the ocean floor off the coast of western Australia have so far scoured 44 percent of the 60,000-square-kilometer (23,166-square-mile) area the search has been focused on, Liow said. In the latest report he received Friday, he said the search team had identified 10 hard objects that still need to be analysed.
Such findings, which often include trash and cargo containers from passing ships, have been common during the search, and so far no trace of wreckage has been located.
Liow said that Australia, Malaysia and China would meet next month to discuss the next steps in the search. Most of the plane’s passengers were Chinese.
Australian transport minister Warren Truss said last week that if the plane isn’t found by May, one option is to expand the hunt beyond the current search zone to a wider surrounding area.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Thursday, “I can’t promise that the search will go on at this intensity forever,” but added that “we will continue our very best efforts to resolve this mystery and provide some answers.”
Liow said an interim report on the investigation – a requirement under international civil aviation regulations – would be presented to the Malaysian government on Saturday and released to the public on Sunday. He didn’t comment on it.
But he outlined measures his government has already undertaken, including plans to upgrade radar systems to cope with bigger traffic volume and a new tracking system on Malaysia Airlines flights that sends aircraft data every 15 minutes, instead of the previous 30 to 40 minutes.
Liow said the government has allocated 700 million ringgit ($190 million) for the improved radar.
He said that the radar upgrade had been in the works even before Flight 370 disappeared. The plane dropped off civilian radar when its transponder and other equipment were switched off shortly after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur, but was tracked for some time by Malaysia’s military radar as it headed south across the country toward the Indian Ocean.
SOURCE:::: http://www.hindustantimes.com
Natarajan
Take off with Natarajan 