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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Exit that shocked the nation

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, four others killed in plane crash; Probe begins into the reasons for the crash Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board an aircraft were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport in Pune district on Wednesday. Pawar had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in Pune district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. The others killed in the tragedy were Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had a...

Exit that shocked the nation

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, four others killed in plane crash; Probe begins into the reasons for the crash Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board an aircraft were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport in Pune district on Wednesday. Pawar had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in Pune district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. The others killed in the tragedy were Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had a flying experience of 15,000 hours, co-pilot Capt. Shambhavi Pathak with 1,500 hours of flying, Personal Security Officer (PSO) Vidip Jadhav and flight attendant Pinky Mali. The government released a statement detailing the sequence of events that led to the crash and Pawar's death. The aircraft, a Learjet, was cleared for landing in Baramati on Wednesday morning after a go-around due to poor visibility, but having finally received a clearance it did not give any read-back' to the ATC, and moments later burst into flames on the edge of the runway. In aviation parlance, a go-around is a standard procedure where a pilot discontinues a landing attempt and initiates a climb to fly another approach. It is used when a landing cannot be completed safely due to factors like poor weather, an unstable approach, or traffic on the runway. It is a proactive safety measure rather than an emergency. In aviation, a readback is a crucial safety procedure where a pilot repeats back the essential parts of a message or instruction received from Air Traffic Control (ATC). It acts as a "closed-loop" communication system, ensuring that the controller's instructions were heard and understood correctly by the flight crew. The aircraft was trying to land amid poor visibility, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu told reporters in Pune. The statement by his ministry recounted the final minutes of the ill-fated Learjet 45 belonging to VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd that crashed, leading to the death of all five persons on board, including Pawar. Fatal Flight The ill-fated aircraft was a Bombardier Learjet 45, a twin-engine business jet commonly used for corporate and charter travel. Designed to carry between six and nine passengers, the Learjet 45 has a range of approximately 2,000 nautical miles and is powered by twin turbofan engines. The aircraft involved in the crash belonged to a charter operator and was being used for a non-scheduled private flight.According to preliminary information from aviation authorities and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sources, the aircraft encountered severe weather conditions while approaching Baramati. Dense fog enveloped the Pune–Baramati region at the time, drastically reducing visibility and complicating the landing procedure. Probe Begins A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has reached the Baramati crash site to launch a forensic probe into the VSR Venture's Learjet 45 aircraft accident. "The investigation team has reached the (crash) site. They are on the work," the AAIB official told PTI. The official, however, declined to share further details. Earlier in the day, AAIB, which has the mandate to investigate all accidents and serious incidents/incidents involving aircraft with a gross weight of 2,250 kg or turbojet aircraft, was handed the probe into the crash. The aircraft, bearing registration VT-SSK, was being operated by the Delhi-based non-scheduled operator VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd. The crew was advised to descend in visual meteorological conditions at the pilot's discretion, the Civil Aviation Ministry said in its statement. At that time, the winds were calm, and visibility was around 3,000 metres, it said. Baramati airfield does not have an instrumental landing system - a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to an aircraft, allowing it to approach a runway at night, during bad weather and poor visibility. Ajit Pawar's last rites will be held with full state honours on Thursday in Baramati. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to attend the funeral, which will be held at Vidya Pratishthan ground at 11 am. The Maharashtra government on Wednesday declared three days of state mourning across state till January 30 as a mark of respect to Ajit Pawar. The national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings where it is flown regularly. There will be no official entertainment during the mourning period. “Ajit's death was a big shock for Maharashtra, which has lost a hardworking and efficient leader. This loss is irreparable. Not all things are in our hands. A stand was floated from Kolkata that there is some politics involved in this incident. But there is nothing like this. There is no politics in it. It was an accident. I request not to bring politics into it.” Sharad Pawar, President, NCP (SP)

Tourists cancelling bookings for Kashmir post-terror attack

  • PTI
  • Apr 23, 2025
  • 3 min read
BJP leader Ashish Shelar pays his respects to the mortal remains of Sanjay Lele and Dilip Desale at Mumbai airport.
BJP leader Ashish Shelar pays his respects to the mortal remains of Sanjay Lele and Dilip Desale at Mumbai airport.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In the aftermath of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, natives of Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city who were planning to visit the Union Territory in summer vacation are now cancelling their trips, tour operators said on Wednesday.


The terror attack in Pahalgam town has led to cancellations of multiple group bookings for Kashmir in remaining days of April and next month from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in central Maharashtra, they said.


Some travellers are postponing their trips to Kashmir, one of the most sought after holiday destinations in summer months, said the tour operators.


Terrorists struck a prime tourist location in Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least 26 people, mostly travellers from other states.


Tour operator Sarang Takalkar told PTI, "I had two groups of a total 18 people who were supposed to go to Pahalgam, Sonmarg, Gulmarg and Srinagar for almost a week. They were going to leave for their tour from next week and mid-May. But they have cancelled their bookings."


Another operator Jaswant Singh said, "We have advised people to cancel their trips. People are also cancelling their trips on their own. A group of nearly 30 people was supposed to go to the Kashmir Valley in the beginning of May. But the trip is cancelled now."


Jayant Gore, a tour operator from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, has come out with an extension policy for his customers who were scheduled to visit the Union Territory, but are now evaluating their plans in the wake of the terror attack.


"We have devised an extension policy. People who were supposed to go to Kashmir towards April-end or May have been given this facility. They can postpone their dates or they can go to any other area of the country for the amount they have paid (for Kashmir trip).


"People are calling us and cancelling their trips (to J&K). We have called a group of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar residents back from Mumbai who were supposed to fly to Srinagar today (Wednesday)," Gore informed.


Same story in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: As tourists from Gujarat rushed to cancel their planned Kashmir trips in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, operators in the state on Wednesday said they were ensuring that the tourists get full refunds.


Airlines are being requested to offer free cancellation of tickets for Srinagar till June 30 instead of April 30 as already offered by them, said the Tour Operators and Travel Agents Association of Gujarat.


Kashmir has emerged as among the most favourite domestic destinations for tourists from Gujarat, with around five lakh tourists visiting it in 2024. It had looked like the number will be surpassed in 2025 but Tuesday's attack changed the situation, said Ajay Modi of Ahmedabad-based Ajay Modi Travels.


There were three Gujarat-origin persons in the 26 persons killed in the attack in Pahalgam.


Rush at agents

People are rushing to cancel their planned trips to Kashmir and tour operators are talking to airlines to get them a full refund for cancellations till June 30, said Modi.


"We are letting all those who want to cancel Kashmir tour packages to do so without collecting cancellation charges. We are also allowing them to opt for other destinations, if they wish so, without any hassle," he added.


"We are making efforts to ensure that tourists do not suffer any financial loss due to the cancellation of airline tickets. Airlines have already offered a waiver till April 30, but we have demanded they extend the concession till June 30," Modi added.


People have booked tour packages for Kashmir till June 15, he said. "Customers are not likely to visit Jammu and Kashmir any time soon, as they are assessing the situation unfolding there," he added.


The Association said in a statement that there was an atmosphere of fear, and it was natural that people would not press ahead with a trip to Kashmir under the current circumstances.


The association requests airlines to waive cancellation charges for tickets booked till June 30, it added.


Credit note

Tour operators have been requested to make arrangements so that the tourists who have paid in advance for hotels and vehicles get a credit note of that amount (to be used in future), it said.

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