Air India & Kingfisher Airlines crisis: Emirates grabs 20% share of outbound traffic

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/air-india-kingfisher-airlines-crisis-emirates-grabs-20-share-of-outbound-traffic/articleshow/13678892.cms

Should make us ashamed of ourselves as Indians

Plane completes 17-hour flight without fuel

http://in.news.yahoo.com/photos/plane-completes-17-hour-flight-without-fuel-slideshow/

The Solar Impulse HB-SIA prototype aircraft, which has 12,000 solar cells built into its 64.3 metres (193 feet) wings, attempted its first intercontinental flight from Payerne to Rabat in Morocco.After a flight lasting approximately 17 hours, the HB-SIA prototype has finally landed in Madrid-Barajas airport. The pilot, André Borschberg, made his way out of the cockpit, smiley and certainly happy to stretch his legs.This, and future international landings, are a good way for the Solar Impulse team to practice coordination and cooperation with international airports for fine-tuning of logistics, maintenance and facing challenges of air traffic patterns.

Check the link to watch the slide-show. Definitely a great day in the history of aviation.

The BASA Exchange

http://www.bangaloreaviation.com/2012/05/introducing-baasa-index-worlds-first.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BangaloreAviation+%28Bangalore+Aviation%29

An interesting piece of info. The World's first Airline Stock Index

An editorial on P&I Clubs entitled Crossing the insurance hurdle

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/article3462523.ece

This is an option India must look at. Open the link and read

SAD INCIDENT

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/indonesian-rescuers-spot-wreckage-crashed-russian-plane-032543594.html?nc

Earlier news on the same topic
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/sukhoi-superjet-100-russia-s-great-aviation-hope-208637

Sad to see such a good plane go down.

Indian airlines look to global carriers for greater cooperation ASHWINI PHADNIS

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/article3390954.ece?homepage=true

Air India's last chance for a take-off

http://www.sify.com/finance/Air-India-s-last-chance-for-a-take-off-imagegallery-others-mfbpICbehbj.html

Posted without comment

Ocean Number Five – a brief background The World's Newest Ocean - The Southern Ocean Archie D’Souza

The Southern Ocean was created by the International Hydrographic Organization in 2000.  It was marked out from the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The newly formed Southern Ocean completely surrounds Antarctica.  It extends from the coast of Antarctica north up to 60⁰S latitude.  It is now the fourth largest or the second smallest of the World's five oceans.  Only the Arctic Ocean is smaller.

Geographers and others in geographic circles have, for some time, been debating whether the Earth consists of four or five oceans.  One should remember that the Oceans of the World are, in reality, one single undivided water-body.  So, four or five – why should it make a difference?  Even today many consider the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific to be the World's four oceans.  The IHO is the only body with the authority to demarcate the oceans.  There was a debate as to what to name the fifth ocean.  Some wanted to name it the Antarctic Ocean but the IHO decided on the name Southern Ocean.  The IHO has a publication called the Limits of Oceans and Seas which is the global authority on the names and locations of seas and oceans.  In its third edition (S-23) published in 2000, it established the Southern Ocean as the World’s fifth ocean.

The IHO, whose membership in limited and open to all non-landlocked countries, currently has 68 members.  They were sent a request for recommendations on what to do about the Southern Ocean.  Twenty-eight countries responded.  All except Argentina agreed that the ocean surrounding Antarctica should be created and given a single name.  Eighteen of the twenty-eight responding countries preferred calling the ocean the Southern Ocean over the alternative name Antarctic Ocean.  That’s how the Southern Ocean was named.  (See http://www.iho.int/iho_pubs/standard/S-23/S23_1953.pdf ).  Having decided on the concept and name, the next issue was its boundary.  Should it be 50⁰ or 60⁰ south?  Of the countries responding half supported 60° South while only seven preferred 50° south as the ocean's northern limit.  The IHO, for two reasons decided on 60⁰S, one, it is the limit of the United Nations' Antarctic Treaty; and two, 60°S does not run through land while 50°S does pass through South America.  Thus, even with a mere 50% support for 60°, it was chosen to be the northern limit of the newly demarcated ocean.

The Southern Ocean, demarcated in 2010, surrounds the continent of Antarctica.  It extends to the latitude 60°S.  Though officially named the Southern Ocean, it is sometimes referred to as the Antarctic Ocean or the South Polar Ocean.  It has the unique distinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totally encircling the continent of Antarctica, occupying about 4% of the Earth's surface or about 20,327,000 square kilometres.  The length of its coastline is 17,968 km.

The Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, Ross Sea, Scotia Sea, and the Weddell Sea are among the seas adjacent or part of this ocean region.  There is a possibility that large, possibly giant oil & fields exist there.  Other known natural resources include manganese nodules, possible placer deposits, sand & gravel, fresh water as icebergs, squid, whales, seals, krill and fish.

Ports are almost non-existent.  A few harbours do exist though.  There are a miniscule number of ports on the southern side.  Their use, though, is limited to the midsummer months due to ice conditions.  Even then entry is not easy for all.  Some can only be entered using icebreakers.  Antarctica is an uninhabited continent.  The ports there are operated by government research stations.  They are not open to commercial or private vessels except in emergencies.

The Southern Ocean is now a reality.  However, two issues have come up for discussion; one, the need for a new demarcated Southern Ocean and two, where should its boundaries be.  This is what Commodore John Leech, a member of the directing committee of the IHO, had to say:

"A great deal of oceanographic research in recent years has been concerned with ocean circulations, first because of El Nino, and then because of a wider interest in global warming...[this research has] identified that one of the main drivers of ocean systems is the 'Southern Circulation,' which sets the Southern Ocean apart as a separate eco-system. As a result the term Southern Ocean has been used to define that huge body of water which lies south of the northern limit. Thinking of this body of water as various parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans makes no scientific sense. New national boundaries arise for geographical, cultural or ethnic reasons. Why not a new ocean, if there is sufficient cause?"
Cdr. Leech’s position on the need for a separately demarcated ocean is quite clear.  What we need now to look at is the rationale behind the 60⁰ boundary.

Oceanographers describe what they call the Antarctic Convergence.  This is the boundary between water masses & ocean currents to the north, viz. the Atlantic, Indian & Pacific Oceans, and the northern limit of the Southern Ocean.  The Antarctic Convergence lies approximately around 60°S, although it moves seasonally; the movement though being insignificant.  This thus serves as an ideal boundary for cartographers, geographers and others.  The latitude 60°S also coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit – the international treaty governing Antarctica.  This parallel also passes entirely through water unlike 50⁰S.  All these factors resulted in choosing 60°S.  Only one tiny hitch exists.  Australia has still not accepted it arguing that the Southern Ocean extends north of the IHO definition south of that country; in other words, extending all the way the country's southern shore.  This theory has not been recognized by any other nation.

The demarcation of this new ocean is complete.  Has the debate ended?  It's highly unlikely.  The debate over the number of oceans will never cease.  Personally, when it was first announced, I myself thought it to be silly.  I did change my mind though after reading Cdr. Leech’s statement.  But these debates will continue nonetheless.  After all, since they are all connected there is but one single connected water body that constitutes the World’s oceans.  Four, five or seven – what difference does it make?