Airlines Deals

The inquiry commission into the 1985 bombing of Air India flight has began hearing oral submissions including one from the acquitted Ripudaman Singh Malik.

John Major, the head of the Commission looking into one of Canada’s worst disaster that claimed 329 lives, began hearings to assess submissions from Malik and 19 others from the families of victims. Malik’s lawyers had argued that he needed to be represented in the hearings to protect his reputation while the other acquitted Ajaib Singh Bagri chose not to apply for the standing. The only man convicted in the sensational case was Inderjit Singh Reyat on charges of manslaughter. Malik and Bagri were acquitted in a criminal trial last year. The families of victims will be making a series of 15-minute oral submissions over the course of next two days, testifying about the impact of the tragedy has had on them, a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation report said. Major has set out terms of the inquiry in June, almost 21 years after the Air India flight 182 exploded off the coast of Ireland. Once this hearing ends, Major will launch the second phase of the inquiry in September, which includes the questioning of witnesses and submission of documents that trace the bombings and the subsequent investigations. He is expected to complete his report by September next year.

Comments(0)

One of the men acquitted of the Air India bombing says he needs to be represented at a public inquiry into the tragedy to protect his reputation.

Lawyers for Ripudaman Singh Malik have filed for legal standing at the commission headed by former Supreme Court judge John Major.

Their written brief says testimony may impact on Malik’s reputation - and it may be necessary to hear some evidence behind closed doors as a result.

Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri were acquitted of criminal charges last year in a ruling that sparked outrage among families of the victims.

Major has yet to rule on Malik’s application for standing before his inquiry.

The commission is revisiting the 1985 downing of Air India Flight 182 by a terrorist bomb that took 329 lives in the worst terrorist act ever mounted from Canadian soil.

Comments(0)

The head of the Air India inquiry has begun hearing oral submissions from individuals and groups seeking official standing before the commission looking into Canada’s worst mass murder.

John Major, commissioner of the Air India inquiry, presides over public hearings in Ottawa on Tuesday. (Jonathan Hayward/ Canadian Press) On Tuesday, retired Supreme Court of Canada justice John Major agreed that the federal government, Air India, and representatives of the victims’ families in Canada and India had standing, which means that they are clearly affected by the inquiry, and can participate.

But Major didn’t rule on a controversial application, made by acquitted Air India defendant Ripudaman Singh Malik. He was acquitted of criminal charges last year that arose from the explosionof a bomb on Air India Flight 182 near Ireland in 1985.

The explosion killed all 329 crew and passengers, most of them Canadian citizens of Indian origin or descent.

Malik fears reputation at risk

Malik’s lawyers argued in a written submission that he needs to be represented at the inquiry to protect his reputation, adding that it may be necessary to hear some evidence behind closed doors as a result.

Ajaib Singh Bagri, the second man acquitted last year after a judge ruled that the Crown’s case against him and Malik was too weak for a conviction, has not applied for standing.

Among the victims, there are some individuals seeking standing who have left the Air India Victims Families Association.

Major said he didn’t want conflicts among the families, which could lead to some people not attending the inquiry, to undermine the proceedings. “I think it’s obvious that this commission has come about through the sustained efforts of the families … and the success of the commission is going to depend in large part on the families,” he said.

Standing submissions are set to continue on Wednesday, with public hearings scheduled to run from Sept. 25 to Oct. 13. Major is expected to complete his report by September 2007.

Terms of reference announced in June

Major set out the terms of the inquiry in June, almost 21 years after Flight 182 exploded. At the time, he outlined a wide-ranging mandate, including plans to examine whether the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and other law enforcement agencies have resolved issues that hampered co-operation on the case.

He said he would also look into whether:

Canadian law puts sufficient restraints on the financing of groups that are listed as terrorist organizations.
There’s sufficient protection of witnesses in “terrorist” cases.
More changes are needed to address aviation safety — especially the screening of passengers and their baggage.
After submissions have been completed, Major will launch the second phase of the commission in September. It will include questioning witnesses and gathering documents related to the bombings and the subsequent investigation.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper called for the inquiry in May.

“This inquiry is not a matter of reprisal, nor is it intended to go back over the criminal trial,” he said at the time. “It is about finding answers to several key questions about the worst mass murder in Canadian history.”

Comments(0)

Air India today began evacuating Indian nationals residing in Lebanon.

A spokesman of Air India said that two Boeing 747-400s, with a seating capacity of 423 seats each, took off from Mumbai in the early hours of today for Larnaca in Cyprus, where the Indian nationals from Lebanon are being brought by ship.

The two flights with about 600 passengers are expected to return to India late tonight. While the first of the two Boeing 747-400s with 350 evacuees on board will land at Chennai at around 11.30 p.m., the other flight with 254 evacuees on board is expected to arrive in Mumbai past mid night. Even though the aircraft have been in Larnaca since this morning, the boarding could commence only after people could reach Larnaca by ship from Beirut, the spokesman added.

According to the spokesman, Air India will operate more special flights in the coming days, as per demand projected by the Government of India.

Comments(0)

Preliminary work for the historic Air India hearings in late September starts today.
Retired Supreme Court of Canada Justice John Major is assessing 20 applications for standing, including one from acquitted Air India defendant Ripudaman Singh Malik, who’s made a written submission.

The other 19 applicants will be making a 15-minute oral submission either today or tomorrow.

Ajaib Singh Bagri, the second man cleared in the case last year, has not applied for standing.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper aproved the judicial inquiry earlier this year after a report commissioned by the former Liberal government raised concerns about the handling of the on-going police investigation.

The only man convicted in the 1985 mass murder of 331 people is Inderjit Singh Reyat.
He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and recently appealed a Parole Board ruling denying his statutory release from prison.

He’s also awaiting trial on a perjury charge linked to his testimony at Bagri and Malik’s trial.

Comments(0)

The Air-India inquiry could be the pivotal event that shapes the future of Canada’s response to terrorism, says a woman who lost her husband and two daughters in the crash.

Lata Pada said families of the 329 people killed when Air-India Flight 182 exploded and crashed off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985, could now see “the bigger picture” that the bombing was an act of terrorism on a global scale.

Ms. Pada was granted standing yesterday to appear at the forthcoming commission of inquiry into the investigation surrounding the bombing.

“In today’s climate of rising terrorism, I think the Air-India inquiry can be a watershed moment in alerting us to our preparedness against global terrorism,” she told reporters.

“I believe that our perspective and our input is very important in crafting the terms of reference for the commission. We’re the ones that have been most intimately affected by the tragedy.”

Ms. Pada had travelled to Ottawa from her home in Mississauga, Ont., to make her case before the commission chairman, retired Supreme Court of Canada judge John Major.

“Certainly, 21 years later we have a very good understanding of the bigger picture and the absolute need and importance of such an inquiry. In today’s climate of rising terrorism, I think the Air-India inquiry can be a watershed moment in alerting us to our preparedness against global terrorism.”

Mr. Major will soon publish a complete list of who will be granted full standing and who will have intervenor status at the hearings to start Sept. 25.

Persons granted full standing will get funding and can participate in all aspects of the inquiry. Intervenors can participate in issues directly affecting them.

Mr. Major has a broad mandate of investigation, including whether there was a systemwide government breakdown about potential Sikh extremist threats.

Comments(0)

Sanjay Lazar travelled from India to make one brief plea yesterday: His whole family died in the Air-India crash and he wants the chance to speak for them one last time.

His is the face of a 21-year-old tragedy that still haunts Canadian families affected by the crash as well as Indian families, who accused investigators yesterday of ignoring them.

Retired Supreme Court judge John Major opened applications yesterday for individuals and groups wanting to take part in the Ottawa-based inquiry into the investigation of Flight 182, which exploded off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985, killing 329 people.

One application came from Ripudaman Singh Malik, the Vancouver businessman acquitted last year of carrying out the bombing. Mr. Malik made a written submission asking to cross-examine witnesses and have sensitive testimony closed to the public, saying it was the only way to protect his reputation.

Mr. Major is already required, under the inquiry’s terms of reference, to hear some evidence in private if it endangers national security as defined by the federal government. He can consider other requests to hold closed hearings, commission counsel Mark Freiman said yesterday, but it would be “wildly premature” to say whether that will be the case for issues touching on Mr. Malik.

The applications for standing will determine who can take part in the inquiry, scheduled to begin in September. The Privy Office will decide which applicants will be publicly funded.

A public outcry after the acquittal of Mr. Malik and his co-accused, Ajaib Singh Bagri, helped drive formation of the inquiry.

Mr. Major said the inquiry needs the participation of victims’ relatives and readily granted standing to groups representing families both in Canada and in India, as well as to the federal government and Air-India.

“The success of the commission is going to depend in large part on the families,” Mr. Major emphasized. “If there is criticism afterward, it will fall on deaf ears. This is the time to be heard.”

Lawyer Richard Quance, who represents families of 34 crew and passengers killed in the tragedy, said Indian nationals felt ignored by the Canadian system. “Families are concerned there was no effort to reach out to them. This is likely the last opportunity to feel they are in the front seat,” he said.

Mr. Major has a broad mandate of investigation, including whether there was a system-wide government breakdown about potential Sikh extremist threats, and whether there were problems in co-operation among government departments and agencies, including the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

One federal government representative will speak for both CSIS and the RCMP, which prompted Mr. Major to query a possible conflict of interest. Barney Brucker, counsel for the Attorney-General, said the government would “attempt to speak with one voice.” His application said some sensitive information may require closed hearings.

Mr. Lazar, who is a flight attendant with Air-India and also a labour lawyer, travelled for 26 hours to attend the hearing. He lost his parents, Sampeth and Sylvia, and younger sister Sandeeta, in the bombing. He is optimistic the proceedings will uncover new information about the tragedy that left him an orphan at 17.

He said he will make the journey as often as needed to speak for both his lost family and other families in India who cannot attend. “They still deserve to be heard,” he said. “You can only learn from your history.”

Also applying for standing at the inquiry are terrorism and aviation experts, as well as religious and civil-liberty groups. The applications for standing continue today.

Inderjit Singh Reyat is the only person convicted in the attacks. In 2003, he was sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter and helping build the bomb. He currently faces perjury charges.

Air-India Flight 182 originated in Toronto and stopped in Montreal before crashing off the coast of Ireland, killing the 307 passengers and 22 crew on board. The crash has been blamed on a terrorist bomb allegedly planted by Sikh terrorists. Two baggage handlers in Narita, Japan, were killed about an hour earlier by a bomb believed to be linked to the Flight 182 disaster.

Comments(0)

Air India, India’s flagship carrier was voted as the most “preferred International Airline” in the travel and hospitality category at Awaaz Consumer Awards 2006 held on 18th July, 06, Taj Palace New Delhi.

Conceptualized by CNBC Awaaz, The Consumer Awards stresses on the importance of knowing which brands are preferred by consumers, the position enjoyed by various brands in the minds of consumers and how they go about making their choices.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr.V Thulasidas, Chairman & Managing Director Air India said “This award is a recognition of our efforts to make Air India a world-class carrier. I would like to thank all my employees for participating in our effort to achieve the goal. Our endeavour has always been to provide the best in class service for our customers and we will do our best to emulate ourselves continuously”.

The Awards are short listed on the basis of large-scale quantitative research exercise which is carried out in 21 centres across 14 states. The respondents are males and females in the age group of 20-60 years, belonging to SEC A, B and C households. Data is collected through a structured questionnaire administered face-to-face to the respondent. Consumers who are users or had experienced the category recently were interviewed for various categories to arrive at the list of “Preferred Brands” and then were asked to rate those brands on various parameters. The research ensured each of the categories under the study had a fair representation in conjunction to the penetration of the category in the market.

Comments(0)

Retired Supreme Court of Canada justice John Major encouraged relatives of the Air India victims to put forth a united front before his commission of inquiry into the 1985 terrorist bombings and subsequent 21-year investigation.

Registered 6-day subscribers to the The Vancouver Sun newspaper or electronic edition enjoy full access to The Vancouver Sun Online.

Plus as an added value, you will also have full access to the subscriber exclusive content at all of our newspaper websites. For a complete listing see “Newspapers” below.

Comments(0)

A British company on Wednesday launched a specially-designed stainless steel “anti-terror” cutlery range for use on board aircraft.

Arthur Price cutlery manufacturers and retailers claimed to be the first firm to design such a set, targeted for use by Business Class customers who expect better than plastic cutlery.

The knives, forks and spoons have been created to exact specifications based on new British Department for Transport guidelines amid heightened security fears.

The knives have a rounded rather than a sharp end and measure no longer than 2.36 inches, while the forks have prongs no longer than three centimetres.

Air-India and Jet Airways have placed orders and Emirates and the British Airports Authority are considering the products, said Simon Price from the family company.

“Since the new guidelines from the Department of Transport have come in, all airlines have been forced to use plastic cutlery, which doesn’t fit very well with a premium offering such as first or business class,” he said.

“If you’ve paid that much for a flight, you don’t expect to be eating with plastic knives and forks.

“By designing the first-ever set of stainless steel cutlery to meet the new specifications, we’re providing airlines with a solution to this problem.

“Airlines can now offer their customers the premium standard of dining with real cutlery they would expect, whilst ensuring safety remains paramount.”

Comments(0)