Air India’s director of operations Arvind Kathpalia, who failed two breathalyser tests before he was scheduled to be a pilot on a London to New Delhi flight on Sunday, has been fired and the airline will carry out an investigation into his conduct, the company said. The state-owned carrier said in a statement that the breach of Indian civil aviation requirements has “serious implications on passenger safety”. Air India said it wanted to assure its passengers that “under no circumstances” would their safety be compromised. Earlier, an airline official said that Kathpalia was asked to resign by India’s civil aviation ministry. But in its later statement Air India said he had been relieved of his duties “with immediate effect”. The official said Kathpalia has also stepped down from the company’s board. Kathpalia, who said on Sunday he had not been drinking and was the victim of internal feuding, could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.<br/>
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SIA on Tuesday reported an 81% plunge in Q2 earnings, hurt by higher fuel prices, lower airfares and non-cash losses at its part-owned Virgin Australia Holdings. The airline said bookings in the coming months were expected to be stronger year-on-year. “However, headwinds continue to persist in the form of cost pressures arising from significantly elevated fuel prices compared to a year ago, as well as keen competition in key operating markets,” Singapore Airlines said. The carrier posted a net profit of S$56m (US$40.5m) for the quarter ended Sept. 30, down from S$293m a year earlier. The prior-year figure was restated due to accounting changes. Excluding the S$116m loss relating to its 20% stake in Virgin Australia, the company reported an adjusted net profit of S$172m, down 41% from a year earlier. Group revenue rose 5.4% to S$4.06b during the quarter as the airline added capacity and filled a higher proportion of seats. However, yields, a proxy for ticket prices, fell 2.2% in Q2 compared with a year earlier, failing to help offset the impact of a 24% rise in fuel prices. That yield decline was less steep than a Q1 decrease of 3.2% but bucks a broader global industry trend toward rising fares.<br/>