Bombay flying club to be a heritage site

Mumbai: There will soon be a new addition to the list of the heritage sites in the city: the 86-year-old Bombay Flying Club in Juhu, which is the oldest flying school in the country.

A few months ago, the club wrote to the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC), asking to be included in the heritage sites list. Following an inspection, the committee said that the club ticked most of the boxes.

"We conducted a site inspection and found that there are several hangers, besides other ancillary structures, that are of historical importance. We also called for the sketches of the club premises and will write to the government to include the club on the heritage list," a committee member said.

The committee members suggested that the club premises can be turned into an aviation museum. "Considering the historical aspects of the club, we suggested that it be converted into a national aviation museum. There should be no commercial activities here, and the club is a part of the city's flying culture. Icons such as JRD Tata are associated with the club," the committee member said.
30/06/15 Chaitanya Marpakwar & Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror

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Without rules, drones fly free in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: They hover over weddings getting panoramic shots of the guests, are used to scan disaster-struck areas and keep track of poachers and animals in wildlife sanctuaries — but drones are still flying free. The government is yet to put a set of rules in place to regulate use of these unmanned aircraft over Indian skies.

Bengaluru police have used drones effectively for crowd control. Though operators usually get police permission before using drones, there is no rule mandating prior permission to fly.

Mrinal Pai, co-founder and chief pilot at Skylark Drones, an aerial data solution startup here, said there is demand for use of drones for aerial photography, crowd monitoring, surface mapping and environment sensing. "Lack of clarity about the regulations is a problem. To convey the purpose of operation to a non-technical entity like the police department is tough," he said, adding that questions on guidelines from customers and investors are also difficult to answer.
30/06/15 Arun Dev/Times of India

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Huge untapped potential in Indian aviation: PWC

The country's biggest airline by market share 'IndiGo' has filed for an Initial Public Offer (IPO) and is looking to raise Rs 2,000 -2,500 crore through the same. In an interview to CNBC-TV18, PWC's Rajiv Mathew says there is a lot of scope in the Indian market for more airlines to enter. However, Mathew believes the government should ease many regulations in order to allow better functioning of the airline companies. Below is the verbatim transcript of Dhiraj Mathur’s interveiw with Anuj Singhal and Reema Tendulkar on CNBC-TV18. Anuj: We have seen quite a bit of interest coming back in the aviation space, a large part of this was what happened to crude prices but do you think this kind of interest is sustainable? A: Certainly it is sustainable. Looking at the long run this is a very promising sector in India. It is a highly underserved market, I would say it is less than 3 percent of our population flies. We have something like one plane per 2 million population whereas the US has something like one plane per 50,000. If you try and travel across country, if you try and travel between Delhi and Mumbai or some of the other cities, it is very difficult, it is almost impossible to get a train ticket unless you book months in advance. So, there is certainly a huge market, huge untapped market, there is a huge unmet demand. It is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity, it is necessary for business, it is necessary for tourism, for leisure. So, the market is certainly there. There are some fundamentals that have been impeding the growth and profitability of airlines. These are well known – ATF prices and the taxes. Some of those issues have been addressed partially. Global crude prices have fallen so that has been good news for the industry and the basic point is that Indigo about whom we are talking today, they have made profit from year one. They have had three or four digits profit on every year of their operations. So, clearly there is money to be made and therefore the interest that we are seeing is certainly in my view sustainable.
30/06/15 CNBC-TV18/moneycontrol.com

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Customs snoops to join you in flight

Ahmedabad: Come July, a customs official will travel as an escort in flights which operate on international routes to and from Ahmedabad via Delhi and Mumbai to keep a watch on gold smugglers. Also random imaging of domestic flights landing at city airport will be done to check if gold is hidden in any part of aircraft. These are the few measures besides increasing deployment of officers by Customs department to curb gold smuggling through the city airport.

In the first six months of 2015, 26 incidents of gold smuggling have taken place with around 32.72 kg of gold, worth Rs 8.83 crore being seized at the airport by customs and DRI and 28 smugglers/carriers having been detained.

The customs department had in August lat year set up the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) to keep a close watch on carriers and smugglers and incidents smuggling have been brought to light more often.
30/06/15 Piyush Mishra/Times of India

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DGCA may make psychometric tests for pilots mandatory

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) might make it mandatory for airlines to undertake psychometric tests of pilots at the time of recruitment and thereafter at regular intervals to prevent instances like the Germanwings accident from happening in the country. A senior DGCA official said, “We have firmed up recommendations directing airlines to carry out psychometric tests on all pilots during recruitment and then at frequent intervals to gauge any anomalies in behaviour. The formal report will be submitted soon and orders will be issued accordingly.” On March 24, 2015, Germanwings’ pilot Andreas Lubitz allegedly locked his colleague out of the cockpit and deliberately slammed the aircraft into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on-board flight 4U9525. Lubitz, it is reported, was suffering from depression.
29/06/15 Sharmistha Mukherjee/Indian Express

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Ministry, DGCA's divergent stands baffle airlines

The civil aviation ministry's objection to check-in baggage charges has left airlines confused as authorities had readily permitted the introduction of such a fee only three months ago.

Aviation regulator DGCA had allowed airlines to "unbundle" their services, including baggage handling, and seek separate charges from fliers. But the aviation ministry has now asked the DGCA not to allow carriers to charge a fee for checking in baggage.

"An air transport certification dated March 24, 2015, states that the government has decided to permit charging of check-in baggage," said SpiceJet COO Sanjiv Kapoor, who was the first to draw attention to the inconsistent policy.

SpiceJet's general manager (corporate affairs), Ajay Jasra, said that the airline had been promoting the concept of flying light since March.

"We have already done it by periodically coming out with special schemes for those with no check-in baggage. And we did not approach the DGCA afresh for permission. It has already been allowed since March," he said.
29/06/15 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror

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Not just for the elite

The government and the public’s misconception of business aviation being a preserve of the rich and an ideogram of luxury is ill- founded. This misconception has also been responsible for the current woes of the business aviation industry as its rightful and just demands are often ignored.

It is indeed ironic that an industry where a  Rs100 spend can result in Rs325 worth of total benefits for the country, or where 100 direct jobs in aviation can result in 610 jobs overall, according to the draft civil aviation policy 2014-15, is today facing negative growth.

The business aviation sector is faced with regulatory and taxation hurdles to such an extent that operators are either opting to close down or get their aircraft registered outside India. This is a loss to the economy as a whole. Economically viable skilled labour and its favourable geographical location put India in an advantageous position to become an aviation maintenance hub for itself and neighbouring countries.
29/06/15 Sanjay Julka/Business Line

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Vacation brings in 37% more flyers than last year

Ahmedabad: Tempting offers by airlines on fares, better connectivity, positive economic sentiment and, above all, start of summer holidays, ensured record passenger movement in April to and from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

For the first time in past 10 years, 5 lakh passengers flew in and out of city airport in April. According to the latest Airports Authority of India (AAI) data, 4.96 lakh passengers, including 1.16 lakh international and 3.8 lakh domestic passengers, passed through the airport in April 2015, a 36.9% increase over passenger movement in April 2014.

Until 2014, less than 3 lakh flyers passed through the city airport each April but, this year, due to various reasons, the number of passengers had risen steeply.
29/06/15 Piyush Mishra/Times of India

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Airlines suggest discounts for zero baggage travellers

New Delhi: Turning down a proposal from low-cost airlines to charge for check-in luggage, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma told PTI on Saturday, “I want the airline to continue with the present system [of allowing upto 15 Kg free check-in baggage] and at the same time provide incentives to those flyers who travel light.”

The DGCA is looking into a proposal from three Indian carriers wherein travellers will have to pay for every kilogram of checked-in luggage. The proposal, at the same time, envisages providing incentives for passengers who travel light.

A senior DGCA official said on Friday that SpiceJet, Indigo and AirAsia have approached the regulator with the idea of ‘zero baggage fare’, whereby passengers having no check-in luggage would be given a discount.
28/06/15 PTI/The Hindu

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DGCA panel to consult pilots on norms for assessing their mental health

New Delhi: A DGCA-appointed panel, set up to formulate norms for assessing the mental health of pilots, has decided to consult pilots across airlines and other stake holders before giving a final shape to the new regulations.

The committee has already elicited the views of airlines doctors and chiefs of operations among others and would now invite pilots, an official of the aviation regulator said.
The committee has already elicited the views of airlines doctors and chiefs of operations among others and would now invite pilots, an official of the aviation regulator said.

Director General of Civil Aviation M Sathiyavathi had in April said an internal committee of officials from the DGCA was looking into framing new norms for assessing pilots' mental health, a move triggered by the Germanwings plane tragedy in March in which a mentally disturbed co-pilot had deliberately crashed the plane into the Alps, killing all 150 people onboard.
28/06/15 PTI/Economic Times

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Now, higher fare gets your better air

Forget the galling difference in seat comfort, legroom and cabin service between first class and economy, the class divide will now even extend to the very air both segments breathe in the same aircraft.

Germany's mega airline group Lufthansa has installed humidifiers in the first class of its Airbus A-380s -- including the ones that fly to Delhi. Thanks to this premium flyers will no longer wilt in the typically dry cabin air that leaves eyes red, throats parched and skin dehydrated.

Lufthansa chairman and CEO Carsten Spohr updated TOI earlier this week in Warsaw about this development, saying, "It (the humidifier) gives a totally different experience. Passengers arrive in a much better shape after a long-haul flight."
28/06/15 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Hunt on to pick top brain to head India’s Tejas programme

Bengaluru: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has begun the hunt for identifying a new man to head Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). This follows the impending retirement of PS Subramanyam, one of the longest serving bosses of ADA, on June 30. A Distinguished Scientist, Subramanyam is currently the Programme Director (Combat Aircraft) & Director ADA. He was made the head of ADA in 2005.
Sources tell OneIndia that the DRDO has already set up a Search Committee headed by eminent scientist Dr Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre.
Seventy-six year old Dr Aatre, an active member in various aerospace forums now, is the former DRDO Chief and Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister.
28/06/15 One India

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No fee on check-in luggage, govt. tells budget airlines

A move by budget carriers to charge for check-in baggage was rejected on Saturday by the government. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said the airlines concerned had approached the Director-General of Civil Aviation for approval of their proposal but the government has not accepted the request.

“We have got the proposal from low-cost flights to charge for check-in baggage. We have rejected it and there will be no consideration at the Aviation Ministry level. We will not want to put this burden on passengers,” Mr. Sharma said.

The proposal, if accepted, will be a “dampener” in air traffic growth in India, he said.
27/06/15 PTI/The Hindu

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Indian attack helicopter crosses crucial hurdle

Over the last week the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), designed and built in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), moved a crucial step closer to operational service by successfully completing a set of gruelling trials in the desert areas around Jodhpur.

These were the LCH's "hot weather flight trials", designed to check whether it could meet its performance requirements even in blazing temperatures, with oxygen in short supply. HAL pilots proved their helicopter's ability to meet its performance specifications, handling qualities and loads, even at low speeds when a helicopter engine is gasping for air.

In February, the LCH had successfully completed "cold weather flight trials" in North Pullu in Ladakh. There the LCH was required to start up on internal batteries and get airborne after an overnight "soak" in the 20 degrees Celsius cold. Operating from a helipad at 4,600 metres (15,000 feet) above sea level, the LCH test-flew at altitudes of 6,500 metres (21,300 feet)).
27/06/15 Ajai Shukla/Business Standard

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State to go ahead with seaplane service

Thiruvananthapuram: The government is gearing up to launch seaplane operations in the State. The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to go ahead with the project which had gone into hibernation since the inaugural flight in June 2013.

Briefing the media after a Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the government had initiated discussions with several companies to operate the service. He said efforts were on to clear the apprehensions of the fishermen opposing the project and come to a consensus on launching the ambitious project. He added that the proposed service would skirt water bodies where fishermen had raised objections citing disruption of inland fishing activities.

An initiative of the Tourism Department in association with private aviation companies, the seaplane service was designed to link major tourist locations in the State and provides the last-mile linkage to backwater destinations from airports in Kerala. The proposal involved the construction of waterdromes with floating jetties in the backwaters.
26/06/15 The Hindu

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Did airline turn blind eye to visually impaired man’s plea?

Associate professor of ILS Law College, Dr Sanjay Jain, who happens to be visually impaired, is to fly to the US on June 30 to participate in an international conference. But, just days before his flight, he is still running from pillar to post trying to persuade airline officials to assist him with his journey. Being completely blind, he says, he requires assistance from airline and airport staff while checking in, boarding and checking out. But, officials of Kuwait Airways are yet to give him any assurance in this regard, Jain laments.

"I booked my return ticket with Kuwait Airways nearly two-three months ago. I have to board my flight from Mumbai on June 30. Since I am blind, I will require help at the time of boarding and disembarking. I sent an email to the airline's official website, requesting for assistance at the airport. However, other than an automatically generated response, I didn't hear from them," Jain said.
26/06/16 Pune Mirror 

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India to be partner for Innoprom-2016

India has accepted an invitation to be a partner at the Innoprom Industrial Exhibition, to be held in Yekaterinburg July 2016. Denis Manturov, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade had extended the invitation at a meeting with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) last December. India agreed to participate in the exhibition during a meeting at the SPIEF, a release from the Indian Ministry for Commerce and Industry said.
China, with the largest ever delegation, is the partner country for this year’s Innoprom, Russia’s largest international industrial exhibition, to be held in Yekaterinburg from July 8 to 11.
Leaders of both countries are likely to visit the exhibition. In May 2014 in Shanghai, Chinese and Russian leaders agreed that China would participate in the Innoprom-2015 as an official partner. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are expected to jointly inaugurate the exhibition.
25/06/15  Darya Kezina/Russia & India Report

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Three quarters of flight delays are caused by technical problems

Flight cancellation and delays are not only about bad weather or tantrums thrown by VIPs.
Unfit aircraft accounted for more than 75 per cent flight cancellations last month, a fact which also raises serious safety issues.
Now the civil aviation ministry has decided to put several domestic airlines on notice for the lapse.
This year has already seen many domestic flights routinely getting cancelled on technical grounds.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), earlier flight cancellations on such grounds were never a worrisome trend.
But now the aviation ministry has decided to crack down and is planning to send notices to the ten domestic airlines which have experienced the largest number of cancellations as a result of unfit aircraft.
According to Aviation ministry officials, poor maintenance is one major reason for such delays.
Notices soon
“In May this year, we noticed that airlines were constantly cancelling flights due to various technical reasons, including faults, non-functional parts, and even aircraft breakdown. We will soon send notices to various airlines seeking a reply regarding such cancellations as it is sheer harassment for the passengers during peak tourist season to face such delays and cancellations,” a senior DGCA official told Mail Today.
24/06/15 Mail Online India

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Aviation minister explores ways to cut tax burden on industry

Mumbai: The ministry of civil aviation is looking for possible ways to reduce the tax burden on the aviation industry. Under the scanner are taxes levied by the central and state governments. It was one of the issues discussed in a meeting held between civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Monday.

On the Navi Mumbai airport project, he stressed on the need for fast connectivity between the existing Mumbai airport and the new one.
24/06/15 Times of India

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Giving wings to AP aviation sector

The aviation sector in India had been an over regulated and under managed sector has transformed into a more open, liberal and investment-friendly sector since 2004. Entry of low-cost carriers, higher household incomes, strong economic growth, increasing FDI inflows, surging tourist inflow, rise in cargo movement, sustained business growth and supporting government policies  are the major drivers for the growth of aviation sector in India.

Recognizing the exponential growth of air traffic in India,  the AP State government has unveiled its Civil Aviation Policy-2015 which seeks to set up a Rs 100 crore corpus for development with an objective of creating a world-class aviation infrastructure in the State that would help provide reliable and seamless air connectivity to regional, national and international destinations by 2020, with a slew of incentives to private sector, to make AP a preferred destination for investment in aviation and allied businesses by creating airports as hubs of economic activity.

With the onset of domestic and international airlines with an average operating ratio of 35 flights a day connecting Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Port Blair, Tirupati, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Vijayawada and international destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and dubai,  passenger footfalls in Andhra Pradesh gradually picked up for the fiscal year 2014-15 nearly to 1.68 million, and the expected growth for 2015-16 is likely to be 1.75 million, a 5% year-on-year growth.
24/06/15 The Hans India

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Waitlisted Ticket? Get a Chance from Rly to Fly

Coimbatore: Next time you book a railway ticket, don’t worry too much about being in the waiting list: you are likely to fly to the destination at the cheapest rate the same day, thanks to an initiative of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC).

IRCTC has tied up with GoAir and SpiceJet to allow waitlisted passengers to fly on the same route at a competitive rate. The facility will be available to AC class passengers if the routes are also served by the airlines.

“Air tickets will be made available to waitlisted train passengers at a cheaper rate than the normal fare. For instance, the average Coimbatore-Chennai airfare is Rs 4,000, but through the ICRTC facility, it will be less than Rs 2,000,“ said an ICRTC official who did not want to be named. “The fares, which are not fixed, will be mailed to the passengers as given by the airlines. Once they get the mail, the train ticket can be cancelled and a seat booked on the flight through air.irctc.co.in. The facility will be limited to the day for which the train ticket was booked and the next day,” he added.
24/06/15 Sankar C G/New Indian Express

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Regional connections to soar on the wings of new airways

Regional connectivity is set to get a push with two more regional carriers Turbo Megha Airways and Premier Airways planning to take wings.

While Turbo is expected to launch its inaugural flights next month, Premier is gearing up to begin operations by the end of this financial year.

“We are planning to start operations before July 15. We are waiting for flying clearance from DGCA (directorate general of civil aviation),” said managing director of Turbo Megha V Umesh.

The airline will start operations with three ATR regional aircraft and connect cities like Vijaywada, Tirupati, Bangalore, Aurangabad, Hubli and Hyderabad in the southern region of the country.

Airline industry sources said Premier Airways had also formed its core management and operations team to start operations by the end of 2015-16. In last April, Decor Aviation has also begun regional air services under the brand name Air Pegasus.
24/06/15 Nirbhay Kumar/mydigitalfc.com

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Isro's Gagan to help planes navigate skyscrapers

Today the prior approval of Air ports Authority of India (AAI) is required for construction of any building more than seven storeys high within 20km of the airport. This restriction will soon be relaxed. Ahmedabad will be one of the first airports in the country to get the Ground-Based Augmentation system (GBAS).

This system helps aircraft take a 'curved approach' before landing and even take-off. The 'curved approach' helps aircraft avoid, with high accuracy, tall buildings in nearby areas. GBAS is currently being tested at Chennai by Honeywell and is likely to get DGCA clearance soon.

Once this system is installed, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) may give speedy clearances for almost 114 tall buildings scheduled to come up in GIFT city, the Central Business District (CBD) on Ashram road and Sabarmati riverfront.
24/06/15 Paul John & Piyush Mishra/Times of India

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Kerala Tourism gets nod for seaplane services

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Wednesday gave its go ahead to the Kerala Tourism to launch seaplane services to boost tourism.
"It has been decided to go ahead with seaplane operations which will boost tourism activities in the state," Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
"Authorities have been asked to go ahead and begin talks with seaplane operators to begin operations," he added.

In June 2013, seaplane operations were inaugurated but it were kept on hold following strong protests from the fishing community as they feared that their livelihood will be affected.
24/06/15 Bilkul.com

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54 Jets Set to Be Scrapped, Air Force Looks to Cannibalize on its Squadrons

The Rafale deal with France is yet to materialise, but the Indian Air Force is set to lose 54 fighter jets within the next six months. The planes - MiG 21s and MiG 27s, bought from Russia in the 60s and 70s - will be de-commissioned, bringing down the strength of the Air Force from 35 to 32 squadrons.

The Air Force - which needs at least 42 squadrons of 18 aircraft each to provide proper air cover at the Western and Northern borders - is now considering an unprecedented step to fill the gap, said sources.

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The IAF has told the government that it could divert four to six planes from the existing squadrons - depending on requirement - to keep the total number of squadrons intact.

"We will have to pull out about 50 odd aircrafts from other squadrons and make up 3 squadrons," a senior Air Force officer told NDTV.

The flip side will be that it will reduce the operational strength and therefore the fire power of the squadrons.
24/06/15  Sudhi Ranjan Sen/NDTV.com

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UBI 'serious' to recover money from Kingfisher

Kolkata: State-owned United Bank of India (UBI) has said it is making serious efforts to recover an estimated Rs.400 crore loans made to the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

The bank already has declared its guarantor, Vijay Mallya as a willful defaulter after the dues to the bank were not repaid.

In the recent AGM of the Kolkata headquartered bank, managing director and CEO P. Srinivas said: "We are fighting a legal battle against them (Kingfisher Airlines) beyond the consortium and we have already declared their corporate guarantor as willful defaulter."

He was responding to a query raised by a shareholder about the bank's stance with Kingfisher Airlines.

"We are extremely serious about recovering our money from not only this particular account but all the NPA borrowers," Srinivas said.
23/06/15 IANS/daijiworld

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Dubai-based consulting firm to conduct aviation study

Business Aircraft Operators' Association (BAOA) has mandated Dubai-based Martin Consulting to conduct a comprehensive study of the business and general aviation segment including its growth potential, infrastructure requirements and challenges.

The study would map the real dynamics of the segment, identify challenges that are affecting its growth while bringing out a list of immediate imperatives and long-term recommendations in order to give a fillip to its needs, according to a BAOA official.
22/06/15 PTI/Business Standard

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A.P. to float SPVs for speedy growth of aviation infrastructure

The State government’s Civil Aviation Policy -2015 which seeks to set up a Rs.100 crore corpus for development of regional airports, create project-specific Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for speedy growth of aviation infrastructure and offers a slew of incentives to private sector came into effect on Monday.

A GO issued here said the strategic objectives of the policy are to improve air connectivity, promote development of aviation infrastructure and make AP a preferred destination for investment in aviation and allied businesses by creating airports as hubs of economic activity. The SPVs will act for identified aviation projects as the sponsor and as the nodal agency for planning and implementation of specified airport infrastructure projects and provide support to project developers and operators, said the GO. The SPV will be focussed on securing necessary clearances and approvals, including obtaining land for aviation project purposes and handling the bidding process.
23/06/15 Special Correspondant/The Hindu

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Indian airlines doing better, need to get fares right: Boeing

As per a PTI report, bullish on Indian aviation market, Boeing has said that operating environment has improved for airlines in the country but there is a need to get the airfare metrics right to make profits. “We are very clear that the Indian market is going to grow at the fastest rate across the world. Our 20-year annual growth rate forecast for India currently stands at 8 per cent and we had estimated the country's aircraft requirement at USD 205 billion.”
"But we will revise upward this forecast this month," Dinesh Keskar, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes said.
Keskar said at the Paris International Air Show that fundamentals remain good for the Indian aviation market, irrespective of the absence of any major announcements of orders placed by Indian carriers at the week-long show.
22/06/15 Travel Biz monitor

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Customs department, international airlines lock horns over flyer information

Customs department and international airlines have locked horns over providing confidential data of passengers to the former.
According to a senior Customs official, airlines were not providing information regarding commuters due to which officials were facing problems in curbing smuggling. Due to lack of details, Customs' anti-smuggling operations were suffering. Another issue was that airlines staff was not present round-the-clock.
23/06/15 Ankur Sharma/indiatoday

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A.P. to float SPVs for speedy growth of aviation infrastructure

Hyderabad/Vijayawada: The State government’s Civil Aviation Policy -2015 which seeks to set up a Rs.100 crore corpus for development of regional airports, create project-specific Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for speedy growth of aviation infrastructure and offers a slew of incentives to private sector came into effect on Monday.

A GO issued here said the strategic objectives of the policy are to improve air connectivity, promote development of aviation infrastructure and make AP a preferred destination for investment in aviation and allied businesses by creating airports as hubs of economic activity. The SPVs will act for identified aviation projects as the sponsor and as the nodal agency for planning and implementation of specified airport infrastructure projects and provide support to project developers and operators, said the GO. The SPV will be focussed on securing necessary clearances and approvals, including obtaining land for aviation project purposes and handling the bidding process.
23/06/15 The Hindu

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AP Government Releases Civil Aviation Policy for 2015

Hyderabad:  Proposing to set up Andhra Pradesh Regional Airport Development Fund (APRADF) with Rs 100 crore to provide financial support for regional airport development, AP government on Monday released its civil Aviation Policy for 2015.

According to the new policy, the initial corpus of this revolving fund will be provided as budgetary support.

Since airport development in tier 2/3 cities require innovative funding solutions, the State government has decided to set up APRADF to provide financial support for regional airport development.

The APRADF will be utilized to provide financial support for development and operation of airports and to underwrite seats for commercial airline operations wherever necessary.

The policy aims to create world class aviation infrastructure that would help provide reliable and seamless air connectivity to regional, national and international destinations by 2022.
22/06/15 New Indian Express

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Blue Dart Express Buys Majority Stake in Blue Dart Aviation

New Delhi: Blue Dart Express today said it has become a majority shareholder in Blue Dart Aviation after purchasing additional 21 per cent stake.
 Now, the overall shareholding of the company in Blue Dart Aviation has increased to 70 per cent.
Blue Dart Aviation has become a subsidiary of Blue Dart Express -- an integrated transportation and distribution company, according to a regulatory filing.
However, financial details were not disclosed.
During its meeting today, Blue Dart Express' board of directors approved hiking stake in Blue Dart Aviation from the present 49 per cent to 74 per cent.
22/06/15 PTI/NDTV

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Avdel Aerospace Now Representing Shimco in India

Markham, Canada: Shimco, a world-wide leader in the manufacture of precision parts and gap management solutions, announced today the appointment of Avdel Aerospace as the exclusive representative in India for all Shimco parts and services. The agreement was signed in the Shimco stand (Ontario/Canadian Pavilion), at the 2015 Paris Air Show by Peter Voss, President, CEO and owner of Shimco; Jennifer Voss, Director of Shimco; Sameer Bulchandani, Managing Director of Avdel (India) Pvt. Ltd.; and Nandish Jingade, General Manager (Aerospace) of Avdel.

Avdel Aerospace is a division of Avdel (India) Pvt. Ltd. which was founded in 1961 and supplies fasteners, raw material and other hardware to aerospace and industrial customers. With warehouses and sales office locations around India including Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai Thiruvananthapuram and Kanpur, Avdel Aerospace has a strategic advantage of effectively covering the geography of the major aerospace pockets around India. Avdel’s aerospace division is the largest Indian hardware supplier/distributor to the aviation sector.
22/06/15 PR.com

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India's aviation growth to be double of global average: Airbus

Eyeing big orders from Indian airlines, world's leading aircraft maker Airbus has said that India's aviation market will grow at over 10% annually in next ten years, which would be double the average global growth rate.

Bullish on India as a marketplace as well as manufacturing hub, Airbus has already committed to source products worth $2 billion cumulatively over the next five years and it is now looking to provide customised maintenance and other services for all its airline customers in India closer to their base.

"India is very much on Airbus map for all the important work that we do globally and it is not just from the market perspective," Airbus India Managing Director Srinivasan Dwarkanath told PTI in an interview here at the Paris International Air Show.

"In terms of market, India will be one of the top three aviation markets globally in the next 20 years. It is already one of the fastest growing markets," he said, adding that the country would need to double its aircraft fleet even if one% more of its population starts travelling by air.
21/06/15 PTI/Bunsiness Standard

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Poor infrastructure, high taxes preventing foreign airlines from investing in India: IATA

Miami (US): Poor aviation infrastructure and "difficulty" in doing business like high taxes and regulations have deterred foreign airlines from investing in Indian carriers, the chief of global airlines' body IATA has said.

Tony Tyler, Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), also termed the proposed system to replace the 5/20 rule, which allows Indian carriers to fly abroad only after five years of domestic operations and a 20-aircraft fleet, as "misguide and said such rules "should not be there".

Tyler, who spoke to Indian journalists here recently on the sidelines of the 71st annual general meeting of the IATA, is likely to visit India soon when he may raise these issues with the government.

Tyler, who spoke to Indian journalists here recently on the sidelines of the 71st annual general meeting of the IATA, is likely to visit India soon when he may raise these issues with the government.
21/06/15 PTI/Economic Times

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India to plug holes in sky with web of radars

New Delhi: India is slowly but steadily building a fully-automated surveillance network to make its airspace, which still has many gaping holes in central and peninsular mainland as well as island territories, as secure as possible in the years ahead.

By progressive integration of all airborne and ground-based civilian and military radars around the country, the aim is to ensure any intrusion by a hostile aircraft, helicopter, drone or micro-light is detected as soon as it takes place.

"This, in turn, will make it possible to swiftly launch counter-measures, which can range from scrambling of fighters to surface-to-air missiles and guns coming into play. This proposed total fusion of sensors and shooters, which is still some distance away, will help minimise the reaction time," said a source.
Towards this end, the IAF has already established five nodes of the automated air defence network with data links or the IACCS (integrated air command and control system) at Barnala (Punjab), Wadsar (Gujarat), Aya Nagar (Delhi), Jodhpur (Rajasthan) and Ambala (Haryana) with help from defence PSU Bharat Electronics.
21/06/15 Rajat Pandit/Times of India

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Global Vectra launches seven seater Heli service for Vaishno Devi pilgrims

Jammu: Global Vectra Aviation Group had introduced seven-seater Heli service for the pilgrims going to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine located in Trikuta hill of Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The seven seater Heli service for the pilgrims was introduced yesterday," an official here today said.

He said the new helicopter (ECB0T2) service having seven seats was inaugurated by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Ajit Sahu.

"Mr Sahu also took the first test flight after inauguration," said an official."The service will operate from morning till evening from Katra base camp to Sanji Chhat depending upon the suitable weather conditions, he added.
21/06/15 Web India 123

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DGCA steps in to curb high ticket-cancel charges

New Delhi:  Air travelers may get some relief from the steep increase in airline ticket cancellation charges. The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) on Thursday asked airlines to submit their entire data on the charges by Monday.

This comes after DGCA chief M Sathiyavathy took note of numerous complaints she had got in this regard and asked her deputy, joint DG Lalit Gupta, to crack the whip on airlines if the charges are unduly high.

After Sathiyavathy's directive on Thursday, Gupta wrote to all airlines asking them to submit the data by Monday.
20/06/15 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Domestic Air Travel Bookings Hikes By 18.35% In May, IndiGo Continues To Dominate The Market

Thanks to summer bookings, the domestic air travel bookings have hiked by 18.35 percent in May over the same period last year.

Whereas, the IndiGo airlines continues to dominate the domestic market as it has more than one third of the share with a hefty 27.69 lakhs passengers are transported.

Domestic airlines carried a total of 71.27 lakhs passengers in May as opposed to 60.22 lakhs in last year.

Especially, due to a chain of low-fare promotions, SpiceJet scored the highest seat factor at 93.1% in May.

National carrier Air India’s share in the total number of passangers ferried stands at 15.8%, while Jet Airways flew a sizeable 13.01 lakhs to their destination.
19/06/15 The Samaya

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DGCA steps in to curb high ticket-cancel charges

New Delhi: Air travelers may get some relief from the steep increase in airline ticket cancellation charges. The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) on Thursday asked airlines to submit their entire data on the charges by Monday.

This comes after DGCA chief M Sathiyavathy took note of numerous complaints she had got in this regard and asked her deputy, joint DG Lalit Gupta, to crack the whip on airlines if the charges are unduly high.

After Sathiyavathy's directive on Thursday, Gupta wrote to all airlines asking them to submit the data by Monday.
20/06/15 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Mahindra Aeropsace Raising Funds To Expand Defence Parts Manufacturing

Mahindra Aerospace is in a hurry to capture the huge defence procurement market in India as other competitors race to win lucrative contracts.

Part of the $17 billion Mahindra Group, the company is now in talks with private equity groups to raise between $50-80 million, reports Mint. Mahindra Aerospace will use the funds to expands its manufacturing capability and acquire smaller firms, the report said.

The company has a manufacturing unit near Bangalore, and in Australia where it produces an eight-seater aircraft. The new funds will help it compete better with peers in supplying parts and equipment for defence projects of global majors like Airbus and General Electric.

A spokesperson at Mahindra Group said they won't comment on speculative stories, in response to HuffPost's email.

This news comes after the company signed a flurry of contracts last week at the Paris International Air Show. The first contract is with GE Aviation, a unit of General Electric Co., to make small, metallic complex structural sheets. The second was signed with Germany's Premium AEROTEC, a Airbus subsidiary to make metallic components for Airbus aircraft.
19/06/15 Anirvan Ghosh/HuffPost India

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HAL Chooses TPE331 for New Indian Basic Trainer

Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has chosen the Honeywell TPE331-12B turboprop to power its proposed new basic trainer. The HTT-40 is the delayed indigenous candidate to replace the old HPT-32 piston-engine basic trainer in the Indian Air Force (IAF). After delays in development of the HTT-40, the IAF bought 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mk II turboprops as an interim measure. Those aircraft are now being delivered.

“Our TPE331-12B is one of the most widely used and capable turboprop engines in service today,” said Anjit Ghosh, president of Honeywell Aerospace India. “With our engine at its core, HAL’s new, locally developed HTT-40 will offer pilots rapid acceleration, low fuel consumption, improved reliability and the ability to train for a variety of missions.”
19/06/15 AINonline

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Dusk and Dawn of the Indian Attack Helicopters

An attack helicopter (AH) is a rotary wing platform with the primary role of engaging targets on the ground such as armored infantry or moving armored vehicles. There heavy armament can include weapons such as auto canons, heavy machine guns, unguided rockets, and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM's) like Hellfire and air to air missiles. Apart from the US and Russia, no other country is known for its large inventory of attack helicopters.

Indian military is having around 390 helicopters with it but only 30 out of them are attack helicopters and rest are the utility and transport helicopters. The reason behind this can be understood by the fact that the Indian Air Force (IAF) maintains a fleet of around 250 ground attack aircrafts which more or less serves the same basic purpose of giving close air support to the ground troops. Traditionally India is not known for the love of attack helicopters. Even back in those days, India was using Mil MI-4 and Bell 47G-2 which were utility helicopters for troop movement and rescue operations.
20/06/15 Avinash Kumar/Business Insider

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Twelve Pilots get Wings at Arakkonam Naval Base

Vellore: As many as nine navy and three coast guard pilots who underwent 21 weeks of training in flying and aviation at the Helicopter Training School at the Naval Station Rajali at Arakkonam received the prestigious wings from the Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai, Chief Instructor, Navy, Wellington at an impressive passing out parade that was held on Friday to mark the graduation of the 84 Helicopter Conversion Course.

According to a release from the station, the school graduated 626 pilots for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard till date and is commanded by Captain K Sri Vatsa. The school was based at Kochi till 1992 and thereafter shifted to INS Rajali at Arakkonam which is the largest operational air base of the Navy.  The base is commanded by Captain VK Pisharody.
20/06/15 New Indian Express

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IndiGo retains domestic market leadership in May

Mumbai: No-frills carrier IndiGo retained its leadership in the domestic market during May, a month that saw a 9% increase in the number of passengers carried over the previous month with more people opting for air travel during summer holidays.
IndiGo clocked 38.9% market share, carrying 27.69 lakh passengers during the month. The Gurgaon-headquartered carrier maintained its lead over Jet Airways (18.3%), Air India (15.8%), SpiceJet (11.7%), GoAir (8.6%), JetLite (3.2%), AirAsia India (1.3%), Vistara (1.3%), Air Costa (0.9%) and Air Pegasus (0.1%).
In terms of passengers, Jet Airways clocked the second-highest number at 13.01 lakh, followed by Air India (11.28 lakh), SpiceJet (8.37 lakh), GoAir (6.13 lakh), JetLite (2.25 lakh), AirAsia India (0.94 lakh), Vistara (0.93 lakh), Air Costa (0.61 lakh) and Air Pegasus (0.06 lakh).
19/06/15 Financial Express

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Talks on for chopper services to Vellore

Chennai: The public sector helicopter charter company, Pawan Hans, is exploring the possibility of starting a helicopter service between Vellore and Chennai after receiving a request from leather industry, traders and merchants in the region.

There is no air connectivity to the town though Vellore has an airstrip and a small terminal building managed by Airports Authority of India (AAI). Airlines have not shown interest to start services till now.

Chairman of Council for Leather Exports M Rafeeque Ahmed said, "There is a lot of potential for a helicopter service between Vellore and Chennai. Many people have expressed the need to have air connectivity. Patients coming to Christian Medical College, merchants and buyers associated with leather industry in Ambur, jewellers, visitors to VIT University and others would prefer such a service." It will also be useful for VIPs.
19/06/15 Times of India

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India invites French investment in aviation sector

PARIS: India today sought French investment in its aviation sector while asking aerospace companies from France and other nations to manufacture their products in the country.
In a series of meetings with top French government officials and senior executives from various companies present here at the 51st Paris International Air Show, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju told them that India offers a vast opportunity as a market as well as a manufacturing hub.
Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjeet Singh also held a series of meetings with the companies present in the defence sector, including Dassault, from which India has decided to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets.
18/06/15 PTI/The Economic Times

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Airbus to Increase India Sourcing to $2 Billion by 2020

Paris: Bullish on India as a market place as well as a manufacturing hub, leading aircraft maker Airbus on Thursday said it has begun sourcing components for almost all its jets from the country and aims to take its cumulative sourcing from there to $2 billion in the next five years.
Showering fulsome praise for the Modi government's Make in India campaign, Airbus said it's making a large number of products in the country, either directly or through its supply partners, where collectively more than 5,000 people are employed.
18/06/15 PTI/NDTV

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IAAI files criminal case aganist IATA

IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) has filed a case against IATA IATA at Gurgaon, Haryana, seeking directive for the reconstitution of APJC-India under Appendix ‘F’ – of PAConf New Guidelines of January 2014. This has led to a case under CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) against the IATA Representative, Vinod Malhotra.
According to a release issued by IAAI, till end-2013, in countries governed under 810 and 818g, Agents’ Representation in APJC was decided between the Travel Associations. In India, however, IAAI was kept out of APJC by the vested interests.
In January 2014, PAConf issued globalized directives to countries under Res 818g to regularize APJC under Appendix-“F” of the New Guidelines - Establishment of an APJC – directing that the IATA local/regional offices must be responsible for the formation and regularizations of the APJCs in a country.
When our legitimate right was denied again, there was no other way to push our proposed DIP (Default Insurance Program) through APJC-India, and IAAI was constrained to approach the Court of Law for justice and fairness.
17/06/15 Travel Trands Today

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Mule services slump as Kedarnath's choppers soar

Dehradun: The swift chopper service to Kedarnath in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district has spelled recession time for mule and palanquin operators.
As mule operators struggle to get pilgrims, aviation companies are smiling all the way to the bank. The 2013 flood-hit Kedarnath temple has attracted over one lakh visitors since it opened on April 24 after the winter break.
This year, over 44,000 pilgrims have availed the chopper service while 23,000 hired mules. The traditional palanquin and Kandi (basket) remain in low demand - with only 115-odd tourists opting to move on Doli that is carried by four porters.
18/06/15 Raju Gusain/India Today

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Magellan Aerospace to partner with Mahindra in India; focus on aerostructures

Paris: Canada-listed global major Magellan Aerospace today partnered Mahindra Aerospace to offer their mutual customers major structural assemblies, machined components and fabrications for the global market.

An MoU was signed between the two companies for this partnership here at the Paris international Air Show and is part of their customers' strategy to develop supply from India.

Under the terms of the agreement, Magellan and Mahindra will develop a framework to partner on jointly responding to and developing new aero structures business opportunities.
18/06/15 PTI/Economic Times

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Honeywell To Provide Engines for HAL-Made Indian Training Aircraft

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) has chosen Honeywell’s TPE331-12B turboprop engine for its HTT-40 military training aircraft for the Indian air force.

The HTT-40 program’s future had been uncertain, because the Indian air force opposed the purchase of HAL-made trainers. And earlier this year, India opted to buy 38 PC-7 Mk.2 trainers from Pilatus to meet its requirement for 181 Stage 1 basic trainer aircraft.

But in an example of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative, defense acquisition officials rescued the HTT-40 from the dead. They insisted the air force buy enough HTT-40 aircraft from HAL to make the project commercially viable.
17/06/15 Jen DiMascio/Aviation Week

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Power drunk MPs abusing aircraft crew is not new in India

New Delhi: In a brazen display of so-called political power, notorious MP Pappu Yadav of Bihar has embarrassed the entire political class by misbehaving with an airhostess on board a Patna–Delhi Jet Airways flight on Tuesday. The power drunk MP, who is facing several criminal cases, refused to fasten the seat belt, straighten his seat and even spilled dessert on the next seat.
When an Airhostess politely requested him to follow mandatory air safety instructions, he got furious and misbehaved with her. A shocked captain of the aircraft asked the security at Delhi airport to rush to his flight once it landed in Delhi. Worse, unapologetic and totally uncouth Pappu Yadav defended his actions. Later he dismissed all the charges saying he did nothing wrong at all.
17/06/15 DP Satish/IBN Live

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DGCA study shows that you pay more for short distance flying

The longer you fly the lesser you pay — a study of a detailed fare analysis done for the first time for calendar year 2014 by the country’s aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) shows.
Among 18 routes studied connecting 10 metro and non-metro locations, the cheapest per km flying cost came out to be Rs 5 on the Delhi-Chennai sector spanning the longest flight distance of 1,754 km. Per km ticket cost stood the highest on the Delhi-Leh route at Rs 11.88, for flying nearly a third of the distance of 611 km. The limited availability of seats on the Delhi-Leh sector on account of fewer airlines flying to the location and limitations on flying hours affects to an extent price movement on the route.
But broadly the study shows, while the per km flying cost between the top six metros Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad ranged between Rs 5 (Delhi-Chennai) and Rs 7.04 (Mumbai-Hyderabad), flights from metros to non-metro locations such as Guwahati, Leh, Port Blair and Srinagar were more expensive. The average per km flying cost from Delhi to Srinagar was Rs 9.44 for covering a distance of 644 km. It stood at Rs 8.18 on Kolkata-Guwahati route (distance of 526 km) and Rs 6.99 on the Kolkata-Port Blair sector.
17/06/15 Sharmistha Mukherjee/Financial Express

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India, other emerging markets to drive $5 trn aircraft demand

Growing passenger traffic in India and other emerging markets would help generate aircraft demand worth about USD 5 trillion in 20 years and the fleet across aviation industry would more than double by 2034, Airbus said today.
The domestic traffic flow in India alone is estimated to grow nearly 6 times in this period, making it one of the fastest growing markets globally, even as a survey by Airbus has identified Mumbai and Delhi airports among the largely congested ones across the world.
Releasing its Global Markets Forecast here at the 51st Paris International Air Show, Airbus said that “from the world’s first commercial flight in 1914, to today’s 32 million flights annually, aviation has become part and parcel of our everyday lives.
16/06/15 PTI/Financial Express

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Air Force's 86th Aircraft Crashes. Parliamentary Committee Says the Average is One Aircraft a Month.

NEW DELHI:  A Jaguar fighter - a twin-engine, single seater strike aircraft of Anglo-French origin - of the Indian Air Force crashed this morning near Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.
It was the 86th crash since 2007 -- on an average, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has lost about one aircraft every month for the past eight years.
17/06/15 Anindita sanyal/NDTV

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‘Bumped off’ a flight? Know your rights

Bags packed, tickets checked, you start early and reach the airport in time for your flight. To your dismay, the lady at the check-in counter apologises and says you can’t board the plane. On protesting that you have a confirmed ticket, you are told that the flight has been overbooked. In industry lingo, you have just been ‘bumped off’.

What are the chances of a flier facing this bummer of a situation? Not very high, but quite possible, show statistics from the airline regulator DGCA. In April, 1,016 passengers were denied boarding on flights within India. That may not seem a lot, when juxtaposed with the nearly 63 lakh passengers who took to the domestic skies that month. But in such cases, just a few could be a few too many, especially when you have to travel urgently.

DGCA data shows that Air India and Jet Airways have been denying boarding to a few hundred passengers every month (see table). The other domestic carriers generally don’t seem to deny boarding to passengers, though there have been instances of AirAsia and IndiGo doing so. To our queries, IndiGo responded that as a policy, it does not overbook flights. SpiceJet and Jet Airways acknowledged that they overbook, while Air India and AirAsia did not respond.
17/06/15 Anand Kalyanaraman/Business Line

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Jetpack maker signs China, India deals

ASX-listed jetpack manufacturer Martin Aircraft Company says it has entered into a number of strategic agreements with groups in China and India as it looks to capitalise on the nations' booming populations and economies.

The group today said it had signed a strategic cooperation deal with a Beijing-based tourism company, through its joint venture KuangChi Science Martin Jetpack.

The deal with Beijing Flying Man Science & Technology was struck for the future delivery of manned and unmanned jetpacks, the group said today, after signing the agreement at the International Paris Air Show yesterday.

"China is one of the fastest growing markets for aviation, and recent civil aviation developments have seen previously off-limit airspace being opened up for civilian operations," Martin Aircraft said today.
17/06/15 The Australian

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Rafale deal: French defence minister to visit India again

New Delhi: French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will visit India soon as the two countries work towards finalising the deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets.
Defence sources said French defence minister is likely to arrive in India soon to carry forward the talks on the Rafale jets. They did not put a timeline to his visit.
Drian visted India last month also.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had last month said that talks would be completed in "2-3 months".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced his decision to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets during a visit to France in April, a deal worth an estimated $8 billion.
17/06/15 First Post

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Police don’t want unidentified objects flying in city skies

Pune: After Mumbai, the Pune city police have now banned the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) —drones for the layman — without seeking prior permission from the local police station. Cops fear that the unmanned aircraft could turn into weapons in the hands of terrorists.

Joint commissioner of police (Pune city) Sunil Ramanand told Mirror on Tuesday, "Drones can be misused in acts of terror. We don't want unidentified objects flying around. We will grant permission liberally. Therefore, those who want to use a drone at any event must get a permission from the local police station." He had issued a prohibitory order on Sunday, in keeping with provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code. "Nowadays, drones are being used at various sports and cultural events. We cannot rule out the possibility that these drones can be used for filming sensitive installations here. I passed the rule after it was brought to my notice that event organisers do not inform police before using drones," he stressed.
17/06/15 Mubarak Ansari/Pune Mirror

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Rafale jet sale to India could end in 2-3 mnths: French min

India's purchase of 36 French Rafale military fighter jets could be concluded within two or three months, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Tuesday. The deal, unveiled in India in April, came after manufacturer Dassault Aviation won its first export order for the jets in February from Egypt. Since then, Qatar has also placed an order and talks are under way with Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.
17/06/15 Reuterts/moneycontrol.com

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Make in India: OIS Aerospace signs defence JVs with French firms Rafaut, LH Aviation

PARIS: Joining the government's Make in India programme, home-grown OIS Aerospace group today announced two joint ventures -- with Rafaut and LH Aviation of France -- for manufacturing advanced weapons-to-aircraft interface devices and multi-sensor tactical UAVs.
The first JV with Rafaut, a major supplier of weapons-to-aircraft interface systems in Europe, will make 'pile-ons' for the fighter aircrafts to carry the weapons, besides conducting further research and developments to make the product more advanced and suitable as per the requirements in India.

The second JV with LH Aviation, a French aircraft manufacture, will set up a separate manufacturing plant in India for multi-sensor tactical UAV fighter aircraft that can fly up to 24 hours.
15/05/15 PTI/The Economic Times

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Panic in the air: Average Indian pilots are not incompetent

Are Indian pilots any less trained, competent and experienced than their counterparts in other countries? Are there flying schools in the country that issue licences - but barely train or offer enough flying hours for a pilot to qualify? A recent report by Bloomberg News highlighted the fact that there were a number of flying clubs and pilot training academies in India that issued licences to pilots - first officers - that showed a higher number of flying hours on their certificates than they had actually flown. In other words, the pilots who held these valid licences and who could in effect end up with various airlines across the country may not actually be equipped, experienced or trained well enough to fly. Judging by the report, and by other available evidence, this is anything but a recent phenomenon. It is not unheard of for flying clubs to over-log the flying hours, charge full money and also make money on fuel saved. In fact, there have been past instances of honest auditors in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) who highlighted such malpractices; but no one ever got punished.
15/06/15 Business Standard Editorial Comment

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MEHAIR drops flight fare by Rs 3,000

Nashik: The fare for the proposed flight service between Nashik and Pune has been reduced even before the operations begin on Monday. The cost of Rs 12,000 per passenger for the return trip has been brought down to Rs 9,000.

Maritime Energy Heli Air Services Pvt Ltd (MEHAIR) announced a cut of Rs 3,000 in the return fare between Ozar (Nashik) and Lohegaon (Pune). Those who have booked their tickets will get the refund. The fares have not been reduced for one way travel, the firm said.

Director and co-founder of MEHAIR Siddharth Verma said, "We have reduced the fare for return flights at present. We have not yet decided the duration for which the reduced fare will be applicable."

The first flight on Monday will take off at 9.45am after a formal inauguration and reach Pune at 10.35am. The first flight of the nine-seater seaplane, Cessna 208A, has been booked completely for Monday.
14/06/15 Times of India

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Airfares not exorbitant, says DGCA study; fliers' body rubbishes finding

With politicians and passenger welfare associations routinely complaining of high airfares during peak season due to alleged cartelization by airlines, a DGCA study of airfares on 18 key domestic routes says it has not found any substance in it.

Air Passengers Association of India (APAI), however, debunked the finding, with its president Sudhakar Reddy saying, "The conclusion drawn by DGCA is not based on facts and absolutely misleading. Also, the report again establishes that nowadays there is no distinction between low-cost carriers and full-service carriers when it comes to fares."

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who too has written to the aviation ministry, alleging about the high airfares by way of cartelization, was not available for comment as he is out of the country.
14/06/15 Daily News & Analysis

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IndiGo poaching our pilots, airlines protest to DGCA

Mumbai: Almost all domestic airlines having got together and complained against IndiGo to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) saying that it was poaching their pilots, prompting the aviation regulator to probe the 'operational crisis' that this has created in the industry.

At a meeting in Delhi on Monday, the Flight Standards Bureau of DGCA heard both IndiGo - which denied any wrongdoing and backed its stand with a dossier comprising data - and rival domestic carriers including SpiceJet and GoAir among others, who had lost their pilots to 'poaching'.

Aflight operations inspector (FOI) who requested anonymity said, "Other operators have claimed that month after month Indigo is taking away their pilots by luring them with handsome pay packets and perks." He added that the Flight Standards Bureau would need to deliberate on the points raised by both sides.

An Indigo spokesperson told Mirror, "Indigo is the only airline that is hiring all the time." To support its claim of not indulging in poaching, she added, "A significant portion of Indi-Go's current pilot strength is home grown within IndiGo. Today, the total strength of the pilot workforce stands at 1,432, and the airline has readied close to 537 junior first officers."
12/06/15 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror

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Civilian planes to have flexible access to restricted airspace

The Defence Ministry has agreed to allow civilian aircraft to fly in "restricted" airspace when it is not in use -- a move which, once implemented, would help cut flying time besides reducing costs for the carriers.

Domestic carrier SpiceJet has already operated a test flight as part of the validation exercise in this regard. As of now, approximately 60% of Indian airspace is open for Indian civil aviation to fly in, while the rest is restricted airspace for the defence establishment to operate.
11/06/15 PTI/dna

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After pacts with utilities, US-based Innovari Inc eyes India’s defence space

After pacts with utilities, US-based Innovari Inc eyes India’s defence space
US-based Innovari Inc plans to enter the Indian defence space. The company, which has inked contracts with three Indian utilities — including Reliance Infrastructure — to help optimise the country’s power grid, is in talks with several Indian SMEs in the defence and aerospace sector.
In an exclusive interview to FE, Preetha Nair, President – Innovari Technologies, said, “We have many plans for the Indian market. We have recently opened a new technology and development centre in Bangalore and plan on investing heavily in India to support our global growth. With the expertise we have in the energy sector this can be used in defence programmes in India. That’s what we are wanting to participate in and support India’s growth and sustainability.”
12/06/15 Huma Siddiqui/The Financial Express

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Civil Aviation ministry directs hybrid till for GHIAL

GMR Infrastructure today said that the Civil Aviation Ministry has directed the airport tariff regulator AERA to adopt a Hybrid Till with 30 per cent cross subsidisation for the tariff determination of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL).
Under the hybrid till model, the airport operator adds a part of the non-aeronautical (duty-free shops, hotel, restaurant, among others) revenue and the total revenue from the aeronautical (landing, parking and ground handling charges) side to compile total earnings.
11/06/15 PTI/Business Standard

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500 passengers face hardship at IGI due to flight delay

Around 500 passengers of budget carrier SpiceJet had to face hardship at the IGI airport here today after its three flights were delayed due to non- availability of plane, which were stuck at other airport due to bad weather and a medical emergency.

Of the three flights, which were delayed, two were bound to Mumbai while one to Bengaluru from here, sources said.
12/06/15 PTI/Business Standard

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Many governments don't understand gains from aviation industry: IATA

Miami: Many countries do not understand the potential of the aviation industry which remains "highly constrained" by high taxes and regulations, though the sector is set to contribute a whopping US $116 billion in revenue worldwide this year, global airlines' body IATA has said here.

"Governments have gained substantially from the good performance of the airline industry. Airlines and their customers are forecast to generate US $116 billion in tax revenues this year," the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a latest mid-year report on the industry's financial performance.
The report, released at the IATA's 70th annual meet here by Chief Economist Brian Pearce, said this tax revenue was equivalent to nearly 48% of the industry's gross value added (equivalent to GDP), which is paid to governments in payroll, social security, corporate and product taxes.
11/06/15 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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Odisha Makes ATF for International Flights VAT Free

Bhubaneswar:  The Odisha government today announced that it will exempt from VAT aviation turbine fuel for international flights, in a bid to attract foreign airlines to begin commercial operations in the state.

A proposal to this effect was approved at a Cabinet meet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. "The Cabinet decided to exempt VAT on ATF for international flights under the provision of Section 17 A of the Odisha Value Added Tax Act, 2004," Chief Secretary G C Pati told reporters after the meeting.

Stating that the General Administration Department has drawn up a prospective civil aviation policy, Pati said some incentives have already been announced by the state government. "To attract international airlines to Odisha, the Cabinet felt it necessary to offer them tax incentives to start operations from the Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar," he said.
11/06/15 PTI/New Indian Express

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RBI extends offshore loan window for airlines to March 2016

Mumbai:  The Reserve Bank today extended the deadline for aviation sector to raise funds through external commercial borrowings (ECBs) route by a year till March, a move aimed at providing relief to the cash-crunched sector.

"In a review, it has been decided that...scheme of raising ECB for working capital for Civil Aviation Sector will continue till March 31, 2016," the central bank said through a notification.

As per the earlier guidelines, the scheme was valid till March 2015.
 The overall ECB ceiling for the entire civil aviation sector would be USD 1 billion and the maximum permissible ECB that can be availed by an individual airline company will be USD 300 million, it said.
11/06/15 PTI/Economic Times

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Govt: Won’t splurge on new aircraft for Air Force One

New Delhi:  The over 25-year-old fleet of jumbo jets used for distant overseas tours of Presidents and Prime Ministers is not going to be replaced by brand new planes. In a bid to avoid spending millions on mint fresh planes, the Modi government has decided to take two Boeing 777s which are already flying with Air India.

AI has 15 B-777s in its fleet. "Two of the youngest B-777 300 extended range (ER) aircraft from this fleet will be transferred to the defence ministry by October 1. These two planes joined our fleet in 2010 and have been flying with us almost five years. The defence authorities along with Boeing will retrofit these planes as India's very own Air Force One," said a senior official.

Defence authorities will give the written down value of these planes, estimated to be $100-105 million each, to AI, which will in turn use the money to pay off the aircraft loan for these two aircraft.

The NDA's decision to go in for AI's used planes as the next Air Force One — VVIP flights operated by Indian Air Force using AI pilots of B-777 will no longer be AI One — comes even as the government had the option to go in for brand new B-777s for VVIP use.
11/06/15 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Military airspace to be opened up for commercial airlines

Mumbai:  India's ministries of civil aviation and defence have started testing out a plan which entails commercial airlines using military airspace, till now restricted for civilian use. Passenger airlines can currently operate only in 60% of India's airspace.

If successfully implemented, the flexible use of airspace will lead to airlines taking more direct routes, cutting flight durations by up to a fifth and may lead to fuel cost savings of up to 15% on one flight and 5% annually.  So far, SpiceJet, IndiGo and Jet Airways have participated in the test flights.

 "Once institutionalised, this will be a win-win-win: Less fuel consumption and emissions which is good for the environment, lower fuel bills for the airlines, and shorter flying times for passengers. We support this initiative fully," said Sanjiv Kapoor, chief operating officer of SpiceJet, which has operated the first test flight.
11/06/15 Anirban Chowdhury/Economic Times

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Cops for no fly zone over Puri temple

Bhubaneswar: Apprehending threat to Nabakalebara and Rath Yatra from air, the Odisha police have moved the Union ministry of civil aviation, seeking ban on flying of choppers and aircraft over Grand Road in Puri on three festive days.
It coincided with the Indian Navy deciding to position a helicopter in Puri for aerial patrolling for the first time during Rath Yatra, police said.

"We have written to Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to declare the air space above Jagannath Temple and 3-km Grand Road as no fly zone' for safety reasons. We have sought restriction for July 18 Rath Yatra, July 26 Bahuda Yatra (return car festival) and July 27 Suna Besha," ADG (law and order) Binayanand Jha told TOI.

Director of Biju Patnaik International Airport here Sharad Kumar said the AAI has sought some information from the state government about possible threats from the air route and logic behind seeking the restriction.
11/06/15 Debabrata Mohapatra/Times of India

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Airlines' body IATA talks to consumer forums on transparent laws

Miami: Airlines' body IATA has begun a dialogue with governments, air travellers and consumer rights bodies across the world to evolve transparent regulations to enable passengers to understand their rights and prevent ignoring of basic commercial principles by the governments.

"The growing patchwork of consumer rights regimes is leaving travellers confused when they are subject to multiple different passenger rights regimes at the same time. We need an air transport system that balances  need to protect consumers while allowing the airline industry to compete and innovate," Paul Steele, IATA's Senior Vice President for Member and External Relations, told reporters here.

He said there were now over 60 countries with some form of passenger rights regulations, with more governments considering new rules.
11/06/15 PTI/Economic Times

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Extortionary, predatory airfares not acceptable: Aviation Ministery

New Delhi: Amid rising concern over steep fluctuations in airfares, the Civil Aviation Ministry has said that neither "extortionary" nor "predatory" pricing of tickets is acceptable.

The Ministry is, however, yet to take a call on whether there is a need to assign thresholds for airfares.

"We would have preferred that airlines do not keep (ticket) prices high. We expect airlines to bring discipline on their own... Opportunistic pricing, whether it is extortionary or predatory is not acceptable," a senior official said on Wednesday.
Interestingly, aviation watchdog DGCA recently said the average fare of domestic carriers during peak demand seasons was closer to the minimum fare.

"The average fare is closer to the minimum fare being offered by the airlines indicating that most of the tickets sold by the airlines are not at exorbitant price," DGCA had said after analysing the fare movements during 2014.
10/06/15 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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New aviation policy soon

New Delhi: The Central Government expects to finalise the long pending new aviation policy and also the much debated revised international flying norms for domestic carriers within a month, according to a senior Civil Aviation Ministry official.

Industry is keenly looking forward for both the policies, amid increasing traffic and competition from both domestic and foreign players.

There will be no rolling back on the decision to privatise airports, he added.

“We are almost close to finalising the two policies and would be ready in a month,” the senior official said.

There has been much debate about doing away with the ‘5/20’ norms, which allows only those carriers having been in operation for at least five years and with a fleet of at least 20 aircraft to fly on international routes.

The Federation of Indian Airlines, which has IndiGo, Spicejet, Jet Airways and GoAir as its members, has opposed the move for any relaxation in the 5/20 norm, while Vistara and AirAsia India have been strongly in favour of doing away with the rule.
10/06/15 Sanjay Vijayakumar/The Hindu

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India may get to see e-commerce drone deliveries before US

New Delhi: Aviation regulator, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has started the process of making guidelines for the civil use of drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems. The guidelines are expected to be finalised in the next few months, and companies like Amazon and Flipkart might be able to use drones for delivery, by next year.
Drones are small aircraft systems, remotely controlled and is unmanned.
“The DGCA has restricted the use of drones in India at present, but at the same time it has initiated the process of framing the guidelines for operations,” a civil aviation ministry official said.
However, the use of drones is not restricted only because of guidelines in India — the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) also has not issued any recommendation or standards for the use of drones for civil purposes, said the official. Last year, the DGCA had put out a public notice restricting the civil use of drones in India.
10/06/15 Sunny Sen/Financial Express

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Sweden offers to collaborate with India for production of LCA

Sweden tonight offered to collaborate with India on production of light combat aircraft in the country as part of the 'Make-in-India' initiative as the two countries decided to scale up bilateral defence ties.

Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist held talks with his counterpart Manohar Parrikar here during which a range of issues were discussed.
India and Sweden exchanged views on "rising scourge of terrorism" and agreed to cooperate in stemming it, Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said.

He added that the two sides also discussed issues relating to participation of Swedish firms in defence manufacturing in India under the 'Make-in-India' initiative.

Both sides agreed to continue to explore opportunities for enhancing cooperation between the defence establishments of the two countries in mutually agreed areas, he added.

Hultqvist, sources said, talked about possible collaboration in manufacturing single engine light combat planes.
10/06/15 PTI/Business Standard

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Odisha for not allowing helicopters during Nabakalebara

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has urged the Centre to take steps not to allow choppers or aircraft to fly over Grand Road at Puri during Lord Jagannath's famous Nabakalebara festival due to safety reasons, official sources said today.

"..Steps may be taken not to allow choppers or aircrafts to fly over Badadanda (Grand Road) during the festival on July 18, July 26 and July 27 due to safety reasons," C R Patra, Joint Secretary in the Odisha government's general administration department wrote to Director, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, New Delhi.
Patra also sent a copy of the letter to the Director, Biju Patnaik Airport and Director, Air Traffic Control, Bhubaneswar.

A copy of the letter was released to the media today.

Stating that the Additional Director General of Odisha Police in charge of law and order has recommended suspension of flights of choppers and aircraft over Grand Road, Puri, Patra requested the Director, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to treat the matter as "extremely urgent."
10/06/15 PTI/Business Standard

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Airlines grapple with rich, poor divide in global emissions scheme

Miami: Diplomats working to reduce carbon emissions from passenger planes globally may give some developing countries more leeway to meet new rules, a key official with the world's main airline industry group said on Tuesday.

Paul Steele, senior vice president at the International Air Transport Association, emphasized that nothing has been decided, but outlined some options being discussed at the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

ICAO is working on two policies to address greenhouse gas emissions from the global aviation sector for adoption in 2016 - a market-based system to enable airlines to reduce emissions by buying carbon offsets or allowances and a global emission standard for aircraft.

"There's a number of ideas about stringency or even time, where you let certain states reach a certain standard at a different time," said Steele.
10/06/15 Victoria Bryan/Reuters

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IATA introduces Carry-On Bags initiative

IATA has unveiled details of a new initiative to optimise the accommodation of carry-on bags given differing carry-on bag sizes and airline policies. Working with airline members of IATA and aircraft manufacturers, an optimum size guideline for carry-on bags has been agreed that will make the best use of cabin storage space. A size of 55 x 35 x 20 cm (or 21.5 x 13.5 x 7.5 inches) means that theoretically everyone should have a chance to store their carry-on bags on board aircraft of 120 seats or larger.

An “IATA Cabin OK” logo to signify to airline staff that a bag meets the agreed size guidelines has already been developed, and a number of major international airlines have signaled their interest to join the initiative and will soon be introducing the guidelines into their operations.

Tom Windmuller, senior vice president for Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security, IATA said, “The development of an agreed optimal cabin bag size will bring common sense and order to the problem of differing sizes for carry-on bags. We know the current situation can be frustrating for passengers. This work will help to iron out inconsistencies and lead to an improved passenger experience.”
10/06/15 Express Travel World

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Airlines may struggle to meet jetliner tracking deadline

Miami: The world's airline trade association said on Tuesday it is pressing for better tracking of commercial jetliners flying over remote areas, but that some of its members may struggle to meet a 2016 deadline for technology improvements.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said a November 2016 implementation deadline set by a United Nations aviation agency remains difficult for some members.
That date "may be a bit early for full implementation," Tony Tyler, director general of IATA, said at a press conference during the group's annual meeting in Miami. IATA represents about 250 airlines around the world.
Aircraft tracking came under close scrutiny after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished during a flight in March 2014, with 239 people aboard. The plane has not been found.
10/06/15 First Post

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Empire Aviation India announces new Senior appointment for Northern India

Dubai - Empire Aviation India, a division of Air Works India and sister company to Dubai-based Empire Aviation Group ( EAG ), has announced the appointment of a new Head of Sales for Northern India.Pryank Sharma, previously with Air Works India, has been appointed to the new role and will lead the development of new relationships with private aircraft owners looking for professional aircraft management services.
Pryank Sharma, Head of Sales for Northern India at Empire Aviation India, brings with him more than 14 years' successful experience and achievement in leadership roles in managing airline and general aviation sales, in India. He was previously with Air Works India (a partner of Empire Aviation Group ) and has also held senior positions with major commercial airlines, leading large teams and building national businesses and substantial corporate accounts.
10/06/15 Zawya

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Coast Guard Dornier aircraft with 3 on board missing

A Dornier aircraft of Coast Guard is missing since last night. The aircraft, with 3 crew members on board, was on a routine sortie off Chennai, when it lost contact with control room at about 2200 hours on Monday night.
"The aircraft took off from Chennai at 5:30 pm on Monday and lost contact at around 10 pm in Tiruchirappalli," aviation sources said.
09/06/15 IndiaToday.in

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'Easing of 5/20 norms should not hit estd carriers'

New Delhi: In an apparent opposition to easing of international flying norms for domestic airlines, SpiceJet chairman Ajay Singh on Saturday said the new rules should be framed in a manner that established carriers are not affected.

The comments from Singh, who has come back as majority stakeholder at SpiceJet, come at a time when the government is in the process of doing away with the '5/20' norms for domestic airlines.

Under the norms, only carriers having been in operation for at least five years and with a fleet of at least 20 aircraft are allowed to fly on international routes.

"The government should seriously look at it (5/20 norms) before taking a decision (to modify it). It needs to be ensured that existing (or established) players are not penalised," SpiceJet's chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said.
07/06/15 PTI/The Statesman

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Experts predict stormy weather ahead for Indian airlines

Despite a significant fall in oil prices, domestic airlines are set to post losses of about $1.4 billion collectively during fiscal 2014-15, as per estimates by aviation consultancy firm Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (Capa). The reasons are that the operating environment continues to remain tough, demand sluggish and carriers continue to face increasing cost pressures, while yields remain low with several new entrants coming in and further denting the market share of existing carriers.

While Jet Airways and SpiceJet have reported their results, others, including national carrier Air India, and unlisted companies IndiGo, GoAir, Air Asia India, Vistara and Air Costa, are yet to announce their results.
The combined losses for Indian airlines, as per Capa data, stood at $1.77 billion during fiscal 2013-14, significantly higher than Capa prediction of $1.4 billion. Between September 2014 and January 2015, jet fuel prices in India have declined by 24%. Meanwhile, the accumulated losses of Indian airlines touched $10.6 billion during the past seven years.
07/06/15  Rhik Kundu/Financial Express

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Maharashtra: No trained pilots to fly govt aircraft

With no trained pilots to fly the government aircraft for VVIPs, Maharashtra chief minister and other ministers are opting for commercial aircraft or hiring private aircraft. While this is an added expense to the already burdened exchequer, it also means that the high-end Cessna Citation 560XLS has not been flown for about a year now. The only pilot qualified to fly the high-end Cessna Citation 560XLS that was bought at the cost of Rs67 crore six years put in his papers about a year ago.

Though there are four other pilots, none are experienced to fly the aircraft. The government also has a Sikorsky S76C++ helicopter. Avatar Singh, a former Air Force officer, was recruited in March but he too hasn’t flown the Citation for 150 hours, a condition mandatory to fly VIP aircraft.

The government has now forced to recruit an foreign trainer to help Singh fulfil the condition. “Singh has an overall experience of more than 3,000 hours required for flying VIP aircraft but does not have the experience of flying the Cesna Citation for more than 150 hours. Two agencies have responded to our bid for a trainer; we expect to recruit one by next month,” said an official from Mantralaya.
06/05/16 Nyooz

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MRO aims to service private airlines aircraft

Nagpur: In order to make full use of its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Nagpur, Air India aims to do servicing of aircraft belonging to private airlines. Initially, however, the MRO will be used only to service Air India aircraft. Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule inspected the Rs650 crore plus MRO facility on Saturday morning.

Later, addressing a press conference, Gadkari said that private airlines like Jet and IndiGo send their aircraft to Dubai or Singapore for servicing. "Not only is it costlier there, transport cost is also very high. Air India`s rates are far lower and, Nagpur being centrally located, the transport distance is less," he said.

On why the facility will be viable for Air India, when Boeing did not find it so, Gadkari said that the salaries of Boeing staff was far higher. HR Jagannathan, chief executive officer (CEO) of Air India Engineering Services, the facility was ready to service all types of Boeing aircraft. "For servicing aircraft belonging to other airlines, we will need to hire manpower that can service Airbus aircraft.
07/06/15 Nyooz

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MRO aims to service private airlines aircraft

Nagpur: In order to make full use of its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Nagpur, Air India aims to do servicing of aircraft belonging to private airlines. Initially, however, the MRO will be used only to service Air India aircraft.

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule inspected the Rs650 crore plus MRO facility on Saturday morning. Later, addressing a press conference, Gadkari said that private airlines like Jet and IndiGo send their aircraft to Dubai or Singapore for servicing. "Not only is it costlier there, transport cost is also very high. Air India's rates are far lower and, Nagpur being centrally located, the transport distance is less," he said.

On why the facility will be viable for Air India, when Boeing did not find it so, Gadkari said that the salaries of Boeing staff was far higher.
07/06/15 Ashish Roy/Times of India

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Indian Rafale Cost Criticism Raises Doubts on MMRCA

Paris & New Delhi: India's criticism of a high price tag on the Dassault Rafale has sharpened public focus on French negotiations to extend sale of the twin-jet fighter beyond a planned 36 units for the Indian Air Force.

Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar fueled speculation about the final size of the Rafale order May 31 when he said the French fighters were "way too expensive" and there was no longer a plan to buy a total of 126 Rafales.

But Dassault Aviation Chairman Eric Trappier said the 126-jet deal "is under discussion," although he admitted progress is slow.

"The Indian Air Force needs many more than 36 planes," Trappier told Defense News.

"There is an immediate need for 36. The negotiations for 126 are rather slow.

"They have an urgent operational requirement which does not allow time needed to set up the license, so they asked for 36 quickly," said the Dassault boss.
06/06/15 Pierre Tran and Vivek Raghuvanshi/Defense News

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Boeing no more associated with MRO facility in Nagpur: Nitin Gadkari

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari today said aircraft manufacturing major Boeing, which had invested US $100 million in Air India's Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) facility here, has disassociated itself with the MRO citing financial constraints.

Gadkari, along with Air India CEO HR Jagannath, visited the MRO facility and took stock of the progress work.

He said the facility, being developed in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Multi Modal International Passenger and Cargo Hub in Nagpur (MIHAN), will soon start its operations of maintenance of Air India aircraft.
Boeing had entered into a joint venture (JV) with Air India for setting up and operating the MRO but it will now only be an Air India show.

Gadkari said the entire MRO will be managed by Air India where wide-bodied aircraft will also be taken for maintenance.
06/06/15 Daily News & Analysis

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India okays three new air routes

Kathmandu:  The Indian government has approved three new “bidirectional” cross-border air routes at Janakpur, Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj points.

The air routes are envisaged to serve the proposed Second Internat-ional Airport (SIA) in Bara, Nijgadh, and regional international airports in Bhairahawa and Pokhara.

Indian ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae on Thursday informed to a Nepali tourism entrepreneurs’ gathering in Kathmandu about the approval of the new routes. “The development will be informed to the Nepal government by a formal letter in the coming days,” he said, adding the shorter route would facilitate flight from Pokhara to Indian cities.

Pramod Nepal, under-secretary at the Tourism Ministry, who participated in the bilateral airspace discussions with India held recently, said the government has not received official confirmation yet. “After receiving the official letter from the Indian government, a negotiation will be held and an agreement will be signed to implement the new airspace.”
07/06/15 Sangam Prasain/eKantipur

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Yoga the answer to flight crew stress

Air India's newest flight attendants will possess a new sense of calm as the airline introduces daily yoga as part of its training programme.

More than 78 new pilots and 300 cabin crew members hired by the airline will begin their training days with a 6:30am yoga class according to The Economic Times.

"We have introduced yoga for the first time in our training module for pilots and cabin crew, as we believe that yoga brings in a sense of discipline as well as helps cope better with the stress of the job," a senior Air India official told the paper. "This is true for each one of us."

The Washington Post reports Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sparked new initiatives throughout the country to promote yoga and could have inspired Air India's decision.
07/06/15 3NEWS

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IndiGo poaches pilots from rivals as market share war turns ugly

The war for market share between airlines has taken a murky turn with leading player IndiGo Airlines allegedly indulging in underhand means to smother operations of the financially weak carriers such as Air India (AI), Jetlite, GoAir and Spicejet.

An industry source, who did not want to be named, said the Rahul Bhatia-owned airline has been lifting pilots, particularly flight commanders (who are in short supply in the domestic market), in large numbers to cripple the operations of its smaller rivals.

"The fastest and surest way to kill an airline is by taking away its skilled workforce – pilots and engineers – which is difficult and time-consuming to replace. Lately, IndiGo has been indulging in just that by luring pilots of its competitors with handsome pay-packets and bright career prospects," he said.
06/06/15 Praveena Sharma/Daily News & Analysis

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DGCA plan to help pilots tackle stress

Chennai:  Temper tantrums in aircraft cockpits can have disastrous consequences, and now the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has stepped in to keep pilots composed during crises. It has come out with a draft civil aviation requirement (CAR) detailing the periodic training needed for pilots with stress on the human behavioural element.

The draft has been sent to airlines and other stakeholders inviting comments by July. The move is part of the reforms the aviation regulator is aiming to bring after the Germanwings incident (where a copilot intentionally crashed the aircraft) and following the Federal Aviation Administration's upgrade of India after a brief downward rating citing lapses in supervision.

Sources said the move comes after it was found that airlines were not training crew to manage crises. "Regular training should be a common feature in pilot and cabin crew induction programmes. Several airlines conduct training stressing on the technical and operational aspects, and not on the psychological aspect," said an airline official.
06/06/15 V Ayyappan/Times of India

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Low jet fuel cost helps airlines cut losses

Mumbai: The Indian civil aviation sector continued to suffer from losses in 2014-15 with the airline industry estimated to have borne a loss of over Rs.7,000 crore, despite 35 per cent reduction in jet fuel cost during the year.

Had there been no respite from high jet fuel price, the industry could have sunk in the red. The significant drop in jet fuel prices enabled the industry to minimise its losses as compared to the previous year. Stringent cost cutting measures though helped in reducing losses.

Jet Airways reduced its net loss to Rs.2,097 crore from a net loss of Rs.4,130 crore in 2013-14. SpiceJet narrowed its loss to Rs.687 crore from a net loss of Rs.1,003 crore a year ago. The losses could have been more had SpiceJet continued its full operations and not benefitted from onetime gain of Rs.61 crore from an aircraft insurance claim.

Air India is expected to report a loss of Rs.4,300 crore for 2014-15 compared to a loss of around Rs.5,000 crore in the previous year. IndiGo, though yet to announce the result for 2014-15, is expected to report a profit. In 2013-14, the airline had reported a profit of Rs.317 crore.
06/06/15 Lalatendu Mishra/The Hindu

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