India has set a target of achieving net zero by 2070: Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal

 Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal on Wednesday said in Seoul that based upon realities and infrastructure constraints, "India has set a target of achieving net zero by year 2070".

The secretary of civil aviation was speaking at the Roundtable high-level discussion at International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Global Implementation Support Symposium 2023 at Seoul, South Korea.

According to the statement of Rajiv Bansal, the transition towards a lower carbon and Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) will be fundamental to achieving NetZero2050.

"The cycle for SAF production has to be supported by ICAO through its implementation and support policy. Based upon these realities and infrastructure constraints, India has set a target of achieving net zero by year 2070," Bansal said.

"In achieving the net zero goal, ICAO should continue to be guided by Common but Differentiated Responsibilities," he emphasized according to an official statement.

He said that the competition for biofuels from other sectors, especially road transport poses a challenge of prioritization.

31/05/2023 ANI/Economic Times

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Regulator DGCA simplifies process for heliport license approval

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has simplified the process for the grant of heliport license. The applications for NOC/Clearance to five external organizations that include the Ministry of Home and other ministers can be now routed through a single tab on the relevant portal.

DGCA grants heliport licenses to the heliports at the surface level as well as at elevated or rooftops of the buildings in compliance with aircraft rules.

Applicants desirous of obtaining a license or authorization are required to submit an online application to DGCA through the eGCA portal.

Earlier, before submitting the online applications, applicants were required to apply to the following five organizations through online or physical mode to obtain NOC or Clearance Ministry of Home, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Airport Authority of India and Local Administration.

The existing process has now been simplified and a separate tab has been provided in the applicant's eGCA profile.

31/05/2023 ANI/Economic Times

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Civil aviation ministry comes out with draft aircraft bill

New Delhi: The civil aviation ministry has come out with a draft bill for putting in place a simplified approach for regulations pertaining to the aviation sector.

The Draft Aircraft Bill, 2023, has been prepared after reviewing the existing Aircraft Act, 1934.

As per the preamble of the Draft Aircraft Bill, 2023, it aims to have an Act to make better provisions for regulation and control of the design, manufacture, possession, use, operation, sale, import and export of aircraft and for connected matters.

The bill has been issued by the ministry for public consultations for a period of 30 days, according to a communication dated May 30.

“The existing Aircraft Act, 1934 has been reviewed and accordingly a bill providing for regulating provisions in a simplified manner, identifying existing redundancies and to provide for provisions to meet the current needs for regulation of civil aviation in a simplified language...,” the ministry said.

According to the preamble, it is expedient to make better provisions for regulation and control of the design, manufacture, possession, use, operation, sale, import and export of aircraft and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, and to remove the redundancies in the Aircraft Act, 1934.

India is one of the fastest-growing civil aviation markets in the world.

31/05/2023 PTI/Tribune

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Tamil Nadu government plans to set up an aerospace industrial park in Sulur

 The state government is planning to set up an aerospace industrial park on 200 acres which will have access to the runway at Air Force Station in Sulur, making it an ideal hub for investments in maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO), official sources said.

TIDCO has floated a tender for identifying consultants for the preparation of a techno-economic feasibility report for the park.  Coimbatore, renowned as an engineering hub, has a robust ecosystem of enterprises involved in aerospace sector. Many of these companies are currently supplying components, equipment and subsystems to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Coimbatore also houses a base repair depot of Indian Air Force, further solidifying its credentials as a strategic aerospace hub. The proposed park is strategically located, which can attract investments from the future platform projects of HAL.

This comes at a time when the Union government has put forward a vision of achieving Rs 1,75,000 crore in aerospace and defence manufacturing and export of Rs 35,000 crore by 2025. One of the critical constraints in attracting investments in the sector is the lack of availability of infrastructure for growth of aerospace and defence industries. Establishment of this greenfield industrial park will provide the necessary infrastructure to the sector to grow and meet the increased demand, sources said.

The Indian aviation market is poised to become the third largest in the world by 2026 and this represents a significant growth in MRO market, sources said. Air India has placed an order of more than 800 new aircraft which shows the increasing requirement for domestic MROs in the country. The MRO market in India is expected to grow from $1.7 billion to $4 billion by 2031. Also, the synergy between civil and military MRO, which currently does not exist, is expected to be the norm in the future and enhance the demand of aircraft components, sources said.

30/05/2023 C Shivakumar/New Indian Express

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Go First and beyond: Is Indian aviation going the telecom way?

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The past few days have swung in a volatile manner for Go First. Things have come a long way for Go First – filing for voluntary bankruptcy, lessors seeking to repossess their planes, the airline being admitted to bankruptcy court, lessors being made to wait longer for their planes, and the carrier repeatedly postponing plans to restart operations.

With Go First out of action, airlines have started adding flights. In the case of Jet Airways, slot allocation had become a contentious issue. It was linked to capacity addition and SpiceJet and Vistara ended up taking Jet Airways’ planes from lessors. It turned out to be a win-win situation for the lessors and the airlines.

The latest reports indicate that Go First is not on the verge of starting. Contrary to earlier indications that flights would resume by the end of May, we are now in an unknown loop, one that often tends to end without a result. Historically, any airline that has suspended operations in India has never restarted.

This is also the closest that we are to fears about aviation gravitating towards a two-horse race – IndiGo commands an over 50 percent market share and airlines under the Tata umbrella have 30 percent, with the rest fragmented among other carriers.

Akasa Air is too small as of now and SpiceJet has been in a financial crunch over the past few years. The question now is how, if at all, the remaining 20 percent of the market will play out.

Aviation often gets compared to telecom, which started a golden egg-laying industry. However, a combination of self-goals, taxation, and low fares killed airlines, leaving behind only a handful, including a state-owned carrier.

Indian aviation was growing at 20 percent about a decade ago. The collapse of Jet Airways, the financial issues of SpiceJet, the pandemic, and now the Go First crisis have resulted in muted growth. Amid all this, though, there is a glimmer of hope – and that is around profitability.

30/05/2023 Ameya Joshi/Moneycontrol.com

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Airfares continue to soar after Go First shut operations

Go First's grounding has burnt a big hole in the pockets of air travellers with airfares seeing multi-fold spike ever since the airline shut operations. Some of the key routes that Go First operated on are seeing a very sharp surge.

CNBC-TV18 gathered prices from various booking sites at around 4 PM on May 30. The results show that if you are travelling on May 31 from Delhi to Leh, then be ready to shell out over Rs 36,000 per ticket. For Mumbai to Leh, the lowest fare is Rs 17,000 and highest is Rs 35,000 rupees. Delhi to Srinagar, a very popular Go First route is costing Rs 11,600 as the lowest fare and Rs 26,700 as the highest fare. Then Mumbai to Jammu, the lowest fare is Rs 10,800 and the highest is Rs 52,600. These are the highest ever rates seen on these routes.

Similarly, other routes like Delhi-Goa, Delhi-Patna, Mumbai-Patna, Mumbai-Varanasi and Mumbai-Chennai are also seeing a dramatic spike in airfares.

Go First, before suspending operations carried about 35,000 passengers daily. Now that the airline is shut, this traffic is being directed to other airlines. So a squeezed capacity and increasing demand is leading to airfares skyrocketing.

30/05/2023 Madeeha Mujawar/CNBC TV18

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Go First crisis: Fallout from the bankruptcy can be contagious for India's aviation sector

At a curtain-raiser recently to announce the next edition of Asia’s largest civil aviation event, Wings India 2024, Rémi Maillard, President of Airbus India and MD of South Asia, raised eyebrows when he described the Mumbai-based low-cost carrier (LCC) Go First’s bankruptcy filing as a “depressing development”. The event was attended, among others, by Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation, the entire top brass of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and members of the diplomatic corps. Maillard’s assessment was in sharp contrast to the usually bullish forecasts put out by the Toulouse-based plane-maker on India, the world’s fastest-growing aviation market.

Go First, which was operating with an all-Airbus fleet, filed an application for voluntary insolvency with the arbitrator, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on May 2, and suspended all flight operations, taking the global aviation industry by surprise. Promoted by the over 250-year-old Wadia Group, the airline has cited troubles with engine-maker Pratt & Whitney’s next-generation engines as the reason behind the grounding of its entire fleet. Soon after the news broke, experts told Business Today that the development might create a negative perception of the Indian aviation market. With more than 40 aircraft still on lease to Go First, leasing firms are literally waiting in the wings to repossess their aircraft.

Maillard believes that in the aftermath of the recent developments at Go First, the country’s regulations need to be in sync with international frameworks. “The industry hopes the Government of India will expedite the alignment of domestic laws with international conventions and treaties to ensure that the [aircraft] lessors’ confidence in the market does not dip.” Due to NCLT’s moratorium on Go First’s financial obligations and transfer of assets, lessors are unable to deregister and take back their aircraft. A plea by lessors challenging NCLT’s moratorium was dismissed by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). Now, leasing firms are expected to seek an urgent hearing by a vacation bench of the Supreme Court over fears of parts from their aircraft assets being cannibalised by the airline.

“The awfully long duration of the moratorium under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code is also in contrast with the provisions of the Aircraft Protocol of the Cape Town Convention. Questions are also being raised about India’s commitments to international obligations under the Convention, while it continues to be one of the riskiest jurisdictions in the world when it comes to aircraft leasing and financing,” says Ajay Kumar, Managing Partner at law firm KLA Legal. Even as this may result in Indian carriers paying a high-risk premium, it also puts a question mark on the country’s ambitions of making GIFT City near Ahmedabad a global aircraft leasing and financing hub.

25/05/2023 Manish Pant/Business Today

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IndiGo And Tata Group Airlines Now Control More Than 80% Of Indian Market

The early 2000s marked the beginning of a significant churn in Indian aviation. The dominance of a handful of full-service carriers (out of reach for most Indians) was about to be challenged by budget air travel.

Airlines, such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Go First (it was called GoAir back then), burst onto the scene, opening the floodgates for millions of first-time flyers nationwide. Even Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines were forced to launch low-cost brands such as Kingfisher Red and Jet Konnect.

The overwhelming sense prevailing in that era in India was that of democratization of air travel (to a great extent, if not entirely), where no single airline dominated the market, and airfares were kept competitive for passengers. But the latest data by the Indian regulator, the DGCA, suggests new dominant forces in an ever-evolving sector.

By now, the DGCA figures every month follow a predictable pattern, at least as far as airlines’ market share is concerned. Nobody is surprised by IndiGo commanding a presence of more than 50%, while other airlines remain primarily in the single digits.

But a close examination of these figures reveals an interesting trend. IndiGo is now in the region of the late 50s and inching towards the 60% mark, with a 57.5% market share in April. On the other hand, Air India, Vistara, and AirAsia India individually come nowhere close to IndiGo but collectively command a quarter of the Indian domestic market.

Currently, India’s domestic aviation is controlled by two forces – IndiGo on one side and the Tata Group airlines on the other. Together, they have a grasp over an eye-watering 82.4% of the Indian market.

Many are now wondering whether the aviation sector in the country is headed towards a duopoly. The term is being loosely thrown around for now because Vistara and Air India are technically still different airlines until their merger, and AirAsia India will eventually merge with Air India Express. But there’s little doubt that two power blocks dominate the Indian aviation space currently.

24/05/2023 Gaurav Joshi/Simple Flying

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FM Nirmala Sitharaman meets Boeing delegation, discusses India's aviation market potential

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had an interaction with a delegation from Boeing comprising their global senior leadership team, led by its president Salil Gupte.

Talking about India's journey towards becoming the third largest economy in the world, Sitharaman apprised the global aviation solutions group of the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the vision for the next 25 years -- Amrit Kaal, while leading India to mark 100 years of independence.

Referring to Amrit Kaal, she informed the US-headquartered group that the key focus of her Government is to benefit the citizens of India through the four "I"s - Investments, Infrastructure, Innovation, and Inclusivity.

In reference to the recent bulk order for aircraft placed by Indian companies, she stated that India's aerospace and the civil aviation market is on a high growth trajectory and also informed the group about aircraft leasing operations being undertaken by banks in Gujarat's GIFT City.

In the context of India's geographical advantage, she underlined India's focus on repositioning itself as a Maintenance and Repair Overhaul hub that can potentially serve the region from Europe to Africa to the Far East.

Also, she highlighted the opportunities available in India for relocating of companies in the form of not just a captive market but also the chance to be a hub for serving the region as a whole and it can be rewarding for companies from a business point of view.

24/05/2023 ANI/Economic Times

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Indian carriers not even carrying half the international traffic from India

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data on international traffic in the January-March quarter of 2023 threw up some interesting numbers. Indian carriers had a share of 43.86 percent of International traffic to and from India during the quarter.

This definitely is better than Q4-CY19, the last full quarter before the onset of COVID, when Indian carriers had a 39.2 percent share. That quarter was impacted by the loss of Jet Airways’ capacity. The airline had a sizable international presence and shut down in April 2019. In Q4 - CY18, Indian carriers had 40 percent of international traffic from and to India.

This was the fourth quarter after international services resumed in India post the COVID shutdown with traffic coming very close to pre-COVID levels. Traffic shifting towards Indian carriers is a good sign for the aviation industry in India, especially at a time when Air India has signed an MoU for a large deal with both Airbus and Boeing planes and IndiGo has time and again mentioned how it wants to focus more on international.

IndiGo continues to be the largest carrier ferrying international passengers in and out of India. The airline had 15.79 percent share in Q1 of 2023. It was followed by Air India at 12.6 percent. Interestingly, Emirates, which has been at the forefront of lobbying for more seats to India, was third and carried 9.21 percent of all traffic.

Air India Express, the low cost arm of Air India, which will also absorb AirAsia India by November this year, was fourth with 7.4 percent. This could go up significantly as the airline has only 24 aircraft and many more inductions are planned starting later this year. Singapore Airlines, which will have a 25.1 percent stake in Air India next March, stood fifth at 3.54 percent.

SpiceJet and Vistara were the other Indian carriers in the top 10 and stood in the seventh and eighth position. The West Asian trio of Qatar Airways (sixth), Air Arabia (ninth) and Etihad (tenth) completed the top 10 airlines carrying international traffic to and from India.

23/05/2023 Ameya Joshi/Moneycontrol.com

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Indian airline sector on to a smooth flight despite air pockets

 Chennai: Taking off with much fanfare and crash landing has been the regular feature one sees in the Indian aviation sector ever since it was opened up.

NEPC Airlines, Damania Airways, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Deccan Aviation, Paramount Airways, are some of the several 'aya rams and gaya rams' or those who came and went.

Not only did the airlines go down, they also took down the huge sums lent to them by the government owned banks as well as the investments made by public shareholders.

It is a different matter that State Bank of India (SBI) had lent thousands of crores to Kingfisher Airlines against trademarks/brand value.

For a long time Air India and Indian Airlines (later merged with Air India) were able to stay afloat as they were owned by the Indian government. Only recently the Tata group has acquired Air India.

Be that as it may, now two airlines are hitting the news pages for financial problems are -- Go Airlines (India) Ltd and SpiceJet Limited.

Belonging to the Wadia group's Go Airlines early this month voluntarily landed at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) with an insolvency petition which was later admitted an Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) got appointed.

The officials of Go Airlines said it was done to protect its fleet from being taken back by the lessors.

Go Airlines blamed the engine supplier Pratt & Whitney for its problems as nearly 50 per cent of its fleet of 54 aircraft is grounded due to engine faults and the latter refusing to supply spare engines.

On the other hand, the Ireland-based aircraft lessor Aircastle Ltd has moved the principal bench of NCLT to launch a bankruptcy process against the airline.

21/05/2023 Venkatachari Jagannathan/IANS/Daijiworld

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Arunachal Governor reviews air services in state

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen K T Parnaik on Friday reviewed the status of air operations in the state.

Addressing senior officers of the state’s civil aviation department, police, tourism, Airport Authority of India and private airline operators, at Raj Bhavan here, the governor said that air services are the lifeline of people in emergency and for easy travel in a short time especially in a hilly state like Arunachal Pradesh.

Parnaik exhorted the officials to have futuristic thinking and prepare themselves to cater to enhanced footfalls in the tourism sector in days to come.

He expressed serious concerns regarding encroachments at ALGs, shortage of trained manpower and technical issues in flight operations, a Raj Bhawan official said.

Parnaik said he will be taking up these issues, particularly new projects under “Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik” Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN-RCS) with the Union ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Defence.

The governor also reviewed air operations and development of the Donyi Polo Airport, near here besides, issues related to airports, advanced landing grounds and inner line permits at airports.

19/05/2023 Arunachal Observer

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Why Go First crisis could increase cost of air travel in India

The admission of beleaguered low-cost airline Go First’s voluntary insolvency plea by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has upset global aircraft lessors – a development that could significantly increase the cost of operations for airlines, and subsequently increase the cost of flying.

Following the NCLT’s decision to accept Go First’s voluntary insolvency plea, the world’s second-largest aircraft lessor, SMBC Aviation Capital, wrote a letter to the tribunal, saying that lessors and international aircraft owners see India as a risky jurisdiction for aircraft leasing”.

It also warned that India’s decision to block leasing firms from reclaiming Go First planes will “jolt” the market and spark a confidence crisis, as per legal papers seen by news agency Reuters.

The statement came at a time when lessors have put in at least 50 requests to take back leased plans from two Indian airlines.

Lessors have filed petitions seeking to enforce rights under international norms and also said the development could spike risk premiums for leasing aircraft for domestic carriers operating in India.

While Go First’s insolvency and subsequent moratorium have put aircraft lessors in jeopardy, it could actually turn out to be worse for other domestic carriers operating in India and passengers.

The demand for air travel in India, which is the world’s third-largest aviation market, has seen a massive spike after the Covid-19 pandemic, and airlines operating in the country are falling short of aircraft to meet the demand.

As of now, Indian carriers have around 700 planes, and most of the commercial aircraft in the country are operated through a sale and lease-back model. The Go First episode, however, has triggered a sense of panic among lessors who have been left in the lurch.

16/05/2023 India Today

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Indian Airlines To Cut Down Losses With Pricing Discipline, Healthy Passenger Traffic

The Indian airline industry is likely to cut down its losses to about Rs 50-70 billion in FY24, owing to healthy passenger traffic and the ability to shore up their yields, ratings agency ICRA said in a sectoral report. Owing to an elevated aviation turbine fuel (ATF) price coupled with the depreciation of Indian rupee against the US dollar, the Indian airline industry reported a net loss of about Rs 110-130 billion FY23, it said. However, the loss figure is much lower than the net loss of about Rs 235 billion in FY2022.

ICRA`s earlier estimated net loss of Rs 150-170 billion in FY2023, primarily driven by improved ability of the airlines to shore up their yields without impacting demand.

The net loss is further expected to reduce to Rs 50-70 billion in FY24 as airlines continue to witness healthy passenger traffic growth and pricing discipline.

According to the report, the pace of recovery in industry earnings will be gradual owing to the high fixed-cost nature of the business.

On the financial strength of the players, the ICRA said some airlines have adequate liquidity and/or financial support from a strong parent, which can help them sustain over the near term, for others, the credit metrics and liquidity profile will remain under stress over the near term, though better than over the past few years.

The credit rating agency said capacity addition in FY23 has been limited to around 10 per cent of the FY22 fleet of airlines, which was close to around 700 aircraft.

16/05/2023 IANS/ZeeNews

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Go First crisis could make it harder for airlines to secure loans: Report

Airlines operating in India could find it hard to secure loans from banks and financial institutions in the wake of Go First’s voluntary insolvency plea, which was recently admitted by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

The initiation of the insolvency proceedings against the cash-strapped airline means that it has secured protection under a moratorium against aircraft lessors and financial creditors.

While banks had already grown cautious about lending to the aviation sector after Jet Airways was grounded in 2019, the fresh Go First episode has led to more panic among lenders.

Lenders are now asking for increased collateral or promoters to pledge more personal holdings to access loans for lending to airlines, reported the Economic Times quoting airline executives.

The sources quoted in the report said the creditworthiness of the sector improved after Tata Group acquired Air India and consistent performance from IndiGo, but the bankruptcy filing by Go First has offset the gains.

The chief financial officer of an airline told the publication that such recurrent failure of companies “dents the entire creditworthiness of the aviation industry”.

Go First had filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, citing a severe cash crunch triggered by faulty engines supplied by US engine maker Pratt & Whitney. The airline has liabilities to the tune of over Rs 11,000 crore.

16/05/2023 India Today

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Go First crisis could make it harder for airlines to secure loans: Report

Airlines operating in India could find it hard to secure loans from banks and financial institutions in the wake of Go First’s voluntary insolvency plea, which was recently admitted by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

The initiation of the insolvency proceedings against the cash-strapped airline means that it has secured protection under a moratorium against aircraft lessors and financial creditors.

While banks had already grown cautious about lending to the aviation sector after Jet Airways was grounded in 2019, the fresh Go First episode has led to more panic among lenders.

Lenders are now asking for increased collateral or promoters to pledge more personal holdings to access loans for lending to airlines, reported the Economic Times quoting airline executives.

The sources quoted in the report said the creditworthiness of the sector improved after Tata Group acquired Air India and consistent performance from IndiGo, but the bankruptcy filing by Go First has offset the gains.

16/05/2023 India Today

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Meet VK Mathews, IITian who quit high-paying job in Dubai with perks like villa, luxury cars to build Rs 11500 cr biz

VK Mathews’ aviation industry giant IBS Software has been valued at around $1.4 billion (over Rs 11,500 crore) with Apax Funds set to acquire Blackstone’s minority stake of 32 percent for $450 million. Over 25 years ago, the entrepreneur left what would be termed a ‘dream job’, filled with the riches Dubai has to offer, to start a small IT business in India.

Valayil Korath Mathews has an interesting career trajectory. Born in Kizhakkambalam village of Kerala, he is the son of one of Federal Bank’s founding managers. After schooling and graduation in home state Kerala, Mathews pursued PG in Aeronautical Engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. 

He started his career as a computer science teacher at the Indian Army’s military college in 1980. Mathews soon realised that teaching was not for him and joined Air India as a systems analyst. He then moved to Dubai’s Emirates airline in 1983, where he rose over a career of more than a decade to become their youngest IT head aged just 39.

Not even 40, Mathews enjoys a dream lifestyle and career in the rich oasis of Dubai. He, wife Latha and two children resided in an exquisite villa. Major expenses like children’s education were paid by his company. Mathews could choose between luxury cars like Mercedes, Lincoln and BMW in his top job. While many would have stayed, Mathews quit all the good fortune and decided to take the risk of his life. 

16/05/2023 DNA

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Is IAF’s entire MiG-21 fleet facing ‘May Day’ call?

Yelling ‘May Day’ thrice is the universally accepted and followed ultimate distress call of an airborne aircraft’s pilot-in-command. The recent MiG-21 crash in Rajasthan — in which the pilot ejected but three civilians on the ground were killed — has renewed criticism that the aircraft is a relic of the past and a ‘flying coffin’, as if henceforth there will be ‘May Day’ calls for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) entire MiG-21 fleet which still consists of six squadrons of the Bison variant (Military Balance, 2022, published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies).

It is deplorable to use the expression ‘flying coffin’ as it will demoralise the fliers and associate staff of the operational MiG-21 Bisons. The importance of MiG-21 for the IAF must be understood in the wider perspective rather than jumping to conclusions.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the IAF had 41-plus operational squadrons which virtually constituted its sanctioned strength of 42. There were “31 fighter ground attack and nine multi-role fighter squadrons” and one-plus squadron of electronic-counter-measure jet aircraft (Military Balance, 2001-02). The point to note is that 33 out of 41 fighter units were variants of MiG-21, 23, 27 and 29 only.

Thus, when more than 80 per cent of the fighters of an air force are of the same origin, those must be flying the most for training and operations also. Moreover, the understanding and spirit of cooperation that Moscow and Delhi developed over the years was somehow completely missed by the West’s monumental politico-diplomatic and geopolitical misjudgment in the 1960s and till the 1971 India-Pakistan war and beyond, up to the end of the 20th century.

Obviously, whereas the West missed the opportunity to woo the South Asian giant, Moscow succeeded in receiving Delhi’s reciprocal support in ample quantity and quality despite the then Soviet Union’s 1989 retreat from Afghanistan.

Regrettably, what the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had successfully done pertaining to India’s defence, diplomacy and development, none of her successors could sustain it the way it should have been done. The need for fresh ideas to progress with the fast-changing and unfolding global power politics (with the rise and fall of several established nations) by changing one’s approach to the IAF was missed by New Delhi.

16/05/2023 Abhijit Bhattacharyya/Tribune

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Indian aviation market ‘booming’; keen to expand codeshare routes with IndiGo

Bullish on the “booming” Indian aviation market, European airline major Air France-KLM is keen to expand routes and capacity as well as increase its codeshare routes with IndiGo, according to senior executives.

Air France-KLM, which has increased its seat capacity by 22 per cent compared to 2022, operates up to 46 weekly flights connecting four Indian cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.

“We want to increase capacity, routes… We would like to expand with IndiGo… the ambition is to do more international (flights),” Claude Sarre, General Manager – India subcontinent at Air France-KLM, told PTI.

Plans are under discussion in this regard, he added.

Codesharing allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide seamless travel to destinations where it has no presence.

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets and Air France KLM Group recorded passenger traffic of one million on Indian routes in 2022.

Post the coronavirus pandemic, Sarre said air traffic demand is increasing and that the “aviation industry is booming in India”.

Earlier this week, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines introduced the ‘premium comfort class’ on flights between various Indian cities and Amsterdam.

15/05/2023 PTI/Financial Express

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Lessons from Go First crisis — setback temporary, but cash-guzzling sector unforgiving to airlines

New Delhi: India’s aviation industry has seen contrasting developments in the past few weeks. Towards the end of April, it soared to new heights, achieving the highest-ever single-day domestic air traffic. Just a few days later, budget airline Go First filed for insolvency in a surprise move. While experts feel that the Go First insolvency will not hinder the country’s aviation growth story, thanks to the robust demand and strength of the Indian economy, the industry continues to battle numerous hurdles. Read what they are >>

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Ensure broke airlines don't forcibly retain unpaid pilots under garb of notice period: FIP SOS to govt

New Delhi: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has requested the government to enable pilots of financially “distressed” airlines that “are not in a position to pay salaries” to leave without the notice period requirement as per DGCA rules being applied on them. Pilots say that a breach of contract by the employer when the company fails to pay salaries on time month after month should release them from notice period requirement too.

Citing the case of Go First which cancelled has all flights since May 3 and stares at an uncertain future in terms of resuming operations, FIP president Captain Surinder Mehta on Monday wrote to Union aviation minister J M Scindia, saying: “The DGCA (rule) pertaining to notice period by pilots was challenged by us and (has been) temporarily set aside by the Delhi High Court. Yet the (DGCA rule) continues to be misused and misinterpreted by some organisations. This has a lot of serious ramifications and has created a cloud of anxiety on the pilots of financially unsound airlines. The DGCA appears to have turned a blind eye towards airlines that continue to exploit pilots by making them work without pay or reduced pay. This is creating a very stressful environment that effects flight safety.”

Citing the case of Go First which has cancelled all flights since May 3 and faces an uncertain future in terms of resuming operations, the letter says: “It is reliably learnt from our members who are Go First pilots that (the airline) has not yet paid its pilots their April 2023 salary and has not provided a firm date for payments. (Go First’s) operational readiness remains uncertain. Go First is not issuing the to pilots who have resigned earlier or presently obtained employment since it stopped operations: no objection certificates (NOC) to pilots who have resigned; experience certificate; no dues certificate; attestation of logbooks (inspite of it being a statutory requirement).”

This “creates a barrier to free movement of pilots creating pressure on schedules and rosters of airlines that require more pilots. This hampers growth of the aviation market which is one of the biggest drivers of India’s economy and the nation’s infrastructure story. Creates a loss of earnings/livelihood to large numbers of licenced personnel-some of whom may act in desperation and cause undesirable situations,” it adds.

15/05/2023 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Manipur violence: Assam Rifles rescues 96 people in air evacuation

Chandel: The Assam Rifles on Monday rescued 96 people stranded in violence-hit Manipur near the India-Myanmar border in an air evacuation operation.

Normalcy is slowly returning to Manipur after the violence which left 70 people dead and 1,700 houses burnt down.

All 96 people were rehabilitated at Assam Rifles Camp.

Owing to the remoteness of Assam Rifles Camp and keeping the comfort of the locals supreme, air evacuation using Air Force MI 17 helicopters was considered inescapable.

Security, medical, food, accommodation and telecommunication needs for interaction with their kith and kin back home were met during the stay with Assam Rifles.

In another operation, Assam Rifles rescued 45 visually impaired students and supporting staff of Mission Blind School, Kakching, amidst the clashes in Manipur in the first week of May.

The public relations officer (Defence), Kohima and Imphal said that based on the request of K Parenag Kom, Principal of Mission Blind School, one security column of Assam Rifles was launched to rescue the stranded visually impaired children and supporting staff.

"They were safely extricated and escorted to Kakching garrison where they were provided solace, food and shelter. Finally, Assam Rifles in coordination with family members took the initiative of despatching these children back to their homes safely through dedicated columns on May 13," the PRO said.

15/05/2023 ANI/DT Next

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No Funding Crunch, India’s LCA Tejas MK2 ‘In A Limbo’ Over ToT Approval; PM Modi’s US Visit Could Seal The Deal

The development of India’s indigenous LCA Mk2 fighter jets will begin after ToT (transfer of technology) is signed with the US engine manufacturing company GE Aviation.

Next month’s visit of Prime Narendra Modi to the White House is likely to churn the momentum of the deal, EurAsian Times has learned.

India’s medium-weight fighter (MWF), LCA Mk2, is an advanced version of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A, which is being used by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The LCA Tejas series has been designed and developed by India’s government subsidiary Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), in active participation with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). LCA jets are manufactured in the Bengaluru facility of HAL.

Last year in September (2022), Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved a sum of Rs 10,000 crore ($1.2B) for the development of the LCA Tejas MK2 project, which included prototype development and flight testing.

“This sum for the LCA MK2 project was sanctioned from the Defence Budget of the Ministry of Defence (MoD)”, said a top functionary involved in the project. “So there has been no crunch of funds, but the issue which has stalled the project is 100 percent Transfer of Technology (TOT) of the GE 414 engines from the US”, a top source linked to Tejas MK2 program told EurAsian Times.

LCA Mk2 is pitched to be 4.5 generation aircraft with a weight heavier than the LCA Mk1A. With a weight of 7.8 tons, LCA Mk2 is slated to carry a payload (weapons) of 6.5 tonnes.

14/05/2023 EurAsiaTimes

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April saw 17% increase in domestic flyer traffic over pre-Covid figure

Mumbai: Domestic air passenger traffic for the month of April is estimated to be around 1.3 crore, about 17% higher than the pre-Covid passenger volume of 1.1 crore registered in April 2019, according to the monthly traffic report released by credit rating agency ICRA on Friday. Year-on-year domestic passenger traffic saw a huge jump as only 1.05 crore passengers flew in April 2022 as the travel industry reeled under the impact of the Covid third wave.

However, when it comes to pre-Covid domestic flyer traffic, it is pertinent to note that Jet Airways had started to reduce its flight operations over the months leading to April 2019 before suspending all operations on April 17 that year.

ICRA stated, “Airlines’ capacity deployment in April 2023 was higher by about 8% than in April 2022 and about 9% higher than pre-Covid levels of April 2019. It is estimated that the domestic aviation industry operated at a passenger load factor of about 91% in April 2023, against 81% in April 2022 and 88% in April 2019.”

“Despite a healthy recovery in passenger traffic, the domestic aviation industry continues to face challenges on account of elevated aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices and depreciation of the Indian rupee vis-à-vis the US dollar compared to the pre-Covid era, both of which have a major bearing on the airlines’ cost structure,” the report said, adding, “While ATF prices have witnessed a sequential decline over the past four months, they still remain at elevated levels as compared to the pre-Covid era. The airlines’ efforts to ensure fare hikes proportionate to their input cost increases will be key to expanding their profitability margins.”

13/05/2023 Times of India

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Pune’s first encounter with an aircraft: The day in 1919 when the Nighthawk lit up the skies

On the afternoon of December 21, 1919, the people of Pune (then Poona) witnessed a great novelty. That Sunday, thousands of residents saw an aeroplane in action for the first time, leaving them thrilled, mesmerised and enraptured with this flying machine – although it had the capacity to accommodate just two people.

Developed in Britain for military use and later modified as a commercial flyer, the Nighthawk was sent to India along with a couple of pilots to gauge if there was a market for aircraft here.

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Domestic airlines step up hiring across verticals to support ambitious expansion plans

Despite the Go First insolvency, the airline industry is upbeat on hiring in big numbers with a focus on niche skills. Currently, there are around 1,000-8,000 active white-collar job vacancies with aviation-specific roles, data from various staffing firms showed.

The most sought-after roles include aviation engineers, customer engagement, and administrative staff, among others.

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'India fastest growing but also one of the most challenging civil aviation markets; should give lessors' more comfort,' says Boeing

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New Delhi: US aerospace major Boeing has requested India to "fully ratify" the Cape Town Convention (CTC) which allows lessors' to easily repossess their aircraft from defaulting on rentals and defunct airlines. Boeing India president Salil Gupte said here Friday that once that happens, "lessors will get more comfort. We are trying to mitigate CTC concerns (for India) by pushing for full ratification to happen here. We encourage the aviation ministry to progress that legislation and help resolve this situation (lessors' distrust)."

NCLT granting Go First's plea for voluntary insolvency has given the airline protection from assets in its possession - like aircraft and airport slots - being taken away for at least six months. Lessors had last week applied to get 45 of Go First's 54 de-registered so that they could repossess them but now the same can't happen, sparking concerns in the leasing industry for India. While India is a signatory to the Cape Town Convention, the bankruptcy law takes precedence over the same.

This is not the only challenge seen in the world's fastest growing aviation market that is plagued by very high operating costs for airlines, thereby having leading to few financially viable or well-capitalised carriers.

Boeing MD (marketing) David Schulte said: "India is one of the most challenging markets for civil aviation. There are three main challenges." First, he said is the "highest cost of jet fuel" (globally) for domestic flights.

12/05/2023 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Indian Airlines Are Vying For Go First Pilots

One of the many challenges in front of Go First these days is to bring back the confidence among employees about the company's future. While the budget carrier had a breather after receiving bankruptcy protection, recent reports of its pilots getting offer letters from other airlines have also surfaced.

Given the scale of growth projected in Indian aviation, airlines are perpetually looking for experienced cockpit and cabin crew. Go First’s current troubles have made hundreds of its pilots try their luck with other airlines, despite the carrier suggesting that it plans to restart operations in the near future.

A senior airline executive told Mint that Air India has made offers to more than 200 offers in the first three days of its recent recruitment drive. Many are presumed to be Go First pilots. They have also reportedly been offered salaries at par with Air India pilots for similar experience.

The report also says that IndiGo and Akasa are also vying for the same pool of pilots and have stepped up recruitment drives. IndiGo, in particular, stands to gain as it also operates the same aircraft type as Go First – the Airbus A320. The report quotes a Go First pilot as saying,

“Airline officials were asking pilots to reconsider their plans to exit the airline and are asking them to wait 1-2 months before taking such a step. Most pilots are already serious about leaving the company as soon as they get good offers as April salaries still haven’t come and they have monthly dues and family expenses to take care of.”

Meanwhile, Go First is in talks with the government to discuss plans for flight resumption. After the airline received bankruptcy protection, the airline’s CEO, Kaushik Khona, said that they can now take a decision on the revival of the airline.

11/05/2023 Gaurav Joshi/Simple Flying

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