India to become third largest air passenger market by 2040: Report

India will become the third largest aviation passenger market by 2040 behind China, and US, according to 2019 World Traffic Forecasts released by the Airport Council International (ACI) World, a non-profit organization representing the world’s airports, on Wednesday.
China, expected to overtake the US as the largest passenger market in 2031, is likely to have 3.5 billion passengers and an 18 per cent share of the global passenger market by 2040. India is expected to overtake Japan by 2020 as the third largest market in the world.
US and India are projected to have 2.9 and 1.3 billion air passengers by 2040. Together, these three countries will handle almost 40 per cent of the global passenger traffic, the report said.
 Compiled from passenger traffic, cargo traffic, aircraft movement from 110 markets, the World Airport Traffic Forecasts report showed that passenger traffic worldwide is expected to double from 8.8 billion in 2018 to 17 billion passengers by 2037 and is expected to touch 19.7 billion at the rate of 3.7 per cent annual growth rate by 2040. According to the research, around 150 million people are currently living on land that will be below the high-tide line by mid-century.
31/10/19 Satish Nandagaonkar/Bangalore Mirror

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Modi's AI One 'Not Subject To Our Provisions,' Says ICAO As It 'Acknowledges' India's Complaint

New Delhi: The International Civil Aviation Organisation, the United Nations global watchdog, has reacted to India’s complaint against Pakistan over alleged violation of airspace rule and it is not exactly what New Delhi was looking for. According to Press Trust of India, ICAO has simply stated that it cannot look into the matter as the aircraft involved in the incident does not fall under its provision. Simply stated, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Air India One is considered by the ICAO as the state aircraft. Whereas the rules stipulate that cooperation over airspace is mandatory for civil aircraft. However, New Delhi’s battle is not completely lost. A Times of India report said that the ICAO has not only ‘acknowledged’ India’s complaint but also sought information from Pakistan.

"The Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), which ICAO helps governments to cooperate under, only applies to the operations of civilian aircraft and not to state or military aircraft," the ICAO spokesperson said. "Flights carrying national leaders are considered state aircraft, and are therefore not subject to ICAO provisions," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by PTI.

Angry over Pakistan’s denial of its airspace to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flight to Saudi Arabia, India took up its neighbour to global aviation watchdog ICAO on Monday. India said that by continuously denying its airspace, Pakistan is violating the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s accepted global practices. Overflight clearances are sought and granted by other countries as prescribed by the ICAO guidelines. On Sunday, Pakistan had denied India's request to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi's VVIP flight to use its airspace for his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, citing the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan has decided not to allow Prime Minister Modi to use the country's airspace, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. He said the decision has been taken in context of the "black day" and in view of the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, it added.
29/10/19 News Nation

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13 employees of airlines, airports failed alcohol test since Sep 16 : DGCA official

New Delhi: Thirteen employees of airlines and airports have failed breath analyser tests since September 16 and they have been suspended for three months, a DGCA official said on Monday.

Seven employees of IndiGo, and one airside worker each of GoAir and SpiceJet have failed the alcohol tests since the rules were issued, the official said.

The aviation regulator in September had issued rules for the tests to be conducted at all airports for airside workers, including those handling aircraft maintenance, air traffic control (ATC) and ground handling services.
28/10/19 PTI/India Today

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Domestic holiday season air ticket sales may see tepid growth

Airline ticket sales for domestic travel during the forthcoming holiday season are likely to see tepid growth this year, due to subdued consumer demand, according to industry experts. Online travel aggregators (OTA) have already observed flat growth in volumes of domestic ticket sales during the Diwali period.

Online booking portal Cleartrip has seen slowdown in the volume growth of advance bookings for Diwali. In 2019, the OTA’s 60-day advance booking volumes for Diwali were up 15% from a year ago, while in 2018, volumes for 60-day advance bookings were 22% higher than in 2017, said Balu Ramachandran, senior vice-president, Cleartrip. “This year, the (60-day) advance purchase pricing has been significantly more expensive than the closing pricing (of 15 days leading up to Diwali). The advance pricing for Diwali period has also been significantly higher, than that of a year ago… this could have impacted volumes,” Ramachandran said. The 60-day advance air fares increased by 15% for Diwali this year, compared with 2018, while prices had risen by 6% last year compared with 2017, Ramachandran said.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from MakeMyTrip indicated that domestic booking volumes so far have shown flat growth for the October-December period, following a similar booking pattern as the previous year. “Given the strong headwinds faced by the Indian aviation industry, there has been a trickle-down effect on the fares of domestic routes that are currently priced 15% higher than last year, for the winter season (October-December)… Among popular routes, Delhi to Bangalore has seen a 70% year-on-year increase in airfares,” the spokesperson said.
28/10/19 Anwesha Ganguly/Financial Express

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Surf net in Indian skies from early 2020 with Inmarsat 'Global Xpress'

New Delhi: From next year foreign airlines with onboard WiFi flying to, from and over India will be able to offer passengers inflight connectivity along with desi airlines that choose to offer this service on their aircraft to both domestic and international travellers. Inmarsat, a leading provider of global mobile satellite communications which has tied up with BSNL, is going to offer its “Global Xpress” (GX) services in Indian skies from early 2020.

This will mean foreign carriers like Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, United and Lufthansa — that currently switch off their onboard WiFi over Indian airspace — can continue to keep passengers connected here too. Indian carriers that choose to offer this facility can do so for both domestic and international passengers. So far only on SpiceJet’s grounded Boeing 737 Max have the equipment for onboard WiFi and Vistara’s Dreamliner Boeing 787s are likely to come loaded with that when their induction begins in a few weeks.
Apart from Inmarsat-BSNL, an Airtel subsidiary has also got the “in-flight and maritime connectivity” (IFMC) license from department of telecommunications (DoT). Airtel did not comment on when it plans to start that service. Both Indian and foreign airlines will need to take connectivity from a licensed Indian player, with Inmarsat-BSNL likely to be first to go live next year.

“Inmarsat is looking forward to providing Global Xpress services over Indian skies for both domestic and overflight customers from early next year. We are working closely with our Indian partners, in accordance with the nation’s in-flight and maritime connectivity policy, to do so,” Inmarsat spokesman Matthew Knowles told TOI from London.
26/10/19 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Diwali rush home drives air fares

Air fares to Calcutta are soaring this Diwali after a slump during Durga Puja.

Calcutta: Last-minute fares for flights to Calcutta from Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore surged four to five times on Friday and Saturday as tens of thousands of people working outside are returning home for the festival of lights.

Travel portals showed on Friday evening that the one-way fare from Bangalore to Calcutta for a late night flight on Friday was around Rs 39,000.

The average one-way fare in the sector varies between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000.

The one-way fare from Mumbai to Calcutta on Friday night was almost Rs 26,000, compared with the usual fare of around Rs 5,000.

Even those who had booked well in advance felt the Diwali pinch.

South Calcutta resident Atreyi (surname withheld), who works in Mumbai, returned home for Diwali on Friday night on an IndiGo flight.

She had to pay Rs 20,000 when she booked the return ticket in July. The return fare on the Calcutta-Mumbai route is usually around Rs 10,000.

A Calcuttan now living in Bangalore said two of his friends were planning to visit home with families on Diwali. But with the fares shooting up, they deferred the visit.

“Business is not good. They didn’t want to spend around Rs 50,000 for the home trip,” the Calcuttan said.

“Business was bad during Durga Puja. It was much lower than expected. And it continues to be so. But for this weekend, the demand has gone up and most of our flights are full,” said a SpiceJet official.

He, however, cautioned that there was hardly any demand for tickets in the post-Diwali period.

“There are some who prefer to travel between Puja and Diwali. But this year only a small number of them travelled,” he said.

In the Calcutta-Bangkok sector, which has been evergreen for the aviation industry, the return fare for the weekend was around around Rs 11,000 on some flights, said sources.

One IndiGo airline official said business was 20 per cent down compared with last year. “The yield has gone down significantly,” he said. “The fare surge during Diwali would provide some boost to the industry.”
26/10/19 Sanjay Mandal/Telegraph

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US interested to provide aircraft ecosystem to India

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US interested to provide aircraft ecosystem to India
New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) The United States is interested in providing an entire fighter aircraft ecosystem to India, the country''s Under-Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD), Ellen Lord said in New Delhi on Thursday.

Lord was in New Delhi for the ninth group meeting of the India-US Defence Technologies and Trade Initiative (DTTI), a pact signed between the two countries in 2012 for co-development and joint manufacturing of defence products.

"With the fighter jet programme, we are very, very interested in providing an entire fighter aircraft ecosystem to India where we not only bring in aircraft but also bring in training and sustainment for the whole lifecycle which we believe we can offer to the Indian government," said Lord.

Lord also said that a project for co-developing jet engines under the Jet Engine Technology Joint Working Group between the two countries has been suspended right now.

"We could not come to an understanding as to what exportable technology would be useful to Indians. That being said, there is an enormous amount of aircraft technology on which we could work on together," Lord added.

She said a variety of projects are under discussion between the two countries under the DTTI which include three short-term projects, two mid-term projects and two long-term projects. These projects range from small unmanned aerial systems to light weight small arms technology and the Virtual Augmented Mixed Reality for Aircraft Maintenance (VAMRAM) system.

Addressing a roundtable in New Delhi, she announced that the US and India have agreed to a joint statement of intent (SOI) that will deepen defence technology cooperation, and inter-operability consistent with the shared national security interests and national laws of both countries.

"Further, the SOI outlines the need for detailed planning and measurable progress on specific short, middle, and long term DTTI projects that are identified in the document. This demonstrates how DTTI is making progress and that both sides are fully committed to it," she said.
24/10/19 IANS/Outlook

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Slowdown casts shadow on festive air travel demand

New Delhi: The long spell of economic slowdown has hit the airline sector with air travel demand remaining tepid even in the ongoing festive season.

Official data shows the number of passengers carried by domestic airlines have been on downward path month after month despite attractive deals by the carriers across its network.

Aviation experts blamed low business activity, muted consumer sentiment and closure of Jet Airways as main reasons for the lower number of passengers flying. They pointed out that despite the peak winter season, ticket prices have not gone up much and airlines are coming out with flash sales.

Low-cost airline GoAir last week announced a pre-Diwali 24-hour super saver deal offering tickets for as low as Rs 1,296 onwards (inclusive of taxes) for various routes across its network.

"The demand is certainly low this festive season but airlines have been able to hold on to fares because Jet Airways'' exit from the market has left the other airlines with enough people to fill in. Right now, sentiments are quite down. People are not buying cars, clothes etc and cutting down their discretionary spending," said Rajan Mehra, CEO of Club One Air and former India head of Qatar Airways.

"Because of Jet''s downfall, the current players have not been affected so much," Mehra added.
24/10/19 IANS/Outlook

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Indian airlines to slip into loss in Q2 on jet fuel cost, weakening rupee

New Delhi: A bitter fare war coupled with increase in expenses will push several Indian airlines into losses in the second quarter.
The higher expenses are on account of an increase in the price of jet fuel and weakening of the Indian rupee against the US dollar.
While fuel cost is the single largest cost head for airlines, a weaker rupee translates to higher maintenance outgo, increase in lease costs and interest payment on foreign currency-denominated loans. These costs account for over two-thirds of sales.
“The impact of on loss due to depreciation of rupee on the lease liability could be as high as Rs 420 crore and Rs 180 crore for SpiceJet,” according to an estimate by brokerage firm ICICI Securities.
While the July-September period is a period when demand is weaker, what is compounding the woes of airline executives is that the competition between the airlines to provide low fare has continued even in the first week of October which is peak festive season. “Even during the days of Durga Puja tickets to Kolkata were being priced at Rs 5,000 or Rs 6,500. This is an all-time low and unheard of,” a senior airline executive said.
Analysts are of the view that the supernormal profit of the first quarter due to the grounding of Jet Airways was an aberration. The capacity situation has now normalised.
24/10/19 Arindam Majumder/Business Standard

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India, UAE set to discuss bilateral air traffic rights

India is understood to have invited UAE civil aviation authorities for discussions on bilateral air traffic rights. This followed request by UAE authorities on expanding bilateral air seat capacities between the two countries.
The meeting, which is also expected to discuss the issue of re-designation of flights, is scheduled for today (Wednesday), according to a report in New Indian Express.
Civil Aviation ministry spokesperson did not immediately respond to Arabian Business’ query on this.
Under the existing bilateral rights, carriers from India and the UAE can fly a total of 134,441 aircraft seats a week, each way.
UAE and some other Middle East countries have been requesting New Delhi for review of their respective bilateral air service agreements, under which weekly air seat capacities as also designated airports are decided between the two countries.
So far, India has been reluctant to expand bilateral flying rights with UAE.
Indian carriers are also said to be not in favour of expanding air capacities between the two countries, mainly on apprehension that UAE-based carriers could gain most from this as they could manage to get prime slots for landing and take off in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other airports in their country.
23/10/19 James Mathew/Arabian Business

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Government To Continue With Privatization In Aviation Sector

Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, today said that the government will continue with privatisation in the aviation sector and more airports will be privatised soon. Speaking at the 'Smart Safe Secure Skies', organised by FICCI jointly with Thales, Padhee said the Indian civil aviation sector is growing at a rapid pace and is attracting a lot of investment, particularly from the private sector.

With just 7% penetration in a country of 1.2 billion, Padhee added that about 300 million to 400 million middle class in India are still waiting to fly. Just one ticket per passenger in a year will take India ahead of the UK, the world's third-largest civil aviation market. She noted further that the sector, which faces competing demands from its different stakeholders, needs the ecosystem to work as one integrated model.
22/10/19 Capital Market/Business Standard

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Advocacy groups outline hurdles for disabled in India

Kolkata: The recent humiliation of two disability rights activists at Kolkata airport has led to much hue and cry, but advocacy groups say such experiences are common with accessibility issues, non-implementation of laws and policies and lack of sensitisation of on-ground personnel still posing serious hurdles for the disabled in the country.

The facilities continue to be inadequate at public places such as railway stations and airports, or during train, road or air travel even over two years after the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, came into force following a two-decade long effort.

Organisations campaigning for the cause of the disabled feel it is high time the Central and state governments act with firmness as the country, as per the 2011 Census, has a huge 2.2 crore people with various forms of disability -- the largest in the world, and more than the current total population of neighbouring Sri Lanka.

"Unofficial estimates, however, put the figures at 5 crore," Shuvojit Moulik, founder of Civiiian Welfare Foundation, told IANS.

He said the main problem for the disabled in public places is accessibility.

At airports, though it is mandatory to have one person per airline with skills in sign language to help out the hearing impaired people, they are virtually non-existent.

On the contrary, people with artificial legs like the Jaipur Foot are often asked during security check why they are wearing them instead of using a wheelchair, said Moulik.

Shampa Sengupta, Director of the advocacy group Sruti Disability Rights Centre, was present at the Kolkata airport on Sunday when Kuhu Das, a polio survivor, was told to open her callipers by a woman CISF officer so that they could be put through the scanner.

When Das said she would have to take off her trousers for that, the officer called her colleague, who said they "have never encountered such a person".

A second incident took place in which a private airline was not allowing Jija Ghosh, who has cerebral palsy, to travel alone.

Ironically, the two activists, Sengupta and another colleague were bound for Delhi to attend an interaction on disability related issues.

After the incidents triggered protests, the airport authorities issued an unconditional public apology, promising to take up the matter strongly "with concerned teams".

"See, CISF is a security force trained under the Indian government. The said airlines is a private entity. But both behaved similarly because they didn''t know how to handle persons with disability. That''s because no training has been imparted, so the skills are not there.

"There should be regular orientation programmes for the CISF and all other groundstaff, as also for the plane crew," Sengupta told IANS.
23/10/19 IANS/Outlook

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194 Out The Door: Pipistrel Completes Indian Trainer Deliveries

All of the 194 aircraft ordered by the Indian government for use by the Indian air force, Indian navy and the National Cadet Corps have been delivered, according to Pipistrel. Based on the Virus SW 80, the trainers are called the GARUD, a bird prominent in Hindu mythology.

Pipistrel began delivering aircraft in 2016, but also managed training of “a large number of technicians and engineers” from all branches of the Indian Ministry of Defense. The Indian government is expected to use the aircraft for at least the next 15 years.

“At the beginning also big players in the aviation warned me that working with India is not possible and we would never bring the contract to the end successfully, but all of us, working together as a strong team, succeeded in doing just that,” says Ivo Boscarol, Pipistrel’s CEO. “This deal opened many future doors for us.”
22/10/19 Marc Cook/AVweb

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AAI requests airlines to inform it if aircraft acquisition plans are being changed

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) requested airlines on Tuesday to inform it if there was any change in their aircraft acquisition plans so that it can correspondingly alter its airport infrastructure development projects, according to a senior official.
According to an industry estimate, airlines in India have speeded up their aircraft acquisition plans. They will add at least 30 planes till December, of which 20 will be added by the first week of November itself.

"I would like to address IndiGo and other airlines that as and when you change these acquisition plans, please let us know, so that we can also have a course correction where it matters," said Vineet Gulati, Member (Air Navigation Services), AAI, in New Delhi.

He was responding to a question on whether adequate airport infrastructure is being developed to absorb the aircraft capacity being added by the airlines.

"As far as airport infrastructure is concerned, for the last three years, we have been in active consultation with all the airlines on their acquisition plans," Gulati said at an event, "Smart Safe Secure Skies", organised by FICCI and French electronics conglomerate Thales.

He added that AAI is aware of long-term acquisition plans of airlines but if there is any immediate change in those plans, the authority should be informed.
22/10/19 PTI/Times of India

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GoAir, Indigo tops DGCA on-time-performance list for September

Mumbai: According to the latest data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), GoAir registered 85.4 per cent on-time-performance (OTP), followed by Indigo at 83.7 per cent OTP, which is the highest among scheduled domestic airlines, in September 2019.

As per the DGCA data, Indian carriers during January and September 2019 carried 1058.91 lakh passengers as against 1027.93 lakh during the corresponding period of previous year thereby registering annual growth of 3.01 per cent and monthly growth of 1.18 per cent.

In the said month, another LCC, Indigo was noted as the second most punctual airline with OTP of 83.7 per cent followed by AirAsia at 79.8 per cent OTP and Vistara at 78.5 per cent and  Spicejet with 74.6 per cent of OTP.
In comparison to September 2018, GoAir’s OTP was five per cent lower yet, for the 13th month in a row, low-cost carrier GoAir topped the list of On Time Performance (OTP). Jeh Wadia, Managing Director, GoAir, said: “We are glad that GoAir continues to shine when it comes to OTP. GoAir operates its business on three basic principles: punctuality, affordability and convenience. We thank our customers for voting us as the most trusted and greatest brand this year.” 
State-run Air India’s OTP has been deteriorating for the past several months. In comparison to September 2018 where Air India had OTP of 74.3 per cent, in September 2019 Air India’s OTP dropped by approximately 20 per cent and stood at 53.1 per cent.
22/10/19 Business Line

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A quarter of urban Indians planning to ditch air travel; safety not concern, this is the real reason

Nearly one-fourth of urban Indians are willing to sacrifice comfort for the sake of the planet and said that they are ready to ditch air travel for a lower carbon footprint alternative. With climate change talks heating up, environmental well-wishers have already been lobbying against air travel due to high levels of carbon emissions.
However, about 1 in 4 of the urban Indians “are willing to take a lower carbon footprint alternative to air travel, even at the cost of inconvenience and additional expense,” a joint study by the World Economic Forum-Ipsos on Air Travel & its Environmental Impact, said last week. “37% Indians, on the other hand, would take the transport with lower carbon footprint (e.g. Rail), if it’s at par with air travel, both in the convenience and price,” the report added.
The Indian flyers also seem to have a high trust level in the domestic commercial airlines and believe that the carriers are sincere in their commitment towards reducing the impact of aeroplanes on the environment. Over half of the Indians have faith in the airlines and their intent towards the environment and about 21% were disappointed with the efforts, the report said. More than half of those who were surveyed also said that they believe airlines have the ability to find solutions to lessen the impact that they are having on the environment. WEF-Ipsos survey had a sample size of over 500 individuals in India.
22/10/19 Financial Express

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Tax cuts a must to make Indian airlines globally competitive: SpiceJet CMD

Washington: As India has emerged as the one of the fastest growing civil aviation markets of the world, it is time that the government take steps to make the aviation sector globally competitive beginning with reduction on its tax structure, the head of a low-cost airline has said.

Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, in an interview to PTI rued that the civil aviation sector in India is highly taxed and identified it as one of the major stumbling blocks in making it globally competitive.
"I think lowering of taxes and looking at aviation in a holistic sense as a job creator, as something that connects India to itself and to the world. It's important that we take a more holistic approach to aviation," he said

Singh was in Washington DC last week as part of a business delegation that accompanied Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who was here to attend the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

"What we have been asking for a very long time now is that the government should make Indian aviation competitive with its peers around the world. We should make sure that our costs are in line with our peers around the world," he said.

India, Singh said, is the only country which taxes aviation fuel at an average of about 35 per cent while no other significant aviation country in the world taxes fuel at all.

As such Indian carriers are paying a much higher cost of operation and, therefore, they are not competitive with others. That is one big issue, he said.

"The second big issue is on the maintenance and repair operations. In maintenance and repair operations as well, we pay a GST of 18 per cent," he added.
21/10/19 PTI/Business Standard

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Airlines rush to fill in Jet’s space

The winter schedule of this year will see Indian airlines majorly filling up for the loss of capacity in the Indian market with Jet Airways’ demise.
According to the Winter Schedule approved by the DGCA, the airlines will operate 23,403 departures per week covering 103 airports starting winter schedule that begins October-end.
During the Winter Schedule last year, Jet Airways operated 3,247 flights per week with all key scheduled airlines increasing capacity in double digits. Among airlines,
Vistara has seen the largest increase in its flights in percentage terms followed by SpiceJet and then AirAsia India. Data also shows that airlines like Air Deccan and Zoom, which used to operate during last year’s winter schedule, are not operating this year.
 19/10/19 Economic Times

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Jet closure shadow: Just 1% more domestic flights this winter

New Delhi: Call it the lingering Jet effect. With this big airline shut, the coming winter season will see only a marginal 1% increase in domestic connectivity compared to last winter - from 23,117 weekly domestic flights in 2018-19 to 23,403 this winter schedule that will be effective from October-end to March-end. Last winter (2018-19) had seen 22% more domestic flights than previous winter of 2017-18.

While Jet's closure has impacted growth, airlines that took ex-Jet planes - SpiceJet and Vistara - and others have increased flights to ensure a recovery from that big collapse. With ex-Jet planes in their fleets, these two have added maximum domestic flights (percentage-wise) this winter.


"The schedule has been approved with existing fleet. We will add more flights as airlines induct more planes during the winter. Due to Jet's collapse (this April), about 3,600 domestic departures per week have gone out of the system. Prompt steps by the government helped fill that void. If we do not count Jet, other airlines have added almost 20% weekly flights," said a senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official.

Vistara, which took 9 ex-Jet B737s, currently has 32 aircraft in its fleet. This number will cross 40 before the end of the calendar year. Vistara has got a schedule approved for 1,376 weekly domestic flights this winter - up 64.2% from 838 last winter. The Tata-Singapore Airlines' will also start filling in Jet's wide-body gap as it is likely to start getting Boeing 787 Dreamliners this year itself for use on medium haul routes like London.

The second biggest jump in domestic flights this winter is by SpiceJet, which took 31 ex-Jet B737s and currently has a fleet of 113 single aisles. The low cost carrier (LCC) will operate 4,316 weekly domestic flights this winter - up 46% from 2,957 last winter. SpiceJet's future expansion depends on when B737 Max return to service.

The third biggest jump is by AirAsia India which will operate 32% more flights this winter, up from 1,109 weekly flights last time to 1,345 now. This airline has 23 Airbus A320s and will add nine more by March 2020.
19/10/19 Sauabh Sinha/Times of India

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More domestic flights this winter despite slowdown; airlines to fly over 23,000 flights every week

Despite the ongoing economic slowdown, Indian airlines will fly a total of 23,403 flights per week in the upcoming winter schedule, more than what was flown during last year’s schedule. This year’s winter flight schedule, which will be effective from October 27 and will end on March 28, will witness a 1.2% on-year jump as compared to 2018. This comes at a time when India has witnessed the air travel growth rate tumble down to one-tenth of the number that was last year, owing to the Jet Airways collapse and low capacity expansion as other airlines moving to fill the gap created by Naresh Goyal founded airline. “Due to the sudden suspension of operations by Jet Airways, approximately 3,600 departures per week were reduced from scheduled domestic aviation,” aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement, The Indian Express reported.

Last year, Jet Airways, along with JetLite, its low-cost subsidiary, flew a total of 3,596 flights every week. However, Jet Airways announced a suspension of operations after it failed to secure funds amid severe liquidity crunch.

This year, Tata-Singapore Airlines’ joint venture, Vistara, has reported the highest growth in flights per week number will operate 1,376 flights per week as opposed to 838 flights a week last year. This corresponds to a growth rate of over 64%. Following it is SpiceJet which has seen a growth of 46% and will fly 4,316 flights per week in the upcoming winter schedule. IndiGo, which is currently the market dominator with about half the share of domestic passengers, will fly 10,310 flights a week as compared to 9,030 flights last year. State-run Air India will have 2,254 departures every week. It flew 1,916 flights per week in last year’s winter schedule.
19/10/19 Prachi Gupta/Financial Express

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60 Flights Delayed As Dust Storm Hits Delhi-NCR; Rahul Gandhi's Chopper Makes Emergency Landing

New Delhi: A helicopter carrying former Congress President Rahul Gandhi was forced to make an emergency landing in Rewari in Haryana after it failed to touch ground in New Delhi due to bad weather conditions. According to reports, Rahul Gandhi was returning to the national capital from Mahendragarh in Haryana after addressing a public rally in place of her mother Sonia Gandhi, who could not attend the event to a viral infection. It has also being learnt that the Congress leader later left for Delhi by road.

When contacted, Rewari Deputy Commissioner Yashendra Singh told PTI that Gandhi spent about 20 minutes at the college ground before proceeding to Delhi. "There was an emergency landing.... The helicopter landed safely at Rewari," Singh said.

In response to speculations, sources close to Gandhi said his helicopter was forced to abort its landing in Delhi due to bad weather and not due to a technical snag. During his small halt at Rewari's KLP College ground, Rahul Gandhi played cricket with children at the ground. This was Rahul Gandhi's second poll rally in the state that goes to polls on October 21. Earlier he had addressed a public meeting in Nuh in Mewat region of the state.

According to official reports, as many as 60 flights at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi were delayed due to bad weather in the city. Several flights were diverted from the Delhi airport because of the bad weather conditions as several airlines issued advisories and updates about their flights.
18/10/19 ABP Live

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Missed your flight due to airline’s fault? MAKE IT PAY

Missing a flight can be a nightmare for any passenger. But a delay in first flight, preventing you from boarding the next, is a bigger nightmare as you do not want to be stranded and bear the price of a new ticket.
Gandhinagar-based Saloni Joshi (21) was scheduled to depart for Guangzhou in China from New Delhi around midnight but missed the flight as the 6.50 pm Ahmedabad-New Delhi flight reached late.
She was to fly to Guangzhou, to continue the second year of her MBBS at Shenyang Medical College. Unfazed by the fact that she had missed her flight to China, Saloni booked a new ticket for the next day before resolving to pursue the matter and make the airline pay for her loss. Saloni filed a case in Gandhinagar consumer court which ruled in her favour and asked the airline to pay Rs 45,000 for the new ticket and mental harassment.
Saloni proves the airline service was ‘deficient’ Saloni and her father Jayesh Kumar booked their tickets for New Delhi-bound flight scheduled for departure at 1850 hours on February 22, 2018. However, the duo upon reaching the airport were informed that the flight had been rescheduled to 2040 hours. With their flight to Guangzhou scheduled to depart at midnight, Saloni got her luggage prioritised to obtain it quickly at New Delhi airport and board the next flight.
However, her Ahmedabad- New Delhi flight scheduled to depart at 2040 hours took off at 2130 hours and landed in New Delhi at 1105 hours. The boarding for the Guangzhou flight had already closed by the time Saloni reached the terminal, making her miss the flight. Saloni accused the airline of negligence and unfair trade practice after her luggage tagged “priority” arrived at 2350 hours.
After she missed her flight, her father booked flight to Guangzhou for the next day. Jayeshkumar also missed his return flight to Ahmedabad and had to book a train ticket in Rajdhani Express the next day. Accusing Air India of deficiency in service, Saloni complained against the airline for not communicating the delay beforehand, which resulted in her missing flight to Guangzhou and subsequent flight to Shenyang. We reached Delhi late due to delayed flight. Moreover, we had to spend crucial 15 minutes on the tarmac waiting for the bus to take us to terminal. Luggage also arrived late Jayesh Joshi, father of Saloni Talking to Mirror, Saloni Joshi said, “It was a nightmarish experience for me as all my friends went together and I had to go alone. Besides, I faced a lot of trouble at the airport as my luggage arrived late. I did not want to take any chance, so rather than booking a hotel I stayed at the airport all night.”
19/10/19 Mihir Ved/Ahmedabad Mirror

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Sharad Pawar meets HAL employees on strike; criticizes BJP government for wrong policies

Mumbai: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Friday met protesting employees of state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) unit at Ozar near Nashik. He lashed out at the centre for engaging wrong policies in the defence production sector while assuring the employees of a meeting in New Delhi to find ways to meet their demands.

The employees of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) are on an indefinite strike since October 14 in support of various demands, including wage revision.

Pawar who addressed three poll rallies in Nashik district on Thursday met the HAL employees on Friday morning.

“The government granted contract to a company that didn’t have experience in making paper planes,” Pawar said while referring to Dassault aviation’s contract given to Reliance Defence.

Pawar also criticized the central government for engaging in wrong policies for defence production in the country, due to which prime institutions like HAL are being ignored, he said.

“I was a minister at the centre when the HAL’s contract to produce Sukhoi aircraft in the country was signed. The government back then values the institutions established by great leaders in the past and tried to preserve them. The current government has a different approach,” Pawar said while criticizing the central government’s decision to keep HAL out of Rafael deal.
18/10/19 New Indian Express

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Reliance Industries makes a new pact with BP to sell jet fuel in India

Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries announced a new pact with BP to sell fuel for airlines in India. The announcement came with the company's quarterly earnings report.
 "BP and RIL agreed to form a new joint venture that will include a retail service station network and aviation fuels business across India. Building on Reliance’s existing Indian fuel retailing network and an aviation fuel business, the partners expect the venture to expand rapidly to help meet the country’s fast-growing demand for energy and mobility. Reliance will get approximately ₹7,000 crore from BP’s investment in this joint venture," the statement said.
 18/10/19 Sriram Iyer/Business Insider India

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Amit Shah's chopper makes emergency landing in Nashik due to rains

Mumbai: BJP president and Union home minister Amit Shah's helicopter made an emergency landing at Ozar Airport in Nashik, around 160 kms from here, due to heavy rains on Saturday, the last day of campaigning for the October 21 Maharashtra Assembly polls, an official said.
The helicopter was on its way to Akole in Ahmednagar district, over 70 kilometres from Nashik, where Shah was to address a poll rally, the official said.
The pilot decided to land the chopper at Ozar airport at 2:25 pm due to inclement weather, he said.
"After a halt of 40 minutes, the chopper took off at around 3:08 pm for Ahmednagar," he informed.
19/10/19 PTI/Times of India

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Domestic air passenger traffic growth slows for four months in a row in September

Indian aviation sector continues to feel the slowdown blues with domestic air passenger traffic down for the fourth consecutive month in September, data from aviation watchdog DGCA showed. Amid a range of factors from the economic slowdown, lean travel season and declining capacity growth, the air passenger numbers fell from 11.79 million in August to 11.53 million passengers in September, as per DGCA data released on Thursday. Earlier, a Cleartrip official had told Financial Express Online that air traffic growth is expected to be in lower single digits this year. “Multiple reports had put the expected growth number between 15-18%. However, what we have seen so far is about 3%. It is because of lesser capacity expansion,” Balu Ramachandran, Senior VP, Cleartrip, told the publication in an interview this week.
Further, as compared to last year, the domestic air passenger traffic witnessed a minuscule increase by just 1.18% as compared to September last year. “The numbers are disappointing. They have pulled down our projection (for 2018-19)…to 4-6 per cent. The good news is that we have managed to withstand the sad exit of Jet Airways and maintained a positive growth despite three months of negative or almost flat growth,” The Indian Express quoted a DGCA official as saying. The exit of Naresh Goyal-founded Jet Airways, however, is still haunting the domestic aviation landscape as even when other prominent carriers including IndiGo, SpiceJet, Vistara and GoAir moved quickly to fill the gap created by Jet Airways, “This year, whatever capacity has been increased has gone to replace Jet Airways capacity. The passenger growth is in line with the capacity increase this year,” Balu Ramachandran said.
18/10/19 Prachi Gupta/Financial Express

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In dull September, IndiGo leads in people flown, SpiceJet in load factor

New Delhi: Indian domestic carriers flew 1.15 crore passengers in September this year registering a 1.2 per cent growth over the 1.13 crore passengers flown in the same period previously.
Terming the latest numbers as “disappointing”, Arun Kumar, Director-General, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said these numbers pulled down their projection which is now pegged at 4-6 per cent growth.
“The good news is that we have managed to withstand the sad exit of Jet Airways and maintained a positive growth despite three months of negative or almost flat growth. The loss in the fleet on account of Jet Airways, has largely been recovered and we expect an all time high fleet of more than 616 aircraft in the air in a month’s time from now. With some more aircraft joining our fleet by December 31, we expect a return to double digit growth in the early part of next year,” the DG said.
The latest data shows that IndiGo carried 55.59 lakh of the total passengers flown by the domestic carriers followed by SpiceJet (17 lakh); Air India (14.95 lakh); Go Air (13.27 lakh); Air Asia (7.25 lakh); and Vistara (6.64 lakh).
SpiceJet, reported the highest Passenger Load Factor (PLF) of 93 per cent among the domestic airlines in September followed by Go Air (86.7 per cent), IndiGo (86.5 per cent), AirAsia (84.7 per cent), Vistara (80.3 per cent) and Air India (79 per cent). Passenger load factor shows how many of the total seats on offer by each airline are filled.
GoAir reported the best on-time performance (OTP) at 85.4 per cent followed by IndiGo (83.7 per cent), AirAsia (79.8 per cent), Vistara (78.5 per cent), SpiceJet (74.6 per cent) and Air India (53.1 per cent) at the four metro airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
17/10/19 Business Line

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Dassault Aviation to collaborate with College of Engineering Pune for Strategic Partnership on Skill Development

Collaboration for Strategic Partnership on Skill Development was announced by French military aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation along with the College of Engineering, Pune. The new initiatives were announced marking the 2nd Knowledge Summit organized by Institute Francais en Inde at Saint-Cloud, France of Thursday.

According to the statement released, the long-term partnership consists of the launch of the first ‘Network of Excellence’ and ‘Aeronautical Integrated Design from Engineering to Maintenance’.

The Network of Excellence will help in the development of training, research and entrepreneurship in the strategic civil and military aeronautical fields in India. The advanced technology, knowledge and also the know-how developed by Dassault Aviation over a century of its aeronautical experience will be a benefit for this partnership.

The partnership between both the organizations will consist of programmes and exchanges between the College of Engineering, Pune and French Academic partners of Dassault Aviation – ISAE-ENSMA and ESTIA.

The partnership will help in fueling the vibrant global partnership between India and France in the field of Higher Education.
18/10/19 Jagran Josh

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Saab offers Gripen technology transfer to Indian partner

Bengaluru: Swedish aerospace major Saab on Thursday offered technology transfer to its Indian partner for making its fighter Gripen if it wins the Indian Air Force (IAF) order to supply 114 jets.

"We will transfer technology to our Indian partner for making Gripen in India if we win the IAF order," Saab India Technologies Managing Director Ola Rignell told reporters here.

Technology transfer will also enable Saab to make India its production base for exporting aerospace components to countries where it has operations or customers, he said.

Saab is in fray for the multi-billion-dollar global tender to make in India 110 advanced medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) with five other global aerospace majors Dassault (Rafale), Eurofighter (Typhoon), Boeing (F-18A), Lockheed Martin (F-21) and Russian Aircraft Corporation (MiG-35).
18/10/19 IANS/daijiworld

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Despite Jet Airways’ end, 39 million seats exist between India and the Gulf

Almost 10 million Indians live in the six countries ­– Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – that comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council. Saudi Arabia (4.1 million) and the UAE (2.8 million) are particularly strong. Naturally, this results in very significant P2P demand, as well as sixth freedom traffic over the Gulf hubs in particular.
In 2019, 159 routes operate between the two, generating 39 million seats across 256 daily frequencies (each way).
Despite stable capacity growth since 2015, the decline in 2019 over 2018 was from the end of Jet Airways. Jet Airways’ last full year of operating, 2018, saw the airline offer the highest number of frequencies between India and these six countries, at about 74 daily, aided by its use of B737s.
The void left by Jet Airways has received particular attention from Indian operators, especially IndiGo, which added 1.2 million seats YOY from 18 new routes. This includes recent additions from Riyadh to Mumbai and Delhi, which enable strong connectivity across India. Meanwhile, both India’s Go Air and Vistara began operating to the Gulf in 2019.

27 Indian and 15 GCC airports are served. Of these, Dubai International is by far the most-served with one-third of all seats. In all, Dubai International has 73 daily frequencies (each way) to 21 Indian cities. The strength of Dubai is partly from Emirates’ sole use of wide-bodies, but it is also from the accumulation of nine operators to India. Unsurprisingly, Dubai is present in 70% of the top 10 routes.

While Emirates is the single largest airline, as shown below, it is not the largest at group level, even when flydubai is included. Instead, Air India and its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, is. Air India Express is rarely discussed but operates 25 B737-800s and primarily connects the Southern Indian state of Kerala to the Gulf.
17/10/19 anna.aero

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Fighter jets sighting in Dimapur spark rumour mill

Dimapur: Residents of Dimapur once again witnessed the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets flying in and out of Dimapur airport in the past few days. As the planes soared, so did rumours but speculations have been put to rest by officials.

The director of Dimapur airport, Mughavi Zhimo informed Eastern Mirror that it was a routine air force exercise being carried out currently in various places, apart from Dimapur. He informed that the routine exercise is being carried out in Imphal and other parts of the country as well and is scheduled to go on till October 19.

Zhimo also said that the aeroplanes that were supplementary to the IAF exercises included transport carriers as well as fighter jets like the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI.

An IAF official also informed that a similar training and exercise will be carried out at Silchar on October 29. “These are nothing but annual practices and the public should not be worried,” the official said.

The official informed that such fighter jets of the IAF will never be used for conflict in its own territory; hence speculation on social media of an air strike is completely untrue.
17/10/19 Eastern Mirror

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Why planes don’t fly like birds!

Have you ever wondered why, when talking about the shortest distance between two places, we say, “X km as the crow flies”? Why don’t we say as the plane flies because, after, all both the crow and the plane fly?

The answer is simple. Birds like crows fly straight while planes do not. Ask any pilot why this is so and pat come the answers: “Because birds are smarter” or “birds don’t have engines that can fail”.

But jokes apart, there are many reasons why planes don’t fly following a straight path, some of which are scientific, though all of them are serious for the safety of flights — and covering the longest distance in the shortest possible time for flyers’ convenience and airlines’ bottom lines.
According to Captain PP Singh, Senior Vice-President, JetLite, perhaps the most important reason why planes do not fly straight is wind patterns. “As we fly for the least possible time and not the shortest distance, just like google map does these days for road trips,” wind patterns make a difference, he explains.

Among the other reasons cited by Captain Singh are following a route structure which meets Air Traffic Control (ATC) requirements which is not necessarily a straight line, and airspace availability, as thousands of planes criss-cross international skies every hour.

In addition, aircraft have to stay within a specified time from a suitable airport. This varies from 60 to 240 minutes (called Extended Diversion Time Operations or EDTO) cleared for an aircraft. Earlier, aircraft had to be 60 minutes from a suitable airport but as engines became more reliable,this time was increased to 90 minutes of flying time to a suitable airport. “This approval is based on the aircraft’s reliability, an airline’s safety record and an airline’s record of completing successful EDTO flights for clearance of 180 minutes and beyond,” a pilot says, adding, “All aircraft have to ensure that at any point along the route that they take, a suitable airport is available where they can make a safe landing. Suitable in terms of runway availability, weather and available approaches.” This might not be possible if an aircraft is flying on a straight route.
16/10/19 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line

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India's first app-based inter-city helicopter service to start ops by October-end

Blade India, the local unit of Fly Blade -- the largest arranger of helicopter flights for civilian travel in the US --will start its India operations by October-end.

The company claims this service to be the first of its kind that runs like a scheduled airline, every day at specific timing, which one can book from their website or app, just like any other air ticket.

The company, which will start off with flights linking Pune, Mumbai and Shirdi, had initially planned to begin operations in March. But that got delayed due to the General Elections. Sources said securing necessary approvals also added to the delay.

The first flight will take off from Pune, taking up to six passengers to Mumbai. It will then take pilgrims to Shirdi, which will be linked to Pune and back. The last flight will take off in the evening from Mumbai to Pune.
"The services will be available six days a week," said Amit Dutta, Managing Director, Blade India. Sundays will be an off day.

The company will start with two helicopters: Airbus HC130 and Bell 407. The company has set up lounges in the three cities. The one in Mumbai is located at the Mahalaxmi race course.
Dutt said passengers can carry up to 10 kg with them. "For those with extra luggage, we will offer an option to deliver their luggage to the destination via a taxi," said Dutta.
16/10/19 Moneycontrol

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Top priorities for passengers: More control of air travel, less waiting at airports, shows IATA survey

Aviation regulators, airlines and airports, please note — passengers want to have more control of their travel and reduce the wait time for at airports.

These are some of the main takeaways of the 2019 Global Passenger Survey by industry lobby International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Passengers are looking to technology to improve their travel experience, according to the findings of the survey released on Tuesday.

The 2019 survey results were based on 10,877 responses from passengers across 166 countries, said IATA in a statement.

The top passenger priorities of passengers include:• 
Having more personal control over their journey via their smart phone.
Being able to use biometric identification to speed up travel processes.
To be able to track their baggage
Maximum wait times of 10 minutes for baggage collection and immigration / customs
Access to Wi-Fi on board at 34,000 ft.
16/10/19 CNBC TV18

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Unions cry foul, refute HAL's claims on wage hike

Bengaluru: Refuting the company's charge that their indefinite strike for wage hike was illegal, 9 unions of the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Tuesday accused its management of indulging in double standards.
"Our strike since Monday is legal as we gave the notice on September 30 as per the Industrial Disputes Act and informed the regional labour commissioner on going for tool down from October 14 if our demands were not met," All India HAL Trade Unions' coordination committee general secretary S. Chandrasekhar told IANS here.
Charging the management of misleading the public on wage revision due since January 1, 2017 for a 5-year period, the union leader said the company did not issue any order on their demand, forcing them to resort to strike with prior notice.
"Our demand is the benefits for us should be on par with the other PSUs (public sector undertakings) and in compliance with the wage agreements applicable to all the public sector enterprises (PSEs)," asserted Chandrasekhar.
Noting that the strike was the first in the 55-year-old defence behemoth, Chandrasekhar said the company had entered into an agreement with its executives on January 1, 2017 offering them higher wage revision and a raw deal for the workforce.
16/10/19 IANS/Sify

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IAF starts fighter exercise near China borders

The Indian Air Force on Wednesday began an exercise to fly fighter jets from six civilian airbases in eastern India aiming to boost its ability to undertake military operations from such airbases in case of an emergency.
Over the next few days, a bunch of Su-30 MKI and Hawk 132 combat aircraft will take-off and touch down at Dimapur in Nagaland, Imphal in Manipur, Guwahati, Kolkata, Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh and Andal in West Bengal.
The first phase of the exercise, which began on Wednesday will conclude on Saturday whereas the second phase will be conducted between October 29 and November 1. Guwahati, Imphal, Dimapur and Kolkata will be covered in the first phase while Andal and Dimapur will come under the second phase. Five Sukhoi jets from the IAF Tezpur base and two from Chabua will participate in the drill.
"This is part of our capability building and operational training of undertaking operations from dispersed locations in case of hostilities. The exercise will familiarise the IAF crew with the procedure of flying at these busy airfields and coordinate with civilian counterparts,” Wg Cdr Ratnakar Singh, IAF spokesperson at its eastern command at Shilong told DH.
16/10/19 Sumir Karmakar/Kalyan Ray/Deccan Herald

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HAL Operations Grounded as 20,000 Employees Go on Indefinite Strike for Wage Revision

Bengaluru: An indefinite strike by about 20,000 employees of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for wage revision on Monday grounded the operations of the state-run defence PSU across the country, a labour union official said.

"The response to our strike call has been overwhelming with all the employees abstaining from work in the nine production locations across the country," HAL trade union General Secretary S. Chandrasekhar told IANS here.
The unions have sought a wage revision given to the executives, a gross salary hike of 35 per cent, and a 110-140 per cent hike in perks.

The wage revision is due since January 1, 2017, as the previous two revisions were in 2012 and 2007 for 5 years, respectively.

But the aircraft manufacturer offered only to enhance allowances under cafeteria system at 22 per cent for workmen in scale 1 to 10-20 per cent for workmen in special scale as against the uniform rate of 19 per cent offered earlier.

It also offered to revise rate of fitment benefit at 11 per cent.

But the unions turned it down.

"This is wage deduction but no wage revision. We need to go on par with the executives, wage revision means increase," said Chandrasekhar, regretting that some junior employees will be paid lesser than what they draw with the new wage hike offer.
15/10/19 IANS/News18.com

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Bring natural gas, aviation turbine fuel in GST ambit: Dharmendra Pradhan

New Delhi: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday asked for inclusion of natural gas and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) in the goods and services tax (GST).
Key petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, crude oil, natural gas and ATF, were kept out of the GST regime due to the revenue dependence of state governments in this sector. Addressing India Energy Forum by CERA Week in Delhi, Pradhan said, “I make a strong appeal to finance minister to take this up in the GST Council and at least make a beginning by including natural gas and ATF in GST.”
Amar Nath, the joint secretary in charge of exploration at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said to boost domestic natural gas production, India is looking for more investment from the private sector. The government had asked state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) to invite for private partnership to boost production in 66 blocks.

“The bids for these 66 blocks are set to be closed by the end of December. At present, 95 per cent of production by national oil companies is coming from 60-odd blocks. This is going to change soon,” Nath added.
14/10/19 Shine Jacob/Business Standard

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India’s aviation minister praises MRO South Asia Summit to be held in New Delhi

STAT Trade Times, the organiser of the 3rd Aerospace & Defence MRO South Asia Summit and the parent company of Logistics Update Africa, has been appreciated by the India's minister of civil aviation Hardeep Singh Puri for its effort in providing a platform to enable aviation experts to deliberate and advance MRO policies, plans and projects. The summit will take place in New Delhi, India from February 6-7, 2020.

The theme of MRO South Asia summit, 'MRO for Safer Skies' will include discussion on the improvisations, innovations and latest technology which the Indian aerospace MRO industry can incorporate in their aerospace maintenance units for renewed and safer skies.

In his message to the delegates, Puri also touched on how India is growing at break-neck speed to become the fastest-growing aviation market in the world. The maintenance, repair & overhaul sector which scores brownie points with every percentile growth in the aviation field has shown an accelerating growth.

Commenting on the theme, he stated," 'MRO for Safer Skies' would enable aviation experts to deliberate and advance MRO policies, plans, and projects. I am hopeful that this summit would encourage and boost both aviation and aerospace MRO industry in India."
15/10/19 Logistics Update Africa

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Apache choppers need integration with ground forces: Experts

New Delhi: With 22 Apache helicopters set to join the Indian Air Force (IAF) by March 2020, defence experts have raised the need for integrating the multi-role combat choppers with ground forces for better operational capabilities, logistics and training.
Eight units of the US-made combat helicopter Apache AH64E (I) -- where 'I' stands for India-specific enhancements -- were inducted into the 25 Squadron of the IAF in Pathankot in September. India has entered into a multi-billion contract with US aviation major Boeing in September 2015 for acquiring 22 Apache choppers in flyaway condition.
Subsequently, the central government signed another contract worth Rs 4,168 crore for acquiring six Apache choppers for the Army.
The choppers for the IAF are being delivered to India in phases. "Four additional choppers have subsequently been delivered after the induction of the first batch of eight helicopters into the IAF. Five more choppers will be delivered in December this year. The last installment of five choppers will be delivered in March next year. For the Army, the process of evaluating the six acquisitions is underway," a Boeing spokesperson told IANS.
The choppers, known as 'Tank Killers', provide close air support to armoured formations and ground forces by flying at 'tree-top heights'.
In advanced militaries across the globe, including the US and the UK, the Apache choppers have been inducted into the Army.
15/10/19 IANS/Economic Times

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Army Aviation Corps colour presentation on October 10 at Nashik

Pune: President of India Ram Nath Kovind will present the prestigious 'President's colour' to the Army Aviation Corps (AAC) at the Combat Army Aviation Training School (CAATS) in Nashik on October 10.
"Presentation of colour is acknowledgement of the meritorious service, rendered by the corps over the years, by the supreme commander of the Indian Armed Forces. It is a visible symbol of excellence and is earned through dedication and worthy contribution both during war and peace. The aviation crops is headed by Director General and Colonel Commandant of Army Aviation, Lieutenant General Kanwal Kumar," an official release issued by the Army Southern Command stated.
The ceremonial parade will be commanded by Brigadier Sarabjeet Singh BawaBhalla, Commandant, CAATS.
The Army Aviation Corps has proved their mettle and lived upto the motto of 'Swift and Sure' they have made their presence felt from the icy heights of Siachen Glacier to the Ran of Kutch. Various senior dignitaries are expected to grace the occasion the ceremony will also include fly past by Army Aviation Helicopters.
The corps came into being on November 1, 1986, and was immediately inducted into "Operation Pawan". It was truly a baptism by fire and the corps responded with pride and elan. With the Chetak helicopters taking on the logistic tasks, the Cheetahs christened as Ranjits, operated aggressively mounted with their medium machine guns.
15/10/19 Sandip Dighe/Times of India

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Former Civil Aviation Deputy Director Dinen Lahon passes away

Doomdooma: Former Deputy Director, Civil Aviation Department, Government of India(GoI) Dinen Lahon passed away in the wee hours of Saturday at Narayana Hospital, Bengaluru. He was 67 and is survived by his wife, one son and one daughter. Born in Raidang Tea Estate, near here, he had his early education in the garden LP school. After passing his HSLC examination from Doomdooma Hoonlal Higher Secondary School (knee High School), he did his B.Sc with Physics(Hons) from Tinsukia college. Thereafter, he did his B. Tech in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras University and after getting a degree in Industrial Management, he joined as a Scientist in Defence Research Development Organisation, GoI.
Subsequently, he also worked in National Aerospace Ltd. and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. in different capacities. In between, he qualified for M.Tech in Space Engineering from BITS Pilani and joined the Civil Aviation Department, GoI, and retired from there as Deputy Director in 2012. He permanently lived in Bengaluru. His death has cast a pall of gloom in his hometown Doomdooma and has been widely mourned by a number of organizations like Doomdooma Press Club, Assam Writers Association, Doomdooma Sakha Xahitya Xabha, Alumni Association, Hoonlal HS School and others.
14/10/19 Sentinel

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Crisis hits govt-run HAL: Over 10,000 workers go on indefinite strike over low wages

Bengaluru: Over 10,000 workers of state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) began an "indefinite strike" starting Monday after talks with the management over wage revision failed to end the stalemate.

"We are observing strike in all nine units of HAL all over India. More than 10,000 employees here are on strike and as a result work has come to a standstill," the HAL's 9 trade unions' general secretary S Chandrasekha chief convener Suryadevara Chandrashekhar told PTI.

All India HAL Trade Unions Coordination Committee (AIHALTUCC) on Sunday announced that they would go on indefinite strike after talks with the management ended in failure.

"As talks and reconciliation efforts with the management failed on our demands, especially wage revision, we are going ahead with the indefinite strike from Monday as per the notice we served a fortnight ago (September 30) in compliance with the labour laws," S Chandrasekhar was quoted as saying by news agency IANS.

However, HAL on Sunday said the workers have decided to go ahead with the "indefinite strike" despite the PSU making "all out efforts" to avert it. An apex body of the employees unions said the management 'refused' to consider their "fair and reasonable demands".

The employees unions of the Bengaluru-headquartered HAL have served notice at all locations of the Defence PSU to go on the indefinite strike from Monday with regard to settlement of wage revision effective from January 1, 2017.
14/10/19 India Today

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Charter operators hit air pocket

Players in the non-scheduled operators (NSOP) sector offering chartered flights have started feeling the effects of the economic slowdown, with the number of companies dropping from 163 last year to 99 in 2019, amid worries over escalating operational costs and fall in demand.
 Faced with a drop in demand the operators have either shut shop, reduced the number of flights or moved into other territory. From a mere 134 in 2001, the number of aircraft, including helicopters, turboprops and business jets, in the sector rose to 514 in 2016, when India was still growing at a healthy rate.
However, things then took a downward swing and the total fleet came down to 447 in 2018. The industry had a turnover of $609.3 million in 2016; in 2018 that dropped to $582.3 million. “Every industry is talking of cost-cutting. In such a scenario who will hire choppers and private jets,” said the spokesperson of an NSOP operating from Mumbai.
 Clients hiring helicopters and private jets come from a variety of industries, ranging from real estate and healthcare (for helicopter ambulance services) to power and tourism. Then there are top movie stars and politicians who charter services – priced from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1 lakh per hour depending on the type of aircraft. High taxes on aviation fuel, steep airport charges, and paucity of hangars and parking slots made it difficult for operators to continue.
As the other sectors began to reel under the crisis, chartered flight operators saw their problems mounting. “Aviation fuel is charged in dollars and the rupee has been in freefall for over a year now. Then there is the 18 per cent Goods and Service Tax. With demand shrinking, cost liability is turning out to be huge,” the spokesperson added. Vinit Phatak, managing director of Invision Air, said most operators were not getting adequate utilisation per month to keep fleets running.
 “A charter operator should get at least 50 to 60 hours of utilisation per month, but they are getting barely 20-30 hours. This is not enough to recover even the basic cost,” said Phatak.
 Invision Air started in 2010 as an aircraft operator before tying up with a Canada-based company to facilitate buying and selling of aircraft. In aviation terminology, utilisation is the average number of hours during a 24-hour period that an aircraft is actually in-flight. Most of the companies that have shut operations were unavailable for comment, including Air Costa, which had to close shop in 2017 after four years in the business.
14/10/19 Shruti Ganapatye/Mumbai Mirror

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Airline pilots want DGCA to go soft on minor lapses

New Delhi: A group of pilots are preparing a petition to be presented to the minister of civil aviation against suspension of pilots even for minor lapses.

The petition, that has been currently signed by about 3000 persons on the website Change.org, was initiated by former pilot Capt. Amit Singh. It demands establishing a safety culture by removing the “sweeping powers” of the Director General of Civil Aviation for the pilot’s suspension. Pilots feel there should be a measured response to less serious contraventions of the safety rules and there should be procedures which may involve counselling and training rather than criminal prosecution or suspension or cancellation of licences of pilots for error.
However, the DGCA officials said that lapses, even the minor ones, cannot be ignored as it involves lives of several people. They said action taken against the pilots is as per rules and punishment is given after proper investigations. Officials added that the pilots are given enough opportunity to defend themselves.

“Law provides enough safeguards against miscarriage of justice. There is a two layered Appeal process, which reviews the original order and can suitably alter if not proper. Thereafter, the law courts can be approached. So a complete structure is available and can be used for redressal,” said a senior official from DGCA office.
14/10/19 Vineeta Pandey/Asian Age

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Why Do Indian Airlines Keep Failing?

Since 2014 India has been the fastest-growing economy in the world, surpassing China and maintaining an 8% GDP growth rate every year. India’s pace of economic growth has been at least 6% per annum since 1991, and with the second largest population in the world, coupled with a growing middle class, you would be forgiven for thinking that one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets had a more positive outlook.
With the bankruptcy of Jet Airways earlier this year, and Kingfisher Airlines having their air transportation licenses revoked in 2012, the past decade has seen two of India’s major players fall at the wayside. Incredibly, that leaves India with just two full-service carriers. The long-standing Air India, and the newly established Vistara.
With a population of over 1.3 billion people, Air India’s fleet of 136 aircraft by no means make them a comparatively large airline. When compared to the 3 major US carriers with nearly 3,000 aircraft between them and a population of less than one-quarter of India’s, there seems to be a huge gap in the Indian aviation market. Similarly, when pipped against the rapid growth of the three major Chinese airlines, who have 2,000 aircraft between them, the question has to be asked; with such a large population and increasing demand for air travel, why do we keep seeing Indian airlines fail?
The pressures on the Indian aviation sector can be attributed to rising fuel prices and the Indian rupee depreciation in part, however, the elephant in the room has often been government intervention in the sector, and the continued protectionism of Air India, which is now just one of two full-service carriers left in India.
14/10/19 James Asquith/Forbes

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Prince Air, India's 1st subscription-based airline, promises economical chartered flights

From news to music to online cabs, subscription is the buzzword these days. In the current world, it is not unusual to fancy a subscription service that provides unlimited travel on private jets. Taking cue, Prince Air, a Delhi-based company, is all set to launch first subscription-based chartered flight services in India.

Sanket Raj Singh, the founder of Prince Air, looks to revolutionise private jet flying that is currently time-consuming and expensive. Currently, a chartered flight service on an average costs about Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh in India. However, members of Prince Air would be able to travel on as many flights as they want across the three destinations of Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru for a monthly fee.
ingh promises that with Prince Air, the amount would be just a “fraction”—80 per cent to 90 per cent less than the actual cost. In fact, for what most charter companies charge these days for per hour to fly on a private jet, Prince Air promises to fly unlimited, monthly across multiple cities in India.

Prince Air proves to be an attractive option for business travellers, including entrepreneurs, politicians and businessmen, for whom time is money. Singh plans to launch Prince Air services in the next eight to 10 months in India. To begin with, the services will be launched in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru for which pre-booking membership has been opened. “We will be starting with six Bombardier or Embraer aircrafts and just want 2,500 members across Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The moment we close on 2,500 members, our membership would be closed,” says Singh. He adds that he has already received a few hundred requests and will have celebrities, politicians, entrepreneurs, businessmen and first-time jet fliers in the clientele.
14/10/19 Anita Babu/The Week

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DGCA expects healthy traffic growth this year

Despite an economic slowdown and grounding of a major domestic carrier, the Indian aviation regulator expects a healthy rise in passenger traffic in 2019. In an interview with IANS, Arun Kumar, Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), said capacity expansion was the core reason for growth during the subdued economic environment.

Kumar said induction of aircraft in domestic airlines in the fourth quarter of 2019 would ease fares and usher in passenger traffic growth. "Airlines are expected to add around 40 or more aircraft from October to December. This additional capacity is expected to give a boost to passenger traffic," Kumar said. Even flights under the UDAN scheme from Hindon and other stations were accelerating the passenger traffic growth, he added.

According to Kumar, the fourth quarter of the calendar year might see 10-15 per cent rise in passenger traffic. "Overall, the domestic passenger traffic might rise 7-9 per cent," he said. Passenger traffic had contracted in April due to factors like economic slowdown, high fares and capacity constraint.
13/10/19 IANS/ZeeBiz

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Airbus Helicopters hopes Centre will resolve Pawan Hans disinvestment situation 'very quickly'

New Delhi: Airbus Helicopters hopes the central government will resolve the situation regarding the disinvestment of Pawan Hans Limited "very quickly" so that the national helicopter company can move ahead on its fleet expansion plans, a senior executive of the global aerospace manufacturer said.
Airbus Helicopters had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pawan Hans Limited (PHL) in Paris in June for collaboration in introducing two new categories of its helicopters - H145 and H225 - in the national company's fleet in the future. However, on July 11, the central government issued the Preliminary Information Memorandum to sell 51 per cent of its stake in PHL.
 As the disinvestment process has begun, PHL has put its fleet expansion plans on hold.
 Since July 11, the Centre has deferred the deadline regarding submission of expression of interest for PHL three times. On September 25, the Centre extended the last date in this regard to October 10. "Pawan Hans, in terms of helicopters, is a national carrier. They do have the wherewithal and the scale to acquire some thing (helicopters) at a large scale," said Head of Helicopters, Airbus India and South Asia, Ashish Saraf.  "Currently, because of disinvestment (discussion), there has been a pause in terms of expansion of Pawan Hans. We do hope that this situation gets on its way in terms of its disinvestment resolved very quickly so that they are on to their expansion plans," he told PTI.
 The Centre holds 51 per cent stake in PHL, which has a fleet of 43 helicopters. The remaining 49 per cent is with state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
 13/10/19 PTI/Economic Times

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Indian aircraft maintenance industry takes off

New Delhi: A number of Indian and foreign airlines have started getting a part of their aircraft maintenance done in India as the country's aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry has come of age, helped by the government’s Make in India initiative.
Government initiatives such as exempting MRO service providers from customs duties on aircraft parts and toolkits and extension of storage period for aircraft spares to up to three years have helped companies such as Airworks, Max Aerospace Group and other MROs run by Air India and GMR post a boost in their business in about 18 months, industry executives said. The industry in India generates about $900 million annually and the industry is growing at a modest rate over years despite the aviation industry growing in double digits.
"The government’s initiatives have made it cost-competitive for airlines to get the C-check of their aircraft done in India," D Anand Bhaskar, CEO at Gurgaon-based Airworks, told ET. "A large number of these C-check jobs are being done by Indian MROs now."
12/10/19 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

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Send SMS to passengers about flight delays over 30 minutes, DGCA tells airlines

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked airlines to ensure that passengers are not inconvenienced during travel and are informed of flight delays well in advance.

The regulator held a meeting in this regard today with Appellate Authority and Nodal Officers of all scheduled domestic airlines and asked airlines to adhere to a series of measures including informing passengers of flight delays beyond 30 minutes by sending a text message.

"The airlines should make all efforts to send SMS in case there is a delay in flight beyond 30 minutes or a boarding gate change has taken place at the airport. Airlines must send repeated SMS after every 30 minutes to keep the passengers updated for the flight delay/cancellation/boarding gate change,” DGCA told the airlines.

In case of delay, the regulator has also asked the airlines to make appropriate arrangement for water, refreshment and meals as per the provisions of the civil aviation requirements.

The regulator has also asked the airlines to ensure prompt resolution of passenger complaints, including those mentioned on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, and treat the matter as a top priority.

"Any laxity in the manner shall be viewed seriously,” the regulator said.

In addition, the airlines have also been asked to periodically update the details of their nodal officer and appellant authority on their website and keep close coordination with their travel agents. The regulator has also mandated the travel agents to share the mobile numbers of the travelling passenger with the airlines for flight information updates.
11/10/19 Anu Sharma/CNBC TV18

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Air passengers underestimate use of autopilot in aircraft

Worldwide interest in autonomous travel is steadily growing, whether by car or by airplane. However, most people still doubt whether the technologies needed to travel safely from A to B are reliable without any human intervention. Two days ago, Innovation Origins reported on a survey concerning autonomous cars carried out by the ANSYS software company. Half of the international respondents indicated that they are prepared to drive an autonomous car. Today, we look at further results of this survey, this time on autonomous flight.
Autopilot already controls most of the flight. But there are always at least two human pilots in the cockpit who are able to intervene at any moment. Aside from that, the pilot must always make sure that the plane takes off manually. The autopilot only takes over the plane during the flight. The landing procedure is very different. Even though this is normally done manually, the autopilot is also capable of landing safely. It is even considered normal for the autopilot to take over the landing when there’s bad weather and low visibility.
The ANSYS survey involved 22,000 people from the Benelux, China, France, Germany, India, India, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Great Britain and the US. They were all asked about their attitudes and expectations with regard to autonomous driving and flight. The study revealed that concerns about autonomous flight varied considerably. The results of the study were published in the ANSYS Global Autonomous Vehicle Report in October 2019. It also shows in detail the varying opinions between age groups and markets.
12/10/19 Innovation Origins

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Indian aviation recovering fast after Jet collapse, number of planes crosses 600 again

New Delhi: Six months after the collapse of Jet Airways due to a lack of funds, India’s civil aviation sector seems to be getting back on its feet. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the number of aircraft in the country is back up over 600, after having gone down to 530 when Jet’s fleet was grounded.

DGCA chief Arun Kumar said: “The aviation sector has recovered fast after Jet Airways’ closure in April, which was a disaster. From February onward, Jet Airways had started losing its fleet and by April, we were left with only about 530 planes.”
However, according to Kumar, there are now 608 aircraft in the country, and the number is expected to touch at least 640 by December-end.

“We’ve managed to come out of the Jet Airways disaster in less than four months. There are 608 planes in the sky now, and the number is expected to go up this year. We are hoping that it will touch 640 in December,” he said.
According to the DGCA, the transfer of Jet’s planes to airlines such as SpiceJet and Vistara is the primary factor behind the recovery. In fact, almost all airlines except Air India have managed to increase their fleet since April.
SpiceJet added around 40 planes to its fleet since April, while IndiGo added 26 planes between May and October. Vistara added nine aircraft and GoAir added five.
11/10/19 Ifrah Mufti/The Print

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DGCA announces rules to minimise passenger inconvenience; asks airlines to resolve social media complaints too

New Delhi: In a move to empower passengers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) today said that they have asked the airlines to ensure resolution of passenger complaints on social media and also keep passengers updated on delays and cancellations at all times along with ensuring that the refunds are processed in-time.
“The airlines will have to send periodic messages to passengers and keep them updated on delays and cancellations and ensure timely refund to passengers. The airlines have also been asked to coordinate with and control travel agents to resolve issues with respect to tickets booked by travel agents,” said a senior DGCA official, who did not want to be identified.
“The airlines will have to send periodic messages to passengers and keep them updated on delays and cancellations and ensure timely refund to passengers. The airlines have also been asked to coordinate with and control travel agents to resolve issues with respect to tickets booked by travel agents,” said a senior DGCA official, who did not want to be identified.
These passenger grievance redressal norms were discussed and finalised in a meeting convened by DGCA chief Arun Kumar on Thursday and as we approach the winter season, where airlines and passengers face a lot of fog delays, primarily in North India.
In case the passenger is not satisfied with the resolution of complaint by the airline, they can approach the DGCA for its satisfactory resolution.
11/10/19 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times

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August domestic air passenger traffic up only 3.7%: IATA

India slipped to the fourth position in domestic air passenger traffic in August with passenger volume growing 3.7 per cent in the month over the period year-ago, reflecting the deepening crisis in the economy spawned by slumping consumer demand, IATA data show.
The average global demand for domestic travel, however, climbed 4.7 per cent in the month under review compared to August last year, unchanged from the previous month, as per International Air Transport Association (IATA) data.
The IATA data came on the day Moody's Investors Service slashed its 2019-20 GDP growth forecast for India to 5.8 per cent from 6.2 per cent earlier, saying the economy was experiencing a pronounced slowdown which is partly related to long-lasting factors.
The average capacity globally rose 4.6 per cent and load factor increased 0.1 percentage point to 85.9 per cent on the average across seven major international aviation markets, IATA data show.
10/10/19 PTI/Economic Times

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PM's new aircraft will be flown by IAF pilots but maintained by Air India

New Delhi: Two custom-made B777 planes, which will be used to fly Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top Indian dignitaries from July next year, will be operated by pilots of the Indian Air Force and not of Air India, said a senior official on Wednesday.
 However, the new wide-body planes will be maintained by Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), which is a subsidiary of the Indian national carrier, he said. Currently, the prime minister, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu fly on Air India's B747 planes, which have the call sign 'Air India One'. Air India pilots fly these B747 aircraft for the dignitaries and the AIESL maintains them.
 When these B747 aircraft are not flying the dignitaries, they are used by the Indian national carrier for commercial operations.
 "The two new B777 planes will come to India from US facility of Boeing by July next year. They will have the call sign 'Air India One'. Only IAF pilots will be flying the two new aircraft for PM, president and vice president," a senior official of the national carrier said.
 The official said 4-6 pilots of IAF have already been trained by Air India to fly the B777 planes. "Some other pilots of IAF will come for training soon," he added.
 10/10/19 PTI/Economic Times

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India gets its 1st of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today received the first of the 36 long-awaited Rafale fighter jets on behalf of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Speaking at the event, Defence Minister termed the developments as "historic" and said that it will go a long way in strengthening strategic-ties between India and France. This is a new milestone in bilateral ties, said Rajnath Singh.
 India had signed an agreement with France for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of Rs. 59,000 crore in September 2016. The first batch of four jets will come next May. Commenting on the positives of this- receiving Rafale from France, Singh said it will enhance the capabilities of the Indian Air Force and lay a global blueprint for successful defence cooperation between two responsible states.
He also thanked the French state for providing support and training to Indian Air force pilots. The fighters — to be armed with the SCALP ground attack missiles that have a range well over 300 km — will be flown by IAF pilots in France for at least 1,500 hours as part of the testing and acceptance process before they come to their home base in Ambala.
The first batch of four combat jets is expected to be ferried to India by May. While the formal handover ceremony takes place this week, the first batch of four Rafale jets will fly to their home base in India by May 2020.
All 36 jets are expected to arrive in India by September 2022, for which the IAF has been reportedly undertaking preparations, including readying required infrastructure and training of pilots.
09/10/19 Economic Times

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Very comfortable, smooth flight: Rajnath Singh after Rafale sortie

India does not purchase arms to threaten any country but to increase its defence capabilities, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday after his nearly 25-minute sortie in the Rafale combat jet which he described as "very comfortable and smooth".

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who changed into combat flight gear for the ride after he had performed a Shastra Puja on the plane at Merignac airport, said the aircraft will enhance the Indian Air Force combat capability massively -- intended only for self-defence.

"We do not purchase arms and other defence equipments to threaten any country but to increase our capabilities & strengthen our defences. The credit for the acquisition of the Rafale jets must go to PM @narendramodi. His decisiveness has greatly benefited our national security," Rajnath Singh tweeted.
Describing his sortie in Rafale as a memorable and once in a lifetime experience, 68-year-old Singh said, "I had never imagined that I would be flown at supersonic speed; a very comfortable and smooth flight during which I was able to observe the many capabilities of the jet, its air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities".
08/10/19 PTI/India Today

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Air travel for passengers with disabilities still stressful

Mumbai: Not being assured of airline assistance for boarding and de-boarding at airports, especially foreign ones, can make air travel quite stressful for visually impaired solo travellers. A professor from Pune had a difficult time early this month after his request for assistance at Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi airport was accepted by the airlines only after several protests.
Last week, Sanjay Jain, associate professor at ILS Law College, travelled solo to Johannesburg to attend a disabilities conference. He was booked to fly Air Tanzania and return on Etihad via Abu Dhabi. He called up the airlines for assistance a week before his flight. “I’m visually impaired, I cannot board without help,” said Jain.
“Air Tanzania promptly responded to my request for assistance with boarding.” With Etihad, it was first a no, then a yes on day two, provided he produced a medical certificate. “Then they agreed to assist, but refused to send a mail or a screenshot or some kind of documentation that I could rely on as proof, if they eventually denied help at the airport. It was quite stressful,” he said. TOI sent a query to Etihad on September 27. The airline did not respond. But on October 3, it did provide assistance to Jain in Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi airports.
“Why haven’t airlines yet adopted common practices that makes travel easier for people with disabilities. Why should we go through such stress before a flight?” asked Jain.
Airlines global trade body, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in its annual general meeting held this year, had unanimously approved a resolution to improve the air travel experience for the estimated one billion people living with disabilities worldwide. But it seems, there are miles to go before it becomes a reality.
On domestic air travel front though, much has improved, especially after the 2016 Jeeja Gosh Supreme Court judgment, said solicitor Kanchan Pamnani, who has boarded a number of domestic flights solo in the past four decades.
The Supreme Court Jeeja Ghosh 2016 judgement has brought much attention to problems faced by passengers with disabilities. Disabilities rights activist Ghosh had moved the court after a 2012 incident, wherein she was offloaded from a SpiceJet Kolkata-Goa flight on instructions of the commander.
09/10/19 Manju V/Times of India

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Rafale jets: Can this pan masala brand sue Dassault Aviation for copyright violation?

Lucknow: While India eagerly awaits the arrival of the first Rafale fighter jet, a 'Rafale pan masala' has landed in markets here, according to a video that has surfaced on social media.
The 11-second animated video portrays two jets, soaring in the sky, manoeuvring and circling around a giant packet of the 'Rafale Pan Masala' packet. Also visible on the screen is the tagline 'Jan Juban Ki' in Hindi.
The video was shared widely on social media with some taking potshots at the tagline of the commercial while others pointed out the timing, just ahead of the Rafale handover ceremony in France where the first Rafale fighter jet was received by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Meanwhile, some users on the microblogging platform even went on to suggest that the pan-masala brand could go ahead and sue Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale, for copyright infringement.
R-AMP, the manufacturer of the pan masala is advertising the product as a "no tobacco, no nicotine" product, the details, however, are yet to be independently verified.
Some other users, meanwhile, pointed out that the new brand could give a tough competition to pan-masala brands existing in the Indian market.
Many users also pointed out that the jets used in the video were not Rafale, but allegedly the American F-14 or Russian Mirage-2000s.
Upon being contacted, Qazi Ilham, a member of the graphic designing team at Magicreel, the company which has produced the commercial, said that it was for an Uttar Pradesh based client.
08/10/19 ANI/New Indian Express

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Unused airstrips to be turned into pilot academies

New Delhi: The government has set a target of turning unused Airport Authority of India (AAI)-controlled airstrips into pilot academies with an aim to meet the ever increasing requirement of such professionals. A three-member committee has been formed to work out a plan in this regard.

Sources in the Ministry of Civil Aviation said the idea was first mooted by Director General of Civil Aviation Arun Kumar, who is also an AAI board member. But industry experts felt the move would require certain measures to augment it and so a committee has been formed under former Air Force chief Fali H Major, an independent member of the AAI board.
07/10/19 Tribune

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These unique air links indicate India’s growing dominance in geopolitical matters

As the little known Arkia Airlines touched down in Kochi last week, there were celebrations all around. The airline also starts flights to Goa, which means India will be connected from four destinations in Israel. Arkia has all but 10 aircraft in its fleet and these flights were possible with the increasing range of aircraft for such thin routes. Arkia is not alone and Kochi or Goa are not unique. The country has a whole bunch of interesting air links to international destinations – both by city pairs and airlines.
For the seemingly difficult and challenging international operating environment which is governed by bilateral agreements and restrictions, here’s a look at some interesting links >>

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As IAF turns 87, merge HAL with it

As the Indian Air Force completes 87 glorious years on October 8, that was attained through “blood, sweat, toil and tears”, it cannot afford to rest on its laurels and past glory. It must aspire for and pursue ceaseless brilliance, along with the heartbeats of 1.3 billion Indians.
From all accounts, though the professionalism of our air warriors is par excellence and exemplary, yet a major reduction of its assets over the years, owing to gross failure of successive Indian governments to do proper advance planning constitutes a major self-created threat to India. Indians have failed the IAF, thereby pushing the country into a state of despair, in the face of a multi-dimensional Sino-Pakistani threat. Air Chiefs have come, and Air Chiefs have gone, yet India’s air warriors, with their imported, vintage machines continued, and still continue, undaunted. There lies the singular achievement of the IAF.
Reality, therefore, bites — as all fighter aircraft (barring the still “under-trial” indigenous Tejas) of the IAF are of foreign origin. All of them have been imported at a huge cost to the exchequer, paid in foreign currency, out of sheer compulsion. Of course, not all news is bad news. The twin-engine French Dassault Rafale multi-role fighter is being inducted into No. 17 Squadron on IAF Day, October 8. Yet, the fact remains that at 87, the IAF still looks outwards to foreign manufacturers. This is not desirable for operational preparedness, or for the overall security of the state.
I recall having written two years ago that the IAF also stands for “Imported Air Force”, and that the sooner Indians try to come out of their present “flight envelope” of being a “buying” to a “building” force, the better it would be for safety, security, technology and economics of a state of 1.3 billion heads. In this context, one could emulate Chinese enterprise, notwithstanding the fact that Beijing still isn’t an ideal neighbour. The erratic frequency of Beijing’s gross irrational behaviour on the high table as well as hostile acts in hot terrain doesn’t inspire the desired level of trust, faith and confidence — the enhanced and increasing bilateral economic, banking, commercial and trade intercourse along with one-way profit accrual to China notwithstanding.
08/10/19 Abijit Bhattacharyya/Deccan Chronicle

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