National Civil Aviation Sector

[Prashant12]

Maharashtra government inks Rs 35,000 crore pact with a pilot to build aircraft manufacturing company

MUMBAI: The dream of a commercial pilot to set up an aircraft manufacturing company is set to take wings with the Maharashtra government on Tuesday signing a Rs 35,000 crore pact with him to build aircraft.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was present when the MoU, which envisages Rs 35,000 investment in the project, was signed at the "Magnetic Maharashtra" global investors summit in suburban Bandra.

The MoU, between Amol Yadav and MIDC, will lead to generation of around 10,000 jobs in the project, which will be spread over 157 acre land in Palghar district.

Last year, Fadnavis had assured all help to Yadav, 42, who hails from Satara district, to start manufacturing facility for indigenous 6-seater and 19-seater aircraft.

"I have to make planes. I have demonstrated the capabilities. Fadnavis wants the first plane making factory of the country to be in Maharashtra. The 157-acre plot was identified in Palghar. The MIDC will provide us land and support facilities like roads," Yadav told PTI.

"My responsibility is to build the plane and create the factory which will be producing more, and also to look after factories to be set up henceforth. This will be an aerospace hub to make planes," he said.

Maharashtra government will help in getting the required funds, Yadav said. "The government expects Rs 35,000 crore investment for not my company alone, but also for the ancillaries which will be a part of the hub," he said.

"Rs 35,000 crore is the total amount of funds which will be required to achieve the broader targets. The target is to create employment for 10,000 people. The investment figure is included in the MoU agreement but it will not be coming from me alone," he said.

"In the first phase, I am required to build a prototype 19-seater plane and three more similar planes for production. The investment required for this will be Rs 200 crore, which is the immediate requirement and will be spent in the next six months," he said.

"Our target, from the Rs 35,000 crore investment, is very simple. We want to make 600 19-seater planes in the next 2-3 years and then take it to 1,300 planes after that. We are planning for 1300 19-seater planes at present," he said.

"We have already identified many potential investors," Yadav said. The government will also help, he added.

"Pratt & Whitney is supplying me the engines at present. The engine supplied to me is 30 years old and tested one," he said, adding he "fully owns" the company.


Yadav, senior commander with Jet Airways, has promoted Thrust Aircraft Private Limited company for manufacturing aircraft.



His six-seater aircraft was the centre of attraction during the Make In India exhibition held in Mumbai in 2016.

The aircraft, that was assembled on the terrace of a Charkop building, got the certificate of registration from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last year.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=TOIDesktop

 

[ezsasa]

Sikkim's first commercial flight landed safely today. Spicejet. Great achievement #SDF government. Congratulation to Airport authority, State Government, State Tourism & Civil Aviation, builders, land-doners. Well done.

 

[Prashant12]

NAL gets approval for new ‘Next-Gen’ trainer aircraft


Decks have finally been cleared for the development of a ‘Made in India’ next generation ab initio trainer aircraft. Hansa-NG, which is the next generation aircraft of the two-seater Hansa-3 aircraft designed and developed by National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), has got the in-principle approval from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

In an update, NAL stated that “CSIR accords in-principle approval for CSIR- NAL and MESCO Aerospace collaborative project on design, development and certification of next generation trainer” which would have improved features and state-of-the-art display systems.

“We had sought approval and CSIR has given the nod. The number of aircraft to be developed and the budget for the same will be announced soon,” an official said.

During the last edition of the Aero India held in Bengaluru, NAL had said that a collaborative agreement with MESCO Aerospace for design and certification of HANSA-NG was in the advanced stage and now, a year later, CSIR has accorded its in-principle approval for the same.

The NAL-developed two-seater Hansa-3 is the country’s first all-composite light aircraft.

Twelve Hansa-3 aircraft are being used by flying clubs for pilot training courses across the country and, according to NAL, Hansa-3 fleet has accumulated a total of more than 4,000 hours.

In order to meet the latest requirements of the flight training schools in the country, NAL had initiated the need for designing and developing a next generation trainer Hansa-NG.

NAL was also looking for private partnership for licensed production and marketing of the next generation trainer.

At the air show, NAL had showcased the static display of Hansa-NG glass cockpit and one Hansa-3 aircraft was handed over to Mesco Aerospace.
It was also announced that this agreement between NAL and Mesco Aerospace was the first step to produce and market Hansa-NG.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...gen-trainer-aircraft/articleshow/63378120.cms

 

[Prashant12]

Arunachal Pradesh finally gets connected with Guwahati by a commercial flight


GUWAHATI: The long-cherished dream of having air-connectivity in Arunachal Pradeshwas fulfilled with flagging off of the first fixed-wing commercial aircraft from Pasighat to Guwahati by Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

“Today is a historic day and I congratulate the people of Arunachal in general and people of Pasighat in particular for this new milestone that would remain engraved in history as a huge step in the development of our state,” said Khandu in a simple ceremony at the civilian terminal of the Pasighat airport.

According to the state government on persuasion of the state government , the Air India Ltd agreed to start ATR-42 services of Alliance Air to Pasighat from Gopinath Bordoloi airport at Guwahati, connecting the state with rest of the country.

Khandu “With Prime minister, Narendra Modiji at the helm and his concern in the sector of connectivity for the North East has enabled us to fulfil a dream,” he said.

Safely landed at Pasighat Airport today. @PMOIndia @BJP4India @MoCA_GoI @jayantsinha https://t.co/pF9hE7eQR9

— Pema Khandu (@PemaKhanduBJP) 1526907827000



Under the Udan scheme eight locations in Arunachal Pradesh have been selected by bidders, out of which Pasighat and Tezu have been selected for fixed wing while Ziro, Daporijo, Itanagar, Tuting, Wallong and Yingkiong have been selected for helicopter services.

Air-Connectivity by fixed wing and rotary wing under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) at the aforesaid locations will start after necessary formalities and fulfilment of some statutory requirements.

Khandu expressed hope that in the near future cargo services will also be introduced that will immensely help the farmers of the foothills in marketing their produces.

The 42-seater Alliance Air ATR will fly between Guwahati and Pasighat thrice a week for the start. Besides Alliance Air, which is a subsidiary of Air India, Zoom Air and Turbo Jet are set to commence their services in the state soon as formalities are being chalked up at the moment.

The State Government is also in the process of hiring a small 8-10 seater fixed wing aircraft under Chief Minister’s Air Connectivity Scheme to connect some other locations including Mechuka.

Arunachal Pradesh, in fact, had air-transport facility right from the pre-Independence period and many helipads and Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs)/airstrips were built for defence as well as civil purposes. There are about 120 helipads and 10 ALGs (Ziro, Pasighat, Aalo,Tuting, Mechuka, Vijaynagar, Walong, Tezu, Daporijo and Alinye) in the state. Earlier in the eighties, small fixed wing aircrafts called Vayudoot also operated in some of such airstrips like Ziro, Aalo, Pasighat, Tezu etc. for civil passenger services.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...-a-commercial-flight/articleshow/64261669.cms

 

[Prashant12]

First Commercial Plane Lands at Pasighat ALG (Advanced Landing Ground), Arunachal Pradeah.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Airports open all over India, as its aviation industry rides an economic boom

Passengers board a SpiceJet plane in New Delhi in September. The big-name budget carrier announced losses recently despite the boom in India’s aviation industry. (Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images)

KISHANGARH, India — The prime selfie spot for residents of this central Indian city isn’t its decaying 16th century royal fort or its world-famous marble market. It’s the terminal at Kishangarh Airport — a small, low-slung building that offers a new gateway to the world.

Air travel from the dusty boom town has become cheaper than renting a car, Devi Singh, a 77-year-old retired soldier from Kishangarh, told his friends over tea one recent morning, discussing the $35 no-frills one-way fare to New Delhi that launched last month.

“Even the sweepers can afford to fly now,” he said.

Kishangarh is one of 34 airports opened in the past 18 months in India, whose aviation sector has exploded in the wake of massive economic growth. In September, the civil aviation minister said $60 billion has been budgeted for 100 more in the next 10 to 15 years.

As millions of newly wealthy Indians take to the skies for the first time each year, the country is scrambling to transform colonial-era airstrips into plush airports, and suddenly stretched airlines are investing in new planes and recruiting foreign pilots.

[India is no longer home to the largest number of poor people in the world. Nigeria is.]

Schoolchildren celebrate the opening last month of an airport in Kishangarh, 200 miles by road from New Delhi. (Kishangarh Airport/Kishangarh Airport)

“In the 70 years since independence, just 400 planes were serving us,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he unveiled an airport cut into the Himalayan mountains at Pakyong, in Sikkim state, in September — his second such opening that month. “In the past year alone, airline companies have ordered 1,000 new airplanes.”

A relative blip at the turn of the millennium, India’s aviation market has become a juggernaut. In October, its airlines marked 48 consecutive months of double-digit growth in traffic, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). By 2024, IATA estimates, India will rank behind only China and the United States in terms of air traffic to, from and within the country.

“Twenty years ago, India’s market was so minuscule, it barely even figured in,” said Dinesh Keskar, Boeing’s senior vice president of sales for Asia-Pacific and India for commercial planes. “In the near future, we think one in 20 planes will be sold to India.”

The demand for airports is driven, in part, by new affluence in second- and third-tier cities such as Kishangarh.

In the 1990s, the small, family-run marble companies here turned into multinational corporations, generating wealth that lifted the whole population. Even as it retains its sleepy, small-town vibe, the city draws billionaires’ wives, cricket champions and television stars looking to decorate homes, temples and malls — and who now arrive for their marble-shopping visits on chartered private planes or helicopters rather than by car or train.

Traders anticipate that the new commercial air connection to Delhi will bring even more customers wanting marble tiles for walls and floors. A single 78-passenger flight should bring an additional $400,000 a day in revenue, according to Suresh Tak, president of Kishangarh’s Marble Association.

Only two weeks after the first commercial flight began, the novelty of the airport was already wearing off for residents and the possibilities sinking in.

“What we really need now is a flight to Mumbai,” said one of Devi Singh’s soldier friends, sipping tea.

“No, we want Kishangarh to Jaipur in 15 minutes,” said another.

Such surging demand should in theory lead to profits for India’s airlines. In practice, though, the companies are struggling to cash in because of a combination of surging fuel prices, a weak rupee and fierce competition that keeps ticket prices low.

“All this talk of India as the third-largest aviation market may not happen, because the infrastructure may not be able to come up,” said aviation journalist Neelam Matthews.

In July, share prices of InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of India’s biggest airline, IndiGo, plunged 10 percent when it announced quarterly results showing a 97 percent dip in net profits since the previous year. SpiceJet, another big-brand budget carrier, announced net losses of $5 million in its June quarter.

Despite the cash crunch, big airlines are under government pressure to expand services even on financially risky routes.

In 2017, Modi, eager to promote affordable aviation as part of a huge package of social improvements, launched the Regional Connectivity Scheme, which aims to connect small Indian towns to the aviation map through subsidized new routes.

[India launches ‘Modicare,’ the world’s biggest government health program]

The program is one element of the prime minister’s broader infrastructure push — it also includes a $17 billion bullet train and 53,000 miles of new roads — showcasing India’s gleaming modernity in a scramble for global superpower status.

But in the aviation sector, at least, those lofty ambitions have been accompanied — and tempered — by disarray.

Air Deccan and Air Odisha, which collectively bagged 84 of the 128 contracts offered in the first phase of the new connectivity program, canceled more than half their flights in September, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Embarrassingly, one of the airports Modi personally inaugurated in September, in the industrial town of Jharsuguda, had flights for only two weeks before abruptly halting operations. An official at the Airports Authority of India, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media, said the flights were stopped because of internal problems at the airline, Air Odisha, and would be resumed soon.

Meanwhile, as small towns struggle to set up new routes, major airports are beset with delays and cancellations.

Mumbai Airport, India’s busiest, reported delays on one in four of its domestic flights in September, according to the DGCA. And like New Delhi’s airport, it is running out of landing slots, making it impossible to add new routes.

For the millions of Indians being initiated into their country’s new aviation era each year, the experience can be chaotic and unglamorous. But for Gyana Devi, a 51-year-old schoolteacher flying for the first time on a wobbly Bombardier to her hometown of Kishangarh, it is also magical.

“I will show everyone at home,” she said as she filmed a video of her first time above the clouds.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

India's September domestic air traffic up 20%: IATA

As per the data, India's domestic RPK in the month under review rose by 19.8 per cent compared to the corresponding month of the previous year.

NEW DELHI: India's domestic air passenger traffic grew in double digits for the 49th consecutive month in September, a global airline association said on Monday.

The International Air Transport Association(IATA) said India's domestic air passenger volume measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) was highest among major aviation markets like Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, Russia and the US.

As per the data, India's domestic RPK in the month under review rose by 19.8 per cent compared to the corresponding month of the previous year.

India's domestic passenger traffic growth was followed by that of the Russian Federation at 11.1 per cent and China at 9.3 per cent.

In terms of capacity, India's domestic available seat kilometres (ASK) -- which measures available passenger capacity -- was higher by 18.8 per cent in September, that of China's 10.3 per cent and the US saw a 8.6 per cent rise.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

India revives its dream of manufacturing passenger aircraft

India is reviving a nearly two-decade-old dream — to join the small club of nations that make passenger aircraft.

It was March 6, 2009. A 14-seater prototype aircraft called Saras Prototype 2 crashed during a trial flight in the outskirts of Bengaluru, killing all three crew members — two pilots of the Indian Air Force and a flight engineer.

During the investigation, the cockpit voice recorder disclosed the commander calling out, “aircraft has departed”, just 10 seconds before the crash, indicating that the plane had gone out of control as soon as it took off.

The 75-page investigation report pinpointed human errors, but did not spare the manufacturer of the plane, Bengaluru-based National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), for devising engine relight procedures — a midair test that involves switching off an engine before switching it on again — without consulting the propeller manufacturer MT-Propeller of Germany.

The plane had lost altitude and crashed, but the tragedy had a direct fallout: India’s dream project of manufacturing a small civilian plane, the Saras — the Sanskrit word for crane — was stuck in limbo.

By 2016, NAL, the agency that comes under the administrative control of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), announced that its Rs 300 crore fund for the project had dried up, forcing it to suspend Saras for the time being.

It was a project that began in 1991. In fact, there was another prototype — the Saras PT, which flew successfully many times since 2004. It has been modified as the 14-seater Saras PT1N and flown again earlier this year, for a surprise trial.

Something much bigger than Saras is in the offing now. Nine years after the PT-2 crash, the Centre is thinking of indigenously manufacturing aeroplanes for civilian use.

Earlier this week, a 21-member jumbo expert committee, headed by the civil aviation secretary, was set up to look into the various aspects of manufacturing planes and helicopters in India, apart from finding ways to upscale and diversify production of aero-components.

Significantly, this is the second panel being set up in the last two and a half months; the first was headed by the ministry’s economic adviser, Vandana Aggarwal, with a mandate to give a roadmap for creating a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to develop what it calls regional transport aircraft, or RTA.

The need for such a segment has been increasingly felt after the government rolled out its UDAN scheme for regional connectivity a couple of years ago.

“What’s being discussed is the feasibility of manufacturing aircraft of 19- to 100-seater,” an official connected to the panel told ET Magazine, adding that its recommendations would be ready by the end of this month. This panel, constituted on August 30, has four members — a general manager-ranked officer from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a group director of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and senior scientists Abhay Pashilkar and RV Venkatesh, both belonging to NAL, the creator of Saras. Rs 80 crore is earmarked for the purpose of designing the regional transport aircraft manufacturing project.

“The Government of India is fully committed to the development of commercial aerorelated manufacturing in India,” Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu told ET Magazine, adding how two committees would engage in deliberations simultaneously. “Both the Government of India and Indian industry are serious (in manufacturing civilian planes),” he says.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Bigger Planes

Though information on a likely road map for manufacturing aeroplanes in India is still sketchy, two things are amply clear. First, unlike the earlier avatar Saras, which was a small, 14-seater, this round of manufacturing may embark on building relatively bigger aircraft, up to 100-seater and even more.

There are 1,358 aircraft in India, including private ones and those used for training purposes, as on July 12, 2018. There are 620 aircraft of scheduled Indian operators. Of these 79 planes have less than 100 seats. In that category, 70 aircraft have 70 seats and above.

The smaller ones include three 50-seater CRJ-200 aircraft flown by Zoom Air, two 48-seater ATR 42-300 of Alliance Air and four 18-seater Beechcraft 1900D planes of Air Deccan and Air Odisha. The data, compiled by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), throws up the question whether there will be any demand for a 14-seater, Saras-type aircraft — something that was conceived back in the 1990s, even though the government tries to revive the project.

Airlines in India, which foresee growing air connectivity to smaller cities, may prefer 50-to-70-seater planes rather than smaller ones. However, state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is scouting for buyers for its 19-seater Dornier-228, hitherto flown only for military use, saying the aircraft is cheaper and has low maintenance costs. It was in December last year that HAL obtained licences for the use of Dornier for civilian purposes.

Second, unlike in the past, the government may engage private players — either foreign or Indian — for manufacturing aeroplanes. It’s unlikely that the aircraft will be a pure NAL-CSIR venture like the Saras, says an official in the know. That could propel the government into a turbulent zone. Already, the partnership of Dassault Aviation and the novice in the field, Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence, in the Rafale fighter jets deal has become a political hot potato. “We will follow due diligence. The decisions of both the expert committees will go for inter-ministerial consultations and also the approval of the cabinet,” a civil aviation ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

Founder of Air Deccan, Captain GR Gopinath, bats for the involvement of private sector, saying the government must not get into the manufacturing of civilian aircraft. “India must create a global aircraft brand with great quality and at a good price point. The idea is to tap the global market, like Brazil’s Embraer and Canada’s Bombardier have demonstrated.”

Already, pressure is mounting on India to plunge into the manufacturing of civilian aeroplanes after China came out with models such as COMAC C919, a 168-seater, narrow-body jet, which many aviation experts happily compare to AirBus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX. The aircraft is likely to be used by China Eastern Airlines by 2021, according to various news reports. In India, sarkari hurdles are more complex.

Even after the crash of Saras PT-2 in 2009, the Government of India continued its dream project for some time. By then, various stakeholders such as CSIR, Department of Defence Production and the Civil Aviation Ministry were not on the same page, resulting in a further slowdown of the project.

Even after the crash of Saras prototype aircraft, we continued our efforts under a regional civil aviation project. It can now be reignited only if there is a clear ownership of it, with no turf war between government departments, says Nasim Zaidi, who first served as DGCA (2008-10) before getting elevated as secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation (2010-12).

Maybe there will be less confusion now on who would pilot the new aeroplane project, after the government, in July last year, changed the allocation of business rules, allowing the Civil Aviation Ministry to pursue the development of commercial aero-related manufacturing and its ecosystem, a subject that was handled by the Department of Defence Production.

There's no doubt now who the pilot is. The only uncertainly is whether there will be a clear sky ahead.

 

[Prashant12]

GENJET GLJ-3X1, THE LIGHT BUSINESS JET

GENJET GLJ-3X1, is an Indian initiative of development of a '2+7 seat Light Business Jet'; having twin turbofan engines with cruise speed of 840 kmph and a range of 4100 km;to travel across India,within SAARC countries and similar range elsewhere in the world;

The design and development work has been progressing at Genser Aerospace, under a unique collaborative model of aerofi for development of such high technology, high investment, high risk, long gestation aerospace products. Among the stages of (i)Conceptual Design, (ii) Preliminary Design, (iii)Detailed Design & Mock Up, (iv) Prototyping, Testing, Certification and (v) Production; first two stages have been completed and further stages are in full swing.

It fits into the philosophy of aerofi to enable ongoing efforts in aerospace product developments by its affiliates(members) to reach fruition, by supporting and guiding them and, if required, by enabling structures for collaborative development. Genjet GLJ3X1 has been identified as one of the launch projects of aerofi to be taken up and supported under its unique collaborative model.

http://www.genser.com/index.php/glj-3x1-the-light-jet

 

[Prashant12]

So, what’s gonna fly high at Aero India 2019


A host of Made in India aircraft and helicopters along with foreign ones will be on display (flying and static) at the Aero India 2019 which would be held at Air Force Station, Yelahanka from February 20 to 24.

While a majority of Indian aircraft and helicopters are from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) stable, there will also be static display of the indigenously developed light business jet GENJET GLJ3X1.


So far about 175 exhibitors-both Indian and foreign have registered to take part in the air show according to the organisers. Besides, 27,890 sqm space has been booked and 5,286 sqm space is still available for participants to book.

On display from HAL
According to the organisers, the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH MK IV), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), HAWK-I and the basic trainer aircraft, Hindustan Turbo Trainer (HTT-40) will be on display during the air show. The LCH, LUH and the HTT-40 is awaiting certification and is yet to be inducted into the Indian Air Force.

Countdown begins: Flying response to Aero India show

More from B’luru
Keep your eyes peeled for the GENJET GLJ3X1, developed by the Bengaluru based Genser Aerospace & IT Pvt. Ltd. According to them, the aircraft ‘2+7 seat Light Business Jet’; has twin turbofan engines with cruise speed of 840 kmph and a range of 4100 km.

From the Airbus stables
Among the international names, Airbus is a big one. The helicopters which will be on static display from the Airbus include the Airbus H135 and Airbus H145. Among the military transport aircraft, the Airbus A400M, C295 and the ANTONOV 132D will also be on display.

What IAF is shopping for
During the 2019 edition, the aircraft expected to participate in the show would be from the six companies who have responded to the IAF’s Request for Information (RFI) for 110 multi-role fighter jets. These include Boeing (F/A-18 Super Hornet), SAAB Aviation’s (Gripen), Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin (F-16 Fighting Falcon) and Russia’s Mig-35, who have responded to the RFI.

During the last edition of the air show, a total of 72 aircraft participated. The Yakovlev aerobatic team, the Skycats, the Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team and the Sarang helicopter were among the display teams. A few of months ago there were reports that the five day Aero India show which has been held in Bengaluru since 1993 could move out to Lucknow.

However, ending months of speculation, the Ministry of Defence in September announced that the government has decided to hold the Aero India 2019 in Bengaluru.

https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes....h-at-aero-india-2019/articleshow/66700113.cms

 

[Why so serious?]

India's air connectivity grew fastest in five years, says IATA
By PTI | Dec 12, 2018, 06.58 PM IST

• India's air connectivity has grown the fastest in the last five years and there is "strong growth" ahead in terms of domestic passenger numbers though there are infrastructurechallenges, according to global airlines' body IATA.
  
  
  India is the fastest growing domestic aviation market in the world, IATA's Chief Economist Brian Pearce said. The country registered double-digit growth in domestic aviation market for the 50th consecutive month in October.
  
  
  An update for primary healthcare
  An analysis by the International Airport Transport Association (IATA) showed that air connectivity grew the fastest at 114 per cent in the five-year period from 2013-2018.
  
  "Many of the markets where connectivity has grown fastest, unsurprisingly are in Asia -- India (114 per cent), China and Indonesia...," the grouping said in a presentation during the Global Media Day here.
  
  As per the IATA, which is a grouping of around 290 airlines, connectivity is the "extent to which a country is integrated into the global air transport network".
  
  In recent years, many foreign as well as Indian carriers have commenced flights to and from various Indian cities. About domestic passenger growth, Pearce told PTI that there is strong growth ahead but the challenge is with infrastructure and that airports are crowded.
  
  "We need more terminals and runway capacities... We have seen concession (agreements) for many airports leading to large rises in airport charges," he noted.
  
  On steps being taken in India to address the infrastructure issues, he said additional capacity is being put in place and some very good modern airports being built which is a "real positive".
  
  Noting that the cost of using those airports is high, Pearce said it is because the "economic regulations have not been strong as we would have hoped because concession agreements were made with very large royalties".
  
  The lesson for the future is to provide good infrastructure because more is needed but at an affordable rate, he noted.
  
  IATA's Director (Global Airport Infrastructure and Fuel) Hemant Mistry said historically airport concessions have suffered from "unduly long and arbitrary concession lengths -- these can be for the benefit of the government (higher concession fee) and the concessionaire (longer term returns). ? "We have seen many examples of very high concession fees where a large proportion of the gross revenue of the airport is diverted to the government and not necessarily re-invested back into aviation," he added.
  
  According to him, there are also examples where concessions are negotiated with fixed pricing over the concession term, which risks a situation where charges are not reflective of the service or infrastructure provided to the airlines and passengers.

 

[proud_indian]

Aero India 2019: Second Webinar By Speaker - Sh Jitendra J Jadhav, Director, CSIR-NAL
Regional Transport Aircraft of India

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Delhi, Mumbai to have 3 airports each, 31 cities to get 2nd one by 2040
The civil aviation ministry’s “Vision 2040” stated that in leading regions like Delhi and Mumbai even the second airports are likely to be saturated by 2040 and will require a third airport.

At least 31 cities in India will have two airports by 2040 while Delhi and Mumbai will have a third airport by then, according to a vision document released by the ministry of civil aviation on Tuesday. (PTI)

At least 31 cities in India will have two airports by 2040 while Delhi and Mumbai will have a third airport by then, according to a vision document released by the ministry of civil aviation on Tuesday.

The report released at Global Aviation Summit in Mumbai says most of the large Indian airports are expected to be saturated over the next 10-15 years.

Hindustan Times had on November 1 reported that at least 20 cities in India would require a second airport by 2030, quoting the initial findings of a study by the civil aviation ministry.

“In leading regions like Delhi and Mumbai even the second airports are likely to be saturated by 2040 and will require a third airport. India’s commercial airline fleet is likely to grow from 622 in March 2018 to around 2,359 in March 2040 ,” said a civil aviation ministry official, quoting the “Vision 2040” document released by the ministry.

“India may have around 190-200 operational airports in 2040. The incremental land requirement is expected to be around 150,000 acres and the capital investment (not including cost of acquiring land) is expected to be $40-50 billion,” the official added.

Read more| India to add 1,000 aircraft in 7-8 years: Government official

The report says that the total capital expenditure for brownfield [upgrading existing projects] and greenfield [new projects] capacity expansion in India until 2040 is conservatively expected to be in the range of $40-50 billion.

Another civil aviation ministry official said that the government may consider establishing a NABH Nirman Fund (NNF) with a starting corpus of around $2 billion to support low traffic airports in their initial phases. NABH stands for Next Generation Airports for Bharat. The concept of land pooling may be used to keep land acquisition costs low and to provide landowners with high value developed plots in the vicinity of the airports.

HT had reported that Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Pune, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Patna, Kolkata and Bengaluru are among cities that will need a second airport by 2030. By 2035, more cities will join this list. The ministry will now write to respective state governments, sharing the information and asking them to identify land for a new airport at least five years before the airport reaches its capacity.

India’s airports currently handle 183.90 million passengers a year, according to the 2017-18 data released by the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The number has grown in recent years — from 134.98 million in 2015-16 to 158.43 million in 2016-17.

Read more| India’s air passenger traffic to touch 1.1 bn in 2040, says MoCA vision document

This year, it is expected to cross 200 million. Some of the bigger airports are already operating in excess of their capacity. For instance, the Delhi airport handled 63.5 million passengers in 2017, and is expected to reach 70 million this year and will start operating beyond its capacity. It is also among the busiest airports worldwide, according to Airports Council International (ACI), the global trade representative of the airport authorities.

“It is good that ministry has kept 2040 in mind as aviation infrastructure should last generations. The way growth is going, Mumbai will need third airport and they should start thinking about it now,” said Kapil Kaul, CEO & director of CAPA South Asia, which provides market intelligence for the aviation and travel industry.

India will also have a robust commercial aircraft manufacturing ecosystem with global collaboration. It will meet at least 70% of the country’s commercial aircraft demand and also export to other countries.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Centre to fly in aircraft manufacturing policy as aviation sector booms

The central government set the stage for aircraft manufacturing in India while releasing the updated draft of drone policy that would boost usage of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in infrastructure projects, monitoring of rail/road traffic, inspection of agricultural land and transportation of medical equipment, among others.

Civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu said a roadmap is being drafted to support aircraft manufacturing in India, which will be brought out soon.

Prabhu said that normally the manufacturing activities take place near the industry, which uses the product. But in case of airplane manufacturing, it is happening far away from one of the fastest growing aviation market in the world.

At present, Indian companies manufacture aircraft parts.

Prabhu said the drone policy is expected to encourage the development of infrastructure (such as UAS traffic management system, drone corridor and droneports) necessary for expansion and penetration of UAS-based commercial services, without compromising on safety and security.

"Consequently, an evolving infrastructure would also increase job opportunities and simultaneously incentivise domestic as well as foreign technology advancements and investments in this space," said the report.

Drones are expected to be $886 million market in India by 2021, while the global market is likely to touch $21.47 billion.

The officials said the commercial UAS operations will foster various new forms of air freight capabilities, such as creation of supply chain relay networks for delivery of payload, transport of temperature sensitive commodities like bodily organs, emergency or just-in-time deliveries of life-saving medicines or safe blood for transfusions and collection of patient specimens for delivery to laboratory for time-sensitive testing.

The government had earlier launched DigitalSky platform under Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) with e?ect from December 1, 2018, to develop an ecosystem for drones. The focus of the updated policy was to address the challenges on issues such as beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and autonomous operations.

The officals said DigitalSky and Dynamic Zoning also allows regulators to respond quickly to security and safety needs by being able to limit permissions in areas where they may be sudden security, safety or privacy challenges. Artificial intelligence may also be considered to be integrated in the UTM system to perform tasks of dynamic re-routing more efficiently than humans. Each UAS must be equipped with appropriate navigation and communication software and hardware to allow for live telemetry and other data exchange with a UTM service provider. Droneports are proposed to be designated areas dedicated to facilitate take-off and landing of UAS. However, over the time their capabilities may be enhanced to function as distribution centres (or cargo holds), battery charging stations and/or any other appropriate use. Licensing of such ports may be granted by the concerned authorities upon meeting the prescribed technical requirements.

The government also released a national air cargo policy which aims at making India an air cargo hub. Air cargo handled at Indian airports has grown more than 20 times from 0.08 million metric tonne (mmt) in 1972-73 to 2.5 mmt in 2014-15. During the period 2013-14 to 2017-18 it accelerated sharply and grew with a CAGR of 10%, says the report. International cargo comprises 60% of total air cargo tonnes handled in India and grew a 15.6% in 2017-18. Domestic air cargo grew over 8%, which reflects the skewed modal mix in which roads account for over 60% of cargo transportation as compared to the global average of around 30%.

The Indian air passenger traffic is expected to grow sixfold to 1.1 billion passengers by 2040, claims the Vision 2040 document shared by the civil aviation ministry. The document prepared by consultancy KPMG and industry body Ficci said the commercial fleet in India will rise to 2,359 planes during the same period. The Indian aviation is expected to have 190-200 operational airports by 2040. The report said Mumbai and Delhi will have three airports each.

MAKE IN INDIA

• A roadmap is being drafted to support aircraft manufacturing in India, which will be out soon
• Drones are expected to be $886 million market in India by 2021, while the global market is likely to touch $21.47 billion

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Indian government draws up new civil aviation roadmap to 2040
India's government has issued a 20-year roadmap for civil aviation growth that projects a sixfold increase in the country's passenger numbers, to 1.1 billion by 2040, and a quadrupling in the commercial airline fleet over the same span, to 2,400 aircraft.

The "Vision 2040" roadmap, released on 15 January at an industry conference, also forecasts that the number of airports will increase from 99 in March 2018 to around 190-200. India's top 31 cities by population are foreseen having at least two airports each, with Delhi and Mumbai having three each. The incremental land requirement is estimated at 150,000 acres, and the capital investment at $40-50 billion.

To support the growth of infrastructure, the government may consider establishing a $2 billion fund to support low-traffic airports in their initial operating phases. Land pooling is being considered to keep land acquisition costs low and provide landowners with high-value developed plots in the vicinity of the airports.

Meanwhile, the government sees air cargo throughput quadrupling to 17 million tons, with cargo processed paperlessly and at higher speed. New Delhi expects the country's freighter fleet "to expand multifold with the growth in e-commerce", as it seeks to make India a transshipment hub for South Asia.

On the manufacturing front, India is targeting development of its indigenous aircraft manufacturing industry in collaboration with OEMs. The government hopes that by 2040 "nearly 70%" of the commercial aircraft required by the Indian market will be assembled locally, and that export work will add to volumes.

"Given the size of their aviation markets, USA and China have managed to create a robust aerospace industry with leading aircraft manufacturers setting up their assembly plans therein. India, with a projected fleet of over 2,300 commercial aircraft by 2040 and large orders of military aircraft, provides ample justification for global OEMs to consider India as an aircraft manufacturing base," says the government.

India could also establish its own aircraft leasing industry to handle "almost 90% of aircraft" ordered by its airlines, the government proposes.

"India's tax structure and repossession processes will be equally or more attractive than those in leading global jurisdictions," says New Delhi in the report, which also describes a local aircraft leasing sector as "a necessity" to reduce "over-dependence" on foreign lessors.

"As India's fleet grows, so will its forex outflow, with no asset being built in India," adds the government. It also warns that with the rupee's depreciation, the cost of leasing, in rupee terms, will rise. As such, airlines will have tight margins in the long run.

New Delhi forecasts that the growth in the civil aviation industry could generate $28.6 billion in annual revenue by 2040, up from the current $11.4 billion. The Indian MRO sector is projected to contribute $540 million in annual revenue, up from the current $50 million.

Under the roadmap, New Delhi has also identified several goals to achieve by 2040.

These include bringing aviation turbine fuel (ATF) under the ambit of the goods and services tax (GST). "Long-term taxes therefrom will more than compensate for the small amount of GST foregone in the short term," says the government. To counter this, New Delhi may consider raising the GST rate on economy-class tickets from 5% to 12% to reduce the GST loss in the short term.

While the government has reduced ATF from 14% to 11%, effective October 2018, various states still charge a separate state tax of up to 30%. Indian airlines are estimated to be paying Rs30-40 billion ($420-560 million) annually in fuel taxes, while fuel costs account for around a third to 40% of expenses.

 

[Armand2REP]

Jet Airways suspends operations


The people at Boeing are going crazy as they had ordered 75 737 MAX and the government funded EXIM "Boeing Bank" used for exports is recalling all loans. Will GoI bail them out?

 

[Armand2REP]

IndiGo ditches Pratt & Whitney, to sign deal in Paris with rival CFM
Updated : May 30, 2019 10:20 AM IST

The deal is likely to be announced during the Paris Air Show that will begin on June 17.
The carrier is the largest customer of Airbus’ fuel-efficient A320neo family aircraft with Pratt & Whitney engines.

CNBC-TV18

Share
Business Standard, quoting sources.

The deal is likely to be announced during the Paris Air Show that will begin on June 17 and the deal is valued at $8.12 billion based on the listed price at the report said. However, airlines pay much less than what the listed price is.

The move by IndiGo, the largest customer of A 320neo aircraft, is also seen as a setback for P&W’s geared turbofan engine programme, the daily said.

While refusing to comment on the deal, a CFM spokesperson told the daily that the company was looking to strengthen its position in the subcontinent by winning customers for the LEAP engine.

 

[Tanmay]

Don't know if posted before. Decc 2018 vintage
Dornierr 228 manufacturing at HAL. Apart from chappal wearing workers(f*ck OSHA) everything else seems fine.

 

[Prashant12]

Civilian flights to Kargil by year-end: Jammu & Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik

KARGIL: The Kargil airport will be expanded to include a full-fledged facility for commercial flight operations by the end of this year, Jammu & Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik told TOI on Saturday.

Tenders for the Rs 200-crore project will be floated soon. The plan was sanctioned by Malik a month ago.

Heavy shelling by Pakistan during the 1999 Kargil conflict had damaged the airstrip extensively, which prompted the Centre to draw up a plan of an airport at this LoCtown. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) team visited Kargil on June 20 to conduct a pre-feasibility study of the project.

The AAI report said: "The existing runway has a stretch of 6,000 feet in north-to-south direction. There is scope of extending it for a further 5,000 feet. That would make it suitable for commercial jets."

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...rnor-satya-pal-malik/articleshow/70425271.cms