Page 4 - Aircrafts

102 aircraft on ground due to supply chain issues: Govt tells Lok Sabha

The government on Thursday said 102 aircraft are on the ground due to supply chain issues and that it has been encouraging development of the ecosystem for manufacturing of planes by public as well as private enterprises in the country. Supply chain woes have been impacting the airlines' industry in recent years, especially after the coronavirus pandemic and due to certain geopolitical developments. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said aircraft operating in India are periodically inspected for compliance with Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regulations. The aircraft can also be withdrawn by the airline from flying when the spare parts and consumables to maintain the aircraft are not available from Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) & manufacturer to keep it airworthy. "There are total 822 aircraft registered under Scheduled Air Transport Service out of which 105 aircraft are Aircraft on Ground (AOG) due to ..

BluJ Aero, Blade India sign deal for sustainable regional aviation

Blade India will purchase 60 vertical takeoff and landing aircraft as part of agreement

Half of PIA's fleet grounded due to shortage of essential components

A shortage of essential components and spare parts has grounded 17 of the Pakistan International Airlines' 34 aircraft, leaving them out of service, according to sources. The position is that 17 aircraft of the PIA fleet remain out of service, a source in the airlines said. At present, seven out of 12 planes in the airline's Boeing 777 fleet are grounded. Additionally, seven out of 17 Airbus A320 planes are also non-operational. The airline's smaller ATR aircraft have not been spared, with only two of the five aircraft currently active. The grounded planes have been affected by a lack of essential components, including engines, landing gear, Auxiliary Power Units (APUs), and other vital parts. Sources in the airlines said that shortage of funds and due clearance from relevant ministries were the primary reasons for the shortage. This has severely affected the operational efficiency of the country's national flag carrier, which is set to resume flights to Europe on January 10 afte

Air India Express to add 65 planes, Air India 35 in next three years

Presently, Air India Express operates a fleet of approximately 90 aircraft, whereas full-service airline Air India has around 210 planes

Air India to set up aircraft maintenance training institute in Bengaluru

Air India on Friday said it is setting up a Basic Maintenance Training Organisation (BMTO), which will offer an integrated 2+2 years Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) programme certified by the Indian aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The Air India BMTO is a step towards building a robust, future-ready aviation ecosystem in India, the company said. It will serve the ambitions of the airline as it moves ahead in its transformation journey, strengthening the availability of aircraft maintenance engineers as Air India expands its fleet, making it self-reliant, it said in a release. Air India has signed an agreement with Bengaluru Airport City Limited (BACL), a subsidiary of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), to develop a build-to-suit facility for the AME programme that will feature modern classrooms, well-equipped laboratories for practical training and a team of qualified trainers. The purpose-built campus, spread over 86,000 square f

Domestic airlines' fleet to touch 1,400 planes in 5 years: Official

Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam on Thursday said the number of planes with domestic airlines will increase to 1,400 in the next five years as he highlighted the growth potential of the country's aviation space. Currently, the fleet is around 800 aircraft and leading carriers IndiGo and Air India have placed significant plane orders. At a function in the national capital, the secretary also mentioned about the opportunities for women in the aviation sector, including in the drone segment. In the last 10 years, the number of airports has more than doubled from 74 to 157, Vualnam said. He also said the number of passengers has doubled to around 22 crore from 11 crore. The secretary was speaking at the 'Giving Wings to Dreams Awards 2024' hosted by Women in Aviation India in collaboration with the civil aviation ministry. According to him, the Rs 120-crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme was successful and that beneficiary companies have seen their overall turnov

Advanced Air Mobility can improve accessibility, create opportunities: WEF

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) solutions hold the potential to decongest roads, improve accessibility and create new economic opportunities in India, and integrating them through dynamic corridors can facilitate seamless coexistence with traditional airspace operations, a report said on Thursday. World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with the civil aviation ministry has prepared the report titled 'Skyways to the Future: Operational Concepts for Advanced Air Mobility in India'. To develop a robust ecosystem for AAM, the report has suggested establishing urban and rural vertiports, integrating AAM into the country's multimodal transport system and addressing key challenges such as noise mitigation, energy demands and community acceptance. Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) and short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft are fixed-wing planes that can take off and land on runways much shorter than those needed by conventional aircraft are among the AAM solutions. "They .

Chinese certification of A330 neo jet progressing well: Airbus CEO

Airbus first established an official presence in China in 1994 and its first final assembly line outside the borders of its four founding European countries was opened in the city of Tianjin in 2008

China's PLA Navy holds historic dual aircraft carrier exercises in SC Sea

This milestone reflects China's ambition to enhance its naval capabilities

Building ecosystem to produce C-295 components locally: MEA on Spain deal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft

PM Modi, Spanish counterpart Sanchez hold roadshow in Gujarat's Vadodara

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez held a roadshow in Gujarat's Vadodara city on Monday morning as they travelled in an open jeep and greeted people standing on both sides of the route. Both the PMs waved at the crowd gathered along the 2.5-km stretch of the route from the airport to the Tata aircraft complex in the city which they will inaugurate. Modi and Sanchez were greeted with performances by various artists showcasing India's rich culture as they proceeded towards the Tata Advanced Systems facility here. The two leaders will jointly inaugurate the Tata Advanced Systems facility before heading to the historic Laxmi Vilas Palace to hold a bilateral meeting. The complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft by the Tata Advanced Systems is the first private sector final assembly line for military aircraft in India. As many as 40 aircraft will be built in the Vadodara facility as part of an agreement, while aviation behemoth Airbus will deliver 16

Boeing plans to raise $15 billion through shares, bonds amid strike woes

The company said in regulatory filings that it could raise as much as $25 billion in stock and debt with its investment-grade credit rating at risk

World's largest cargo plane Beluga XL makes a landing at Kolkata airport

The Beluga XL aircraft, the world's largest cargo plane, made another landing at Kolkata airport on Monday morning, an official said. The aircraft arrived here at 5.47 am from the Tianjin Binhai International Airport in China. The purpose of the stop is crew rest, FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) and refuelling, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) spokesperson said. It is scheduled to depart at 3.30 pm on Tuesday and head to Bahrain International Airport, he said. The aircraft was expected to return to Kolkata on October 13 but it got delayed by almost 24 hours, the AAI spokesperson said. Kolkata got its first glance at the Beluga XL, which is also the biggest Airbus Beluga series aircraft, when it landed at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport on October 8. The Beluga XL is the upgraded and bigger version of Beluga ST. The overall length of the aircraft is 207 ft, with a height of 62 ft and wing span of 197 ft and 10 inches, according to data on the Airbus

Average airfares around Diwali drop 20-25% on many domestic routes

Air passengers might have a reason to smile this Diwali season as average airfares on many domestic routes have dropped 20-25 per cent compared to the year-ago period, according to an analysis. Increased capacity and the recent fall in oil prices are considered to be among the factors for the fall in air ticket prices. The analysis by travel portal ixigo showed that average airfare on the domestic routes have declined in the range of 20-25 per cent. The prices are for one-way average fare on a 30 days APD (advanced purchase date) basis. For 2023, the time period considered is November 10-16 while it is October 28-November 3 for this year. This is the time around Diwali. The maximum decline of average airfare is 38 per cent for a Bengaluru-Kolkata flight to Rs 6,319 this year from Rs 10,195 last year, as per the analysis. The ticket price on Chennai-Kolkata route has fallen 36 per cent to Rs 5,604 from Rs 8,725. The average airfare for Mumbai-Delhi flight has dropped 34 per cent

A regional airline without call centre; FLY91 remains 'digital native'

After taking to the skies nearly seven months ago, FLY91 is on a steady flight path and that too with a difference. The regional carrier does not have a call centre for passengers. Focused on being a "digital native" company, the Goa-based carrier prepared a list of priorities before commencing operations and decided to do away with certain things that are traditionally done by the airlines. "We consciously wanted to go down that path (of not having a call centre)...," FLY91's Chief Technology Officer Prasanna Subramaniam said. There are huge cost savings with not having the call centre and it also gives the advantage as the savings are being used for building new digital applications somewhere else, he told PTI in a recent interview. Currently, FLY91, which commenced flying on March 18, operates two ATR 72-600 aircraft. It has around 16 departures a day. The airline has a fully automated bot that responds to customer queries. In case a customer wants to have a personal talk, then

Airbus faces pressure as lower deliveries highlight challenging target

Airbus and Boeing supplier Senior said on Tuesday it was cutting headcount in response to challenges in commercial aerospace manufacturing, sending its shares tumbling

Taiwan reports 12 PLA aircraft, 8 naval vessels near its territory

Earlier on October 4, Taiwan's President William Lai stated that the People's Republic of China (PRC) cannot be considered the "Motherland" of the people of Taiwan

Taiwan detects 4 Chinese military aircraft, 6 naval vessels near its area

After three days of no Chinese activity, Taiwan detected Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels around itself, a statement by Taiwan's Ministry of Defence stated

Ace Aviation acquires another plane as Jet Airways deal gets delayed

Koish said that procuring another aircraft from the market was 'smooth', demonstrating how efficiently such acquisitions can proceed when all parties cooperate

Outdated fleet and seats, supply woes hinder Air India's turnaround

Global shortages are hurting plans for most airlines, but the problem is more acute for Air India