Page 13 - Aviation

Singapore Airlines recycled more in-flight waste than previously reported

Recycling and a broader focus on the environment, including sustainable aviation fuel, has become a much bigger focus for airlines

IndiGo Airlines fined $5,832.60 for late payment by US customs

IndiGo reportedly received the intimation about the penalty from the US authority on 24 July, and is currently exploring the possibility of a waiver of the penalty

Aviation summit opens amid aircraft shortages, supply chain turbulence

Aviation was hit hard by the pandemic which saw air travel collapse only to bounce back sharply. That has left many firms scrambling to resolve labour and parts shortages

DGCA sets up internal working groups to develop regulatory norms for eVTOLs

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has set up internal working groups for studying various aspects related to operating electric air taxis and develop appropriate regulations, the government said on Monday. With respect to electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) capable aircraft for carrying passengers, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has established the Advanced Air Mobility Study Group in light of rapid technological advances of new entrants and the potential impact on the aviation ecosystem. "In tandem with that, DGCA has also constituted internal working groups for studying various aspects related to operation of eVTOL to assess and develop appropriate regulations/ requirements suitable for India," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. He said these working groups will study relevant regulations published by other countries/ civil aviation authorities, seek inputs from the industry

Merger pains: Air India announces VRS scheme for permanent ground staff

Sources stated that approximately 500-600 employees, out of a total of 18,000 from the two carriers, are expected to be retired or separated

Khandu urges Centre to boost flight connectivity from Donyi Polo Airport

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday urged the Centre to increase flight connectivity from Donyi Polo Airport near here to improve connectivity, tourism and commerce in the northeastern state. In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Khandu pointed out that as of now, one flight each is being operated from Donyi Polo Airport to Kolkata (six times a week) and to New Delhi (four times a week). These flights, he said, are regularly operating at complete capacity, often leading to immense surges in travel fares and unavailability of tickets for prospective passengers, including in cases of medical and other exigencies. Also, the absence of daily flight operations hampers ease of access for visitors, tourists, often forcing them to seek other travel options. He said there is no same-day connectivity while travelling from Itanagar to Bhopal and Kochi, causing passengers to spend an additional night in New Delhi or Kolkata. The layover whi

Panasonic Avionics opens new software design & development facility in Pune

In-flight Engagement and Connectivity (IFEC) solutions provider Panasonic Avionics on Wednesday opened a new software design and development facility in Pune. The new facility, inaugurated by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, is the first in the country by Panasonic Avionics Corporation dedicated to supporting the development and delivery of IFEC solutions. The facility employs over 200 skilled engineers in the beginning with growth plans in place to scale it up further to support the increasing demand from airlines for these solutions, the company said. Panasonic Avionics said the new facility will accelerate its software development capabilities and help improve the time-to-market for robust, next-generation IFEC and digital solutions. "With its huge number of skilled engineers, and fast-growing aviation sector, India is a natural location for us to invest in for the future of our business, and we look forward to accelerating our software innovation and .

Airbus expects China, India to drive jet sales in next two decades

Carriers in India have loaded up on new plane orders as demand for flying soars with a growing middle class

Boeing plea deal: Manufacturer has long road ahead to regain public trust

Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a fraud charge resulting from failing to disclose critical design elements to regulators responsible for certifying the 737 MAX aircraft

Airbus launches cost cutting measures to 'save 2024' after output troubles

An Airbus spokesperson declined to comment on internal memos but confirmed the existence of a performance-improvement plan

From fighters to copters, how R&D powers HAL's Himalayan-altitude flight

In the first of a two-part series on India's indigenous aerospace industry, Business Standard traces HAL's pioneering research and development

After regulatory review, Boeing restarts new plane deliveries to China

New Boeing deliveries to China have been off and on since 2019 after two fatal crashes of MAX 8 jets and amid intensifying tensions over issues ranging from technology to national security

Boeing agrees to purchase Spirit Aero for $4.7 billion in stock deal

Boeing plans to take control of the Spirit's manufacturing that supports its commercial jet line-up, including building frames for its cash-cow 737 Max

Aviation market big enough for Akasa Air to succeed: CEO Vinay Dube

As Akasa Air spreads its wings on domestic and international routes, the less-than-two-year-old airline's chief Vinay Dube has said he does not think about competition in encouraging or discouraging terms, as the aviation market is "big enough for us to succeed". The carrier, which took to the skies in August 2022, currently has a fleet of 24 Boeing 737 MAX planes and operates more than 900 flights weekly. While emphasising that the focus is on service excellence and cost leadership, Dube said the airline is looking for network and international expansion. "I don't think about competition and certainly don't think about it in encouraging or discouraging terms. If we focus on ourselves, the market is big enough for us to succeed," he told PTI in a recent interview. In response to the query on whether current competition is encouraging, Dube said, "We don't spend so much time focused on what competition is doing unless we have things we can learn from... what can be improved upon...

Canadian airline cancels 150 flights after surprise stir by mechanics union

Canada's second largest airline, WestJet, says it has cancelled at least 150 flights affecting 20,000 passengers beginning on Saturday after the union of maintenance workers announced it has gone on strike. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association said its members started to strike Friday evening because the airline's unwillingness to negotiate with the union" made it inevitable. The strike came after the federal government issued a ministerial order for binding arbitration on Thursday. That followed two weeks of turbulent discussions with the union on a new deal. On Thursday, WestJet said the union confirmed they will abide by the direction. Given this, a strike or lockout will not occur, and the airline will no longer proceed in cancelling flights. The surprise strike affecting international and domestic flights is happening during the Canada Day long weekend. Calgary, Alberta-based WestJet said it was extremely outraged and will hold the union 100 per cent accountable for t

Govt successfully conducts test flight of expendable aerial target 'Abhyas'

India successfully carried out a series of flight-tests of the indigenously developed high-speed expendable aerial target Abhyas from the integrated test range in Chandipur off the Odisha coast. Abhyas has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as a target for the testing of missile systems. The DRDO has successfully completed six consecutive developmental trials of High Speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) 'Abhyas' with improved booster configuration from the integrated test range, Chandipur, the defence ministry said. The successful flight tests have paved the way for production of the Abhyas systems. With this, Abhyas has successfully completed 10 developmental trials demonstrating the reliability of the system, it said. The ministry said the trials were carried out with "improved radar cross section, visual and infrared augmentation systems." The 'Abhyas' system offers a realistic threat scenario for carrying out testing on missiles. This

Air India to deploy A350 planes on Delhi-London route starting September 1

Air India will start operating its wide-body A350-900 aircraft on the Delhi-London route with two daily flights from September 1. The flights will mark the introduction of the plane on the international long-haul route, as Air India revamps and expands its operations to strengthen presence in international and domestic segments. "The A350-900 will replace the currently deployed Boeing 777-300 ER and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on 14 of 17 weekly flights. As a result, an additional 336 seats will be available on the Delhi-London Heathrow route each week," the airline said in a release on Thursday. Besides, the airline will introduce premium economy class seats in the A350-900 planes operating on the Delhi-London Heathrow route. Air India will operate two daily flights between the national capital and London Heathrow with the A350-900 aircraft starting from September 1. The airline started operating the A350-900 plane on the international route from May 1 with services between Delhi and

USTSA seeks one-stop pact with India to end rescreening of passengers

The US transport security body has sought a unique one-stop agreement with India to end the rescreening of passengers, asserting that the "really powerful" concept will raise global aviation security standards. Addressing the India US Aviation Summit here on Tuesday, David Pekoske, Administrator of the US Transportation Security Administration (USTSA) said that the one-stop security concept is "very reachable" between the countries. I think very tangible and very reachable between India and the United States is one-stop security," he said. "It's a concept that expedites the flow of passengers and baggage to their destinations by eliminating the duplication of security controls at transfer points, Pekoske said. He said in the case of a one-stop agreement, passengers who reach an airport in another country and have a connecting domestic flight would not need to be rescreened and their checked bags would go from aircraft to aircraft. Terming it a "really powerful" concept, Pekoske sa

US trade body approves funding to develop integrated aviation hub in Hissar

The US Trade and Development Agency has approved grant funding for technical assistance to help create an integrated aviation hub at the Hisar Airport in Haryana, aiming to develop airport cargo and logistics infrastructure to strengthen India's supply chain network, a top official has said. US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Director Enoh T Ebong announced this on Tuesday at the three-day US-India Aviation Summit here. I am delighted to announce that USTDA has approved grant funding for technical assistance to help create an integrated aviation hub at the Hisar Airport in the State of Haryana," she said. "Our work will help develop airport cargo and logistics infrastructure that will strengthen India's supply chain network, she said without providing the quantum of the grant funding from the USTDA. Our partner for this activity will be the Haryana Airports Development Corporation (HADC), and our assistance will include capacity building to facilitate HADC's implementation of

Jet Airways' Naresh Goyal moves HC, seeks extension of interim medical bail

Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal has moved the Bombay High Court seeking extension of the two-month interim medical bail granted to him earlier. On May 6, the high court had granted interim bail for two months on medical grounds to Goyal, arrested in a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Goyal, 75, has now filed an application seeking extension of the same. The plea said his medical condition continues to remain poor and that he has also lost his wife to cancer on May 16. The application came up for hearing on Tuesday before a single bench of Justice Manish Pitale. The court referred to a circular issued by the high court in February, stating that the applications where earlier pleas were considered and decided by a particular judge shall be placed before the same bench. Justice Pitale directed the high court's registry department to place Goyal's application before the single bench of Justice N J Jamadar, who had granted him interim bail in May for two ...