AAI to monetize land parcels near airport terminals

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is working on a draft to amend the AAI Act, 1994, which will allow the state-run airport operator to monetize land parcels near airport terminals across the country, two officials aware of the matter said. According to the existing provisions of the AAI Act, the authority can use the land only to discharge functions related to airports.

“The amendment to AAI Act, 1994 is currently in a draft stage. Legal opinion has also been sought from the ministry of law and justice. Simultaneously, the authority has identified land parcels, where AAI can commence the process once final approvals are in place," one of the two officials said, requesting anonymity.

AAI has 55,000-60,000 acres of land across more than 150 locations, including airports and airstrips. “Out of the 150 airports, there are over 50 airports where land records are clear, and suggest that redevelopment will be possible without any roadblock. They should be the first in line once the Cabinet clears the proposal," the second official said, also seeking anonymity.

AAI to monetize land parcels near airport terminals

AAI’s plan to unlock additional revenue from a tangible asset like the land was suggested in the National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016. “There are restrictions on the use of land allocated for commercial use of airports. Ministry of civil aviation will explore ways to unlock the potential of the same by liberalising the end-use restrictions for existing (excluding public-private partnership) and future greenfield and brownfield airports of AAI, and future greenfield and brownfield airport projects under PPP," the policy stated.

In 2017, AAI identified land for city-side development near airports at Lucknow, Raipur, Tirupati, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi, Kolkata, Amritsar and Jaipur in a phased manner. It had also started construction of multi-level car parking with commercial facilities at Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Calicut, Jaipur and Amritsar, besides planning to build hotels at Amritsar, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata airports.

So far, revenue generated from non-aeronautical sources at major airports of AAI makes up about 23% of its total airport services revenue. AAI recorded total revenue of INR 6,841 crore in FY22, up from INR 4,867 crore in the previous year. Revenue stood at INR 12,837 crore during the non-covid year of FY20.

So far, revenue generated from non-aeronautical sources at major airports of AAI makes up about 23% of its total airport services revenue.

The organization has been incurring losses since the onset of the pandemic due to a sharp drop in air traffic. AAI is expected to have incurred a loss of ?800-900 crore in FY22.

Under the airport development programme, announced by the Centre in 2021, AAI has taken up the development of new and existing airports with a projected capital expenditure of INR 25,000 crores over five years, including the construction of new terminals, expansion and modification of existing terminals, expansion and strengthening of existing runways, aprons, airport navigation services infrastructure, control towers and technical blocks.

So far, the government has accorded in-principle approval for setting up 21 greenfield airports in India. Out of this, eight airports—Sindhudurg and Shirdi in Maharashtra, Durgapur (West Bengal), Pakyong (Sikkim), Orvakal (Andhra Pradesh), Kannur (Kerala), Kalaburagi (Karnataka) and Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh)—have been operationalized.

(With Inputs from Mint)

Vehant Technologies has received over INR 90 crore in orders from the state-owned Airport Authority of India (AAI) for the supply and maintenance of dual-view x-ray machines for passenger screening at airports.

"The order is to supply 219 dual view X-ray baggage scanning machines to be deployed within 8 months across 70 airports in India in cities like Chennai, Kolkata, Trichy, Pune, Udaipur, Varanasi, Jodhpur, Prayagraj etc," Vehant Technologies said in a statement. The company said it has deployed its products at several airports in the past as well.

AAI places orders with Vehant Tech for dual-view X-ray baggage scanning machines

The new dual-view machines are designed and manufactured in India under the Make in India initiative of the government. The latest product provides a dual view of scanned baggage. It gives both vertical and horizontal views of the screened luggage. The dual view provides more efficient and quick identification to the operator.

“We aim to complete the order ahead of time. Vehant strives to work hard and ensure that it caters to such requirements with diligence, banking on our technological advancement. The X-ray baggage scanner is one level above the existing scanners with its dual view technology. We have completely developed the products in-house including the X-ray imaging software which will ensure the security of information. During the scanning, newly installed large-sized monitors with high resolution images will also ensure quick and instant assessment of any explosive, arms threat etc."

Kapil Bardeja, CEO, Vehant Technologies

The USP of the product is that it provides a dual view of the scanned carry-in baggage which will increase the possibility of identifying contraband /threats inside the bags. It gives both vertical and horizontal views of the screened luggage at the same time. The dual view provides more efficient and quick identification to the operator.

Noida-based Vehant Technologies focuses on the development of smart security solutions for corporate and industrial purposes.

The Central government is preparing to implement E-immigration using biometric technology at airports in India to ensure ease of travel for foreign travellers.

Speaking at a conference put on by the industry body Assocham, Scindia said, “One of the things that we are looking at doing, and this is in conjunction with the Union home ministry, is biometrics, and digitising immigration processes, and that process is on as we speak.”

Scindia urged DIAL and BIAL to increase the adoption rate of DigiYatra in their terminals to ensure passenger convenience

“Certainly, a data bank or a repository has to be created based on which the throughput capability of our international airports also becomes much more seamless. On the immigration side, that is something we are working on.”

–Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation

In the past month, during the busiest travel period, the country's major airports, including those in Delhi and Bengaluru, saw congestion on a number of days. Currently, officials of the Bureau of Immigration, which reports to the Union Home Minister, performed the manual immigration screening process for international travellers at airports.

Scindia urged Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which is owned by the GMR Group and runs the Delhi airport, and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which is owned by Fairfax and runs the Bengaluru airport, to increase the adoption rate of DigiYatra in their terminals to ensure passenger convenience.

On December 1, Scindia introduced DigiYatra, a service that allows travellers to transit quickly through these airports by using facial recognition technology (by uploading their information and a photo on the app). Only domestic travellers presently have access to this amenity.

DigiYatra service at Bangalore's Kempegowda International Airport

Also read: IATA applauds India’s DigiYatra’s Contactless Boarding; keen to implement it globally

“The adoption rate of DigiYatra has also been tremendous. About 300,000 people have already downloaded the DigiYatra app at a time when it has been rolled out at only three airports.”

“I have given quite stiff targets (to DIAL and BIAL to ensure the adoption of DigiYatra) for the next quarter or so. What is amazing is the adoption rate in Varanasi airport, where it is almost 20 per cent. This means one in five persons is not using the old orthodox system of passing through the airport.”

–Jyotiraditya Scindia

He claimed to be keeping an eye on DIAL and BIAL's implementation of DigiYatra. At the airports in Delhi and Bengaluru, adoption rates are gradually rising.

Also read: Major Indian airports to get facial recognition system by March 2023

“It has not been implemented across the airport (in Delhi and Bengaluru). I have given them a certain time span by which it needs to be at every entry gate and every boarding gate. Then, you can leave it to the traveller whether he or she wants to go through the manual check-in and manual security check, or use DigiYatra app.”

––Jyotiraditya Scindia

The DigiYatra adoption rates at the airports in Delhi and Bengaluru are gradually rising

The creation of automated immigration clearance lanes at airports has begun at airports across the world!

At Changi Airport in Singapore, the nation's citizens, permanent residents, and holders of long-term passports use automated lanes to have their iris and face biometrics cleared at the immigration checkpoint when entering or exiting the nation. This feature is only available to foreign visitors at the time of departure from Singapore. It's anticipated that this facility will be made available to all travellers through Changi Airport this year.

Travellers at Changi Airport in Singapore use automated lanes to have their iris and face biometrics cleared at the immigration checkpoint when entering or exiting the nation

In July 2021, Tokyo International Air Terminal Corporation installed “Face Pass”, a facial recognition system that will allow passengers to board a flight without a boarding pass. 

Other airports all across the world have begun to issue boarding passes for flights using face biometrics, including Dubai International Airport, Abu Dhabi International Airport, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Heathrow Airport, Manchester Airport, Frankfurt Airport, Munich International Airport and few airports in the USA.

Source: Business Standard

Full service carrier Vistara has entered into a partnership with WorldTicket that will enable providing connections to customers on Germany's Deutsche Bahn train network.

The interline partnership with WorldTicket (W2), part of the 777 Travel Tech group, and the only authorised distributor for Europe's largest railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, will enable the carrier to offer multimodal itineraries to its customers. According to a release, customers can seamlessly book air and rail travel throughout Germany and other European cities on a single itinerary.

“We are delighted to partner with WorldTicket and offer Deutsche Bahn’s extensive network of destinations within Germany and the rest of Europe to our customers. This partnership is aimed at making the travel experience of our customers simpler and seamless as they go beyond Frankfurt to other parts of Germany and Europe on a single itinerary.”

Deepak Rajawat, Chief Commercial Officer, Vistara

Vistara customers can now easily connect from any one of the 16,000 train stations in Germany to Frankfurt Airport and fly Vistarato Delhi, and vice versa. In addition to train stations across Germany, Vistara customers can also travel to and from Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Brussels (Belgium), and Zurich or Basel (Switzerland) on Deutsche Bahn's extensive network.

The flight segment of the customer's journey is being operated and marketed under Vistara's 'UK' while the train segment is driven by Deutsche Bahn and marketed by 'W2'. From the customer's perspective, they will book a single itinerary that includes both flight and rail reservations and only need to check in separately for each segment.

Vistara to now offer multimodel itineraries on the Deutsche Bahn train network

Once passengers arrive at Frankfurt (FRA), they can clear immigration, collect their bags and proceed to the railway station at Frankfurt Airport to board their train. Vistara -- a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines -- has a fleet of 52 aircraft.

Vistara received additional widebody capacity in November last year after receiving a leased Boeing 787. Having three Dreamliners in its fleet allowed it to ramp up its European frequencies, benefiting both Frankfurt and Paris routes.

ALSO READ - Vistara adds new flights to Frankfurt and Paris on its new B787 Dreamliner

The airline currently offers a daily service from Delhi (DEL) to London (LHR) and five weekly flights to Paris (CDG) on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. To Frankfurt (FRA), it offers six weekly flights from Delhi on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Boeing and its industry team have been chosen by NASA to oversee the creation and testing of a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) demonstrator aircraft.

Future designs will be influenced by the technology shown off and put to the test as part of the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) initiative, which may result in ground-breaking aerodynamic and fuel efficiency improvements.

Depending on the mission, a single-aisle airplane with a TTBW layout could, when coupled with anticipated improvements in propulsion systems, materials, and systems architecture, cut fuel consumption and emissions by up to 30%. The SFD program intends to promote both the objectives outlined in the White House's U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan and the civil aviation industry's commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Representative | NASA

The SFD program has the potential to make a major contribution toward a sustainable future. It represents an opportunity to design, build and fly a full-scale experimental plane, while solving novel technical problems - said Greg Hyslop, Boeing chief engineer and executive vice president of Engineering, Test & Technology

Advanced propulsion systems, which are now constrained by a lack of underwing space in today's low-wing airplane layouts, could potentially be accommodated by ultrathin wings braced by struts with bigger spans and higher aspect ratios. Boeing will combine brand-new components with existing car parts to create the prototype vehicle.

Representative | Semantic Scholar

The SFD Space Act Agreement has allocated $425 million to NASA. To shape the demonstrator program and provide the necessary resources, the SFD program will also make use of up to $725 million in funding from Boeing and its industry partners. Separately, Boeing has spent a total of $110 million on internal investments in recent iterations of sustainable aviation research.

SAE International

After more than ten years of research and development, NASA, Boeing, and industry funding have produced the TTBW airframe idea. Boeing advanced the design of the TTBW through intensive wind tunnel testing and computer modeling under earlier NASA programs, such as the agency's Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research program. Under NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation initiative, preliminary conceptual investigations have been conducted.

SOURCE: Boeing

COVER: Boeing

Netflix is ready to pay up to $385,000 a year (Rs 3 crore/ year) to a private flight attendant for its "dream crew” on its private plane Gulfstream G550.

Before you presume, Netflix isn't searching for someone to play the part of a flight attendant in its next web series; instead, the firm needs a flight crew for one of its private jets.

Streaming Giant, Netflix, despite cutting hundreds of jobs just 7 months ago, is now looking to hire a flight attendant for one of its super-midsize private jets based at its Los Gatos headquarters in San Jose, California. Notably, the position entails travel within and outside of the United States and has a base in San Jose, California.

Gulfstream G500

In addition to offices in Madrid, Seoul, Tokyo, Mexico City, and London, Netflix operates in 30 cities worldwide.

What does it take to be in the 'dream crew'?

Netflix is looking for a private flight attendant who is FAA-certified with training in flight safety. The candidates must also be flexible to work different schedules, including local and international travel. Additionally, there will be a need for the weekend and holiday workdays as well as lengthy travel times.

The applicants must possess qualities that include "independent judgement, discretion, and outstanding customer service skills". 

Candidates must "demonstrate a professional representation of Netflix Aviation at all times while performing the duties of the position," says the job description. Further, candidates should be able "to operate with little direction and a lot of self-motivation" and embrace Netflix's ethos.

Candidates should be able "to operate with little direction and a lot of self-motivation" and embrace Netflix's ethos.

Application candidates should be able to provide "confidential air transportation" and exercise "discretion" in their work.

“The Netflix Aviation department provides exceptional, safe, confidential air transportation. It is our goal to provide the most outstanding aviation experience available, by using the best people and the best equipment and providing the highest level of customer service possible. The aviation team helps Netflix reach the world more efficiently and effectively so the company can continue to create joy around the world.”

–Job Listing, Netflix

Before takeoff, the flight attendant's responsibilities on the aircraft include assessing the emergency equipment in the cockpit, cabin, and gallery. 

The flight attendant's duties on board the aircraft include inspecting the emergency equipment in the cockpit, cabin, and gallery prior to takeoff.

“Must be able to assist with purchasing aircraft stock before trips, ability to lift and carry up to 30 lbs when loading and stocking the aircraft, capable of long periods of standing, able to help with baggage loading as necessary.”

–Job Listing, Netflix

How much will the job pay?

Although the streaming behemoth Netflix hasn't provided precise compensation for the post, it did indicate that the general market range for jobs similar to it is between $60,000 and $385,000. The final remuneration will be based on a number of elements, including experience and skill. 

Netflix said that "compensation factors" such as an employee's background, experience, and talents are taken into account when determining remuneration. The job description stated that these factors can cause their salary to differ and will also be dependent on their location.

According to Netflix, compensation criteria such as an employee's background, experience, and skills are considered when deciding on salary.

“The overall market range for this role is typical $60,000 - $385,000. This market range is based on total compensation (vs only base salary), which is in line with our compensation philosophy.”

–Job Listing, Netflix

Calling all flight attendants! Get ready to submit your resumes at Netflix Jobs!

Source: CNBC-TV18