ACI World's Voice of the Customer Recognition chooses 7 AAI airports

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Thursday, February 10 said seven airports that participated in the ACI-ASQ survey in 2021 have been chosen for ‘Voice of Customer Recognition’ under Airports Council International (ACI) World’s Voice of the Customer initiative.

These Airports Authority of India (AAI) airports to be named under the scheme are: Chennai, Kolkata, Goa, Pune, Patna, Bhubaneswar & Chandigarh, the ministry said.

Chennai Airport is one of the 7 airports chosen for ‘Voice of Customer Recognition’.

Airports Council International has initiated the ‘Voice of the Customer' initiative to acknowledge and recognise airports that continued to prioritise their customers and are committed to ensuring their voice was heard, even during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey is the world-renowned and internationally established global benchmarking programme measuring passenger’s satisfaction, whilst they travel through an airport, conducted by the Airports Council International (ACI), the ministry statement added.

ASQ Awards recognise those airports around the world that deliver the best customer experience.

ASQ Awards recognise those airports around the world that deliver the best customer experience in the opinion of their passengers.

The ASQ programme provides the research tool and management information to better understand passengers’ views and what they want from an airport from the products and services standpoint.

In what can be termed as "the" largest procurement by an airframer for SAF as of today, Boeing has entered into a purchase agreement with "EPIC Fuels" for two million gallons (7.5 million litres) of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The move demonstrates Boeing's continued interest in promoting sustainable aviation and would power its commercial airplanes operations in the state of Washington and South Carolina through 2022.

Representative | The Loadstar

SAF is a safe, proven, immediate solution that will help achieve our industry's long-term commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Boeing has been a pioneer in making sustainable aviation fuels a reality. Through this agreement we will reduce our carbon footprint and have SAF available for customer deliveries as well as our own operations.Sheila Remes, Vice president of Environmental Sustainability, Boeing

Sheila Remes | mde.harvard.edu

SAF stands for sustainable aviation fuel. It's produced from sustainable feedstocks and is very similar in its chemistry to traditional fossil jet fuel. Sustainably produced jet fuel is touted to slash carbon emissions by as much as 80%, and by 100% in the future, over the fuel's entire life cycle.

Depending on the feedstock and technologies used to produce it, SAF can reduce life cycle GHG emissions dramatically compared to conventional jet fuel. Some emerging SAF pathways even have a net-negative GHG footprint

Honeywell

Sustainable aviation fuel is now certified for commercial use and can be blended with traditional jet fuel without additional modifications to airplanes, engines or the fueling infrastructure.

Today, sustainable aviation fuels are mixed directly with conventional jet fuel up to a 50/50 blend — the maximum allowed under current fuel specifications.

The current purchase agreement with EPIC Fuels includes a SAF product comprising 30% neat SAF with 70% conventional jet fuel. With a current focus on company operations, the fuel is intended to power Boeing commercial production, test, ferry, Dreamlifter and customer flights at facilities in Everett, Renton and Seattle in Washington state and North Charleston, South Carolina.

Additionally, EPIC Fuel will also supply fuel to power the "Boeing ecoDemonstrator"- a Boeing initiative focus on bringing technologies from the lab, out into the real world to take on challenges that rock airlines and passengers alike.

Our focus on environmental stewardship and safety is well known in the industry. EPIC and Boeing have been partners for decades and we are honored to be a part of this procurement. Working together, we are making sustainability more attainable for our customersexpressed Kyle O'Leary, VP and COO of EPIC Fuels, an independent aviation fuel supplier with primary operations throughout the U.S. and Canada

Boeing began SAF-powered test flights back in 2008 which eventually led to the approval for their commercial use in 2011. The company officially commenced airplane delivery flights starting in 2012.

The Boeing 777F ecoDemonstrator, equipped with lasers and cameras, flew for the first time in 2018, entirely on 100% SAF.

Fraport AG

Partnering with airlines, fuel companies, governments and research institutions to expand SAF supply and thereby reduce fuel costs, the purchase with EPIC Fuels highlights Boeing's continued interest in investing to develop SAF around the world.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Aviation Business News

As many as 23 operational airports in the country do not have night landing facilities. The list of airports not having night landing facility also include Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh which was inaugurated in October 2021 giving a major boost to the Buddhist tourism circuit. 

Others in the list are Salem in Tamil Nadu; Shimla, Kullu and Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh; Kalaburagi in Karnataka, and others. Authorities do not permit the aircraft to land at night at an airport that does not have a night landing facility.

STATE NAME OF THE AIRPORTAndhra PradeshCudappah, KurnoolAssamRupsiArunachal PradeshTezu, PassighatDaman & DiuDiuHaryanaHisarHimachal PradeshDharamshala, Kulu and ShimlaKarnatakaKalaburagiLakshadweepAgattiMaharashtraKolhapur, SindhudurgPunjabLudhianaPuducherryPuducherrySikkim PakyongTamil NaduSalemUttarakhandPantnagar, PithoragarhChattisgarhBilaspur, JagdalpurUttar PradeshKushinagarList of airports with no night-landing facilities

India has over 100 operational airports and officials said that the airports not having night landing facilities are mostly those witnessing lower passenger traffic.

Airports Authority of India, which manages most of the airports in India, takes up a particular one for consideration for providing night landing facilities when airlines show interest during night operations. 

Airlines have to apply with the Airports Authority of India to facilitate night landing facility in a particular airport and then the process of offering the convenience starts.

As many as 23 operational airports in the country do not have night landing facilities.

The upgradation of airports, including the provision of night landing facility is a continuous process, which depends upon operational requirements, commercial feasibility, etc, and varies from airport to airport in the country, said the ministry of civil aviation in a recent Parliament reply.

The main requirement for night landing is that the runway approach lighting system which includes a series of light bars with strobe lights installed at the end of the runway.

Instrument Landing System (ILS)

The runway approach lighting system includes a series of light bars with strobe lights located at the end of the runway, which is the most essential requirement for night landing.

A runway with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) is served by such a system. If pilots cannot establish visual contact with the runway, ILS uses a variety of navigational aids to assist them in landing the plane.

Lighting along the runway edge is also vital for airport managers so that pilots landing at night can make visual contact and align their aircraft with the runway centre.

It is also important for airport operators to have lighting along the runway edge so that pilots landing at night can make visual contact and align the aircraft with the centre of the runway.

However, simply putting the technology in airports is insufficient. Airlines must also employ qualified pilots to make instrument-based landings and use aircraft that are compliant with the latest technologies. Most large airlines that often fly out of airports with low visibility do have the appropriate aircraft. However, they usually only train pilots who will be flying to these airports regularly.

After almost eight years since Tata Group’s AirAsia India (AAIPL) began operations, it has received a nod to carry out its first international flight this month. Tata Group owns an 83.6% stake in the low-cost airline and is expected to acquire the remaining 16.4% from Malaysian AirAsia Berhad.

AirAsia India will be operating a non-scheduled cargo flight on the Kochi-Dubai-Kochi route. The airline operated its first flight back in June 2014 and reached a fleet size of 20 aircraft in December 2018.

As per a report by Times of India, the airline’s first flight was operated in June 2014 and it achieved a fleet size of 20 aircraft in December 2018.

AirAsia India receives approval for its first international flight in 8 years

Then, the airline met the 0/20 rule — no minimum requirement on the number of years in operation and at least 20 aircraft in fleet — to fly abroad. However, several cases over the airline’s effective control prevented the Centre from giving that clearance. 

Furthermore, AirAsia India had announced recently that its passengers can now pre-book lounge facilities on its website and mobile app. The airline offers these services across 13 airports including at its all four hubs, AirAsia India said in a statement.

AirAsia India had announced that its passengers can now pre-book lounge facilities on its website and mobile app.

The services are available at Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune and Ranchi, it said. Airport lounge services can be purchased at a nominal fee, starting at Rs 800, while making a flight booking or even post-booking, AirAsia India said.

"Extending easy access to airport lounges and offering these facilities to our guests enhances and ensures a more holistic and pleasurable travel experience. As an innovative, digital-first brand, we have taken every opportunity to differentiate our service experience with distinctive offerings."Siddhartha Butalia, Chief Marketing Officer, AirAsia India

The airport lounge services allow passengers avail access to amenities like high-speed Wi-Fi, hot food and beverages, snacks, newspapers and magazines, charging stations for laptops and mobiles, wash and change facilities, business centre facilities and lounge bars, the airline said.

The government on Wednesday, February 9 banned the import of foreign drones with certain exceptions as part of efforts to promote the domestic manufacturing of drones in the country.

The import of drones for R&D, defence and security purposes have been exempted from the ban but such imports will require due clearances.

"Import of drone components, however, shall not require any approvals," the civil aviation ministry said in a release. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the commerce and industry ministry has issued a notification banning the import of foreign drones.

India bans import of foreign drones to boost domestic manufacturing

"Import policy for drones in CBU (Completely Built-Up)/CKD (Completely Knocked Down)/SKD (Semi Knocked Down ) form... is prohibited with exceptions provided for R and D, defence and security purposes," DGFT said.

Import of drones by government entities, educational institutions recognised by central or state government, the government recognised R&D entities and drone manufacturers for R&D purposes will be allowed in CBU, SKD or CKD form. This will be subject to import authorisation issued by DGFT in consultation with concerned line ministries.

Import of drones for defence and security purposes will be allowed in CBU, SKD or CKD form subject to import authorisation issued by DGFT in consultation with concerned line ministries.

Import of drones for defence and security purposes will be allowed

The civil aviation ministry said that to promote Made in India drones, the import of foreign drones has been prohibited with effect from February 9, 2022. The ministry came out with liberalised drone rules in August 2021.

After the rules, the ministry issued the drone airspace map and PLI scheme in September 2021, the UTM policy framework in October 2021. Besides, the drone certification scheme and single window DigitalSky Platform were put in place last month. Union Cabinet cleared a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to make India a drone hub by 2030.

The PLI scheme provides up to a 20% incentive to manufacturers of drones and drone components. It came close on the heels of the recent liberalisation of rules, which has made owning and operating drones easier.

Union Cabinet cleared a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to make India a drone hub by 2030.

The government allocated INR 120 crore for the scheme and it will be spread over three years. This amount is nearly double the combined turnover of all domestic drone manufacturers in FY21, the ministry of civil aviation had said in a press release.

The government, in turn, expects to generate investments of up to or more than INR 5,000 crore from the sector. The target, set for the financial year 2024, also includes the establishment of over 10,000 jobs in the sector in India.

SpiceJet has offered to pay INR 600 crore in cash in a share transfer case with its former promoter Kalanithi Maran and his firm KAL Airways for a full and final settlement of all disputes, the airline said in a statement.

Maran, the owner of Sun Group and former promoter of SpiceJet, had previously moved to Delhi High Court, seeking attachment of SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh’s shareholding after the airline failed to deposit INR 243 crore in his name.

The case, which goes back to 2017, is related to a dispute arising out of non-issuance of warrants in favour of Maran, after the transfer of ownership to Ajay Singh — the low-cost carrier’s current promoter.

SpiceJet has offered to pay INR 600 crore in cash in a share transfer case with its former promoter

SpiceJet, which made the offer during a Supreme court hearing, said out of the principal amount of INR 578 crore awarded in arbitration, the airline has already paid INR 308 crore in cash and deposited a bank guarantee of INR 270 crore.

Maran had sought enforcement of payment of the due amount citing SpiceJet's precarious financial status, citing a winding-up order passed against the airline by the Madras High Court. Maran's counsels expressed fears of being left with a "paper decree" and unpaid dues if SpiceJet folds up due to its huge debt.

Maran's lawyers contended that SpiceJet was aiming at raising to INR 2,500 crore through an IPO to boost its working capital, citing reports that SpiceJet had a consolidated net loss of INR 998 crore for FY21, which had risen from INR 936.57 crore suffered by the airline in 2021.

In 2010, Ajay Singh sold a majority stake in the airline to Maran for about USD 98 million.

The court has advised the other side to consider the proposal of SpiceJet and has listed the matter on February 14. Earlier an arbitration tribunal consisting of three retired judges from the Supreme Court had rejected the damages claim of Kalanithi Maran and KAL Airways against SpiceJet.

The legal dispute dates back to 2015 when Maran claimed that SpiceJet failed to issue warrants despite the transfer of 58.46% stake held by Maran and his KAL Airways to co-founder Ajay Singh for just INR 2.

Shares of SpiceJet rise over 5.6%, the biggest intraday gain in nearly two weeks.

To and fro ownership

In 2010, Singh sold a majority stake in the airline to Maran for about USD 98 million. Immediately after Maran’s takeover, Spicejet reported profits in 2010 and 2011 after a decade of losses. With Maran at the helm, Spicejet aggressively expanded its fleet and started flying more routes, using heavy discounts to lure passengers.

Kalanithi Maran, the owner of Sun Group and former promoter of SpiceJet, had previously moved to Delhi High Court.

Although this strategy had some short-term benefits, Spicejet was bleeding cash. Singh came to the airline’s rescue in 2015 by taking a 58% stake. The airline was hit particularly hard during the pandemic, especially after the imposition of state-wide lockdowns that decimated domestic travel. Spicejet mostly relied on its cargo unit – SpiceXpress – to offset some of the losses.

In its latest quarter, the carrier’s loss widened to USD 75.5 million, compared to the same period a year earlier, with higher fuel costs hurting margins. SpiceXpress, which reported a 5% quarter-on-quarter growth, was the only bright spot.

SpiceJet's financial woes

The legal dispute with its former promoter is not SpiceJet's only problem. The airline is facing action from financial firm Credit Suisse AG.

Credit Suisse AG has alleged that SpiceJet failed to honour its commitment to pay the bills for over USD 24 million raised by it towards maintenance, repairing, and overhauling of the aircraft engines and components.

The airline is facing action from financial firm Credit Suisse AG.

The Swiss financial firm had moved Madras High Court in this matter. The high court, in its verdict, ordered the winding up of the airlines and directed the official liquidator attached to the high court to take over the assets.

SpiceJet, for now, has managed to get a three weeks' stay from the Supreme Court to resolve its financial dispute with Credit Suisse AG.

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