The life cycle of the Airbus A400M MSN4 finally draws to a conclusion. The Airbus prototype, nicknamed "Grizzly 4" within the team, returns to Bremen after over twelve years of pushing boundaries to develop the A400M capabilities to their fullest. It has completed more than 2,000 flying hours, 1,000 flights, and several missions and campaigns.
The MSN4 team overcame every obstacle that came their way since the aircraft's first flight on December 20, 2010, and they now look forward to its retirement with pride because this aircraft helped reimagine the future of military operations, transforming the A400M into the mature, dependable, and contemporary aircraft it is today.
The `Grizzly 4´
Aerial delivery, low-level flight, and air-to-air refueling, among other critical capabilities, have all been developed over the years using the Airbus A400M MSN4. Ignacio Lombo, Airbus Defence and Space's Chief Test Pilot, has contributed to the development of the A400M and has flown in the MSN4 cockpit for almost 200 flights and 500 hours.
Representative | Aviation Militaires.net
I will keep Grizzly 4 in my memory as a strong and robust beast. We have taken it to the limit in speed, Mach, altitude, load factor (g’s) and almost tore off its skin!. This aircraft has exceeded all expectations in all kinds of operations with superior performance- Ignacio Lombo
As it is essential for A400M operators today to fly farther and more safely during their military operations, as well as to be able to perfect combinations with other military platforms, MSN4 has also played a crucial role in the development and certification of the Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) capability.
MSN4 was our Aerial Refuelling workhorse, as it was the one where we tested receiver capabilities with tankers like A330 Voyager and C160 Transall. As a tanker, we used MSN4 to develop and certify pods refuelling with F18 receivers, Hose Drum Unit refuelling with F18s and A400M receivers, the Cargo Hold Tanks (CHT) and more recently, the Helicopter Aerial Refuelling capabilities with H225M Caracal. I feel particularly proud of the mission that first refuelled an A400M receiver (Grizzly 6) from an A400M tanker (Grizzly 4)- César González, Flight Test Engineer in charge of the development and certification flight test of AAR capability, both as tanker and as receiver
Helicopter refueling trials with the A400M | Representative | Aviation International News
As cargo and parachute drops are crucial capabilities for A400M operators today, the MSN4 has played a decisive role in their development and certification. This is because it was built with the cargo compartment being instrumentation-free and fully useable for airborne delivery or additional fuel tanks (CHT).
I fondly recall the early days of aerial delivery tests where we went from the very start of single loads by gravity and extraction, towing of (large) parachutes at low level and high altitude, to dropping 25 tonnes of loads in a single sequential stick of extracted platforms, as well as air displays at some of the UK airshows- Simon Nicastro, A400M Flight & Integration Test Programme Manager at Airbus
As it can carry more paratroopers farther and more people, the A400M currently excels in the parachuting mission, adding to the strategic value it already provides to air force operators and society.
Back home
The MSN4 has returned to Bremen, where every A400M is made, bearing the "scars" of all the fights it participated in and helped win throughout its illustrious career. The Bremen team that will now host MSN4 is anticipating the months to come.
This project hits the heart of all of us here at the Bremen site. Before being placed at its final location next to the Bremen Airport, where everyone landing in Bremen will see it, it will get a new coat of paint and be configured to host team meetings and workshops as well as be part of the official guided site tour- Dennis Neumann, Head of A400M Industrial Programme in Bremen, and currently leading the project for the future of the MSN4
The warrior that it was!
The MSN4 team overcame every obstacle that came their way since the aircraft's first flight on December 20, 2010, and they now look forward to its retirement with pride because this aircraft helped reimagine the future of military operations, transforming the A400M into the mature, dependable, and contemporary aircraft it is today.
Representative | Airbus A400M | Aeroscopia, Toulouse | Prashant Prabhakar
In addition, as part of Airbus' commitment to a more sustainable military aviation, the MSN4 was the first aircraft within the Military Air Systems unit to perform a first demo flight with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) last summer, paving the way for its successors into a cleaner future and assisting in the decarbonization of military aviation. Today, more than 100 A400M aircraft are deployed in eight different countries.
angeles molina | © Airbus SAU 2022 Maria Molina Mango Producciones
SOURCE : AIRBUS
COVER: AIRBUS
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China has trimmed the quarantine time for inbound travelers and scrapped curbs on international flights as it began to ease its stringent Zero-COVID policy.
The new rules were announced following the first meeting of the newly elected seven-member Standing Committee of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) headed by Xi Jinping on Thursday, November 10. The Standing Committee is the highest policy-making and implementation body of the CPC.
On the domestic front, China has adjusted quarantine requirements for close contacts of confirmed cases from seven days of centralized quarantine plus three days of health observation at home to five days of quarantine plus three days of the word.
No "circuit breaker" on overseas inbound flights to China upon detecting positive cases on board, state-run Global Times tweeted on Friday. Under the circuit breaker policy, Chinese aviation officials arbitrarily suspend international flights for a prolonged period if any passengers tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival.
The flights also have to return empty if any cases are detected. This has resulted in many international airlines, including air operators flying to China, resulting in huge losses.
Earlier this month, there was speculation that China was preparing to lift the ban on individual flights that carried positive COVID cases into the country. With the new rules in place, the country has, indeed, decided to scrap the penalty on airlines that fly in COVID-positive passengers.
The circuit breaker was regarded as the main stumbling block for the restoration of flights between India and China as airline operators in India were averse to agreeing to operate flights to China.
There were no direct flights between China and India for over two years, prompting people traveling between the two countries to fly through the third-country routes. According to sources, the removal of the circuit breaker rule could facilitate the partial resumption of direct flights between the two countries.
The Global Times tweets also said the government has further adjusted quarantine rules for international passengers. Other adjustments include: shortening quarantine requirements for international arrivals from 7+3 to 5+3 and ending screening of secondary close contacts, it said.
Travelers into China will be required to spend five days in a hotel or government quarantine facility, followed by three days confined to home, according to a National Health Commission statement on Friday (Nov 11). The current rules require ten days of quarantine, with a week in a hotel and then three days at home.
Observers believe the mandatory quarantine in government-designated places is unlikely to make an impact due to the poor living conditions and catering services.
On the domestic front, China adjusted quarantine requirements for close contacts. Under this rule, close contacts of people who tested positive had to mandatorily undergo seven days' quarantine at designated centers and three days at home. This has now been reduced to five days in quarantine centers and three days of observation.
Significantly the new rules were announced as China continues to report a high number of COVID cases. On Thursday, the Chinese mainland reported 1,150 locally transmitted confirmed COVID cases and 9,385 local asymptomatic cases in different cities.
China is the last major economy to adhere to a zero-Covid policy, using snap lockdowns, mass testing, extensive contact tracing, and quarantines to stamp out infections as soon as they emerge.
The continued spike in coronavirus cases despite China's relative isolation under its stringent Zero-COVID policy is being questioned at home and abroad.
The Standing Committee meeting has finalized 20 measures to optimize epidemic prevention and control work further. It was resolved at the meeting that more resolute and decisive anti-epidemic measures should be taken to contain the spread of the virus and restore the standard order of work and life as soon as possible.
ALSO READ - A China Southern Airline A380 pilot named “King Of Quarantine”
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For the first time, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has provided a rocket system to support a domestically produced private launch vehicle. An Indian aerospace private firm, AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited, is situated in Chennai's National Center for Combustion R&D of IIT Madras. The startup wants to create and deploy its own small-lift rockets, such as the Agnibaan, which can deliver a 100 kg payload into a 700 km orbit. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), a single-window autonomous government agency to promote, permit, and oversee private sector space-based activities, helped AgniKul Cosmos receive its first flight termination system (FTS) from ISRO on November 7. The ISRO supplied a rocket system to aid a domestically-made private launch vehicle for the first time. “The official handing over event happened marking the culmination of multiple rounds of interactions about interfacing, handling and using these systems on AgniKul's launch vehicle 'Agnibaan'. This also marks the first time that a system that has been used for ISRO’s vehicles is being supplied for supporting a private launch vehicle built in India. The package will be used for their fully controlled sub-orbital launcher, scheduled to launch from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.” –The National Space Agency said in a statement on Friday, November 11 Agnibaan is a two-stage launch vehicle that can be highly customized. On November 4, Agnikul Cosmos' rocket engine underwent a hot test at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), the ISRO center in charge of developing launch vehicles. The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Thiruvananthapuram-based Vertical Test Facility of the VSSC successfully completed the 15-second hot test of the Agnilet Engine. The test was conducted as part of an MoU between ISRO and Agnikul Cosmos that gave Indian space start-ups a chance to utilize ISRO facilities through IN-SPACe. Liquid oxygen and aviation turbine fuel are the propellants used in Agnilet, a 1.4 kN semi-cryogenic engine that is cooled through regenerative action. It was said that this engine was created using cutting-edge 3D printing technology. According to AgniKul co-founder and CEO Srinath Ravichandran, AgniKul intends to launch their rocket Agnibaan on a full-scale commercial mission in March or April 2023. Agnikul Cosmos, a space technology startup, signs a contract with the Department of Space to gain access to ISRO facilities. The startup's single-piece 3D-printed engine, Agnilet, recently had a successful test at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) of ISRO in Thiruvananthapuram. In December 2022, the firm plans to test the two-stage booster Agnibaan. According to the test launch results, the company intends to execute a commercial launch in March or April 2023 using customer payloads. The Department of Space, ISRO, and Agnikul Cosmos were the three major parties participating in the test. Agnikul Cosmos was given everything required by ISRO to conduct tests at their facility thanks to In-SPACE, who made sure of it. Additionally, it made sure that the test's prerequisites for the start were met. Before this, the startup successfully tested the engine in early 2021 at its lab at IIT Madras. The most recent test, however, has a greater impact on Agnikul Cosmos because it takes place at an ISRO facility. It is revolutionary! This is because, for the first time, an indigenously made private launch vehicle has received rocket support from ISRO.
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Alliance Air, the sole government-owned airline in India, may soon provide service to neighbouring nations With a fleet of ATR and Dornier turboprops, the airline primarily flies regional flights across the nation. However, according to a recent statement from its CEO, flights to nearby international locations are also being considered.
Alliance Air might defy the norm and concentrate on connecting smaller cities with foreign destinations, as opposed to Indian airlines often prioritising flights to airports like Delhi (DEL) and Mumbai (BOM) when scheduling international flights.
Flights from the state-owned airline might go to places like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. He did not provide a timetable or any other information, therefore it is unclear when these services will be offered. Even if its fleet of short-range turboprops only allows it to travel to neighbouring locations, it will be intriguing to watch what new connections these flights might create once they start operating. Prior to the arrival of COVID-19, Alliance Air served Jaffna in Sri Lanka.
“Our key focus would be to connect Regional India to these countries.”
–Vino Sood, Chief Executive Officer, Alliance Air
India's sole state-owned carrier connects destinations within the nation for now. Alliance Air flies to 55 destinations in India, mostly in Tier II and III cities. The airline is also working to expand its markets in Tier II and Tier III cities.
Recently, Alliance Air began operating flights from the ALG (Advance Landing Ground) airport in Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh.
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“We have plans to further expand our connectivity in North-East India, with a key focus on ALGs for Arunachal Pradesh connectivity through our Dornier Do-228. In Northern and Central India, we have been regularly adding new flights, whereby our enhanced focus in the near future would be to introduce high-terrain routes in North India with our newly inducted ATR42-600.”
–Vino Sood, Chief Executive Officer, Alliance Air
There are currently 18 ATR72-600 planes in the airline's inventory, along with one Dornier Do-228 made in India. The second Dornier aircraft from Alliance Air will soon be introduced.
The airline has 18 ATR72-600 aircraft in its fleet
Shimla and Kullu are two high-terrain destinations served by the carrier's recently purchased smaller ATR-42 aircraft with short runways.
In terms of rivalry, he claimed that the entry of new competitors into the market will only hasten the expansion of trade and tourism. In addition, he noted that over the past three years, the civil aviation sector has emerged as one of the fastest expanding in the nation.
The pricing bar has remained nearly identical across all carriers. The way that each airline draws customers will be the most crucial factor in the near future.
Alliance Air was a subsidiary of Air India until it announced in April, nearly three months after Air India's privatisation, that the process of becoming a stand-alone airline had been successful. As a result, the carrier was no longer dependent on Air India's network of bookings, customer support, or any other services.
The upcoming year may be interesting for Alliance Air due to ambitions for new international routes and privatisation.
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There are fresh clouds over the relaunch of Jet Airways. According to a report published by CNBC TV18, the Jalan-Kalrock consortium, which won the airline through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) process, has not yet fulfilled its various payment obligations — and the deadline is just around the corner.
There are two deadlines which the Jalan-Kalrock consortium has to meet and as things stand, it looks to be in danger of missing both.
First, the consortium has to pay INR 52 crore to workmen and employees of the erstwhile airline by the end of business on November 11. Sources say that this payment has not been made as yet. The second deadline has to do with the payment of INR 185 crore to various lenders. The consortium has till November 16 to make this payment, and this has also not been made so far.
Jet Airways' relaunch to delay further due to unpaid payments
ALSO READ - Lenders of Jet Airways threaten bankruptcy over aircraft rental revenues
The consortium had told the court that the effective date for its resolution plan would be May 20, 2022, and as per the resolution plan submitted by it, it had proposed to pay employees within 175 days, and lenders within 180 days from the effective date.
ALSO READ - Jet Airways to make the first tranche of payment to lenders
As reported earlier, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) of the Indian government has directed the Jalan-Kalrock consortium to clear unpaid provident funds (PF) and gratuity dues of its former employees. According to sources, this is what has caused the latest delays in the plans.
The Jalan-Kalrock consortium will get ownership of Jet Airways only after the first tranche of payments to lenders is made. So, if the consortium does not get a transfer of ownership, it cannot lease aircraft in the name of Jet Airways.
ALSO READ - Jet Airways hasn’t signed an aircraft leasing agreement yet
The Jalan-Kalrock consortium will get ownership of Jet Airways only after the first tranche of payments to lenders is made.
Also, any delays will mean that Jet Airways' quick return to Indian skies is in jeopardy. The relaunch target has already been extended by the consortium multiple times, with the last target of October also being overshot.
ALSO READ - The planned relaunch of Jet Airways is further delayed till October
But that’s not the only cloud hanging over Jet Airways' relaunch. The recent NCLAT order directed the consortium to pay provident fund and gratuity dues in full for all eligible employees until the commencement of insolvency — that’s till June 2019. Sources say this amount works out to over INR 200 crore. The resolution professional has not yet given the company, the final amount payable, and so this has not been paid so far.
Sources also say that the consortium has not deposited any of the INR 900 core it had committed towards CAPEX and working capital requirements either. So in all, against the proposals and the commitments, the consortium has to pay close to INR 237 crore – not including the statutory dues.
Jet Airways' take-off in its new avatar looks quite uncertain.
So far, the consortium has not responded to queries on this matter. But as things stand, if the two deadlines pass by without payments being made, Jet Airways’ take-off in its new avatar looks quite uncertain.
ALSO READ - Jet Airways relaunch delayed due to unresolved negotiations between the administration & engine makers
Court setbacks for new owners of Jet Airways
The Punjab National Bank (PNB) enjoyed a legal victory last week after a tribunal increased the bank's claims against Jet Airways by INR 2.01 billion (USD 24.5 million). India's National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) allowed the increase on appeal after the bank had its claims slashed from INR 95.6 billion (USD 115.9 million) to INR 75.4 billion (USD 91.4 million) earlier in the airline's restructuring process.
Tribunal chairman Justice Ashok Bhushan and member Barun Mitra ruled in the bank's favour last week following a court earlier approving a restructuring plan put together by the Kalrock Capital-Murari Lal Jalan consortium which is attempting to complete a buyout and relaunch of the grounded airline. Until that happens, PNB retains a 26% shareholding in Jet Airways but the approved restructuring plan saw the bank take a big haircut on its claims.
ALSO READ - NCLAT urged by PNB to quash the rescue plans of Jet Airways
Court setbacks for new owners of Jet Airways
Separately, NCLAT also ordered the Jalan-Kalrock consortium to pay overdue employee pension fund and gratuity payments. Capping off an unsatisfactory week in court for him, Chhawchharia was ordered to make the payments within 30 days. The order was in response to petitions filed by several Jet Airways employee associations.
The Jalan-Kalrock consortium made several financial commitments to Jet Airways creditors, including banks and employees, to get their takeover proposal and restructuring plan approved. This happened despite the objections of five employee groups and three external creditors.
The approved restructuring plan proposed paying each out-of-pocket employee INR 23,000 (USD 279) despite some employees being owed up to INR 8.5 million (USD 103,000). The pension fund and gratuity payments are in addition to this.
The tribunal did not allow the employee's claims for unpaid privileged leave entitlements and a bonus covering the period from April 2018 to June 2019. After numerous delays, there is still no firm date on when the consortium will finalise the takeover and relaunch of Jet Airways.
(With Inputs from CNBC TV18)
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Two out of three flyers want the government to reinstate an upper and lower limit on air tickets similar to the pre-pandemic era, according to a recent LocalCircles study that reveals that rising airfares have scared travellers.
Over 22,000 consumers from 297 different districts responded to the study, which queried consumers about rising travel costs and whether the government should reinstate the pre-Covid price restriction on airfares.
Among the respondents, Tier-1 districts made up 47%, Tier-2 districts made up 34%, and Tier-3, Tier-4, and rural districts made up 19%. About 12,193 replies to the survey's question about whether the government should reinstate fare caps were received. Of those, 65% of airline passengers supported the idea, while 21% opposed it.
India restarted domestic flights in May 2020 after a two-month suspension of regularly scheduled commercial passenger flights, but with restrictions encompassing the entire domestic network: seven sets of floors and ceilings for seven categories of route lengths. With effect from August 31 and after more than two years, the government eliminated the fare cap, allowing the forces of supply and demand in the market to determine the prices.
The government abolished the fare cap with effect on August 31 after more than two years, leaving the market's forces of supply and demand to determine prices
Due to the removal of rate ceilings, airfares decreased by 30% on all routes in September, giving passengers some respite from the eye-watering prices they had to pay in earlier months as airlines cut customer service. Fuel price increases had already been passed on.
According to an aviation analyst, though rates might not increase compared to September levels, they might do so in the current quarter because demand is anticipated to increase by December.
For the current quarter from September, the online travel agency Cleartrip has observed an increase in airfares of almost 6%. For the seven-day period of December 21–31, rival Ixigo's airfares for the routes Bengaluru–Kolkata, New Delhi–Goa, and New Delhi–Bengaluru all increased by 44%, 40%, and 15%, respectively.
The survey participants from LocalCircles expressed dissatisfaction with low-cost carriers' higher prices when compared to full-service airlines.
Nearly 10,000 replies were received to the poll question asking respondents about such situations, and overall 79% of respondents stated that they occasionally saw higher charges for a no-frills service in the previous 12 months.
Over the past 12 months, over 50% of respondents reported finding low-cost airline fares to be more expensive than full-service airlines "very often," 22% reported doing so "sometimes," and 7% reported doing so "once in a while."
Based on the experiences of frequent travellers, the airfares of direct flights and those with short stops along the way are high
The survey finds that the cost of direct flights or those with brief stops along the way is now rather high, based on regular flyers' experiences and a peek at prices on various platforms.
It seems paradoxical to choose flights that will take longer to get to the destination if one is using air travel to go somewhere faster.
Customers complained about low-cost airlines charging them Rs 17,000 for a journey from Delhi to Mumbai without providing food or a choice of seats, while full-service airlines offered them nicer tickets (with food and a choice of seats) for Rs 7,000. Many people questioned whether low-cost airlines were really that, as one of the complainants questioned how an airline could charge Rs 19,000 for an 80-minute flight.
The survey's findings demonstrate that eliminating airfare caps does not actually benefit travellers. However, airlines have benefited greatly as fares have increased by over 20% in many sectors and are likely to continue to rise given the increase in demand.
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