Air India to deploy new software for real-time in-flight Intel

Air India will adopt the cloud software Coruson from UK-based Ideagen to enhance safety and make it simpler to report incidents in real-time while flying.

The airline's decision is in response to at least three instances of disorderly passenger behaviour on two international flights last year. The DGCA, the aviation authority, fined the carrier as a result of these events.

Also read: Air India passenger incident: What? How? When?

According to a release from Air India, Coruson, the safety data software tool, would be accessible online as of May 1, 2023, and it will enable real-time reporting of in-flight incidents.

Air India, Coruson, the safety data software tool, would be accessible online as of May 1, 2023

According to Air India, the programme would largely eliminate the need for paperwork and ensure that automated processes immediately convey vital information to important individuals and authorities. "This will also lead to timely action".

The Airline is also working on getting iPads for the pilots and other staff members, and when these are released, Coruson will be compatible with them as well. Coruson will reportedly improve end-to-end safety management, including real-time information, reporting, and incident status for flights.

“Ideagen software covers all aspects of risk, giving the airline full visibility of safety data from maintenance of the aircraft through to cabin crew checks on board. It will provide Air India complete visibility across the airline's entire organisation, allowing it to access the latest data and use this to spot and mitigate potential risks, thereby enhancing the safety of operations.”

–PTI quoted

Air India is working to provide staff workers and Pilots with iPads that will be compatible with Coruson

According to Henry Donohoe, Head of Safety, Security, and Quality at Air India, the airline is planning to update its current systems and procedures significantly in order to ensure the smooth flow of information and intelligence in real-time. Coruson's appointment will significantly improve the capabilities for passenger and crew safety and well-being, especially at a time when Air India is rapidly growing its network, he added.

According to the press release, Ideagen serves more than 11,400 clients, including more than 250 airlines, including brands such as British Airways, Emirates, Boeing, Airbus, BAE and the US Navy.

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India, stated in July of last year that the airline is implementing a number of cutting-edge technological solutions to improve the passenger experience.

Amadeus Altéa PSS (Passenger Service System) is a suite of products from the travel technology company Amadeus that includes components for revenue management, revenue accounting, retailing and merchandising, website, mobile, and frequent flyer programme management. Soon after, Air India revealed it was utilising this travel technology company's suite.

In order to improve operational efficiency, Air India has chosen RateGain, a supplier of Software-as-a-Services (SaaS) solutions for travel and hospitality, to change pricing with real-time, precise, and high-quality airfare data.

Vihaan.AI, the five-year transformational roadmap for Air India includes distinct milestones. It will concentrate on massively expanding both its fleet and network, creating a fully redesigned client proposition, and enhancing dependability and performance.

Vihaan.AI aims to put Air India on a road to consistent development, financial success, and market dominance

Also read: Air India unveils Vihaan – a comprehensive 5-year transformation plan

Along with aggressively investing in the top industry people, the airline will also take the lead in technology, sustainability, and innovation. Vihaan.AI aims to put Air India on a road to consistent development, financial success, and market dominance.

With one of the largest domestic and international networks in the world, Air India today provides connections to over 90 destinations in more than 30 countries in Asia, Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia. With 113 aircraft in its fleet, it operates more than 500 flights every day.

Source: ET

In a setback to the Jalan Fritsch consortium, the successful bidder of debt-laden Jet Airways, the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's order that asked it to clear the unpaid provident fund and gratuity dues of INR 250 crore to the former employees of the grounded airline.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice P S Narasimha, and Justice J B Pardiwala while refusing to interfere with the NCLAT’s order said that “anyone stepping in would know that there are overriding labour dues. There has to be a finality. We will not interfere.”

Senior counsel Saurabh Kripal, appearing for the consortium, said that now we will have to put in an extra INR 200 crore and it would be difficult to revive the airline. He argued that the resolution plan once approved cannot be modified or taken back.

The NCLAT had asked the company to clear the unpaid provident fund and gratuity dues of INR 250 crore to the former employees of the grounded airline. The consortium had moved SC to challenge this order earlier this month. The appeal filed by counsel Avinash B Amarnath said the appellate tribunal had dismissed the consortium's plea to cap its payment liability at INR 475 crore under the approved resolution plan.

In October 2020, the airline's Committee of Creditors approved the resolution plan submitted by the consortium of the UK's Kalrock Capital and the UAE-based entrepreneur Murari Lal Jalan.

The PF and gratuity dues were not part of the approved resolution plan, which had classified only INR 52 crore out of a total of INR 475 crore kept for settlements to all stakeholders towards payment of employees' dues.

While the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal had approved the Jalan-Kalrock Consortium's (JKC) resolution plan in June 2021, last week it approved the transfer of ownership of the bankrupt airline to the winning bidder. The ownership currently vests with the monitoring committee comprising Jet's lenders, JKC executives and the resolution professional.

JKC has said it will spend INR 1,375 crore - INR 900 crore as capital infusion and pay INR 475 crore to creditors. Of that, INR 380 crore will go to financial creditors. JKC is to have an 89.79% stake while 9.5% will go to lenders.

In a separate proceeding, the Mumbai NCLT on January 13 permitted ownership transfer to the consortium. It had allowed JKC's plea and had set November 16, 2022, as the effective date for the resolution plan.

The NCLT had ruled that the consortium had satisfied the conditions necessary for the ownership transfer. It was reported on January 24 that the lenders of Jet Airways have moved the NCLAT opposing the ownership transfer to the Jalan-Kalrock Consortium.

Naresh Goyal founded Jet Airways, once India's biggest private carrier, that stopped operations on April 17, 2019, over piling losses and debt of about INR 8,000 crore and unable to cope with its financial liabilities. It was taken to bankruptcy court by the airline's lenders in 2019.

The “Queen of the Skies” & the "Revolutionary Jumbo Jet", the Boeing 747, which has transformed air travel for decades, is ready for a final sendoff.

On Tuesday, January 31, 53 years after the 747's instantly identifiable humped silhouette captured the world's eye as a Pan Am passenger jet, the final commercial Boeing jumbo will be delivered to Atlas Air in the surviving freighter variant. Join here to say a final Good Bye to The Queen in a live webcast of the final 747 delivery celebration!

Also read: The last Boeing 747 rolled out of its Washington Factory State

https://twitter.com/AtlasAirWW/status/1619467647678308352

“On the ground it's stately, it's imposing. And in the air, it's surprisingly agile. You can chuck it around for this massive aeroplane if you have to.”

–Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of Iron Maiden piloted a specially liveried 747 nicknamed "Ed Force One" during the British heavy metal band's tour in 2016.

The world's first twin-aisle wide-body jetliner's upper deck and nose were designed in the late 1960s to accommodate the desire for mass travel, and they later transformed into the most opulent club on earth. But the 747 truly revolutionised travel in the seemingly endless rows in the back of the new jumbo.

“This was THE aeroplane that introduced flying for the middle class in the U.S. Prior to the 747 your average family couldn't fly from the U.S. to Europe affordably.”

–Ben Smith, CEO, Air France-KLM

The jumbo also left its influence on world events, representing both war and peace, from America's nuclear command post aboard the "Doomsday Plane" to pope visits aboard specially-chartered 747s dubbed "Shepherd One." Currently, two previously delivered 747s are being fitted to replace the American presidential aircraft known as Air Force One around the world.

The US President's Boeing 747: Air Force One

The Birth of The Queen

Juan Trippe, who founded Pan Am, tried to reduce costs by adding more seats. He challenged Boeing CEO William Allen to create something more significant than the 707 while fishing.

Joe Sutter, a renowned engineer, was given command by Allen. The 747 was developed by Sutter's "The Incredibles" team in about 28 months, with the first flight taking place on February 9, 1969.

Although it finally turned into a cash cow, the 747's early years were plagued by issues, and the $1 billion development expenditures nearly drove Boeing, which thought supersonic jets were the wave of the future, into bankruptcy. But, “Great Achievements require Great Sacrifices”.

Pan Am's Founder challenged the then-Boeing CEO to create an aircraft with more seats & which reduced the cost; Hence, birthed B747!

So, following a decline during the oil crisis of the 1970s, the 747-400, which Boeing released in 1989 with new engines and lighter materials to fulfil the rising demand for trans-Pacific flights, marked the beginning of the aircraft's heydey.

A Transformational Aircraft

The first 747 took flight from New York on January 22, 1970, after a delay caused by an engine issue, more than doubling the number of seats per plane to 350–400. This had an impact on the airport layout as well. It was transformational across all aspects of the industry,

“It was the aircraft for the people, the one that really delivered the capability to be a mass market.”

–Max Kingsley-Jones, Aviation Historian

“It was an incredible diversity of passengers. People who were well dressed and people who had very little and spent everything they had on that ticket.”

–Linda Freier, Flight Attendant, Pan Am

Linda worked as a flight attendant for Pan Am, serving everyone from Mother Teresa to Michael Jackson.

The History of Air India's 747

For more than 50 years, Air India has also used 747s. Emperor Ashoka, the first B747 aircraft to join the fleet, was tragically lost with all 213 aboard just seven years later in an accident off the coast of Mumbai.

Emperor Ashoka: Air India's first B747

Since the delivery of the first 747, the carrier has operated a variety of models, including 12 747-200s, three 747-300s, and eight 747-400s.

Air India's 747s may represent the last of an era, but upgrading might open up new possibilities for the airline, enabling it to reduce emissions and enhance current services.

The Age of Economics & Sustainability

The same wave of innovation that launched the 747 also brought about its demise as dual-engine aircraft could match its range and capacity at a cheaper cost. However, due to delays, the B777X, which was supposed to unseat the 747 as the market leader in passenger aircraft, won't be available until at least 2025.

Also read: Towards a greener, safer environment

“In terms of impressive technology, great capacity, great economics ... (the 777X) does sadly make the 747 look obsolete.”

“It was one of the wonders of the modern industrial age. But this isn't an age of wonders, it's an age of economics.”

–Richard Aboulafia, Advisory Managing Director, AeroDynamic 

However, the most recent 747-8 version, which has outlasted European Airbus' double-decker A380 passenger plane in production, is expected to fly for years, primarily as a freighter.

The final 747 delivery this week raises concerns about what will become Boeing's massive, now-underutilized Everett widebody production facility outside of Seattle in the wake of the COVID outbreak and the 737 MAX safety disaster.

Chief Executive Dave Calhoun has said Boeing may not design a new airliner for at least a decade!

Source: Reuters

Wadia group-owned Go First expects to receive INR 210 crore under the government's credit line guarantee scheme next month as the budget airline seeks to boost its financial position and expand operations.

The airline, which received INR 210 crore from the promoters last month, aims to have 53 operational aircraft in its fleet by the start of April this year, its CEO Kaushik Khona told PTI. The airline currently has 37 aircraft in operation.

Apart from the coronavirus pandemic headwinds and intense competition, the no-frills airline is grappling with the Pratt & Whitney engine issues that have forced it to ground many planes due to a shortage of spare engines.

ALSO READ - How Bad is IndiGo’s and GoFirst’s A320 Engine Problem?

Go First expects INR 210 crore funding under ECLGS to boost its financial position

Under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), which has come as a relief for many pandemic-hit sectors, Go First has so far availed INR 600 crore. With promoters' infusing INR 210 crore, the airline will be able to get an equal amount under the ECLGS next month, Mr Khona said.

ALSO READ - Wadia Group to infuse Rs. 510 crores in Go First for its working capital needs

In an interview, Mr Khona said the engine issues are "gradually" getting resolved, and 20 new engines from Pratt & Whitney are expected to come by April. Twenty engines can help Go First operationalise 10 aircraft. One plane has two engines.

According to him, seven new Airbus A320 neo planes will be inducted by April first week. Of this, the airline inducted one such plane last week. Of the remaining six, two will come in February, three in March and one in April, he added. As we advance, he said, the airline will have 9 more new aircraft by March 2024.

ALSO READ - Go First grounds over a fifth of its fleet due to delayed deliveries of engines by Pratt & Whitney

Mr. Khona noted that in fiscal 2023-24, Go First aims to have a 57% growth in the passenger volume. "Today, we already have 37 aircraft operational, and we are receiving 20 serviceable engines by March, which means by April 1, we will have 10 more aircraft in operation from the aircraft which are on the ground," he said.

He said there will be 53 aircraft operating in the fleet by April. "This will help us operate 397-400 flights per day and this way, we will be surpassing the previous peak of both our daily number of flights as well as a fleet by a huge number," he said.

At the peak of operations, Mr Khona said, the airline had 46 aircraft in operation, operating 333 flights per day. The things at the airline are much more "stable" now, with grounded aircraft getting back into operations amid Pratt & Whitney supplying engines to the airline, he added.

Besides, fuel costs coming down to 42% from a high of 60% in September and rising air travel demand coupled with better yield is helping the carrier, he noted.

ALSO READ - DGCA imposes INR 10 lakh fine on Go First for leaving behind passengers

This month, aviation regulator DGCA imposed a fine of INR 10 lakh on Go First for an incident at Bangalore airport where 55 passengers were left behind in a passenger coach.

DGCA imposed a fine of INR 10 lakh on Go First for an incident at Bangalore airport where 55 passengers were left behind in a passenger coach.

The airline entered January with advanced bookings at 51%, and the following month also, they should be at the same level, which is a good number, Mr. Khona said, adding that advanced bookings for the April-June period are also looking good.

"Going forward in April-June the airfares will pick up, and that is why we are giving benefits (by way of special fare offers) to the passengers so that they can book in advance," Mr. Khona said.

Go First, currently, has the best aircraft utilisation rate in the industry at 14.20 hours per day, operating on average 6.5 flights per aircraft per day, he said, but acknowledged that the airline's On-Time Performance was a challenge.

"It is still a challenge as there was a lot of fog this time, and our exposure to fog in percentage terms is higher compared to any other airline because our operations are more North dominant," he said. He, however, said that in January, the airline saw substantial improvement in the OTP.

ALSO READ - Go First losses double in FY22, blames Covid-19, Pratt & Whitney

Thailand will start building the 290 billion baht ($8.82 billion) U-Tapao ‘Aviation City’ this year, a government official announced on Friday, January 27.

This ‘Aviation City’ would be one of the country's largest megastructure projects. Asia may soon have an Aviation City as smaller aviation cities like Saudi Arabia's NEOM City in the Middle East gain popularity.

The ancient U-Tapao Airport is expected to get a sizable investment from the Thai government

According to a statement from Tipanan Sirichana, a government spokesperson, the project will boost Thailand's aviation industry and create an additional 15,600 employees in the first five years.

The ancient U-Tapao Airport, which opened during the Vietnam War and is situated in the Pla Subdistrict of the Baanchang District of the Province of Rayong, is expected to get a sizable investment from the Thai government. The post-war structure will be transformed into a brand-new international airport with an area of about 1,040 hectares, according to the updated plan for U-Tapao International Airport.

The investment plan is for converting the U-Tapao airport, which served the Vietnam War era, into a brand-new international airport connected to Don Muang Airport, the country's primary airport, and Suvarnabhumi Airport, a budget terminal.

The upgraded airport will also be connected to a brand-new passenger terminal building that will largely serve low-cost flights with a small number of full-service carriers, providing connections for travellers to flights to Don Muang Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The upgraded U-Tapao Airport will be connected to a brand-new passenger terminal building that will largely serve low-cost flights with a small number of full-service carriers

According to Tipanan, the public-private development in Thailand's industrial east would span 1,040 hectares (2,570 acres) and is designed to draw tourists from all over the world.

According to a government website, the "Eastern Aviation City" project won't only be used for one terminal building; plans call for the creation of a free trade zone for commodities, a flight instruction facility, and an aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility.

The GMR Group, Thai AirAsia, and other project participants selected the international architectural design and consultancy firm One Works to serve as the airport's principal masterplan designer. One Works decided on the following principles when creating the airport master plan:

The passenger terminal's closeness to larger facilities

High levels of accessibility and intermodality, both locally and regionally

A blend of structures that are useful for receptive, tertiary, catering, retail, and recreational activities

Amazing architectural details that depict Thai culture with low environmental impact

High criteria for sustainability; more integration of public and private spaces

With these standards in mind, One Works created the U-Tapao "Eastern Aviation City," the most cutting-edge multi-modal transport hub in Asia, with the goal of maximising passenger comfort and elevating Thai culture. 

The U-Tapao "Eastern Aviation City," the most advanced multi-modal transport hub in Asia, will be built by One Works with the intention of enhancing Thai culture and maximising passenger comfort

Natural light will be diffused through overhead skylights, lush interior trees, greenery, and dynamic retail and food & beverage offer that are in the style of Thai street food, which is accessible to everyone. Passengers have extra time to eat, shop, and unwind because of the optimised walking times.

In addition to prioritising the needs of travellers and Thai culture when coming up with design ideas, the master plan also made sure that U-Tapao International Airport's expansion would eventually be able to accommodate the 60–75 million travellers per year needed to meet demand in this quickly expanding market.

Also read: Indigo resumes flights between India and Thailand after 2-year hiatus

By creating 15,600 new jobs for the local economy in the first five years, this highly innovative and forward-thinking airport will help Thailand's aviation sector expand. It will also encourage public and private sector innovation and enchant travellers with a distinctive customer experience that reflects both traditional and modern Thai values.

Source: Reuters

A rare mid-air collision between 2 IAF Fighter Jets, Sukhoi 30 and Mirage 2000, is thought to have happened on Saturday, January 28 during a training exercise.

Wing Commander Hanumanth Rao Sarathi, who was operating the Mirage 2000, died in the accident, although the other two were able to escape by ejecting themselves.

Sukhoi 30 and Mirage 2000 IAF fighter jets are believed to have collided in mid-air during a training exercise

The fact that the aircraft's wreckage was discovered far apart suggests that the SU 30MKI Pilots were able to maintain some level of control in order to manage an ejection. Officials from the Air Force declined to comment on the specifics, but they did confirm that the two fighter jets were on a routine operational flight mission when they collided near Gwalior.

The level of "complexity" in such advanced training flights and the expertise of the pilots involved, according to experts, including IAF veterans, made it difficult to make an accurate prediction before the thorough investigation is complete, they told The Indian Express.

They claimed that a preliminary study of crash data indicated a chance of a mid-air collision because both aircraft took off from the same air base, crashed at roughly the same time, and had their wreckage discovered nearby.

https://twitter.com/rajnathsingh/status/1619308798757470208

“We do not know at what stage (the malfunction behind the crash) happened. Did they have contact and then the collision happened or was it from the word go? These are things that the inquiry will throw light on.”

–An IAF Veteran, well-versed in combat training

He said that "highly advanced" combat manoeuvres are created and instructed at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment. 

“The more complex the combat environment and manoeuvres, the higher the risk. It is not a benign situation.”

“Having said that, such accidents are not usual. A lot of precautions, preparations and training take place before such a complex training mission is undertaken.”

–The IAF Veteran added

Mid-air collisions have historically happened during aerobatics, formation flying, or close combat flying when the aircraft is forced to fly very near to one another, according to aviation historian Anchit Gupta, who spoke to The Indian Express. Despite the greatest efforts, the scope of error is negligible, he asserted, adding that dangers are increased when intense combat manoeuvres and large-scale formation training are being conducted.

In the past, mid-air collisions have occurred when aircraft are forced to fly in close formation, in a close battle, or during aerobatic manoeuvres

In the last seven decades, 62 planes in the Indian military have perished in mid-air crashes, according to data compiled by Gupta. Eleven MiG-21s are among them. “For the amount of flying IAF does, this is an exceptionally good safety record,” he said.

Former IAF fighter pilots said that a fighter aircraft works under different conditions than a passenger aircraft when it comes to mid-air collisions.

Also read: Both trainee pilots safe after an army trainer aircraft crashes near Gaya in Bihar

Also read: Army helicopter crash lands in Udhampur, two army pilots killed

A Kazakh plane and a Saudi Arabian aircraft collided in civilian airspace for the last time above Charkhi Dadri in 1996, killing 349 people.

Above Charkhi Dadri in 1996, a Saudi Arabian and Kazakh aircraft collided in civilian airspace, killing 349 people

A former IAF Mirage 2000 pilot told The Indian Express that while there are clear-cut rules to prevent collisions in civil aviation, the rules are considerably different for combat flights.

“You want the aircraft to get close to the other because you are attempting to shoot one another in a training exercise. You don’t actually fire a missile, but you go through the entire gamut of manoeuvres and learn the skill sets developed to shoot the enemy. If this is a transport aircraft, it is a simple kill, while if it is another fighter aircraft you get into combat in which you fight each other.”

–The Former IAF Mirage 2000 Pilot

In fighter flight, pilots are also closing into one another at speeds greater than 2,000 km/h. This indicates that the reaction time is really slow, he explained.

Pilots are meeting with one another in fighter flight at speeds of more than 2,000 km/h. This shows the reaction time is so less.

Wing Commander Sarathi is thought to have been a member of the elite Air Force Pilot Training Programme Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior.

The Air Force has opened a Court of Enquiry into the incident that will examine all material available, including data obtained from the two aircraft and data held by the flight controllers. The board of enquiry, which will be presided over by a senior officer, will determine the precise reason for the accident.

Source: The Indian Express