Airbus AlbatrossONE demostrator

Aeronautical engineers have always taken inspiration from nature and combined it with technology to produce the engineering marvels that we see today. Not surprisingly, attributes and features of this bird, an Albatross, have been studied closely by engineers at Airbus and culminated into what is known as the "AlbatrossONE" project.

So, what is the project all about?The project is based on the concept of "‘semi-aeroelastic hinge" to reduce drag and overall wing weight, while effectively combating the effects of turbulence and wind gusts.

While hinged wing-tips are not new – military jets employ them to allow greater storage capacity on aircraft carriers – the Airbus demonstrator is the first aircraft to trial in-flight, freely-flapping wing-tips to relieve the effects of wind gusts and turbulenceAirbus engineer Tom Wilson, based in Filton, north Bristol, UK

According to Tom, an albatross  albatross can “lock” its wings at the shoulder while travelling long distances, but when faced with wind gusts, it can also “unlock” its shoulder to better navigate wind speeds. Semi-aeroelastic hinged wing-tips are expected to behave in the exact same way.Wing span and aspect ratio are two critical factors when it comes to reducing aerodynamic drag. The semi-aeroelastic hinged wing-tips’ long span could have an aspect ratio  of around 18 (versus 9 or 10 for aircrafts today).

FlightGlobal

What makes it unique from the conventional designs we have today?

These tips enable an aircraft to “surf” through wind gusts without transferring the bending loads  to the main wing. Additional benefits of this include less use of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, thereby translating to lesser overall weight.A major increase in wing span with minimal impact on wing weight would reduce drag, leading to significant reductions in fuel burn and CO2 emissions.

The AlbatrossONE Demonstrator

The AlbatrossONE demonstrator is a small scale , remote controlled demonstrator that has successfully achieved a  “gate-to-gate” demonstration with wing-tips 75% longer than those tested in the first phase.The demonstration also proved that freely flapping wing-tips could alleviate wing loads and avoid tip stall for improved aircraft performance.

With an established proof-of-concept, it's only a matter of time before it comes into fruition although a lot of engineering work would be required before it becomes a viable product. Maybe that also explains the hush-hush around the project as of today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq2poT9pW3w

Here's a small snippet of the demonstrator in action

COVER: FlightGlobal

Disinvestment-bound Air India's regional arm Alliance Air announced on September 22 that it will begin operating daily direct flights from Mumbai to the newly constructed Sindhudurg Airport on October 9.

The Alliance Air will be the first domestic carrier to fly to the Konkan region's greenfield airport, which received its aerodrome licence to begin commercial operations from aviation safety regulator DGCA last week. Beginning October 9, Alliance Air will operate daily direct flights from Mumbai to Sindhudurg and back.

https://twitter.com/allianceair/status/1440619138213298182

These services will operate under the regional connectivity scheme of the Central Government, the airline said in a statement. Alliance Air will deploy its 70-seater ATR 72-600 aircraft to connect these cities, it stated.

On September 7, Union minister Narayan Rane had said Chipi airport in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra would be inaugurated by Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on October 9.

Giving details of the services to Sindhudurg, the alliance said Flight 9I 661 will depart from Mumbai at 11:35 AM and arrive at Sindhudurg at 1 PM. Similarly, the return flight 9I 662 will depart from Sindhudurg at 1:25 PM and arrive in Mumbai at 2:50 PM, it said.

In addition, the airline announced an all-inclusive inaugural fare of INR 2,520 for Mumbai-Sindhudurg flights and INR 2,621 for Sindhudurg-Mumbai flights. The state's first green airport, at Chipi in Sindhudurg district, is expected to bring an economic boom to the region, with lots of employment and self-entrepreneurship opportunities for local people, according to a release from IRB Sindhudurg Airport Pvt Ltd.

IRB Sindhudurg Airport Pvt Ltd is a special purpose vehicle of IRB Infrastructure Developer that was formed and mandated with the task of project development and operations.

The DGCA has granted Sindhudurg airport in Maharashtra's Konkan region an aerodrome licence, allowing commercial flight operations from the facility. On September 7, Union minister Narayan Rane announced that the Chipi airport in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district would be inaugurated on October 9 by Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Earlier the Shiv Sena, which is ruling the state in alliance with Nationalist Congress Party and Congress, had announced a similar programme by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Sindhudurg Airport likely to open from October

Come up at an investment of INR 800 crore the first green airport at Chipi in Sindhudurg district, the state is expected to bring economic boom for the region with lots of employment and self-entrepreneurship opportunities for local people, the developer IRB Sindhudurg Airport Pvt Ltd said in a release.

IRB Sindhudurg Airport Pvt Ltd is a special purpose vehicle of IRB Infrastructure Developer that was formed and mandated with the task of project development and operations. "IRB Sindhudurg Airport Pvt Ltd, an SPV of IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd, has received aerodrome licence from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)," the airport operator said in the release.

"IRB is happy to achieve yet another milestone in the current year and see the airport receive the licence to operate after successful completion. With a concession period of over 90 years and a compelling regional proposition, it offers meaningful avenues of growth. We express our sincere gratitude to all authorities and stakeholders for extending their valuable cooperation and support in bringing up this new facility. We now look forward to opening the facility for airline operators and the general public soon."Virendra D Mhaiskar, Chairman and Managing Director, IRB Infrastructure Developer

During peak hours, the airport will be able to handle 200 departing and 200 arriving passengers thanks to its 2,500-meter runway. The IRB Sindhudurg Airport, with an estimated cost of INR 800 crore and a concession period of more than 90 years, is the first of its kind in the South Konkan region, with the goal of establishing and improving air connectivity between the region and western Maharashtra, the southern states, Mumbai, and, eventually, all regions across the country, according to the company.

Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) had awarded to IRB, the project of development of Sindhudurg Airport in Maharashtra on a BOT basis in 2009. The concession period is 95 years commencing from February 2013.

The Airport will not only generate passenger traffic, but also it will be a boon for the economic development of the region as it will facilitate and boost cargo transportation, generate direct as well as indirect employment and other business opportunities for the local people, said the release.

The airport operators also said that the facility has the potential to become a cargo hub of the western region as there is ample space for handling the cargo, and is expandable to meet the future growing needs.

U.S. President Joe Biden will ease foreign travel restrictions to the U.S. beginning in November, allowing foreigners into the country if they have proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test, the White House said on Monday, September 20.

The new rules will replace a hodgepodge of restrictions that had barred non-citizens who had been in Europe, much of Asia and certain other countries in the prior 14 days from entering the U.S. The changes will allow families and others who have been separated by the travel restrictions for 18 months to plan for long-awaited reunifications.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients announced the new policies, which still will require all foreign travellers flying to the U.S. to demonstrate proof of vaccination before boarding, as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of flight. Mr Biden will also tighten testing rules for unvaccinated American citizens, who will need to be tested within a day before returning to the U.S., as well as after they arrive home.

"Today we're announcing a new international air travel system. This new system includes strict protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from passengers flying into the United States, protecting Americans and making international air travel safer.Most importantly, beginning in early November, foreign nationals flying to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and they must show proof of vaccination prior to boarding a US bound airplane.Fully vaccinated passengers will not be required to quarantine."Jeff Zients, COVID-19 Response Coordinator, White House

The new policy will replace the patchwork of travel bans first instituted by President Donald Trump last year and tightened by Mr Biden that restrict travel by non-citizens who have in the prior 14 days been in the U.K., the EU, China, India, Iran, Republic of Ireland, Brazil and South Africa.

Those travel bans had become the source of growing geopolitical frustration, particularly among allies in the U.K. and EU where virus cases are far lower than in the U.S. The easing comes ahead of Biden meeting with some European leaders on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly this week. “This is based on individuals rather than a country-based approach, so it’s a stronger system," Mr Zients said. The EU and the U.K. had previously moved to allow vaccinated U.S. travellers into their territories without quarantines.

The CDC says the US will accept full vaccination of travellers with any COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization, including those from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson used in the US. Other vaccines are also approved by the WHO and used widely around the world, including from AstraZeneca and China’s Sinovac, with varying degrees of effectiveness against COVID-19 and its more transmissible delta variant. The WHO is reviewing Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine but hasn’t approved it.

Growing demand is likely to cause higher airfares on flights from Europe, although the rush to book flights could be slowed by the delta variant and high COVID-19 rates in the US, If fares rise, it would mark a turnaround in prices since the start of the pandemic.

Indians, who have family members residing in the U.S and vice-versa can be reunited. This will also enhance the trade relations between the two countries and will help in lifting the Indian economy. Students who want to pursue their studies in the U.S. can now easily travel without any worry and restrictions.

Airlines of India and the U.S. will be the biggest beneficiaries of this move.

Airbus

Airbus has unveiled its latest edition of CityAirbus- the conglomerate's zero emissions electric vehicle, exclusively designed to fly over noise-sensitive urban areas.With the Urban Air Mobility(UAM) market kicking up, the company announced plans for a new CityAirbus at the Company’s first Airbus Summit on “Pioneering Sustainable Aerospace”.

We are on a quest to co-create an entirely new market that sustainably integrates urban air mobility into the cities while addressing environmental and social concerns. Airbus is convinced that the real challenges are as much about urban integration, public acceptance, and automated air traffic management, as about vehicle technology and business models. We build on all of the capabilities to deliver a safe, sustainable, and fully integrated service to societysaid Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO

The project is a culmination of years of dedicated research, innovation, two electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) demonstrators.With decades of experience in certifying aircraft, the company has also made significant strides on sound technology across its portfolio of products.With the Vahana and CityAirbus demonstrators having conducted 242 flight and ground tests, Airbus has used additional technology such as extensive subscale flight testing and wind tunnel campaigns, to leverage its computing and modelling prowess.

Tech and Specifications

Airbus

The Next Gen City Airbus will see a fully electric vehicle with fixed wings and a V-shaped tail. With a uniquely designed distributed propulsion systemsystem consisting of eight electrically powered propellors, the CityAirbus can carry up to four passengers in a zero emissions flight in multiple applications.  With a maximum range of 80km, it is designed to clock 120kmph.Sound levels being a key factor for urban operations, Airbus's noise-friendly design ensures it operates at sound levels below 65 dB(A) during fly-over and below 70 dB(A) during landing, thereby optimising hovering and cruise efficiencies. Furthermore, it meets the highest certification standards (EASA SC-VTOL Enhanced Category.

The CityAirbus NextGen combines the best from both worlds with the new architecture striking the right balance between hover and forward flight. The prototype is paving the way for certification expected around 2025said Even

CityAirbus NextGen will offer the best-in-class economic performance in operations and support. The CityAirbus full-scale demonstrator conducted its first take-off in May 2019.

COVER: Airbus

According to people familiar with the situation, government officials are considering whether India can reopen its doors to international tourists, as countrywide cases of Covid-19 have largely remained stable over the last few weeks. An announcement could be made within the next 10 days.

Visas for foreign tourists have not been issued for the last one-and-a-half years, since the first outbreak of the infectious disease in the country.

Earlier on Wednesday, September 22, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) official also confirmed that the Central government is considering to resume issuing tourist visas very soon In a bid to boost the economy as daily COVID-19 cases in the country have come down. 

Government officials are considering whether India can reopen its doors to international tourists, as countrywide cases of Covid-19 have largely remained stable over the last few weeks.

A senior MHA official confirmed that things have been formalised and a meeting has been called in the Ministry of Home Affairs that will be chaired by the Home Secretary on Thursday, September 23 to discuss plans to resume tourist visas. The official said that it will be done in a phased manner and as per the feasibility, it will be open to all. The government is likely to allow only vaccinated people to apply for tourist visas.

The move to reopen is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on Saturday, September 18 that the government is planning to allow foreign tourists into Goa. “Tourism can resume in the coming tourism season just like before. We are planning to allow foreign tourists to come here... This will be possible when we give as much importance to corona precautions as much as we have given for vaccinations. It is our duty,” he said during an interaction with Goa health care workers.

Senior officials of the Union home ministry are in discussions with stakeholders on the expected date to reopen the Indian economy for tourism, among other factors.

(Image Courtesy - India Today)

Discussions are also on to waive off visa costs for the first 500,000 foreign tourists who apply. The free visa scheme will be applicable till March 31, 2022, or before if the 500,000-mark is crossed first. The total financial implication for this would be INR 100 crores, one of the ministry officials said.

PM Modi too had spoken of the free-visa scheme on Saturday, September 18 saying that the central government was taking steps to “welcome foreign tourists back”.

This will help revive the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors that have been badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic since March 2020, when the first nationwide lockdown was announced, the official said.

The cost for a month-long e-tourist visa is country-specific but ranges around USD 25 (INR 1,842). A year-long multiple-entry tourist visa charge costs around USD 40 (approximately INR 3,000).

(Image Courtsey - Facts Today)

Ministry officials also said they are considering the conditions for approval of foreign travel — for instance, whether visas should be allowed only for vaccinated travellers, and if tourists from countries battling Covid-19 outbreaks should be barred. All scheduled international flights have been suspended in India since March 2020 but special flights under bilateral “air bubble” arrangements -- through which carriers of two countries can operate flights -- are being run.

Tourist visas are suspended since March 2020, from the day the first lockdown was announced. Later, several categories of visas like business, employment and others were exempted but tourist visas remained suspended. Many Gulf countries have resumed tourist visas. Before the suspension of tourist visas, around 7-8 lakh tourists used to come to India every month.