Airbus bringing the whale out to launch "Airbus Beluga Transport"

Airbus has unveiled plans of commercializing its in-house fleet of Beluga to assist other industries to haul urgently-needed outsized machinery by air.

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The announcement comes weeks after the Aerospace behemoth pulled the plug on the production of the iconic A380 "Jumbo Jet". The A380 production was brought to an end in 2021 with the 251st and the last model being delivered to its big-time customer- Emirates.

In what can be touted as the largest commercial freighter by volume from the Western hemisphere, the Airbus Beluga ST, which would be a part of the "Airbus Beluga Transport" fleet, would be deployed in diverse sectors such as space, energy, military, aeronautic, maritime and humanitarian aid.

Here's a quick peek into the iconic Beluga whale, with its iconic bulbous forehead.

Airbus BelugaST

The Airbus A300-600ST (Super Transporter), or Beluga, is a version of the standard A300-600 wide-body airliner modified to carry aircraft parts and outsized cargo. It derives its name from "Beluga"- a whale that it resembles. The BelugaXL, its replacement, made its first flight in January 2020. Additionally, they are also used to transport Airbus payloads such as helicopters, satellite components or complete satellites.

Overall length56.16 mHeight17.25 mLoadable volume length39.1 mLoadable cross-section max-height7.1 mMax payload47 tonnesMax take-off weight155 tonnesMax landing weight140 tonnesFuselage width7.7 mAIRBUS

 Managed by the Airbus Transport International (ATI) subsidiary, the company’s five existing Belugas feature one of the most voluminous cargo holds of any civil or military aircraft flying today.

Wikimedia Commons

Airbus would be replacing its five Beluga ST aircraft for internal moves with six new Beluga XLs to support ramped-up airliner production.

Reportedly, the company bagged the first contract end of last year with delivery from Airbus Helicopters’ manufacturing site in Marignane, France, to Kobe, Japan, for an undisclosed customer.

The Beluga’s wider cross-section will open up new markets and new logistical possibilities for customers. In the case of loading helicopters — not having to dismantle them first — really is a plus. Similarly, the largest commercial aircraft engines can be accommodated in a fully dressed configurationsaid Phillippe Sabo, the head of Air Oversize Transport in the announcement

Airbus A300-600ST | The Beluga Carrying Fuselage | AERONEF.NET

Apparently, the Beluga ST are only at 50% of their life and have been designed for 30,000 flight cycles and currently have an average of 15,000-according to Phillippe.

According to analysts, demand for outsized cargoes that can be transported without dismantling them has been rising, partly on the back of weakened supply chains.

Within the past few years, even before COVID-19, we were n approached by several companies asking if our Beluga aircraft were available to perform some charter flightssaid Business Development Manager Reza Fazlollahi

Having previously offered ad hoc charters services to third parties depending on availability, Airbus Beluga Transport will now be a full-time contract carrier.

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COVER: Aviation Stack Exchange

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) announced that the Type Certification of the first Indigenous Light Transport civil passenger aircraft "Hindustan 228-201" was handed over by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to Transport Aircraft R & D Center, HAL Kanpur at DGCA HQ New Delhi.

Hindustan 228-201 aircraft is the first Type Certified fixed-wing aircraft in India complying with the latest FAR 23 certification requirement which is a major milestone towards the vision of building a new, AtmanNirbhar Bharat.

Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) shares jumped 4.63% to INR 1763 after the company received 'Type Certification of first Indigenous Light Transport civil passenger aircraft Hindustan 228-001' from the DGCA.

HAL Hindustan 228-201 aircraft is now DGCA Type Certified

HAL is engaged in carrying out the design, development, manufacture, repair and overhaul of aircraft, helicopters, engines and related systems like avionics, instruments and accessories primarily serving the Indian defence programme.

As of 31 December 2021, the Government of India held a 75.15% stake in the company. The company reported a 90.8% surge in consolidated net profit to INR 3,105.17 crore on a 6.4% rise in net sales to INR 11,561.13 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21.

ALSO READ - Alliance Air receives the first made-in-India civilian aircraft – Dornier 228

Earlier in April, Alliance Air said it took delivery of the first made-in-India Dornier 228 plane on April 7 to facilitate connectivity within the northeastern states.

Alliance Air said it took delivery of the first made-in-India Dornier 228 plane

Centre-run Alliance Air had in February signed an agreement with government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to lease two 17-seater Dornier 228 aircraft.

Dornier 228 is a twin-turboprop short take-off and landing utility aircraft which is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Coast Guard, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.

HAL describes Dornier 228 as “a highly versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft.” It also notes that the aircraft has been developed to meet requirements like utility and commuter transport, third level services and air-taxi operations, coast guard duties and maritime surveillance.

Dornier 228 is a twin-turboprop short take-off and landing utility aircraft which is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Coast Guard, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.

The Hindustan-228 is a 17-seat multirole utility aircraft built for various applications such as VIP transport, passenger transport, air ambulance, flight inspection roles, cloud seeding, and recreational activities like para jumping, aerial surveillance, photography and cargo applications.

The aircraft can also be utilised for pollution prevention, troop transport, aerial survey, search and rescue, commuter transport, remote sensing applications, causality evacuation and cargo and logistics support.

(With Inputs from Business Standard)

Air India is likely to be handed over to the Tata group by the end of this week, senior government officials said on Monday, January 24.

After a competitive bidding process, the government had on October 8, 2021, sold Air India to Talace Private Limited -- a subsidiary of the Tata group's holding company for INR 18,000 crore. As a part of the deal, the Tata group will also be handed over Air India Express and a 50% stake in ground handling arm Air India SATS.

Following that, on October 11, a Letter of Intent (LoI) was issued to the Tata group confirming the government's willingness to sell its 100% stake in the airline. On October 25, the Centre signed the share purchase agreement (SPA) for this deal.

ALSO READ - Over INR 278 crore pending payments from government departments and sections to Air India

Officials told PTI on Monday, January 24 that the remaining formalities regarding this deal are expected to be completed in the next few days and the airline will be handed over to the Tata group by the end of this week.

ALSO READ - Pre-flight BMI measurements of cabin crew ordered by Air India

Tatas had on October 8 beat the INR 15,100 crore offer by a consortium led by SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh and the reserve price of INR 12,906 crore set by the government for the sale of its 100% stake in the loss-making carrier.

"The disinvestment of Air India is now decided to be on January 27, 2022. The closing balance sheet as of January 20 has to be provided today Jan 24 so that it can be reviewed by Tatas and any changes can be effected on Wednesday, January 26.We have done an excellent job till now in providing all support for the disinvestment exercise. The next three days will be hectic for our department and I request all of you to give your best in these last three-four days before we get divested."Vinod Hejmadi, Director Finance, Air India

Seeking the cooperation of the employees, Hejmadi said, "We may have to work late in the night to complete the task given to us. I seek the cooperation of one and all."

While this will be the first privatisation since 2003-04, Air India will be the third airline brand in the Tatas' stable as it holds a majority interest in AirAsia India and Vistara, a joint venture with Singapore Airlines Ltd.

The Group, for the time being, plans to continue with Vistara as a separate entity, as SIA is not on board for the AI deal.

Air India will be the third airline brand in the Tatas' stable as it holds a majority interest in AirAsia India and Vistara. (Image Courtesy - DKODING)

Vistara is a 51:49 joint venture between the Tata Group and SIA. SIA, however, had agreed to be part of the plan to acquire Air India but did not want to continue after COVID impacted their business and funds dried up.

As part of the revival plan, the Tata Group is also blueprinting a 100-day plan for Air India to improve the operational and service standards of the airline that includes its on-time performance, as well as issues related to passenger complaints and call centres.

Despite a complete standstill in trade and travel between India and Pakistan, a new proposal by the Pakistan Hindu Council to allow Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh pilgrims to travel by air has been forwarded by the government in Islamabad.

In a report published by The Hindu, sources said that the proposal was sent to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) from the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi on behalf of the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) chief patron Ramesh Vankwani, asking that two chartered flights of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) carrying pilgrims be allowed to fly from Lahore and Karachi to destinations in India on January 23, 2022.

Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan

However, the report also struck a cautious note, saying that the proposal, which was only received on January 24, had still to receive many clearances in New Delhi. The MEA did not respond to inquiries about whether permissions were likely within the next few days, or at all.

"Pakistani pilgrims will be taken on the special PIA flight to visit religious places in India while Indian pilgrims will arrive in Pakistan on Air India flights. the promotion of religious tourism in the region, an Air India flight will be operated from New Delhi to Peshawar on February 20 to bring Indian pilgrims to Samadhi of Shri Param Hans Ji Maharaj, Teri temple, in Karak area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and a series of air flights between the two countries has been started on a monthly basis. He further expressed the hope that the promotion of religious tourism could bring the people of the two countries closer."Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council and Member of National Assembly

Later, a Hindu lawmaker from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party also stated that he will travel to India later this week with a delegation of pilgrims on January 24.

The proposed visit of Pakistani pilgrims to India is in connection with the religious tourism initiative. Hindu pilgrims from India and Gulf countries had arrived in Peshawar on January 1 via Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai to visit Shri Param Hansji Maharaj's Samadhi.

The Indian pilgrims were not allowed to travel on the PIA flight at the last moment by the Indian authorities following which they were brought to Pakistan via the Wagah border.

India-Pakistan Border

In all about 170 pilgrims, mostly Muslim, and about 20 Hindu pilgrims would be facilitated by the PHC, which signed an MoU with PIA in December 2021 to organize several “faith tourism initiatives”.

Amongst the early initiatives, the PHC said it had facilitated two groups of Hindu pilgrims from the UK, UAE, Spain, and other countries in the past few weeks, who were flown to Peshawar via PIA charters to visit the “ShriParamhansMaharajMandir” in the remote Khyber Pakhtunkhwa district of Teri. The Indian pilgrims crossed over Wagah by foot and then flew to Peshawar from Lahore.

Wagah Border

Trade between India and Pakistan has been suspended since August 2019, after the Pakistani government took several retaliatory actions to protest New Delhi’s amendment of Article 370 and other measures in Jammu and Kashmir.

Even an Indian request to send 500,000 MT of wheat as humanitarian aid to Afghanistan via the Wagah border has been awaiting Pakistani clearances for several months, although reports suggest this could come through within the next week.

The religious pilgrimage exchanges, which now also include the opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims are among the few India-Pakistan confidence-building measures (CBMs) that continue to exist, with hundreds of visas issued by both sides each year for groups of Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim pilgrims.

Pakistan International Airlines

The other CBMs include an agreement to exchange lists of prisoners held by both sides of each other’s citizens, and lists of nuclear installations that are handed over on New Year’s day every year, that are still maintained.

However, the two countries have no direct travel or trade relations, and their missions in Delhi and Islamabad, which have been significantly downsized, do not have High Commissioners at present i.e. January 2022.

(With Inputs from The Hindu)

Boeing Co is investing a further USD 450 million in Wisk Aero to support the development of future pilotless flying taxis, the U.S. aerospace giant said on Monday, January 24.

California-based Wisk, owned by Boeing and Kitty Hawk - the air vehicle firm launched by Google co-founder Larry Page - is one of the dozens of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) makers but differs in focusing its efforts on the autonomous flight.

"Our view is that is the big strategic advantage of Wisk, going straight to a self-flying aircraft, building those principles in at every level of the design and development," Boeing's Chief Strategy Officer Marc Allen told Reuters.

Boeing increases its investment in Wisk aero by USD 450 million

The decision to leapfrog a generation of piloted eVTOL aircraft being developed by independent startups and some aerospace groups entails a later entry to service than the target date of 2024 envisaged by most competitors.

After closing its venture capital arm last year, Boeing, which reports quarterly results on Wednesday, is focusing its air-taxi efforts on Wisk. The investment unit had pursued several prototypes and software to service an air-taxi market that analysts have predicted could involve thousands of small air vehicles operating by the mid-2030s.

Rival plane makers Airbus SE and Embraer SA are developing their electric air taxis, alongside other startups that have attracted interest and investment from airlines, private jet operators and aircraft leasing companies. The U.S. Air Force is also involved in developing flying taxis for military use.

Wisk said the USD 450 million investment from Boeing would make it "one of the most well-funded" companies

Boeing declined to give a date for what it terms the sixth-generation Wisk passenger vehicle, but industry sources said the idea was to present it for certification in around 2028. Boeing said it would be the first autonomous passenger-carrying vehicle to be certified in the United States.

In a statement, Wisk said the USD 450 million investment from Boeing would make it "one of the most well-funded" companies of its type, but gave no further details. The fundraising follows a spate of billion-dollar SPAC mergers by competitors in a trend that has cooled recently.

Analysts say the timetable for certification remains the key source of uncertainty surrounding the industry, whose debuts include California-based Joby and Archer and European rivals Lilium and Vertical Aerospace.

Boeing owns an undisclosed majority stake in Wisk.

It is not the only aerospace company teaming up with Silicon Valley to share development costs and foster an agile approach to innovation as simultaneous leaps in electric, materials and processing technology bring aviation within reach of startups.

"The kinds of constant demand shifts that will accompany these emerging industries really do require broad collaboration across those in the industry who bring different capabilities together," Allen said in an interview.

Beyond that, the debt-laden U.S. aerospace giant is seen as selectively more willing to co-develop know-how on broad capabilities like autonomy and advanced production processes, rather than controlling all high-end technology in-house.

Asked if there could be other partnerships within Boeing's core aerospace activities, Allen said: "Wisk is just one great example. I am sure it will not be the only example." Boeing's investment in the company could yield improvements that could be applied across Boeing's portfolio, he added.

Wisk began in 2010 as Zee Aero and later merged with Kitty Hawk Corporation. Upon recognising the commercial potential of Wisk’s fifth-generation aircraft, the aircraft and team were spun out to form Wisk, with an investment from Boeing. Over the past decade, Wisk has achieved several aviation and industry firsts, most notably, the first flight of an all-electric, autonomous, eVTOL aircraft designed for passenger use, in the U.S.

Two passengers were caught smoking on an Air India flight from Male to Mumbai on January 24, 2022. Smoking is banned on flights, under the Indian Aircraft Rules. This happened onboard flight AI-268 from Male heading towards Mumbai, about 45 minutes before landing, a passenger went into the lavatory and found smoke in the lavatory. The cabin crew identified and accosted passengers who had used the lavatory.

The two passengers did not protest when asked to hand over their cigarettes and passports. The smell of smoke spread into the passenger cabin as well. Air India security and the departments concerned are looking into this and will follow due to course of action. The official did not comment on whether the airline had filed a police case against the passenger. Fire is the most hazardous situation a flight crew can be faced with.

“Fire and smoke spread rapidly inside the pressurized cabin of an aircraft. Even a minor fire left undetected for a few minutes can endanger the safety of aircraft and Messengers especially if it breaks out when the aircraft is at cruising altitudes, it would take at least 20 to 30 minutes to descend, and carry out an emergency landing. And by then press enter, the screw could die of carbon monoxide poisoning."Senior Airline Commander

Passengers who commit any act, likely to imperil the safety of an aircraft or its passengers or crew could be punished with imprisonment, for up, to two years or with a fine up to rupees 10 lakh, for both smoking onboard. Also falls into the purview of unruly or disruptive passenger behaviour and could invite a lifetime ban. But airlines in India have been lacking in enforcing the law.

In September 2017 an Air India passenger onboard a flight from Rachi to Delhi returned unruly after, he was asked to exit the aircraft lavatory by the crew who were alerted to smoke and smell of cigarettes. The passenger got into an argument with the crew and threatened to lighten up another cigarette. The pilot radioed the Delhi Air Traffic Control about the incident and on Landing, he was escorted out of the aircraft by CISF Security Personnel. However, the airline was reluctant to file a police complaint. A written apology was taken from the passenger and he was let off.

In 2017, DGCA issued Norms, that Define unruly passenger Behavior, among them was smoking onboard, an aircraft upon landing on aircraft pilot in command shell Lodge FIR, which Security Agency at Aerodrome and Handover unruly passenger to Security Agency. Whenever an airline receives, a complaint of such cases, then the incident shall be referred by the airlines to an internal Community which within ten days of this matter will refer and question everything about it and later report whether the person is accused or not and list them in "National no-fly list".