Airplane mode soon to be a thing of the past

Prashant-prabhakar

22 Jan 2023

In the coming days, passengers flying within the EU will be able to fully use their mobile devices since the European Commission recently mandated that airlines have until June 30, 2023 to install the essential 5G technology.

This ruling has been a long time coming, we have been waiting for this for 20 years. Some people had some concerns about safety, but all the systems on aircraft have shielding and special designs that ensure that no interference from onboard smartphones can happen- Vance Hilderman, aviation expert and CEO of airline consulting firm AFuzion, told The Brussels Times

Why are passengers required to turn on airplane mode when flying?

Currently, EU airlines ask their customers to switch off their phones or put them in flight mode throughout the trip. This is due to the lack of knowledge regarding how mobile data can impair flight communications in the past.

Representative | Source

There was a concern they could interfere with automatic flight control systems. What has been found with experience is the risk of interference is very small-  Dai Whittingham, chief executive of the UK Flight Safety Committee

Concerns about how 5G frequencies can impair flying systems and even change altitude measurements have been voiced in the US. However, the UK and EU do not have a problem with this. Whittingham said.

Also, according to Hilderman, the airline safety authorities wanted the passengers to pay attention to the safety briefing and listen to any announcements during takeoff and climb, so they devised the rule requiring people to put their phones in airplane mode.

The American vs the European scenario

Due to the fact that 5G technology uses slightly different bands in the EU than it does in the US—in the US, the 5G band sits just a little higher than in Europe—the circumstances in the US and Europe are slightly different. This causes it to jog up somewhat closer to the radio altimeter band, which is crucial for landings in inclement weather since it calculates how far an airplane is traveling above the ground at any particular time.

Representative | Euronews

" European airspace is very different from US airspace: in Europe, you are crossing a country every 30 minutes. There are many different cultures, but the Schengen area is generally still a more homogenous society – even though Italians and Swedes are not exactly the same "- Hilderman

When will the next big move be in the EU?

The deadline for member states to install 5G technology on aircraft is June 30, 2023. As a result, travelers will be able to use applications, make calls, and stream music and films while in the air.

Representative | Fl360aero

" 5G will enable innovative services for people and growth opportunities for European companies. The sky is no longer a limit when it comes to possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity "- Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market

Representative | Crast

The narrative is, if smartphones could be safe at gas stations, they should practically be safe anywhere else.

SOURCE: brusselstimes.com | euronews.com

COVER: Travel Off Path

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Vistara CEO on fleet size, aircraft orders, delays and international expansion

Radhika Bansal

25 Jan 2023

Vistara will continue to expand and expects to have a total of 70 planes by mid-2024, its chief Vinod Kannan said on Tuesday, January 24. The airline, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, reported an operating profit for the first time since its inception in the three months that ended December 2022.

"The percentage of capacity deployed internationally has increased. We have 25-30% deployed internationally… That is quite positive and a game changer for us," Kannan said at a briefing.

Vistara is set to be merged with Air India. By the middle of next year, Kannan said it will have a total of 70 aircraft, including 7 Boeing 787s. Out of the total 70 planes, there will also be 10 A321s and 53 A320 neos, the Vistara CEO said at a briefing. Among the 53 A320 neos, 10 planes will have all economy classes and the rest will have three classes. Currently, the airline has a fleet of 53 aircraft.

"We will continue to expand… more international routes (will be added)," Kannan said. According to him, there are constraints in terms of traffic rights and slots. "We would love to operate more flights to Dubai, Singapore but those are all constrained by traffic rights. We had to look at other options… we will be looking at more points in the Middle East," he added.

Regarding the performance in the December quarter, Kannan said the operating environment for the last year itself and the last quarter has been quite strong when it comes to demand and average fare perspective. Also, the deployment of wide-body aircraft helped the airline.

"It was one of the strongest quarters (December quarter) we had from the revenue perspective, if you look at the overall revenue or whether you will look at from unit revenue. Strong demand which resulted in high load factor and that demand was not turned away due to high fares, (so), we were able to get a very strong revenue performance. The second aspect is that the US dollar and fuel prices have been on an increasing trend… We have some sort of scale, we have 53 aircraft. So, unit cost and deployment do reduce to a certain extent.

There is also the impact of the deployment of wide-body aircraft and currently Vistara has three such planes in its fleet. They have been doing extremely well and the demand in Europe has been strong. Flights have been flying with load factors of more than 85-90%. Therefore, that plays a positive role in the performance of the airline."

Vinod Kannan, CEO, Vistara

Deepak Rajawat, the COO of Vistara, added that in the past year, the airline has added 30 new routes and seven destinations. “We have reworked our network, and created a second hub from Bombay, which has boosted our growth.”

Without disclosing the exact profit figure in the December quarter, the airline on Monday, January 23 said it crossed the USD 1 billion revenue mark and remained EBITDA positive in the current fiscal year. EBITDA refers to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation.

"For the first time since inception, the airline reported a net profit (excluding unrealised foreign currency loss and non-operating income) for the quarter ended December 2022," Vistara said in a release.

Speaking about the current revenue mix, Kannan said that the airline currently generates 70% of its revenues from domestic travel and 30% from international travel. “We are waiting for the deliveries of aircraft because we know our true potential lies in long-haul travel, and that is where we have a competitive edge.”

Vistara halts aircraft orders ahead of merger, eyes international growth

Vistara will not place new plane orders while it awaits regulatory approval to merge with Air India but that will not stop the airline from adding more international routes to boost profits, its chief executive said

The full-service carrier, a joint venture between Singapore Airlines and India's Tata Sons, will receive its pending order for 17 aircraft by the end of 2024, taking its total fleet to 70 planes.

"We have not looked at any orders beyond that. There has been the announcement about the merger and integration with Air India. Once we have approval from the relevant authorities ... we will have to sit down together with Air India as a joint entity to see what we do," he said.

But Vistara's expansion will continue and the airline is "not going to scale back" because of the integration, he added.

Tata said in November it was merging its two full-service carriers - Air India and Vistara - to create a bigger airline to take on local rivals like IndiGo as well as Middle Eastern carriers that dominate outbound traffic from India.

Tata is also expected to announce a new plane order of some 495 aircraft for Air India, Reuters reported, as it looks to revamp the airline under its ownership.

Vistara, which started operations in 2015, recorded its first operational profit in the December quarter helped by strong travel demand and higher fares, despite surging fuel costs and a weak rupee versus the dollar. Kannan hopes to continue the momentum and flying to more international destinations is a key factor.

"International expansion will be a focus going forward. It plays a strong role in the performance of our bottom line," he said, adding the airline was constrained in some markets like Dubai and Singapore due to unavailability of landing slots.

Vistara deploys up to 30% of its capacity on 12 international routes including cities in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. These routes contribute 30% of its revenue.

The airline has put on the backburner plans to launch flights to the United States due to delays in receiving deliveries of its Boeing 787 widebody planes. It will instead strengthen its presence in Europe where it currently flies with load factors - a measure of how full its planes are - of 85% to 90%, Kannan said.

Vistara shelves plan to fly to US on 787 delivery delays

Vistara has shelved plans to start direct flights to the US following disruptions in deliveries of Boeing Co.’s 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

“We were discussing US at one stage,” Vistara Chief Executive Officer Vinod Kannan said at a virtual press meet Tuesday. “We have had to put that on hold after the fact that 787s are going to be interspersed and not coming in at the same time.”

Vistara, a joint venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Air, is expecting to induct its remaining four Dreamliners by March 2024, he said. While the first of those four jets will be delivered by April, Vistara is waiting for clarity from Boeing on the exact delivery timeline, Kannan said.

Boeing got the green light from US regulators to restart deliveries of 787 jets in August. While the jetliner’s deliveries were largely paused in late 2020 after flaws were discovered, the concerns weren’t viewed as a safety hazard and airlines were allowed to continue operating their existing 787s.

Vistara will rejig its plans to operate routes that require only fewer aircraft such as London, Paris and Frankfurt, he said. The airline will add frequencies and connect those international destinations to other parts of India, perhaps Mumbai, he said.

Operating daily flights from India to the US is “resource consuming” and for Vistara, the staggered deliveries of 787 jets will create a “big gap” in the widebody aircraft it needs to fly to the destination, Kannan said. The airline currently has three 787 aircraft in its fleet and one of them is a used plane that is on lease for three years, he said.

Vistara, which broke even for the first time in the quarter through December, aided by the expansion of its international network, will be merging with Air India Ltd. as Tata plans to revamp its faltering aviation business. Air India’s top advantage among local carriers is that it operates non-stop flights to the US without having to transit in the Middle East.

(With Inputs from PTI, Reuters, Bloomberg)

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Airbus chooses L&T Technology for advanced engineering services

Radhika Bansal

21 Jan 2023

L&T Technology Services Limited, a global leading pure-play engineering services company, on January 19 announced that it has been selected as a strategic engineering partner to Airbus for providing Advanced Engineering Capabilities and Digital Manufacturing Services under a multi-year contract.

Under this agreement, LTTS will support Airbus in key verticals and technology areas for its ongoing Commercial and Innovation programs. The development is a major step forward in the long-standing partnership between LTTS and Airbus.

LTTS is a strategic engineering supplier for Airbus globally and its India subsidiary, providing engineering services across verticals like engineering, avionics and digital. The Company is also a part of the industry-leading 'Skywise Partner Program,' and earlier in 2022, was recognized as a Global Strategic Engineering Supplier under the Airbus EMES3 (Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering and Services Strategic Suppliers) program.

Airbus chooses L&T Technology for advanced capabilities, digital manufacturing services

As a part of the new contract award, LTTS engineers will support Airbus' Numerical Control Programming (NCP) Cluster which includes composite production, trimming & cutting, standard machining, advanced machining, drilling & riveting, control & metrology, fast shop machining and technical support.

LTTS will also be driving the design and stress support for Advanced Capabilities which include thermal analysis, vulnerability assessment, advanced failure analysis, manufacturing simulation, and modelling services.

"The recent selection of LTTS by Airbus is a reaffirmation of our deep domain leadership and industry-leading expertise in driving a redefinition of the global ER&D landscape. As we continue to move ahead on our objective of being counted among the largest and the best global ER&D firms, the acknowledgement and support of an industry leader like Airbus is exciting and serves to inspire us for the next milestone."

Amit Chadha, CEO & Managing Director, L&T Technology Services

The engineering support will be executed from LTTS' offshore locations in Bengaluru, India, its recently inaugurated near shore centre in Toulouse, France, along with onsite support at Airbus locations in the UK, Germany, France, and Spain.

LTTS' offerings for the aerospace sector cover a wide spectrum of services including aero structure & systems design, manufacturing engineering, avionics and software development, aero engine design, air traffic maintenance solutions, and airlines & MRO offerings that leverage its robust and extensive digital engineering solutions portfolio for catering to all phases of the aircraft lifecycle.

ALSO READ - Government encourages Airbus and Boeing to set up final assembly lines in India

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Airbus likely to get 235 single-aisle jet orders out of 500 from Air India

Radhika Bansal

21 Jan 2023

European planemaker Airbus is set to win an order for 235 single-aisle planes as part of a historic purchase of some 495 jets due to be announced by a resurgent Air India on January 27, industry sources told Reuters.

ALSO READ - Air India close to placing landmark orders for 500 jetliners

The deal, roughly split with rival Boeing, covers a total of 425 single-aisle jets including 235 Airbus A320neo-family planes as well as 190 Boeing 737 MAX airliners. The order is also expected to include up to 70 widebody long-haul aircraft including up to 40 Airbus A350s as well as some 20 Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777X, the sources said.

ALSO READ - Air India jumbo aircraft order to include B737 MAX and B787 Dreamliner

Airbus likely to get 235 single-aisle jet orders out of 500 from Air India

Airbus declined to comment. Air India and Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It was reported last month that Air India was close to placing orders for around 500 jets from both Airbus and Boeing after months of intense talks on the core plane order.

ALSO READ - Air India expected to order close to 500 aircraft: Aircraft lessor

Industry sources said finalising the deal depended on ongoing negotiations with engine makers, but two people familiar with the matter said talks were mostly complete. Such a deal would rank among the biggest by a single airline in volume terms, overshadowing a combined order for 460 Airbus and Boeing jets from American Airlines over a decade ago.

Next Friday's likely announcement comes a year to the day after the Tata Group conglomerate regained control of Air India, launching an ambitious shake-up and renewal of the flag carrier that entrepreneur J.R.D. Tata originally founded in 1932.

Air India is close to placing orders for around 500 jets from both Airbus and Boeing after months of intense talks on the core plane order.

Air India, with its maharajah mascot, was once known for its lavishly decorated planes and stellar service but its reputation declined in the mid-2000s as financial troubles mounted. Tata Group has said it plans to transform the previously state-run carrier into a "world-class airline" in five years. The deal consolidates Airbus' position in India as the leading supplier of narrow-body planes.

ALSO READ - What is the plan of Air India for the next 5 years?

IndiGo, the country's largest carrier, is the biggest customer for Airbus' A320neo family. It is also, however, a breakthrough for Boeing which has been lagging behind Airbus in the fast-growing market, where its customers include start-up Akasa Air and SpiceJet.

ALSO READ - Air India’s contract with Airbus & Boeing delayed over Engine-Cost Debate

(With Inputs from Reuters)

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With IndiGo codeshares, Qantas expands its India destinations

Sakshi Jain

21 Jan 2023

Australian airline Qantas will broaden its codeshare partnership with IndiGo to provide travellers with more connection options between Australia and India.

Direct flights between the two cricket-loving countries have occasionally been hard to come by despite the sizeable Indian diaspora in Australia. However, it now appears that Qantas has recovered its hunger for these flights. The largest airline in India, IndiGo, and Qantas announced on Friday, January 20, that they were increasing their codeshare agreements.

On Friday, January 20, Qantas and IndiGo announced that they were expanding their codeshare arrangements

In August of last year, Qantas travellers flying to Bengaluru and Delhi could seamlessly connect to other well-liked spots, including large cities like Mumbai and Chennai or iconic locations like Pune and Goa. Currently, Qantas offers four return flights a week from Sydney to Bengaluru and four roundtrip flights a week from Melbourne to Delhi.

Also read: Qantas announces direct flights between Sydney-Bengaluru, finalises codeshare with IndiGo

Eight more cities are now accessible to Qantas travellers under the second phase of the deal.

New Indian cities under the expanded codeshare include

Guwahati

Indore

Chandigarh

Mangalore

Jaipur

Nagpur

Thiruvananthapuram

Visakhapatnam

??The destinations that were already in place are:

Ahmedabad

Amritsar

Bengaluru

Delhi

Goa

Mumbai

Kochi

Kolkata

Hyderabad

Lucknow

Patna

Pune

This means that Qantas passengers can connect to 21 Indian cities from Bengaluru and Delhi.

More than 250 new flights are now available for Qantas passengers to book, and access to the domestic IndiGo network is now more flexible.

Qantas passengers can connect to 21 Indian cities from Bengaluru and Delhi

According to Qantas Chief Customer Officer Markus Svensson, passengers have shown the new routes to India to be highly popular. The codeshare agreement with IndiGo, Svensson continued, had enhanced the travel experience for Qantas customers between Australia and India, and the new destinations will provide them with even more choices.

“Our codeshare partnership with IndiGo has improved the way our customers travel between Australia and India, and the additional destinations give travellers even more options.”

“The new codeshare flights will allow our customers to enjoy more connections across India from our Delhi and Bengaluru gateways and have their luggage checked straight through to their final destination.”

–Markus Svensson, Chief Customers Officer, Qantas

It can often be difficult to change from an international to a domestic flight, but Qantas and IndiGo appear to have planned for that and made it simple. Customers of Qantas flying on IndiGo can bring the same amount of luggage as they did on their flight from Australia and enjoy complimentary food and beverages while on the flight.

On connecting IndiGo flights operated with a QF code, Qantas Frequent Flyers can accrue and use points. Additionally, IndiGo will take into account any applicable tier-based perks, such as priority check-in and priority baggage, that are provided to Qantas Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Platinum One frequent traveller.

IndiGo will consider any appropriate tier-based benefits offered to Qantas Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Platinum One frequent traveller, including priority baggage and check-in

The extension is a good move towards strengthening travel partnerships and connections between the two nations, according to Sandip Hor, head of the Australia India Travel and Tourism Council (AITTC).

“The additional destinations will give the Indian diaspora and the Australians planning a trip to India a more flexible choice to travel to different parts of the country.”

“Through a codeshare agreement with IndiGo, India’s largest domestic carrier, Qantas is trying to increase its presence in India. So I think with time, more destinations will be added to the existing list.”

–Sandip Hor, Head, AITTC

Tanvi Goel, a travel agent in Brisbane, told SBS Punjabi that the codeshare arrangement between the two airlines would be more practical and cost-effective for Qantas passengers but also believes that the facility comes with a few caveats.

"The codeshare arrangement between the two airlines would be more practical and cost-effective for Qantas passengers"- Tanvi Goel, Travel Agent, Brisbane

“Firstly, IndiGo is a domestic carrier, and it isn’t easy for them to provide the same standard of service as an international carrier like Qantas, so they will have to up their game. Secondly, flyers travelling to destinations with no immigration desks will have to get their immigration done in Delhi or Bengaluru before flying out to their ultimate destinations. Also, they will have to change to the domestic terminal from Delhi to board an IndiGo flight.”

–Tanvi Goel, Travel Agent, Brisbane

Overall, with the codeshare agreements, the expansion will improve the overall flying experience for travellers both in India & Australia.

Source: SBS Punjabi

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Amazon to launch dedicated cargo fleet in India

Sakshi Jain

21 Jan 2023

Amazon is set to launch a cargo fleet in India, as part of a drive to expand and gain more control over logistics in one of its fastest-growing regions.

The company will only employ Amazon's recognisable Prime Air to deliver products, and each aircraft will display the well-known light blue "smile" insignia on the fuselage.

Only Amazon's recognisable Prime Air will be used by the business to deliver goods, and each plane will sport the recognisable light blue "smile" logo on its fuselage

QuikJet, a Bengaluru-based cargo airline that is a joint venture between Cyrus Guzder of supply chain business AFL and Ireland-based ASL Aviation Group, is expected to begin its fleet by the end of this month. According to the people who are familiar with the matter, Amazon wants to have six Boeing 737-800 freighters in its fleet by the end of this year, up from the fleet's first two, which can carry up to 23.9 tonnes of cargo.

Amazon responded press time Friday, January 20, to an email seeking comment. QuikJet couldn’t be reached for comment.

Amazon is beginning its specialised air cargo business for the first time outside of the US and Europe in India, enabling it to establish its own overnight delivery network in this country as well.

The Seattle-based business introduced Prime Air in the US in 2016 and runs out of airports near its storage facilities. There are 91 aircraft in the fleet worldwide, including tiny Boeing 737s, medium 767s, and ATRs. These are all rented from and run by third-party companies. The ASL group oversees Amazon's air cargo activities across Europe.

Amazon One flys over Seafair 2016

QuikJet was launched by IL&FS, Tata Capital, and IDFC in 2007. However, due to the high price of oil, QuikJet had to halt operations in 2013. It was revived via a collaboration between Guzder and ASL last year.

“Having Amazon as a dedicated customer will make the QuikJet model successful this time as it will completely eliminate its dependence on freight forwarders and have certainty on revenue.”

–A person aware of the matter said

According to a report by brokerage firm Bernstein, Amazon has a sizable base of "Prime" users in India, one of its key international markets. For Prime users, Amazon offers same-day or next-day deliveries.

According to those briefed on the strategy, the company believes that logistical growth is essential as it works to speed up delivery and make the process more efficient.

QuikJet was launched by IL&FS, Tata Capital, and IDFC in 2007

“While Amazon has been using the belly space of airlines like IndiGo, and SpiceJet, it felt that it needed more control over its air cargo network because the number of Prime customers has been growing significantly in India. A dedicated cargo airline gives the company control to move its objects from its warehouse to nearby smaller cities overnight.”

–The person cited above said

He continued by saying that India would serve as a centre for other Southeast Asian nations.

According to a report from ET, the local shipping division of the US e-commerce behemoth, Amazon Transportation, which houses the logistics division, intends to expand its logistics infrastructure operations in India to accommodate purchases from other online retailers besides Amazon.

With the dedicated freighter fleet rising from just five aircraft before Covid to 28 aircraft at this time, Indian airlines are increasing their cargo capacity. In addition to Bluedart, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India Express, and others are seeking to add more cargo-carrying aircraft.

Source: ET

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