BLADE India plans a chopper shuttle service between Bengaluru city and the airport

Radhika Bansal

13 May 2022

BLADE India is planning to have a morning and evening shuttle between the heliport at KIA, less than a km from the terminal, to Electronic City and the old HAL Airport, says the company’s commercial director Payal Satish.

The almost 1.5-2 hour drive between Bengaluru city and its distant Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) could shrink to a short helicopter hop from this July.

ALSO READ - BLADE India launches helicopter service from Bengaluru to Coorg and Kabini

BLADE India plans a chopper shuttle service between Bengaluru city and the airport

A one-way ticket for the helicopter ride will cost about INR 4,000. Bengaluru lost its brief chopper connectivity with the airport about 3.5 years back when Thumby Aviation stopped this service.

People in the know say the shuttle service at that time suffered from several issues like low patronage and a long waiting period for permission to operate choppers at the airport due to aircraft movement.

“We currently have six times weekly return on Bengaluru Jakkur aerodrome to Coorg/Kabini. A one-way between Bengaluru and Coorg costs INR 16,000. Our proposed BLADE airport shuttle will be five days weekly from Monday to Friday. Once this starts, we will add Mysore to our helicopter network that will cost about Rs 12,000 one-way.We are offering fly by the seat service where a person buys a seat on the helicopter-like an aircraft seat. We also offer charter."Payal Satish, Commercial Director, BLADE India

BLADE India, a helicopter aggregator, currently uses four choppers. It has flights between Mumbai and Pune, Ambi Valley, Shilim and Shirdi.

The company’s US partner, Blade US, has for years been operating the BLADE Airport helicopter service between downtown Manhattan and JFK Airport. “We are getting the same thing to India with our Bengaluru service,” Satish said.

The company’s US partner, Blade US, has for years been operating the BLADE Airport helicopter service between downtown Manhattan and JFK Airport.

Incidentally, the company is also working to bring electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to India.

Blade India MD & co-founder Amit Dutta also heads the urban air mobility task force for CII and has submitted a detailed study on the subject to the government.

“The Blade team will come here again in July and I will be speaking to other electric vertical craft (EVA) makers in the US to do the same. They will examine climatic conditions here and the regulatory framework."Amit Dutta, MD & Co-Founder, BLADE India

India has invited BLADE to simultaneously launch electric vertical craft simultaneously in the US and India in early 2024 (the expected launch date after getting all required FAA and EASA approvals).

BLADE India, a joint venture between BLADE Urban Air Mobility Inc, headquartered in New York, and New Delhi-based venture capital firm Hunch Ventures, started operations in Maharashtra in 2019.

(With Inputs from The Times of India)

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Air France-KLM and IndiGo officially launch their codeshare agreement

Radhika Bansal

13 May 2022

Air France-KLM and IndiGo on Thursday, May 12 announced that they have implemented a codeshare agreement allowing each airline to sell seats on other's flights. The agreement between the two was signed on December 23, 2021.

ALSO READ - IndiGo and Air France-KLM announce codeshare agreement

With the implementation of the codeshare agreement, Air France and KLM will offer their passengers access to 30 new Indian cities, a joint statement of the two carriers said. This means that Air France and KLM will be able to sell seats, on its distribution system, of IndiGo flights on 30 domestic routes.

https://twitter.com/AirFranceKLM/status/1524734381792837632

A codeshare agreement is a business arrangement in which two or more airlines publish and market the same flight under their airline designator and flight number as part of their published timetable or schedule.

“We are very proud at Air France-KLM to be the first major European airline group to initiate cooperation with IndiGo. This codeshare agreement will allow us to increase our local footprint and to improve connectivity between India - one of the fastest growing markets - and the rest of the world, via our Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol hubs. For our customers this means an enhanced network with as many as 30 new destinations in India, as well as increased roundtrip possibilities for both business and leisure travel.”Henri de Peyrelongue, EVP Commercial Sales Air France-KLM

Similarly, IndiGo will be able to sell seats on the European airline group's flights on more than 300 routes, the joint statement said.

On departure from the multiple points in India, Air France and KLM will open up their global network of over 300 destinations to IndiGo customers, with more than 120 destinations in Europe and about 50 in the Americas, it mentioned.

“We are pleased to commence the partnership with one of the strongest European airline groups, Air France-KLM. This codeshare is in line with our mission to provide air connectivity and affordable fares across India and to international destinations. As this summer sees a huge interest in international travel after a hiatus of two years, the codeshare will extend our on-time, affordable, courteous and hassle-free travel experience across 30 incredible Indian destinations to Air France-KLM customers.”Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy & Revenue Officer, IndiGo

From their hubs in Paris and Amsterdam, Air France and KLM operate flights to four Indian cities -- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.

Passengers of AF-KLM can now access codeshare flights on their website to many popular destinations in India through this deal, including Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Pune, and Hyderabad.

IndiGo also has codeshare agreements with Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and American Airlines.

ALSO READ - Codeshare agreement signed between IndiGo and American Airlines

IndiGo also has codeshare agreements with Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and American Airlines. Qantas is also finalising a codeshare partnership with IndiGo.

ALOS READ - Qantas announces direct flights between Sydney-Bengaluru, finalises codeshare with IndiGo

India resumed scheduled international flights on March 27 this year after a two-year-long hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Process of leasing next 8-9 airports to begin soon - Jyotiraditya Scindia

Radhika Bansal

13 May 2022

The Tatas took over INR 15,300 crore of debt where they have since renegotiated terms and refinanced it by bringing in new lenders. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia confirmed this in a conversation with IANS on Wednesday, May 11.

Of the humongous INR 62,000 crore debt on the books of Air India when it was handed over to the Tatas, the Government of India has closed its part of INR 47,000 crore by paying off all the banks involved.

Scindia said, "The Tatas paid INR 2,700 crore cash and took over INR 15,300 crore of the airline's debt. We have settled the balance amount of INR 47,000 crore with all the lenders. The deal is now complete and I believe this is a very big achievement."

Process of leasing next 8-9 airports to begin soon - Jyotiraditya Scindia

On August 31, 2021, the airline's total debt stood at INR 61,562 crore, out of which around INR 47,000 crore was transferred to AIAHL. The airline also had about INR 15,000 crore excess liabilities towards unpaid fuel bills and other operation creditors.

Scindia said that Tatas are very excited with their turnaround plans with 141 aircraft (Air India fleet) out of India's total of 715 aircraft.

He reckoned that this fleet size in India would double within the next five years as all the airlines, including newbies Jet Airways (returning to the skies) and Akasa Air, have massive rollout plans.

Pursuing the reform agenda in aviation, his next bold gambit is the leasing another set of airports, this time around another eight to nine.

Tatas are very excited with their turnaround plans with 141 aircraft (Air India fleet) out of India's total of 715 aircraft.

Scindia said, "What we did was transfer the INR 47,000 crore to a special purpose vehicle, Air India Asset Holding Ltd. The interest service outgo on the debt and other liabilities was extremely high and it was decided to square it off permanently. All told about INR 61,131 crore was cleared at the time of the deal."

Scindia brimming with ideas for the aviation sector is thinking of new policies which make the system more organised and equally more dynamic. For instance, immediate on his agenda is the leasing of at least 8-9 more airports.

"Let me categorically insist as I did in the Parliament the other day that these airports are not being privatised, they are being leased for a 50-year period. Not only are they going to generate revenue for the government this way, but they will guarantee to upgrade these airports. I think this is the best model going forward. You will hear of us calling for bids in the next round shortly. On charges of privatisation, let me tell you that leasing will actually garner revenues of INR 904 crore per year for AAI as lease fee for the first round of six airports, and as much as INR 2,322 crore has already reached government accounts in this case. We expect a similar windfall when we do the next round of leasing."Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation

On the same lines, he is excited with the response he has got on his call for reducing VAT on ATF (aviation turbine fuel).

ALSO READ - Jyotiraditya Scindia working with more states to reduce VAT on ATF and bring it under GST

"I requested the chief ministers to reduce VAT and I have found that as many as 12 CMs and an LG have come forward with cuts to boost connectivity and revenue. Andhra Pradesh and Kerala have reduced VAT and there is a 15% bump up in connectivity in a quarter. J&K has reduced VAT from 26% to 1% and the number of aircraft landing there and refuelling has gone up by 360%. This reform measure will only widen and deepen the aviation sector in India," Scindia said.

His next big play is his ambitious drone policy where he averred that 16-18 indigenous startups with cutting-edge technology will be at the vanguard of change.

At the ministry, we are in sync with the PM's vision to make India - Aviation Minister

"At the ministry, we are in sync with the PM's vision to make India a global drone hub. The PLI scheme will drive both manufacturing and services in this sector. Equally, 12 different ministries, including agriculture, mining and rural, will create the demand for these drones. There is blue sky available in this sector and my interface with many of these startups which want to participate convinces me that we will build a constructive eco-system in this field," the minister said.

He added, "With the active participation of the stakeholders of the drone industry and the Government of India, the drone industry is set on a path of exponential growth. The government will enable the continuity of this accelerated drone adoption by easing drone regulations and through drone literacy via programmes such as Drone Shakti and Kisan Drones."

(With Inputs from IANS)

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Vistara reinstates salaries and flying allowance of its pilots to pre-pandemic levels

Radhika Bansal

12 May 2022

Vistara on Wednesday, May 11 reinstated the salaries and flying allowance of its pilots to pre-pandemic levels as its flight operations are recovering "at an unprecedented pace".

"Further to reinstating the monthly bonus for all pilots from April 2022, subject to the average global active hours for the preceding month being at least 70, I am very pleased to announce that the base flying allowance (BFA) reduction is also reinstated.In March, I wrote to you about the recovery of the industry that we were observing and the hope that it would be sustained. It appears that this has been the caseWhile we are cognizant of certain challenges that are still being faced by the industry in general, the situation is a lot more positive than it was at this time last year."Captain Hamish Maxwell, Senior Vice President-Flight Operations, Vistara

Average global active hours indicate the aircraft utilisation rate for flight operations. Maxwell said an amount equivalent to the reduction in BFA will be added to the monthly bonus and paid to eligible pilots from April 1.

Vistara reinstates salaries and flying allowance of its pilots to pre-pandemic levels

"As a result of this recovery our operations have increased at an unprecedented pace, which has only been possible because of the commitment and flexibility that each of you has shown," he said, adding that throughout the challenging period, they demonstrated seemingly boundless resilience and resolve, and for that, the entire leadership team is extremely grateful.

Europe focus point for Vistara

Vistara is looking to scale its international operations. It expanded its international offering with daily flights between London and New Delhi this month and has said that a second flight would be on the cards once more aircraft and slots become available.

Constrained by the non-availability of more Dreamliners, Vistara pointed out that if it did have more widebodies, Europe would definitely be a focal point, with not only London receiving a second daily flight from Delhi, but Paris and Frankfurt moving up to daily services as well.

Vistara expands its international offering with daily flights between London and New Delhi

Down the line, the US is also a key market that Vistara has its eyes firmly set on.

Vistara, which launched in the UK amid the pandemic in August 2020, hopes its hub-and-spoke model and codeshares with several leading airlines, including British Airways, will prove popular with travellers as international travel gradually opens up in the wake of COVID restrictions.

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Boeing collaborates with Air India Engineering Services for MRO services of B777 VVIP aircraft

Radhika Bansal

12 May 2022

Boeing and soon to be privatised Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) on Tuesday, May 10 announced a collaboration for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of two custom-made B777 aircraft that are used for the travel of the president, the vice-president and the prime minister.

Boeing collaborates with Air India Engineering Services for MRO services of B777 VVIP aircraft

The collaboration between the two companies would also support the Indian Navy’s growing P-8I fleet, their joint statement said. The collaboration would help build indigenous MRO capabilities as it would bring the P-8I landing gear repair and overhaul work to India for the first time, the statement added.

"Our planned collaboration with AIESL could position us to provide significant value-add to our defence customers locally by enabling faster turnaround, exceptional operational capability and mission readiness for the Indian armed forces. This is also an important step as part of our commitment to the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision of making India a regional MRO hub."Surendra Ahuja, Managing Director, Boeing Defence India

The two custom-made VVIP aircraft were delivered by Boeing to the Indian government in October 2020. The IAF pilots operate the plane to fly the aforementioned dignitaries.

“Such collaboration would drive forward our vision for strengthening MRO capabilities in India, for India. We remain excited and committed as we provide critical support to India’s armed forces as part of the Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) hub initiative.”Sharad Agrawal, CEO, Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL)

The hub, according to the Boeing statement, has growing capabilities in India in the area of heavy maintenance, component repair, training and skilling of MRO maintainers. Boeing through BIRDS will offer “training programmes to increase skilled manpower by developing sub-tier suppliers and medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) to build high-quality MRO capabilities in India".

The collaboration between the two companies would also support the Indian Navy’s growing P-8I fleet

Through its MRO facilities in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram, the AIESL offers servicing and maintenance of civilian aircraft operated by domestic and international airlines.

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A plane that drives rather than a car that flies? ASKA collaborates with Tech Mahindra to create the best "Drive n Fly" experience

Prashant-prabhakar

12 May 2022

Imagine boarding a "flight" from the comfort of your backyard, or the streets, or the parking lot of a mall. Assuming it could be driven like a car, what if, it could lift off vertically from a designated vertical launch pad and transition into flight mode? What if, once you land at your destination, the "flight" transitions back to being an automobile, and you drive it to your parking spot just like any other car?

Sounds futuristic enough? It is.

That's exactly what ASKA, a California-based company, is working on.

New Atlas

To build a better society and a better economy, we need better transportation solutions, and flying cars will be a part of that equationsaid Maki Kaplinsky, co-founder & chair/COO, NFT inc

Back in 2019, the company had revealed plans of building a flying car that would look like an SUV and could take off using a set of retractable wings. ASKA- Japanese for "flying bird", has hence been working on developing an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with “drive and fly” capabilities.

ASKA-tech and specs

Illustrative | The Times of Israel

Cutting-edge engineering

ASKA features quality details throughout, from a versatile electric and hybrid system to advanced metal materials combined with a carbon fibre structure for certified safety and strength.

Revolutionary aerodynamic design

About the size of a large SUV, the vehicle's design and performance have been validated with CFD and wind tunnel testing. The advanced aerodynamic configuration allows the vehicle to be driven safely on the ground and flies efficiently in the air. 

Optimal structural performance, integrity and safety

The wings and arms are equipped with necessary directional stiffness which can contain the deflections as well as dimensional stability required by the control system. The high aspect wing ratio allows the vehicle to have sufficient bending and torsional stiffness to maintain its critical flutter velocity above the designed maximum flight speeds.

Illustrative | askafly.com

The ASKA gains additional safety with a ballistic parachute.

With a capacity of housing 4 people, ASKA's advanced power systems feature an electric power system with range extenders thereby allowing the vehicle to travel as long as 250 miles. The architecture is designed in such a way that it could be extended to any other energy source such as hydrogen.

So. how did this idea come about?

ASKA’s team envisions a future where cars will be used for short trips between 1 to 30 miles, and AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) vehicles will be used for longer trips up to 250 miles, and that's exactly how the concept of a “drive and fly” vehicle came about.

Drive Mode | Illustrative | askafly.com

Apparently, the vehicle can perform a conventional runway take-off and landing as an eSTOL uses between 30% and 60% less energy than the vertical take-off and landing and can clock speeds up to 150 miles per hour.

Flight mode | Illustrative | askafly.com

Since we are targeting everyone as potential customers, the cost of operation is very important. It’s not a toy for billionaires. The STOL functionality makes it more affordable for more people. Guy Kaplinsky, ASKA’s co-founder and CEO

Guy Kaplinsky and Maki Kaplinsky | Urban Air Mobility News

According to Kaplinsky, they aim to improve quality of life because people spend much of their lives in transit—either driving personal vehicles or taking public transportation. And apparently, new-age mobility solutions don't seem to solve the problems of increasing traffic in the either-he stated.

Illustrative | Auto Futures

In February 2022, the company announced it was partnering with India's Tech Mahindra for engineering support that it says will support efforts to certify the ASKA in 2026.

The collaboration aims to solve the worldwide problem of traffic congestion and improve people’s quality of life with what is touted to be the world’s first viable drive & fly eVTOL (Electric drive & fly Vertical Take-off and Landing).

We are confident that our engagement with Tech Mahindra will boost ASKA's development, testing and certification process to meet ASKA's commercialization target by 2026. Tech Mahindra's aim to deliver tomorrow's experiences today, solidly supports our mission to solve the worldwide problem of traffic congestion and improve people's quality of lifeGuy Kaplinsky

ASKA'S envisioned launchpad for VTOL ops has a minimal footprint with an area of 65 feet by 65 feet. This additionally offers the option for operators to drive in or out of the launchpad rather than use extra energy to perform the VTOL function.

One launchpad can reportedly facilitate 80 passengers in an hour, thereby bringing the efficiency to about 3 minutes on average.

The development of drive-and-fly vehicles is an emerging area of innovation globally, which can play a great role in creating best travel experience with minimal infrastructure investments and low environmental impacts. We look forward to creating synergies with ASKA by working on the engineering design and analysis of fly and drive eVTOL and thereby deliver tomorrow's experience today, which forms the core objective of our NXT.NOW strategyLakshmanan Chidambaram- President- Enterprise Americas, Tech Mahindra

Lakshmanan Chidambaram | Source

The team expects to have a full-scale demonstrator ready to begin flight testing by early 2023 and is already performing flight tests with a smaller-scale prototype.

The ASKA is expected to be certified under FAA's Part 23 rules.

ASKA is also participating in NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Campaign after signing a five-year Space Act Agreement with NASA in 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL2nUxWGUfM

SOURCE(s)

COVER: eVTOL.news

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