Boeing intends to double its 737 MAX production by end of 2023

Radhika Bansal

08 Mar 2022

Boeing Co has preliminary plans to boost production of its cash cow 737-family narrowbody to around 47 per month by the end of next year, as the U.S. planemaker looks to extend its recovery from successive crises, two people familiar with the matter said.

After slashing production due mainly to the pandemic, Boeing and European rival Airbus SE are seeing more demand for their medium-haul passenger jets, with both planemakers adding eye-catching deals to their order books in recent weeks.

Boeing intends to double its 737 MAX production by the end of 2023

Boeing's production plans shift and are influenced by many factors, the people cautioned. Doubts are already swirling in the industry over whether the supply chain will be able to meet aggressive production ramp-up plans, particularly in Europe.

Suppliers are grappling with labour and materials shortages and weakened balance sheets following the overlapping pandemic and 737 MAX safety grounding crises.

Boeing said in late January it was working to clear an inventory of 335 737 MAX airplanes amassed following two fatal crashes of the jet that grounded the plane for 20 months. It has been estimated most of those jets would be delivered by the end of 2023.

Over 4,800 737 MAX aircraft have been ordered as the Boeing 737 MAX is becoming more proven & trustworthy

With the 737 MAX in such high demand, Boeing's Renton, Washington, USA factory will be humming along for years to come. Over 4,800 737 MAX aircraft have been ordered as the Boeing 737 MAX is becoming more proven & trustworthy as a jetliner for the next few decades and logical evolution to the 737 design.

ALSO READ - FAA to formalize tighter oversight of new aircraft designs following deadly Boeing 737 MAX crashes

The 737 MAX is designed around new larger CFM International LEAP engines that are more efficient and provide a longer range plus a lower cost per passenger. Boeing declined to comment on its production plans and referred to its last public statements.

In late January, Chief Financial Officer Brian West said the 737 programs were producing at a rate of 27 jets per month and we're on track to reach 31 per month "fairly soon".

Two of the people said the 31-jet monthly stride would come during the second half of the year, though a third person said it could happen sooner.

Beyond that, Boeing aims to increase to around 38 narrowbody jets monthly during the first half of 2023, and reach about 47 jets per month in the second half of 2023, two people said.

Boeing was laying the groundwork to nearly double production by the end of 2023, the third person said but noted the plans could change due to supply chain constraints or other factors.

A rate of 47 aircraft per month is five shy of its build rate in 2019 when the 737 MAX was grounded.

Airbus, meanwhile, has set a production target of 65 a month by summer 2023 for its A320-family narrowbody. It has been at odds with engine makers led by France's Safran over its ambitions to push production afterwards as high as 75 a month.

(With Inputs from Reuters)

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Indian Coast Guard's Dornier 228 aircraft suffers engine snag and crash lands at Kanpur’s HAL airport

Radhika Bansal

07 Mar 2022

A Coast Guard Dornier 228 aircraft travelling from Chennai to Kanpur suffered an engine snag on Thursday, March 3 as it rammed into a structure in the airport after landing. The aircraft was travelling to Chakeri in Kanpur, where the HAL facility is located. No casualties were reported in the incident.

The crew, including IAF personnel, who were scheduled to visit the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited facility in Kanpur, managed to get out of the aircraft in time. 

Speaking to The Indian Express, Coast Guard Director General Virender Pathania said, “The aircraft had suffered a snag in one of the engines. The pilots did a marvellous job in landing the aircraft. The matter is under investigation now.’’

https://twitter.com/fl360aero/status/1500248342068174858

The left engine of the aircraft had stopped functioning post landing. As the pilots landed the plane on the runway, it steered to the right and rammed into a structure.

Dornier 228 aircraft is used by the Coast Guard for patrol and in search and rescue missions. Dornier 228 is a twin-engine turboprop, highly versatile multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft manufactured by HAL for the Indian Coast Guard.

Inspector General of Coast Guard Bishan Sharma, who is in charge of the aviation wing, refused to comment on the incident but said that the matter was being investigated.

The left engine of the aircraft had stopped functioning post landing.

Dornier 228 is a twin-engine turboprop, highly versatile multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft manufactured by HAL for the Indian Coast Guard.

The aircraft is lightweight with a wide range of operating speeds and fuel-efficient uniqueness. This high winged aircraft is operated by ICG in two variants in the 228 – 100 and 228 – 200 series.

The Dornier 228 has quick role changing capability for any of the following roles - Maritime Patrol & Surveillance, Marine Pollution Contingency, Search & Rescue and Medical Evacuation.

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Alliance Air to operate HAL's Do-228 aircraft under UDAN-RCS

Radhika Bansal

07 Mar 2022

Alliance Air will be operating Hindustan-228 in Arunachal Pradesh routes and has plans to procure more for other sectors in the Northern Eastern states.

HAL has the capabilities of short takeoff and landing, the ability to land and take-off from semi-prepared runways due to which it has been marketed to regional airlines that operate under UDAN.

State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) had signed a pact with Alliance Air to supply two of its Do-228 aircraft for deployment in Arunachal Pradesh. The deal is meant to boost Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) in the region.

Alliance Air to operate HAL's Do-228 aircraft under UDAN-RCS

The HAL Do-228 is a versatile aircraft well-suited for operations in the North East and has the capabilities of short take-off and landing, ability to land and take-off from semi-prepared runways, the company said in a statement.

HAL's Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur has been in the business of transport and trainer aircraft for defence customers and looks after manufacturing of Hindustan-228 aircraft.

The Hindustan-228 is a 19-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 HAL Do-228 is a versatile aircraft well-suited for operations in the North East

This development opens a new vista in civil aviation for HAL, it said, adding the company is keen to increase its footprint in regional civil aviation by engaging more numbers of HAL Do-228 by air operators of the country.

Apurba Roy, General Manager, Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur, HAL and Arun Kumar Bansal, Head of Engineering, Alliance Air Aviation Limited signed the deal papers in Bengaluru. On the occasion, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said it was a big day for the state given the geographical challenges in the vast state, the connectivity will now be easier.

Alliance Air (formerly known as Air India Regional) was founded in 1996 as a subsidiary of Indian Airlines which was later merged with Air India in 2007 and mainly operates domestic routes as part of the government's Regional Connectivity Scheme.

The government also intended to sell Alliance Air and use the proceeds to pay down AIAHL's debt.

In 2022 following the disinvestment of Air India Limited to Tata Group Alliance Air became an independent brand remaining with the Government of India through AI Assets Holding Limited (AIAHL)

Alliance Air's parent company, Air India Limited, was sold to Tata Sons on October 8 2021. Alliance Air was not a part of the deal and was instead transferred to Air India Asset Holdings Pvt Ltd (AIAHL), a state-owned special purpose vehicle that holds Air India's remaining assets and liabilities. 

The government also intended to sell Alliance Air and use the proceeds to pay down AIAHL's debt. Alliance Air was valued at around INR 2,000 crore.

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India's first indigenous trainer aircraft HANSA-NG completes maiden sea level trials

Radhika Bansal

07 Mar 2022

India's first indigenous flying trainer 'HANSA-NG' designed and developed by CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories, has successfully completed the sea-level trials at Puducherry from February 19 to March 5.

The aircraft was flown to Puducherry covering a distance of 140 nautical miles in 1.5 hours at a cruising speed of 155 km/hr on February 19, NAL said in a release on Saturday, February 5.

The objective of these trials was to evaluate handling qualities, climb/cruise performance, balked landing, structural performance including positive and negative G, power plant and other systems performance at sea level, it said.

India's first indigenous trainer aircraft HANSA-NG completes maiden sea level trials

All the objectives of the sea-level trials were met and the aircraft was ferried back to Bengaluru on March 5, after completing 18 hours flying in Puducherry, it said.

The aircraft was piloted by Wing Commander K V Prakash and Wing Commander Dilip Reddy of Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), and the flight was monitored by NAL designers and Wg. Cdr. Reeju Chakraborty as Flight Test Director from telemetry.

According to NAL, HANSA-NG is one of the most advanced flying trainers powered by Rotax Digital Control Engine with unique features like Just-In-Time Prepreg (JIPREG) Composite Lightweight Airframe, glass cockpit, bubble canopy with wide panoramic view, electrically operated flaps, etc.

It is designed to meet the Indian flying club needs and it is an ideal aircraft for Commercial Pilot Licensing (CPL) due to its low cost and low fuel consumption, it said, adding that NAL has already received more than 80 LoIs (Letter of Intents) from various flying clubs.

Total of 37 flights and 50 hours of flying have been completed by the aircarft

NAL Director Jitendra J Jadhav said a total of 37 flights and 50 hours of flying have been completed and a few more flights will be conducted before getting Type Certification by DGCA.

Type Certification is likely to be completed by April and thereafter the manufacturing will be initiated with public/private industry that will enhance the aerospace ecosystem under 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', he said.

Last year on September 3, Hansa-NG had successfully made its maiden flight. The aircraft took off from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport and flew at an altitude of 4,000 feet and gained a speed of 80 knots before it made a landing after 20 minutes.

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Singapore Airlines to allow quarantine-free travel for all India-Singapore flights under VTL

Radhika Bansal

06 Mar 2022

Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group on Friday, March 4 announced converting all its flights from India to Singapore into vaccinated travel lane services from March 16. Under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL), eligible travellers will be allowed into Singapore without quarantine requirements.

SIA Group's move comes after the Singapore government decided to expand its VTL network, including from all cities in India, the company said. Currently, it operates flights from eight points in India to Singapore.

SIA will start A380 services to Mumbai from March 14 and to Delhi in the coming months.

While existing daily VTL flights will continue to operate from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai, SIA's all other India flights that arrive in Singapore from March 16 will progressively operate as VTL services, the company said in a release.

These are flights from Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Kolkata. SIA Group said its low-cost subsidiary Scoot will also convert its non-VTL services from Amritsar, Coimbatore, Trivandrum, Tiruchirappalli, and Visakhapatnam into VTL.

"Singapore's decision to expand its VTL arrangement to cover all points across India will be a welcome development for all our customers. We continue to see strong demand across India from customers who are waiting to enjoy convenient and quarantine-free travel to Singapore.The expansion of SIA Group's VTL network is also perfectly timed with the re-launch of the airline's A380 services to Mumbai from March 14 and to Delhi in the coming months.We are thrilled to be able to bring our iconic superjumbo back to India. We are optimistic that this, along with the expansion of Singapore's VTL arrangement, will inspire even more confidence for international travel to and from India."Sy Yen Chen, General Manager, Singapore Airlines

Short-term visitors and Singapore work permit holders, who wish to travel on the VTL services, need to apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) before their visa applications.

VTP applications must be made between 3 and 60 calendar days before the intended date of entry into Singapore. Customers must also ensure that they are eligible to travel under the VTL arrangements before their flight, it said.

Vaccinated air travellers from all Indian cities and Penang in Malaysia and Bali in Indonesia will be able to enter Singapore without having to undergo any mandatory quarantine from March 16, a senior minister announced on Friday, March 4.

Singapore Airlines to allow quarantine-free travel for all India-Singapore flights under VTL

The Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) for India will be extended beyond Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai to include all cities in India, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said.

As of Thursday, March 3 CAAS has issued 348,518 vaccinated travel passes to travellers from these countries and regions to enter Singapore between September 8, 2021, and March 16.

A total of 456,215 VTL travellers have entered Singapore. CAAS said the extension of the VTLs will help facilitate travel and "densify" Singapore air hub’s connectivity with "key markets".

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IAF's IL-76 on standby to evacuate Indians from Russia

Radhika Bansal

05 Mar 2022

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has kept two IL-76 military transport aircraft on standby to evacuate Indians who are stranded in conflict-hit eastern Ukrainian cities like Sumy and Kharkiv from Russian capital Moscow, officials said on Friday, March 4.

As the Indians stranded in eastern Ukrainian cities, where the fighting is the heaviest, cannot move to the western border of Ukraine, the IAF is planning to evacuate them from Moscow with the help of Russian military forces, the officials noted.

Till now, India has been evacuating its citizens from Ukraine's western neighbours such as Romania, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary as the Ukrainian airspace has remained shut since February 24, when the Russian military offensive began.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has kept two IL-76 military transport aircraft on standby to evacuate Indians who are stranded in conflict-hit eastern Ukrainian cities

Two IL-76 aircraft -- which are of Russian origin -- have been kept on standby so that they can immediately depart for Moscow and evacuate Indians, the officials added.

Till date, the IAF has evacuated a total of 1,428 Indians on seven flights from Ukraine's western neighbouring countries. These seven flights were operated through US-origin C-17 planes.

The IAF has readied its fleet of C-17 transport aircraft for Operation Ganga. The American C-17 Globemasters and IL-76 transport aircraft are the most capable of flying to long distances with around 400 passengers. The C-17 transport aircraft had helped in a big way to evacuate citizens and officials from Kabul when the Taliban captured Afghanistan and forced Americans to exit from there.

These seven flights were operated through US-origin C-17 planes.

India on Thursday, March 3 said it was primarily focusing on the evacuation of its nationals from the besieged city of Kharkiv and other conflict zones in eastern Ukraine amid increasing Russian military offensive in the region.

At a media briefing, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said around 1,000 Indians reached Pisochyn from Kharkiv following the urgent advisory issued by the Indian embassy in Ukraine on Wednesday, March 2.

"We estimate that a few hundred people still remain in Kharkiv despite our advisory," Bagchi said, adding that "unfortunately" there has been a fresh outbreak of violence in the city on Thursday, March 3.

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