Chhattisgarh govt's helicopter crash at Raipur airport - What is known so far?

Radhika Bansal

13 May 2022

A Chhattisgarh government AgustaWestland AW 109 helicopter crashed at the Raipur airport on Thursday, May 12 night, killing two pilots, police said.

The incident took place during a flying practice at the Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur under Mana police station limits at around 9:10 PM, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prashant Agrawal.

Two pilots on board the chopper were seriously injured in the crash and immediately taken to a nearby private hospital where they were declared dead, said the SSP. The deceased were identified as Captian Gopal Krishna Panda and Captain A P Shrivastava, said the police officer.

Chhattisgarh govt's helicopter crashed at Raipur airport, both pilots dead

According to preliminary information, the crew was conducting a night flying training sortie at the airport when the chopper crashed while landing at the rear end of the runway. It was an AgustaWestland 109 helicopter, said sources. Officials said they are assessing if the runway has suffered any damage.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known. A detailed technical investigation on behalf of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Chhattisgarh Government will be undertaken to ascertain the exact cause.  

The black box of the helicopter, which has been retrieved from the wreckage, will also be examined by DGCA experts to determine the sequence of events in the final minutes before the crash. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed grief over the tragedy and condoled the death of the pilots.

This is the second state-owned helicopter to crash.

Baghel tweeted, "just got sad news about a state helicopter crashing at the airport in Raipur. In this tragic accident, both our pilots Captain Panda and Captain Shrivastava passed away. May God give strength to their family members and peace to the departed soul."

The state helicopter was regularly used for VIP movement and travel of senior officers within the state. For the last eight days, senior officials mostly used this chopper during chief minister Bhupesh Baghel’s ongoing mass contact programme in north Chhattisgarh, sources said.

This is the second state-owned helicopter to crash. In July 2007, a chopper crashed on the hills of the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border while returning to the state after maintenance in Bhopal. Two pilots, an engineer and a senior technician were on board the ill-fated chopper.

The tail rotor of the helicopter led to the crash

The state chopper that crashed was overhauled twice after it was purchased in 2007. “The twin-engine ‘AW 109 power elite’ was overhauled twice, last in 2017, and the right engine was overhauled once and later was replaced with a new one around a year back,” said Neelam Namdeo Ekka, director, aviation, Chhattisgarh, adding that there were no technical problems in the engine.

The chopper had reportedly suffered a tail rotor snag due to which it “fell like a rock, straight down” from a significant height.

A team of the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) reached Raipur for investigation even as officials said that there could be a malfunction in the tail rotor of the chopper that led to the crash.

The chopper had reportedly suffered a tail rotor snag due to which it “fell like a rock, straight down” from a significant height. Officials investigating the crash say both the pilots — Captains Gopal Krishna Panda and A P Shrivastava — were highly experienced.

A statement issued by the Chhattisgarh government on Friday said that the said helicopter was acquired from Hong Kong-based company Sharp Ocean Investment Private Limited, an authorised seller of Agusta-Westland Company, Italy, for USD 65.70 million (INR 26.58 crore).

Officials claimed that the same chopper suffered technical glitches three times earlier also. In 2016 and February 2018, technical snags were reported when the then chief minister Raman Singh was flying while in 2016, the then state minister Brijmohan Agrawal, had to make a precautionary landing after an engine snag was found.

However, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) — which conducts probes into serious accidents — is currently not headed by a technical person and an Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS) officer is its DG. Similarly, the DGCA does not at the moment have a deputy DG (DDG) of air safety. The DDG and AAIB technical heads coordinate for probes into serious accidents.

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The NASA X-59 QueSST supersonic aircraft inches closer to reality after passing 2 key tests

Prashant-prabhakar

13 May 2022

It wasn't just a jet, it was an exclusive club - The mighty Concorde. The idea of supersonic flight- to travel at speeds faster than the speed of sound and because it’s extremely fast - had the potential to reduce time in the air and cut down hours off trans-oceanic flights, has always been appealing to man.

The Concorde | Smithsonian Magazine

The quest to sustain sustainable supersonic travel has never been a bed of roses as it was always beset with challenges, right from regulatory hurdles to solving noise pollution. According to some experts, the idea of a green supersonic flight is almost self-contradictory. The Concorde, they note, was pretty terrible in terms of emissions.

Nearly two decades now, after the Concorde was retired, the race is still on to get the supersonic birds up and flying again.

Lockheed Martin has now released footage which provides a new update on the X-59 aircraft it is developing in collaboration with NASA. In the video, Michael Buonanno- the X-59 Air Vehicle Engineering Lead, says the aircraft has successfully undergone two crucial tests, a structural proof test and a fuel system test that showed the aircraft measures fuel accurately. And now that makes it ready for its first flight test.

What is the X-59 and why build a quiet supersonic aircraft?

The X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) is a collaboration between NASA and Lockheed Martin designed to fly faster than the speed of sound-"quietly".

Illinois Institute of Technology

Supersonic flights are synonymous with the iconic "sonic boom" and that's one of the reasons why commercial supersonic flights are banned in the US.

X-59 Cockpit | Illustrative | The Mirror

What is a sonic boom?

A sonic boom is the result of compressed pressure waves at the front and rear of the aircraft merging into a singular shockwave as they can no longer get out of the way of each other before they reach the ground.

Sonic Boom | Illustrative | DK Find Out!

To get a perspective, consider the crack of a bullet, which has the same effect as a sonic boom, although on a much smaller scale. The shockwaves are known to cause hearing damage in veterans. Now scale it a notch higher, to the size of a jet, and it becomes capable of causing structural damage and noise of up to 120 decibels. Therefore commercial supersonic jets flying overhead have the potential to shatter windows in their path, and hence supersonic flight above land is prohibited. 

The X-59 is Lockheed Martin and NASA’s answer to the ever-prevalent sonic boom issue. Current commercial airliners typically fly at a speed of 460-575 miles per hour at a cruising altitude of about 36,000 feet. The X-59 is designed to see how it can endure the challenges of supersonic speeds, so it only yields a more desirable “sonic thump” instead of the unsettling sonic boom.

Illustrative | Interesting Engineering

The "sonic thump', while still not ideal enough,  is touted to significantly reduce the noise and potential damage created by a sonic boom, which both Lockheed Martin and NASA hope will allow the ban on overland supersonic commercial flights to be lifted. 

NASA | Chris Hanoch

Digital engineering has been integral to the design of X-59 since its earliest stages. Unlike traditional aircraft where we extensively used wind tunnels to shape and understand the flow around the configuration. We use thousands of computer simulations to characterize the nuance of every single flow feature on the aircraftBuonanno explains

Tony Delagarza, who lead the X-59 Finite Element Analysis team, underscored the role of aeroelastic modelling that helped achieve the required "quiet" boom levels. According to Delagarza, the X-59's supersonic boom would be comparable to a "car door slamming" in comparison to the Concorde's massive supersonic boom which could "shatter windows".

With the X-59, we want to demonstrate that we can reduce the annoying sonic booms to something much quieter, referred to as "sonic thumps". The goal is to provide noise and community response data to regulators, which could result in new rules for overland supersonic flight. The test proved that we don’t just have quieter aircraft design, but that we also have the accurate tools needed to predict the noise of future aircraftsaid John Wolter, lead researcher on the X-59 sonic boom wind tunnel test

The X-59 is scheduled to fly later this year, that is, if everything goes by as planned. Further acoustic validation flights are planned for 2023 followed by community overflights in early 2024 to test the loudness of the sonic boom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJyd-kDZTaA

NASA plans to deliver results of the community overflights to the International Civil Aviation Organization and Federal Aviation Administration in 2027. With that information in hand, regulators will be able to decide if a change should be made in rules that prohibit supersonic flight over land- a decision that would be expected in 2028NASA

What do you think will be the fate of commercial supersonic air travel this time around? Will history repeat itself as we've seen in the case of Concorde? With private players entering the supersonic arena and billions being invested, do we have a new supersonic jet-age coming?

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Wikipedia Commons

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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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