FAA to evaluate new Boeing 787 Dreamliners, says Boeing can't self-certify

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday, February 15 said it would perform final inspections on new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, and will not allow the planemaker to self-certify the jets.

The U.S. aviation regulator said it notified Boeing of the decision that it will retain the authority to issue airworthiness certificates until it is confident "Boeing’s quality control and manufacturing processes consistently produce 787s that meet FAA design standards."

Boeing said it "will continue to work transparently through (the FAA's) detailed and rigorous processes... We will continue to engage with the FAA to ensure we meet their expectations and all applicable requirements."

Boeing said it will continue to work transparently through (the FAA's) detailed and rigorous process

Boeing suspended deliveries of the 787 in late May after the FAA raised concerns about its proposed inspection method. The FAA had issued two airworthiness directives to address production issues for in-service airplanes and identified a new issue in July.

Deliveries have remained halted as U.S. regulators reviewed repairs and inspections. Deliveries are expected to remain frozen months longer.

The FAA said it wants Boeing to ensure it "has a robust plan for the re-work that it must perform on a large volume of new 787s in storage" and that "Boeing’s delivery processes are stable."

FAA to evaluate new Boeing 787 Dreamliners as they can't be self-certify

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chair Peter DeFazio praised the FAA for "taking much-needed steps to ensure the safety of the flying public." He noted the committee has been investigating the production and manufacture of the 787.

The 787 program remains at a low production rate, with an expected gradual return to five per month over time, Boeing said.

Boeing disclosed a USD 3.5 billion charge due to delivery delays and customer concessions, and another USD 1 billion in abnormal production costs, related to production flaws and related repairs and inspections on the advanced composite jet.

Boeing disclosed a USD 3.5 billion charge due to delivery delays and customer concessions

The FAA previously retained the right to issue certifications for the first four Boeing 787s when the company briefly resumed deliveries in early 2021. Boeing shares rose 3.7% on Tuesday, February 15.

Factory changes and other requirements to overcome tiny structural blemishes have raised longer-term questions over Boeing's ability to build 787s at a sufficiently low cost and the rates once planned, a person familiar with the matter said.

(With Inputs from Reuters)

The Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Monday, February 14 stated that airport cargo witnessed a nearly two-fold increase in rose shipments in the run-up to Valentine’s Day this year.

The airport facilitated the movement of approximately 5.15 lakh kg of roses to 25 international and domestic destinations this year, compared to 2.7 lakh kg shipped in 2021. The demand for roses in the domestic market during Valentine’s season has seen a considerable rise this year.

Rose shipments to Bengaluru airport nearly doubled in the run-up to Valentine's Day

“Domestic shipments have witnessed a significant improvement, has increased to 3.15 lakh kg (6.5 million stems) vs 1.03 lakh kg in 2021, recording over 200 per cent growth. Around 2 lakh kg (7.3 million stems) were exported to international destinations this year vs last year’s 1.7 lakh kg,” a statement from the airport read.

“Bengaluru is the biggest exporter of roses in India. At the Bengaluru airport, we take pride in becoming a channel to aid the local community, growers and shippers by facilitating the shipment of their products while maintaining freshness. Our cargo infrastructure, powered by technology, provides rapid distribution of perishable cargo, making the airport the preferred cargo airport in south India. We will continue to work with our cargo partners to introduce new initiatives and facilities that cater to constantly evolving demand.” Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy & Development Officer, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru

The top domestic destinations for roses include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati and Chandigarh. Among the top international destinations are Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, London, Amsterdam, Kuwait, Auckland, Beirut, Manila, Muscat and Dubai.

Bengaluru airport accounts for 31% of India’s total perishable shipments and, according to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority’s (APEDA) data for FY 2020-21, it is the number one airport for flower exports in the country.

Green Building Accreditation Inc. (GBCI), the leading authority on sustainability in building design, construction, and operations, has granted Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) the renowned PEER (Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal) platinum certification.

The airport power infrastructure achieved a score of 92/100. The LEED green building programme is administered by the GBCI, which is one of the world’s major sustainability and health certification and credentialing bodies.

Odisha Government had requested Union Government to allow Amarda Road Airstrip for flight operation under RCS-UDAN Program. Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra has written to Union Secretary Ministry of Defence, Ajay Kumar in this regard, official sources said.

Looking at the huge tourism potential, Odisha Government requested the Ministry of Civil Aviation to include Amarda Road under RCS-UDAN Scheme. On receiving Odisha’s request, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has included Bhubaneswar-Amarda Road as a Special RCS Route under UDAN 4.1.

Gsec Monarch has been selected as the Airline Operator for the said route with 7 Flights/Week using 9 Seater Aircraft.

Odisha government seek permission from DRDO to Operationalise the Amarda Road Airstrip

Mahapatra, who has been instrumental in scaling up Eco-Tourism Sector in a big way in the State, has pointed out that Northern Part of Odisha, which is deprived of any kind of Air-Connectivity and the existence of Amarda Road Airstrip near Rasagobindapur in Mayurbhanj District has a huge significance for the nearby places.

This air connectivity will facilitate tourism connectivity to important places like Similipal National Park, Kuldiha Sanctuary, Chandipur and Talasari Sea Beaches. Such air connectivity will facilitate economic growth through trade, create job opportunities, increase revenue from taxes and foster the community relationship with neighbouring States and Communities, pointed out the Chief Secretary.

Earlier the State Government has requested DRDO for providing a NO Objection Certificate (NOC) to use the Airstrip for Commercial Flight Operation under RCS-UDAN. However, the State Government has not received the same, resulting in the proposed flight operation being left in limbo.

Mahapatra has requested Kumar to look into the matter and issue necessary instruction to DRDO for use of Amarda Road Airstrip in the Mayurbhanj District by the Odisha Government for flight operation under RCS-UDAN in the larger public interest.

Officials hope that DRDO would issue NOC in this regard at the earliest as it will open up tourism, spur economic activities and generate revenue for the State.

Principal Secretary Commerce & Transport Bishnupada Sethi, who has been pursuing this air-connectivity issue with the Ministry of Civil Aviation is in touch with senior officials of the Government of India in this regard, said sources.

Joint Secretary Ministry of Civil Aviation, Usha Padhee, is continuously making efforts to add more and more airstrips under RCS-UDAN, for which Odisha has been benefitted in a big way.

Earlier, Mayurbhanj MP and Union Minister Bishewar Tudu had Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to convert the airstrip into a modern airport keeping in view its past glory.

He had said that once an airport comes up at the Amarda Road airstrip it will cater to an estimated 82 lakh people mostly in north Odisha, south Bengal and east Jharkhand.

Historian Anil Dhir said the Amarda Road airstrip was a forward airfield against the Japanese during the conquest of Burma. It served as a landing ground for planes and also as a training space for special bombing missions. Built in the 1940s for INR 3 crore, the airstrip was abandoned after Independence. 

All aircraft of TruJet has been grounded even as the company is struggling to stay afloat due to financial issues. At least five out of seven aircraft have been taken back by the lessors while two others are in the process of being deregistered.

The airline’s CEO, CFO, and CCO have quit in the past month, and TruJet has not paid salaries to its employees for at least three months now, said sources. 

Multiple sources say that TruJet has been facing an acute cash crunch for at least a year now with no investors insight. “Due to continued non-payment of dues, at least five aircraft were deregistered over the past three months, while the other two are in process,” said a source. 

TruJet grounds all its seven aircraft

It was reported in June 2021 that the company had failed to pay complete salaries to its employees, and was functioning on only one aircraft. “It continued to pay half salaries till October. Since November, the employees have not seen a penny.” 

At least 100 employees, including pilots, cabin crew, ground staff have quit the company. Not only that, the senior management — CFO KG Viswanath, CCO Sudheer Raghavan, CEO Rtd Col LSN Murthy — too have deboarded the company. 

One of the persons named above said: “I don’t see a reason to be a part of the company anymore. There have been lots of words and nothing has fructified in actions. There is no investor yet, and I don’t know if and when one will come. It’s only a matter of time one of the operational creditors drags the company to the NCLT.”

The airline’s CEO, CFO, and CCO have quit in the past month.

ALSO READ - MEIL relinquishes control of TruJet to ex-promoter Vankayalapati Umesh

According to Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), it had sold off the company to Vankayalapati Umesh, the previous owner of TruJet, who then took over as the Managing Director of the airline. Messages sent to MEIL’s group director, KV Pradeep, and its communications team remained unanswered.

When contacted, Umesh said the position for the CFO had been filled by A Yoganarasimhan, and added that a CEO, too, will be appointed soon, until which time he will be the acting CEO. The airline will be onboarding an investor soon, added Umesh.

TruJet utilises a fleet of ATR-72 aircraft. 

TruJet (Turbo Megha Airways) which was established in July 2015, is an Indian low-cost carrier based at Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

The carrier operates a route network primarily focusing on the country's central Andhra and Telangana regions, with destinations including Tirupati, Hyderabad, Aurangabad, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry. TruJet utilises a fleet of ATR-72 aircraft. 

The carrier is backed by Turbo Aviation, diversified Indian aircraft maintenance and ground handling company.

(With inputs from The Hindu Business Line)

The country’s largest airline IndiGo has chosen NAVBLUE, an Airbus Services company, to upgrade navigation technology in some of its A320 planes and that will help pilots to navigate challenging airspaces with more precision and predictability.

The leading carrier will upgrade a part of its A320 aircraft fleet with RNP AR (Required Navigation Performance with Authorisation Required) capability.

IndiGo to upgrade its A320 aircraft's navigation technology with NAVBLUE

"With Airbus’ RNP AR Upgrade, IndiGo pilots will be able to navigate mountainous areas or other challenging airspaces with precision and predictability,” NAVBLUE said in a release. NAVBLUE is into flight operations and air traffic management solutions.

"We are pleased to partner with NAVBLUE to upgrade our latest A320 aircraft with the most advanced navigation technology. We have full confidence in NAVBLUE’s expertise which will help our pilots navigate safely through challenging terrains like curvy or hilly areas during the takeoff or landing. We believe this will enhance operational safety of the aircraft while also improving efficiency in the long run."Ronojoy Dutta, CEO, IndiGo

The airline is a customer of NAVBLUE since 2006. IndiGo is aiming to enhance the regularity and safety of operations in their flights to Kathmandu, an airport surrounded by mountains with a very challenging operating environment.

RNP AR is the ideal solution, as a Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) system using satellite positioning, which allows navigation accuracy to 0.3NM and below, and turns after the final approach point.

To support its RNP and RNAV operations, IndiGo has chosen NAVBLUE’s RAIM prediction service, N-RAIM.

With RNP AR, IndiGo aircraft will be better equipped to access difficult airports and reduce minima with enhanced safety conditions, improving their operational efficiency, and therefore having a positive impact on the environment.

NAVBLUE’s highly experienced and multidisciplinary team, using cutting-edge techniques, will implement a complete end-to-end solution for IndiGo with RNP AR capability, supporting Ops approval and Flight Operational Safety Assessment (FOSA), also applicable to departures.

“We are proud that IndiGo, the largest airline in India and an established NAVBLUE customer since 2006, has renewed their trust in our products by choosing to upgrade its fleet with RNP AR capability, our complete end-to-end solution to support Ops approval, and N-RAIM, NAVBLUE’s prediction service to support these operations. We are sure that our long track record supporting airlines with these solutions will be beneficial for IndiGo".Fabrice Hamel, Chief Executive Officer, NAVBLUE

To support its RNP and RNAV operations, IndiGo has chosen NAVBLUE’s RAIM prediction service, N-RAIM. NAVBLUE is the world’s leading provider of RAIM predictions to the civil aviation community, supplying over 85,000 predictions every day. For challenging airports where RNP AR approaches or departures are in use, along-track predictions use the real mask angle to account for terrain screening.

The former promoter of Spicejet, Kalanithi Maran has rejected the offer made by the airline for a one-time settlement to end the long-standing share-transfer dispute between the two parties, the Supreme Court was informed on February 14.

The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana had asked Maran on February 10 to consider the one-time settlement offer made by SpiceJet during the hearing before the court.

Maran’s lawyer, Senior Counsel Maninder Singh, informed the court today that the offer of lump-sum pay-out of INR 600 crore is not found to be feasible. This, the counsel said, was because the total amount owed to Maran was around INR 920 crore.

SpiceJet's INR 600 crore offer to settle the share dispute rejected by Maran and KAL Airways

The court sought to know the basis on which this valuation was arrived at and has granted time to Maran to file the response on the issue. The Supreme Court will hear the case next on March 2.

Maran, and his firm KAL Airways, was before the Supreme Court urging it to lift the stay imposed on the Delhi High Court order which had directed SpiceJet to deposit INR 243 crore towards interest payable to Maran in the share transfer dispute.

According to the arbitration award, SpiceJet owed INR 579 crore to Maran as a refund which became the principal amount as well as interest on it. The high court’s order for deposit of the interest amount, however, was stayed when SpiceJet challenged it before the top court.

SpiceJet owed INR 579 crore to Maran as a refund which became the principal amount as well as interest on it.

When the plea for vacating the stay order was being heard by the Supreme Court, SpiceJet proposed to make a total payout of INR 600 crore to Maran as a one-time settlement provided that Maran would not file any execution petitions against the airline.

SpiceJet had earlier offered two proposals for settlement of the shareholding dispute with the Marans. The airline had offered to repay INR 600 crore in total for settling the arbitral dispute. Alternatively, SpiceJet had to pay INR 100 crore and argue the dispute expeditiously before the Delhi High Court.

Maran stressed the validity of the interest amount of INR 243 crore and highlighted that it was an “admitted amount” and the media baron held a decree for the refund and interest monies. This decree would be rendered merely a “paper decree” if SpiceJet is wound up by the Madras High Court order passed against it, Maran’s counsel had told the court.

SpiceJet had to pay INR 100 crore and argue the dispute expeditiously before the Delhi High Court.

The Supreme Court, however, proceeded to ask Maran to consider the offer SpiceJet had made.

The dispute dates back to 2015 when Maran and his firm KAL Airways transferred 58.46% of the shares held by them to the present Chairman of SpiceJet, Ajay Singh, for INR 2. Singh, who was the co-founder of the airline, had taken on the airline’s liabilities valuing at INR 1,500 crore.

Through this share transfer agreement, Maran was to be issued warrants and preference shares and had paid INR 679 crore towards the same.

ALSO READ - SC asks Maran and KAL Airways to consider SpiceJet’s settlement offer of INR 600 crore

In 2017, Maran moved the Delhi High Court saying that he was neither issued the preference shares as agreed on nor was the money paid by him refunded. The high court referred the case for arbitration.

The arbitration tribunal, in July 2018, awarded a refund to Maran to the tune of INR 579 crore plus interest but rejected his claim for INR 1,323 crore in damages. When Maran challenged this arbitration award before the high court, the court favoured Maran and directed SpiceJet to deposit INR 243 crore towards the interest amount.

This order of the high court was stayed by the Supreme Court shortly thereafter and came up before the top court now with Maran seeking vacation of the stay.