Garuda Aerospace receives double certification from DGCA

Radhika Bansal

05 Jan 2023

Drone manufacturer Garuda Aerospace has received the Type Certification and RPTO (Remote Pilot Training Organisation) approvals from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the indigenously designed Kisan drones.

DGCA Type certification is provided based on the quality check and is issued after a rigorous testing process of unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Kisan drones are developed for agricultural purposes and with the Type Certification received for the GA-AG model, Garuda Kisan drones were eligible for INR 10 lakh unsecured loans from the agri-infrastructure fund at 5% interest and can also avail of 50-100% subsidy offered by the Centre, the company said in a statement.

The Kisan drones are developed for agricultural purposes and with the Type Certification received for the GA-AG model

According to DGCA, a remote pilot training organisation is an organisation authorised by the DGCA to impart remote pilot training to any individual seeking a remote pilot certificate under Rule 34 of Drone Rules 2021.

ALSO READ - DGCA grants Garuda Aerospace permission to operate as a Remote Pilot Training Organization

"The elusive double certification by DGCA for Type and RPTO certification is a testament to our indigenous Made in India drone manufacturing capacities.We are powered and blessed with strong demands of manufacturing 5,000 drones in the next five months. With receiving approvals we are certain that the necessary utilisation of skills with significant sector growth will be seen. Our drones will further benefit farmers and agri entrepreneurs by playing a major role in impacting the lives of farmers and building new age careers…"

Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO, Garuda Aerospace

The Made in India ‘Kisan’ drones are particularly developed for agricultural purposes such as reducing crop loss, crop health monitoring, yield measurement, and crop loss mitigation with the latest manufacturing capacities. Priced at INR 4.50 lakhs, the ‘Kisan’ drone is India’s most affordable advanced automated Agri Drone that comes under the 25 kg small category.

‘Kisan’ drones are particularly developed for agricultural purposes such as reducing crop loss, crop health monitoring, yield measurement, and crop loss mitigation with the latest manufacturing capacities

Garuda Aerospace recently commenced its USD 30 million Series A round at a USD 250 million valuation. Former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has invested and is also the company’s Brand Ambassador. MS Dhoni has recently launched a drone named Droni. Garuda Aerospace boasts of a drone fleet of 400 drones and a well-trained team of over 500 pilots across 26 different cities.

Garuda Aerospace is a human-centric brand, started in 2015, that is focused on developing low-cost drone solutions to optimize industries through accurate data. They are a Drone-As-A-Software aggregator that designs impeccable drones for a myriad of human and industrial needs.

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NASA acquires B777 as a replacement for its flying DC-8 science laboratory

Radhika Bansal

05 Jan 2023

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has acquired a 19.8-year-old B777-200(ER) as a replacement for its flying DC-8-72 science laboratory, N871NA (MSN 46082), Scramble.nl has reported. N744LG (MSN 32892), which was ordered by and operated by JAL - Japan Airlines between 2003 and 2020, was ferried from storage at Victorville to Joint Base Langley-Eustis on December 15, 2022. The aircraft will undergo extensive cabin modifications at NASA's Langley Research Center before its deployment. NASA acquires B777 as a replacement for its flying DC-8 science laboratory The agency had earmarked USD 30 million for the acquisition of a replacement for the 53.7-year-old DC-8 which was also acquired second-hand, having flown for Alitalia and Braniff International Airways (1928) between 1969 and 1983. The B777 was bought via Logistic Air with the US FAA register showing it as owned by the Nevadan company. DC-8-72 science laboratory is used to collect data for experiments in support of projects serving the world's scientific community. The aircraft, built in 1969 and acquired by NASA in 1985, incorporates a suite of sensors and data systems and provides services that can be tailored to specific missions or instruments. According to NASA, it has a range of 5400 nautical miles and can fly from altitudes ranging from 1000 to 42,000 feet for up to 12 hours. DC-8-72 science laboratory is used to collect data for experiments in support of projects serving the world's scientific community. The space agency also states that the data gathered from the aircraft at the altitude and through remote sensing have been used for studies in archaeology, ecology, geography, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, cryospheric science, soil science and biology. Four types of missions are flown in DC-8 - sensor development, satellite sensor verification, space vehicle launch or re-entry elementary data retrieval, optical tracking and basic research studies of Earth's surface and atmosphere. The NASA Airborne Science Laboratory is used on a wide range of research missions around the world. It is currently based out of Palmdale, the site of the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Centre but has recently operated missions out of Sal Amilcar Cabral Int'l and Jacksonville Cecil Field, FL, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. ALSO READ - Boeing and NASA measure the emissions of sustainable aviation fuel

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IAF test-fires Extended Range Version of Brahmos missile from SU-30MKI aircraft

Radhika Bansal

04 Jan 2023

The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test-fired the Extended Range Version of Brahmos Air Launched missile against a ship target from a frontline SU-30MKI aircraft. The maiden test of the extended range of the Brahmos Air Launched missile was conducted on May 12 earlier this year, the force said.

A statement from the IAF Thursday read, “The missile achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region. With this, IAF has achieved a significant capability boost to carry out precision strikes from SU-30MKI aircraft against land or sea targets over very long ranges. The extended range capability of the missile coupled with the high performance of the SU-30MKI aircraft gives the IAF a strategic reach and allows it to dominate the future battlefields.”

The dedicated and synergetic efforts of the IAF, Indian Navy, DRDO, Brahmos Aerospace Pvt Ltd and HAL have been instrumental in achieving this feat, the statement said.

https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1608408046614777860

While the Air Launched version of the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile has been tested multiple times in the recent past, the Extended Range Version is said to have the capability of striking targets located at around 350 kilometres compared to around 290 kilometres for the initial version.

ALSO READ - IAF successfully test-fired a BrahMos missile from a Sukhoi fighter jet

The first test of the initial version of the Brahmos Air Launched Cruise Missile was conducted in 2017, making it a significant addition to the IAF’s operational capabilities from stand-off ranges.

Stand-off range missiles are the ones which are launched at a distance sufficient to allow the attacking party to evade defensive fire expected from the target area. For the firing of Brahmos from Sukhoi-30 MKI, the missile is gravity dropped from the fuselage of the fighter jet, and the two-stage missile’s engine is then fired up and it propels towards the intended target at the sea.

IAF test-fires Extended Range Version of Brahmos missile from SU-30MKI aircraft

Brahmos is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India’s Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft, which has been modified by HAL to carry these weapon systems.

A combination of the names of the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, BrahMos missiles are designed, developed and produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Mashinostroyenia of Russia. The first test launch of the initial version of Brahmos took place in 2001.

Various types of the BrahMos, including those which can be fired from land, warships, submarines and Sukhoi-30 fighter jets have already been developed and successfully tested and inducted since then.

Brahmos is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India’s Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft, which has been modified by HAL to carry these weapon systems.

Cruise missiles such as BrahMos, called “standoff range weapons”, are fired from a range far enough to allow the attacker to evade defensive counter-fire. These are in the arsenal of most major militaries in the world. The BrahMos has three times the speed, 2.5 times the flight range and higher range compared to subsonic cruise missiles.

The sophisticated missile is already inducted into the Army and Navy. Many Brahmos missiles are now deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) facing China. On November 30, the Army test-fired the extended-range Brahmos from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

An 800-km range variant of BrahMos, which is a conventional (non-nuclear) missile that flies almost three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8, is also undergoing “developmental trials” at present. The air-breathing BrahMos has emerged as the “prime conventional strike weapon” for the armed forces over the years, with contracts worth over INR 36,000 crore already inked till now.

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Aeroflot purchases 10 Boeing 777-300ER from an Irish leasing company

Radhika Bansal

03 Jan 2023

Aeroflot purchased 10 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from an Irish leasing company that was under financial leasing throughout 2013 and 2014, and the airline will continue to work on other aircraft buyout deals. The method of payment is not mentioned. The announcement comes at a time the US and the European governments have imposed civil aviation and financial sanctions on Russia.

Aeroflot bought and acquired ownership of 10 long-haul Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which since 2013 and 2014 were financially leased from an Irish leasing company,” said a company release.

The company clarified that the transaction was carried out following all applicable Russian and foreign regulatory authorisations. “On taking measures to settle legal relations with foreign lessors to ensure the transfer of ownership rights to the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation.” 

Aeroflot will continue to work on implementing more aircraft buyout deals to maintain and expand the operation of its present fleet of foreign-made aircraft. According to the message, it confirms Aeroflot’s dependability as a counterparty that fulfils its contractual responsibilities responsibly.

Sanctions have not stopped Aeroflot from expanding its operations in Russia and overseas. In November, Aeroflot completely migrated its ticketing to the domestic Leonardo ticketing system. The Leonardo system is compatible with various international, regional, charter, and low-cost airlines. It offers a variety of IATA-compliant solutions and facilitates the automation of the bulk of routine activities.

Aeroflot announced in September its intention to acquire 339 Russian aircraft from United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). The acquisition consists of 210 MC-21 aircraft, 89 SSJ-NEW aircraft, and 40 Tu-214 aircraft for leasing from 2023 to 2030. The document indicates that the Group will receive its first two Superjet-NEW aircraft in 2023, followed by its first six MC-21 and seven Tu-214 aircraft beginning in 2024.

The MC-21 is a new type of medium-haul aircraft having a passenger capacity of 163 to 211. The aircraft caters to the broadest market sector for passenger transportation. The aircraft is designed by the Irkut Corporation’s Engineering Centre and constructed by the Irkutsk Aviation Plant. The application of composite wing and metal alloys, as well as the introduction of new generation on-board technologies, advanced aerodynamics, and the newest PD-14 engine, are the primary benefits of the MC-21. The Superjet 100 is a regional jet made by UAC.

Aeroflot transported 21.4 million passengers in 2021. (45.8 million passengers as Aeroflot Group, including subsidiaries).

Aeroflot is the largest airline in Russia. It is one of the world’s oldest airlines, and one of the most famous Russian businesses, founded 99 years ago. According to brand strategy firm Brand Finance, it has been rated the strongest airline brand in the world for five consecutive years.

Cirium On-Time Performance Review ranked Aeroflot among the top three most punctual mainline airlines worldwide in 2021.

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Indian pilots' pre-flight alcohol test failure rate doubled in 2022

Radhika Bansal

03 Jan 2023

At least 41 pilots failed mandatory alcohol tests in 2022, more than double compared to 19 cases reported the year before, according to data maintained by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The number of cabin crew failing the preflight breathalyzer (BA) test saw a nearly threefold jump from last year, with 116 positive cases being reported this year as against 39 in 2021.

Both cockpit and cabin crew members must undergo a breathalyzer (BA) test before departure and after the arrival of an examination, flight to determine the concentration of alcohol in their blood.

Among the 41 pilots who failed the BA test this year, 35 were attached with commercial airlines. Similarly, 15 of the 19 pilots testing positive in 2021 were commercial pilots.

“While the remaining pilots tested positive were nonscheduled operators, five scheduled cockpit and eight cabin crew were reported as ‘missed BA test’,” said an official from the civil aviation ministry, requesting anonymity.

To ensure that pilots flying passengers and air traffic control officials guiding them are not under the influence of hard narcotics, DGCA began a psychoactive test of the flight crew and air traffic controllers (ATCO) this year.

According to the data, five aviation personnel — three pilots and two air traffic controllers — failed the drug test. The regulator also took more than 300 enforcement actions against airlines and individuals in general for several non-compliances.

“A total of eight aviation personnel had tested positive in the first round. However, three of them tested negative when the samples were sent to the US for the confirmatory test report,” a DGCA official said, also declining to be named.

Aviation experts said such cases could be brought down if the regulatory body started treating them as a criminal offence.

“According to the civil aviation rules (CAR), the crew’s licence is suspended only when he/she tests positive a third time and is off the roster for three months for the first two times,” said an industry expert.

Aviation safety expert Mohan Ranganathan said, “These cases can only be brought under control when they are treated as a criminal offence and action is taken for the first time itself.”

Last year, it was also reported that between January 2021 and March 2022, a total of 84 people working at 42 Indian airports failed alcohol tests. The DGCA stated that the aviation personnel covered under these rules included aircraft maintenance engineers, vehicle drivers who drive fuelling and catering vehicles, equipment operators, aerobridge operators, marshallers, personnel guarding aprons, and ground handling services and ATC personnel.

India maintains one of the strictest alcohol limits for airline crew in the world. The DGCA allows zero alcohol levels in the blood of airplane crew before a flight. It also mandates a 12-hour gap between flying an aircraft and the intake of an alcoholic beverage.

(With Inputs from The Hindustan Times)

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IndiGo opens booking for Delhi - Instanbul route on wet-leased Boeing 777 aircraft

Radhika Bansal

03 Jan 2023

IndiGo, the country’s largest carrier by fleet and domestic market share, has opened reservations for flights operated by the Boeing 777-300ER with the booking engine reflecting the same.

The airline will operate the wet leased aircraft between Delhi and Istanbul - the hub of Turkish Airlines, from whom the airline has been wet leased. The high density aircraft is configured with 28 business class and 372 economy class seats.

The first hint of IndiGo’s widebody plans had come up in 2017. The airline expressed its interest to acquire the international business of Air India along with Air India Express. A lot of water has flown under the bridge since then, including the fall of Jet Airways and the pandemic.

One of the statements that Rakesh Gangwal, co-founder of IndiGo, had made was “we are generally of the view that it makes fundamental economic sense for us to enter the long-haul international market.” Gangwal is no longer a board member in IndiGo now after a fall out with co-founder Rahul Bhatia.

The airline which started in 2006 and propagated its single fleet type strategy and its benefit has since diversified into having multiple subtypes of the A320 family, the turboprop ATRs and now the wet leased operations with the widebody aircraft.

While the sub-fleet and new fleet kept getting added, the standard 180-seat configuration changed to have 78, 180, 186, 222 and 232 seats. This will be the first time there will be an addition of “Class of Travel” with the wet-leased B777s offering business class or will it, if it decides to not sell the business class and let Turkish Airlines do this part.

Widebody freeing up narrowbody

IndiGo got into a turbulence for approvals of widebody induction. Indian rules hitherto allowed wet lease for up to six months as a stop gap arrangement for proven shortage of aircraft. There indeed was a proven shortage since IndiGo was struggling to get all aircraft in the air - thanks to supply chain issues delaying replacement engines, but six months was too short a period. The rules have since been revised and IndiGo is the first beneficiary of this new rule, which allows a year of wet-lease

IndiGo’s Turkish ambitions have been stuck in bad luck. The start coincided with the closure of Pakistani airspace which meant that the non-stop flight became one-stop via Doha as the A321neo does not have the legs to fly as long. Eventually, the second flight started as well. Soon, the sector made news again for leaving behind baggage of passengers and just when everything seemed to stabilise, the pandemic hit. Starting January 1, the airline is splitting its operations between Delhi and Mumbai, with the Mumbai - Istanbul flight having a tech stop at Ras Al Khaimah.

With the Istanbul route being taken over by a widebody, it will free up one A321neo for operating elsewhere. This will also be the first time that IndiGo will offer hot meals on its flights!

The Turkish bilateral issue

Bilateral rights or Bilateral Air Services Agreement vary from country to country. Sometimes they are capped by seats, sometimes by frequencies and sometimes by a combination of both. In the case of India - Turkey bilateral, it is capped by frequencies - allowing 14 weekly frequencies from each side.

While the National Civil Aviation Policy talks about renegotiation when the Indian side reaches 80 percent mark, even with 100 percent utilisation from both sides - renegotiation has not happened. Geopolitics is partly to blame for that as Turkey has time and again taken stances at global bodies, which are detrimental to India’s interest.

With IndiGo operating widebody operations, Turkish gets a huge boost in the number of passengers since these flights are codeshare. It will take time to know how many seats on the flight are actively sold to feed the global network of Turkish Airlines via Istanbul and how many of the passengers end their journey in Turkey. One does not know if Turkish offered a sweet deal on the planes to IndiGo as this would help the airline get additional traffic and aim at salami slicing traffic from the Middle Eastern carriers.

Widebody and LCC - unproven combination yet

Low cost carriers inducting widebody aircraft has not resulted in great results thus far. From Wow Air to Norwegian - there have been a lot of skeletons. Some of the biggest carriers like Ryanair and Easyjet have stayed away from this and stuck to a single fleet type for ages.

Closer home though AirAsia, with its subsidiary AirAsiaX as well as Cebu Pacific, VietJet and Lion Air have been operating widebody aircraft. Not all of them are successful, with AirAsia X having seen closure in Indonesia and severe headwinds in its home market.India, as always, is different. The sheer volume of passengers is huge as compared to other countries in the region except China, and currently the volume is dependent on foreign carriers to a large extent. With Air India upping the game, IndiGo has to either join it now or wait for the XLRs to arrive in 2024 or beyond. The wet lease arrangement seems to be in the “everything in-between” mode of testing the waters before taking a plunge.

(With Inputs from MoneyControl)

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