Halo Airways will start its jet charter service from Kochi

Sakshi Jain

06 Dec 2022

Halo Airways, a jet charter firm based in Kochi, plans to expand its operations from Kochi, as CIAL prepares to open its business jet terminal.

The terminal will be inaugurated on December 10 by Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister of Kerala. The terminal, which is believed to be the nation's first charter gateway, is expected to be built in Kochi, and key businesses in the sector anticipate tremendous growth opportunities.

CIAL (Cochin International Airport Limited) wants to turn it into a hub for business jet service, travel, and conferences. A Kochi-based aviation firm that specialises in jet chartering is one of many organisations that share CIAL's delight for its most recent infrastructure upgrade.

CIAL hopes to transform the airport into a centre for conferences, business jet service, and travel

Senior representatives of Halo Airways, which operates a jet service out of Bengaluru, said CIAL's decision to open a business jet terminal is in line with the growing demand for jet chartering as a significant portion of frequent flyers, primarily business people, celebrities, and politicians, view it as a dependable and comfortable method of travel.

Also read: A sneak peek inside the world of aircraft dealers and brokers

There are currently two terminals run by CIAL: T-1 handles domestic traffic, and T-3 manages international traffic.

CIAL will join the select group of four airports in the nation that have a dedicated private jet terminal with the commissioning of the business jet terminal, housed at the former domestic terminal (T2).

The business jet terminal at CIAL can accommodate both domestic and international private jets. For the convenience of the discerning guests, the facilities include covered parking, drive-in porches, a magnificent lobby, five sumptuous lounges, a business centre, check-in, immigration, customs, health, and security screening zones, along with duty-free shop and foreign currency counter. For visitors who fall under the security privileged category, the terminal facility also features a safe house.

The lobby of CIAL’s new Business Jet Terminal

"Kerala, being a tourism destination, is likely to benefit in a big way with the upcoming jet terminal at CIAL as it would attract a huge number of customers who prefer the comfort of a chartered jet flight."

–Shoby T Paul, CEO, Halo Airways

Paul cited the advantages of his company's jet services, including time savings, convenience, economic viability, and personalization. 

A recent client of Halo Airways: Kamal Hassan

Recent clients of Halo include the Chief Minister of Kerala, his counterpart in Karnataka, Basavaraj Bommai, the leaders of the Karnataka Congress, Siddharamaiah and DK Shivakumar, and the renowned actor Kamal Hassan.

Paul claimed that if they register a good amount of bookings from Kerala with the CIAL infra development, they are even prepared to transfer their jet to Kochi.  Once the CIAL terminal is operational, he anticipates 100% growth.

According to CIAL Managing Director S Suhas IAS, the new dedicated terminal emphasises the idea of reasonably priced chartered flights. According to a statement from CIAL, the special terminal for handling business and charter jets, where passengers are given opulent personal facilities in a tastefully decorated private room, was constructed for Rs 30 crore.

The operationalization of the business jet terminal is something that CIAL views as being in line with its aim to find and launch new revenue verticals.

(With inputs from Onmanorama)

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India to grant e-visas to UK citizens again

Sakshi Jain

06 Dec 2022

The reinstatement of electronic visas (e-visas) for UK visitors was announced by the Indian High Commission in London, on Monday, December 5.

India is prepared to restart offering e-visas to UK citizens; this is a positive development given the recent surge in demand for visas to India. Earlier this year, this service was reinstated for practically all nations with the exception of a few, notably the UK and Canada.

According to Vikram Doraiswami, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, the service will be made available "forthwith". High Commission representatives in London also confirmed that travellers can begin applying for e-visas to India this week. It stated that an upgrade to the system is in progress and that the website for Indian visas would soon be ready to accept e-visa applications.

https://twitter.com/HCI_London/status/1599779657347276803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1599779657347276803%7Ctwgr%5E74394d82ebd112f39aeecb5b798ce430283fe673%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news18.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Findia-to-allow-e-visas-to-uk-travellers-again-service-likely-to-start-this-week-6546205.html

“The resumption of e-visas will unlock great potential for inbound tourism for India as these are huge markets for the same.”

–Anil Kalsi, Joint Secretary, Travel Agents Federation of India

During pre-Covid 2019, there were 1.7 crore foreign visitors in India, of whom 1.1 crores were tourists from other countries and the remainder of NRIs were returning home to see friends and family.

Also read: Foreign tourist arrivals in 2022 till August reach close to 50% of the pre-pandemic year

According to government data for 2018, Bangladesh (21.4%), the US (13.8%), the United Kingdom (9.7%), Sri Lanka (3.35%), and Canada (3.32%) were the top five source nations for international travellers arriving in India. The tourism industry has been requesting that e-visas be reinstated as they are now prohibited in some of these major source markets.

For instance, to increase inbound tourism, the Travel Agents Association of India, a federation of over 2,500 travel agencies, asked the government to reinstate e-visas for all nations this summer.

E-visas were among the topics that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, discussed when they met last month on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Indonesia. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with his United Kingdom counterpart Rishi Sunak on the first day of the 17th G20 Summit, in Indonesia

The long-awaited move comes after a number of initiatives to improve Indian visa processing facilities, including a new Indian visa centre in London and the Visa at Your Doorstep (VAYD) service, to meet the strong demand for travel from the UK to India following the pandemic.

VFS Global, the outsourcing and technology services provider for governments and diplomatic missions, runs the new India Visa Application Centre (IVAC) at Marylebone. This has facilitated a more streamlined procedure for group tourism or those travelling in a group, typically via a travel agency to the same destination using the same flights.

“We are always looking at finding practical solutions to address customer experience challenges. As a responsible service provider that manages non-judgmental and administrative tasks related to visa applications for the governments we work with, we have taken measures along with the High Commissioner of India in London to help visa applicants with a seamless visa application experience.”

–Aditya Arora, COO, VFS Global

The visa company claimed that since applications began coming in on Saturdays and weekday afternoons in London and Birmingham, it has been able to provide more slots.

Since March of this year, VFS Global has also collaborated to put up weekend consular camps across the UK, working with the Indian High Commission in London and its Consulates.

(Source: HCI London)

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India to bolster its Navy with New Aircraft Carriers, Fighter Jets & Drones

Sakshi Jain

06 Dec 2022

India is developing plans to construct a new aircraft carrier, a deck-based fighter jet, and purchase advanced drones from the US to bolster its navy.

According to Indian Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, who said on Saturday, December 3, India is working on plans to construct a new aircraft carrier, create an indigenous deck-based fighter jet, and purchase high-tech drones from the US to bolster its navy. At the same time, the navy is keeping an eye on Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean region and is prepared to defend the nation's interests in remote seas.

Indian Navy has decided to boost its fleet with new Aircraft Carriers, Fighter Jets and Advanced Drones

“Maintaining credible deterrence while remaining ready to go into harm’s way to protect, preserve and promote national interests will remain our principal priority. Our vision of being a combat-ready, credible, cohesive and future-proof force underpins this aspect.”

–Admiral R Hari Kumar, Navy chief, India (said at his annual press briefing on the eve of Navy Day)

According to him, the navy is dedicated to becoming totally self-sufficient by 2047, when India will commemorate 100 years of independence, and believes that cooperation between the three services is the only viable option.

Aircraft Carriers 

India now possesses two aircraft carriers: INS Vikrant, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned on September 2 in Kochi, and INS Vikramaditya, which India acquired secondhand from Russia for $2.33 billion. 

Also read: “Vikrant”- India’s indigenous aircraft carrier to be commissioned on the country’s independence day – Here’s what we know

After INS Vikrant (formerly known as IAC-1) was commissioned in September, the Navy is considering building a second indigenous aircraft carrier to project India's naval supremacy on the high seas, the IAC-2.

INS Vikrant

“We are still working on some aspects of IAC-2 like what size it should be and what are capabilities desired. But right now, we have put a hold on it (IAC-2) because we have just commissioned the Vikrant and are quite happy with the ship. We are examining whether we should look at a repeat order for IAC-1 instead of going for IAC-2 to capitalise on the expertise gained during the former’s construction. We are in the discussion stage right now.”

–Admiral R Hari Kumar, Navy chief, India

INS Vikramaditya

Costing 20,000 crores, the 45,000-tonne Vikrant was constructed at Cochin Shipyard. IAC-2 is anticipated to be more expensive and larger (65,000 tonnes) than Vikrant.

The navy has been making the case that it needs three aircraft carriers to improve its sea control and power projection capabilities as well as assist it to fulfil its expanding obligations in the Indo-Pacific.

Fighter Jets

India aims to operate its indigenous twin-engine, deck-based fighter (TEDBF) from its aircraft carriers, and the navy is now drafting a cabinet note for its design and development.

Some of the Russian-made MiG-29K fighter jets that are operated by INS Vikramaditya are currently being transferred to INS Vikrant in preparation for imminently taking part in crucial flight tests.

MiG-29K

India intends to purchase 26 new fighters for Vikrant through a government-to-government agreement to satisfy the needs of the navy, with French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation's Rafale-M and US company Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet vying for the order. 

Dassault Aviation's Rafale-M

Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet

Also read: Titans of the skies – three best aircraft carrier jets compared

“Trials have been conducted on both fighters and the evaluation process is underway. We will take a call on what’s in our best interest.”

–Admiral R Hari Kumar, Navy chief, India

Drones

According to the Navy Chief, conversations are ongoing to determine the precise number of Predator drones India will need to purchase from the US for the three services. The original proposal called for spending $3 billion to purchase 30 of these drones, 10 for the army, 10 for the air force, and 10 for the navy.

US Predator Drone

Also read: India close to procuring the $3 Billion “Predator” Drones Deal With US | Here’s what we know

To improve its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, the navy leased a pair of MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones from the US in 2020. The MQ-9Bs have assisted the navy in keeping a close eye on the Indian Ocean at a time when it has increased surveillance in the area to curtail China's ambitions.

MQ-9B SeaGuardian Drone

(With inputs from Hindustan Times)

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Airbus seeks Green Hydrogen supplies in India, Australia

Sakshi Jain

05 Dec 2022

Airbus, European aerospace giant seeks to get Green Hydrogen from regions including Latin America, Australia, and India as part of its decarbonization efforts.

Airbus is working on a hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine for their ambitious ZEROe aircraft that will go into service by 2035

Airbus is working on a hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine for their ambitious zero-emission aircraft that will go into service by 2035. India and Latin America, among other places, are appealing as potential supply centres due to the low cost of producing renewable energy.

The term "green hydrogen" describes hydrogen produced using low-carbon or renewable energy sources such as wind or solar. In comparison to "grey hydrogen," which is made from fossil fuels like natural gas, it emits much fewer carbon emissions. The majority of the hydrogen market at the moment is made up of grey hydrogen.

Green hydrogen is hydrogen that has been produced with low-carbon or renewable energy sources, like solar or wind

It has been hailed as the key to decarbonizing sectors that depend on coal, gas, and oil; nevertheless, the prices of production have historically been significantly higher than those of other kinds of hydrogen, and there are also doubts about the demand globally.

“One of the key activities that are underway at Airbus is to make sure that when we have a hydrogen aircraft available, we also have green hydrogen at airports. So, we are doing a lot of work with different airports and energy providers all across the world to make sure that green hydrogen is available at the right price when we need it.”

–Glenn Llewellyn, VP Zero-Emission Aircraft, Airbus

A partnership agreement between Airbus and HyPort has been signed in order to build a low-carbon hydrogen production and distribution facility at the France airport of Toulouse-Blagnac. The airport is expected to go into operation in early 2023.  It will be able to create approximately 400 kg of hydrogen each day, which would be sufficient to power 50 ground transportation vehicles.

Llewellyn mentioned that although there are currently no hydrogen-powered aircraft flying, hydrogen may be used to reduce airport carbon emissions, which enables the availability of hydrogen to be increased and helps us get ready for the day when planes will require it.

A partnership agreement has been reached between Airbus and HyPort in order to develop a low-carbon hydrogen production and distribution facility at the Toulouse-Blagnac airport in France

“We are looking at... how we can get hydrogen from places like India, Australia and Latin America, where we think the cost of hydrogen production is really interesting, and what the value chain will be to get that hydrogen to other regions of the world where maybe it’s more costly to produce locally.”

–Glenn Llewellyn, VP Zero-Emission Aircraft, Airbus

India is a key market for Airbus in the production of Green Hydrogen. The National Hydrogen Mission was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2021, with the goal of making India a significant leader in the sector. By 2030, the nation aims to produce 5 MT of green hydrogen as part of this project.

Also read: The road to Airbus ZEROe- Hydrogen Tanks

India has previously stated that it wants to increase its renewable energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030 and get 50% of its electricity from renewable sources.

Airbus' Zero-Emission Aircraft VP said that India is an amazing location with huge potential for the production of (green) hydrogen at a very exciting cost

“India is an amazing location with huge potential for the production of (green) hydrogen at a very exciting cost. I would hope that one day we can have zero emission aircraft operating out of airports like Delhi and others at attractive price points based on homegrown renewable energy ecosystem.”

–Glenn Llewellyn, VP Zero-Emission Aircraft, Airbus

Airbus is collaborating with airports, energy providers, and infrastructure suppliers to create the ecosystem required to operate a hydrogen aircraft, which it intends to launch in 2035.

(With inputs from The Economic Times)

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India moves up to 48th position in the global aviation safety ranking by ICAO

Radhika Bansal

05 Dec 2022

India has jumped to the 48th position in the global aviation safety ranking by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), according to DGCA officials. Four years ago, the country was ranked in the 102nd position.

The top five countries in the ICAO ranking are Singapore with a score of 99.69%, UAE with a score of 98.8%, South Korea (98.24%), France (96.42%) and Iceland (95.73%). The US was in 22nd place and Qatar at 25th place. China is in 49th place.

Others in the top ten are Australia (6th; 95.04%), Canada (7th; 94.95%), Brazil (8th; 94.72%), Ireland (9th; 94.6%) and Chile (10th; 93.9%), as per the DGCA officials.

The country’s score in terms of effective implementation of key safety elements has improved to 85.49%, putting it ahead of China (49), Israel (50), Turkey (54), Denmark (55) and Poland (60). India’s score in the 2018 Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme was 69.95%.

With a score of 85.49% each, India and Georgia are in the 48th position. Neighbouring Pakistan is at the 100th spot with a score of 70.39%.

Under its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach, an ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) was undertaken from November 9 to 16.

On Saturday, December 3, DGCA chief Arun Kumar said that the regulator has worked tirelessly to upgrade India's safety ranking and the results are there. "Hopefully, we continue to remain vigilant and improve further".

“Maintaining the new-found status is a challenge. We assure all our stakeholders that DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) will leave no stone unturned to further improve India’s ranking. We have done well. Now the challenge lies in retaining the newfound status. DGCA is a bunch of extremely competent officials and we are confident that given proper support, we will improve further. A formal announcement on the result is expected soon."

Arun Kumar, Director General, DGCA

On November 16, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the audit was conducted in the areas of legislation, organisation, personal licensing, operations, airworthiness and aerodromes.

"As per the initial reports, the mission was highly successful. India has done extremely well and our scores will see a substantial improvement putting us in the company of nations with the best safety standards and oversight systems," it had said in a release.

The improved safety ranking will make it easier for Indian carriers to expand their wings abroad. Tata Group’s Air India and IndiGo have massive expansion plans. Airlines of countries with dubious aviation safety records find their aircraft being subjected to more surprise checks at airports abroad.

The higher ranking means that India has improved its air safety processes. Better aviation safety in home skies also allows Indian carriers to expand faster in overseas markets as permissions for new services are easier to get.

The United Nations agency conducted the audit from November 9 to 16 in areas including legislation, organisation, personal licensing, operations, airworthiness and aerodrome. “Two areas, aircraft accident and investigation and air navigation, were not audited by ICAO,” Kumar said.

“To check if rules were being followed, the team also visited Delhi airport, SpiceJet, a charter operator, air traffic control, communication navigation and surveillance,” he said.

India’s score for civil aviation organisation rose from 63.64% to 72.73%, personnel licensing and training from 25.58% to 84.71%, aircraft operations from 80.34% to 97.44%, airworthiness of aircraft from 90.20% to 97.06% and aerodrome and ground aids from 72.36% to 92.68%.

In the mission done last month in India, the Effective Implementation (EI) of six areas was assessed. They are LEG, ORG, PEL, OPS, AIR and AGA. LEG is Primary Aviation Legislation and Specific Operating Regulations; ORG is Civil Aviation Organisation; PEL is Personnel Licensing and Training; OPS is Aircraft Operations; AIR is Airworthiness of Aircraft, and AGA is Aerodrome and Ground Aid.

So far for India, the ICAO has done the Coordinated Validated Mission four times, including the last one in November this year. It did the mission in December 2012 that covered all the areas and the EI score rose from 79.84% to 81.32%.

The mission was next conducted in August 2013 that looked at two areas -- OPS and AIR. At that time, the score improved from 79.73% to 81.19%. Another mission was done in November 2018. It covered LEG, ORG, AIG, ANS and AGA.

During that time, the EI score declined from 71.86% to 69.95%. AIG is Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation; ANS is Air Navigation Services.

The ICAO looks at eight critical elements of the safety oversight system, including primary aviation legislation, specific operating regulations, resolution of safety issues and surveillance obligations.

In July, against the backdrop of various technical snags faced by domestic airlines, the DGCA chief had said they did not have the potential to cause havoc and that the country's civil aviation space was "absolutely safe" and all the protocols laid down by the ICAO were followed.

https://twitter.com/MoCA_GoI/status/1599396008479567873

In a series of tweets, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said the ICAO has given the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) the highest Effective Implementation (EI) score of 85.49%.

"India is now among the top 50 countries with best aviation safety according to the latest @icao rankings. This major breakthrough will also help Indian airlines to expand internationally," it said.

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Malaysia Airlines resumes services from Cochin International Airport

Radhika Bansal

05 Dec 2022

Malaysia Airlines has resumed services from Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL).

CIAL managing director S. Suhas inaugurated the services. The flight from Kuala Lumpur will reach Kochi on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 11.35 p.m. and will return on the days at 12.35 a.m.

At present, Air Asia and Malindo Air are operating services in the Kochi-Kuala Lumpur sector. With the resumption of services by Malaysia Airlines, there are now 20 weekly services from Kochi to Kuala Lumpur.

https://twitter.com/KochiAirport/status/1598645096253362177

CIAL director C. Dinesh Kumar, company secretary Saji K. George, and Malaysia Airlines manager Shajeer Sultan were present at the function.

https://twitter.com/KochiAirport/status/1598220351536001024

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