ICAO signs MoU with International Solar Alliance, an initiative proposed by PM Modi to keep CO2 emissions in check

Radhika Bansal

28 Sep 2022

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Solar Alliance (ISA). Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia gave this information on Tuesday, September 27. Significantly, the purpose of this agreement is to check the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the international aviation sector.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia tweeted about this. He wrote "This is a proud moment for India. International Aviation Group has signed an MoU with International Solar Alliance. This is an initiative proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event, jointly organized by India and France, marks a new dawn for the use of solar energy in the global civil aviation sector."

https://twitter.com/JM_Scindia/status/1574663467084443649

“Jointly hosted by India and France, the event marks a new dawn for the use of solar energy in the global civil aviation sector,” union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said. Addressing the audience he said, “...means of transport that was once understood as egalitarian but is now considered as ubiquitous across the world as a means of ferrying human to human across the global divide.”

“Today indeed is a landmark day wherein we pursue the goals as outlined by ICAO to all of us; one of ensuring lowering of carbon emissions, one of ensuring that we, in our respective capacities, act as fiduciary responsible holders for the next generation, creating an environment that is sustainable for generations to come.When I arrived in May this year, I requested the president of ICAO that we must forge a partnership along with this international solar alliance that extends from tropic of cancer to tropic of Capricorn, almost 121 countries that are a part of this alliance want to build a better and a safer better tomorrow. I thank the president of ICAO for taking this historic step and I look forward to our deliberations in the days to come."Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation

It is worth mentioning that at the COP-26 United Nations Climate Conference held in Glasgow city of Scotland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India’s Panchamrita strategy with ambitious goals of action on climate change.

He said initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) reflect India’s global leadership in ensuring affordable, reliable energy for all and protecting critical infrastructure for sustainable development.

At the COP-26 United Nations Climate Conference held in Glasgow city of Scotland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India’s Panchamrita strategy with ambitious goals of action on climate change.

The International Civil Aviation Organization tweeted after the signing of the MoU. He wrote that the heads of delegations from six Southeast Asian countries to the ICAO Council participated in a conference to strengthen cooperation on civil aviation issues. During this, everyone was invited to the APAC Ministerial Conference to be organized by India early next year.

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At this conference, ICAO Secretary-General Juan Carlos Salazar formally signed a new Memorandum of Understanding between ICAO and ISA on harnessing solar energy for aircraft, airports and other aviation-related applications.

https://twitter.com/icao/status/1574514496923582464

ICAO Secretary General, Juan Carlos Salazar also tweeted in this regard. ICAO calls on all innovators and regulators to continue their efforts for greater diversity, inclusivity and collaboration for aviation solutions in the future, he wrote in the appeal.

Demonstrating how emerging technologies can deliver a sustainable and resilient recovery for the international air transport system, the 2022 ICAO Innovation Fair was held on September 24-26, helping set the stage for the opening of the ICAO 41st Assembly on Tuesday.

Taking place in Montreal, this special three-day event attracted more than 1,400 attendees and featured traditional and new players who are delivering a technological revolution in aviation worldwide. An exhibition included prototypes of cutting-edge aircraft types and other latest air transport technologies and solutions.

The ICAO is a United Nations specialised agency that works with its 193 member states

The panels focused on different facets of innovation and their deployment for international civil aviation, addressing regulatory challenges, urban air mobility integration, aviation sustainability, incubator programmes, artificial intelligence, behavioural science, implementation support and capacity building.

The ICAO is a United Nations specialised agency that works with its 193 member states to set and audit safety, security, emissions, navigation, and facilitation standards to shape and improve international air operations.

The ICAO Assembly, meeting once every three years, will hold its 41st session from September 27 to October 7, during which member states and representatives from international organisations will establish the ICAO's priorities, supporting the increased sustainability and digitalisation of 21st-century air transport.

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Afcom receives its first Boeing 737 freighter; eyes to increase air cargo business capacity

Radhika Bansal

28 Sep 2022

Afcom Holdings Private Limited, an international cargo airline headquartered in Chennai, announced it was reiterating its commitment to the ASEAN region by taking delivery of its first Boeing 737 freighter. Afcom has been operational since September 2021 through its strategic alliance with its commercial carrier partners.

The addition of this aircraft will support Afcom’s current capacity with its airfreight partners, thus enabling a faster and more reliable delivery service. The company plans to add two more freighter aircraft to its fleet by the end of this year.

Afcom receives its first Boeing 737 freighter; eyes to increase air cargo business capacity

With the air freight charges stabilising to some extent after rising phenomenally during the Covid pandemic, Parasuraman hopes to garner nearly 15 to 16% of the business in the southern region. 

“Afcom is committed to provide efficient, secure and quality services to our customers. We strongly believe in working closely with our customers by providing them Tailor-made logistic solutions. We see ourselves not just as a cargo airline but an end-to-end cargo solutions provider. Air cargo is today a key enabler of flexibility and speed in global supply chains. We foresee good and rising demand for air cargo going forward, and we are fully geared up to infuse the required capacity in the market.” Deepak Parasuraman, Chairman, Afcom Holdings Private Limited

Afcom presently serves India, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. In addition, it will commence services to Hanoi (Vietnam) and Bangkok (Thailand) sectors in its endeavour to service destinations across ASEAN countries. More new services are also in the pipeline, to provide faster delivery options to support the industry requirements.

ALSO READ - Pradhaan Air Express receives its first converted A320 freighter aircraft

Afcom is not the only niche Indian forwarder gearing up to build an all-cargo airline presence. Delhi-based Pradhaan Air Express recently firmed up its entry into the diversified market, securing government approvals and snapping up an A320 converted freighter.

Delhi-based Pradhaan Air Express recently firmed up its entry into the diversified market, securing government approvals and snapping up an A320 converted freighter. (Image Courtesy - Shrey Chopra)

ALSO READ - Bangalore Airport gets a newly expanded facility of DHL Express

Global express logistics leaders like UPS and DHL are also constantly beefing up services at Indian airports, including second-tier locations, to keep pace with growing airfreight volumes.

ALSO READ - UPS opens a new airport gateway facility at Bengaluru airport

And, as online shopping expands, consumer purchases are increasingly based on the speed of parcel delivery – a factor that signifies greater airline network reach. This year, the Indian e-commerce market is forecast to grow by 21.5%, to reach a value of USD 74.8 billion, according to industry estimates.

Additionally, Covid-induced widespread dysfunction on the ocean supply side has converted many traditional sea freight shippers/forwarders to airfreight, which industry stakeholders believe could become a permanent change in some cases.

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Strategic Partnership between BLADE and Eve announced to grow India's Urban Air Mobility Ecosystem

Prashant-prabhakar

28 Sep 2022

Eve Air Mobility ("Eve") and FlyBlade India ("BLADE India"), a joint venture between Hunch Ventures and Blade Air Mobility, announced today a strategic alliance that includes a non-binding order for up to 200 electric vertical take-offs and landings ("eVTOL" or Electric Vertical Aircraft, "EVA") vehicles, service and support, and Eve's software for urban air traffic management ("UATM"). Additionally, the companies intend to work together on a three-month pilot project that will connect passengers utilizing helicopters.

India is a distinct market due to its size, issues with accessibility, traffic, and regulations. BLADE India, which established short-haul air mobility in India, will serve as Eve's local knowledge partner to develop the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem.

To further enhance Eve's eVTOL, service and support solutions, and its UATM software, the information gathered from BLADE India's customer experience and operations will be put to use. In the beginning, BLADE India would finance 50,000 hours annually of flight time in the nation utilizing Eve's eVTOL.

BLADE India | Representative | Grazia India

India’s traffic congestion woes are only expected to get worse. This partnership allows us to leverage Eve’s deep expertise in not just EVA design but also in the infrastructure required to support UAMsaid Amit Dutta, managing director, BLADE India

Amit Dutta | Source

With the introduction of electric aviation and eVTOL vehicles, flying is anticipated to become much more affordable for the general public by drastically reducing its environmental impact, noise, and cost.

We are thrilled about partnering with BLADE India and pioneering the urban air mobility market in the country, which has the potential to be one of the largest markets globally. This initial order will allow us to enter into service in India and further develop the ecosystem according to the community’s needs. We look forward to offering the people of India a zero-emission UAM solution in the future that will be quiet, efficient, and accessiblesaid André Stein, co-CEO of Eve

André Stein | eveairmobility

BLADE India

Forbes India

With flights from Mumbai, Shirdi, Pune, and Bangalore, BLADE India launched in 2019 and provides affordable air transportation alternatives to some of the most crowded ground routes in India. Privately held investment company Hunch Ventures is based in New Delhi, India, and has made investments in a variety of industries, including education, healthcare, immersive media, hospitality, food and beverage, logistics, and other areas that may have interesting connections between them.

ALSO READ - BLADE India plans a chopper shuttle service between Bengaluru city and the airport

Eve Air Mobility

Representative | eVTOL.news

Eve is committed to speeding up the ecology of urban air mobility. With a start-up mentality, the support of Embraer S.A.'s more than 50 years of aerospace expertise, and a single goal in mind, Eve is moving the UAM ecosystem forward holistically with an advanced eVTOL project, extensive global services and support network, and a cutting-edge air traffic management solution.

SOURCE: eve air mobility

COVER: eveairmobility

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AVGAS 100LL, the indigenous special aviation fuel launched by IndianOil Aviation

Jinen Gada

27 Sep 2022

The government launched the indigenously-developed AVGAS 100 LL, a special aviation fuel meant for piston engine aircraft and unmanned ariel vehicles. It has been developed by Indian Oil Corporation. This is a great step towards reducing import dependence and promoting local manufacturing capacity.

“AV GAS 100 LL produced by Indian Oil’s flagship refinery at Vadodara has been tested and certified by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). It is a higher-octane Aviation fuel meeting the product specifications with superior performance quality standards, as compared to imported grades."The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, said in a statement.

The minister said the launch of indigenous AV GAS 100 LL is important to serve the needs of the thriving aviation industry with an increase in footfall in airports, a rise in the number of aircraft and Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) in trainee aircraft for pilot training in future.

IndianOil launches indigenous production of aviation fuel AVGAS 100LL.

As demand for air transport in India is expected to increase in manifolds in the future, there is going to be a huge demand for trained pilots also. And for this, the number of FTOs is also expected to increase significantly, he added.

ALSO READ - Aviation gasoline ‘Av gas’ to be made in India

At present AVGAS 100 LL is a completely imported product. The domestic production of AVGAS 100 LL produced by Indian Oil at its Gujarat Refinery will make flying training more affordable in India. This product which fuels the aircraft operated by FTOs and Defense forces is being imported for decades by India. Indian Oil’s R&D, Refineries, and Marketing teams have achieved this feat of indigenous production and have offered a price advantage to the industry.

The indigenous fuel is superior compared to imported grades.

At present, only two companies in the world are manufacturing AVGAS 100LL and India has become the first non-OECD country to produce and use such SAF. This is a great achievement for India as it will help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil products like aviation fuel, which is a highly polluting source of energy.

However, this achievement needs to be recognized by the international community at large as well as those who are working towards building an independent India so that we can achieve self-sufficiency in terms of fuel production without having to depend on other countries for its supply. This is a great step towards reducing import dependence.

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Vistara implements Digital Rostering Solution for enhanced crew experience

Jinen Gada

29 Sep 2022

India’s finest full-service carrier, Vistara, announced that it has implemented a digital rostering solution to enhance crew experience and productivity.

The fully automated crew rostering solution for improved management of its over 2,500 cabin crew and pilots across the network. The industry-leading solution by Jeppesen, a Boeing Company, has enabled Vistara to develop effective crew rosters that factor in legal compliance, crew availability, lifestyle preferences and training requirements using a dynamic bidding mechanism.

The adoption of the new technology is aimed at further improving Vistara’s operational performance as well as enhancing the crew's lifestyle.

It will result in operational benefits and enhanced crew experience.

Vistara crew are now able to indicate their lifestyle preferences which are then automatically factored into their individual flight rosters. Options ranging from early morning or late evening flights, frequency of layovers, time off from work, preferred night stop stations and specific flights etc. are now available to the crew, thereby allowing them added flexibility in their schedules.

"As a relatively young airline born in the digital age, Vistara is rapidly adopting new technologies and automating processes across all our functions to derive more efficiencies and enhance employee experience. An efficient, transparent crew rostering solution helps us achieve the right balance to an otherwise complex rostering challenge. We are incredibly appreciative of the support that all our crew have given during the rapid increase in operations as we emerged from the pandemic. It gives us great pleasure to now be able to offer our crew this option to influence their rosters, and thereby their lifestyles."Captain Hamish Maxwell, Senior Vice President - Flight operations, Vistara

Since implementation, the system has proven to be very effective with the majority of crew rosters being positively influenced as per their indicated preferences.

ALSO READ - Vistara is India’s first airline (and one of the few worldwide) to have 100% cloud-based IT infrastructure

Vistara has invested in developing its digital infrastructure from the very beginning with a focus on developing operational efficiency.

ALSO READ - Vistara to launch electronic logbook; partners with Ultramain ELB for paperless operations

Vistara Implements Digital Rostering Solution for Enhanced Crew Experience

“Digital Solutions for Crew Rostering, while taking care of crew lifestyle preferences is a great example of how new-age digital technologies can greatly help to improve employee productivity and experience.”Vinod Bhat, Chief Information Officer, Vistara.

The digital rostering solution will result in operational benefits and enhanced crew experience. It will also help improve productivity, and customer experience and reduce costs while increasing flexibility at the same time.

ALSO READ - Vistara awarded Best Airline in India & Southern Asia, 20th in the world by Skytrax

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AirAsia India takes short-term loans of INR 630 crore to reduce its debt burden

Jinen Gada

27 Sep 2022

AirAsia India, the airline subsidiary of AirAsia Group, has availed of short-term loans worth Rs 630 crore. The company said that it will use the funds to pay off its dues and reduce its debt burden. The airline had been under pressure for several years now with high-interest costs as well as losses and low margins.

AirAsia India has availed of 12-month loans from the private sector to finance its business operations. The airline will use these funds to further strengthen its balance sheet and improve financial performance.

The airline recently completed 10 years since launch, which is considered one of its key milestones when it comes to improving customer experience with improved infrastructure and services.

The airline has availed of 12-month loans from the private sector.

AirAsia India was launched in 2014 as a joint venture between the Tata Group and AirAsia Investment Limited. The Tatas began with a 51% equity share in the company, which was further raised to 83.67% in 2020.

ALSO READ - Tata Sons likely to merge the losses of AirAsia India with Air India before the possible merger

The airline has been under pressure for several years now with high-interest costs as well as losses and low margins. It is looking to reduce its debt burden by taking short-term loans of Rs 630 crore, which comes at a time when AirAsia India is looking to reduce its debt burden.

Multiple loans were given to the airline, according to the report Standard Chartered Bank gave a loan of USD 24.5 million in short-term loan and USD 3.6 million in overdraft facility last month, while Induslnd Bank gave USD 24.5 million. Tata Capital too gave USD 24.5 million in April last year.

The airline, which is in the process of merging with Air India Express, has never turned a profit since it began operations in 2014.

AirAsia India has been under pressure for several years now, as it faces tough competition from other low-cost carriers and high fuel costs. Its financial performance has deteriorated in recent months, with losses widening.

Currently, Air Asia India has a fleet of 26 active A320s, since it returned 7 A320s to Air Asia Berhad. It had posted an annual loss of USD 193 million, almost double the previous year and a revenue of USD 171 million, because of its shrinking operations.

The airline has been under pressure for several years now with high-interest costs as well as losses and low margins. The proposed merger of the airline with Air India Express is reportedly being worked upon and, if all goes well, could be complete in about a year.

(With Inputs from Business Standard)

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