Imphal International Airport to get a new Terminal building

A new airport terminal building will be constructed with all modern facilities at Imphal International airport, said the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Wednesday. The new terminal building will be spread over 22,000 sq m, according to the news agency ANI.

The authority also said the newly-constructed airport, Hollongi Airport, which is 25 km from Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh will be operational soon.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati here, AAI Regional Executive Director Sanmukh Jugani informed that the construction of a new integrated terminal building (NITB) with technical block cum Air Traffic Control tower, apron-linked taxiway and associated city works would be taken up at the Imphal International Airport, Manipur.

New construction work coming up at Imphal International Airport.

The cost of the project is about INR 500 crore and will be spread over 22,000 sq m. The new terminal building, which will have world-class passenger facilities, is expected to be completed in 24 months, the AAI official.

According to the executive director, the NITB will be able to cater to around 800 passengers during peak-hour flight operations. The annual passenger capacity of this NITB will be around 2.5 million passengers per annum.

The ATC control tower cum technical block will be a six-story building of 40-meter height and the service Building of the airport will be built over 2,152 sq m. A new apron and taxiways will also be built with a total number of eight Stands for Code -C type aircraft- Airbus A320 and Boeing B737, as per ANI reports.

A new airport terminal building will be constructed with all modern facilities at Imphal International airport.

The executive director also said that Hollongi Airport would be operational soon. In July 2012, Hollongi was selected as site for the greenfield airport of Itanagar. It is situated at Hollongi village, Yupia Tehsil, Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The government of Arunachal Pradesh approved the Hollongi airport project in May 2018. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the development of the Hollongi Airport in February 2019.

With inputs from livemint.

Aviation major Boeing, through its subsidiary Boeing India and Ahmedabad-based Jaivel Aerospace and Learning Links Foundation (LLF), has launched a skilling programme for youth in Gujarat.

The aim is to create a skilled workforce for the aerospace and manufacturing sector in Gujarat, the company informed on the sidelines of the five-day DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar.

Nearly 188 individuals, of whom 23% are women and 14% are persons with disabilities (PWDs), have already received training and found jobs under the programme, which was first launched in 2019.

https://twitter.com/JaivelAerospace/status/1582604864588517376

The second batch of 20 trainees will be imparted with technical and soft skills, followed by on-job training at Jaivel Aerospace. The curriculum focuses on mechanical and fabric tooling.

“Boeing has been supporting the growth of the Indian aerospace sector over the years by addressing the critical and growing need to skill frontline workers for the aerospace manufacturing sector. With the new chapter of the skills programme. We aim to inspire the next generation talent, and help them develop skills to strengthen the aerospace ecosystem in Gujarat, in line with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Skill India.”Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India

The training programme, funded by Boeing, aims to create employment opportunities in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Gujarat’s aerospace manufacturing sector.

Jaivel Aerospace is a manufacturing technology organisation with expertise in substantially improving the performance of advanced manufacturing programs. They are a team of designers, developers, engineers and craftsmen that build Processes and Tooling that are Fun to Use for front-line workers.

“Building on success of the first skills programme in 2019, we are delighted to launch second skills program in partnership with Boeing and Learning Links Foundation. Our team at “Inspire One” are on a journey to build a fully digital manufacturing ecosystem; this endeavour provides an excellent opportunity for young minds to learn and develop their creative thinking.”Vipul Vachhani, Founder and CEO, Jaivel Aerospace

A press statement from Boeing said, “Learn and Earn, a collaboration between LLF and Boeing, is a unique skill-building programme to help create a skilled and employable workforce for the aerospace manufacturing sector. Boeing-funded Learn and Earn curriculum and initiatives have been launched along with several other partners in India as well.”

In addition, Boeing has been partnering with leading Indian vocational training institutes, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and Indian partners, including MSMEs, to train workers in the aerospace industry.

Boeing India and Jaivel Aerospace and LLF launch skilling programme for youth in Gujarat

For example, Boeing-funded curricula and initiatives have already been launched with aerospace partners such as Rossell Techsys and Tata Advanced Materials Limited (TAML) to train workers on aerospace skills. Frontline workers have already been employed with Boeing’s suppliers after completion of training.

ALSO READ - Boeing India collaborates with MIDHANI to develop aerospace raw materials

Jaivel, a micro, small and medium enterprise, has undertaken work packages as a sub-tier supplier for Boeing’s advanced commercial airplanes such as the 787, 777 and 737 as well as defence platforms such as the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Through the new partnership, Jaivel’s role in the local and global aerospace sector will expand, as it helps to train future aerospace workers.

Domestic air passenger volume grew 46.54 per cent to 10.35 million in September over the same period last year, according to data released by aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday.

Indian domestic carriers (excluding newly launched Akasa Air) had flown a total of 7.66 million passengers on the local routes a year ago, the data showed.

The average passenger load factor of these carriers stood at 77.5 per cent against 72.5 per cent PLF delivered in August 2022, the DGCA data show.

The combined market share of Vistara, Air India and AirAsia India stood at 24.7% in September.

PLF is an airline metric that measures how much of an airline's passenger carrying capacity is used.

In terms of market share, leading carrier IndiGo cornered 57 per cent of the total domestic traffic pie, carrying 59.72 lakh passengers across its domestic network followed by full service carrier Vistara, which flew 9.96 lakh passengers with 9.6 per cent market share.

Besides, Vistara also had the best on-time performance with 91 per cent of its flights arriving and departing from four key airports -- Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru -- on time.

Competition among India carriers in September was fairly even beyond IndiGo, which is operated by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. Singapore Airlines-backed Vistara and Air India Ltd. both took about 9% market share, and SpiceJet Ltd. grabbed 7.3%, according to the DGCA.

Akasa Air commenced its flight services on domestic routes from August 7 this year.

Whereas, India’s newest carrier Akasa Air took a 0.9% share of the domestic market in September, its first full month operating in a country where almost a dozen airlines vie for passengers.

The low-cost carrier, backed by the billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala who died in August at the age of 62, is trying to muscle into a market that continues to be dominated by IndiGo, which had a nearly 58% share in September.

Akasa started flying between Mumbai and Ahmedabad on Aug. 7 using Boeing B737 aircraft. It expanded to Bengaluru and Kochi later in the month, and its website shows it now also flies to New Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala and Chennai.

Chief Executive Officer Vinay Dube has said Akasa is financially strong enough to place larger orders and expand its fleet to 72 aircraft within five years.

Also read - Big plane order may be placed by Akasa Air in the next 18 months

SpiceJet announced a revised salary structure for its captains ahead of Diwali - increasing their monthly remuneration by around 55% to INR 7 lakh for a total of 80 hours of flying.

"Captains' salaries revised to INR 7 lakh-a-month for 80 hours of flying. SpiceJet has been revising pilot salaries every month; salary for October 2022 was hiked by 22%," a SpiceJet spokesperson said on Wednesday, October 19.

ALSO READ - SpiceJet to increase salaries of senior pilots by 20%

It was also pointed out that pilots flying for 70 hours in a month will also see an increase from INR 4.5 lakh to INR 6.13 lakh as per the internal communication shared with the employees.

SpiceJet announces a revised salary structure for its pilots from November

The revised pay will be applicable from November 1, 2022. Following the latest hike, the salary of Captains at SpiceJet will be higher than their pre-Covid salary. Salaries of Trainers and Senior First Officers have also been increased "commensurately". The trainers comprise Designated Examiner (DE), Type Rating Instructor (TRI) and Line Training Captain (LTC).

ALSO READ – Struggling to-Survive SpiceJet allegedly not depositing PF in employee accounts

Earlier, SpiceJet employees claimed that there was a delay in the disbursement of salaries of employees including flight crew for July and many were yet to receive Form 16 for the financial year 2021-22 as well.

ALSO READ - SpiceJet deposits TDS for all employees for FY 2021-22

SpiceJet said it had been consistently increasing the base salary of pilots. As compared to August, the September salary saw an increase of up to 10% for Trainers and 8% for Captains and First Officers. From October, the salary was hiked by another 22% for Captains and First Officers.

SpiceJet has sent 80 of its pilots on leave without pay for three months.

ALSO READ – SpiceJet to send 80 Captains on LWP amid financial instability

However, SpiceJet has sent 80 of its pilots on leave without pay for three months. The airline company said in an earlier statement said that "the move was taken as a temporary measure to harmonise costs. This measure is in line with the airline's policy of not firing any employee. Even during the covid epidemic."

The airline then clarified that the pilots will remain eligible for all other employee benefits such as insurance benefits and employee leave travel during the furlough period. It is a temporary measure to rationalise cost, it said, adding that the leave without pay would not affect the airline’s operations.

ALSO READ – Worst nightmare of SpiceJet – From financial losses widening to the CFO resigning to non-payment of salaries

SpiceJet operates a fleet of Boeing 737s, Q-400s and freighters and is the country's largest regional player operating multiple daily flights under UDAN or the Regional Connectivity Scheme. The airline also operates a dedicated air cargo service under the brand name SpiceXpress offering safe, on-time, efficient and seamless cargo connectivity across India and on international routes.

Aerospace, defence and homeland security solutions provider Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has delivered the 200th crown and tail cone for the Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Manufactured in Hyderabad, the parts will be integrated at Boeing’s facility in Philadelphia, TASL said in a release on Tuesday.

“Since the first assembly line for the crown and tail cone in 2017, TASL has built and delivered multiple configurations to multiple countries and for multiple missions, globally. TASL’s world-class quality and delivery mechanism have helped in forging a strong relationship with Boeing on both military and commercial platforms.”Sukaran Singh, MD and CEO, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL)

Stating that TASL is a proud partner to Boeing for the CH-47 programme, he said the partnership reflects “our continued commitment to developing an aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem in India”.

TASL said it has delivered the crown and tail cone for CH-47 Chinook for the U.S. Army and other international customers. CH-47 Chinook is an advanced multi-mission helicopter operated by the U.S. Army and 18 other defence forces around the world.

Boeing receives the 200th CH-47 crown & tail cone from Tata Advanced Systems

In June 2017, the company also delivered the first crown and tail cone parts for one of the 15 CH-47 Chinook helicopters for delivery to the Indian Air Force, the company said.

“Boeing’s vision for India continues to be to bring the best of Boeing to India and take the best of India to the world. This is a significant milestone and a testimony of our commitment to strengthen the manufacturing capabilities of the Indian aerospace and defence industry along with our strategic partners.”Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India

ALSO READ - Boeing India collaborates with MIDHANI to develop aerospace raw materials

Boeing buys equipment worth INR 8,000 crore from India annually

Boeing, which builds fuselages for Apache attack helicopters, procures equipment worth INR 8,000 crore from India, said officials participating in DefExpo 2022, Tuesday, October 18. Speaking at the event at Mahatma Mandir, Faizi Mohsini, Vice-President of Services, Boeing Defence India, said.

“On an annual basis, we do procurement for more than INR 8,000 crore in India and we have have a vendor base of 300-plus suppliers, of which 26% are MSMEs. The fuselages built for Apaches at Hyderabad are not just built for India, but for our entire global requirements, including those for United States, Poland, Germany, Saudi Arabia. The fuselages for six of Apaches for the Indian Army are being built in Hyderabad and the first of the six will get completed in the next couple of months.In the last couple of decades, we were closely supporting the defence with our Chinooks, Apaches and C-17 (Globemaster) and P-8s for the Indian Navy."Faizi Mohsini, Vice-President Services, Boeing Defence India

Boeing India’s partner Tata Advanced Systems Ltd said it has delivered the 200th crown and tail-cone manufactured in Hyderabad for CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

“Today, every Apache that is built has a fuselage built here by the Boeing-Tata joint venture in Hyderabad.”Torbjorn B Sjogren, VP & GM, International Government & Defence, Boeing

ALSO READ – Boeing chose Tata Aerospace as its “Supplier of the Year”

Boeing India on Tuesday, October 18 announced it would assess and collaborate with Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) to develop raw materials for standard aerospace parts and components in India.

A press release from Boeing said indigenous availability of special aerospace materials and alloys has been identified as crucial for creating a self-reliant aerospace and defence industry in India. The availability of essential aerospace materials is the first step in securing the supply chain and aligning with the NDA government's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

"Public sector units are an important part of Boeing's supply chain footprint in India. The potential collaboration with MIDHANI will strengthen Boeing's supply base and increase material sourcing options from India. This would be a key step in building Boeing India supply chain - from raw material sourcing to supplying a finished product and it will further the firm's commitment for bolstering India's growing aerospace and defence ecosystem."Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India

Boeing has always supported the development of indigenous aerospace and defence capabilities in India, and has through the years invested in partnerships with the Indian aerospace ecosystem in skilling, research and technology, and manufacturing, the release said.

Boeing is working closely with its suppliers in India to support supply chain health, identify new ways to drive innovation and deliver greater value to its customers.

https://twitter.com/Boeing_In/status/1582336023413264384

ALSO READ – Indian Army to get 6 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters

ALSO READ - Boeing calls F/A-18 Super Hornet “the best deck-based aircraft” for the Indian Navy

Boeing’s advanced aircraft and services play an important role in the mission readiness of the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. Boeing has strengthened its supply chain with more than 300 local companies in India and a joint venture to manufacture fuselages for Apache helicopters. Annual sourcing from India stands at USD 1 billion.

ALSO READ – Boeing highlights F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III capabilities to Indian Navy

ALSO READ - IAF to induct ‘Made in India’ light combat helicopter (LCH) in October

Boeing currently employs close to 4,000 people in India, and more than 7,000 people work with its supply chain partners. Boeing serves communities and citizenship programs to inspire change and make an impact on more than 500,000 lives in India, the release stated. 

ALSO READ - Boeing to outsource corporate jobs to India’s TCS; cuts 150 finance jobs in the US

"We are excited about the prospect of partnering with Boeing on raw materials for the aerospace industry. This sits well with our plans to collaborate with multinational institutions and companies to strengthen our capabilities for producing critically advanced technology products here in India."Sanjay Kumar Jha, Chairman and Managing Director, Midhani

As per the release, Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) was established in the year 1973 under the Ministry of Defence as a Government of India Enterprise. The production unit of MIDHANI, located at Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad, was commissioned in the year 1982.

It has been set up to achieve self-reliance in the production and supply of various super alloys, special steels, and materials to Defence, and other Strategic Sectors for Nuclear, aeronautical and Space applications.

The guiding factors for setting up MIDHANI were the demand for Defence oriented technologies, which come under the national priorities. Midhani is engaged in the business of manufacturing superalloys, titanium, special-purpose steel and other special metals.

Boeing India would assess and collaborate with Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) to develop raw materials for standard aerospace parts and components in India.

The government is expected to invest close to INR 10 trillion (USD 130 billion) in military modernisation in the next 5-6 years. The Defence Acquisition Policy (DAP) 2020 emphasises >50% indigenous content for a majority of the procurement categories, Midhani said in its FY22 annual report.

The requirement of indigenous content in platforms and systems is likely to translate into demand for indigenous raw materials providing thrust to the Indian metals & alloys manufacturers. The demand in associated sectors including aerospace manufacturing, space, electric vehicles, and railways will be tapped to obtain economies of scale, the company said.

Midhani has been consistent in getting orders with defence, space, aeronautics, power and thermal power, electronics, telecommunications, engineering and other sectors. Its order inflow was at around INR 160 crore in Q1FY23 and the order booking position for FY23 (as of date) is around INR 470 crore.

Midhani has been consistent in getting orders with defence, space, aeronautics, power and thermal power, electronics, telecommunications, engineering and other sectors.

The open order position of Midhani as of date is around INR 1,535 crore. Besides, the company is also in a pact with the Indian Air Force for developing and indigenising various metal powders such as titanium alloys, aluminium alloys and special steel for additive manufacturing process for the production of aviation items.

The company could shortly receive an order of bulletproof jackets. Its order book stands at around INR 1,360 crore as of June 31, 2022, of which defence (including sale to PSUs) is 48%, space is 37% and the rest is others, HDFC Securities said in a report.

Shares of Mishra Dhatu Nigam (Midhani) rallied 7% to hit a new high of INR 258.65 on the BSE in Wednesday’s, October 19 intra-day trade after reports said that the company will work with Boeing India to develop raw materials for aerospace parts.

The stock of the state-run aerospace & defence company surpassed its previous high of INR 251.50, which it had touched on October 10, 2022. In the past three months, it has zoomed 55% as compared to an 8% rise in the S&P BSE Sensex.