IndiGo awarded as World’s Youngest Aircraft Fleet 2023 in the '100+ aircraft in their fleet'

Radhika Bansal

01 Feb 2023

Budget airline IndiGo has been awarded as the World’s Youngest Aircraft Fleet 2023 in the '100+ aircraft in their fleet' category by Ch-Aviation.

The airline maintains young, modern, and efficient aircraft with an average age of 3.57 years, ranking 5th in Asia's Youngest Aircraft Fleet 2023. IndiGo's fleet consists of 80% latest-generation aircraft at present, a release said.

Vistara is also on list for Asia's Youngest Aircraft Fleet. Vistara takes third place as the youngest aircraft fleet in Asia, with a fleet of 54 aircraft averaging 2.96* years of age. Rebranded from Tata SIA Airlines in 2014, the scheduled carrier has its headquarters in Delhi.

“We are pleased to be felicitated as the World’s Youngest Aircraft Fleet 2023 by ch-aviation in Aircraft Portfolio Award. It has been endeavor to constantly keep our 300+ fleet young for more efficient operations and to provide a comfortable, on-time and hassle-free experience to our consumers. This also ties in very well to our sustainability ambitions and plans as the NEO aircraft are more fuel efficient. As such it has been a critical element already to our accomplishment of reducing CO2 emissions by 18% from 2016 to 2023.”

Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo

The Ch-Aviation Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award recognises airlines across the globe that maintain young, modern, efficient aircraft. The award is based entirely on non-manipulable aircraft data. There is no jury or any other subjective parameter involved.

Among airlines with 100 or more aircraft in their fleet, IndiGo comes in second place. They have a fleet of 278 aircraft, 243 Airbus A320 family aircraft and 35 ATR72-600s, and an average aircraft age of 4.28* years. The low-cost carrier serves 17 countries, 94 destinations, and 536 routes from its base at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport. It recently wet leased a B777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines to operate on Delhi-Istanbul and Mumbai- Istanbul route.

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What should an Ideal Air India Training Academy be like?

Sakshi Jain

01 Feb 2023

Indians are largely cricket freaks, having humbly adopted the game from colonizers and then developing it into a well-structured ecosystem supporting millions of jobs and billions in revenue over the years. The BCCI is currently the world's largest and richest cricket governing body. How did it happen? This glory and international acclaim can be credited to its extensive training facilities, comprehensive selection process, cutting-edge infrastructure, access to state-of-the-art equipment, and, most importantly, the qualified faculty.

Similarly, for Air India to regain its world-class airline crown, its workforce selection and training will be pivotal. The employees are the backbone of any organization and drive success while maintaining a safety culture. A comprehensive training environment raises employees' overall standards and ensures standardization of knowledge and skills throughout the organization. 

Imagine if Air India could consolidate all pieces of training, like aircraft type rating, SEP, CRM, Fire drills, etc., all under one roof; The efficiency of training could be exponentially improved. This could be further enhanced by integrating Ab-into pilot and cabin crew training, AME and dispatcher training, etc. Air India could also hire their candidates directly, resulting in the ease of the recruitment process, maintaining tighter quality control and ultimately enhancing the caliber of their airline.

Employee training and selection will be crucial if Air India is to recover its position as a Premier Airline.

But all this is not something new; it has been attempted in the past with Central Training Establishment (CTE) Hyderabad, established in 1958. Our former Prime Minister, Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi, was trained at CTE. 

Air India’s Central Training Establishment (CTE)

CTE is the realization of aviation industry visionaries' desire for an exclusive "Air University with all the training institutions under one roof. With a sprawling campus of 20 acres close to the old airport at Begumpet and secondary campuses in Mumbai and Delhi, CTE is a reputed name in domestic aviation. The existing infrastructure has the capability of training its personnel as well as outside agencies. Since being designated as an independent profit center on 1 November 1995, CTE has generated significant revenue through foreign exchange transactions and airline staff training domestically and overseas.

CTE, Air India, Hyderabad

Currently, CTE Hyderabad has two A320s and an ATR 72-600 simulator. It also houses a sizable swimming pool where pilots and cabin crew can practice wet drills, a mock-up escape slide for evacuation training, a fire drill trainer, and an A320 family door trainer. CTE Mumbai Campus houses one B-787, one B-777, one B-737-8, and one B-747-400 simulator and related training tools like a door trainer and an escape slide mock-up. The CTE Delhi Campus is a more recent development, and it contains the classroom facilities needed to perform ground training for the flight crew.

Does CTE connect with Air India’s growth plans?

Air India has released its comprehensive transformation plan to re-establish itself as a top-tier international airline with an Indian heart. It claims that this plan aims to make it the best in its class regarding hospitality, customer service, technology, product, and reliability.

The transformation plan, which has goals for Air India for the next five years, is appropriately named "Vihaan.AI," which in Sanskrit denotes the beginning of a new era. This will also require restructuring the infrastructure and facilities of CTE as they might not function with such a comprehensive strategy in the future, where the goal is to become the best in the field.

The best airlines today, like Emirates, Lufthansa, United, and Singapore Airlines, have well-established and reputed training centers. Let’s quickly look at where they stand and what Air India can learn from them.

EMIRATES Emirates Flight Training Academy (EFTA) & Emirates Aviation College (EAC)

EFTA is based in Dubai, UAE, and was established in 2017 during the Dubai Airshow and started with a fleet of six training aircraft. The courses offered here are

Foundation Aviation Sciences 

ATPL Ground School 

ATPL Flight School 

Single Engine Training 

Multi-Engine Training 

Multi-Crew Cooperation Training

EFTA’s main facility has 36 interactive classrooms with software that Boeing specifically created for EFTA. The flight operations center offers cadets extensive hands-on training with the newest tools and technology.

The Emirates Aviation Training College is also the most extensive training facility for the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380, with accurate firefighting simulations, a pool for ditching drills, and emergency slides. A brand-new Emirates cabin crew will undergo eight weeks of rigorous training and testing to become certified to fly.

By looking at these, we can explain why Emirates is enticing so many trainees domestically and internationally. Emirates selects the best from these and hires directly for their airline.

LUFTHANSA Lufthansa Aviation Training

There are six training centers for Lufthansa across Europe comprising about 50 full flight simulators and with 700+ trainers having over 60+ years of experience.

The portfolio includes

Pilot Training- State-of-the-art training solutions for pilots

Safety & Emergency procedure training- The participants will be exposed to every potential real-world stressor and disruptive element with the goal of achieving the highest level of authenticity. The training is now offered in virtual reality.

Service Training- The training courses are founded on the knowledge of five-star airlines as well as the experience of active flight attendants. The training techniques are continuously improved.

Training Devices- More than 50 full flight simulators, two dozen door trainers, over 20 emergency simulators, and several cabin mock-ups – all state of art

Human Factors & other products- Public and private sector customers are welcome to attend the training sessions or use the event spaces.

Singapore Airlines Singapore Flying College

A completely owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, Singapore Flying College was established in 1988 with the goal of delivering the best levels of training to create pilots of the greatest caliber. The portfolio includes

CAAS Commercial Pilot License

CAAS Multi-Crew Pilot License

Multi-Engine Instrument Rating

UAPL Training

ATPL Theory

Singapore Flying College

The successful candidates must commit to serving both during training and for a period of seven years following their appointment as first officers. Singapore Airlines maintains its own direct hiring processes for pilots; no outside agencies or businesses are used.

United Airlines United Aviate Academy

With the official launch of the United Aviate Academy in January 2022, United Airlines made history by being the first major U.S. airline to possess a flying school. As United Airlines strives to train 5,000 new pilots at the school by 2030, it was a historic milestone for the organization.

United Aviate Academy is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Airlines and a part of United’s Aviate program. The following training will be offered to students in addition to those that aid in the transition from Avgeek to Commercial Pilot:

Get career direction and advice from United Aviate Ambassadors.

Receive a United education from experts with advanced training.

Train at the cutting-edge facility where the student will have access to the best tools, facilities, and flying conditions available in the business.

Get a feel for United's culture by getting started.

Join a company that values global citizenship by actively promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, protecting the environment, and fostering a more sustainable future.

What should an Ideal Air India Training Academy be like?

United started “United Aviate Academy” in Jan 2022 with the same idea in mind. Check out what its CEO, Scott Kirby, said about it–

“Our pilots are the best in the industry and have set a high standard of excellence. Recruiting and training even more people with the same talent, motivation, and skill is the right thing to do and will make us an even better airline.”

Each and every top-tier airline, including United, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, and others, has its own training facility. This increases their ability to oversee the quality of their training and human resources and helps them get international recognition. These airlines undoubtedly hold the best safety record and are liked by most travelers, forming a brand identity and loyal fan base.

India's aviation training currently falls short of international aviation standards. There are flying schools and basic training facilities in India. However, despite this, students still prefer to study abroad, where the facilities and infrastructure are far superior and often even more affordable.

An ideal training facility for Air India is based on how Air India may continue to grow and align with its developed plan, Vihaan. AI

If Air India chooses to house all training, experience, and expertise under one roof and mold the trainees according to the airline's standards from the beginning of their training, the process would be substantially streamlined. Such a "one-stop shop" will save time and money with the trainees it currently hires, and, in addition, it will foster ethical consistency among its employees from the start of their training process, producing sharper employees who will then contribute to the expansion of the airline as a whole. The following ideas can be implemented along with SPL, CPL, Single Engine IR, and Multi-Engine IR courses.

Space, a large site with a modern aesthetic that reflects India's roots and authenticity, and its culture are essential. To stay current with the trends around the world, it should be designed using standard technicality and digitalization.

Simulators and Other TR Tools The availability of simulators required to meet India's fleet requirements, a dedicated area, and other tools to reach levels required by Flight Safety International, L3 Harris, etc.

World-Class Teaching Facility An experienced teaching facility with instructors from both domestic and international training facilities may collaborate to offer the best services and teach the ethics and values of Air India.

Cabin Crew Exercise Facilities Focus should also be placed on additional airline training requirements, such as SEP (Safety Equipment & Procedures), ditching drills, and fire training. Emirates serves as a model in this regard.

With the success of their training establishment, the service could be offered to other domestic and international companies. 

The plans listed above are the bare minimum. It is based on how Air India may continue to grow and align with its developed plan, Vihaan. AI.

An Airline-Owned Training Centre can be a robust pillar in the monument that Air India wants to build!

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IndiGo operates its first wet leased B777 on the Delhi-Istanbul route

Radhika Bansal

01 Feb 2023

IndiGo starts operating wide-body Boeing 777 on the Delhi-Istanbul route from February 1. IndiGo so far has been operating only narrow-body all-economy Airbus planes. Flight 6E11 took off from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) at 07:24.

For the first time in over 16 years of operations, the Gurugram-headquartered airline will have twin-aisle planes in its fleet.

The Boeing 777 aircraft has a seating capacity of 400 passengers in a dual-class configuration -- economy and business, the airline said in a statement. The wide-body operations will help the airline cater to the increasing air travel demand between India and Turkey.

The customers will now be able to pre-book meals and purchase alcohol for in-flight consumption. According to IndiGo, Turkey has emerged as one of the most popular tourist destinations post-pandemic and has been one of the top choices for outbound tourism from India in 2022.

"We are inducting Boeing 777 aircraft to operate on one the most popular international routes Delhi-Istanbul-Delhi. The introduction of wide-body aircraft will not only increase capacity to Istanbul but also to Europe through code share flights with Turkish Airlines.

IndiGo is looking forward to offering consumers an even more comfortable and a hassle-free experience with multiple services such as pre-booked Jain meal, Veg, or Non-Veg hot meals as per preference, choice of buying blankets and pillows as well as amenity kits on the flight. Going further, we will explore more options to continue to offer a courteous, hassle-free, and on-time travel experience at affordable fares."

Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo

Code sharing allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide seamless transport to destinations without presence. The aircraft has been inducted on wet lease from Turkish Airlines, which also has a codeshare partnership with IndiGo.

The Boeing 777 will allow IndiGo to get first-hand experience in operating a widebody aircraft and offering passengers services such as the option of pre-booking hot meals. It will enable IndiGo to carry up to 400 passengers in a two-class configuration and offer widebody seats more suitable for longer flights.

For now, IndiGo is to deploy B777 aircraft for up to a year as the DGCA relaxed its rules and allowed Indian carriers to wet lease airplanes for six months with the option of extending it by another six months. IndiGo had initially wanted a two-year wet-lease agreement, but that was rejected by the DGCA, which viewed the request as a “diversion of traffic rights in collusion with a strong foreign carrier” that may have given Turkish Airlines an unfair advantage. But it met IndiGo halfway, and the carrier is expected to use widebody capacity throughout 2023.

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Star Air to add 4 new aircraft to its fleet

Sakshi Jain

31 Jan 2023

The parent company of Star Air, Sanjay Ghodawat Group, plans to increase its fleet by 4 more planes as part of its goal to increase its revenue.

The ambition is to boost revenue from 250 crores in FY23 to 700 crores in FY24. The Group operates in nine industries, such as FMCG, retail, and electricity, and is expected to generate revenues of 3,000 crores by 2023.

Star Air is the aviation arm of prominent Indian business conglomerate Sanjay Ghodawat Group that has its presence in various high-value business verticals like Agro, Aviation, Mining, Realty, Retail, FMCG, Energy, Education, Software, and Textiles.

As of January 2023, Star Air operates 5 Embraer ERJ 145LR and an order has been placed for 4 Embraer E175

Star Air mostly offers regular flights out of Bangalore International and Belgaum International airports throughout southern and eastern India.

At the pan-Indian level, Star Air provides both scheduled and non-scheduled (charter) flight services while providing excellent comfort and safety for passengers. Their goal is to "Connect Real India" by offering top-notch airline services to customers at a very competitive price.

As of January 2023, Star Air operates 5 Embraer ERJ 145LR and an order has been placed for 4 Embraer E175. 

Star Air is achieving the company's expansion goals and will be in operation for four years this year. “Our goal at Star Air has always been to keep things simple and keep expenses low,” Ghodawat said.

“We have been profitable for the past three years and will continue to be so. We are focusing on the niche market and will continue to expand in areas with less competition.”

–Shrenik Ghodawat, Managing Director, Star Air

When speaking about Star Air's objectives for FY24, he said, "Our aviation business is increasing and we hope to add four aircraft to our fleet. Our goal for the upcoming year is to triple our revenue, and we want to do this through aviation.”

“In FY24, we expect to expand to 20 destinations and boost flight frequencies to existing locations.”

“We’ll be running in 18 to 20 cities at full capacity despite having supply chain challenges like the rest of the industry. With a sweet spot being routes within one- to two-hour flying distances, we’ll concentrate on tying rural areas to major cities. To cut down on journey time, we compete not with the main airlines but rather with buses and railroads.”

–Ghodawat added

Star Air (India) (S5, Belgaum) said in a social media wrap-up of 2022 that it has ordered two further E175s in December 2022, bringing its planned fleet of the model to four.

Nordic Aviation Capital would lease the extra two planes to the regional carrier.

Nordic Aviation Capital would lease two planes to Star Air

Star Air now holds five E145 aircraft, according to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, and it acquired its first two E175 aircraft from Nordic Aviation Capital in the second half of 2022.

OY-YEF (MSN 17000852), a 2.3-year-old aircraft that was originally flown by Belavia (B2, Minsk National) and is presently being serviced in Bydgoszcz, is expected to be the first of the pair. In the first quarter of 2023, Star Air intends to acquire it and put it into operation.

Source: Hindu Business Line

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Boeing to open a new assembly line to produce B737 MAX

Sakshi Jain

31 Jan 2023

Boeing will establish a 4th assembly line to produce more B737 MAX, in an effort to convert a backlog of orders quicker and generate cash with jet deliveries.

On Monday, January 30, a Boeing executive said that the company would expand an existing plant in Everett, Washington, by adding an assembly line. Due to Boeing's decision to discontinue the manufacture of the venerable B747 and shift manufacturing of larger B787s to South Carolina, space is now available for the line to be installed in an existing facility in Everett, Washington.

The space needed for the line to be constructed in an existing facility in Everett, Washington, as Boeing won't be producing the legendary B747 anymore

It's the first expansion of work in Washington state since Boeing opened its advanced composite centre in Everett in 2016 for the purpose of manufacturing the B777X wings. This time, however, there were no threats made by Boeing to relocate the work elsewhere unless the Machinists union made concessions at the time.

As it strives to more rapidly convert a backlog of orders into cash-generating deliveries of new jets, Boeing will establish a fourth assembly line to produce more 737 MAX aircraft.

The plant is located about 40 miles north of Renton, a Seattle suburb where one of Boeing's 737 assembly lines has been idle but is being revived, Deal said. He said that the company is just increasing capacity, particularly for more recent MAX models, rather than moving the entire 737 programmes.

In order to try to catch up to the manufacturing pace of the Airbus A320 jet family, Boeing will be able to ramp up 737 MAX production thanks to the new assembly line.

Boeing will be able to ramp up 737 MAX productions with the help of the new assembly line

The MAX is Boeing's most popular model. After two fatal crashes involving a flight-control system that Boeing later upgraded, it was grounded for nearly two years all over the world.

Boeing has received sizable orders from United, Delta, Southwest, and foreign airlines since the U.S. and other regulators gave the MAX permission to start flying.

According to a memo sent to staff members on Monday by Stan Deal, CEO of Boeing's commercial planes division, the new line will debut in the second half of next year.

“This undertaking is significant. In addition to preparing the facility, we have begun the process of notifying and preparing our suppliers, customers, unions and employees as we take the necessary steps to create a new line.”

–Stan Deal, CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes

Although Boeing has been anxious to scale up production of the 737 MAX, CEO Dave Calhoun has stated that the company is wary of doing so due to labour and supply chain pressures.

Boeing aims to produce 50 B737 MAX jets per month in the 2025-2026 time period

It recently stated that it aims to produce 50 of the jets per month in the "2025–2026 timeframe." Currently, it produces roughly 31 jets per month. 

For Boeing employees in Everett, whose job prospects have steadily worsened, it is unquestionably a lifeline. Although it would undoubtedly safeguard jobs, it is questionable if it will create many new ones. The firm stated in a filing on Friday, January 28, that it intended to hire about 10,000 people this year.

There are now more than 3,600 of these single-aisle aircraft on order from airlines like United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines. Last year, Boeing received 700 orders for brand-new 737 MAX aircraft.   

Source: CNBC

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Air India to deploy new software for real-time in-flight Intel

Sakshi Jain

31 Jan 2023

Air India will adopt the cloud software Coruson from UK-based Ideagen to enhance safety and make it simpler to report incidents in real-time while flying.

The airline's decision is in response to at least three instances of disorderly passenger behaviour on two international flights last year. The DGCA, the aviation authority, fined the carrier as a result of these events.

Also read: Air India passenger incident: What? How? When?

According to a release from Air India, Coruson, the safety data software tool, would be accessible online as of May 1, 2023, and it will enable real-time reporting of in-flight incidents.

Air India, Coruson, the safety data software tool, would be accessible online as of May 1, 2023

According to Air India, the programme would largely eliminate the need for paperwork and ensure that automated processes immediately convey vital information to important individuals and authorities. "This will also lead to timely action".

The Airline is also working on getting iPads for the pilots and other staff members, and when these are released, Coruson will be compatible with them as well. Coruson will reportedly improve end-to-end safety management, including real-time information, reporting, and incident status for flights.

“Ideagen software covers all aspects of risk, giving the airline full visibility of safety data from maintenance of the aircraft through to cabin crew checks on board. It will provide Air India complete visibility across the airline's entire organisation, allowing it to access the latest data and use this to spot and mitigate potential risks, thereby enhancing the safety of operations.”

–PTI quoted

Air India is working to provide staff workers and Pilots with iPads that will be compatible with Coruson

According to Henry Donohoe, Head of Safety, Security, and Quality at Air India, the airline is planning to update its current systems and procedures significantly in order to ensure the smooth flow of information and intelligence in real-time. Coruson's appointment will significantly improve the capabilities for passenger and crew safety and well-being, especially at a time when Air India is rapidly growing its network, he added.

According to the press release, Ideagen serves more than 11,400 clients, including more than 250 airlines, including brands such as British Airways, Emirates, Boeing, Airbus, BAE and the US Navy.

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India, stated in July of last year that the airline is implementing a number of cutting-edge technological solutions to improve the passenger experience.

Amadeus Altéa PSS (Passenger Service System) is a suite of products from the travel technology company Amadeus that includes components for revenue management, revenue accounting, retailing and merchandising, website, mobile, and frequent flyer programme management. Soon after, Air India revealed it was utilising this travel technology company's suite.

In order to improve operational efficiency, Air India has chosen RateGain, a supplier of Software-as-a-Services (SaaS) solutions for travel and hospitality, to change pricing with real-time, precise, and high-quality airfare data.

Vihaan.AI, the five-year transformational roadmap for Air India includes distinct milestones. It will concentrate on massively expanding both its fleet and network, creating a fully redesigned client proposition, and enhancing dependability and performance.

Vihaan.AI aims to put Air India on a road to consistent development, financial success, and market dominance

Also read: Air India unveils Vihaan – a comprehensive 5-year transformation plan

Along with aggressively investing in the top industry people, the airline will also take the lead in technology, sustainability, and innovation. Vihaan.AI aims to put Air India on a road to consistent development, financial success, and market dominance.

With one of the largest domestic and international networks in the world, Air India today provides connections to over 90 destinations in more than 30 countries in Asia, Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia. With 113 aircraft in its fleet, it operates more than 500 flights every day.

Source: ET

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