Interim fixed pay system introduced by SpiceJet

SpiceJet, which had been paying pilots on an hourly basis due to the pandemic, announced on Sunday, September 26 that it had implemented a new "interim fixed salary system" for captains and first officers.

Pilot salaries will "increase significantly" under the new pay structure, according to the airline, and those who fly more than the required minimum hours will be paid overtime.

However, some SpiceJet pilots disputed SpiceJet's assurances, claiming "stress" as a result of the company's ongoing salary cuts, which began in April of last year.

SpiceJet introduces interim fixed pay system for captains, first officers

Despite the company achieving an occupancy rate of over 85% on passenger flights and being one of the largest air cargo carriers during the pandemic, the pilots claimed they were being paid a third or half of their pre-COVID-19 salaries.

After the COVID-19 outbreak, the Gurgaon-based airline said it had implemented a "block hour payment system" effective April 1, 2020, in which pilots were paid based on the hourly flying rate without having to send anyone on "leave without pay."

"During the pandemic, many other airlines and organisations severed employee contracts, but SpiceJet did not," a SpiceJet spokesperson told PTI.

The objectives of the new system, it said, are having a pay structure that reflects fixed salary components and other relevant components.

"The migration to the block hour payment model was expected to be short-lived. However, the second wave of COVID-19 has delayed the implementation of our 'normal' salary structure," the spokesperson said. An interim "fixed salary system" effective September 1, 2021, has now been implemented to provide better pay-out, said SpiceJet two days after it sent out an e-mail to all pilots announcing the change.

The objectives of the new system, it said, are having a pay structure that reflects fixed salary components and other relevant components. It will also enable payment of a fixed minimum salary to all available pilots and those who fly more than the stipulated minimum hours will be paid overtime, it added.

"The company will be paying higher amounts under the interim fixed salary system and this has been done keeping in mind the welfare of the greater pilot community," SpiceJet said. Contesting the company's claims on retrenchment, a SpiceJet insider said dozens of expat pilots, including captains, and some Indian pilots, who had put in their resignations, were sacked shortly after the pandemic outbreak.

"The expats were sacked hurriedly while the Indian pilots were not even asked to reconsider their decision of resignation. This does not happen usually," a pilot said on the condition of anonymity. Another senior pilot said, "Along with the hourly payments, we were promised a fixed monthly salary when the salaries were restructured in April last year. This fixed salary was very less for both what a captain and a first officer normally get." "However, we never got that fixed salary. Now, it's a huge amount for many of us which are pending. The company also never mentions it in person or on e-mails. There is no word if we will even be getting that hard-earned money ever," he said.

He added that many are under stress due to this continued reduction of salary. "Some of my colleagues have left the company due to financial pressure, while some are trying hard to make ends meet." Responding to this claim, SpiceJet spokesperson said there are "no huge pending salary arrears". All pending payments are kept as "outstanding payable" and are being paid in tranches, the spokesperson said.

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Saturday, September 25 that international flight operations at the Srinagar airport are likely to resume as efforts are made to start services between Srinagar and Sharjah. He also announced that the Srinagar airport's terminal would be expanded from 25,000 to 63,000 square metres.

"The first international flight connection from Srinagar to Sharjah (in the United Arad Emirates) will be started soon. Efforts are on so that international travellers come directly to Srinagar. This will be a historic decision, not just for Jammu and Kashmir, but the whole country.The Jammu airport will have a new 25,000 square metre terminal, adding to the existing one Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister for Civil Aviation

Sources said Sharjah was chosen as the first destination for restarting international flights from Srinagar due to the heavy volume of business between traders from J&K, particularly those dealing in horticulture produce, and retail outlets in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Earlier too, Srinagar handled international flights but they were only for Hajj purposes.

There will be an investment of INR 1,500 crore at the Srinagar airport, while INR 600 crore will be spent on the Jammu airport. The runway at the Jammu airport has been extended to 8,000 feet and there will be no load penalty on flights at the airport from October 1, he said.

INR 600 crore will be spent on the Jammu airport.

The minister said a new cargo terminal at the Srinagar airport, constructed for INR 15 crore, will be made functional on October 1.

On the issue of landing operations at the airport here, he said the civil aviation ministry and the Jammu and Kashmir administration will hold discussions with the defence ministry for the installation of CAT-II ILS system for overcoming flight cancellations due to bad weather.

Scindia also held a review meeting at the airport and then held an hour-long discussion with Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for strengthening the aviation infrastructure in the Union Territory. The minister said he has requested Sinha to consider reducing the VAT on aviation turbine fuel to one per cent which will help in attracting more airlines to Jammu and Kashmir.

Image Courtesy - ANI

"It will be a boost for the tourism and development of Jammu and Kashmir as more flights will translate into more connectivity and more tourists, " he said. Scindia said the lieutenant governor has also assured to transfer 122 acres of land needed for expansion of the Jammu airport to the Airport Authority of India by October 10.

"On the same day, feasibility and design studies will be started," he said. Scindia and Sinha also discussed ways of using helicopter services for promoting tourism in Jammu and Kashmir as it is done in states like Uttarakhand.

On surging air ticket prices during the winter season, Scindia said he will have the alleged cartelisation investigated. "We will stop it if there is any cartelisation. Also, the best way to check this kind of practice is to increase the connectivity. We are taking steps in that direction," he added.

The central government on Friday, September 24 released India's airspace map for drone operations under the collective vision of an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. "The drone airspace map comes as a follow-through of the liberalized Drone Rules, 2021 released by the government on August 25, the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme for drones released on September 15 and the Geospatial Data Guidelines issued on February 15," the Ministry of Civil Aviation stated in a release.

https://twitter.com/JM_Scindia/status/1441425828567392270

All these policy reforms will catalyze super-normal growth in the upcoming drone sector, it added.

The Ministry also said, "Given its traditional strengths in innovation, information technology, frugal engineering and its huge domestic demand, India has the potential of becoming a global drone hub by 2030."

Features of drone airspace maps and different zones explained by Aviation Ministry:

Green Zone

Its zone is the airspace up to 400 feet that have not been designated as a red or yellow zone and up to 200 feet above the area located between 8-12 km from the perimeter of an operational airport. In green zones, no permission whatsoever is required for operating drones with an all-up weight up to 500 kg.

Yellow zone

It is the airspace above 400 feet in a designated green zone; above 200 feet in the area located between 8-12 km from the perimeter of an operational airport and above ground in the area located between 5-8 km from the perimeter of an operational airport.

Drone operations in the yellow zone require permission from the concerned air traffic control authority – AAI, IAF, Navy, HAL etc. The yellow zone has been reduced from 45 km earlier to 12 km from the airport perimeter.

This is the snippet of the drone airspace map. We can clearly see Red and Yellow zones here.

Red zone

The red zone is the ‘no-drone zone' within which drones can be operated only after permission from the Centre.

The Ministry further mentioned that the airspace map may be modified by authorized entities from time to time.

"Anyone planning to operate a drone should mandatorily check the latest airspace map for any changes in zone boundaries," it added.

The map can be viewed on aviation regulator DGCA's digital sky platform.

The New Drone Rules

The New Drone Rules or the liberalised Drone Rules 2021 were released by the Central Government on August 25 followed by the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones on September 15 and the Geospatial Data Guidelines on February 15. These policy reforms are expected to further catalyse super-normal growth in the upcoming drone sector. 

Adding to it, the drones will provide numerous benefits to the economy as they will be utilised for agricultural, mining, infrastructure, emergency purposes, transportation, defence, law enforcement, and many more. One of the major highlights of its inclusion will be its reach to even the most remote and inaccessible areas.

Talking about its investment, the drone industry may witness an investment of more than INR 5,000 crore over the upcoming three years. Also, the annual sales turnover will grow in the current fiscal year and is estimated to cross more than INR 900 crore in the next financial year. Furthermore,  it will also provide over 10,000 employment opportunities for people in the industry. 

Robb Report

Various countries are gradually opening up their borders to visitors, and families and travel bugs have started packing their bags and catching up on holiday-ing and backpacking to various destinations across the globe.With Diwali round the corner, travellers are leaving no stone unturned to make sure they spend the festive season with a bang this time around.If reports are to be believed, there's been an unprecedented surge in private charter bookings with the bulk of bookings made for the month of October and November, at a time when Durga Puja and Diwali is celebrated.

There is a spurt seen in the charter segment for leisure or festive season charter travellers this year as more domestic and international travel destinations have opened for Indian citizensShanil Desai, director of Jetfleet Aviation

According to him, there's been a increase of 24% in passenger demands this year as opposed to last year during the festive season.Additionally, he added that they are further expecting a higher demand come winter for leisure/charter operations.

A majority of these domestic bookings are for Diwali and Durga Puja holidays. The preferred flight is a single charter flight with six to eight passengers along with their petsSimi Kuriakose, emergency mission controller - Asia-Pacific of Airborne Private Jet

Furthermore, she said customers now have international destinations in mind with Moscow, Maldives, Dubai, Thailand and Bali being the top picks. Statistics show a 60% opting for overseas travel while the rest want to head back home within the country for the festivities.

With the upcoming festive season and the government lifting the travel restrictions for both domestic and international destinations gradually, we are witnessing a drastic surge in charter booking requestsKanika Tekriwal, CEO and founder, JetSetGo Aviation

Kanika Tekriwal / Outlook Business WoW

Why are people switching to private charter flights now?

Although commercial flight operations have been allowed to operate at 85% capacity, people still prefer flying private majorly because of the high level of safety it offers.

This is where a private jet comes in with a completely different working process from booking to landing at your destinationNisha Sharma, MD, Aloft Aviation

As mentioned earlier, travellers are now looking at more off-beat, destination hotspots to bring in the festive cheer with family.

Usually, popular sectors for travelling amidst festivities are Goa, Jaipur, Kolkata, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Maldives, Dubai, Kathmandu, Koh Samui, Phuket, Singapore, Bangkok and Mauritius. However, due to uncertainties linked to international travel, we are currently witnessing travel booking requests for selected countries like Maldives, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Russia and some of the European countriessays Tekriwal.

Maldives continues to retain the spot as a travellers' paradise. Current trends show a single family hiring a 6-8 medium size jet while bigger families tend to opt for the more spacious 10-13 seater jets.Bookings are made 30-45 days prior to the date of travelling and travel gurus predict the trend to continue for as long as the year ends.

COVER: Trac.in

If reports are to be believed, a contract has been awarded by the US aerospace giant Boeing, to an Indian company for the manufacture of aerostructures of its newest tactical fighter F-15EX ‘Eagle II.

nationalinterest,org

The contract between Bengaluru-headquartered Dynamatic Technologies and Boeing would further boost the "Make in India" campaign, which has already been witnessing a surge in its activities with contracts from foreign entities.Interestingly, Boeing is also pitching the F-15EX to the Indian Air Force (IAF), suggesting the aerospace conglomerate's deep interest in Indian market. The contract proves the mettle of Indian Manufacturing Quality in the global world.Since April 2018, IAF has floated a tender for the procurement of 114 additional fighter jets for its air fleet.Apparently, Boeing’s Eagle II is competing for the tender alongside seven other aircraft including Swedish Saab’s Gripen, the Russian MiG-35 and Su-35, French Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, the US’ Lockheed Martin’s F-21, and Boeing’s Super Hornet.

Dynamatic Technologies CEO Udayant Malhoutra / Economic times

Tech and specifications

Capable of launching hypersonic munitions that are up to 6.7 meters long and weighing up to 3,175 kg, this bird can carry more weapons of any fighter jet of its class. It boasts of a digital airframe with advanced rapid technology insertion. With open mission systems architecture ,Although the F-15EX costs $87.7 million a piece, it offsets the high price through a relatively low operating price, $27,000.The firm, Dynamatic Technologies,  has been closely associated with Boeing as a strategic tier-1 supply partner for more than a decade. The company provides aerostructures for several platforms, including the ailerons and wing flaps for the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) HJT-36 intermediate jet trainer and the forward fuselage of the LCA Tejas fighter.

There is tremendous potential for India to contribute industrially and technologically to the global aerospace industryBoeing

Also, the Indian Navy is also trying to acquire P-8I long range maritime patrol aircraft from Boeing. Apparently, the Navy is exploiting the P-8Is at a higher rate than the U.S. Navy-according to Surendra Ahuja, Managing Director, Boeing Defence India.

Naval News

It is also said that Boeing is in the process of setting up a 60,000-sq. ft. training support and data handling centre at INS Rajali, Arakkonam, with a secondary centre at the Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology (NIAT), Kochi. Exciting times for Indian aviation ahead indeed.

COVER: The Financial Express

An interactive airspace map will be uploaded on a digital platform in the next two days with red, yellow and green zones earmarked on it, indicating go and no-go areas for operating drones, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday, September 23 a month after the Centre unveiled a new policy for unmanned aerial vehicles. The airspace map has been prepared after consultation with state governments, he said.

In the coming two days, an interactive airspace map for the entire country will be uploaded having red, yellow and green areas for flying drones. In the red space, no drones will be allowed to fly, while in the yellow one, they will fly with permission (from authorities). In the green space, no permission will be required at all for flying drones, Scindia told reporters here.

"We have prepared this airspace map in consultation with all state governments. There will be a Digital Sky Platform on it, which means there will be no (role of) the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Permission (for operating drones) will be granted by the Digital Sky Platform. Those seeking it will have to enter the entire flight path. Within five seconds, permission or lack of it will be known."Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister for Civil Aviation

Soon after getting permission, people can fly their drones, he said. Citing an example from Telangana, Scindia said two days back coronavirus vaccines were transported by a drone to a remote area where nurses, doctors and beneficiaries were already present for inoculation.

The moment it landed at the designated place, nurses recorded the number of vaccines received in the inventory and soon after jabs were administered to people, he said. The new drone policy will give a fresh impetus to India's economy and generate employment opportunities for people, especially youths, the minister said.

He said a 10th class student can become a drone pilot by getting training in 15 days to two months and can easily earn a salary of INR 30,000 per month."This is the strength of the new drone policy," Scindia said.

In a notification dated August 25, the Ministry of Civil Aviation eased the rules regarding drone operations in the country by reducing the number of forms that need to be filled to operate them from 25 to 5 and decreasing the types of fees charged from the operator from 72 to 4.

The fee, according to the new rules, has been reduced to nominal levels and de-linked from the size of the drone. The rules have also abolished the requirement of various approvals, including certificate of conformance, certificate of maintenance, import clearance, acceptance of existing drones, operator permits, authorisation of R&D organisation and student remote pilot licence.

Other approvals such as unique authorisation number, unique prototype identification number and certificate of manufacturing and airworthiness have also been abolished, according to Drone Rules, 2021.