Israel set to ban four-engined planes

As of March 31, 2023, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) will be banning four-engine planes from operating to & from Israel. Popular planes with four engines include the Airbus A340, Airbus A380, and Boeing 747.

Currently, no airlines fly four-engine planes to Israel, though there are occasionally cargo flights operated by such planes. EL AL used to fly Boeing 747s, but retired those in 2019. It’s stated that this ban is being implemented over environmental, noise, and sustainability concerns.

Israel banning planes with four engines.

With the ban in place, the four-engined planes will solely be capable of functioning to or from Israel in distinctive circumstances, and particular permission will be obtained upfront from Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV).

Whereas particulars of what exceptions will likely be allowed stay scarce, an emergency touchdown or authorities plane (similar to Air Force One) would presumably be granted permission.

“The rise in passenger and plane visitors at Ben Gurion Airport is an environmental problem. I intend to guide the Airports Authority and Ben Gurion Airport not solely within the fields of digitization but in addition to guide the setting and sustainability on the earth of aviation, stopping the touchdown of 4-engine planes at Ben Gurion Airport is one step and step one in a broader plan that’s at the moment being formulated.”Hagai Topolansky, Director Common of the Israel Airports Authority.

Planes with 4 engines are usually not at all times much less environmentally pleasant than their twin-engined counterparts. For instance, because of its giant passenger capability, the Airbus A380 has a decrease in gas burn per passenger than many twin-engined planes.

Having 4 engines doesn’t essentially imply that the plane is noisier – superior expertise implies that the engines on the trendy plane such because the Airbus A380 will be quieter than those on the older, twin-engined plane.

It’s stated that this ban is being implemented over environmental, noise, and sustainability concerns.

The IAA has already contacted airways to advise them of the upcoming ban. Nonetheless, there are at the moment no scheduled business flights into Israel utilizing the Airbus A340, Airbus A380, or Boeing 747.

Before now, El Al was among the many carriers working four-engined passenger planes into Tel Aviv, flying repeatedly to locations similar to New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX).

The Israeli flag provider retired its Boeing 747-400s shortly earlier than the pandemic. Delta Air Strains additionally flew into Tel Aviv with its Boeing 747-400s, earlier than retiring the sort in December 2017.

ALSO READ - Israeli Airlines plans to expand routes to India and other Asian destinations

SpiceJet has received an extension of up to three months for conducting its annual general meeting for the financial year that ended March 2022. Now, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the last financial year will be held on or before December 31, 2022.

The budget carrier announced its results for 2021-22 fiscal along with June quarter results on August 31. In a regulatory filing, the airline said it has obtained an extension of up to three months from the Registrar of Companies (NCT of Delhi & Haryana) for conducting the Annual General Meeting for the financial year ending March 31, 2022.

ALSO READ - SpiceJet under attack by ransomware; morning flights affected

SpiceJet set to receive funds through ECGLS; receives an extension of up to 3 months for AGM'22

This is "due to delay in the publication of financial results for the year ended March 31, 2022, on account of a ransomware attack on IT system(s) which affected the completion of the audit process within the stipulated time," it added.

The airline saw its net loss widen to INR 458 crore in the 2022 March quarter from INR 235.3 crore in the year-ago period. For the full fiscal year 2021-22, the net loss surged 73% to INR 1,725 crore from INR 998.30 crore in the comparable period. In the three months ended June this year, the carrier's net loss widened to INR 789 crore.

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

Moreover, amid the widening quarterly loss and a series of recent mid-air incidents with the airline, its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Sanjeev Taneja, resigned on August 31.

The airline saw its net loss widen to INR 458 crore in the 2022 March quarter from INR 235.3 crore in the year-ago period.

The airline, in an exchange filing, had also stated that the board had identified the candidate for appointment as CFO. "The vacancy shall be filled in September 2022 and the necessary disclosure regarding such appointment shall be made upon completion of all formalities," it added.

Shares of SpiceJet on Friday, September 2 closed 0.33% higher at INR 45.10 apiece on BSE.

SpiceJet to get funds from ECLGS

SpiceJet is likely to receive around INR 225 crore next week as a part of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS). The funds will be used to clear statutory dues and lessor payments. SpiceJet had applied for INR 280 crore loans under the ECLGS.

Launched by the central government as a special scheme in wake of Covid-19 in 2020, the programme intended to provide guarantee coverage to banks and NBFCs to enable them to extend emergency credit to various industries to meet their working capital requirements.

SpiceJet is likely to receive around INR 225 crore next week as a part of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS).

Under ECLGS, an aviation sector company can get a loan of up to 50% of its total credit outstanding across all lending institutions. However, the amount borrowed by the company can not be more than INR 400 crore.

ALSO READ - Spicejet looking for a “knight in shining armour” to help with financial distress

SpiceJet is looking to raise INR 2,000 crore through various means, including a stake sale, its largest shareholder and chairman, Ajay Singh, said. "We are exploring and ready to look at all options… on the table. We will ensure SpiceJet remains financially vibrant," said Singh.

ALSO READ - Cash-strapped SpiceJet plans to take delivery of 7 Boeing 737 Max

The no-frills airline is expecting Boeing to resume delivery of the 737 Max aircraft in October. SpiceJet plans to take delivery of seven planes, which will also bring in income through their sale and leaseback.

SpiceJet is looking to raise INR 2,000 crore through various means, including a stake sale

Singh holds around 60% of the airline, of which 44.24% is pledged with lenders. Based on its Tuesday, August 30 closing share price of INR 46.25 on the BSE, SpiceJet's market cap was INR 2,783 crore.

Separately, SpiceJet employees on Wednesday, August 31 alleged a delay in the disbursal of salaries for the second straight month, with the budget airline saying the payments were being made in a "graded format".

ALSO READ - DGCA orders SpiceJet to operate only 50% of approved flights

In recent months, SpiceJet has been facing turbulent times, including financial headwinds. In July, the regulator directed the airline to operate only 50% of flights in the wake of many of its planes facing technical issues.

There have been several technological improvements in the aircraft sector that have advanced the realisation of concepts. One such development in the field that has the potential to transform air travel over metropolitan areas is the eVTOL aircraft. Many different eVTOL variants have been prototyped and tested over the past few years.

Representative | IEEE Spectrum

There are already more than 250 different eVTOL designs on the market as a consequence of numerous product reforms, patent filings, design advances, and testing that led to the emergence of several eVTOL businesses. The majority of investments have been made to enhance aircraft performance, power output, and design.

The focus on operator and passenger safety has driven the aviation industry to develop more variants to meet various client expectations. eVTOL aircraft are likely to be employed for both cargo and passenger transport.

What are the breakthroughs in powering eVTOLs?

The capabilities of onboard electric power and battery technology determine the functions that eVTOLs can perform.Power is needed during the critical flying phases, including takeoff, landing, and flight (especially in high wind conditions).There is a "Diamond Nuclear Voltaic (DNV) technology" that produces self-charging batteries out of tiny amounts of radioactive carbon-14 waste encapsulated in stacked industrial diamonds.Depending on the flight mission, several industry experts are looking at hybrid technologies like hydrogen cells and batteries instead of solely using batteries.

Some prominent use-cases of eVTOL

1. eVTOL in transportation

The Jetson single-seat ONE eVTOL | Electrek

When Uber first announced its air taxi business, Uber Elevate (now owned by Joby Aviation), it looked like a lofty goal. But recently, a lot of aerospace enterprises have started focusing on developing air taxis to cater to a specific demographic of passengers. Reportedly, the infrastructure expenses for air taxis will be significantly lower and still more effective than those for terrestrial transportation. It will be of great assistance in areas with high commuter demand and limited supply.

2. Emergency medical care using eVTOL

Representative | Aviation Today

According to an ongoing research project by Urban Aeronautics, CityHawk Vehicle, eVTOL ambulances could speed up favourable results in more than half of cardiac arrest cases by reducing the time it takes for emergency medical personnel to arrive on the scene. In distant places, specifically, enhanced mobility vehicles can cut the time needed for medical tests and supplies from hours to just 15 minutes.

3. Search and rescue with eVTOL

eVTOL can improve search and rescue efforts. Because of its ability to travel over new territory and additional characteristics like visual help, it can locate people who are trapped in debris following disasters like landslides, fires, or earthquakes.

Representative | Clean Future

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are being developed to be less expensive and noisier than conventional helicopters. Many challenges face the industry as a whole, despite the efforts of hundreds of tech businesses throughout the world to pioneer eVTOL vehicles.

What then, are the proposed challenges?

1. Infrastructure

The VFS (Vertical Flight Society) states that existing heliports will have to change to vertiports, which are landing areas for helicopters and various other VTOLs or rotorcraft. Although most modern heliports can accommodate eVTOL aircraft, they sometimes lack charging facilities.

WPEC

The architecture and engineering design firm PS&S attempts to pave the way with vertiport concepts for urban, suburban, and waterfront settings. Each of these plans features terminals where passengers can wait for their flights as well as landing pads and charging stations.

Other industry titans are utilising the conversion of vacant parking garages into vertiports in urban areas, such as Archer Aviation and REEF Technology. The upgrading of rooftop access for eVTOLs in North America will be considered for REEF's current 4,800 parking garages.

2. Regulations and Standards

eVTOLs are now found in an odd place within the aerospace sector. Since they aren't quite helicopters or aeroplanes, authorities struggle to implement these cutting-edge aircraft according to established government laws.

However, that being said, the FAA stated that it would create additional powered-lift regulations "to securely enable innovation" for "operations and pilot training" in addition to certifying eVTOLs as powered-lift aircraft, a category that already exists.

3. Public Acceptance

When it comes to creating any form of vehicle, safety is always put first. Due to the fact that eVTOLs are a more recent technological advancement, the general public may be apprehensive of the risks associated with using them, but this may primarily be due to unfamiliarity.

Electric vertical take-off and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft are currently being valued at some astounding levels. The market value of Joby, an air taxi with a tilting rotor, is $5.5 billion. Lilium is valued at $2.7 billion and is propelled forward by 34 electric turbofans in unison. Another tilting rotor air taxi, Archer, has a $1.4 billion market value.

China's Ehang, which is valued at $1.4 billion, is also testing an autonomous air taxi with blades that passengers must carefully wade over to enter the cabin. Although Blade Air Mobility is more of a luxury air travel Uber than an eVTOL company, it has a valuation of little around $700 million.

Lilium eVTOL | Electrek

Despite huge interest in this "niche" category of transport, apprehensions about the successful integration of eVTOLs in the aviation ecosystem still remain.

Why?

Currently, the whole yearly market for helicopters, including commuter models, military gear, and other types, is only $42 billion, the majority of which goes to the military. Many of the tasks that helicopters once performed are now delegated to unmanned aerial vehicles. Only Statista seems to comprehend that the manned rotorcraft business isn't expanding because it forecasts an 18% fall in military sales from 2019 to 2029.

Compared to fixed-wing aircraft, normal rotorcraft typically need four to five hours of maintenance for every hour of flying. Because tilt wing rotorcraft have more complex failure scenarios, they often need extensive maintenance. The engines and drivetrains of conventional helicopters are significantly more complex than electric drivetrains, yet rotorcraft are difficult, and converting rotorcraft to horizontal flight with lifting surfaces is challenging.

V22 Osprey Tiltrotor | Forbes

The unfortunate reality of EVTOLs is that travelling up and down and forward while using rotors both demand a significant amount of energy. A classic cliche within aviation circles says helicopters force the air to allow them to fly. When flying forward, the range can be increased by tilting the rotors to a horizontal position and using the wings and body lifting surfaces.

Going ahead

Regardless of the pros and cons, the eVTOL industry is poised to become mainstream at least by the 2030s.

Consistent laws are essential to preserve security and address possible problems, just like in any emerging industry. Together, NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are drafting safety requirements for these new vehicles and their accompanying infrastructure in the case of eVTOL.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Aviation Week

Saudi Arabia is finalising the launch its multi-billion-dollar new international airline, which sources say is likely to be branded “RIA”, according to a report published in Arabian Business.

The Kingdom has been working on the launch for the past 12 months, with the new venture backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

Sources close to the PIF told Arabian Business that “RIA” is being tipped as the name for the new carrier. Once launched, it will become Saudi’s second national carrier, based out of Riyadh. The current SAUDIA operates from Jeddah.

The current SAUDIA operates from Jeddah.

Part of the blueprint for the country’s Vision 2030 is a USD 100 billion investment in the aviation sector over the next eight years, the bulk of which will go towards establishing a new national carrier serving global routes.

“We are talking about a brand-new airline that aims to do what Emirates did in a quarter of the timescale. It’s unprecedented in the history of aviation. It’s also why they have yet to appoint a CEO – whoever takes this job will have to deliver the most ambitious targets you can imagine,” the source said.

It is understood that “RIA” has been submitted to the PIF as a preferred option, though the final decision is likely to be made by Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman.

Saudi Arabia is targeting 30 million international transit passengers by 2030

Saudi Arabia is targeting 30 million international transit passengers by 2030, compared to under four million currently.

Sources suggest this will mean the new carrier will eventually need to operate over 150 routes globally, across Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia, which necessitates USD 30 billion investment. Emirates currently flies to 158 destinations in 85 countries.

“Right now, about 60% of all air traffic into Saudi comes from the Middle East. Asia-Pacific is around 20%, Africa just 10% – this is where the huge potential is,” the source added.

Emirates currently flies to 158 destinations in 85 countries.

In May 2021, Saudi Arabia announced an aviation strategy targeting 250 direct destinations, tripling traffic and the creation of a new carrier.

The introduction of a new airline, which will operate alongside the national carrier Saudia formerly Saudi Arabian Airlines — will play a major role in the government’s plan to diversify its economy, boost tourism and reduce reliance on oil.

(With Inputs from Arabian Business)

Vistara is among India’s top airlines, with an operating landscape of more than 40 destinations (both domestic and international) using a fleet of 54 aircraft. The airline has flown over 35 million customers since its inception, of which 5 million were flown between March to July 2022.

According to Vinod Bhat, CIO, Vistara, the organisation’s key priorities have always revolved around a seamless customer experience, and how the company can work towards elevating it to the next level.

“To ensure that we have strived to maintain the right balance of value for our customers and cost efficiency. Another important aspect is making sure that our infrastructure is resilient. We have been rapidly investing in IT infrastructure and new digital technologies that are easily adaptable and scalable to further enhance customer experience,” he says.

Vinod Bhat, CIO, Vistara

These technological interventions are helping Vistara obtain a 360-degree view of its customers’ expectations. They help the airline keep track of all customer touchpoints, for example, the call centre applications, ground services, etc. to validate whether customers’ needs are being met.

Vistara has access to real-time data, which helps achieve efficiency in its response time for any customer-related aspects like baggage, tickets, etc.

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

“Moving on to cost optimization, these interventions help us automate the daily mundane tasks, which saves us a lot of time, money and manpower, and improve our productivity. E-tech logbook and RFID are two of the most recent and relevant examples of the technologies we are using at Vistara that help us reduce cost and maximise business value,” says Bhat.

Vistara appointed Ultramain Electronic Logbook (ELB) to enable accurate, real-time global operational visibility of the entire Vistara fleet for efficient maintenance

ALSO READ - Vistara becomes first Indian scheduled operator to implement RFID Equipment and Maintenance Checking – Here’s what we know

Vistara is also India’s first airline (and one of the few worldwide) to have a 100% cloud-based IT infrastructure, which Bhat believes makes things a lot more efficient and more accessible, given the complexity of airline operations.

All of Vistara’s application landscapes, servers and platforms are on the cloud. The airline has also deliberately ensured that it is present in a multi-cloud environment, i.e., the company doesn’t have only one type of cloud, whereas multiple types of cloud systems are put in place to ensure workload optimization.

“From the very beginning, we at Vistara understood the importance of cloud and its ability to launch new workloads cost-efficiently. Cloud has not just proven to be resilient during the pandemic but also given us scalability with its demand-based infrastructure. Through this, we were able to adapt to dynamic market conditions and navigate demand and supply fluctuations smoothly.The cost of our cloud infrastructure is only ‘pay-per-use’, which essentially means the workloads, storage, computer power we were using depends on the market demand and costs depend on usage. So, the pay-per-use model has helped us optimize costs and has worked excellently for us."Vinod Bhat, CIO, Vistara

Leveraging data & automation to enhance operational efficiency Any airline deals with vast quantities of data that are spread across geographies and time zones. This data is crucial to ensure seamless air and ground operations.

According to Bhat, with a lot of data across multiple touchpoints, it is difficult to manually filter out what is relevant for the business. “AI/ML gives us a clear view of the data and helps us draw inferences – this data can be related to anything – customer, campaign, safety, engineering, operations, etc. So, AI/ML helps us make sense of that data and make critical decisions.”

New technologies like RFID are helping Vistara not only manage the inventory within the aircraft but also track the expiry of that inventory.

For example, when it comes to safety concerns related to any part of the aircraft, with the use of AI/ML, the engineering team can make quick decisions and act on them. A campaign can be personalised as per the data we can filter out using AI/ML.

Similarly, Vistara can also hyper-personalise its services or campaigns for its customers with the use of AI/ML. Automation is one of the key levers of any digital transformation journey.

ALSO READ - Delhi airport introduces ‘BAGG TRAX’, RFID-enabled tag to track check-in luggage

New technologies like RFID are helping Vistara not only manage the inventory within the aircraft but also track the expiry of that inventory.

Vistara has flown over 35 million customers since its inception, of which 5 million were flown between March to July 2022.

The full-service carrier also appointed Ultramain Electronic Logbook (ELB) which will enable accurate, real-time global operational visibility of the entire Vistara fleet for efficient maintenance, higher dispatch reliability, and increased aircraft utilization.

Currently in the airborne proving stage, implementing the electronic logbook will enable Vistara to digitize the aircraft paper flight logs with an easy-to-use, touch-screen interface for effortless communication between cockpit crews and ground maintenance teams.

“At Vistara, we are constantly looking for opportunities to automate processes involved in the aviation business, across various departments – flight operations, ground services, corporate, safety, HR, engineering, etc,” says Bhat.

(With Inputs from ET CIO)

AirAsia Resumes delivery of A321neo aircraft, the Malaysian low-cost carrier, has announced its plans to resume the delivery of Airbus A321neo aircraft. During the pandemic, the carrier suspended new aircraft delivery.

Airbus and AirAsia inked the concrete deal for the new aircraft before the pandemic. In response to the prolonged pandemic, the pair agreed to amend the deal last year, converting the remaining undelivered 13 A320s to A321neos. The latest deal is a total order of 362 A321neo aircraft with deliveries through 2035.

According to the airline, four A321neos have been delivered since 2019. The low-cost carrier is one of Airbus’ regular customers. In 2011, the carrier signed a deal for 200 A320 aircraft at the Paris Air Show.

According to Airbus, Malaysia is Airbus’s third-largest market in the Asia-Pacific region, following China and India.

AirAsia is not the only Malaysian carrier to resume aircraft delivery recently. Malaysia Airlines, the flag carrier in the country, has confirmed a deal of 20 new Airbus A330neos. The new aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in 2024.

ALSO READ - AirAsia reaches deal to restructure Airbus jet order

"The new aircraft are expected to meet the goal of net zero by 2050. We will also be taking delivery of the new Airbus A321neos from 2024, which will further reduce our emission per seat by 20% while driving our business growth."Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia.

Meanwhile, the no-frills carrier posted a net operating loss of USD 52.3 million in the second quarter of 2022. However, the airline has seen a sign of rebounding after the pandemic. The revenue of the second quarter of 2022 increased by 277% year-over-year.

After fewer travel restrictions, the demand for domestic and international travel is on rising.

In response to the higher fuel prices, AirAsia has increased its fares by 10% and implemented a fuel charge. In the second quarter alone, the carrier relaunched 159 international routes. With this end in view, 78% of its furloughed staff have returned to the office, and expect the remaining staff will be returned by the end of the year.

The carrier said that only 65 aircraft were operating by the end of June. Compared to the same time last year when only 15 aircraft were in the skies. In addition, AirAsia has further reviewed that 108 aircraft returned to the skies as of August, and is expected to increase to 160 by the end of the year. The airline has forecasted full operations by the second quarter of 2023.

 In addition to the Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia, there are several affiliate AirAsia airlines including Thai AirAsia, Philippines AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, and AirAsia India.

With inputs from A.G.