Lufthansa pilots strike impacts 700 passengers at Delhi airport

Around 700 passengers on Friday, September 2 were stranded at the IGI airport's Terminal-3 after Germany-based Lufthansa airline cancelled two of its flights due to a pilots' strike, police said.

According to police, more than 100 people, relatives and family members of the stranded passengers gathered outside the airport and demanded refunds or alternate arrangements.

A piece of information was received on Friday, September 2 at 12:15 AM that a crowd has gathered on the main road in front of departure gate number 1, Terminal 3 IGI Airport, a senior police officer said.

Lufthansa pilots strike impacts 700 passengers at Delhi airport

The crowd which caused a traffic jam outside demanded a refund or alternate arrangement for their relatives who were present inside the terminal building, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Airport) Tanu Sharma said.

When they were told that the flights had been cancelled without any prior intimation, they became agitated. They were later pacified by the CISF and the airport staff.

Two flights of Lufthansa, one of them scheduled to depart at 2:50 AM for Frankfurt with 300 passengers, and another for Munich with 400 passengers and scheduled to depart at 1:10 AM, were cancelled, the DCP said.

Pilots staged a one-day strike to demand better pay and conditions.

Both flights were cancelled by the Lufthansa headquarters due to a one-day strike of all Lufthansa pilots demanding salary appraisals. The airline is taking steps to make alternate arrangements, police said.

ALSO READ - Lufthansa Group wants to strengthen its ties with Indian airlines

Strike by pilots

Pilots staged a one-day strike to demand better pay and conditions. Due to the strike, the airline said about 800 flights were grounded at its two biggest hubs, Frankfurt and Munich.

Due to the strike, Lufthansa's 800 flights were grounded at its two biggest hubs, Frankfurt and Munich.

During the coronavirus crisis, Lufthansa terminated agreements and started setting up a new airline with lower pay scale conditions, bypassing the collective deal.

Lufthansa said it had offered a one-time raise of 900 euros, amounting to a 5% increase for senior pilots and an 18% increase for those starting the profession.

The pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit had called for a 5.5% raise this year and an automatic above-inflation increase in 2023.

United States-based Ramco Systems Defense and Security Incorporated on Friday, September 2 said it would provide its aviation maintenance and engineering suite version 5.9 to support the SkyGuardian Global Support Solutions programme of unmanned aerial systems maker, General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI).

Ramco Systems Defense and Security is a wholly-owned subsidiary of aviation software provider Ramco Systems Corporation. General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems, Inc would use the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services provided by Ramco.

This programme provides full-sustainment solutions to the MQ-9B RPA operators, allowing maximum system commonality, availability, and complete training services.

"With deep functional and technical capabilities, the solution (offered by Ramco) will integrate General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems, operations globally and enable the SkyGuardian Global Support Solutions programme to support its customers…," the statement said.

"Securing the trust of a world leader in unmanned aerial systems is a landmark achievement for Ramco, and reflects the flexibility of Ramco software in catering to this unique segment.By harnessing Ramco's innovative features, we will work with General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems to improve the operational efficiency of its SkyGuardian Global Support Solutions programme."Manoj Kumar Singh, Chief Customer Officer, Aviation, Aerospace and Defence, Ramco Systems

Ramco's Aviation Software would offer modules covering maintenance planning and execution, engineering and fleet airworthiness management, and supply chain management, among others.

Launched in 2021, the SGSS programme has been designed to support GA-ASI’s customers operating the MQ-9B. This programme provides full-sustainment solutions to the MQ-9B RPA operators, allowing maximum system commonality, availability, and complete training services.

Ramco Systems to provide ERP & MRO services to US-based GA-ASI

According to GA-ASI, the SGSS reduces the overall lifecycle cost by leveraging sustainment costs across all the MQ-9B customers. The programme allows the integration of resources to deliver procurement, management, and depot repairs to the users, especially for regional operators.

"General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has the unique opportunity to deploy Ramco's out-of-the-box and industry-leading aviation sustainment solutions to help meet our end goal of having the right part at the right location, at the right time and the right price point."Sam Richardson, Vice-President (Sustainment), General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems with the deployment of software, would be able to manage its global warehouses and enable customers to order parts and get real-time updates on the progress of maintenance and repair tasks, the statement added.

A section of pilots of Alliance Air went on strike on Friday, September 2 over salary issues, resulting in the cancellation of some flights. Alliance Air, which is owned by the government, operates ATR planes.

In the wake of the pandemic, the salaries were cut by 60 per cent and till now, the pay has not been fully restored. One of the demands is the restoration of pilots’ salaries to the pre-COVID level.

The strike has heavily disrupted operation of the airline with nearly three-fourth of total flights cancelled. The airline operates around 120 flights per day.

Alliance Air connects 48 destinations within India with 100 departures per day.

Top airline executives said that the management will be meeting the pilots tomorrow to resolve the situation but a senior pilot said that they plan to continue the strike unless salary is restored. Alliance Air remains the only government-owned airline after Air India’s disinvestment.

"However, while every department of the airline has gone back to their pre-Covid salary and in some cases increment has been paid, pilots are still on a drastic pay cut."A pilot of the airline.

The airline is now under AI Asset Holding Company. The airline is the main airline for government’s regional connectivity scheme as it connects remote airports like Kullu, Dharamshalla and Pasighat, Tezu and Ziro in North East India.

After the disinvestment of Air India, Alliance Air is trying to revamp its independent identity refurbishing its aircraft cabin, investing in its own Information technology systems and launching a new marketing campaign as it charts its own course after the sale of Air India.

ALSO READ - Centre begins work on privatisation of Alliance Air & other Air India subsidiaries

Pre-COVID, the airline was flying to 62 destinations.

Separately, pilots of German airline Lufthansa also went on strike over pay issues. The pilots staged a one-day strike to press their demands for better pay and conditions at Germany's biggest carrier. Due to the strike, hundreds of flights were cancelled on Friday, triggering chaos around the world.

In Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport, around 700 passengers were stranded at Terminal-3. More than 100 relatives and family members of the stranded passengers later gathered outside the airport and demanded a refund or alternate arrangements.

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