Modernization of Air India to start soon by Tata Technologies

Tata Technologies will work on modernising operations of Air India by digitizing its fleet and equipment data and introducing digital solutions for aircraft maintenance, as the Tata Group moves to revive the country’s oldest airline.

Tata Technologies Limited is a company in the Tata Group that provides services in engineering and design, product lifecycle management, manufacturing, product development, and IT service management to automotive and aerospace original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers. It is a subsidiary of Tata Motors.

Air India's load factor improves to 80% under the Tata group.

Tata Technologies is 74% owned by Tata Motors. It gets 75% of its revenue from the automotive segment.

Chairman, N Chandrasekaran said earlier, that the Tata group will invest in new aircraft and technologies to make Air India a world-class airline, besides undertaking an organisational redesign to make it future-ready like its other group companies.

ALSO READ - Air India prepares to add more than 200 aircraft; the most significant order in a long time

Air India plans to order more than 300 planes, even as it sells old aircraft. It recently invited bids for its three long-range, wide-bodied Boeing 777 planes.

ALSO READ - Air India issues tender to sell 3 B777-200LR aircraft

The company also wants to make the aerospace business its second biggest revenue earner after automobiles. 

Aloke Palsikar, executive vice-president, Tata Technologies said the work would include digitizing the fleet and equipment data of Air India and also bringing digital solutions to aircraft maintenance, repair and the overhauled unit that the Tatas acquired along with the airline.

"Air India is not just a business for the Tatas. There’s a lot of emotion involved.The entire strength of the Tata Group will be leveraged in putting Air India back on its feet. We are no different. The whole integration has started. We are in conversation with them on a lot of our domains.” Aloke Palsikar, Executive Vice-President and Head of Growth Industries and Nordics, Tata Technologies

Palsikar said the company aims to make the aerospace business its second-biggest revenue generator in three years. The addressable market for Tata Technologies is worth $50 billion and will grow by 50% in a year.

Cruise is that phase of aircraft flight that starts when the aircraft levels off after a climb until it begins to descend for landing. Commercial or passenger aircraft are usually designed for optimum performance around their cruise speed and a number of factors including payload, centre of gravity, air temperature and humidity influence cruise speed and altitude.

It is a common observation among flyers traveling eastbound that the journey takes a significantly lesser amount of time than for the same journey westbound.

Representative | Source

Does it have anything to do with the earth's spinning? Not really.

Jet streams are narrow bands of strong wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere. The winds blow from west to east in jet streams but the flow often shifts to the north and south.

How do they affect flights?

These currents are formed as a result of atmospheric heating from the sun's radiation and the earth's Coriolis force. Together, these factors produce streams of fast flowing air that are responsible for flight times looking significantly different east to west. Airplanes flying eastward in a jet stream get a powerful boost while those flying westward must fight an equally powerful headwind.

The polar stream and the subtropical stream are the two most prominent jet-streams. The polar stream is the stronger of the two, and it causes much faster winds compared to the subtropical. This feature is exploited by most airlines that have their paths over the Atlantic or the Pacific.

National Weather Stream

Now that being said, how are the cruising altitudes determined?

According to Mark Vanhoenacker, a British Airways pilot and author of Skyfaring, an airplane’s altitude is a “vertical wayfinding in the ocean of air.”

Apparently, there happens to be a mnemonic, which is quite popular among pilots, that helps remember what altitudes to fly at under visual and instrument flight rules and it goes something like this:

The East Is Odd, West is Even OdderSource

What does that mean?

To get a perspective, here's something else you should know:

East and West are defined by the magnetic headings of zero to 179 degrees (East) and 180-359 degrees (West)Odd and Even refer to the altitudes

Representative | mediawiki.ivao.aero

For instance, a commercial flight flying under IFR at 33,000 feet will cruise eastbound at “odd” flight levels while a westbound flight will cruise at even numbered flight levels-for instance 32,000 feet (FL320) or 34,000 feet (FL340). This automatically results in the aircraft being separated vertically.

This is also where RVSM ( reduced vertical separation minima) comes into play. Modern regulations allow aircraft to be separated by as little as 1,000 feet above or below each other- thereby allowing for a more efficient use of airspace (between FL290 and FL410).

Quora

Furthermore, flying at higher altitudes also means planes can avoid birds, drones, and light aircraft and helicopters, which often fly at lower altitudes.

Representative | Boldmethod

In 2020, a British Airways Boeing 747-436 reached speeds of 825 mph (1,327 km/h) as it rode a jet stream accelerated by Storm Ciara. The aircraft flew from JFK to LHR in a record 4 hours and 55 minutes, thus beating the previous record of 5 hours and 13 minutes by the Norwegian.

Representative | InxeloTechnologies

Following factors also contribute in determining the cruising altitudes of aircraft:

Turbulence: Although a common event, it occurs less frequently at higher altitudesWeather: Troposphere is the part of the atmosphere where most of the weather event takes place and hence planes generally fly above this levelEmergencies: In the unlikely event of an emergency, flying at higher altitudes gives the flight crew ample time to fix the situation or find a safe place to land as opposed to flying low in a lighter aircraftA plane's altitude is majorly determined by its current weight and the atmospheric conditions at the time of flight- a no-brainer

Ultimately, its up-to the dedicated team of flight dispatchers and the ATC who are in charge of planning safe and efficient routes and altitudes for flying.

Representative | BAA Training

There are also laws in place that prohibit flying below 1,000 feet over a built-up area or 500 feet over any person, vehicle or structure.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: USA Today

Airbus has revoked its entire outstanding order from Qatar Airways for A350 jets, severing all-new jetliner business with the Gulf carrier in a dramatic new twist to a dispute clouding World Cup preparations, two industry sources said. No comment was immediately available from Airbus or Qatar Airways.

The two aviation titans have been waging a rare public battle for months over the scarred condition of more than 20 long-haul jets that the airline says could pose a risk to passengers and which Airbus insists are entirely safe.

ALSO READ - Qatar Airways takes Airbus to London High Court over A350 skin damage

Airbus scraps outstanding Qatar Airways A350 order amid paint dispute

Qatar Airways, which was the first airline to introduce the intercontinental jet to the skies in 2015, is suing Airbus for at least USD 1.4 billion after almost half its A350 fleet was grounded by Qatar's regulator over premature surface damage.

It has refused to take delivery of more A350s until it receives a deeper explanation of damaged or missing patches of anti-lightning mesh left exposed by peeling paint.

Qatar Airways has said that peeling and cracking paint on the wings of some A350s that it already operates has exposed copper mesh underneath designed to protect against lightning strikes. 

Qatar Airways has said that peeling and cracking paint on the wings of some A350s that it already operates has exposed copper mesh underneath designed to protect against lightning strikes. 

Backed by European regulators, Airbus has acknowledged quality problems on the jets but denied any safety risk from gaps in the protective sub-layer, saying there is ample backup.

Until now, the dispute has had a piecemeal effect on the order book for Europe's biggest twin-engined jet as first Airbus, then Qatar Airways terminated some individual jets.

Now, however, Airbus has told the airline it is striking the rest of the A350 deal from its books, the sources said, asking not to be identified as discussions remain confidential.

ALSO READ - Airbus revokes the delivery of another Qatar Airways A350

The youngest affected aircraft is just 3.41 years old, while the oldest grounded plane is 7.81 years old.

In end-June, the European planemaker had outstanding orders from Qatar Airways for 19 of the largest version of the jet, the 350-passenger A350-1000, worth at least USD 7 billion at catalogue prices or closer to USD 3 billion after typical industry discounts.

Airbus' shares were up 0.41% at 1401 GMT, having halved earlier gains.

According to data from ch-aviation.com, 26 Airbus A350 aircraft have now been grounded due to the spat. This includes seven of the larger Airbus A350-1000 and 19 A350-900s. The issue has affected aircraft across a range of ages. The youngest affected aircraft is just 3.41 years old, while the oldest grounded plane is 7.81 years old.

This includes seven of the larger Airbus A350-1000 and 19 A350-900s.

ALSO READ - Qatar Airways accuses Airbus of acting like a “bully” over ‘peeling paint’; files USD 1 billion lawsuit

The sweeping new A350 cancellation comes six months after Airbus also revoked the whole contract for 50 smaller A321neo jets in retaliation for Qatar refusing to take A350 deliveries.

ALSO READ - Airbus responds to Qatar Airways’s A350 dispute by cancelling A321 Order

The spillover to a different model was branded "worrying" by the head of a body representing global airlines, the International Air Transport Association.

The latest move is likely to widen a rift between two of the flagship companies of close allies France and Qatar. Barring an elusive settlement, the dispute is already set for a rare corporate trial in London next June. 

The sweeping new A350 cancellation comes six months after Airbus also revoked the whole contract for 50 smaller A321neo jets in retaliation for Qatar refusing to take A350 deliveries.

It comes as the airline industry grapples with an uneven recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and as Qatar Airways is preparing to handle the bulk of some 1.2 million visitors expected for the FIFA World Cup in November and December.

Airbus has argued that the airline is using the dispute to bolster its finances and reduce its fleet of costly long-haul jets as its target long-haul market recovers sluggishly.

Qatar Airways, which in June posted its first annual profit since 2017, maintains it needs more capacity for the World Cup, forcing it to lease planes and bring less efficient A380s out of retirement to plug a gap left by grounded A350s.

Qatar Airways maintains it needs more capacity for the World Cup, forcing it to lease planes and bring less efficient A380s out of retirement to plug a gap left by grounded A350s.

The row centres on whether the A350's problems - including what appears to be damage to parts of the wings, tail and hull according to two jets seen by Reuters - stem from a cosmetic issue or, as the airline claims, a design defect.

ALSO READ - Airbus cancels more A350 orders of Qatar Airways

A Reuters investigation in November revealed that several other airlines had found surface damage since 2016, the second year of A350 operations, prompting Airbus to accelerate studies of an alternative mesh that also saves weight. 

So far, however, none of the A350's other roughly three dozen operators has joined Qatar in voicing concerns over safety due to surface flaws, as they continue to fly the jet.

(With Inputs from Reuters)

The Indian Government has activated bilateral air service agreements with 116 countries to increase and expand connectivity between India and nations around the world and is allowing foreign carriers to serve India and to add more flights to the country’s metropolitan cities.

The government has also said due to a significant imbalance in the number of points of call in favour of foreign carriers at present, it is not granting any non-metro airport as a new point of call to any foreign carrier to operate passenger services. 

Govt signs an agreement with 116 countries, to bring down airfare.

Indian designated carriers are free to mount scheduled operations to and from any international airport, including Kannur International Airport, under the ambit of the bilateral Air Service Agreement (ASA) concluded by India with foreign countries.

"Any designated foreign airline can operate to/from a point in India if it is designated as a point of call in the bilateral Air Services Agreement (ASA) signed between India and the country which has designated the airline."  Minister of State for Civil Aviation Gen VK Singh (retd).

Journey business consultants mentioned the federal government’s transfer will profit passengers and should carry down airfares.

Travel industry experts said the government’s move will benefit passengers and may bring down airfares. 

"It is good to have bilateral air service agreements with countries to increase seat capacity and have an open sky policy for foreign carriers as it will benefit passengers, the travel industry has been urging the government for quite some time that foreign carriers be allowed to operate from cities other than metro airports. Indian-designated carriers are free to mount operations from any city but a foreign carrier is not. Till the time it's not done, there will be a demand-supply gap which can impact prices," Anju Wariah, Director, Group Business Development, STIC Travel Group

The countries with which India has signed bilateral air service agreements include those in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America. 

The government on Monday, August 1 informed Rajya Sabha that private players are free to use drones for delivery purposes provided they comply with Drone Rules, 2021.

The Union Minister said that last year in September the Government notified the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme to promote the growth of drone manufacturing by private companies.

The government says the Drones Rules, 2021 provide the necessary regulatory framework for the commercial use of drones.

The government is already utilising the services of drone players for vaccine delivery, and inspection of oil pipelines and power transmission lines, among other things. Drones offer tremendous benefits to almost all sectors of the economy from agriculture to law enforcement.

Drones have also been deployed by authorities for the survey of mines and land mapping under the Centre’s ambitious Survey of Villages Abadi & Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme.

Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that 126 industrial training institutes(ITIs) across 19 states have undertaken five short-term skilling courses on drone manufacturing, repairing and maintenance.

In April, food tech startup Swiggy shortlisted four drone startups – Garuda Aerospace, Skyeair Mobility, ANRA+TechEagle Consortia, and Marut Dronetech – to pilot its grocery delivery project in Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR.

ALSO READ - Uttar Pradesh to have a drone excellence centre

Gujarat is home to the largest number of such ITIs at around 20, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 15 and Assam with 14. Maharashtra is home to 12 such ITIs, while Andhra Pradesh has 11 such ITIs. 

ALSO READ - Swiggy teams up with Garuda Aerospace to begin trial runs using drones to deliver groceries

Startups and other private players have shown a lot of interest in the drone delivery space in recent times. In April, food tech startup Swiggy shortlisted four drone startups – Garuda Aerospace, Skyeair Mobility, ANRA+TechEagle Consortia, and Marut Dronetech – to pilot its grocery delivery project in Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR. 

The Centre has lately unveiled a slew of measures to spur the drone manufacturing sector. 

In January this year, Zypp Electric also announced that it would commence drone delivery of packages in five cities – Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, and Delhi-NCR. Piramal Foundation, in collaboration with Redwing Labs, also piloted drones for faster transportation of tuberculosis samples in Odisha’s Kalahandi in April this year. 

States such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Punjab also tested long-range drone deliveries on a pilot basis in June last year. Telangana government had also partnered with hyperlocal delivery app Dunzo last year to pilot drone-based deliveries of medicines in the state. 

The space is populated by new emerging players such as ideaForge, Garuda Aerospace,  IoTechWorld, and Skylark Drones, among others.

The Centre has lately unveiled a slew of measures to spur the drone manufacturing sector. From liberalised drone rules to banning drone imports, the Centre aims to leverage ‘Drone Shakti’ to push emerging startups from the sector. 

According to a report, the Indian drone industry generated revenue to the tune of USD19.93 Mn in 2022. This number is expected to grow annually at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.12% between 2022 and 2027.

Mehair has been awarded a contract by Gujarat to relaunch seaplane services between Ahmedabad and Ekta Nagar (previously known as Kevadia), close to the Statue of Unity tourism attraction, using a nine-seater Cessna (single turboprop) 208B Grand Caravan amphibian.

The service was previously operated by SpiceJet subsidiary SpiceShuttle, which suspended the route on April 10, 2021, on the back of financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALSO READ - Seaplane service to resume after a year of suspension as bids open

Mehair to relaunch seaplane services in Gujarat

Now the Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Limited (GUJSAIL) has awarded the tender to Mehair, which is in the final stages of importing a pre-owned Cessna Grand Caravan 208 amphibian from the United States.

The aircraft is expected to arrive by mid-August to begin proving flights, according to GUJSAIL Director for Civil Aviation and Chief Executive Officer Ajay Chauhan.

"The letter of operations has been handed out to Mehair, and they were given 120 days to procure the aircraft from the US. They are currently in the last phase of the procedure for procurement of a pre-owned Cessna Grand Caravan. Since new amphibious aircraft are not manufactured in big numbers, we have approved the procurement of a pre-owned aircraft. We are expecting it to arrive in Gujarat by mid-August, following which, the formalities for the registration, technical acceptance, and flying tests by the DGCA will begin."Ajay Chauhan, Director for Civil Aviation and Chief Executive Officer, Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Limited (GUJSAIL)

India's longest-standing seaplane operator, Mehair will operate the aircraft under the Gujarat government's Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme instead of the RCS-UDAN scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which launched the service through SpiceJet in 2020.

ALSO READ - Udan 4.2 scheme receives more than 100 bids

Officials confirmed that Mehair will operate two daily flights between the Sabarmati Riverfront and Dyke Three of Sardar Sarovar Dam, located near the Statue of Unity.

The service was previously operated by SpiceJet subsidiary SpiceShuttle, which suspended the route on April 10, 2021, on the back of financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gujarat Aviation Secretary Hareet Shukla blamed the failure of the SpiceJet service on the pandemic, which had resulted in the closure of the tourism industry. "Things are different now. This time we are working out better viability for the project to sustain itself. We have not set a deadline, but it will happen soon," he said.

The SpiceShuttle service had been short-lived – from October 31, 2020, to April 10, 2021 - and had remained suspended for 47 days due to maintenance requirements.

The operator's single DHC-6-300 amphibian, wet-leased from Maldivian, had to be sent for mandatory maintenance in the Maldives due to a lack of wet and dry dock facilities in Ahmedabad. The ill-fated project cost the Gujarat state INR77 million rupees (USD1 million).

Mehair is in the final stages of importing a pre-owned Cessna Grand Caravan 208 amphibian from the United States.

As reported, tenders for the three-year contract were reissued in January 2022. Three carriers were reported to have expressed interest, Mehair, Ventura AirConnect, and an unnamed private firm from Gujarat.

Maritime Energy Heli Air Services Pvt. Ltd. (MEHAIR) has pioneered the launch of seaplane services in India since January 2011.

With the introduction of small aircraft which can operate from runways and water bodies within the course of the same flight, the company has ushered in a new and exciting mode of connectivity for the tourism industry in the country.