Process of leasing next 8-9 airports to begin soon - Jyotiraditya Scindia

The Tatas took over INR 15,300 crore of debt where they have since renegotiated terms and refinanced it by bringing in new lenders. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia confirmed this in a conversation with IANS on Wednesday, May 11.

Of the humongous INR 62,000 crore debt on the books of Air India when it was handed over to the Tatas, the Government of India has closed its part of INR 47,000 crore by paying off all the banks involved.

Scindia said, "The Tatas paid INR 2,700 crore cash and took over INR 15,300 crore of the airline's debt. We have settled the balance amount of INR 47,000 crore with all the lenders. The deal is now complete and I believe this is a very big achievement."

Process of leasing next 8-9 airports to begin soon - Jyotiraditya Scindia

On August 31, 2021, the airline's total debt stood at INR 61,562 crore, out of which around INR 47,000 crore was transferred to AIAHL. The airline also had about INR 15,000 crore excess liabilities towards unpaid fuel bills and other operation creditors.

Scindia said that Tatas are very excited with their turnaround plans with 141 aircraft (Air India fleet) out of India's total of 715 aircraft.

He reckoned that this fleet size in India would double within the next five years as all the airlines, including newbies Jet Airways (returning to the skies) and Akasa Air, have massive rollout plans.

Pursuing the reform agenda in aviation, his next bold gambit is the leasing another set of airports, this time around another eight to nine.

Tatas are very excited with their turnaround plans with 141 aircraft (Air India fleet) out of India's total of 715 aircraft.

Scindia said, "What we did was transfer the INR 47,000 crore to a special purpose vehicle, Air India Asset Holding Ltd. The interest service outgo on the debt and other liabilities was extremely high and it was decided to square it off permanently. All told about INR 61,131 crore was cleared at the time of the deal."

Scindia brimming with ideas for the aviation sector is thinking of new policies which make the system more organised and equally more dynamic. For instance, immediate on his agenda is the leasing of at least 8-9 more airports.

"Let me categorically insist as I did in the Parliament the other day that these airports are not being privatised, they are being leased for a 50-year period. Not only are they going to generate revenue for the government this way, but they will guarantee to upgrade these airports. I think this is the best model going forward. You will hear of us calling for bids in the next round shortly. On charges of privatisation, let me tell you that leasing will actually garner revenues of INR 904 crore per year for AAI as lease fee for the first round of six airports, and as much as INR 2,322 crore has already reached government accounts in this case. We expect a similar windfall when we do the next round of leasing."Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation

On the same lines, he is excited with the response he has got on his call for reducing VAT on ATF (aviation turbine fuel).

ALSO READ - Jyotiraditya Scindia working with more states to reduce VAT on ATF and bring it under GST

"I requested the chief ministers to reduce VAT and I have found that as many as 12 CMs and an LG have come forward with cuts to boost connectivity and revenue. Andhra Pradesh and Kerala have reduced VAT and there is a 15% bump up in connectivity in a quarter. J&K has reduced VAT from 26% to 1% and the number of aircraft landing there and refuelling has gone up by 360%. This reform measure will only widen and deepen the aviation sector in India," Scindia said.

His next big play is his ambitious drone policy where he averred that 16-18 indigenous startups with cutting-edge technology will be at the vanguard of change.

At the ministry, we are in sync with the PM's vision to make India - Aviation Minister

"At the ministry, we are in sync with the PM's vision to make India a global drone hub. The PLI scheme will drive both manufacturing and services in this sector. Equally, 12 different ministries, including agriculture, mining and rural, will create the demand for these drones. There is blue sky available in this sector and my interface with many of these startups which want to participate convinces me that we will build a constructive eco-system in this field," the minister said.

He added, "With the active participation of the stakeholders of the drone industry and the Government of India, the drone industry is set on a path of exponential growth. The government will enable the continuity of this accelerated drone adoption by easing drone regulations and through drone literacy via programmes such as Drone Shakti and Kisan Drones."

(With Inputs from IANS)

Vistara on Wednesday, May 11 reinstated the salaries and flying allowance of its pilots to pre-pandemic levels as its flight operations are recovering "at an unprecedented pace".

"Further to reinstating the monthly bonus for all pilots from April 2022, subject to the average global active hours for the preceding month being at least 70, I am very pleased to announce that the base flying allowance (BFA) reduction is also reinstated.In March, I wrote to you about the recovery of the industry that we were observing and the hope that it would be sustained. It appears that this has been the caseWhile we are cognizant of certain challenges that are still being faced by the industry in general, the situation is a lot more positive than it was at this time last year."Captain Hamish Maxwell, Senior Vice President-Flight Operations, Vistara

Average global active hours indicate the aircraft utilisation rate for flight operations. Maxwell said an amount equivalent to the reduction in BFA will be added to the monthly bonus and paid to eligible pilots from April 1.

Vistara reinstates salaries and flying allowance of its pilots to pre-pandemic levels

"As a result of this recovery our operations have increased at an unprecedented pace, which has only been possible because of the commitment and flexibility that each of you has shown," he said, adding that throughout the challenging period, they demonstrated seemingly boundless resilience and resolve, and for that, the entire leadership team is extremely grateful.

Europe focus point for Vistara

Vistara is looking to scale its international operations. It expanded its international offering with daily flights between London and New Delhi this month and has said that a second flight would be on the cards once more aircraft and slots become available.

Constrained by the non-availability of more Dreamliners, Vistara pointed out that if it did have more widebodies, Europe would definitely be a focal point, with not only London receiving a second daily flight from Delhi, but Paris and Frankfurt moving up to daily services as well.

Vistara expands its international offering with daily flights between London and New Delhi

Down the line, the US is also a key market that Vistara has its eyes firmly set on.

Vistara, which launched in the UK amid the pandemic in August 2020, hopes its hub-and-spoke model and codeshares with several leading airlines, including British Airways, will prove popular with travellers as international travel gradually opens up in the wake of COVID restrictions.

Boeing and soon to be privatised Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) on Tuesday, May 10 announced a collaboration for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of two custom-made B777 aircraft that are used for the travel of the president, the vice-president and the prime minister.

Boeing collaborates with Air India Engineering Services for MRO services of B777 VVIP aircraft

The collaboration between the two companies would also support the Indian Navy’s growing P-8I fleet, their joint statement said. The collaboration would help build indigenous MRO capabilities as it would bring the P-8I landing gear repair and overhaul work to India for the first time, the statement added.

"Our planned collaboration with AIESL could position us to provide significant value-add to our defence customers locally by enabling faster turnaround, exceptional operational capability and mission readiness for the Indian armed forces. This is also an important step as part of our commitment to the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision of making India a regional MRO hub."Surendra Ahuja, Managing Director, Boeing Defence India

The two custom-made VVIP aircraft were delivered by Boeing to the Indian government in October 2020. The IAF pilots operate the plane to fly the aforementioned dignitaries.

“Such collaboration would drive forward our vision for strengthening MRO capabilities in India, for India. We remain excited and committed as we provide critical support to India’s armed forces as part of the Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) hub initiative.”Sharad Agrawal, CEO, Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL)

The hub, according to the Boeing statement, has growing capabilities in India in the area of heavy maintenance, component repair, training and skilling of MRO maintainers. Boeing through BIRDS will offer “training programmes to increase skilled manpower by developing sub-tier suppliers and medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) to build high-quality MRO capabilities in India".

The collaboration between the two companies would also support the Indian Navy’s growing P-8I fleet

Through its MRO facilities in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram, the AIESL offers servicing and maintenance of civilian aircraft operated by domestic and international airlines.

Imagine boarding a "flight" from the comfort of your backyard, or the streets, or the parking lot of a mall. Assuming it could be driven like a car, what if, it could lift off vertically from a designated vertical launch pad and transition into flight mode? What if, once you land at your destination, the "flight" transitions back to being an automobile, and you drive it to your parking spot just like any other car?

Sounds futuristic enough? It is.

That's exactly what ASKA, a California-based company, is working on.

New Atlas

To build a better society and a better economy, we need better transportation solutions, and flying cars will be a part of that equationsaid Maki Kaplinsky, co-founder & chair/COO, NFT inc

Back in 2019, the company had revealed plans of building a flying car that would look like an SUV and could take off using a set of retractable wings. ASKA- Japanese for "flying bird", has hence been working on developing an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with “drive and fly” capabilities.

ASKA-tech and specs

Illustrative | The Times of Israel

Cutting-edge engineering

ASKA features quality details throughout, from a versatile electric and hybrid system to advanced metal materials combined with a carbon fibre structure for certified safety and strength.

Revolutionary aerodynamic design

About the size of a large SUV, the vehicle's design and performance have been validated with CFD and wind tunnel testing. The advanced aerodynamic configuration allows the vehicle to be driven safely on the ground and flies efficiently in the air. 

Optimal structural performance, integrity and safety

The wings and arms are equipped with necessary directional stiffness which can contain the deflections as well as dimensional stability required by the control system. The high aspect wing ratio allows the vehicle to have sufficient bending and torsional stiffness to maintain its critical flutter velocity above the designed maximum flight speeds.

Illustrative | askafly.com

The ASKA gains additional safety with a ballistic parachute.

With a capacity of housing 4 people, ASKA's advanced power systems feature an electric power system with range extenders thereby allowing the vehicle to travel as long as 250 miles. The architecture is designed in such a way that it could be extended to any other energy source such as hydrogen.

So. how did this idea come about?

ASKA’s team envisions a future where cars will be used for short trips between 1 to 30 miles, and AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) vehicles will be used for longer trips up to 250 miles, and that's exactly how the concept of a “drive and fly” vehicle came about.

Drive Mode | Illustrative | askafly.com

Apparently, the vehicle can perform a conventional runway take-off and landing as an eSTOL uses between 30% and 60% less energy than the vertical take-off and landing and can clock speeds up to 150 miles per hour.

Flight mode | Illustrative | askafly.com

Since we are targeting everyone as potential customers, the cost of operation is very important. It’s not a toy for billionaires. The STOL functionality makes it more affordable for more people. Guy Kaplinsky, ASKA’s co-founder and CEO

Guy Kaplinsky and Maki Kaplinsky | Urban Air Mobility News

According to Kaplinsky, they aim to improve quality of life because people spend much of their lives in transit—either driving personal vehicles or taking public transportation. And apparently, new-age mobility solutions don't seem to solve the problems of increasing traffic in the either-he stated.

Illustrative | Auto Futures

In February 2022, the company announced it was partnering with India's Tech Mahindra for engineering support that it says will support efforts to certify the ASKA in 2026.

The collaboration aims to solve the worldwide problem of traffic congestion and improve people’s quality of life with what is touted to be the world’s first viable drive & fly eVTOL (Electric drive & fly Vertical Take-off and Landing).

We are confident that our engagement with Tech Mahindra will boost ASKA's development, testing and certification process to meet ASKA's commercialization target by 2026. Tech Mahindra's aim to deliver tomorrow's experiences today, solidly supports our mission to solve the worldwide problem of traffic congestion and improve people's quality of lifeGuy Kaplinsky

ASKA'S envisioned launchpad for VTOL ops has a minimal footprint with an area of 65 feet by 65 feet. This additionally offers the option for operators to drive in or out of the launchpad rather than use extra energy to perform the VTOL function.

One launchpad can reportedly facilitate 80 passengers in an hour, thereby bringing the efficiency to about 3 minutes on average.

The development of drive-and-fly vehicles is an emerging area of innovation globally, which can play a great role in creating best travel experience with minimal infrastructure investments and low environmental impacts. We look forward to creating synergies with ASKA by working on the engineering design and analysis of fly and drive eVTOL and thereby deliver tomorrow's experience today, which forms the core objective of our NXT.NOW strategyLakshmanan Chidambaram- President- Enterprise Americas, Tech Mahindra

Lakshmanan Chidambaram | Source

The team expects to have a full-scale demonstrator ready to begin flight testing by early 2023 and is already performing flight tests with a smaller-scale prototype.

The ASKA is expected to be certified under FAA's Part 23 rules.

ASKA is also participating in NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Campaign after signing a five-year Space Act Agreement with NASA in 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL2nUxWGUfM

SOURCE(s)

COVER: eVTOL.news

9 pilots and 32 cabin crew members failed their pre-flight alcohol tests between January 1 and April 30, India’s aviation regulator DGCA said on Tuesday, May 10.

"Of them, two pilots and two cabin-crew members have been suspended for three years for being positive for the second time,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.

The remaining 7 pilots and 30 cabin crew members were suspended for three months as they tested BA (breathalyser) positive for the first time, it added.

Data - DGCA

According to the DGCA, 4 pilots and 10 cabin-crew members of IndiGo, one pilot and five cabin-crew members of Go First, one pilot and six cabin-crew members of SpiceJet, one pilot of Air India Express and four cabin-crew members of AirAsia India failed the pre-flight alcohol tests in the said period.

One pilot and two cabin crew members of Vistara, one pilot of Alliance Air and five cabin crew members of Air India also failed the test, the aviation regulator said.

ALSO READ - DGCA orders pre-flight alcohol tests for 50% of pilots and cabin crew daily

The DGCA had stated in April that airlines must ensure that 50% of their cockpit and cabin crew members are subjected to pre-flight alcohol tests daily.

The DGCA had stated in April that airlines must ensure that 50% of their cockpit and cabin crew members are subjected to pre-flight alcohol tests daily.

Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, all crew members were required to undergo pre-flight alcohol tests.

When the pandemic struck, the tests were suspended for a couple of months. Subsequently, the tests were resumed but for only a small percentage of crew members.

ALSO READ - A dozen airport and airlines maintenance staff reported working drunk in India

“DGCA strictly enforced the requirements on the Breath Analyzer testing of the crew for the consumption of the alcohol even during the prevailing pandemic conditions. During the period of four months commencing from January 1, the DGCA has carried out 48 enforcement actions for violations of various requirements of the regulation regarding testing of the crew for the consumption of alcohol.During this period, nine pilots and 32 cabin crew were found BA positive. Out of these, two pilots and two cabin crew have been suspended for a period of three years for bring positive for the second time. The remaining 37 crew members were suspended for a period of three months for being tested BA positive for the first time."DGCA

In addition to the action taken against the 41 crew members (nine pilots and 32 cabin crew members), the DGCA has also acted against seven crew members for “missing BA tests or not furnishing the declaration”.

The regulator last year has levied a financial penalty on two pilot training schools for irregular maintenance of breath analyser equipment. This is the first time the regulator has levied a financial penalty on any aviation entity.

Aviation regulators like DGCA and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) have got penalising powers after the Aircraft Amendment Bill was approved by both houses of the parliament last year.

Severe cyclonic storm 'Asani' in the Bay of Bengal has hit flight operations with several airlines cancelling flights in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam and Tamil Nadu's Chennai on Tuesday, May 10.

The Met Department has predicted light to moderate rainfall across parts of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha with the probability of the severe cyclonic storm 'Asani' recurring.

Visakhapatnam International Airport director Srinivas said that IndiGo has cancelled 23 flights, both arrivals, and departures, citing bad weather. "Four Air Asia flights also stand cancelled due to bad weather at Vizag for the day," he added.

our Air Asia flights also stand cancelled due to bad weather at Vizag for the day

At the Chennai airport, 10 flights including those from Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Jaipur and Mumbai have been cancelled. As per the Chennai Airport Authority, cancellation information was conveyed to the passengers.

Duty Officer at the Cyclone Warning Centre of Visakhapatnam, Kumar said that severe cyclonic storm Asis over the west-central region and the adjoining southwest region of Bay of Bengal.

"It is 330 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam Likely to move further northwest till tonight, thereafter it'll recurve," he added. Further, Kumar informed that rainfall is likely over northern Andhra Pradesh including Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari.

Rainfall is likely over northern Andhra Pradesh including Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday, May 10 predicted rainfall and strong winds for three states; Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.

"It is very likely to move nearly northwestwards till May 10 night and reach Westcentral Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh coast and adjoining Odisha coast. Thereafter, it is very likely to recurve north-northeastwards and move towards Northwest Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts. It is likely to weaken gradually into a Cyclonic Storm during the next the 24 hours.It would gradually decrease becoming 80-90 km per hour gusting to 100 km per hour over Westcentral and adjoining Northwest Bay of Bengal from the evening. Squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely along and off north Andhra Pradesh coast.During the past six hours, the severe cyclonic storm 'Asani', over Westcentral and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 7 km per hour during past six hours and lay centre today over the west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal at 330 km southeast of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 350 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 510 km south-southwest of Gopalpur (Odisha) and 590 km south-southwest of Puri (Odisha)."India Meteorological Department (IMD)

The Met department has predicted light to moderate rainfall at a few places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely over coastal Odisha from today evening.

For tomorrow, May 11, the IMD predicted light to moderate rainfall at a few places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely over coastal Odisha and adjoining coastal West Bengal.

Gale wind speed reaching 95-105 km per hour gusting to 115 km per hour is prevailing around the system centre over Westcentral and adjoining the southwest Bay of Bengal.

Air India's Delhi-Vishakhapatnam flight in turbulence due to Asani

Passengers of a Delhi-Visakhapatnam Air India flight on Monday, May 9 had a harrowing experience, with many of them continuing to suffer even 24 hours later.

Air India's Delhi-Vishakhapatnam flight ran into turbulence

The trauma for them began when the flight, AI451, which took off at 3 PM from Delhi, had to be diverted without landing at Visakhapatnam due to inclement weather. They were taken to Hyderabad, where they were reportedly told that those who wanted to alight could do so, but the airlines would not be making any alternative arrangement for them to go to Vizag.

When reports last came in, the particular flight was cancelled, though Air India was yet to respond to the tweets from different passengers or pass on any other information.