Say hello to "Black Swan"- the world's first 'cargo drone airline'

Brace yourselves. A brand-new cargo plane is about to enter service.

Black Swan, a pilotless freight aircraft the size of a delivery truck will be unveiled soon by the Bulgarian firm "Dronamics".

The company is creating and operating an all-inclusive middle-mile service using its Black Swan cargo drone. According to Dronamics, it is the first cargo drone airline in the world and can make same-day deliveries to the most remote locations while being up to 80% faster, 50% less expensive, and 60% less polluting than other modes of transportation.

Reportedly, brothers Konstantin and Svilen Rangelov from Bulgaria are the inventors of the concept. When Amazon started experimenting with drone delivery in 2013, the two reportedly began researching the market.

The brothers thought there was a better way to deliver individualized items to each client, but they were discouraged by the logistical challenges involved in using small drones like Amazon's to carry goods directly to houses.

Most small delivery drones are an attempt to solve the last-mile problem. They are the bike messenger, we are the cross-country truck- the company told news outlet Drone DJ in 2018

Tech and specs

The Black Swan, unlike other aircraft that aren't built exclusively for cargo, can transport the same amount of cargo over a distance of up to 2,500 km for less money, time, and carbon emissions than a compact cargo van.

Dronamics

Wingspan16m / 52ftFuselage8m / 26ftHeight4m / 13ftDiameter1.3m / 4.3ftPayload350kg / 770 lbsCapacity3.5 cmb / 925 galRange2,500 km / 1,550 miAltitude20,000 ftSpeed200 km/h / 125 mphDronamics

A single-propeller Rotax engine produced by the Austrian business BRP-Rotax, which is owned by Bombardier Recreational Products, powers the routes.

Dronamics

It is reportedly the first freight drone licensed to fly in the EU, having been constructed by a world-class internal avionics team. Its landing strips can be as short as 400 meters (14 mile), and it can have its engine serviced anywhere in the world.

It is certified as CarbonNeutral and features a temperature-controlled environment for perishables.

The airplane uses only sustainable aviation fuel and will be mass-produced in Germany and Australia. This will encourage the "fastest and greenest" method of shipping goods and reduce emissions by 60%.

A network of droneports with easy integration and fully mobile operations

Fully transportable droneport freight equipment and a global, autonomous, and semi-autonomous remote fleet control system power the network operation. This makes it possible for Dronamics to easily integrate into the supply chain of any company because it can travel where conventional aircraft cannot. Additionally, there is a significant decrease in time, expense, and emissions due to the absence of the requirement for local warehousing.

The company's droneports can be set up in unused airfields, airports, seaports, logistical hubs, and factory lots and require little in the way of infrastructure. All that is required are paved or unpaved airstrips longer than 400 meters so that communities and companies may be connected who have not previously had access to economical same-day delivery and serve underutilized routes.

Dronamics

Dronamics is developing new direct routes through its network of droneports, using Europe as its inaugural market. When Black Swan is ready for use, Dronamics intends to run it as the first freight drone airline in the world, beginning with flights over water and around the Mediterranean, such as in Greece or Cyprus.

Black Swan has been named by Freightweek as the "2022 Sustainable Drone Technology Company of the Year".

SOURCE : Business Insider | Dronamics

COVER : Dronamics

Fairfax-owned Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) faced a financial loss of Rs 356 crore in FY22 due to COVID-19. 

Business Standard has analysed BIAL's Annual Financial Statement: "The increased airfares due to higher ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) prices, rising inflation, and geopolitical developments may impact domestic and international traffic recovery. But the outlook for FY23 undoubtedly remains positive.”

ATF expenses account for over 40% of an airline's overall operating budget, impacting its capacity to make a profit. ATF prices have fluctuated wildly over the past few months amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

An airline's ability to turn a profit is impacted by ATF costs, which make up about 40% of its overall operating budget.

According to a BIAL spokesperson, the airport operator has introduced new operational strategies and financial restructuring to increase connectivity and overall performance despite the difficult conditions during the pandemic.

“As a result, Bengaluru airport welcomed 16.3 million passengers in the current financial year until the last week of October 2022. This is against 6.61 million passengers during the same period last year.”

–BIAL Spokesperson

Also read: Bangalore Airport’s Fairfax stake not for sale: Prem Watsa

According to the spokesperson, BIAL's financial performance is showing significant improvement as recent months have seen passenger volumes return to pre-Covid levels. He continued by saying that the aviation sector is still recovering. Furthermore, the airport's operator is optimistic about the future growth of the airport.

Bengaluru airport saw its greatest volume of traffic in FY19 with 33.3 million passengers. This number decreased slightly to 32.36 million in FY20. The pandemic was in full stride during FY21, therefore the reduction, at 10.91 million, was substantial. After that, in FY22, there was a slight improvement as the number increased to 16.3 million.

BIAL experienced a net loss of Rs 542.96 crore in FY21. This loss fell by 34.26 per cent to Rs 356.89 crore in FY22.

BIAL's at least six-year sequence of profitability ended in FY21 as a result of Covid. During FY21, BIAL suffered a net loss of Rs 542.96 crore. During FY22, this loss decreased by 34.26 per cent to Rs 356.89 crore.

“Despite the second and third waves severely denting domestic passenger demand through the months of April 2021-June 2021 and December 2021-January 2022, it was a year of recovery. The aviation industry showed great resilience to bounce back from the impact of recurrent Covid waves.”

–BIAL’s Annual Financial Statement

Passenger trust in flying increased as a result of the government's emphasis on vaccinating the bulk of the public against Covid in a short amount of time, the report claimed. According to the report, India's domestic traffic recovery appears to be on track to reach pre-Covid levels in FY23. Since March 27 of this year, India has restarted regularly scheduled international flights after a two-year ban owing to the pandemic.

Also read: Kempegowda Airport is back to pre-covid passenger levels due to the high traffic volumes

Passenger trust in flying increased as a result of the government's emphasis on vaccinating the bulk of the public against Covid in a short amount of time

“With increased vaccination across the world and relaxation in international travel restrictions announced by the government, as well as globally, recovery in international passenger traffic is expected to improve. The industry is expected to recover to pre-Covid levels by FY24.”

–BIAL Statement

The development of aviation cargo traffic is still significant. In FY23, growth above pre-Covid levels is anticipated at the majority of India's main airports.

Source: Business Standard

Air India Express releases a new set of guidelines for travellers coming into India from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, December 27.

These suggestions, which were made amid growing concern about a COVID-19 comeback, have been put in place for the safety of both residents and visitors. These occurred when Covid cases in numerous nations, including China, experienced a new upsurge. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has produced "Guidelines for International Arrivals."

https://twitter.com/FlyWithIX/status/1607759476513476608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1607759476513476608%7Ctwgr%5E528ab95a2bf9ca8f9dea6a598f3ec4a75afbaa97%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.travelandleisureindia.in%2Finsight%2Fwhat-you-need-to-know%2Fair-india-express-guidelines-passengers-from-uae-to-india%2F

According to the guidelines, travellers must be fully vaccinated against the virus in accordance with their nation's primary vaccination schedule. In addition, it is important to be aware of social distance and masking standards while travelling. Children under the age of 12 will be exempt from the random testing that takes place upon arrival. These rules, which were provided by a division of Air India, the national carrier of the nation, are intended to protect all of its passengers and to fend off the virus.

Additionally, passengers are urged to self-monitor their health and to get tested and placed in isolation if they exhibit symptoms or are found to have symptoms. Children under the age of 12 will only be checked if they exhibit symptoms. These rules have become effective from December 24, 2022.

In reaction to a significant spike in Covid-19 cases in China over the past 20 days, India has intensified its response. India has not yet imposed any restrictions on international flights.

India has stepped up its response in response to a considerable rise in Covid-19 cases in China during the previous 20 days.

The Center has already reinstated Covid testing procedures for international travellers at all airports. Random coronavirus variant tests are being conducted on samples of people travelling from foreign nations. The Center has also mandated RT-PCR tests for all overseas travellers arriving in India from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Any traveller from these nations who exhibits symptoms or tests positive for Covid will be placed in quarantine.

The Center has requested that international travellers complete Air Suvidha paperwork outlining their present state of health. A self-declaration form called Air Suvidha was developed to help with contact tracing during the pandemic. 

International travellers are required to complete Air Suvidha paperwork explaining their current health status, following the request of the Center.

“There are no direct flights from China to India and we are taking all possible precautions that we have learned in the past two years to manage the spread of infection in the country. We are already randomly testing 2 per cent samples for Covid from international passengers on arrival. In the future, we can increase it further and can also make it mandatory for all arriving passengers to get tested.”

–Mansukh Mandaviya, Health Minister, India

Air India Express is the first international low-cost airline in India, which is owned by Air India, and provides service to Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Also read: Air India Express to fly higher as a major expansion in fleet and network in progress

Air India Express is the first international low-cost airline in India, which is owned by Air India, and provides service to Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

The 34-destination Air India Express network offers numerous weekly trips to Gulf and South East Asian cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Muscat, Salalah, Ras-Al-Khaimah, Riyadh, Al-Ain, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur.

Also read: Air India to finalise the deal of 50 B737 MAX for Air India Express

Air India Express is the only airline that offers direct flights on numerous international routes. Air India Express is also the first airline to offer international air connections to numerous Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns in India. 

Source: HT

9 airports in the nation that use the PPP model are anticipated to increase their overall revenue by 50% this fiscal year to Rs 9,650 crore from Rs 6,450 crore.

A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) brings together the public and private sectors to manage and operate airports that were previously provided by the public sector.

At the beginning of December, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) leased out 8 airports namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru for Operations, Management and Development under Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Out of these, seven airports viz. Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru are managed by M/s Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL).

The Public Private Partnership (PPP) airports at Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru are undertaking major expansion projects of around Rs 30,000 crore by 2025

According to the Credit Rating Agency CareEdge Ratings, the expected increase in revenue will be driven by a predicted 70% year-over-year increase in passenger traffic, which is expected to reach 93% of pre-pandemic levels in the current financial year. However, it stated that overall, passenger traffic is anticipated to increase by 1.12 times in the fiscal year beginning in April 2023 compared to the pre-Covid level.

The rating agency also predicts that the government's plan to sell its part in joint venture airports and the privatisation of airports would be further delayed.

“CareEdge Ratings has assessed the aggregate financial position of 9 PPP airports which represent 50 per cent of total India's passenger traffic. The aggregate revenues of these airports are estimated to grow by 50 per cent from Rs 6,450 crore during FY22 to Rs 9,650 crore during FY23, mainly led by strong passenger growth of 70 per cent on a year-on-year basis.”

–CareEdge, Credit Rating Agency

It continued by saying that while strong passenger traffic is advantageous for the industry, the timely issue of tariff orders with an anticipated tariff rate increase for some airports is essential.

While high passenger volumes are beneficial for the industry, prompt issuance of tariff orders with projected tariff rate increases for particular airports is crucial.

According to CareEdge, the AAI provided assistance to airport operators during the Covid period by exempting claims on revenue share, which allowed PBILDT (Profit Before Interest, Leasing, Depreciation, and Taxes) margins in FY22 to stay at a healthy 56%.

It said that from the following year, such margins are projected to stabilise at around 45%, principally supported by the increasing scale of operations, but that with the return of revenue sharing with the AAI, PBILDT margins are likely to decline to 37% during FY23.

25 airports have been chosen for monetization via the National Monetization Pipeline (NMP).

As per NMP, 25 AAI airports namely Bhubaneshwar, Varanasi, Amritsar, Trichy, Indore, Raipur, Calicut, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Patna, Madurai, Surat, Ranchi, Jodhpur, Chennai, Vijayawada, Vadodara, Bhopal, Tirupati, Hubli, Imphal, Agartala, Udaipur, Dehradun and Rajahmundry have been earmarked for leasing over the years 2022 to 2025.

Bhubneshwar Airport is among the 25 airports that have been chosen for monetization via the NMP

According to CareEdge, the projected fund inflows from the monetisation of 14 airports and the sale of AAI's share in existing airports are budgeted at Rs13,000 crore through FY23.

CareEdge Ratings feels that these timescales are likely to be further delayed due to the announcement of such aggressive timelines without any corresponding steps for monetisation, necessitating action from the Central Government.

Additionally, it was stated that the expansion of India's GDP and its impact on the rise of air passenger traffic, together with favourable demographics like an increasing working population, bode well for Indian airport operators.

Positive demographic trends, such as an expanding working population, along with the growth of India's GDP and its effect on the increase in air passenger traffic, augur well for Indian airport operators.

The paper claims that by streamlining the regulatory environment and issuing tariff orders on time, these operators will be able to see their money sooner. Additionally, for FY23, leverage indicators are probably going to stay high. However, it noted that from FY24, leverage indicators could improve as air passenger traffic increases above pre-Covid levels and new tariff orders are issued in some PPP airports.

Also read: Centre to privatise 25 airports in next 3 years

CareEdge Ratings anticipates that the air traffic growth rate between FY23 and FY25 will be 2.25 times greater than the GDP growth rate! 

Source: Business Standard

IGI Airport of Delhi on Tuesday morning, December 27, saw at least 100 planes be delayed or diverted due to the presence of intense fog.

A "delay" is defined as a departure or arrival that is more than 15 minutes later than expected. Accordingly, the intense fog in Delhi cause about 100 flights to be delayed. Many travellers have been adversely affected as a result of the flight delays, especially considering how busy the IGI airport has been throughout the holidays.

Also read: Jyotiraditya Scindia convene meeting with aviation stakeholders regarding congestion at major airports

A modern anti-fog landing system, known officially as the CAT-III Instrument Landing System (ILS), is available at the Delhi Airport. The lack of CAT-III-compliant pilots being deployed by the airlines, according to airport officials, is another factor contributing to flight delays and diversions. 

Delhi Airport offers a cutting-edge anti-fog landing system, formally known as the CAT-III Instrument Landing System (ILS) to facilitate landing and take-off

Also read: Air India initiates ‘FogCare’ campaign in an effort to reduce disruption

The first flight diversions this season, according to airport officials, were a SpiceJet flight at roughly 11.45 p.m. and an IndiGo flight at 2.15 a.m., both of which were diverted to Jaipur.

“In both cases, the pilots were not CAT-III B compliant and therefore, were not given permission to land at the airport. During this period, visibility was around 50 metres and the ATC guided both flights to the nearest airport, which is Jaipur.”

–Airport Official

When visibility falls below 800 metres, the airport starts low visibility procedures (LVP), which are designed to make landing for flights easier.

CAT-I procedures, which are the most fundamental set of safety measures to direct pilots in landing, are in effect during this time. When visibility is less than 550 metres, only CAT-II compliant aircraft and pilots may land; when visibility is between 175 and 300 metres, CAT-III A pilots may land. The most demanding requirements for a pilot to land a flight are CAT-III B, which allows them to do it even with visibility of only 50 metres.

The most difficult landing conditions for a pilot are CAT-III B, which enables them to do so even with visibility as low as 50 metres.

Flights are still permitted to land at the airport with a visibility of 50 metres, but they are not permitted to take off until the Runway Visual Range (RVR) is 125 metres. An official stated that several arrivals and departures were delayed as a result of this.

ILS Categories

According to a Met official, visibility at the airport was usually in the region of 50 metres between 3.30 am and 7.30 am before progressively increasing to 100 metres by 7.30 am.

“During this four-hour window, visibility at both Palam and Safdarjung was 50 metres, with CAT-III B procedures in place. It increased to 100 metres at 7.30 am and then increased substantially to over 500 metres by 9.30 am.”

–Met Official

The national capital has been experiencing cold-wave conditions and thick fog for the past few days. On Wednesday morning, December 28, the city's minimum temperature was 7.8 degrees Celsius.

Forecasts predict that Delhi will have moderate to strong fog during the next two days, especially on New Year's Eve, with visibility in some parts of the city dropping to 200 metres.

The cold wave situation is anticipated to become better starting on Wednesday, but new cold wave conditions are predicted to return from December 31 to January 1, 2023, according to IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) authorities. Forecasts indicate that Delhi would likely see moderate to intense fog for the following two days as well, especially on New Year’s Eve, with visibility in some areas of the city falling to 200 metres.

Source: HT

SpiceJet has proposed to convert lessors into potential investors in a Debt-to-Equity Conversion Plan to settle all payment disputes.

SpiceJet has made the decision to put an end to its disagreement with aircraft lessor Goshawk Aviation. It is also looking for a loan of Rs 200 crore through the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to pay off outstanding debts and bring in new aircraft.

SpiceJet has targeted paying off INR 25 billion (USD 302 million) in overdue aircraft lease payments

After SpiceJet failed to make lease payments, Goshawk Aviation sued the airline in a UK court for $ 16 million. According to SpiceJet, all disagreements would be resolved and all legal actions will be withdrawn from the UK and Delhi courts. Two Boeing 737 MAX planes that had been grounded because of the dispute will now be able to take to the skies thanks to the resolution.

Also read: SpiceJet aims to pay off aircraft lessors’ outstanding debts by converting them into investors

SpiceJet has targeted paying off INR 25 billion (USD 302 million) in overdue aircraft lease payments. If lessors approve, the plan entails a two-step transaction: First, the company will transfer its cargo undertaking to a newly formed subsidiary, SpiceXpress, which will then issue Compulsorily Convertible Debentures (CCDs) to the parent. Then, SpiceJet will give lessors the choice to switch lease payments with the CCDs.

According to Ajay Singh, the company's shareholders recently approved the transfer of its logistical operations to SpiceXpress

According to well-placed unidentified sources cited by the newspaper, this will make them investors in the cargo arm with the potential to take an ownership position in it at a later time.

In the quarter that ended in September 2022, SpiceJet has short- and long-term lease liabilities totalling INR 70 billion (USD 845.6 million), according to the most recent financial information.

Not all of these, though, need money. According to the sources, the goal was to pay off the lessors' immediate debt of INR 25 billion (USD 302 million). Ten or so of them have received the proposal.

Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of the airline, stated in his letter to shareholders in the airline's annual report for FY2021-22 that the company had “completed a series of settlements with most of the major partners, including manufacturers and lessors.”

According to Singh, the company's shareholders recently approved the transfer of its logistical operations to SpiceXpress. As soon as the cargo and logistics platform is separated from the company, the balance sheet of the business will be greatly strengthened, and its negative net worth would be eliminated.

Also read: SpiceXpress spin-off is now approved by the creditors of SpiceJet

The company's balance sheet will be significantly enhanced once the shipping and logistics platform is cut off, and its negative net worth will be removed.

“We expect to see improvement in operations, and restructuring benefits will be visible starting Q3 FY2023. We are well placed to enter a new phase of accelerated growth to meet resurgent demand from passenger and cargo customers.”

“SpiceJet has engaged with investment bankers to raise up to USD200 million in order to achieve our future plans. Additionally, the enhancement of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) limit to INR15 billion (USD185 million) by the government will go a long way in providing much-needed stability to the sector. The infusion of additional funds will help SpiceJet normalise its obligations, unground its fleet and induct new planes into our fleet. This will go a long way in rejuvenating the airline as the induction of new planes and operation of a younger fleet will increase operational efficiency and support cash-positive operations.”

–Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet

SpiceJet has spent a large amount of 2022 fighting off insolvency actions brought by furious creditors

SpiceJet has spent a significant portion of 2022 defending against insolvency proceedings from outraged creditors.

Talks are being held with lessors to resolve outstanding debts. The airline then intends to introduce seven Boeing 737 MAXs. It hopes that inductions will start in October or November. The new aircraft will be used for expansion and replacements. Additionally, it will save on fuel and generate cash from the sale and leaseback of aircraft.

Source: ET