Shirdi Airport to get a new terminal building, apron for INR 527 crore

Radhika Bansal

16 Mar 2023

The Maharashtra Airport Development Company Ltd (MADC), which operates Shirdi airport, has started building a new apron at the airfield due to the huge surge in passenger traffic. To update the current facilities, land marking and testing are now being done.

If finished, the new apron area at Shirdi airport should be bigger and able to hold more aircraft. Three ATR72 and one A320 can fit in the current infrastructure, which measures 225 M x 105 M.

The number of planes that will be parked has not been disclosed by the MADC, which oversees Shirdi airport.

The managing director of MADC and vice-chairman Deepak Kapoor tweeted, "New Apron marking and testing work in ongoing at Shirdi Airport."

An anonymous MADC official added, "After the apron area is entirely finished, we will have an indication of how many aircraft will be occupied.

Aircraft are parked, loaded or unloaded, refuelled, boarded, or maintained in the airport apron area. The apron is not typically accessible to the general public, and a permit can be needed.

Apron areas designed for parking aeroplanes are referred to as aircraft stands.

The MADC has published a tender for the construction of a new integrated passenger terminal facility at Shirdi in addition to the apron. The company that purchases the rights will have two years to build the terminal, which is anticipated to cost 527 crores.

Only 300 passengers can be accommodated at once in the terminal as it is. After Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur, the airport, which opened in October 2017, is the fourth-busiest facility in the state.

Nowadays, Tirupati, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Delhi are all accessible from Shirdi Airport. The airport handles 64,000 travellers each month.

The usage of the apron may be managed by an apron management service (apron control or apron advisory) to ensure user coordination when the aerodrome control tower does not have control over it.

The tower or ground control, as well as airline handling agents, receive this information from apron control, which assigns aircraft parking stands (gates). Also, it authorises vehicle movement outside of painted road markings, if such movement would obstruct an aeroplane in taxi.

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IAF earmarks 39 military airfields & 9 ALGs for civil aircraft

Radhika Bansal

16 Mar 2023

The Indian Air Force earmarked 39 military airfields and nine Advance Landing Grounds for use by civil aircraft said IAF on Tuesday.

"IAF has earmarked 39 military airfields and 9 Advance Landing Grounds for use by civil aircraft. This Joint User Airfield scheme now gives access to areas that were earlier considered remote," said Indian Air Force.

The 39 airfields from where civilian flights now operate include Agra, Adampur, Allahabad, Awantipur, Bareilly, Bagdogra, Bhuj, Bidar, Car Nicobar, Chandigarh, Gorakhpur, Gwalior, Jammu, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jorhat, Kargil, Leh, Pune, Silchar, Srinagar, Tezpur and Thanjavur. The nine ALGs, in turn, include Along, Walong, Tawang, Ziro and Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh.

https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1635486555354861570

In June last year, IAF announced the handing over of around 40 acres of defence land to the Airports Authority of India to develop civil terminals and necessary infrastructure at seven locations to facilitate the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) in tune with the UDAN (ude desh ka aam nagarik) policy. These airfields are Bagdogra, Darbhanga, Adampur, Utarlai, Sarsawa, Kanpur and Gorakhpur.

The IAF has been providing MoCA with an airport apron wherever it is not available, as well as its own areas for parking and other facilities. Moreover, wherever MoCA does not have dedicated civil terminals, IAF, in coordination with the Airport Authority of India, facilitates access of passengers to the air force station from where they subsequently board flights.

Defence Ministry signed a contract for the procurement of six Dornier-228 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at the cost of INR 667 crore.

ALSO READ - Indian Air Force procures 6 HAL Dornier aircraft for INR 667 crore

Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry signed a contract for the procurement of six Dornier-228 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at the cost of INR 667 crore.

The aircraft was used by IAF for Route Transport Role and communication duties. Subsequently, it has also been used for training transport pilots of the IAF.

The present lot of six aircraft will be procured with an upgraded fuel-efficient engine coupled with a five-bladed composite propeller. The aircraft is ideally suited for short-haul operations from semi-prepared/short runways of the North East and island chains of India. The addition of the six aircraft will further bolster the operational capability of the IAF in remote areas.

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Fuel tank problem could delay B767 freighter deliveries

Jinen Gada

16 Mar 2023

A quality issue with the coating on fuel tanks appears to be delaying new deliveries of B767 - 300Fs, including 58 767-based KC-46 air-to-air refuelling tanker aircraft.

The coating of the centre-wing tank structure, if poorly applied, can flake off and block fuel filters, preventing fuel from reaching the engines, according to a report.

The report notes that the supplier for the 767-300F’s centre wing tanks had switched from Pennsylvania’s Triumph Group to French company Daher last year and had not performed relevant tests on the coating. More than 12 aircraft in Boeing’s inventory could be affected, impacting aircraft deliveries, says the report.

So far this, Boeing has yet to deliver a 767, with some 100 on order. These include 27 for FedEx and another 27 for UPS, as well as 58 refuelling tanker aircraft for the US Air Force.

In July, September and November last year, Maersk Air Cargo took delivery of three 767-300Fs.

Boeing support and services senior brand manager Jim Proulx told the long waiting list for Boeing 767 variant aircraft “should not be understood as a list of delayed deliveries”, and that Boeing would simply deliver the planes “when we get around to it”.

He added: “Through Boeing’s standard process, a quality issue was identified on some 767/KC-46 tanker components. We are continuing to work through our process with our supplier, regulator and customers to resolve the issue.

“We will deliver airplanes as we complete rework and we are not changing our overall delivery plans for the year. Our engineering analysis to date is that the issue is not an immediate safety or flight concern.”

Fuel starvation, as it is known, has been attributed as the cause of many aviation accidents, including British Airways flight 38, which fell short of a runway at Heathrow after ice crystals blocked fuel lines on a B777. Fortunately, all 152 passengers and crew survived, though the plane was written-off.

With inputs from theloadstar.

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Riyadh Air to launch operations with 72 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

Radhika Bansal

15 Mar 2023

Boeing and Riyadh Air announced that the new Saudi Arabian carrier has chosen the 787 Dreamliner to power its global launch and support its goal of operating one of the most efficient and sustainable fleets in the world.

Owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Riyadh Air said it will purchase 39 highly efficient 787-9s, with options for an additional 33 787-9s. Based in the capital city, Riyadh Air will play a key role in growing Saudi Arabia's air transport network.

The Dreamliner aircraft will be equipped with General Electric’s GEnex engines. This is Boeing's fifth biggest order historically after a massive order by Air India last month.

ALSO READ - From A350s to B777Xs, Air India finalizes the Historic 470 Aircraft deal with Airbus & Boeing

https://twitter.com/PIF_en/status/1635645675915419649

In total, Saudi Arabia has placed a total of 121 orders with Boeing, as the other flag carrier Saudia placed an order of 39 confirmed Dreamliner orders with an option of 10 more planes. These deals are valued at around USD 34 billion. This will support the country's goal of serving 330 million passengers and attracting 100 million visitors annually by 2030.   

"The new airline reflects the ambitious vision of Saudi Arabia to be at the core of shaping the future of global air travel and be a true disrupter in terms of customer experience. Riyadh Air's commitment to its customers will see the integration of digital innovation and authentic Saudi hospitality to deliver a seamless travel experience. By positioning the airline as both a global connector and a vehicle to drive tourist and business travel to Saudi Arabia, our new 787-9 airplanes will serve as a foundation for our worldwide operations, as we build the wider network and connect our guests to Saudi Arabia and many destinations around the world."

Tony Douglas, CEO, Riyadh Air

The first deliveries of the widebody aircraft are scheduled for early 2025. Riyadh Air will be a digitally-led full-service airline with a commitment to sustainability reflecting Saudi Arabia’s transformative projects under Vision 2030. It will operate in line with the country’s strides toward net zero emissions.

ALSO READ - What will Riyadh Air look like?

Riyadh Air is wholly owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has more than USD 600 billion in assets and is the main driver of the kingdom's efforts to wean itself off oil. The airline will serve more than 100 destinations around the world by 2030 and will directly compete against Emirates and Qatar Airways.

"This is a significant order that will support Riyadh Air's commitment to deliver a world-class travel experience, while supporting American aerospace manufacturing jobs at Boeing and across our supply chain. We are incredibly proud of our nearly eight decades of partnership to drive innovation and sustainable growth in Saudi Arabia's aviation sector. Our agreement builds on that longstanding partnership and will further expand access to safe and sustainable commercial air travel for decades more."

Stan Deal, President and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes

The 787-9 provides the longest range of the 787 families of airplanes, flying approximately 300 passengers 7,565 nautical miles (14,010 km), with additional cargo capacity. Passengers enjoy a better experience with the largest windows of any jet, air that is more humid and pressurized at a lower cabin altitude for greater comfort, large overhead bins with room for everyone's bag; soothing LED lighting, and technology that senses and counters turbulence for a smoother ride.

Riyadh Air to launch operations with 72 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

The 787 families is delivering unmatched fuel efficiency to airline operators around the world reducing fuel use and emissions by 25% compared to airplanes they replace.

ALSO READ - Boeing ready to resume 787 deliveries

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Air India partners with Salesforce to transform its customer service

Radhika Bansal

15 Mar 2023

Air India announced a partnership with Salesforce on March 14 to transform its customer service. The airline will be able to improve the customer experience at all significant touchpoints, including online, on the ground, and in the air, through the partnership, it stated in a press release.

Working with Salesforce would provide a consistent data platform and artificial intelligence-assisted tools to Air India's customer-facing staff and with the help of Salesforce technology being implemented, the airline will be able to track customer interactions across its contact centre, mobile app, website, chatbot, email, social media, and other channels, providing a single source of truth for both customer requests and issues.

Air India partners with Salesforce to transform its customer service

Additionally, it will give Air India's customer-facing people and automated systems the capacity to respond proactively to problems and follow them through to resolution with the aid of artificial intelligence technologies. Air India also said that with the technology, it would have a unified customer data platform.

“Today, technology is at the heart of any ambitious organisation's business strategy. It is a force multiplier, and a catalyst to deliver growth and increase value. For Air India, this transformation is the beginning of a historic journey and to many - an emotional one. We are honoured to be a part of this journey with Air India, reimagining the customer experience and delivering excellence.”   

Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson and CEO, Salesforce India

"Given the ambitious growth plan of Air India that will result in a rapid increase in the volume of customer interactions, deploying robust and scalable technological solutions that incorporate the latest in Artificial Intelligence technologies becomes imperative. Air India’s work with Salesforce will enable this accomplishment," said the release.

One of the benefits of this technology rollout is the availability of a 360-degree view of customers in a unified customer data platform that enables Air India to deeply understand its customers. Following that, this information will be used to improve consumer interactions at touchpoints on the ground, online, and in the air.

“At Air India, we are committed to elevate our customers’ experience. In line with our strategy to deliver a world-class, omni-channel experience for our customers, we are working with Salesforce to introduce various service features that will make it easy for our customers to engage with us. Our contact centre plays a crucial role in the customer’s journey, both before and after the actual flight. Our deployment of Salesforce in the contact centre and in other channels marks a step in our endeavour to provide a seamless, contextual and personalized customer experience across multiple touchpoints."

Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience and Ground Handling Officer, Air India

While the financial details of the engagement with Salesforce were not disclosed by Air India, the airline’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson in a press briefing recently outlined that the airline has invested nearly USD 200 million for improving product reliability and information technology systems.

As part of its transformation plan, Air India has aimed to increase its domestic market share from 8-9% currently to at least 30% over the next five years, while also significantly growing its international operations. In February, it placed a historic order for 470 aircraft, a deal which is valued at USD 70 billion on list price.

ALSO READ - From A350s to B777Xs, Air India finalizes the Historic 470 Aircraft deal with Airbus & Boeing

“We need to be able to understand our customers’ needs proactively and take care of them with utmost diligence. When things don’t go as expected, we want to be able to address the challenges faced by our customers with speed and take them to comprehensive closure. Having a scalable technology platform that enables us to accomplish the above effectively is critical to our business.”

Dr. Satya Ramaswamy, Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Air India

Salesforce, Inc. is an American cloud-based software company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It provides customer relationship management (CRM) software and applications focused on sales, customer service, marketing automation, e-commerce, analytics, and application development. Delta Air Lines is one of the oldest customers of Salesforce with a huge success story.

ALSO READ - Air India Pilots can now fly 2 aircraft types after recent DGCA approval

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Etihad brings back its Airbus A380 as travel demand soars

Jinen Gada

15 Mar 2023

After a period of storage due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Etihad Airways' first Airbus A380 has come out of storage in Tarbes, France. This is a significant milestone for the airline as it prepares to resume A380 services later this year.

In March 2020, Etihad Airways made the decision to ground its entire A380 fleet due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline, like many others, was forced to reduce its operations and fleet size as travel demand plummeted. The A380s were placed in storage at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Airport in France, where they remained until recently.

The first A380 to emerge from storage in Tarbes will undergo maintenance and checks before being flown to Abu Dhabi in the coming weeks.

The Airbus A380 is the world's largest passenger airliner, capable of carrying up to 853 passengers in a single class configuration.

"The A380, as well as being an iconic aircraft for Etihad, also represents the strength of our long-standing relationship with Airbus. We look forward to the gradual return of this magnificent aircraft to our skies."

Tony Douglas, Group CEO of Etihad Aviation Group.

The resumption of A380 services will be a welcome development for Etihad Airways and its customers. The airline has always been committed to providing the highest levels of comfort and luxury, and the A380 is a key part of its fleet. With its spacious cabins, onboard lounges, and cutting-edge technology, the A380 offers passengers an unrivaled travel experience.

Etihad Airways has implemented a range of health and safety measures to ensure the wellbeing of its passengers and crew during the pandemic. These include mandatory pre-flight COVID-19 testing, enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures, and the use of personal protective equipment.

As the aviation industry begins to recover from the pandemic, the resumption of A380 services is a positive sign of things to come. Etihad Airways' first A380 coming out of storage in Tarbes is a symbol of hope and resilience, and a reminder of the power of air travel to connect people and cultures around the world.

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