TCS-developed 'RedSmart' app powers AirAsia India’s punctuality record

AirAsia India, the joint venture between Tata Sons and Malaysian carrier AirAsia, achieved a milestone by notching up an on-time performance among major airlines for five consecutive months (April-August), according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data.

AirAsia India is a low-cost carrier, and the OTP (on time performance) of its flights is one of the most important factors for customers.

The OTP is calculated using two factors: one is the number of flights that operated during a period and the second is how many flights were delayed by five minutes or more during that period.

The AirAsia India airline has topped the on-time performance for five months since April.

AirAsia India launched an aviation analytics app that helps enhance the operational efficiency of the airline by monitoring and helping manage aircraft turnaround between flights with data analytics in real-time.

AirAsia India and TCS collaborated on this project which kicked off with workshops to design a best-in-class system with state-of-the-art technology to capture all the Precision Time Schedule activities.

The RedSmart app, built on the TCS proprietary is designed to provide the airline with a holistic approach to handling and managing flight operations and driving cost efficiencies.

"As an airline that has consistently embraced technology to deliver operational efficiency and enhance our guest experience, the introduction of RedSmart will help further automate operational processes inflight and on-ground. We're delighted to partner with TCS, known for its futuristic technology solutions to launch RedSmart, the first of its kind in the aviation industry in India."Mr. Sunil Bhaskaran, MD & CEO of Air Asia India

The RedSmart Plus app works by enabling airline management to monitor precisely how much time is taken for each task such as loading/unloading, aircraft cleaning, fuelling, catering etc, also the ground personnel can feed details into the app after completing an activity. App’s analytics function provides reports on projected on-time performance for the day, helping the airline manage operations better.

The app has analytics functions, too, that provide the airline reports on projected on-time performance for the day and helps it to manage operations better.

A series of activities are carried out before a departure (loading/unloading, aircraft cleaning, fuelling, catering etc), and the RedSmart Plus app enables the airline management to monitor exactly how much time is taken for each task.

The app was upgraded last year and more functionalities were added. Apart from aircraft turnaround, it generates reports on fuel uplift, engineering, schedule analysis, arrival baggage, and transfer passengers, among others.

AirAsia India has shown that it is a competitive player in the Indian aviation industry. This could be attributed to its low-cost model and focus on operational efficiency, which improves customer satisfaction.

ALSO READ - AirAsia India takes short-term loans of INR 630 crore to reduce its debt burden

(With Inputs from Business Standard)

Delhi Airport (Indira Gandhi International Airport), the country's busiest and largest airport, has become 5G-ready, enabling passengers to use the world's advanced mobile service inside the terminal as soon as the services are rolled out by the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).

Officials said that flyers having a 5G-enabled mobile phone and sim card can experience a better signal strength, seamless connectivity, negligible latency, and faster data speed at the Domestic Departure pier and International Arrival Baggage area at Terminal 3, and between T3 Arrivals and Multi-Level Car Parking (MLCP). The deployment across Terminal 3 would be covered in a phased manner.

Most airports at present provide wireless service primarily through Wi-Fi to passengers. Wi-Fi relies on the unlicensed spectrum which is free for anyone to use, as per the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).

Delhi airport enables 5G network; now experience 50 times faster internet

Currently, a few TSPs have enabled their network to facilitate 5G service for their customers and expect others to connect in the next few weeks. Apart from these, people visiting GMR Aerocity Delhi can also get a feel of the 5G network at GMR Square.

GMR Square is a unique concept for any Indian airport which offers easy access to the commercial hubs of Aerocity from public places. It offers pedestrian experiential walks at GMR Aerocity Delhi. Passengers will be able to enjoy a 20 times faster data speed on a 5G network as compared with the available Wi-Fi system or 50 times faster data speed over the existing data communication network.

The 5G network would allow for quicker downloads, zero buffering during streaming, seamless execution of resource-intense applications like 3D Gaming, Virtual reality experience, extremely high-density connectivity, and extremely deep coverage in all areas.

Travellers can now enjoy faster data speed at the Domestic Departure pier and International Arrival Baggage area at Terminal 3

To provide a world-class mobile experience to its passengers, DIAL, a GMR Airports Infrastructure Limited-led consortium that operates and manages Delhi airport, had set up the In-Building Solutions (IBS) for the 5G network well in advance. With the rise in passenger footfall, airports have witnessed a rise in demand for more bandwidth and faster speed from the passengers, who carry their mobile devices.

Airlines and other airport stakeholders are also seeking fast, seamless and secure connectivity for their essential technologies to enhance the passenger experience.

"Delhi Airport always remains ahead in bringing new-gen technologies to the passengers. To enhance their experience at the airport we have built our own 5G infrastructure. The 5G network offers a faster speed and lower latency. At the airport, this feature of the next-generation mobile technology will help improve connection density and enhance passengers' experience. Passengers can experience unified signal strength, seamless connectivity, negligible latency, and unimaginable data speed."Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL)

The 5G, which is the next step in mobile telephony, will help in enhancing existing applications of the airports, like passenger processing, baggage management and airport operations, among others. Also, it will enable airports to go for new technologies like edge-computing, Internet of Things (IoT), digital twin creation and artificial intelligence.

ALSO READ - Concern over 5G rollout, DGCA writes to the telecom department

ALSO READ - TRAI believes that 5G won’t be a threat to aircraft in India

In a bid to ensure that it can launch services soon, Jet Airways has entered into a lease agreement with Dublin-based lessor Avolon to lease Airbus A320 aircraft. According to sources, the six-month-old aircraft was leased to Russian carrier S7 Airlines. The aircraft was ferried back from Toulouse to Maastricht in the Netherlands for a fresh coat of paint.

Neither Avolon nor Jet Airways responded to queries. The aircraft tracking website, Planespotters.net, posted a photo of the narrow-body aircraft with the freshly painted livery.

The development comes at a time when there have been delays in restarting the operations of the airline. Jet Airways plans to restart operations by November this year. Earlier, the airline had said it was targeting to launch operations in October.

Jet Airways signs a lease agreement with Avolon to lease A320 aircraft; plans to restart operations by November. (Image Courtesy - Jan Severijns)

Amid reports of the launch being delayed, a spokesperson for the consortium said the airline is very close to finalising its initial fleet plan in preparation for opening for sale soon and restart of operations in the coming weeks.

"There is no deadline; target dates are set by us alone, and we have always maintained that this is a marathon, not a sprint. We had said we were targeting to launch by October 2022, and we are tracking quite close to that," the spokesperson said.

One of the executives quoted earlier said the airline is in an advanced stage of discussions for leasing aircraft and an announcement is likely soon.

ALSO RAED - Jet Airways in advanced talks to order 50 Airbus A220

Jet Airways was talking to Airbus about potentially ordering fifty A220s valued at around USD1.8 billion

In August, Bloomberg reported Jet Airways was talking to Airbus about potentially ordering fifty A220s valued at around USD1.8 billion after discounts and with a delivery timeline starting circa 2025. The same report cited talks with Boeing about a "sizeable" B737 MAX order.

The airline is yet to announce an official order for the aircraft; it is negotiating to place an order for at least 50 aircraft, sources said. However, initially, it plans to restart operations with leased A320 Neos and B737 Max. Jet Airways had also invited applications from pilots who are current and type-rated on the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737NG or MAX aircraft.

Jet Airways shut shop in April 2019 over unpaid dues, it was later dragged to the insolvency court by SBI. It was only in June 2021 that the NCLT approved the resolution plan for Jet Airways submitted by the Jalan Kalrock Consortium.

Jet Airways shut shop in April 2019 over unpaid dues, it was later dragged to the insolvency court by SBI.

At its peak, it had around 180 aircraft in its fleet, including Airbus A330-200s, ATR72-500s, Boeing 777s, and Boeing 737-400s 700s and 800s. Post its closure, most of the aircraft barring eight were leased out to other airlines.

ALSO READ - Jet Airways returning with a hybrid premium and no-frills model, first flight likely by October 2022

An internal document reviewed suggests the airline plans “to have two-class configuration and intends to return to the skies as a ‘smart’ full-service carrier, with a two-class cabin configuration, including a business class cabin designed to global standards, and an evolved economy class that offers digital-age customers what they most value.”

ALSO READ - Jet Airways relaunch delayed due to unresolved negotiations between the administration & engine makers

Jet Airways maintains there is no current impediment to placing a fresh aircraft order or acquiring new assets.

Jet Airways clashed with former lenders who were left substantially out of pocket after the 2019 collapse. Several are reportedly reluctant to allow the airline to take on fresh liabilities and acquire the new aircraft needed to restart operations.

ALSO READ - Lenders of Jet Airways threaten bankruptcy over aircraft rental revenues

However, Jet Airways maintains there is no current impediment to placing a fresh aircraft order or acquiring new assets. Meanwhile, the airline's new owners are due in India's Bankruptcy Court on October 11 to provide an update on the carrier's rescue plan, including plans to acquire new aircraft.

ALSO RAED - Jet Airways’ lenders to get rental earnings from Jalan-Kalrock Consortium

Cover Image - Simon Paul

There are rumours that China may be working on a sixth-technology plane program that is remarkably comparable to its Western counterpart. Greater levels of the US army are beginning to step up the ante as the rivalry between the two sides grows.

I cannot tell you today what’s going on in China except they’re planning for their 20th National Party Congress in October.  But I can tell you what’s not happening. They’re not having a debate over the relevance of six-gen air dominance. And I can also tell you they’re on trackACC commander Gen. Mark Kelly said during a roundtable with reporters at the Air and Space Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber conference last week

These comments come at a time when the US is actively pursuing the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. A manned stealth fighter jet with sixth-generation capabilities that are superior and by no means unheard-of is at the core of the NGAD.

Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) | Representative | The Drive

The US Air Force needs to make sure we get to six-gen air dominance at least a month prior to our competitorsKelly said

This is a sign of the concerns among many USAF higher-ups about a secret Chinese sixth-technology development, about which nothing is known to the general public.

The FC-31 Gyrfalcon, a twin-engine fifth-generation aircraft now in the prototype stage, is the second fifth-generation fighter aircraft that China has been actively developing.

Shenyang FC-31 | Wikipedia

Even more secretive than the majority of nations, including the United States, which has revealed little about its sixth-generation fighter program, is China.

The American NGAD has been referred to as a system of systems, which means that numerous adjunct and auxiliary aircraft would be partnered with or supported by the manned aircraft. We are confident that it will be adaptable to new technologies, which can be added gradually without interfering with the aircraft's main flight system.

Next generation fighters touted to feature Energy Directed Weapon(s) (EDW) | Representative | Source

6th Gen Fighters-next name of the game?

According to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, the US Air Force is currently on target to field its Next Generation Air Dominance family of systems by the end of the decade, becoming the first six-gen fighter user. In 2020, the agency successfully test-flew a manned NGAD prototype. According to Kendall, the military may soon choose a manufacturer for the program.

The initiative will be incredibly expensive and sophisticated, with the manned NGAD fighter costing "hundreds of millions" each unit, according to Kendall. It will also require the development of new armaments and maybe a variety of drones. The combination of all of these factors may result in timetable delays, narrowing the gap between US and Chinese timelines.

The FC31 Gyrfalcon, China's upcoming stealth fighter, will continue to reduce the technological gap with the USA | Representative | NextBigFuture.com

According to a 2019 interview with Wang Haifeng, the chief designer at Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, China had been doing early research on a future-technology fighter that would be able to "defend the sea and sky" by 2035.

Although Wang did not go into detail about China's design, he did mention a few features that he believed will eventually set US fighter aircraft apart, such as the ability to use drones, the application of artificial intelligence, advancements in stealth, and omnidirectional sensors.

China frequently converts one fighter jet into another, as it did with the J-16, a domestically produced aircraft based on the Russian Su-27 and Su-30, claims US ACC basic Kelly. American aircraft design stands out because it will become more functional in major ways.

SU-30 | Representative | Wikipedia

China's ambitious aim to put a sixth-technology jet into flight by the middle of the 2030s is likely to fall short of what the US or the UK could have accomplished by that time. Beijing will probably delay catching up since it makes its most important advancements first.

ALSO READ - World’s first 6th generation stealth fighter enters production – here’s what we know

SOURCE(s)

COVER: The Diplomat

The government has held discussions with Indian airlines on exploring wide-body aircraft operations to build India as a global aviation hub, people aware of the development said.

According to the discussions, the civil aviation ministry has asked low-fare airlines such as IndiGo and SpiceJet to explore the possibility of inducting wide-body aircraft into their fleet and has also asked full-service airlines such as Vistara and Air India to explore strengthening their wide-body aircraft fleet, the people cited above said.

ALSO READ - Aviation Minister in talks with airline executives about the expansion of wide-body aircraft operations

India is primarily a narrow-body aircraft market, with popular jets in action being Airbus A320 or a Boeing B737.

Narrow-body aircraft make up 82.5% of the fleet in India, while wide-body ones are at 7%.

These aeroplanes typically offer a seating capacity of 180-200 passengers, whereas a wide-body aircraft can seat more than 300 passengers. A wide-body typically offers a better customer experience and can also operate direct long-haul flights, whereas a narrow-body aircraft generally offers no-frills service and is ideal for short-to-medium-haul flights.

In India, narrow-body aircraft currently account for 82.5% of the current fleet of major commercial Indian airlines, whereas wide-body aircraft is at 7%.

According to Flightradar, SpiceJet currently has 80 aircraft in its fleet, including 48 narrow-body aircraft and 32 regional turboprop planes. IndiGo’s fleet stood at 246 narrow-body planes and 35 regional turboprop jets as of June 2022.

As part of the strategy to make India a competitive global hub, such as Dubai and Singapore, the government has also planned measures to reduce the transit time in India.

Air India has 113 aircraft in its fleet, including 70 narrow-body planes and 43 wide-body aircraft. Vistara’s current fleet includes 57 aeroplanes, including three wide-body aircraft and 54 narrow-body planes.

"Globally, if you look at two international connections, the time between those two flights is around 1.5-2 hours. Similarly, time between a domestic and international flight is around 60 minutes. In India, such connectivity is often 3-4 hours apart. That is not attractive for a passenger in today's world." The people cited above said.

ALSO READ - India to have 400 million air travellers and a fleet size of 1200 aircraft in the coming future

(With inputs from the Mint)

As Hurricane Ian approaches the United States, many airlines are forced to cancel over 2,000 flights. It has led to disrupting travel plans for many people and caused a lot of inconveniences. The hurricane has caused major disruptions for airlines, with over 2,000 flights being cancelled.

About 1,800 flights within, into or out of the United States were delayed on Tuesday, Flightaware.com data showed. Airlines had scrapped 367 flights on Tuesday and 1,748 on Wednesday across the United States. This has left many passengers stranded and has caused a significant amount of inconvenience.

American Airlines, which operates about 250 daily departures out of Miami, its fourth-largest hub, had cancelled about 500 flights by 8 p.m. Wednesday, including mainline and regional service.

American Airlines, which operates about 250 daily departures out of Miami, its fourth-largest hub, had cancelled about 500 flights including mainline and regional services.

United said on Wednesday that it had proactively cancelled 345 flights since Tuesday, swapping some outbound flights with larger airplanes to help customers who were evacuated from the storm's path.

By 8 p.m. Wednesday, Southwest Airlines had cancelled 525 US flights, according to FlightAware data. And Delta Air Lines had cancelled just over 200 flights.

Multiple airlines are moving aircraft out of harm's way and note it will take time to reestablish service after the storm. First, officials and the airlines must determine when and where it is safe to resume flights, and then they must have crews on the ground available.

Hurricane Ian disrupts US travel plans, forcing airlines to cancel over 2,000 flights.

Hurricane Ian entered the U.S. Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday and is forecast to become a dangerous storm over the warm waters of the Gulf, according to National Hurricane Center forecaster Eric Blake.

It is expected to bring hurricane-force winds of up to 130 mph (209 kph) and as much as 2 feet (0.6 meters) of rain to the Tampa area starting early on Wednesday through Thursday evening.

Airlines cancelled about 40% of flights at Miami International Airport on Wednesday. Florida is a major part of U.S. aviation and some airlines like JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines typically expect 40% or more of their daily flights to touch a Florida airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was "closely monitoring" Hurricane Ian and its path. Major U.S. carriers also halted some operations

Hurricane lan is a Category One storm and is expected to make landfall in the U.S., according to CNN meteorologist Chad Myers. The storm is moving west at about 10 mph and has wind speeds of 115 miles per hour with some areas seeing gusts up around 140 mph