US, India seek joint production of GE jet engines for HAL’s combat aircraft

President Joe Biden’s administration has promised to fast-track the approval the General Electric Company of the United States sought to produce in India the engines to power the combat aircraft manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

The Biden Administration also agreed to work with the American Congress to lower the barriers for the export of High-Performance Computing technology and source code from the US to India.

The White House confirmed that the United States government had received “an application from General Electric to jointly produce jet engines that could power jet aircraft operated and produced indigenously by India”.

“The United States commits to an expeditious review of this application,” it added in a fact sheet issued after a meeting between Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his counterpart in the Government of India, Ajit Doval, in Washington DC late Tuesday.

The GE is likely to collaborate with the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) of the Government of India and another manufacturer in India to produce the F414-INS6 engines for the TEJAS MK-2, which would be developed by the HAL to replace the Mirage-2000, the Jaguar and the MiG 29 fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) fleet. The GE may transfer technologies to allow the production of several key components of the engine in India, according to a source aware of the discussion between New Delhi and Washington DC on bilateral defence technology cooperation.

Sullivan told journalists after his meeting with Doval in Washington DC that both sides would strive for “fast and ambitious progress” on setting the stage for the US company manufacturing jet engines in India.

The two sides also agreed to develop a new bilateral Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap to accelerate technological cooperation between both countries for joint development and production, not only of jet engines but also of munitions and other systems. They agreed to enhance long-term research and development cooperation, with a focus on identifying maritime security and intelligence surveillance reconnaissance operational use cases.

They will launch a new “Innovation Bridge” that would connect the defence start-ups of India and the US.

Doval, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Security adviser (NSA), is currently on a tour to Washington DC. He and his counterpart, Sullivan, on Tuesday led the first dialogue within the framework of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), which was announced by Modi and Biden during a meeting in Tokyo in May 2022.

The Biden Administration agreed to launch the new initiative after New Delhi had repeatedly pointed out that India had to rely more on Russia only because the US and the other western nations had in the past declined to share with it advanced military hardware and critical technologies. The Modi Government had put forward the argument in response to criticism over its refusal to join the US and the rest of the West in criticising Russia for its military aggression against Ukraine.

Geopolitical factors like China’s aggression against its disputed boundary with India, its belligerence against other nations in the Indo-Pacific region and its growing strategic synergy with Russia in the wake of President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine played a key role in prompting India and the US to agree to foster an open, accessible and secure technology ecosystem, based on mutual trust and confidence, reinforcement of democratic values and democratic institutions.

“The China-Russia factors are real, but so is the idea of building a deep, democratic ecosystem of high technology (between India and the US,” Sullivan said, adding: “So, geopolitics doesn’t sit off to the side, but it’s not a comprehensive explanation for what’s at work here.”

The meeting between Doval and Sullivan saw India and the US underlining “their commitment to working to resolve issues related to regulatory barriers and business and talent mobility in both countries through a standing mechanism under iCET”.

The two sides also agreed on signing a new Implementation Arrangement for a Research Agency Partnership between the National Science Foundation of the US and the science agencies of India to expand international collaboration in a range of areas — including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and advanced wireless — to build a robust innovation ecosystem between our countries. They also agreed on establishing a joint India-US Quantum Coordination Mechanism with participation from industry, academia, and government to facilitate research and industry collaboration.

(With Inputs from Deccan Herald)

Airbus and Qatar Airways have settled a dispute over the degraded surface of grounded A350 jets, Airbus said on Wednesday, averting a potentially damaging UK court trial.

The "amicable settlement" ends a bitter dispute over the safety of corrosion left exposed by cracked paint, which had led Airbus to revoke dozens of jet orders from the Gulf airline.

Airbus said the deal was not an admission of liability by either party, both of whom would move forward as partners. Reuters reported earlier that a deal could be reached on Wednesday.

This long going saga started towards the end of 2020 when Qatar Airways complained that it had detected cracks in the paint of some of its newly acquired A350 aircraft and subsequently grounded part of its fleet. Airbus rejected all allegations that safety could have been compromised due to this issue. 

Qatar Airways had 53 Airbus A350 aircraft (34 of the –900 version and 19 of the –1000 one), in its fleet plus outstanding orders for 19 more of the type when this conflict erupted. 

What followed were months of very public wrangling and a lawsuit, with the matter expected to be resolved at London’s High Court.  

A preliminary court hearing took place in London on January 19, 2023, where it became known that Airbus had implemented some design changes affecting parts of its production process, allegedly in response to the concerns about this matter. 

Airbus’ note further states that the airline and aircraft manufacturer are working together on a repair programme and to get the affected aircraft back in the air. 

Interestingly, the wording of the announcement hints at the fact that Airbus and Qatar Airways may get back to working together in the future. 

It is worth noting that, as a result of this dispute, Airbus had unilaterally cancelled Qatar Airways’ all outstanding aircraft orders, including for 50 A321neo aircraft, forcing the airline to look for alternatives at short notice in order to stick to its planned growth programme. 

The Civil Aviation Ministry witnessed a significant decline in its allocation in Budget 2023-24 presented on Wednesday, February 1. The Budget allocated INR 3,113.36 crore to the ministry, against INR 10,667 crore in 2022-23, which was later revised to INR 9,363.70 crore.

The Budget documents showed that the major reduction is mainly due to lower money allocation for AI Asset Holding Ltd (AIAHL), a special-purpose vehicle formed by the government that holds various assets of national carrier Air India.

The Budget for 2023-24, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday, has allocated INR 3,113.36 crore for the ministry. This includes INR 3,026.70 crore from revenue and INR 86.66 crore from capital.

The Budget announced on Wednesday, February 1 has allocated INR 1,114.49 crore for AIAHL under the public sector undertakings segment. In the Budget for 2022-23, AIAHL was initially allocated INR 9,259.91 crore, which was later revised to INR 7,200 crore and the provision is kept for servicing of loan transferred to SPV as a result of the financial restructuring of Air India.

Tata Group took over the control of Air India in January last year following the government's disinvestment process.

On the other hand, the latest budget has hiked the amount for regional air connectivity to INR 1,244.07 crore for the next financial year starting April 1. The proposal is for the revival of 22 airports and for the commencement of 100 RCS routes, and viability gap funding for northeast connectivity. To improve connectivity in the North East Region, a new scheme has also been formulated for providing air connectivity and aviation infrastructure.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech announced that 50 additional airports, heliports, water aerodromes and advanced landing grounds will be revived for improving regional air connectivity.

Aviation regulator DGCA has got INR 309 crore in this Budget and the provision is for meeting the establishment expenditure of the Director General of Civil Aviation and its regional and field offices. It provides for Training Projects, the eGCA Project, construction of DGCA Bhawan. It also includes provisions for India's contribution to the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

The allocation for the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has been increased to INR 73.74 crore. In next financial year, Airports Authority of India (AAI) is to raise INR 3,448.21 crore by way of Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources (IEBR).

The government has been working on various initiatives to improve regional air connectivity, such as the UDAAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme. It focuses on connecting Tier-2 and 3 cities. Almost close to 1.15 crore people have availed flights under the  UDAAN scheme in the last six years. The government has allocated an amount of Rs 4,500 crores for the revival of neglected airports and airstrips of the state governments, as well as public sector undertakings, and civil groups.

UDAN flights have transported almost close to 1.15 crore people in the last six years. In her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Tuesday, President Droupadi Murmu said the country's aviation sector is growing rapidly. "Up to 2014, the number of airports in the country was 74, it has now increased to 147. Today India has become the third-largest aviation market in the world. The UDAN Yojana has played an important role in this regard," she had said. “A very well thought and very futuristic approach by the Finance Minister in this field. Not only 50 additional airports augment the need for enhanced air connectivity but it will lead to the creation of thousands of Jobs both directly and indirectly. It will provide ample opportunities for further aviation domains to grow and meet the expectations of the Indian population,” said Dr. Arun Lohiya, Chief Operating Officer, CAD Ventures Pvt Ltd. Ahead of the Budget announcements, the Economic Survey claimed that the country's civil aviation sector has "great potential" owing to growing demand from the middle class, higher disposable incomes and favourable demographics, while air travel has rebounded with the lifting of the coronavirus pandemic-related curbs. The survey for 2022-23, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, listed various factors that are helping the civil aviation sector, including the UDAN scheme, which has considerably enhanced regional connectivity through the opening of airports in the hinterland. Under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, which is aimed to facilitate/ stimulate regional air connectivity by making it affordable, the total number of tourism routes has increased to 59 and presently, 51 are operational. "The civil aviation sector in India has great potential owing to growing demand from the middle class, growth in population and tourism, higher disposable incomes, favourable demographics, and greater penetration of aviation infrastructure," the survey stated. With the containment of Covid-19 infections and the lifting of travel restrictions worldwide, the survey said, air travel has rebounded. While in FY21, there was a considerable decline in air traffic -- a fall of 54 per cent -- and passenger traffic handled -- a decrease of 66 per cent -- last financial year witnessed a recovery.

Boeing has announced plans to open its second-largest campus outside of its headquarters in Virginia. The Boeing India campus will be located at Aerospace Park in Devanahalli near Kempegowda International Airport and is expected to be opened by the end of 2023.

Boeing India said in a statement on January 30 (Monday) that it has invested over USD 200 million in building the 43-acre campus on the outskirts of the Bengaluru city — a project that was approved in September 2018 by HD Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JDS coalition government, within months after coming to power.

ALSO READ - Boeing to invest $200 million to boost India’s R&D Centre

Boeing India to open its second-largest Engineering & Technology campus near Bangalore Airport

According to reports, this new facility will be heavily involved in research on eVTOLs (electric, vertical, takeoff, and landing) vehicles and achieving Boeing's sustainability goal of hitting net zero emissions by 2050.

ALSO READ - India becomes Boeing’s largest site outside the US in manufacturing and labour

The opening of the new campus underscores India's significance as a key market for Boeing in both commercial and defence sectors. Boeing has historically focused its facilities within the US and the campus in India underlines Boeing’s importance as a major commercial and defence market for the aircraft maker, which is hoping to gain more traction and market share in the coming years.

"India’s airspace will have 2,200 aircraft by 2040, up from around 600 at present, and the country has a lot of work to do in preparing to manage such air traffic. In the first phase of the study, we considered the importance of decongesting the Delhi-Mumbai corridor by creating additional flights and using military airspace and reducing ground traffic congestion. The idea is to align India’s airspace under safety and security norms. of International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA)."

Krishnakumar Badrinath, Director and Chief Engineer, Boeing India Software Engineering, BIETC

Once completed, the new campus and project are expected to generate around 3,000 jobs. The company has operations across the country with field service offices in Mumbai, Hindan, Rajali, and New Delhi. With a workforce of over 4,000 employees, Boeing India is a major player in the country's aerospace and defence sector.

Salil Gupte said that in the last month, India has become Boeing’s biggest employee base outside the US, with about 5,000 employees. It crossed the employee numbers in the UK and Australia. Of the total employee base here, 4,500 are engineers, and that’s a number that has been growing rapidly since the aeronautical giant set up engineering facilities in 2009.

Salil Gupte said that in the last month, India has become Boeing’s biggest employee base outside the US, with about 5,000 employees.

Boeing India currently helps its parent source USD 1 billion of supplies per year from India, of which 66% is actual manufacturing and the rest is software and services.

India’s aerospace exports are expected to cross USD 5 billion by 2025 from USD 1.5 billion at present. Boeing has over 300 supplier partners in India, including 70 MSMEs, while globally it has over 20,000 supplier partners.

Boeing works with DGCI, AAI, Ministry of Aviation to improve airspace. Boeing India has completed the first phase of a study project in collaboration with the DGCA, the Airports Authority of India and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to improve airspace safety in the country.

ALSO READ - Government encourages Airbus and Boeing to set up final assembly lines in India

Budget airline IndiGo has been awarded as the World’s Youngest Aircraft Fleet 2023 in the '100+ aircraft in their fleet' category by Ch-Aviation.

The airline maintains young, modern, and efficient aircraft with an average age of 3.57 years, ranking 5th in Asia's Youngest Aircraft Fleet 2023. IndiGo's fleet consists of 80% latest-generation aircraft at present, a release said.

Vistara is also on list for Asia's Youngest Aircraft Fleet. Vistara takes third place as the youngest aircraft fleet in Asia, with a fleet of 54 aircraft averaging 2.96* years of age. Rebranded from Tata SIA Airlines in 2014, the scheduled carrier has its headquarters in Delhi.

“We are pleased to be felicitated as the World’s Youngest Aircraft Fleet 2023 by ch-aviation in Aircraft Portfolio Award. It has been endeavor to constantly keep our 300+ fleet young for more efficient operations and to provide a comfortable, on-time and hassle-free experience to our consumers. This also ties in very well to our sustainability ambitions and plans as the NEO aircraft are more fuel efficient. As such it has been a critical element already to our accomplishment of reducing CO2 emissions by 18% from 2016 to 2023.”

Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo

The Ch-Aviation Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award recognises airlines across the globe that maintain young, modern, efficient aircraft. The award is based entirely on non-manipulable aircraft data. There is no jury or any other subjective parameter involved.

Among airlines with 100 or more aircraft in their fleet, IndiGo comes in second place. They have a fleet of 278 aircraft, 243 Airbus A320 family aircraft and 35 ATR72-600s, and an average aircraft age of 4.28* years. The low-cost carrier serves 17 countries, 94 destinations, and 536 routes from its base at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport. It recently wet leased a B777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines to operate on Delhi-Istanbul and Mumbai- Istanbul route.

Indians are largely cricket freaks, having humbly adopted the game from colonizers and then developing it into a well-structured ecosystem supporting millions of jobs and billions in revenue over the years. The BCCI is currently the world's largest and richest cricket governing body. How did it happen? This glory and international acclaim can be credited to its extensive training facilities, comprehensive selection process, cutting-edge infrastructure, access to state-of-the-art equipment, and, most importantly, the qualified faculty.

Similarly, for Air India to regain its world-class airline crown, its workforce selection and training will be pivotal. The employees are the backbone of any organization and drive success while maintaining a safety culture. A comprehensive training environment raises employees' overall standards and ensures standardization of knowledge and skills throughout the organization. 

Imagine if Air India could consolidate all pieces of training, like aircraft type rating, SEP, CRM, Fire drills, etc., all under one roof; The efficiency of training could be exponentially improved. This could be further enhanced by integrating Ab-into pilot and cabin crew training, AME and dispatcher training, etc. Air India could also hire their candidates directly, resulting in the ease of the recruitment process, maintaining tighter quality control and ultimately enhancing the caliber of their airline.

Employee training and selection will be crucial if Air India is to recover its position as a Premier Airline.

But all this is not something new; it has been attempted in the past with Central Training Establishment (CTE) Hyderabad, established in 1958. Our former Prime Minister, Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi, was trained at CTE. 

Air India’s Central Training Establishment (CTE)

CTE is the realization of aviation industry visionaries' desire for an exclusive "Air University with all the training institutions under one roof. With a sprawling campus of 20 acres close to the old airport at Begumpet and secondary campuses in Mumbai and Delhi, CTE is a reputed name in domestic aviation. The existing infrastructure has the capability of training its personnel as well as outside agencies. Since being designated as an independent profit center on 1 November 1995, CTE has generated significant revenue through foreign exchange transactions and airline staff training domestically and overseas.

CTE, Air India, Hyderabad

Currently, CTE Hyderabad has two A320s and an ATR 72-600 simulator. It also houses a sizable swimming pool where pilots and cabin crew can practice wet drills, a mock-up escape slide for evacuation training, a fire drill trainer, and an A320 family door trainer. CTE Mumbai Campus houses one B-787, one B-777, one B-737-8, and one B-747-400 simulator and related training tools like a door trainer and an escape slide mock-up. The CTE Delhi Campus is a more recent development, and it contains the classroom facilities needed to perform ground training for the flight crew.

Does CTE connect with Air India’s growth plans?

Air India has released its comprehensive transformation plan to re-establish itself as a top-tier international airline with an Indian heart. It claims that this plan aims to make it the best in its class regarding hospitality, customer service, technology, product, and reliability.

The transformation plan, which has goals for Air India for the next five years, is appropriately named "Vihaan.AI," which in Sanskrit denotes the beginning of a new era. This will also require restructuring the infrastructure and facilities of CTE as they might not function with such a comprehensive strategy in the future, where the goal is to become the best in the field.

The best airlines today, like Emirates, Lufthansa, United, and Singapore Airlines, have well-established and reputed training centers. Let’s quickly look at where they stand and what Air India can learn from them.

EMIRATES Emirates Flight Training Academy (EFTA) & Emirates Aviation College (EAC)

EFTA is based in Dubai, UAE, and was established in 2017 during the Dubai Airshow and started with a fleet of six training aircraft. The courses offered here are

Foundation Aviation Sciences 

ATPL Ground School 

ATPL Flight School 

Single Engine Training 

Multi-Engine Training 

Multi-Crew Cooperation Training

EFTA’s main facility has 36 interactive classrooms with software that Boeing specifically created for EFTA. The flight operations center offers cadets extensive hands-on training with the newest tools and technology.

The Emirates Aviation Training College is also the most extensive training facility for the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380, with accurate firefighting simulations, a pool for ditching drills, and emergency slides. A brand-new Emirates cabin crew will undergo eight weeks of rigorous training and testing to become certified to fly.

By looking at these, we can explain why Emirates is enticing so many trainees domestically and internationally. Emirates selects the best from these and hires directly for their airline.

LUFTHANSA Lufthansa Aviation Training

There are six training centers for Lufthansa across Europe comprising about 50 full flight simulators and with 700+ trainers having over 60+ years of experience.

The portfolio includes

Pilot Training- State-of-the-art training solutions for pilots

Safety & Emergency procedure training- The participants will be exposed to every potential real-world stressor and disruptive element with the goal of achieving the highest level of authenticity. The training is now offered in virtual reality.

Service Training- The training courses are founded on the knowledge of five-star airlines as well as the experience of active flight attendants. The training techniques are continuously improved.

Training Devices- More than 50 full flight simulators, two dozen door trainers, over 20 emergency simulators, and several cabin mock-ups – all state of art

Human Factors & other products- Public and private sector customers are welcome to attend the training sessions or use the event spaces.

Singapore Airlines Singapore Flying College

A completely owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, Singapore Flying College was established in 1988 with the goal of delivering the best levels of training to create pilots of the greatest caliber. The portfolio includes

CAAS Commercial Pilot License

CAAS Multi-Crew Pilot License

Multi-Engine Instrument Rating

UAPL Training

ATPL Theory

Singapore Flying College

The successful candidates must commit to serving both during training and for a period of seven years following their appointment as first officers. Singapore Airlines maintains its own direct hiring processes for pilots; no outside agencies or businesses are used.

United Airlines United Aviate Academy

With the official launch of the United Aviate Academy in January 2022, United Airlines made history by being the first major U.S. airline to possess a flying school. As United Airlines strives to train 5,000 new pilots at the school by 2030, it was a historic milestone for the organization.

United Aviate Academy is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Airlines and a part of United’s Aviate program. The following training will be offered to students in addition to those that aid in the transition from Avgeek to Commercial Pilot:

Get career direction and advice from United Aviate Ambassadors.

Receive a United education from experts with advanced training.

Train at the cutting-edge facility where the student will have access to the best tools, facilities, and flying conditions available in the business.

Get a feel for United's culture by getting started.

Join a company that values global citizenship by actively promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, protecting the environment, and fostering a more sustainable future.

What should an Ideal Air India Training Academy be like?

United started “United Aviate Academy” in Jan 2022 with the same idea in mind. Check out what its CEO, Scott Kirby, said about it–

“Our pilots are the best in the industry and have set a high standard of excellence. Recruiting and training even more people with the same talent, motivation, and skill is the right thing to do and will make us an even better airline.”

Each and every top-tier airline, including United, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, and others, has its own training facility. This increases their ability to oversee the quality of their training and human resources and helps them get international recognition. These airlines undoubtedly hold the best safety record and are liked by most travelers, forming a brand identity and loyal fan base.

India's aviation training currently falls short of international aviation standards. There are flying schools and basic training facilities in India. However, despite this, students still prefer to study abroad, where the facilities and infrastructure are far superior and often even more affordable.

An ideal training facility for Air India is based on how Air India may continue to grow and align with its developed plan, Vihaan. AI

If Air India chooses to house all training, experience, and expertise under one roof and mold the trainees according to the airline's standards from the beginning of their training, the process would be substantially streamlined. Such a "one-stop shop" will save time and money with the trainees it currently hires, and, in addition, it will foster ethical consistency among its employees from the start of their training process, producing sharper employees who will then contribute to the expansion of the airline as a whole. The following ideas can be implemented along with SPL, CPL, Single Engine IR, and Multi-Engine IR courses.

Space, a large site with a modern aesthetic that reflects India's roots and authenticity, and its culture are essential. To stay current with the trends around the world, it should be designed using standard technicality and digitalization.

Simulators and Other TR Tools The availability of simulators required to meet India's fleet requirements, a dedicated area, and other tools to reach levels required by Flight Safety International, L3 Harris, etc.

World-Class Teaching Facility An experienced teaching facility with instructors from both domestic and international training facilities may collaborate to offer the best services and teach the ethics and values of Air India.

Cabin Crew Exercise Facilities Focus should also be placed on additional airline training requirements, such as SEP (Safety Equipment & Procedures), ditching drills, and fire training. Emirates serves as a model in this regard.

With the success of their training establishment, the service could be offered to other domestic and international companies. 

The plans listed above are the bare minimum. It is based on how Air India may continue to grow and align with its developed plan, Vihaan. AI.

An Airline-Owned Training Centre can be a robust pillar in the monument that Air India wants to build!