Vistara to launch Mumbai-Dhaka flights

Vistara, the Tata-Singapore Airlines joint venture will start operating flights on Dhaka-Mumbai route from November 15. The airline will operate two weekly flights on this route.

Vistara's flight UK 183 will depart Mumbai Airport at 7:35am and arrive in Dhaka at 11:00am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The return flight UK 184 from Dhaka will leave at 12:00pm local time and reach Mumbai at 2:45pm local time on the same days.

Vistara is currently operating daily flights on Dhaka-Delhi route with a brand new 188-seater A321neo aircraft with three class configuration – Business, Premium Economy and Economy.

Also read - Vistara to add new destinations

The airline recently became the second-largest domestic operator by market size.

The round-trip all-inclusive fares for Mumbai-Dhaka-Mumbai start at INR 18,299 and round-trip all-inclusive fares for Dhaka-Mumbai-Dhaka start at BDT 24,899.

Vistara currently has a fleet of 53 aircraft, including 41 Airbus A320, five Airbus A321neo, five Boeing 737-800NG and two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. The airline is on course to ramp up its fleet to strengthen its network globally and expects to take the number to 70 aircraft by 2023.

Even as a potential merger with Air India is being considered, Vistara is charting out its own plans to expand international operations. The airline plans to increase frequency on the Frankfurt and Paris route and add newer routes. Vistara flies to London daily and operates flights to Frankfurt and Paris three times and two times a week respectively.

Also read - Vistara – Air India merger talks with Tata Group confirmed by Singapore Airlines

Vistara had ordered six B787 planes in 2018, but has got delivery of only two B787 to date.

The joint venture between Tata group and Singapore Airlines has seen an 80 per cent load factor on its international routes with a rise in bookings for premium economy and business class seats.

The full-service airline currently operates more than 50 daily flights from Mumbai and five international flights. This number is expected to be scaled up when more aircraft join the fleet.

Also read - Vistara announces festive season sale

Saudi Arabia is in advanced negotiations to order almost 40 A350 jets from Airbus as part of a broader, multi-billion-dollar drive to launch a new airline and challenge heavyweight carriers in the Gulf, industry sources said.

A final decision on the proposed deal, worth around USD 12 billion at list prices, depends on political approval at the highest level, with Boeing also lobbying for a slice of the expansion despite a chill in U.S.-Saudi relations.

One source familiar with the negotiation for the new airline, provisionally named “RIA”, cautioned that it was “not over yet”.

Industry sources said Boeing remained confident of winning at least part of a total requirement for around 68-75 jets via its Boeing 787 Dreamliner, already in use at state-owned Saudia.

Also read - Saudi Arabia to launch a new airline RIA soon, eyeing several aircraft

Saudi Arabia In Talks For 40 Airbus A350s.

Reports have said that the new airline may also need smaller narrow-body jets. Reuters first reported in August that Saudi Arabia was discussing a significant order for wide-body jets. Bloomberg News reported on Sunday that any deal could involve up to 80 aircraft.

The Future Investment Initiative (FII) is a showcase for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 plan to diversify from oil by fostering new industries that generate jobs and lure foreign capital.

Saudia has a mixed fleet of Boeing long-haul 787 and 777 jets and Airbus A320-family short- to medium-haul models.

The new airline will be based in the capital Riyadh, while state airline Saudia will be based out of the Red Sea city Jeddah under a transportation strategy that calls for the establishment of two hubs to rival UAE and Qatari carriers.

The potential deal is seen as part of the country’s effort to launch a new airline, RIA, to rival neighbouring countries such as Qatar and the UAE. 

Analysts caution that even with a large investment warchest, it faces a tough challenge to counter the powerful Dubai and Doha aviation hubs of Emirates and Qatar Airways respectively.

“They have established networks and large established fleets and will be a strong competitive force for any new airline.Getting hold of enough aircraft will be an important issue, as well as coping with shortages of trained pilots.”James Halstead, managing partner at Aviation Strategy.

With inputs from reuters.

The NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is studying how electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operate and interact with an electric-propulsion system as several of these aircraft move toward certification.

The LA-8 is a part of NASA's Advanced Urban Air Mobility Test Beds project, which was started to establish a baseline for comprehending the aerodynamics of current and future aircraft in the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector, which includes the full range of electric aircraft from short-haul urban to regional flights.

The Langley Aerodrome No-8

At the NASA Langley Research Center, the Langley Aerodrome No. 8 (LA-8) is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft with distributed electric propulsion that is utilized for both free flight and wind tunnel testing. The goal of the LA-8 project is to provide a low-cost, modular test platform for advanced air mobility technologies, such as electric urban and short-range flight.

NASA

New electric VTOL and short takeoff and landing (STOL) designs may quickly have their aerodynamic, acoustic, and flight dynamics analyses verified using the techniques utilized on the LA-8. The flight vehicle will also be utilized to develop test procedures for FAA flight vehicle airworthiness certification and to create reliable, fault-tolerant flight control algorithms.

This particular aircraft doubles as both a wind tunnel and flight dynamics model. he idea is to obtain useful data that can be used to perfect modeling toolssaid David North, Unmanned Aerial Systems Section Lead at NASA Langley

The tricycle landing gear on the LA-8 consists of an inverted V-shaped frame for the back landing gear and a vertical strut at the front of the aircraft. About 80% of the model is constructed using nylon and polycarbonate 3D printers, allowing engineers to quickly alter the wings, the fuselage, and add other model components like propellers and computer systems. The flexibility of the aircraft's primary parts enables swift configuration adjustments to take other designs into consideration.

eVTOL.news

Technical papers for conferences sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) as well as summaries posted on the NASA Technical Reports Server have all been published so far on the LA-8 program (NTRS). The early development work on the drone is highlighted in "Design and Fabrication of the Langley Aerodrome No. 8 Distributed Electric Propulsion VTOL Testbed."

The emerging class of eVTOL aircraft has considerable, even transformative market potential. That said, there are a number of issues that need to be addressed before the full market potential of eVTOL aircraft can be realizedsaid Ray Jaworowski, senior aerospace analyst, Forecast International

Analysts agree that this innovative, environmentally friendly method of aviation travel has potential despite the difficulties. According to Fortune Business Insights, the market for eVTOL aircraft will be worth $5.4 billion by 2021. The market is anticipated to increase to $23.21B by 2028.

The vast majority of data from eVTOL developers is not publicly available. Some companies don’t have the resources to generate the data necessary to build accurate models. Others, like Joby Aviation, Archer and Beta Technologies have the resources to hire analysts and modelers, but are not sharing that dataNorth said

As a result, NASA Langley is accumulating information that is accessible to everyone, including the makers of eVTOL aircraft, authorities, and the general flying public. The potential uses for eVTOL are vast and diverse, despite issues with profitability, regulation, and operations.

SOURCE(s): NASA | eVTOL.news

COVER: ResearchGate

Indian aviation regulator DGCA on Friday removed the 50% cap restrictions on SpiceJet flights. From winter schedule, which kicks in from October 30th - 25th March 2023, SpiceJet airline can operate with full capacity.

This comes after DGCA extended restrictions on SpiceJet to operate only 50 per cent of departures till October 29, 2022.

The airline’s services were capped at half its approved schedule after a string of air safety incidents in the summer, when the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also put the carrier under enhanced surveillance comprising audits and safety checks.

DGCA lifts 50% cap on SpiceJet flights.

"The airline is complying with all the directions emanating from audits/checks. Hence, the restrictions on them will not be extended further and they are allowed to operate flights without any restrictions.”Arun Kumar, the Director General of DGCA.

Over 21,941 flights on domestic routes will be operated every week in the winter schedule. The number of weekly flights is expected to be 1.55% lower than 22,287 flights that operated in the previous winter schedule.

According to a PTI report, in the upcoming Winter Schedule 2022, 21,941 departures per week have been approved from 105 airports. Out of these 105 airports Deoghar, Shimla and Rourkela are the new airports proposed by the scheduled airlines.

Scheduled airlines will operate 21,941 flights on domestic routes every week in the winter schedule starting from October 30.

Out of the total 21,941 departures, the maximum will be by IndiGo at 10,085 followed by SpiceJet at 3,193.

Air India will have 1,990 departures, Vistara (1,941), Air Asia (1,462), Go Air (1,390), Alliance Air (1,034), Akasa Air (479), Fly Big (214) and Star Air (153).

Amazon is leasing new aircraft and adding a new partner to its Amazon Air delivery network.

The e-tail giant is leasing 10 Airbus A330-300s through aircraft lessor Altavair. The aircraft, which will be maintained and operated by new Amazon Air partner Hawaiian Airlines, and are scheduled to take flight in late 2023.

During the past two years, the company has added more aircraft to its global fleet, which currently features more than 110 planes.

Amazon Air has been operating a fleet of Boeing aircraft, and this is for the first time that the e-commerce giant is inducting aircraft from Airbus.

Amazon Air has been operating a fleet of Boeing aircraft.

"The endorsement of our freighters by Amazon speaks volumes about the market value of the A330 and the position Airbus wide-bodies are gaining in the cargo market.Amazon has built a reputation around delivering their goods to our doorsteps with extraordinary speed and consistency, and we’re very proud that our aircraft are trusted to become a key link in that remarkable logistics chain.”Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International.

Airbus has noted that the aircraft are currently being transformed from passenger units to freighters by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW).

The 10 leased Airbus A330-300s will be the first A330 freighter conversions to operate in the U.S. when they enter the Amazon Air network in late 2023.

At the same time, the company will also begin phasing out some older aircraft whose tenure are nearing expiration. In addition, the new Airbus A330-300s will also be the newest and largest aircraft flown by Amazon Air.

The first of their A330-300P2F aircraft is expected to join the Amazon Air fleet in late 2023.

"These A330s will not only be the first of their kind in our fleet, but they’ll also be the newest, largest aircraft for Amazon Air, allowing us to deliver more customer packages with each flight.Additionally, we are bringing on a new partner, Hawaiian Airlines, which will maintain and operate these aircraft on our behalf."Sarah Rhoads, VP, Amazon Global Air, said in a corporate blog post.

Amazon operated its own budding air fleet since 2016. During the onset of the pandemic, they reportedly leased 12 Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft for a total of more than 80 aircraft in its fleet. Now, Amazon Air’s global network of planes totals more than 110. Rather than add to that number, Amazon said the new Airbus editions are meant to phase out older models still operating in its fleet.

With inputs from chainstoreage.

Air India on Friday, October 21 appointed Henry Donohoe as the head of its safety, security and quality functions, stated a press release. The Tata group has been working on reviving Air India's fortunes and is also implementing the long-term transformation plan 'Vihaan.AI'.

ALSO READ – Air India unveils Vihaan.AI – a comprehensive 5-year transformation plan

The company has prepared a detailed roadmap titled, ‘Vihaan.AI’ focusing on five key pillars including exceptional customer experience, robust operations, industry-best talent, industry leadership, and commercial efficiency and profitability.

Air India picks Henry Donohoe as the head of its safety, security and quality functions

Donohoe, an Irish national, will take over as the head of Air India's Safety, Security and Quality function from November 7. He has extensively worked with various international carriers in the past. He started his career at Aer Lingus in 1978 and became its Chief Pilot before going on to head key departments including Safety, Quality, Flight Operations and Engineering.

"Donohoe then spent seven years with Emirates Airline in various safety roles, ultimately as Divisional Senior Vice President Flight Operations and Primary Crisis Director," PTI quoted the release. Most recently, Donohoe served as Senior Vice President of Safety, Security, Compliance & Emergency Response at Norwegian Air.

"Even as we pursue our Vihaan.AI ambitions, including the tripling of our fleet, safe and secure operations remain Air India's number-one priority. We are therefore delighted to welcome someone of Henry's experience and calibre to the Air India family, and look forward to his contribution to our Safety, Security and Quality functions."Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD, Air India

At the airline, he was responsible for the integration of multiple AOCs and Safety, and security & compliance departments under a single entity, among other initiatives. He has also served on the IATA Safety Committee and Flight Safety Foundation Board of Governance.

After 69 years as a government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were welcomed back into the Tata Group in January this year.

ALSO READ - Air India preparing to compete with the leading airlines of the world