What is the plan of Air India for the next 5 years?

Air India aims to triple its fleet size in five years and increase its domestic and international market share to 30 percent in the next five years, the company's chief executive officer Campwell Wilson said on October 18.

Air India, along with Vistara, Air India Express and AirAsia India which are owned by the Tata Group, collectively has around 218 planes.

Also read - Air India preparing to compete with the leading airlines of the world

Tata Sons is working on an airline consolidation strategy.

Air India, which was taken over by Tata Group in January, has put in place its five-year revival plan called ‘Vihaan.AI'.

Wilson who took over as CEO of Air India in July said that his team is looking to turn Air India into a "world-class carrier" in three phases under Vihaan.AI.

The first phase, Campbell said, will be called the Taxi phase where Air India is looking to identify and address all the issues which have tarnished the brand image.

The second phase called the Takeoff phase will be when the airline increases investment in its operations, fleet, manpower and equipment including aircraft. Campbell said the second phase will take around three years.

The third and final phase will be called the Climb phase when Air India will look to improve its operations and customer experience.

Also read - The merger of Air India-Vistara to have clarity soon

Air India has lost almost three per cent of its market share in the past seven months.

To increase Air India's domestic market share to over 30 percent in the next 5 years, Tata group has unvieled a blueprint.

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.

As a part of its plan, it has proposed improvements and changes in customer service, on-time performance, technology, product, reliability, and hospitality segments which will take place over the next five years.

Also read - India on the verge of a mega aviation boom

“Over the next 5 years, Air India will strive to increase its market share to at least 30 per cent in the domestic market while significantly growing the international routes from the present market share. The plan is aimed at putting Air India on a path to sustained growth, profitability and market leadership.While the immediate focus of the airline remains on fixing the basics and readying itself for growth (taxiing phase), the more medium-to-long term focus will be on building for excellence and establishing scale to become a global industry leader (take off & climb phases)."The airline said in a statement.

The airline is working on getting grounded planes back in the air.

Air India also has an aggressive plan for its fleet expansion.The airline has signed up for lease 21 Airbus A320neos, four Airbus A321neos, and five Boeing B777-200LRs.

The airline has also been in discussion with aircraft makers to renew the Air India fleet. According to a Bloomberg report, Airbus is growing more confident it can secure a landmark purchase of about 50 A350 wide-body jets from Air India Ltd. this week, while Boeing Co. is working on a deal for as many as 150 B737 Max.

Also read - Boeing offers 737 MAX aircraft to Air India

There are 70 aircraft in Air India’s narrow-body fleet, of which 54 are in service. The rest, numbering 16, will progressively return to service by early 2023. The airline has 43 wide-body planes, of which 33 are in operation. The rest will return to service by early 2023, according to a company statement.

Billionaire Gautam Adani-led Adani Group's wholly owned subsidiary, Adani Defence & Aerospace, has signed definitive agreements to acquire Air Works, diversified independent maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) organisation with a pan-India network presence across 27 cities for an enterprise value of INR 400 crore.

ALSO READ – Air Works to get 462 cr offer from Adani Group

According to the statement, Air Works is the oldest MRO in India with six maintenance bays and over 900 maintenance experts. MRO refers to a range of activities that keep a company running on a day-to-day basis. Companies rely on their supply chains to provide the materials, tools and components they need for MRO activities.

From business and executive jets to airlines and defence platforms, Air Works provides aviation services to most domestic airlines such as IndiGo, GoAir, SpiceJet, and Vistara. It also provides services to international aviation companies such as Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, FlyDubai, Etihad, and Virgin Atlantic.

Air Works is the oldest MRO in India with six maintenance bays and over 900 maintenance experts.

ALSO READ – Indian Navy receives sixth P-8I from Air Works

From the first P-8I aircraft Phase 32 checks to Phase 48 checks and MRO on the landing gear of the Indian Air Force’s 737 VVIP aircraft, Air Works undertakes base maintenance for ATR 42/72, A320 and B737 fleet of aircraft from its EASA and DGCA-certified facilities at Mumbai, Delhi, Hosur, and Kochi.

ALSO READ - Air Works receives EASA Part 145 approval for twin-hangar MRO facility at Cochin Airport

Currently, Air Works and Boeing are undertaking heavy maintenance checks on three P-8I long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft operated by the Indian Navy (IN) at Air Works, Hosur. Indian MRO market is expected to grow three times from USD 1.7 billion to USD 5.0 billion by 2030, the company highlighted.

ALSO READ – Boeing expands MRO capability for Indian Navy’s P8I fleet

"Air Works has impeccable proven capabilities and over its 70-year aviation legacy has successfully delivered several India-first and industry-first projects. Combine this with the Adani Group's capabilities and what we get is an entity that truly represents what an Atmanirbhar Bharat in a critical sector should look like."Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO, Adani Defence & Aerospace

Rajvanshi also pointed out that given India's growth trajectory and the government's focus to network the nation through a massive mesh of air connectivity, it is "inevitable that the primary growth of India's airline and airport sector lies ahead of it."

"It is a wonderful opportunity for Air Works and its employees to be subsumed under Adani Defence & Aerospace platform. The government’s policy measures and initiatives, including the convergence of civil and defence MRO would create economies of scale and huge employment opportunities."D Anand Bhaskar, MD & CEO, Air Works Group

In March 2020, the GST rate on domestic MRO services was brought down from 18% to 5% with full input-tax credit — a move that, the MRO industry said, was a huge relief. Because of the cost disadvantage in India due to higher taxes, domestic airlines used to send their aircraft to countries such as Sri Lanka, China, Singapore and the UAE to have them serviced.

Adani Defence & Aerospace is the defence manufacturing arm of the USD 250 billion worth Adani Group with a vision of playing an instrumental role in helping transform India into a destination for world-class high-tech defence manufacturing, the company added.

Adani Defence & Aerospace is the defence manufacturing arm of the USD 250 billion worth Adani Group

Adani Enterprises is the flagship company of Adani Group, one of India's largest business organisations. Over the years, Adani Enterprises has focused on building emerging infrastructure businesses. The next generation of its strategic business investments is centred around the green hydrogen ecosystem, airport management, roads, data centre and water infrastructure.

Adani Group operates the country’s second-largest airport in Mumbai, in addition to airports in Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Jaipur, Guwahati and Mangaluru.

The company's consolidated net profit jumped 72.9% to INR 469.46 crore in Q1 FY23 as against INR 271.46 crore in Q1 FY22. Revenue from operations in the first quarter stood at INR 40,844.25 crore, which surged 224.7% from INR 12,578.77 crore reported in the same period last year.

Air Works undertakes base maintenance for ATR 42/72, A320 and B737 fleet of aircraft from its EASA and DGCA-certified facilities at Mumbai, Delhi, Hosur, and Kochi

Air Works Group, with a pan-India presence across 27 cities, competes with 50 standalone Indian MRO players including Government-run AI Engineering Services Ltd and GMR Aero Technic. 

As of March 31, 2021, GTI Capital Group, an India-focused investment company, was the largest shareholder in Air Works Group with a 25.75% stake, followed by Punj Lloyd Aviation, a subsidiary of Punj Lloyd (23.24%), and the Menon family (15%), which founded the company in 1951.

Over the years, the Adani Group has signed a slew of deals in the defence sector including the acquisition of the Bengaluru-based Alpha Designs, a firm which also caters to the aerospace sector, and a joint venture with Israeli firm Elbit Systems. It also acquired a 51% stake in the small arms business of Gwalior-based PLR Systems in an all-cash transaction.

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding is announced by AFI KLM E&M and Ascendance Flight Technologies (MOU). This agreement will give the two companies the chance to look into possible partnerships in the following four areas: line maintenance, component repair, mechanics training, and airworthiness management.

One of the most exciting vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (VTOL) projects in Europe is being worked on by Ascendance. The start-up's "Sterna" propulsion architecture, which is distributed hybrid electric motorization with a modular energy approach to accept conventional fuel, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), up to Hydrogen, gives the Atea, a five-seat aircraft with a 400 km range, its name. The certification processes for these technologies have begun, and an Atea prototype is anticipated to fly for the first time in 2023.

ATEA-The hybrid VTOL

This vertical take-off and landing aircraft with five seats will be unveiled in collaboration with ADP at the 2024 Summer Olympics as a safe, efficient, and silent substitute for the helicopter. It is appropriate for urban and regional applications thanks to its 400 km range, up to 80% decrease in carbon emissions, and fourfold reduction in noise emissions (passenger transport, tourism, medical emergencies, logistics, and surveillance)

Representative | CFNEWS

The whole aircraft has been built to adhere to EASA SC-VTOL standards and their corresponding Means of Compliance on the vehicle end. The aircraft also complies with the most recent Air Ops Regulation operating standards for flight paths and flight reserves.

STERNA- A unique hybrid propulsion technology

A hybrid propulsion system called STERNA makes it possible to fly more sustainably and with less pollution. The cutting-edge electric architecture and embedded intelligence of STERNA enable the utilization of multiple energy sources at once. Because STERNA is modular, it may incorporate a thermal module or cutting-edge hydrogen technologies, advancing the aviation industry's transition to renewable energy. The company has a number of patents on this technology.

We are honored to receive this signal of interest from a major player in the field of aircraft maintenance. In parallel with our efforts to develop a new type of aircraft, it is very important for us to prepare the future of its operations today, in conjunction with the best experts in our industry. Maintenance is obviously at the center of our customers’ concerns and this collaboration with AFI KLM E&M is a major step towards providing them reliable solutionsJean-Christophe LambertCo-founder and CEO of Ascendance

Jean-Christophe Lambert | Ascendance Flight Technologies

AFI KLM E&M will be able to respond to the new aircraft maker's concerns about the problems and difficulties involved in creating maintenance programs that are financially and operationally effective thanks to its expertise as an airline-MRO.

At AFI KLM E&M, we have always been on the lookout for the best innovations in aviation. In particular, we are very interested in electric and hydride electric propulsion technologies, which are set to be future business drivers over the next decade. I believe that this type of cooperation is in the general interest and is a further illustration of the general mobilization of our industry to decarbonize aviation - a collective effort in which AFI KLM E&M is of course fully involvedGéry MortreuxEVP Air France Industries

Ascendance Flight Technologies

Ascendance Flight Technologies is a start-up that was established in 2018 by Jean-Christophe Lambert, Thibault Baldivia, Clément Dinel, and Benoît Ferran. Its mission is to decarbonize aviation. The company was founded in 2020 in the center of Toulouse, the hub of European aeronautics, and is now working on the STERNA and ATEA vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOL) projects.

SOURCE: afiklmem.com

COVER: Worldless Tech

Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines (SIA) owned Vistara on Monday (October 17) announced a festive sale across its domestic and international network.

In a statement, the airline announced that the sale offers discounts on fares for all three cabin classes – Economy, Premium Economy, and Business Class.

Under the sale, the domestic bookings are open for a period of 72 hours, starting from 0001 hours on October 17 (Monday) and ending at 2359 hours on October 19 (Wednesday).

Vistara announces discounts for festive season on domestic and international flights.

The one-way, all-inclusive domestic fares start from Rs 1,499 for Economy, Rs 2,999 for Premium Economy, and Rs 8,999 for Business Class.

On international routes, all-inclusive return fares start from Rs 14,149 for Economy, Rs 18,499 for Premium Economy, and Rs 42,499 for Business Class with a four-day long booking period starting 0001 hours on October 17 (Monday) and ending 2359 hours on October 20 (Thursday).

Also read - Vistara to add new destinations

“The festive season is all about creating happy memories, and planning trips and holidays is a great way to do so. The recent surge in demand for air travel is quite encouraging, and we are delighted to offer our customers the chance to fly India’s best airline at discounted fares. We are confident that our customers will continue to choose Vistara as their preferred airline to re-unite with their friends and family for festive celebrations.”Deepak Rajawat, Vistara’s Chief Commercial Officer.

All fares are inclusive of taxes, for travel between October 23, 2022, and March 31, 2023.

Bookings under the sale are open on Vistara’s website, iOS and Android mobile apps, at Vistara’s airport ticket offices (ATOs), through the airline’s call centre, online travel agencies (OTAs), and through travel agents.

Direct channel discounts, corporate discounts/soft benefits will not apply on these promotional fares, and vouchers cannot be used for these bookings. The seats on sale are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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

With inputs from indianexpress.

On October 12, SpiceJet plane (Q400) coming from Goa made an emergency landing at Hyderabad airport following an incident of smoke in the cabin.

Days after this incident, aviation regulator DGCA on Monday directed the airline to analyse engine oil samples from its Q400 fleet to check for presence of metal and carbon seal particles.

The watchdog has also ordered the carrier to carry out inspection of bleed-off valve screen and housing for evidence of oil wetness.

DGCA asks SpiceJet to analyse engine oil samples of Q400 fleet following Hyderabad incident.

The order follows a preliminary inquiry into the incident on October 12, during which there was smoke in cabin while the aircraft was descending over Hyderabad leading to the pilots requesting emergency landing. The inquiry found that engine oil had entered the aircraft air conditioning system.

The airline has now been instructed not to send any of its Pratt and Whitney engines on Q-400s for maintenance, repair and overhaul to an entity in Singapore called Standard Aero pending an inquiry as the latest incident and another similar occurrence involved engines that were sent there.

Also read - SpiceJet likely to induct 7 B737 MAX aircraft

The regulator has also asked the airline to send engine oil samples every 15 days to Pratt and Whitney Canada instead of once a month, conduct weekly boroscopic inspections every week as well as to commence inspection of “bleed-off” valve. It has also sought immediate inspection of “magnetic chip detectors” for presence of any metal particles.

SpiceJet airlines to send the engine oil samples of the entire Q400 fleet consisting of 14 operational aircraft to Pratt & Whitney Canada.

Oil analysis is a laboratory testing program that enables engine technicians to determine an engine’s health condition. Aircraft oil is taken for the analysis to assess the engine’s current state.

Aircraft oil analysis provides analytical demography and chip evaluation for ascertaining various metal constituents that wear out the engine. After performing the tests, it analyzes each piece individually and offers informed recommendations on how to maintain the aircraft.

The regulator has also asked the airline to send engine oil samples every 15 days to Pratt and Whitney Canada instead of once a month.

Recently, SpiceJet has been facing operational and financial headwinds in recent times and it is already under enhanced surveillance by the DGCA.

Due to a number of mishaps affecting SpiceJet's flights, the DGCA ordered SpiceJet to operate no more than 50 percent of the flights permitted in the summer schedule for an eight-week period as of July 27. The limitations were extended last month until October 29.

Mumbai Airport is to be shut for six hours from 11 am to 5 pm on October 18 for maintenance work on both its runways, said a statement by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Monday.

According to CSMIA, Mumbai airport in cooperation with airline customers, and other key stakeholders has effectively rescheduled flights to ensure the smooth completion of the maintenance.

https://twitter.com/CSMIA_Official/status/1581996385561612288?s=20&t=IZGCA_KRWGRyu1gxjM6QfQ

"CSMIA has planned a runway closure on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, from 1100 hrs to 1700 hrs, for repair & maintenance work on both its runways – RWY 14/32 & 09/27. As part of its post-monsoon preventive maintenance of runway intersection, major work like runway edge lights for runway 14/32, and upgradation of AGL (Aeronautical ground lights ), among other significant tasks will be undertaken.With more than 800 flights landing and taking off each day, this yearly practice of runway maintenance post monsoons is part of the series of activities undertaken with precision and meticulous efforts ensuring operational continuity and passenger safety, thus bringing to life the vision of imbibing passenger first approach at the core of our operations."As per the statement.

Regular airport runway cleaning, sweeping, maintenance and monitoring are critical to avoid accidents.

Earlier on Friday, eight flights were diverted from CSMIA due to torrential showers and low visibility conditions. Due to inclement weather caused by extreme downpour of rain and low visibility, all the flights were rescheduled and passengers awaiting to board were provided refreshments.

With inputs from livemint.