Aero India 2021 a glance

Hello Folks 

My contribution to a well organized virtual show. 

Wish you all the best for 2021 ! 

Warmly

Neelam

UNMANNED VEHICLES

Aero India 2021: Indian MRO opportunities for UAVs on the rise

• 8th February 2021

  As UAVs proliferate in the Indian military, future opportunities will abound for their indigenous maintenance and support.

MILITARY LOGISTICS

Aero India 2021: Military-civil synergy is the new MRO mantra

• 7th February 2021

  Boeing is one example of a company seeking to boost its defence MRO footprint in India.

TRAINING

Aero India 2021: IAF issues HAL with an RfP for basic trainers

• 7th February 2021

  With India's acute need for basic trainers, an order for an indigenous platform has drawn a step closer.

UNMANNED VEHICLES

Aero India 2021: Micro-UAVs – the need of the hour

• 5th February 2021

  Micro-UAVs are seen as essential for internal security and military personnel; an Israeli company is teaming up in India to tap the market.

AIR WARFARE

Aero India 2021: HAL pushes the IMRH the Indian military’s way

• 5th February 2021

  HAL feels confident about developing a medium-weight helicopter, but it requires the Indian military to feel the same way.

DEFENCE NOTES

Aero India 2021: Small gaps remain in India-US collaboration

• 4th February 2021

  While defence ties between India and the US are close, there is scope for further development.

AIR WARFARE

Aero India 2021: Naval fighters prove their mettle

• 4th February 2021

  Boeing and other contenders display their proposed solutions for Indian tender to procure naval fighters.

UNMANNED VEHICLES

Aero India 2021: Indian border force to counter rogue UAVs

• 4th February 2021

  Foreign players and non-state actors are increasingly using UAVs to intrude across the Indian border.

DEFENCE NOTES

Aero India 2021: KRAS takes baby steps

• 3rd February 2021

  Indian-Israeli JV will start to deliver Barak 8 LRSAM midsection electronics in March.

AIR WARFARE

Aero India 2021: Rafael showcases Spice 250 with extended range

• 3rd February 2021

  New variant of Spice 250 is put on display during Aero India 2021; while there are no confirmed orders yet from India, manufacturer Rafael is selling its Spike ATGM to meet an urgent operational requirement.

AIR WARFARE

Aero India 2021: HAL braves the winds of COVID

• 3rd February 2021

  Indian aircraft manufacturer highlights progress on Tejas LCA, loyal wingman UAV and precision-guided munitions.

AIR WARFARE

PREMIUM: French aircraft package for India – attractive or not?

• 27th January 2021

  France is attempting to tease India into buying aircraft and helicopters, but such a package deal may not be the ideal solution for Delhi.

Wah! Innovative AeroIndia 2021

 By Neelam Mathews

Jan 31 2021

These are the best of times and the worst of times. 

Best- Because for the first time India has led the way for innovation. We now have a hybrid model for AeroIndia 2021 -perhaps the first globally. 

Hybrid because one can be in Bengaluru virtually for every event- be it conferences, B to  meetings,visiting stalls and talking to representatives - all this for free. Personally I am looking forward to the live air show that I was concerned about missing, given that I would not be physically at the show. 

CII took me kindly on a virtual tour made it worth my while and that too on a sunday. 

What's even better is they have a customer care number introduced to clarify any confusion or answer queries on any subject related to the show. I tried using it and it worked except the lady on the other side seemed to be in a slightly bad mood. But lets cut some slack. The guys at SIDM and CII have worked very hard to make the show a success in these  tough times. For that I give them 100/100.

While the attendance one suspects will not be as in the past as a result of the pandemic and and restrictions on international travel, let me assure you, the buzz and tingling one feels before a show is still there. 

As for me, I'm a happy customer and hope more will join me on this exciting 3 day journey.

And don't forget to keep your memories of 2021 air show intact by using the selfie option on the site-

                                                        

                                                       https://aeroindiavirtual.in/

Cheers Folks! Look forward to meeting you virtually  

Vistara - Stay Calmer

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbTxnZ-bIew

Vistara faces in-seat IFE restrictions as it readies for 787-9 service

 Neelam Mathews

Aug 16 2020

India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation currently disallows the use of in-seat entertainment screens on board Indian carriers as a health and safety measure to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. But sources tell Runway Girl Network that operators will be permitted to offer seatback IFE from 25 November.

Still, the news comes as a bit of a blow to full-service carrier Vistara, which presently plans to launch Boeing 787-9 service to London on 21 August, followed by 787-9 flights to Frankfurt and Paris.

It would seem that Vistara’s promise to “provide a .........more on   

https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2020/08/16/vistara-faces-in-seat-ife-restrictions-as-it-readies-for-787-9-service/

SITA makes moves despite tough times

SITA has the potential to dramatically improve ATC communications through the implementation of IP suites

SITA is accelerating innovation in air traffic control (ATC) communications as part of Boeing’s 2019 ecoDemonstrator program, alongside key industry partners including NASA and long-standing airline customer, Etihad.

The program tests pioneering and promising technologies that aim to solve air transport industry challenges for airlines and passengers, as well as enhancing sustainability. The most recent program saw the implementation of such technologies onboard a Boeing 777 and tests a total of 50 different projects.

SITA’s involvement in the program highlights the strength of its SITA FOR AIRCRAFT portfolio, which delivers the promise of the connected aircraft by providing services that enable communication between aircraft, ground systems, ATC and other operators.

SITA is working in collaboration with Honeywell to optimize the transmission of digital information between pilots, ATC and airline operations centers (AOCs) using Internet Protocol Suites (IPS). The technology supports Boeing’s ambition of testing technologies that focus on the enhancement of flight operations and safety, with the potential to dramatically improve ATC communications and end-to-end data exchanges.

Following the completion of successful trials, the migration from ACARS protocols to IPS could benefit airlines by offering commonality across mainstream communications channels, as well as next-generation network compatibility and enhanced security.

SITA’s testing of these capabilities, through Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator initiative, has an important role to play in today’s ground-to-air connectivity landscape and the increasing pressure on traditional communications protocols.

The implementation comes as part of SITA’s work to evolve a multilink aircraft communications ecosystem, as a world leader in IPS. Central to this approach is SITA’s ability to integrate multiple networks, both proprietary and third-party, enabling seamless fallback and a vital system that inspires industry-wide confidence.

Mike Sinnett, Vice President of Product Strategy and Future Airplane Development at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said: “It’s exciting to welcome SITA onboard our debut 777 ecoDemonstrator to address some of the challenges facing airline operations and air traffic control. This is a key area in assessing the technologies that will make our skies safer and more efficient, for Boeing, and the wider industry.”

Dominique El Bez, Vice President Product and Strategy, SITA FOR AIRCRAFT, said: “Reinforcing flight safety and optimization remain priorities for airlines and air traffic managers. That’s why SITA is working to build and optimize a multilink communications ecosystem. By working with the Boeing ecoDemonstrator to test these solutions faster and with greater fidelity, we hope to continue to develop our end-to-end, fault-resistant solutions for enhanced aircraft communications, whatever the satellite network or connectivity platform.”

SITA FOR AIRCRAFT is one of SITA’s three domains of expertise, alongside SITA AT AIRPORTS and SITA AT BORDERS. These domains of expertise bring together SITA's technology solutions and services with in-depth knowledge of industry processes and systems.

To find out more about SITA FOR AIRCRAFT’s aircraft communications services, visit the website, speak to your local SITA FOR AIRCRAFT contact, or submit an enquiry form.

Guest Column- Thales – Committed to India’s vision of “flying for all”

By Emmanuel de Roquefeuil, VP & Country Director, Thales in India.

The Indian aviation market is set on a high growth trajectory. Currently the ninth largest civil aviation market in the world, India is also now the fastest growing aviation market in terms of domestic tickets sold. It is expected that in the coming years Indian carriers will increase their fleet strengths while freight traffic will rise, and the number of brown field and green field airports will continue to increase.  While Indian aviation has seen challenges in the form of the demise of a few well-known carriers, the prospects for the future remain strong. UDAN, the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) is an important initiative of the government with a vision of “flying for all”.

Another recent initiative of the government is ‘Digi Yatra’. Digi Yatra is promising as it seeks to employ the best of technology to provide a hassle free and paperless airport experience. Imagine an airport where entry, check-in, baggage drops and claim, and various other aspects are driven by face recognition technology! Thales’ Live faceidentification system overcomes the need for a physical ticket while providing a fluid and secure traveller experience. These initiatives bring together scale and technology which will power tomorrow’s aviation.

Globally two out of three aircraft take off, fly and land using Thales solutions. Overall, Thales solutions make life better and safer for allthe stakeholders such as governments, airports, pilots, crews and passengerseach day. From air traffic management, training and simulation solutions, nose-to-tail aircraft connectivity and in-flight services, Thales enables and connects all parts of the aerospace ecosystem in the air, on the ground, and in between.Thales is a world leader in ATM and provides integrated gate-to-gate solutionsensuring airport safety and efficient traffic handling operations and seamless handover operations between territories.Thales is actively present in the Indian civilian aerospace market and some of its successful references includes retrofit of avionics and in-flight entertainment (IFE) for Air India, critical avionics to IndiGo and Navigational aids to Airports Authority of India (AAI).

By offering its expertise and strengths in aeronautics, defence, transport and digital identity and security markets, Thales has been a perfect match for India’s ambitious objectives. The company’s engineering competence centre (ECC), launched in Bengaluru last year, is focused on providing high value-added software in the fields of air traffic management, complex avionics systems, cockpit, flight management, connectivity & video systems, radar software and airborne ISR tactical management systems.

At WINGS INDIA 2020, Thales, at its stand 12A in Hall A, is showcasing a range of capabilities thatencompass the broad verticals of Airport Operations and Security, support towards the Government’s ambitious digital initiative – ‘Digi Yatra’ through its Live Face Identification System, Air Traffic Management, Avionics and In-Flight Entertainment and connectivity, among others.

BAOA Report Shows Genav's Social Impact on India

by Neelam Mathews

 - March 13, 2020, 9:58 AM

Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) of India and Pratt & Whitney have jointly released a report titled “Social Impact of General Aviation” to bring attention to benefits that accrue to the general public. The report was released yesterday at the opening of the four-day civil aviation business exhibition and airshow, Wings India 2020, in Hyderabad.

The report focuses on the social impact of general aviation in emergency medical services (EMS), remote air connectivity, and disaster management. It points out the need to address EMS due to an aging population, increased healthcare spending, and favorable policies.

Further, it said, remote air connectivity “can overcome barriers such as lack of physical infrastructure.” The study suggests how a comprehensive set of policies can help lift social and economic status of remote regions. Meanwhile, disaster management missions—such as firefighting, search and rescue, and humanitarian aid programs—is the need of the hour, according to the report.

“The study demonstrates the importance of policies and financing models to empower fellow citizens and boost our economy,” said BAOA managing director R.K. Bali.