Aerospace Diary

 

 

Asia Pacific-based airlines carried a total of 16.8 million international passengers in August, reflecting a 12.4% increase compared to the same month last year, says the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA). Capacity management saw seat capacity grow by 5.3%, which led to a 2.3 % improvement in the average passenger load factor to 81.2%. International air cargo traffic as measured in freight ton km (FTK) registered 25% growth compared to the same month last year. Even with a 20.7% expansion in offered freight capacity, the average international cargo load factor increased by 2.4% to 68.9%. “Strong demand for air travel and air cargo shipments in August provide further confirmation of the robustness of the ongoing economic recovery across the Asia Pacific region. Overall, for the first eight months of the year we have seen 14.9% growth in the number of international passengers carried, and an even more dramatic 32.1% rebound in the volume of international air cargo,” said...

Aviation Week Sep 24, 2010 By Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI National Aviation Company of India Ltd. (NACIL), parent company of Air India, has inked an accord with software supplier Ramco Systems Ltd. that will enable the carrier to bring all areas of its maintenance, repair and overhaul facility onto a common information technology platform. The agreement with NACIL will help increase aircraft availability and reduce inventory, ensuring quicker turnaround times and improving cost-effectiveness. The Ramco software will help automate the business processes of line and heavy maintenance, component and engine maintenance, quality assurance, production, planning and control, material procurement, inventory, payments and accounting functions, among others.

Guys- have decided to share some of the experiences in my life as a (welcome!) break from my stories. This is a great video. Enjoy. Neelam http://www.girleffect.org/question

Aviation Week Daily Sep 23, 2010 By Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI IATA has recommended that its Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) be made mandatory for all Indian carriers. “The recent Air India Express crash reminded us that safety is a constant challenge. Establishing the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council (CASAC) is an important step forward. I strongly encourage CASAC to recommend IOSA is mandated for all India’s carriers. IOSA has helped IATA’s members achieve a safety record 2.5 times better than the global average. Taking advantage of this global standard will add a new dimension to India’s safety oversight,” Giovanni Bisignani, director general and CEO of IATA, said at an industry meeting in New Delhi. On Sept. 28 in Montreal, a safety agreement will be signed for the first time between major organizations — IATA, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the U.S. FAA, and the European Union (EU) — for sharing safety data. A Declaration of Intent was signed i...

Programs Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Sep 24 , 2010 , p. 11 Neelam Mathews Minnesota-based BRS Aerospace, manufacturer of whole-airplane parachutes, has been contracted to integrate and help certify its parachute recovery systems for India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) HPT-32 basic training aircraft used by the Indian Air Force. “This represents a strong market opportunity for BRS to install lifesaving parachutes on training aircraft, civilian or military,” said Gary Moore, BRS Aerospace vice president for sales and marketing. The urgent requirement comes with the temporary grounding of a fleet of more than 100 Hindustan Piston Trainer (HPT)-32s following a spurt of crashes. Once BRS has completed the installation design, the company will work with HAL and the Indian Air Force to test and certify the customized whole-airframe parachute system. Aviation Week reported in April that industry bidders had submitted offers to build 75 basic trainer aircraft for the ...

Aerospace Daily Sept 22, 2010 PROGRAMS NEW DELHI — The Indian army is taking concrete steps toward achieving network-centric operations at the strategic, operational and tactical levels with its Battlefield Management System (BMS). BMS will be the precursor to a similar system for India’s paramilitary forces that will address counter-terrorism and counter-infiltration requirements. Network-centric warfare is in essence the integration of sensors and shooters with decision makers on a robust information grid. “Within the armed forces, the Defense Communication Systems [DCN] will provide the information grid at the strategic level for tri-services integration,” says M.M. Pallam Raju, state minister for defense at the 3rd International Seminar & Exhibition on Battlefield Management System. Similar systems within each service are at various stages of development. “It will be my endeavor to create a level playing field [for] both the public and private sectors, leading to an ...

Space Business Aviation Week & Space Technology Sep 20 , 2010 , p. 78 ISRO reaches out to industry as its five-year budget climbs Neelam Mathews Bengaluru, India Opportunities are increasing steadily for private industry as India’s 2012-17 space budget doubles to $4.7 billion. The Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) heavy workload, particularly in launches, is prompting it to move aggressively to bring industry in as a risk-sharing partner. Growth opportunities for Indian and foreign space manufacturers will abound, including for small and medium-size companies, K.R. Sridhara Murthi, Antrix Corp.’s managing director, said at India’s SpaceExpo here last month. Antrix Corp., which reported $200 million in revenues from products and services to international customers in its fiscal 2008, is ISRO’s commercial and marketing arm. Industry is most active in launch vehicles, where it is responsible for 90% of ISRO’s costs, including 34% of fabrication, 57% of materials ...

Airports Aviation Daily Sep 16 , 2010 , p. 16 Neelam Mathews GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. will very soon award its entire information technology contract to Ramco Systems, The DAILY has learned. The project will be operational in April 2011. Ramco was not available for comment. The contract will be one of the first work orders for Ramco's entire system in India. The project value is unknown. Ramco’s Aviation Group provides functionality for integrating a wide range of operations from maintenance planning and scheduling, line, hangar, shop and engine maintenance, reliability and engineering and technical records to human resource management, purchasing, inventory, warranty, maintenance financials, third-party maintenance and sales. The applications are tightly integrated and capable of operating stand-alone as required. The suite of aviation and MRO software components is also adaptable for integration with existing applications. In an unrelated developmen...

Aerospace Daily Sept 16, 2010 PROGRAMS NEW DELHI — The Indian government is in a dilemma over whether to suspend the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in some areas in Kashmir. Under the act, all security forces are given unrestricted power to carry out their operations once an area is declared disturbed. Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik said Sept. 14 that for soldiers to perform their duties efficiently, they deserve “all the legal protection” they can get. The army agrees. In a meeting last week, Indian Army chief Gen. V.K. Singh reminded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of a similar instance in the northeast where forces were withdrawn and insurgents regrouped and established their presence. Many in the past have referred to the act as “draconian legislation.” It was first applied to the northeastern states of Assam and Manipur, and was amended in 1972 to extend to all seven states in India’s northeastern region. “Armed forces should not be allowed to arre...

Aerospace Daily Sept 15 FUNDING & POLICY NEW DELHI — Taking another step toward Network-Centric Warfare (NCW) operations, Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony has launched the $229 million AFNET (Air Force Network). AFNET will be a critical link for the air force between its command and control center and sensors such as the Airborne Early Warning and Control System, combat jets and missile squadrons. Interception of simulated enemy targets in the western center by a pair of MiG-29 fighters from an advanced airbase in the Punjab sector was played live on screens at the launch. The project is part of the overall mission to network all three military services and comes in the wake of an Information Technology Roadmap document from the Defense Ministry. Telecommunications Minister A. Raja said in an address that robust communication is critical for synergy among forces and for success in future operations. The ministry of defense and department of telecommunications last y...

Aerospace Daily Sept 14, 2010 PROGRAMS NEW DELHI — The Indian Air Force has shortlisted 12 out of 31 original bidders for the modernization of 27 base repair depots and equipment depots located throughout India. The major companies that made the cut include Mahindra & Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro, Hindustan Machine Tools, Bharat Electronics Ltd. and the ISGEC Group. The contract, estimated to be worth more than $400 million, is expected to be awarded in February 2011. The project involves procurement and supply of machine tools, electronics and electrical test equipment, installation of material handling, packaging and allied machinery. It will also include the fabrication of machine equipment and creation of infrastructure and civil construction work for upgrades of existing hangars, bays, labs and warehouses. The Indian Air Force had emphasized that participating companies must complete the projects within 3-5 years and have experience in similar projects involving su...

News AWIN First Sep 10 , 2010 Neelam Mathews mathews.neelam@gmail.com New Delhi After months of wrangling, India and Russia have now formally signed off on a joint venture to co-develop and produce a twin-engine Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA). The industrial partners are United Aircraft Corporation and Rosoboronexport on the Russian side and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. The deal was finalized late September 9. The JV builds on an intergovernmental agreement on the development of the MTA which was signed in 2007. The main features of MTA include maximum takeoff weight of 65 metric tons, payload capacity of 15-20 metric tons, cruise speed of 800 kmph with a range of 2500 km. (1550 mi.). The development cost is estimated at $600 million to be shared equally. The MTA is expected to be derived from the IL-214 twin-engine military transport designed by the Ilyushin Design Bureau. The final agreement on the MTA was delayed over disagreement on financial terms. The exact de...

News AWIN First Sep 09 , 2010 Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI India and Russia are in the process of finalizing a deal for the joint development and marketing of a Multi-role Transport Aircraft (MTA), AVIATION WEEK has learned. This follows an intergovernmental agreement on the joint development of the MTA signed in 2007. Russia will hold a 53% share in the joint venture, while India will hold 47%. In a parallel development, there is a report out that Aeroflot is looking for an Asian base — possibly in southern India — for a maintenance facility that could service the MTA, but this could not be confirmed. The final agreement on the MTA was delayed when the Russian Finance Ministry refused to reinvest India’s rupee debt to Russia into the MTA project. The Indian air force also was not interested in a turbojet, according to an official. “We are at the initial stage of the project. Maybe in six to eight years we shall have the prototype of the aircraft flying,” a senior Hindustan A...

Aviation Daily Sep 7, 2010 By Neelam Mathews As the aviation market bounces back in Asia, Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) is looking at expanding its customer base beyond the region, as well as adding new technical services, such as overhaul layovers and cabin refurbishment designed for budget airlines. As one of the biggest providers of aircraft maintenance services in Asia, LTP will offer new products such as overhaul layovers and cabin refurbishments designed specifically for budget airlines. Founded in Sept. 2000, LTP is a joint venture between Lufthansa Technik (51%) and the Philippine MacroAsia Corp. (49%), a holding company with diverse business portfolio in aviation support and logistics services. In its 10 years of operations, Lufthansa Technik Philippines has grown from a workforce of 1,300 at Ninoy Aquinoh International Airport to 2,700 employees, who specialize in the Airbus A330/340 and the A320 aircraft families. “The Manila operation has become the Lufthan...

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Sept 9, 2010 FUNDING & POLICY NEW DELHI — India, like the U.S.,needs an integrated homeland security strategy and cybersecurity is critical to the nation’s economic and financial growth, according to members of the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) attending India’s Homeland Security Exhibition and Conference (Indesec) here. With India and the U.S. sharing a common interest in defending against terrorist networks, preventing cyberattacks and protecting critical infrastructure, a formal working group is being established between the two countries on cybersecurity. USIBC also is hosting a series of meetings with the Indian government and the private sector to discuss collaboration on training, processes and technology, as well as sharing best practices in homeland security. “Lessons learned post-9/11 can be adapted to India,” says U.S. Coast Guard Adm. (ret.) James Loy, who is now senior counselor at the Cohen Group consultancy. “Deep...

NEW DELHI — The Indian navy has issued a request for information (RFI) for procurement of six conventional submarines under its Project 75 (I) program. The estimated value of the eventual contract is $11 billion. Submissions are due by Sept 30. Companies expected to respond include Rosoboronexport (Amur shipyard),France’s DCNS, Germany’s HDW and Spain’s Navantia. The Indian navy says it is in the process of identifying a contemporary conventional submarine with two diesel-electric engines to be built at the vendor’s shipyard and four more at Indian shipyards. The RFI states it will look at companies that have independently designed and constructed modern subs currently in service or undergoing sea trials. “The submarine should be capable of operating in open and littoral/shallow waters in dense antisurface and antisubmarine warfare and [electronic warfare] environments,” the RFI says. The Scorpene — six of which India has ordered and are under construction — is 1,700 tons and ...

Aviation Week Daily Sep 7, 2010 By Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI Indian low-fare carrier SpiceJet will start international operations with its first flights to Kathmandu, Nepal, and Colombo, Sri Lanka, from Delhi and Chennai starting Oct. 7 and Oct. 9, respectively, using its 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the routes. Fares on these routes appear to be the most competitive, at about 40% less than others in the market. “Our goal has been to identify the needs of our passengers and try to fill gaps in connectivity,” said Kishore Gupta, director of SpiceJet. SpiceJet’s new CEO Neil Mills, who is a former chief financial officer of flydubai, will start his new assignment to coincide with the new destinations. The carrier has a fleet of 22 Boeing 737 aircraft with 141 daily flights. Six aircraft will be added to its fleet by the end of March 2011. Regulatory guidelines say a domestic airline is eligible to fly abroad only after it completes five years of operation and has a mi...

Aviation Week First By Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI A lack of X-ray machines for cargo screening at India’s major airports, causing delays of up to two days, is making operators turn toward a cost-effective, less time-consuming screening technique that does not use X-ray machines. While the government has yet to clear the technique, called RASCargO, an airline official told AviationWeek the reduction in time and reliability of the proven system would help clear back logs. Delhi International Airport, for example, only has eight cargo X-ray machines, but at least 20 more are needed, says an official. The Bureau of Civil Aviation’s Security Director General was unavailable for comment. The technique that has been researched includes vapor samples collected by sucking air from cargo trucks or pallets through a specially designed filter placed in individual containers in an analysis room. Each filter is placed on a stand that holds six filters as a trained dog sniffs each filter. The...

Programs Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Sep 08 , 2010 , p. 09 Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI — India test-fired its surface-to-surface BrahMos Block II supersonic cruise missile on Sept. 5 from a mobile launcher 200 km. (125 mi.) to the northeast of Bhubaneswar in the state of Orissa. The launch took place from the Integrated Test Range of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The test met all of its objectives, according to a DRDO official. The flight follows a test in March. BrahMos has a range of 290 km. and can carry a 300-kg. (660-lb.) conventional warhead. The missile performed a steep dive after reaching a flat trajectory. This is the first time a supersonic dive has been achieved by a cruise missile, the official says. The Block II version offers the ability to hit a small target in a cluster of larger targets, which was recently demonstrated from the Pokhran test range, in northeast India, according to a statement. BrahMos is a two-stage vehicl...

Aerospace Diary & Defense Report Sept 2, 2010 NEW DELHI — India’s space industry has braved the pitfalls of global recession, and in fact its budgets are expected to rise substantially, according to a study released at the recent Bengaluru Space Expo. The study is by Deloitte, the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) marketing arm, Antrix. The study points out that India’s space budget of $1.26 billion for 2010 was increased by an estimated 22% from the previous year. Between 2003 to 2010, funding grew by 144%. Space spending is expected to increase further by an average of 14.8% annually over the next four years, reaching $2.17 billion by 2014. “It is hard to put the genie back in the bottle,” says Tom Captain, vice chairman and global aerospace & defensesector leader at Deloitte LLP. “India’s space industry is registering explosive growth, with many opportunities for indigenous as well as foreign suppliers to help fur...

PROGRAMS NEW DELHI — The Indian defense ministry is expected to reissue the request for proposals (RFP) for the third time for 140 wheeled guns within the next two weeks. Retrials will be held for the same guns that participated in earlier rounds to evaluate performance in extreme hot and cold conditions in the harsh desert terrains of Rajasthan and Ladakh. Firing rate and command and control will be assessed. Bidders being named include Kerametal of Slovakia, with its Zuzana gun, and Germany’s Rheinmetall RWG-52. The latest development, however, comes amid ongoing confusion and allegations regarding so-called “blacklisting” of some contenders in the past (Aerospace DAILY, April 2). For instance, Singapore Technologies Kinetics was not invited to participate in the RFP after being named in a report related to an Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) scandal. But Rheinmetall, which was rejected on another tender for being involved in the same OFB report, was called to participate in t...

Aviation Daily Sep 02 , 2010 , p. 12 Neelam Mathews The first of EgyptAir’s fleet of Airbus A330-300 aircraft powered by Rolls Royce Trent 700 engines operating to London has been fitted with Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir inflight passenger communications services. Eight A330-300s are on order, and more are scheduled to be equipped with the systems in coming months. Customers can now stay connected inflight using their own mobile phones or smartphones and access the Internet. OnAir is owned by SITA and Airbus. “OnAir inflight connectivity helps us further differentiate our offering,” EgyptAir Chairman and CEO Alaa Ashour, said. “Within two to three years, we’re convinced that all airlines will demand this level of onboard mobile communications,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir.

News AWIN First Sep 01 , 2010 Neelam Mathews Philippines-based Airphil Express has renewed its partnership with Sabre Airline Solutions as its main eCommerce technology partner for five years. Airphil Express—with a fleet of 16 aircraft—flies to 28 destinations in the Philippines and will begin services to Singapore in October. Manila was recently chosen as Sabre’s regional base because of the quality of employee resources and the strategic business location. “The Philippines is located right in the heart of Asia, just four hours flying time away from major capital cities in the region,” said Steve Clampett, president of airline products and solutions at Sabre. In addition to the usual customer sales support and reservation system, the expanded contract with Sabre will allow Airphil Express to enhance offerings to include unbundled fare structures with ancillary and self-service options, says Sabre. Airphil Express earlier this year re-engaged in the market as a full-fledg...

Airports Aviation Daily Sep 01 , 2010 , p. 12 Neelam Mathews Budget long-haul operator AirAsia X has started negotiating use of passenger boarding bridges at Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s new budget terminal “subject to receiving a commercial proposal from Malaysia Airports that we can accept,” says CEO Azran Osman-Rani. The new low-cost carrier terminal, the opening of which has been delayed from the end of 2011 to mid-2012, is expected to be the largest in the world. Known as KLIA 2, the terminal initially will handle 30 million passengers a year. Capacity is expected to increase to 45 million in phases. The current low-cost terminal hosts AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, AirAsia X, Cebu Pacific Airways and Tiger Airways. AirAsia previously has said its growth has been pushed back because it requires a larger terminal with passenger traffic forecast to reach 30 million by 2013. Meanwhile, principal AirAsia may convert debt owed by its associates into equity when they seek l...