Aerospace Diary

  Posted by- Neelam Mathews March 31, 2012 As we reported two days back , Data Patterns Group and SELEX Galileo, a Finmeccanica Company, have signed a Head of Terms agreement with a view towards forming a Joint Venture later this year.  The JV will be located in Chennai, India and “will focus on a broad range of defense electronic products and state-of-the-art technology developments. The two companies will leverage their strong development and manufacturing capabilities and their advanced product ranges.”  The JV will be their primary vehicle for bids. The joint venture will provide greater thrust to critical technologies at a product and system level in ‘Buy and Make’, ‘Make’ and ‘Offset’ programs in the areas of Avionics, Navigation, Radars, UAVs, FINSAS etc in the Indian defense market and also facilitate access to export markets. “This joint venture will bring a technology value to India’s growing defence programmes” said S Rangarajan, CEO of Data Patterns Group...

Posted by-Neelam Mathews March 31, 2012 Thales says it delivered the first series-produced RBE2 radar with active electronically scanned array (AESA) to the Dassault Aviation facility in February in Mérignac, France. The radar will now be installed on Rafale C137, the first Rafale with this new capability, which is scheduled for delivery to the French defense procurement agency (DGA) this summer. A comprehensive three-month flight test program conducted with the first production RBE2 AESA radar at the Istres air base demonstrated the qualities of the radar and confirmed the expected levels of performance prior to delivery to Dassault Aviation. The RBE2 AESA radar was delivered in line with the contract schedule, demonstrating the new radar’s technological maturity and further consolidating Thales’s European leadership in radars for combat aircraft. The RBE2 AESA will give the Rafale a number of key advantages, says Thales: - Extended range for full compatibility with the lates...

Neelam Mathews March 31, 2012 Even as a signature campaign by Kingfisher’s unfortunate employees demanding a hearing on April 2 with no other than founder Vijay Mallya reaches a crescendo, Aersopace Diary has learnt of a tug of war happening between the government and the airline on who should close the company. Mallya is clear, we learn, the airline will be not be shut down by him even if it comes down to the minimum five needed to run a domestic carrier in India, but he isn’t averse to the government shutting it down. Infact, during a recent interview on an electronic channel he went as far to say if the government wanted to shut the airline, why didn't it. The reasons for this, we hear, are not being disclosed. Meanwhile as debtors knock on the now fragile doors of the carrier, with almost empty flights being clubbed between destinations, the 120 promised flights a day to the DGCA are not taking place. We were unable to confirm how the DGCA is viewing this default Also with ...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews march 30, 2012 ITT Exelis and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. have formed a strategic alliance to support Generation (Gen) 3 night vision requirements in India. Under a memorandum of understanding, Exelis and Tata Advanced Systems will partner to supply manufacturing capabilities in India, maintenance and life-cycle support for Gen 3 night vision products.  To start with, Exelis will provide TASL with the latest Gen 3 night vision image intensifier tubes, kits and other materials required to build night vision devices in India, to expedite the delivery of the systems to customers in India. This will be followed by manufacture of high precision components and sub-assemblies of the devices by Tata Advanced Systems.   “This is an important alliance for Exelis and Tata Advanced Systems. It allows us to increase our international footprint and provides our allies with the superior products they need to be successful during night missions,” said Nick Bob...

Neelam Mathews March 29, 2012 Aerospace Diary has learnt there may be an announcement at Defexpo of Selex Galileo entering into a JV with Data Patterns. The JV will be the primary vehicle for bids moving forward, a government source told Aerospace Diary. The Indian market provides a huge opportunity for Selex Galileo and the Company aims to build on its existing footprint in-country, says an official. At Defexpo, the company is showcasing its technologies including the AESA radar, Electronic Warfare and UAS that can support India's emerging operational. Data Patterns focuses on building reliable open architecture building blocks on various internationally accepted standards such as cPCI, VME, PCI and other Mezzanine standards such as IP, M Module, and PMC. These building blocks are further utilized in order to provide functional solutions in the areas of automatic testing and data acquisition solutions.

Neelam Mathews March 29, 2012 In an unexpected move, IndiGo has signed an agreement with Lufthansa Technik Philippines for a series of C4 lease return checks for seven of its A320 aircraft. The first aircraft is scheduled for lease return check on June 2012. The remaining contracted A320s will follow until the end of the year 2012. “Our partnership with LTP, one of the leading maintenance, repair and overhaul providers in Asia, will enable IndiGo to use LTP’s proven competence, experience and expertise in on-time completion of lease return checks,” said IndiGo officials. “We are very pleased to welcome India’s fastest growing airlines and largest lowcost operator to LTP this June. We are fully committed in providing our expert support to ensure timely lease return of IndiGo’s A320 aircraft . We hope that this agreement is a start of a long-term partnership with one of India’s leading airlines today,” said Dominik Wiener-Silva , vice president for Marketing and Sales of Lufthans...

Neelam Mathews March 29, 2012 In a candid exclusive interview to Aerospace Diary at the Defexpo today, Ravi Rishi , Chairman of Vectra Group, the largest shareholder of Tatra trucks, said: “We will sell to our not so friendly neighbors who have been knocking at our door for over six months now.” Rishi was reacting to the recent controversy in which Army Chief General VK Singh claimed he was offered a bribe to clear the purchase of Tatra trucks two years ago. “We had written to the secretary of defense (To ask for permission to export) when a request came from a Czech company to supply a neighboring unfriendly country (we read that as Pakistan). He threatened to blacklist us,” added Rishi. Tatra has supplied around 7000 trucks to India of different models. “Hundred percent of trucks on the borders are Tatras,” Rishi adds. Having passed out of IIT Delhi, Rishi designed the 12 x12 Tatra vehicles for mobile launchers of the BrahMos. Fifty are on order. “They are customized and nobod...

ABACE Convention News » March 29, 2012 by  Neelam Mathews March 28, 2012, 1:00 AM With 154 aircraft, India may still have the Asia Pacific region’s second largest business jet fleet (China has an estimated 215 jets), but the industry’s growth continues to be stunted by a lack of a policy framework that applies to it, as well as by inadequate infrastructure and regulatory barriers. The  Indian Business Aviation Operators Association  (BAOA) is trying to change the government’s attitude, but the business aviation sector received only a passing mention in the latest draft civil aviation plan on which the anticipated new policy is expected to be founded. However, with new business aircraft sales of around $12 billion expected in India by 2020, the government appears to recognize the need to be transparent and to provide clarity in its policy. A team of nine members, including representatives from International ...

ABACE Convention News » March 28, 2012 by  Neelam Mathews March 27, 2012, 4:20 AM   India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has slapped a $3.3 million penalty and fine on New Delhi-based Bharat Hotels for not paying customs duty on the  Embraer Legacy 600  it imported for charter services in 2009. The Reserve Bank of India allows six months to provide proof of import from the time money is sent out of the country for payment. Bharat Hotels flaunted this rule with a foreign-registered aircraft that was imported with duty and continued to fly around India. Customs duty for private use of aircraft in India is 18 percent and for charter operations 2.5 percent. “This gives general aviation a bad name,” an Indian government official told  AIN . He added however, there are too many rules with loopholes bordering on ...

  AIN Air Transport Perspective » March 26, 2012 by  Neelam Mathews Russia’s Irkut displayed a full-scale interior mockup of its single-aisle MC-21 at this month's India Aviation show in Hyderabad. (Photo: Neelam Mathews) March 26, 2012, 3:50 पम   India could emerge as the third largest aviation market by 2029, from a ranking of 12th in 2010, according to a new report from the Airports Council International (ACI) at the recent India Aviation show in Hyderabad. But the country needs a regulatory framework to encourage investment, promote safety and facilitate the development of tourism, according to Rafael Echevarne, the ACI’s director for economics and program development. With budget carriers now selling more than 70 percent of airline seats in India, the country needs more investment in no-frills airports for smaller cities with a growing passenger base, added consultant KPMG during...

Neelam Mathews March 27, 2012 For those from the generation that have heard the song “There’s a hole in the bucket dear Liza……,” might find a comparison to Kingfisher’s latest press release on its summer schedule “holding plan” that promises “schedule integrity”. Words like FDI, recapitalization, connectivity, reliability, as far as this carrier is concerned, are starting to sound unreliable and repetitive, if I may say so. and they are not leading anywhere. For those upbeat that the carrier has paid its IT TDS dues of Rs 44 crores –please note, as Aerospace Diary learns, was a result of IATA returning the security deposit it so unceremoniously clamped down on it.   This ofcourse saved a lot of inconvenience to top management who could be caught in a situation without bail. Now with no international operations left, suspect it wouldn’t make much sense for IATA to be associated with this airline. The issue now, is starting April 7, with nine crores to be paid every week, the m...

  Press release: In the framework of the EU-India Institutional Capacity Building for the Civil Aviation Sector initiative, an Aviation Diploma project has been awarded to the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Applied Sciences in Frankfurt am Main (UAS Frankfurt). The main aim of the program is to support the booming Indian aviation sector with highly qualified staff and the establishment of institutional networks between European andIndian institutions. The MBA in Aviation Management program is designed for those who aim to assume managerial responsibilities, possibly in an international context, while meeting the specialrequirements of the aviation sector. In order to attract participants from different regions, lectures have been arranged in two-week blocks. It is planned to establish the study program in Delhi. The Indian partner, the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), will support the project by providing faculty. For more information, ...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews March 26, 2012 A vast majority of airlines and lessors are being forced to secure new, alternative sources of finance to stay in business, according to a new survey by aviation experts Ascend. The global aviation sector needs US$83 billion to cover 1,500 scheduled deliveries of jet and turbo prop planes this year – but accessing those funds is becoming increasingly difficult.  Ascend’s global survey says 73 percent of aviation professionals are seeking financing outside their current relationships with banks and established lenders.  Prior to 2008, this level of difficulty in aircraft financing was unthinkable, says Ascend’s Head of Consultancy in Asia, Paul Sheridan, adding, “To enable deliveries to continue, ever more creative financing options are being forced on the industry.”   Seventy-two percent of the airlines polled said they would be financing their deliveries, both this year and next, with debt – highlighting the importance o...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews March 26, 2012 Airbus Military has successfully completed receiver qualification of the two primary aircraft-types that the UAE Air Force will refuel from the three A330 MRTT multi role tanker transports that it currently has on order. In an extensive series of flight tests in Abu Dhabi, the compatibility of the new generation A330 MRTT with UAE Air Force Mirage 2000 and F-16 Block 60 fighters was fully demonstrated.                                 A UAE Air Force Mirage 2000 refuelling from a A330 MRTT Operating from Al Dhafra airbase, the aircraft performed air-to-air refuelling at speeds throughout the refuelling flight envelope, at a range of altitudes, and in turns, climbs and descents as well as level flight. Other versions of the F-16 have already been qualified with the A330 MRTT, but the...

A report by Wedbush Equity Research Posted by- Neelam Mathews March 26, 2012 Checks Indicate Chinese Aftermarket Demand Holding Up, Freight still Struggling • In light of increased concern with the 2012 growth outlook in China, we conducted a number of specific checks to determine the impact on the demand for commercial aerospace aftermarket parts and services. So far, the macro issues in China have not had a negative impact on 1Q 12 aftermarket parts demand. It is true that the Chinese market for aftermarket parts demand will see slower growth in 2012 (~10%-12% as compared to ~20% in 2011), but recent issues have not yet changed the outlook for firms relative to expectations at the end of 2011. Remember China accounts for an estimated 8% of all commercial aftermarket parts shipments. • Any slowdown in aftermarket activity will be initially felt in engine and airframe markets. We have heard that engine is currently somewhat softer now than it was last year (in line with expect...

  Neelam Mathews March 25, 2012 Frankly, I have to come downright and say it. As a customer I’m beginning to feel I’m being taken for quite a ride both by the government and what seems to be the fast sinking ship of Kingfisher. Aerospace Diary is now hearing 28 stations of Kingfisher have been closed down since yesterday. A staff member told us, nothing had been indicated to them. Hyderabad is closed as is Kolkata and also all international destinations barring London till April 10. The ticket to London from Mumbai via Delhi, costs a meager Rs 65, 423, is available. Except ofcourse, if you try the toll free number- whether for booking a domestic or  international flight, the service has closed down! So good luck to all travelers facing delays or cancellations! I tried booking to Hyderabad, the efficient website had a message saying “Please call our call center for details.” And lo and behold, when I tried the number, a message said “The number does not exist.” Being pers...

A very vociferous Press Release- posted by Neelam Mathews March 25, 2012 Being the oldest and the largest TRADE UNION of Air India, we would like to bring to your notice that there is NO STRIKE of the ground staff, cabin crew other categories belonging to our Union and neither have we given any strike notice and Air India operations will be as smooth as they are on April 2 nd as well. Every summer seasons when the tourists traffic is bound to grow, workers of Air India are instigated by disgruntled elements to go on strike. Time and again, certain vested interest groups mislead people in general to create confusion among the esteemed passengers of Air India and resultantly the passengers stop making future bookings and obviously this gives benefits to our private rival airlines. In the context of the Air India today, which includes both erstwhile Indian Airlines and Air India, while our Union has the status of being registered UNION since 1953, together with that our stron...

AIN Defense Perspective » March 23, 2012 by  Neelam Mathews March 23, 2012, 4:06 PM The Indian Air Force (IAF) will decide on a new multi-role tanker transport by year-end. Bids for six aircraft from Airbus Military for the A330MRTT and from Ilyushin for the Il-78MK are now being compared, Airbus Military market development vice president Ian Elliott told AIN in Delhi this week. The new in-flight refuelers will augment the existing fleet of six Il-78s, which has been in service for over half a decade at Agra airbase. Flight trials with Indian air force personnel were completed in November last year and included takeoffs and landings at 10,682-foot-elevation Leh airbase and participation by IAF Sukhoi Su-30s and Jaguars. India reissued its tender for the MRTT in late 2010. The IAF had previously selected the A330MRTT, but the Ministry of Finance later rejected it because of the high capital investment cost. Elliott...

Neelam Mathews March 24, 2012 Jet Airways consolidated LoFare service JetKonnect, its new service brand will come into effect from March 25, replacing JetLite and Jet Airways Konnect as an individual brand and service offering. However, JetLite as a legal entity continues to be a 100% subsidiary of Jet Airways and doing business under JetKonnect brand. This change will bring about a seamless integrated approach for customers to choose specific service offerings of  JetKonnect – LoFare service product OR  Jet Airways – full service product, says Jet. “JetKonnect our dedicated LoFare service offering, will service 56 cities within India, with over 400 daily flights with a mix of Boeing and ATR aircraft. JetKonnect  connects 56 domestic cities and one international city. It will have Première cabin with full meal service on certain routes only. In the economy cabin, meals are available on 'buy on board' and miles can be earned on JetKonnect," says Jet. JetKonnect fl...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews March 24, 2012 DCNS India has signed a contract with SEC Industries worth Rs 310-cr (approximately €50 million) for the indigenization of equipment for the P75 Scorpene submarines. The contract with SEC Industries is for the manufacture of equipment (hull hatches, cofferdam doors, knuckle hoses, ballast vent valves, High Pressure air cylinders, weapon handling and storage system). Over the next few years, SEC will manufacture equipment under a TOT provided by DCNS India and they will be progressively delivered to DCNS customer, Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), for integration onboard the P75 Scorpene submarines.  The contract with SEC is part of the indigenization program implemented by DCNS India under the P75 Mazagon Purchased Materials (MPM) contracts. Through this indigenization effort, we are developing strong industrial partnerships and capabilities for the P75 and future programs. “Together with our partners, we are positioning ourselves for the ...

Neelam Mathews Mar 23, 2012 I couldn’t resist googling some comments of the minister of civil aviation in the past few days.    It seems pretty apparent that either the government can’t make up its mind on what stand to take on Kingfisher that continues its game of hide and seek regarding its crisis situation. We now hear they want the deadline of the service tax to be extended! When the pilots will be paid is another issue. Is KFA indicating pilots are the holy cow of the airliner and the others do not matter?   What is happening? Have we moved towards living in a banana republic and never really realized when we drifted into that time zone?   Here are some of the minister’s comments as reported in the media: Start reading from the bottom and we come full circle. March 23, 2012 Vijay Mallya will have to take call on closing Kingfisher: Ajit Singh Ajit Singh says closing Kingfisher will be inconvenient for fliers Ajit Singh rules out Kingfisher closure March 22, ...