Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews May 31, 2012 Spurred by the MMRCA win for the Rafale, Dassault Aviation that will need to honor 50% offsets once awarded the contract, recently entered into an MoU with Reliance Industries for pursuing strategic opportunities of collaboration in the area of complex manufacturing and support in India, held a suppliers meet at The Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi on May 31. A HAL team was also present. Around 22 vendors attended the meet for Dassault to identify its  tier one, two and three suppliers, Aerospace Diary learns. “It  is still not clear if the production agency will be Reliance because that would violate the terms of agreement of the RFP,” an MoD official says. He adds: "Reliance will possibly be the tier one partner to HAL. There can be a thin prime and very thick tier one."  While Reliance does not have a license as yet, it will only be applied for subsequent to clearance from MoD. Aerospace Diary learns HAL has taken land at Coimbatore to s...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews May 31, 2012 Press Release: Boeing on May 3 delivered to the U.S. Navy the first EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft with a cockpit sub-assembly produced by Bangalore-based Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). The sub-assembly provides cockpit floodlighting compatible with the aircraft's Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS). Boeing awarded BEL an initial contract in March 2011 for work on Super Hornet cockpit subassemblies. That contract included options to renew annually for up to four years. As a result of BEL's demonstrated performance, Boeing recently exercised an option to renew the contract for another year. "BEL continues to demonstrate its capabilities and its position as a valued partner to Boeing," said Dennis Swanson, vice president of International Business Development for Boeing Defense, Space & Security in India. "BEL's work on P-8I, Super Hornets and Growlers is another example of how Indian companies a...

Neelam Mathews May 31, 2012 India is rightly earning the acronymn of “the master of delays.” The bid – the second time round after the first one in 2008- for procuring 197 light utility helicopters for the Indian Army and Air Force required the day before yesterday (!) though having cleared technical evaluation, is stuck at the staff evaluation stage for months, the clearance of which, keeps getting delayed, Aerospace Diary learns. 64 are for the IAF, and 133 are for the Army. The next stage will be for it to go through the technical oversight committee to ensure nothing is missed out to be followed by other clearances till the commercial bids are even opened. All this time wasted has many in the business speculating whether the government really wants to make a decision between the two contenders- Eurocopter’s AS550 C3 Fennec and the Kamov Ka-226- at all. With HAL developing the Light Utility Helicopter based on the single engined-ALH, and around 187 more light utility helico...

Neelam Mathews May 30, 2012 India’s soon-to-be released Defense Procurement Policy 2012 is to have a major addition in its ‘Make’ clause. It will include the active participation of the private industry which was left out earlier. The DPP 2011 ‘Make’ procedure was to cover all capital acquisitions of High Technology Complex Systems and upgrades undertaken by indigenous Research, Design and Development. These would be undertaken by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and Indian Industry and industries identified as Raksha Udyog Ratna (RUR) / Consortia. In 2010, MoD scrapped its plan to nominate leading defense players from the private sector RURs, leaving the space open only  for the DPSUs. Interestingly, there is soon to be released a pilot project for each of the three services which will be open only to the private sector that will give a boost to the industry. A meeting (the second of its kind) is being held at the MoD next week to...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews May 30, 2012 Air Marshal DC Kumaria, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air  Command, will assume  charge as the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) at Air  Headquarters on Jun 1. Having done his early schooling from Rashtriya Indian Military  College(RIMC), Dehradun he went on to join the Khadakwasla, located  National Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned into the Fighter Stream of the Indian Air Force on 02 Jun 1973. Early in his career he flew all variants of the MiG-21 aircraft, and  was among the first batch of fighter pilots chosen to convert on the  Jaguar aircraft in the United Kingdom.  He also underwent the Qualified Weapon Instructor (QWI) course in UK, as well as the  Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner (IRIE) and the Fighter  Combat Leader (FCL) Course, with a tenure as a Directing Staff at  Tactics and Combat Development Establishment(TACDE) at Gwalior. Kumaria ...

Posted by Neelam Mathews May 30, 2012 José Antonio Filippo has been named Chief Financial Officer of Embraer,, effective June 4, 2012. An engineer by training, with extensive knowledge and experience in the various disciplines of financial management in large companies, Filippo worked for important Brazilian and multinational groups, with acknowledged success. “Filippo is a great addition to our team,” said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer President and CEO. "His expertise and experience will be of real value to the process of growth and development of the Company.”

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Malaysia Airlines (MAS) took delivery of its first A380, becoming the eighth operator of the world’s largest  airliner.    The aircraft was handed over to MAS Group Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya by Airbus Chief Operating Officer Fabrice Brégier in Toulouse today and is expected to arrive at the Malaysian national carrier’s Kuala Lumpur base tomorrow (30 May 2012).  “The A380 showcases our latest premium offering in products and services. This will be our latest flagship aircraft, offering new levels of comfort, luxury and convenience for long haul travel,” said Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, MAS Group Chief Executive Officer. “With the A380 in our fleet, MAS will reinforce its position as one of the world’s preferred premium carriers bringing great Malaysian Hospitality to our customers.” Malaysia Airlines has ordered six A380s. Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, the aircraft feature a premium three class layout, wi...

AIN Air Transport Perspective » May 28, 2012 by  Neelam Mathews Air France KLM’s Engineering & Maintenance division sees continued growth in India’s troubled airline industry. May 28, 2012, 10:25 AM The decline of India’s Kingfisher Airlines, whose fleet has shrunk to 16 aircraft from 66, hasn’t only served to push air fares upward due to declining capacity in a high-demand market. At the same time it has reduced business for suppliers and airline service providers, such as maintenance, repair and overhaul ( MRO ) groups. For example, Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance ( AFI / KLM E&M) fell victim to default on payments by Kingfisher , under the terms of a component support agreement covering its long-haul operations. “We had to pull out [of the agreement] as a result of non-payment of dues. This was done in good order with ...

AIN Defense Perspective » May 25, 2012 by  Neelam Mathews India’s version of the advanced and stealthy fighter has been delayed by two years. (Photo: Vladimir Karnozov)   May 25, 2012, 11:32 AM The joint Indo-Russian project to produce a fifth-generation fighter aircraft ( FGFA ) for the Indian Air Force is facing a two-year delay. It will now take nine years instead of the stipulated seven to develop. The Indian Air Force attributes the delay to Hindustan Aeronautics ( HAL ), which has a workshare of 25 percent in the program. The two-seat FGFA is based on the single-seat Sukhoi T-50 PAKFA . HAL is tasked with supplying designs for the tandem seating and cockpit displays, none of which have been provided on time, a senior air force official told AIN . HAL is also responsible for navigation and countermeasure dispensing. Indian juni...

Pilatus Confirms Indian PC-7 Trainer Order AIN Defense Perspective » May 25, 2012 by  Neelam Mathews   India chose the PC-7 Mk II over four competing turboprop trainers. (Photo: Pilatus Aircraft)   May 25, 2012, 11:43 AM Pilatus Aircraft confirmed that the Indian Air Force ( IAF ) has chosen the Pilatus PC -7 Mk II as its new basic trainer. The Swiss company values the contract, signed on May 24, at more than $525 million. It includes 75 aircraft, an integrated ground-based training system and logistics support. Deliveries will begin in the last quarter of this year. The contract includes an option for Hindustan Aeronautics ( HAL ) to license-build a further 106 of the turboprops. Pilatus expressed optimism that HAL will exercise the option within the stipula...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews May 28, 2012  P reliminary traffic figures for the month of April released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed further growth in international air passenger numbers, but international air cargo markets remained weak. Airlines based in the Asia Pacific region carried 17.2 million international passengers in April, a 12.2% increase compared to the same month last year.  In revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, international passenger demand grew by 10.1%, reflecting significantly stronger demand on regional routes.  With traffic growth outpacing an 8.5% increase in available seat capacity, the average international passenger load factor was 76.3%, 1.1 percentage points higher than in the same month last year. Conversely, international air cargo traffic, measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), registered a 7.6% decline compared to the same month last year, reflecting continued w...

Neelam Mathews May 25, 2012 After a near famine of officers at the helm of safety affairs, the DGCA will get 130 airworthiness officers in two months, DG  E.K. Bharat Bhushan told Aerospace Diary. Bhushan explained the process of recruitment was complicated. Another official said the 130 officers would be chosen from a pool of around 1300 and it could take longer for them to be inducted. The status of the report on Kingfisher that was to be presented to the ministry of civil aviation in late March, is unknown. Bhushan had said: “Kingfisher is severely hamstrung for want of funds and we still do not have any clarity whether the airline will be able to defray its liabilities. We have no assurance on that." It seems as the situation remains status quo. Kingfisher Airlines is operating 16 aircraft and four on standby (of its fleet of 66. Bhushan said: "We are conducting checks on them every day (at metros)."

Neelam Mathews May 24, 2012 Starting May 25 IndiGo will launch two new non-stop flights between Delhi and Mumbai; making it a total of 11 daily direct flights between the two metros. With fares spiralling to Rs 14,700 and over between the two metros, it remains to be seen whether there will be any respite. "The new flights are designed to serve the growing demand between the two business hubs of India, " says the carrier that has 56 brand new Airbus A320 aircraft, 351 flights connecting 32 destinations across the nation. Aditya Ghosh, President, IndiGo said: “In line with our endeavor to meet the requirements of both business and leisure travellers, we have introduced two new daily direct flights between Delhi and Mumbai. We are looking at providing affordable fares on these new routes for 6E travelers...."

Posted by Neelam Mathews -  May 24, 2012 For those who thought the Rafale deal was dead- this should prove otherwise. A ir Chief Marshal NAK Browne, Chief of the Air Staff along with the Commander of the Rafale Squadron (Squadron Leader) Kubiak Thierry, General Jean-Paul Paloméros, Chief of Staff of the French Air Force and Col Jean- Pierre Moontegu, Base Commander St. Dizier Airbase, after a one hour sortie in the Rafale Aircraft . Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, Chief of the Air Staff reviewing Guard of Honor presented by the French Air Force in Paris.

Posted by- Neelam Mathews May 23, 2012 Dragonair will add its second passenger destination in India, launching a new service to Kolkata. The airline already operates a daily service to Bengaluru (Bangalore). Subject to government approval and date of opening of the new airport terminal, the service to Kolkata will commence in winter 2012 with four flights a week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. Travellers can connect through the Hong Kong hub to and from Dragonair’s Mainland China network as well as destinations in North America and Australia through seamless connections on the extensive global network of sister airline Cathay Pacific. Dragonair Chief Executive Officer Patrick Yeung said: “ The launch of a new service to Kolkata marks an important step in building Dragonair’s presence in the Indian market, following the launch of flights to Bengaluru in 2008. India is one of the major economies in Asia and the country has an increasing influence on the world stag...

Air India Pilots Continue Brawl over 787 Flying AIN Air Transport Perspective » May 21, 2012 by  Neelam Mathews The first Air India Boeing 787 rolls out of the manufacturer’s Charleston, S.C., factory. Some 200 of Air India’s pilot have struck over the right to fly the new widebodies. (Photo: Boeing) May 21, 2012, 1:25 PM Cash-strapped national carrier Air India, beset by a two-week strike by more than 200 pilots, has canceled service to more than 20 international destinations and is suffering losses of approximately $2 million a day. The strike, which resulted in the termination of 71 pilots, has not affected domestic and short-haul international flights, said a spokesperson. An ongoing confrontation between the pilots of the former Indian Airlines, which flew domestic destinations until its merger with Air India, and those of the erstwhile Air India, which ...

 May 21, 2012 Air Corporations Employees Union, the largest and the oldest employees Union of the Air India has appreciated the Hon’ble Minister for Civil Aviation Chaudhary Ajit Singh for giving assurance to the employees that salaries of the under-privileged employees belonging to ACEU will be paid first.                 The Undersigned General Secretary, Arun Kumar Malhotra and undersigned President Gora Chand Datta were invited to attend the meeting along with other Union at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, New Delhi today.                 During the meeting, ACEU’s General Secretary, Shri Malhotra welcome the government’s suggestion that PLI shall be turned profit-linked but with a CAVEAT that if PLI is withdrawn then employees wage revision pending since 2007 shall be granted and 50% of the amount of PLI as already accepted by Justice Dharmadhikari Committee, shall be merged with employees Basic Pay and...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews May 21, 2012 The Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) has signed a contract with Airbus Military for the acquisition of eight C295 aircraft, five of them configured as tactical transports and three as maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). They will be delivered from next year. As well as upgrading the tactical transport capability of the RAFO in hot and dusty conditions, the aircraft will enhance Oman´s ability to patrol its territorial waters and to conduct missions against piracy, illegal immigration and smuggling. Oman becomes the first country of the Gulf Cooperation Council to order the C295. It is also the fourth customer to order the C295 in the MENA region and the first in the area to order the C295 for maritime patrol operations. Two Airbus Military CN235 aircraft are already operated by the Royal Oman Police. “We are very proud of this new contract with Oman which demonstrates the satisfaction of our customer with...