Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews Jan 31, 2013 And, we thought it was only India undergoing an economic upheaval. "Singapore Airlines has taken the difficult decision to advance the planned release of 76 pilots who are employed on fixed-term contracts. The Airline had previously been releasing pilots only upon expiry of their contracts," says a statement. The pilots are expected to be released by 30 June 2013. The Airline will assist them to pursue employment opportunities within the SIA Group and with other airlines. "Singapore Airlines currently has a surplus of pilots to its operational requirements, as the global financial crisis of 2009-10 had resulted in excess capacity and slower than expected growth." By the looks of it, things are not very rosy for the immediate future. The Airline had earlier implemented other measures to address the surplus, such as voluntary no pay leave and the suspension of cadet pilot recruitment. Pilots employed on fixed-term contracts make up ...

Neelam Mathews Kuala Lumpur Jan 31, 2013 (Story to follow)

Neelam Mathews Jan 30, 2013 Starting Feb 1, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC) Board of Directors  has appointed a new President, Andrey Kalinovsky replacing Vladimir Prisyazhnyuk. Mikhail Pogosyan - President and Chairman of the Executive Board of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) - was appointed SCAC Chairman of the Board replacing Igor Ozar. “These new appointments to senior positions are associated with challenging goals set by the Company to boost the  Sukhoi  Superjet program and ensure the SSJ100 aircraft’s success,” says a spokesman. Kalinovsky was formally the General Director of Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association (named after Chkalov NAPO, Subsidiary of  Sukhoi ) since July 2007. During this period he implemented the modernization and upgrade of the production facilities.

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Jan 27,2013 DRDO Statement DRDO developed under Water launched Missile B05 was successfully flight tested on 27 Jan 2013 from Bay of Bengal off the coast of Visakhapatnam.  The Missile launched from a pontoon, was tested for the full range and met all the mission objectives.  All the parameters of the vehicle were monitored by the Radar all through the trajectory and terminal events have taken place exactly as expected.

Neelam Mathews Jan 26,2013 China's large 4-engined military transport- Y-20- developed by 603 Institute, XAC and SAC, smaller than the C-17 and based on some IL-76MD technology, made its first flight on Jan 26. Assistance was also sought from Antonov Design Bureau in 2008. Its max payload was expected to be 50~66t and max TO weight 180~200t. It is capable of taking off from relatively short and unpaved runways, like the C-17. It is  unclear whether the aircraft will have an IFR probe installed. The Y-20  appears shorter than  Il-76MD , bearing some resemblance to Japanese C-2 transport. 

Posted by Neelam Mathews Jan 26, 2013 First Republic Day in 1950  at National Stadium with Purana Quila in the background

Neelam Mathews Jan 26, 2013 Kuwait's national carrier Kuwait Airways has said it plans to buy new aircraft though the number has not been decided as yet following a long-standing bill cleared by parliament that will allow the carrier to privatize. Chairman Sami al-Nasef  was quoted by reporters saying half of the aircraft would be small and the other half large. He told MPs only 10-12 aircraft of the carrier's ageing fleet were operational and the remainder were under "extended maintenance."  Kuwait Airways has a fleet of 15 Airbus and two Boeing aircraft. According to a local paper, “Under the bill, initially issued by the emir in October when parliament was dissolved, the government will pay all losses incurred by KAC and estimated by some MPs at more than $1.5 billion (1.1 billion euros)….The aim of the new company is to restructure the airline and make it profitable before completely privatising it by inviting foreign or local investors to bid for...

Neelam Mathews Jan 25, 2013 Air India will have to wait to fly its 787s as FAA, not NTSB, will decide when the worldwide grounding will be lifted and the investigation "may take some time," NTSB Board Chairman Deborah Hersman, said at an update br iefing in Washington yesterday. “We have to understand why this battery failure resulted in a fire when there were so many protections designed into the system.... This is not something we’re expecting will be resolved overnight, " said Hersman. It is now 17 days following the investigation of the battery incident that led to the grounding of the 787 fleet.“Today I can tell you what we know so far....We know that the lithium-ion battery experienced a thermal runaway. We know that there were short circuits, and we know that there was a fire. The work that we continue to do will tell us why these things happened.” The ANA 787 smoke issue on Jan which led to an emergency landing, is also linked to a damaged ...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Jan 24, 2013 QuEST Global Engineering has appointed Ashok Baweja (Former Chairman HAL). In his new role, Baweja will be responsible for the newly formed QuEST Global Defense Engineering Services, which will function as an independent company. Prior to joining Quest, Baweja was associated with HCL Technologies for over two years as a Senior Advisor for Aerospace and Defense. His career spans over 42 years, the majority of which was spent with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Neelam Mathews Jan 24, 2013 Air Asia Chief Tony Fernandes who recently tweeted:  "Airbus don't get it.They would own the market with the 330 neo.........A 330 neo (and) 350 900 is a perfect combination." He also hinted in a tweet:  "Done analysis of all business for next 5 years. We may do one more JV. Then that's it for next 5 to 10 years," he tweeted on Jan 22. Is the sharp biz whiz  turning his sights (again) on India now that the hoopla and speculation on FDI is dying out? One won't be surprised. In an interview years back, Fernandes had said to me that Middle East was out for a JV and India despite its regulatory issues, was a great carrot.  For a day the 2012 Farnborough Airshow was abuzz when Tony said he was in final negotiations for more Airbus aircraft . On  Jan 20 this year, he was "back to France. Some important meetings with Airbus. Then to Davos." That we do hear is, that he "learnt  to Ski and Snowmobile thanks to ...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Jan 23, 2013 Boeing delivered the first of 10 C-17 Globemaster III airlifters for the Indian Air Force (IAF). India's first C-17 will now enter a U.S. Air Force flight test program at Edwards Air Force Base in Palmdale, Calif. Boeing is on track to deliver four more C-17s to the IAF this year and five in 2014, says a statement. India's Ministry of Defense signed an agreement with the U.S. government on June 15, 2011, to acquire 10 C-17 airlifters, making India the largest C-17 customer outside the United States. The governments finalized the Foreign Military Sales contract for the airframe on June 6, 2012.

Jan 23, 2013 By- Yash Patel ( Mumbai-based Yash Patel is an analyst with a focus on airline finance, strategy and restructuring) The views published are of the writer alone and not of AerospaceDiary. Credit:20twentytwo ANALYSIS Jet Airways Jet Airways already has an existing codeshare agreement and extensive frequent flyer program/collaboration with Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways. Jet Airways and Emirates recently announced renewal of their respective codeshare agreements. Jet Airways and Etihad Airways recently announced extension of their codeshare agreement on Abu Dhabi-Paris route. Brussels Airlines (Lufthansa has a stake of 45% with approval to further invest in the carrier) is Jet Airways’ existing European Codeshare partner at its scissor hub in Brussels. Both airlines are members of Star Alliance. Jet Airways has been granted additional flying rights to Europe, especially on the India-Frankfurt/Munich routes. E...

Neelam Mathews Statement on Joint Venture Jan 23, 2013 Received this press release that is  a bit blurred- NEW DELHI–Since the establishment in 2009 of the Mahindra & Mahindra (74%) and BAE Systems (26%) Joint Venture, Defence Land Systems India (DLSI), both shareholders recognise that significant evolution has occurred in the Indian Land Systems market. Developments in both the industry environment and in customer procurement frameworks and acquisition strategies have led the shareholders to institute a strategic review of the business. This review will assess any changes necessary to address the evolving market and to meet emerging customer requirements. No decision has yet been taken on the way forward.

                                                                                     Neelam  Mathews Jan 22, 2013      Multiple bullet hits extensively damaged the fuel tank, hydraulic system, rotor blades and AC generator resulting in hot oil and fuel gushing into the passenger compartment followed by failure of various systems of an IAF MI-17IV helicopter on a rescue mission to Timalwara helipad on   Jan.18.  While making an approach for landing the helicopter was hit by ground fire. The helicopter was skillfully manovered and handled by the aircrew and forced landed in a clear patch to minimise further damage, says the IAF. “Despite the extensive damage, our team of motivated and dedicated air warriors worked round the clock tha...

Neelam Mathews Jan 21, 2013 Radha Krishna Mathur, Secretary Defense Production who moved last year to the MoD from being Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, seems to have tapped on his experience adeptly. This is apparent in the numerous MSMEs participating in the air show this year. All hoping to get a piece of the offsets pie, we assume. It is clear this year, the 9 th Aero India starting Feb 6, despite brave attempts, is not as dazzling as the previous years given that all the bidders of the MMRCA will not be there to wow the viewers. Add to it, a dithering economy with the defense budget sure to be diced taking away the sheen from future procurements. Also, let’s face it, India hasn’t delivered with the speed it was expected to. We were told at a press conference held today the show would be "bigger and better" than the previous ones. However, with a fortnight left, aircraft confirmed for participation this year are 52 as against 63 i...

Neelam Mathews Jan 21, 2013 GE announced on Jan 8  the appointment of Nalin Jain as the President and CEO of GE Transportation in India. Nalin will take up this responsibility in addition to his existing role as the Head of GE Aviation in India. He will take on this new role effective January 1, 2013. Nalin has been with GE for over seven years and as the Head of Aviation business in India, he has the strategic responsibility of the region for both civil and military aviation business of GE. In his new expanded role, Nalin would be responsible for spearheading the development and implementation of GE Aviation and Transportation strategy in India. He will coordinate business activities; align priorities; and develop, maintain and enhance local relationships with in-country stakeholders. Nalin joined GE Aviation, India from Bombardier in 2005 as Sales director for the commercial business.  He is a mechanical engineer with an MBA from Indian School of Business. He started...

Neelam Mathews Jan 20, 2013 Enjoy!

AINALERTS  »  JANUARY 17, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS January 17, 2013, 3:20 PM UTC  Aerospace Systems has become the first  U.S.  company to manufacture aerospace products in India under the terms of a bilateral aviation safety agreement ( BASA ) signed in 2011 by the  U.S.   FAA  and India’s Director General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA ). The agreement gives blanket approval for manufacturing  U.S.  aerospace products in India, or vice versa. At a factory in Bangalore in southern India,  UTC  Aerospace Systems, which includes the former Goodrich businesses acquired last year, started making life rafts for business aircraft. Under the terms of the  BASA ,  UTC  and other  U.S.  companies are expected to start manufacturing a variety of products for general aviation aircraft, including seats, lighting and batteries. The  FAA  initially granted...

Neelam Mathews Jan 13, 2013 Even as concerns on border skirmishes surge and both sides threaten dire consequences, the Indian army is increasingly getting concerned about a subject that is politically incorrect in today’s power corridors, but vital for the health of its soldiers who fight for us and for its own movement- spares for some 8000 Tatra trucks on its inventory. The army understands that when in crisis, it needs to ensure what the country’s priorities are. One’s memory is jogged when during the height of Kargil conflict, the defense ministry withdrew the ban on Bofors, after the army pushed for it arguing that it was running short of spare parts for the 155mm guns. In fact, the army had dismantled several Bofors guns to cannibalise spare parts. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen in the case of the Tatra trucks - many of which are already lying aside because of lack of spares since the army is prevented from dealing with the company even though the investigation is ongoi...

Neelam Mathews Jan 17, 2013 To ensure that Kingfisher continues its operations without being interrupted by demands and strikes for salaries it refuses to pay, AerospaceDiary learns that DGCA has asked the airliner to give it assurance that the staff will work without disruption before it gets its AOP. KFA has been asked to give this assurance (you could call it an NOC from employees!)  by Jan 28 to the DGCA. If it is unable to do this, it cannot fly in the summer either. A staffer AerospaceDiary spoke to says the mood is livid and it is highly unlikely employees will agree to anything until salaries are paid first.  Hardly a surprise as half of them will lose their jobs anyway given the restructuring plan of KFA includes just seven planes to start with! But with KFA, one never really knows whats cooking.. However, this must be a tough one for Kingfisher, used to having people work without salaries!  

 Neelam Mathews Jan 17, 2013 Following instructions by both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority, Qatar Airways is implementing the Airworthiness Directive issued by the FAA for all operators of the Boeing 787 to ground the aircraft, effective today 17 January 2013, says the airline. Qatar Airways currently has five Boeing 787-8 aircraft in its fleet.  Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “I previously stated that Qatar Airways will only stop operating our Dreamliners if we receive such an instruction from regulators. “In light of recent events surrounding the Boeing 787 Dreamliner worldwide, we are actively working with Boeing and the regulators to restore full customer confidence in the 787. “Qatar Airways will resume 787 operations when we are clear that the aircraft meets the full requirements of the Airworthiness Directive and our standards which assure the safety of our pa...

Neelam Mathews Jan 16, 2013 An Agusta 109 has crashed after apparently colliding with the top of a 770ft tall jib crane at Vauxhall, Central London. After the collision the helicopter fell into the street below, reportedly hitting two cars, and was destroyed by fire. It is believed the pilot, the only person on board the helicopter, died in the accident. It has also been confirmed that 2 people have died so far. Photos of the crash site show the top of the crane extending into the base of the low cloud, reports Ascend.

Neelam Mathews Jan 15, 2013 There has been much media speculation in recent days linking Qatar Airways with airlines in India, for which Qatar Airways would like to put the record straight, a spokesman told AerospaceDiary. Qatar Airways’ Statement: Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways categorically denies it is interested in investing in Spicejet or any other Indian airline.This is pure speculation by individuals who deliberately want to spread such unfounded rumours to raise the stock value of their entities. “India is a huge market and a potentially lucrative one.  While we have expressed interest in expanding our presence in India, we will only be interested in any potential investment once we are sure regulations and laws are properly liberalised.  I can confirm we are currently not talking to any Indian airline.”  

N eelam Mathews Jan 15, 2013 Gulf Air is beginning a restructuring process to reduce losses. The highlights are: The restructuring strategy was driven by Executive Restructuring Committee and the management and was approved by the Gulf Air Board of Directors led by H.E. Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister. Airline to focus on strengthening MENA operations and point-to-point routes Restructuring will result in cost savings of 24% by the end of 2013 All cost elements of the business will be rationalized Gulf Air’s workforce requirement will be aligned to meet the operational, maintenance and administrative needs of the revised fleet and network.

Neelam Mathews Jan 15, 2013 ST Aerospace has secured a contract to provide the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) with a full scale maintenance and modernisation solution for three of its C130 Hercules aircraft. The first aircraft is expected to be inducted in the third quarter of 2013, targeting for redelivery in the first quarter of 2014.  A significant part of the contract involves the modernisation of the aircraft cockpit, where ST Aerospace will equip RAFO’s fleet of C130 aircraft with an avionics suite that is Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) compliant. This will ensure that the aircraft is able to navigate safely, efficiently and accurately through CNS/ATM-regulated airspace worldwide, significantly improving its operational readiness, despatch reliability and operational efficiency.     An integrated service provider, ST Aerospace leverages its maintenance, repair and overhaul expertise, as well as its strong in-house engineering capability, and value adds thr...

Neelam Mathews Jan 15, 2012   The hearing of (erstwhile) Air India engineers that filed a petition 3 months back against the hiving of the engineering subsidiary and Indian Airlines engineers that filed the petition one month back (clubbed together by the Bombay High Court) will be held on Jan 16, AerospaceDiary learns. Air India management in response to the case filed by its union wrote to the court  -AerospaceDiary has viewed the contents- says: “it is permissible by law for Air India to hive off its MRO business and in any view of the matter the same cannot be the subject matter of judicial review under Article 226 of the Constitution of India…..Further, it is a settled position in law that even if some persons are at disadvantage and suffer losses on account of formulation and implementation of government policy, that is not sufficient for interference by the Court.” It goes on to say: “The survival of Air India is at stake….” There are some concerns over job...

Neelam Mathews Jan 14, 2012 A video by the French military posted on the web. This showcases the Rafale fighters- 4 were flown to Mali. Nice clip from French TV- don't need to know French to appreciate!

AINALERTS  »  JANUARY 10, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS January 10, 2013, 2:50 PM India’s business aviation sector is facing a new obstacle to growth, with civil aviation minister Ajit Singh now insisting on giving final approval for every aircraft imported into the country. Before October, aircraft acquisition requests from airlines, charter companies and private individuals were dealt with by senior government officials on the aircraft acquisition committee, which met each month to clear backlogged requests. Singh’s personal intervention in the unwieldy process seems to be causing delays already. Over the past three months, approximately 50 requests for aircraft purchases have been on hold awaiting approval by the minister. The new aircraft acquisition approval policy is intended to induce India’s airlines to buy smaller aircraft that the government wants deployed to new regional airline services to connect smaller cities. “W...