Aerospace Diary

By  Neelam Mathews  and Chris Pocock  -  June 30, 2016, 7:28 AM An Indian Air Force Su-30MKI takes off for the first time with a Brahmos cruise missile on a centerline station. (Photo: HAL) The Indo-Russian Brahmos missile has taken to the air on an Indian Air Force Su- 30MKI   for the first time. The long-delayed 45-minute captive-carry test flight on June 25 marked a significant milestone for Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. ( HAL ), which has faced issues related to the limited design data shared by the Russians. Brahmos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. ( BAPL ) is a joint venture between the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Russian   NPOM   missile house.  “ This is the first time that a heavyweight supersonic cruise missile has been integrated on a long-range fighter aircraft,” claimed Sudhir Kumar Mishra,   CEO   and managing director of   BAPL . The project to adapt the land- and ship-launched ...

by  Neelam Mathews  - June 29, 2016, 3:00 AM New Indian carrier Vistara stands to be a beneficiary of the long-delayed reforms of the country's air transport policy. [Photo: Neelam Mathews] India released a national civil aviation policy on June 17 after two decades of fits and starts, as the country works to properly develop its fledgling infrastructure and prepare for a forecast 20 percent annual traffic growth until 2020. Within three days of the announcement, India radically liberalized its restrictive foreign direct investment regime by opening ten sectors, including defense and aviation. Ministry of Civil Aviation secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey called June “a fun month,” while admitting challenges of implementation lay ahead and that “nuts and bolts” of the policy still required fine-tuning. “We are concerned that if we fall behind our growth curve, we will face civil aviation slumps,” he said. “We have told OEMs to bring in ...

by   Neelam Mathews  -  June 22, 2016, 2:31 PM The HTT-40 is a tandem-seat design powered by a Honeywell TPE-331 turboprop. (Photo: HAL) The Hindustan Turbo Trainer  HTT -40 for the Indian Air Force ( IAF ) made its formal inaugural flight in front of defense minister Manohar Parrikar on June 16. The 15-minute flight included a low speed pass, a series of turns, a high-speed pass and short landing using reverse thrust. Designed and developed by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ( HAL ), the tandem-cockpit  HTT -40 has a gross weight of 2,800 kg (6,200 pounds) and is powered by a Honeywell  TPE -331-12B turboprop engine. It was  rolled out  last February and is the first  HAL  design to be produced from a digital mockup. Parrikar said that the indigenous content of the  HTT -40 is close to 80 percent, and that almost 50 percent of the components are sourced from private Indian companies. The...

by  Neelam Mathews  -  June 22, 2016, 9:06 AM Air Astana hopes that next year's Expo 2017 event will boost traffic to and from Kazakhstan. [Photo: Neelam Mathews] A highly devalued currency and collapsing oil revenues have left Kazakhstan’s economy in the doldrums, leaving flag carrier Air Astana to recalibrate its business plan with a stronger emphasis on international routes. In February 2017, the airline is due to start paying for three new Boeing 787 widebodies that may prove to be a heavy drain on its  U.S.  dollar reserves. At a June 15 press briefing in Almaty, Air Astana president and  CEO  Peter Foster did not definitively confirm that the 787 deliveries will go ahead as planned. “That is something we have got a close eye on given the weak currency market,” he told  AIN . “We will have to see how the market develops. Obviously, markets are not huge at the moment and growth has slowed down.” Air Astana’s plan has been...

DEFENCE NOTES Read more on Shephardmedia...... 21st June 2016 - 12:33 by  Neelam Mathews  in Delhi  On 20 June India announced radical reforms in numerous industries, including aviation and defence, by allowing 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) with immediate effect. Present rules permit 49% FDI participation in company equity under the automatic route. While most sectors are to be cleared under this avenue, except for a small negative list, clearances for the sensitive defence sector will continue on a case-by-case basis, though less stringent than in the past. ....

AIR TRANSPORT by   Neelam Mathews  -  June 9, 2016, 1:42 PM People Over Profit's non-stop services to the Indian cities of Amritsar and Ahmedabad will be operated by a wet-leased A330-300. [Photo: People Over Profit] Start-up carrier People Over Profit ( POP ) this week launched a crowd-funding campaign to raise up to £5 million ($7.3 million) to start its planned nonstop services from London Stansted Airport to the Indian cities of Amritsar and Ahmedabad. Subject to permits being granted by Indian authorities, the flights are due to start some time after November and will use a 378-seat Airbus  A330 -300 operated under a wet lease by an undisclosed  UK  charter carrier. According to  POP  chairman Navdip Singh Judge,  POP  intends to add a second  A330  within three months of launch. Initially it will fly three weekly roundtrips each to Amritsar (in the northwestern state of Punjab) an...

Airports Neelam Mathews, New Delhi  - IHS Jane's Airport Review 08 June 2016     As Gulf carriers continue their expansion in Europe and Asia, the European Commission (EC) on 7 June sought permission from the Council of Ministers to negotiate an aviation agreement between the European Union and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). This followed a Joint Declaration on Aviation Cooperation in 2014 between the EU and ASEAN. If negotiations bear fruit, this would be the first-ever bloc-to-bloc aviation agreement, covering 1.1 billion people. The agreement would result in more direct flights between the EU and ASEAN, and the EU estimates economic benefits (in terms of trade and tourism) of USD9 billion in the first six years. To read the full article,  Client Login

Airports Neelam Mathews  - IHS Jane's Airport Review 06 June 2016     Indian defence minister Mohan Parrikar has released 16 acres of land at Lohegaon Air Force Station to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), for expansion at Pune Airport. The Indian Air Force (IAF) owns the dual-use Pune Airport, with the AAI as operator. "AAI under the guidance of the IAF will erect a safety wall in order to restrict entry into the secured zone of [the] IAF [base]," Parrikar said. Lohegaon Air Force Station is home to 20 Squadron and 30 Squadron, both of which operate the Sukhoi Su-30MKI multirole fighter. Passenger traffic at Pune soared by 29.3% in 2014-15 to 5.42 million, while aircraft movements on the two runways grew by 10.6% to 33,760. Want to read more? For analysis on this article and access to all our insight content, please enquire about our subscription options　 ihs.com/contact

Security Neelam Mathews, New Delhi  - IHS Jane's Airport Review 01 June 2016     Belated efforts are under way to improve airport security in India, after an official report identified a number of vulnerabilities. In December 2015, a parliamentary standing committee on airport security noted that the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) - "the only specialised force for aviation security" in India - was not protecting 27 major airports. Those facilities are guarded by other agencies such as the Central Reserve Police Force, India Reserve Battalions, or state police, bringing uncertainty over the standard of security provided. The report also mentioned a "deficiency of security gadgets" and inadequate CCTV coverage of sensitive areas at airports throughout India, concluding that "aviation security has not received the attention it deserves". Want to read more? For analysis on this article and access to all our insight conten...