Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews May 29, 2018 India’s Central Bureau of Investigation registered a case on Tuesday against more than ten major officials of AirAsia Group in India, Malaysia, and Singapore, who, according to authorities, collaborated with civil aviation officials to “expedite the approval process and change aviation policies to suit the company.” The officials allegedly had lobbied for speedy clearances, removal of existing rules, and changes in regulatory policies to benefit startup domestic carrier AirAsia India. The case report viewed by  AIN  characterized the actions by the airline group as a “criminal conduct.” The report also specifically named AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes. Authorities on Tuesday conducted simultaneous raids at five offices of AirAsia India, which, according to a CBI statement, “led to recovery of certain documents” into which an investigation continues. The CBI said the “criminal conspiracy” amounted to an attempt to amend/remo...

by  Neelam Mathews  -  May 18, 2018, 9:16 AM A request for proposal released this month to Russian Helicopters by India for co-producing 200 Kamov Ka-226T helicopters, a deal to be signed on two S-400 air defense systems, and another one on Russian frigates could be in jeopardy following the August enactment of a new law, “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act” (CAATSA). Alternatively, U.S. ambitions to sell India fighter aircraft, maritime surveillance UAVs, and naval utility helicopters could be thwarted. Titles I and III of CAATSA are directed at Iran and North Korea. But Title II is aimed at “Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia.” CAATSA, therefore, imposes new sanctions on those engaging in transactions with the intelligence or defense sectors of the Russian Federation. The law will also directly affect Indo-Russian partnerships such as Brahmos Aerospace. The list of 39 Russian entities subject to sanction...

by  Neelam Mathews   May 15, 2018, 2:33 PM The Indian government has decided to take a longer-term view toward addressing its airport infrastructure needs, as domestic traffic growth reaches 18 percent a year. Finally recognizing the shortcomings of planning in three- to five-year increments, and often on an emergency basis, India endeavors now to plan for 15 to 20 years into the future, theoretically allowing for infrastructure development to keep pace with traffic growth, said minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha. The government initiative known as Next Gen Airports for India centers on upgrading technology at airports to allow for 1 billion trips per year in the next 15 years, said Airports Authority of India chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra. According to Sinha, the country will invest $15 billion in airport infrastructure over the next five years. India is also considering development of a new airport in Goa, a second air...

Neelam Mathews , Delhi 14-May-2018 Artificial intelligence (AI) developers in  China  are competing to offer facial recognition systems for faster airport security checks and improved passenger processing. One system, created by Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology (CIGIT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is being trialled at Shanghai Pudong and Guangzhou Baiyun international airports. An upgraded system will be put into use at Changsha Huanghua International Airport in May, followed by Yulin Yuyang Airport in June. "It takes less than one second for the system to match a passenger's face with their ID photo," Shi Yu, head of the smart security centre at CIGIT, told state-run news agency Xinhua. He added that CIGIT is also developing facial recognition technology for self-service check-in, allowing passengers to proceed directly to the security checkpoint....Read more in JAR...

Neelam Mathews May 09, 2018 The Indian government is examining a 15-20 year national airport development plan “instead of a three to five year horizon”, according to Minister of Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha. The new initiative, called Next Gen ............Read in JAR 1725787 AAI Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra (right) with Minister of Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha. ( Neelam Mathews )  Guruprasad Mohapatra said that the government on 2 May .......gave permission for new terminals to be built at   Follow us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter   Follow us on LinkedIn   Follow us on YouTube   Privacy Policy     Terms Of Use     Customer Care

AIR TRANSPORT  (AIN) by  Neelam Mathews  - May 10, 2018, 1:00 AM Harris Corporation has won a $141 million contract from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to modernize India’s air traffic management (ATM) communications infrastructure, the principals announced at the sixth U.S.-India Summit on May 10 in Mumbai. The AAI has chosen Harris as the prime contractor and systems integrator for its Futuristic Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) initiative. Under the plan, Harris will upgrade 91 sites for ATC operations. The 15-year contract will cover air traffic operations across all Indian airspace. Pilots will no longer need to change to different frequencies through Indian airspace once FTI goes into operation. India’s airports continue to grow more congested as domestic air traffic expands at 18 percent per year. In addition, the country’s regional connectivity scheme is fast adding unserved and remote airports in the hinterland, making F...

Neelam Mathews , New Delhi Date posted 26-Apr-2018 Orascom Construction (OC) of  Egypt , in a 60:40 joint venture with Abu Dhabi-based Al Sahraa Group, has been awarded a USD180 million contract for expansion of Fujairah International Airport by 2020. Mohammed Abdulla Alsalami, chairman of the Fujairah Department of Civil Aviation, said the development programme “is a vital component of our ability to grow and attract stakeholders, and play a role in supporting the  UAE ’s [ United Arab Emirates ’] leading position in the aviation industry”. Fujairah is one of the seven emirates in the  UAE ,....Read More in JAR

Publication Jane's Airport Review Neelam Mathews , Delhi Date posted 27-Apr-2018 There are signs of progress on development of the long-awaited second airport for Delhi, after the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) approved – in principle – the construction of a USD1 billion greenfield airport at Jewar, in the National Capital Region. Prabhat Kumar, chairman of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (the nodal agency implementing the project), described this as an “important milestone”. Proposals for a second Delhi airport have encountered a series of regulatory impediments since the early 2000s, but MoCA was swayed by a techno-economical feasibility report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and  Singapore -based.......Read more in JAR

Neelam Mathews May 12018 A team led by Egis Avia subsidiary Helios is delivering an independent analysis of communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) and air traffic management (ATM) infrastructure, on behalf of Ukrainian State Air Traffic Service Enterprise (UkSATSE). An EUR82 million (USD99.2 million) air navigation service (ANS) modernisation project for  Ukraine  ...Read more in JAR

Neelam Mathews May 8, 2018 Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi officially opened New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) on 1 May, before the inaugural flight on 3 May (operated by Pakistani carrier Shaheen Air). NIIA replaces the existing Benazir Bhutto International Airport...morein JAR...