Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews Oct 18, 2015 While Boeing Co Chairman, President and CEO James   McNerney announced to an awe-struck audience in Delhi on Oct 16 that the company would be willing to make its twin-engine F-18 fighters in India, when India releases another MMRCA tender in two years, one wonders what is actually happening to thinking in higher echelons of power? I am not even going into issues related to CISMOA, which a few say will be solved ultimately. While it goes to the credit of the OEMs that they are more than willing to include Indian companies in their global supply base, one wonders why homework has not been done to calculate costs that will be incurred should the country add to its already over two dozen different aircraft models? The Indian Air Force, as far as I can remember, has been crying hoarse over this issue. So while, one has no affiliations to the Rafale for instance, why not just set up co-production for another 90 more? We have to start some time. As...

by  Neelam Mathews  - March 27, 2015, 7:42 AM India has bought three EMB-145s and equipped them with an indigenous AEW&C system but will not acquire any more Credit-Neelam Mathews India is seeking a joint-venture deal with Embraer to export the EMB-145 AEW&C system, now that it has decided on a larger platform to meet Indian Air Force (IAF) requirements. The country has acquired three of the Brazilian aircraft  and equipped them with an indigenous radar system . They are now undergoing trials, and two will enter service with the IAF. But the service will not exercised an option to acquire more such aircraft. Meanwhile, however, India is evaluating responses to the  RFP that was issued last year  for six larger platforms. S. Christopher, director of the Center for AirBorne Systems (CABS) within the government’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), told AIN that the...

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  JANUARY 11, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS India will become the fifth country to operate A330 multi-role tanker transports (MRTTs), following Australia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the UK. (Photo: Airbus Military) January 11, 2013, 10:25 AM The Indian Air Force ( IAF ) has selected the A330 multi-role tanker transport ( MRTT ) for its tanker procurement in preference to the Ilyushin Il- 78MK , after a second round of bidding. Commercial negotiations for six aircraft with an option for three more will start soon, and a contract that includes a 30-percent offset commitment is expected to be signed by June. Airbus Military  CEO  Domingo Urena-Raso said, “This has been a long and tough competition, and we are honored to have been selected.” The depot maintenance and life support costs of the A330 were a factor in the Airbus win, since the base price of the Il-78 was lower. Having suffered in t...

Neelam Mathews Sept 28, 2012 Starting Nov 15, Jet Airways will be pulling out its direct Chennai-Brussels flight, Aerospace Diary learns. This could not be confirmed with the carrier. Nov 14, will be its last direct flight, we learn. Pix-Daily Digest It is likely, that a codeshare with Lufthansa will now operate on the sector. The Chennai-Brussels-JFK was pulled out earlier following major competition from United and Brussels Airlines, we hear. With seats on the Chennai- Brussels sector already sold out, Jet's website is offering the sector via Mumbai with a 777. Delhi-Toronto, via Brussels uses an A330. An observer tells us: "It looks as though Jet is shifting all its operations via Mumbai." This could not be confirmed either.

Neelam Mathews Sept 25, 2012 We hear that given the good business on the Brussels route, Jet Airways may be looking to reconfigure an A330 (VT-JWM) from a 1-1-1   in Business Class to a 1-2-1 config and additional rows in economy. The remaining A330s might also be reconfigured. Not great news for passengers though who'll be packed more than usual! We are also hearing that Jet’s base will not be shifted to Munich as reported by some newspapers. There will just be a flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt and one to Munich. It is also believed that Lufthansa wants a codeshare with Jet in India the way Jet wants it for its operations in Europe. “Jet will never join an alliance,” an official tells us. One would be inclined to say: “Never say never,” but  increasingly, many in the business are following the Emirates philosophy of alignments but not alliances. Here's a video on the  recent partnership  with OneWorld partner, Qantas -

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Jan 16, 2012  airberlin has opened its new four times a week route between Berlin and Abu Dhabi with its Airbus A330-200. The new connection also marks the start of the codeshare agreement with Etihad, initially covering selected flights in the network of both airlines. This strategic partnership with Etihad Airways not only opens up unique opportunities for the future for airberlin, it also brings a number of benefits for our passengers in terms of access to new routes, including our new all-year-round direct connection to Abu Dhabi. This flight is integrated into Etihad’s hub system in   Abu Dhabi, so we are in a position to offer excellent connections, for example to Asia and Australia. Passengers coming from Abu Dhabi will have access to the numerous connecting flights operated by airberlin, both to destinations in Germany and also to Austria, Scandinavia and Switzerland. This makes the flight attractive for business travellers and holi...

  Posted by- Neelam Mathews Nov 22, 2011   Positioning to take advantage of the soaring demand for air travel in both the Asia Pacific region, the fastest-growing market for the airline industry, and China, one of the single strongest air travel regions in the world, Hong Kong Airlines, a division of China’s giant HNA Group, says it will acquire 51 new aircraft over the next four years, as part of a major expansion of its operations on international and Chinese domestic routes. From 2012 until 2015, the Hong Kong Airlines group will acquire 30 wide-bodied Airbus and Boeing jets for long haul operations and 21 narrow-bodied Airbus A320s for short haul routes. The majority of the new wide-bodies will be A330-200, with 20 due for delivery in the next four years, as well as six Boeing 787s and up to four Airbus A380s. Among the destinations it is considering for future expansion is Australia. Together with its sister carrier, Hong Kong Express (UO), Hong Kong A...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Sept 15, 2011 Singapore Airlines CEO, Goh Choon Phong signed today the final agreement to acquire 15 more A330-300 aircraft with John Leahy, Airbus’ Chief Operating Officer - Customers at Airbus’ headquarters in Toulouse. The signature firms up an announcement from 29 th  June 2011. The A330 Family, which spans 200 to 400 seats for the passenger variants and also includes Freighter, VIP, and Military Transport/Tanker variants, has now attracted over 1,150 orders.

Neelam Mathews April 18, 2011 Time: 6:45PM IST Even as the first Airbus Military A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) for the United Arab Emirates Air Force has completed its maiden flight and the first of three ordered by the UAE Air Force will be transferred to Abu Dhabi around the end of the year for the final phase of flight-testing and delivery in the second quarter of 2012, India’s bid for its own MRTT, continues to remain in limbo. The Request for Proposals (RFP) for six tankers has been released twice over the past four years. In pursuit of the around $2 billion IAF tanker program, two main competitors have emerged – the Ilyushin Il-78s and the Airbus A330 MRTT- the re-trials for which are yet to be announced.  One wonders at the stoicism and perseverance of these companies that are willing to spend millions of dollars on bids and the indecisiveness of the Indian government that will ultimately result in India paying for higher procurement costs. Last year, the Mi...