Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews Jane's Airport Review 24-05-2016 On 23 May 2016, controllers began training on systems in the new 25-storey air traffic control (ATC) tower at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi,  India . IHS Jane's   was given a tour of the 102 m-tall tower, which cost more than USD 50 million. The visual control room has 21 controller positions with 360-degree visibility of the runway and taxiways, while 12 ground controller positions are in place at an operational level. Indira Gandhi International is the busiest airport in  India  with 344,413 aircraft movements in the 12 months to March 2016. In the same period, passenger volume rose by 18.1% to 48.42 million. The new tower is designed to deal with expected growth up to 2032, when 500 stands are expected. Training is under way for controllers at the new ATC tower in Indira Gandhi International Airport. (Neelam Mathews) A hydraulic control system enables the cabin to be raise...

Neelam Mathews Janes Airports Review  April 14, 2016 Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has more than tripled its solar power generating capacity at Indira Gandhi International Airport from 2.14 MWp to 7.84 MWp, with a large-scale airside installation. The latest solar photovoltaic (PV) project, costing an estimated USD6.6 million, was undertaken by  US -based ReneSola. The initial 60-module plant was completed by Canadian Solar in December 2013, as the first megawatt-level solar power plant in Asia. DIAL intends to increase solar power generating capacity at the airport to 20 MW by 2020, said CEO ....more in Janes Airports Review (subscription)

AINONLINE by    NEELAM MATHEWS Emirates Airline, the largest A380 operator in the world, cannot fly its superjumbos to India in the absence of a new bilateral air services agreement. (Photo: Airbus) January 27, 2014, 12:00 PM India has lifted restrictions on the Airbus A380 airliner to land at four Code F compliant airports, the country’s Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) announced Monday. But while the industry has applauded the move, the government has not made it an effortless exercise, as major carriers wanting to fly their A380s to India run short on service entitlements. “Bilateral air service agreements ( ASA s) that prohibit operation of A380s to India will need to be amended before permission is granted,” the MoCA said in a statement. “Rationalization of traffic rights from services per week to seats per week shall be done through mutual negotiations through memoranda of understanding.” Airports will require Directora...

Neelam Mathews Oct 12, 2012 Bombardier Aerospace has enhanced its worldwide aftermarket service network for business aircraft customers with the addition of a second Line Maintenance Facility (LMF) in India. Air Works in New Delhi has been named an LMF for Challenger 604 ,  Challenger 605 ,  Global Express  and  Global Express XRS  business jets. The facility will complement Air Works’ center in Mumbai, which has been part of Bombardier’s Authorized Service Facility network since 2008. Éric Martel, President, Customer Services & Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft, Bombardier Aerospace said: “The two Air Works facilities are an important part of our overall network in India, anchored by our Mumbai Regional Support Office. We continue to place a heavy focus on growing our local roots in key markets, and are pleased to collaborate with local partners.” The newly authorized New Delhi facility, centrally located at Indira Gandhi International Airp...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Oct 18, 2011 With F1 around the corner, Indira Gandhi International Airport cargo infrastructure managed a smooth and timely arrival of the high volume F1 cargo.  The F1 cargo included 40 pallets containing 2 safety cars and 2 medical cars along with equipment and tools. All race-specific cargo is to arrive between October 18 and 20.  “DIAL sees Formula 1 as not just an event but a moment of immense pride in playing a lead role of providing logistical support for such a renowned event. This is in line with our defined vision to make IGI the Cargo Gateway for India,” said DIAL CEO, I. Prabhakara Rao said.   Cargo handled at IGIA has gone up to 0.6 million metric tonnes annually in 2010-11 from 0.3 million metric tonnes in 2006-07. DIAL says it presently handles, on an average, 10-20 freighters per day. The forecast for cargo growth is 15% and DIAL aims to touch 1 mn metric tonne mark by 2014-15.

Travel/Distribution Systems Aviation Daily Nov 16 , 2010 , p. 13 Neelam Mathews As cargo business starts to look up, Unisys Corporation is targeting India as a market for its web-based airline cargo Logistics Management System. The system is used by airlines worldwide to manage their air cargo business via a shared “software-as-a-service” model, paying on a per-shipment basis, providing savings and increased flexibility over in-house purchased systems. Unisys says it will focus on the vast opportunities that exist in cargo, baggage reconciliation and airports in India. Airline clients currently include Delta Cargo, Air Canada Cargo and SAS Cargo, and an Indian carrier will be added soon, according to Unisys. “We are also talking to five big airlines in Asia-Pacific as they need to do something quickly, not having invested for a long time (in the cargo space) since market volumes have increased,” says Sue Carter, Asia-Pacifi...

News AWIN First Jun 23 , 2010 Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI The $2.8 billion Terminal 3 at Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport, which will be capable of processing 34 million passengers per year, is set to be inaugurated July 3. The integrated terminal, which will handle international and domestic traffic, will become the world’s sixth largest terminal after Dubai, Beijing, Singapore, Bangkok and Mexico City. International traffic will start operating from the terminal on July 15 and domestic traffic from July 30. Budget carriers SpiceJet and Indigo will continue to operate from the present terminal. Around 12,800 bags will be handled every hour. With frenzied work on finishing touches, the airport seems to “want to avoid a problem like Heathrow’s T5 did for baggage handling,” according to an official. “The first bag will be on the belt within 15 minutes of arrival,” he promises. For the past six months, the Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) team has been...

News Aviation Daily Feb 09 , 2010 , p. 13 Neelam Mathews Turkish Celebi Holdings is looking to make an investment in ground-handling after recently being awarded ground-handling contracts for Delhi International Airport Private Ltd . and Mumbai International Airport Private Ltd.. Celebi also has received a contract for cargo-handling services at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. The company claims it aims to invest $100 million in the Indian aviation sector by 2010, of which $30 million worth of equipment will be for ground-handling. However, India has held back its ground-handling policy for the past two years, permitting airlines to continue doing their own handling. Indira Gandhi International Airport is India’s biggest in terms of passenger numbers and the second-largest in terms of cargo traffic; 430,000 tons of cargo were handled at the airport in 2008. According to current projections, the total volume of cargo traffic at the airport will reach 1 million tons per ...