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ATR’S CEO ON THE TURBO-PROP REVOLUTION THAT WILL CONNECT INDIA

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AUGUST 2015 I `90

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23/07/2015

13:28

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S NOTE

A JOLT FOR MR TYLER K Srinivasan

CII

t was good to see Tony Tyler get a taste of his own medicine when he came to New Delhi in the middle of July. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has missed no opportunity to offer sermons to governments, airports and who have you on bureaucratic red tape, administrative apathy and high prices of doing business at Indian airports (something that has been vociferously denied by them). In fact, it must have delighted Sanjay Reddy — who was there on the podium with Tyler — and warmed the cockles of his heart as travel agents and several other guests tore into Tyler and offered a pounding on the deathly silence from Geneva as blue chip member Kingfisher Airlines went

File picture shows Vijay Mallya, Chairman and MD, Kingfisher Airlines (now defunct); Giovanni Bisignani, the then Director General and CEO, IATA and Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group at an Interactive Session on Challenges of Indian Aviation in New Delhi on September 23, 2010. For the record, Vijay Mallya was the Chairman of CII's National Committee on Civil Aviation at one time

bankrupt and they suffered losses in crores. Tyler had no solutions or panacea to offer except the usual mumbo jumbo of doing what is good for the industry at large. “In case there is any failure on part of agents in honouring their liabilities, they are punished by IATA. However, there are no such measures if airline fails to honour its commitment. It is not an equal playing field,” Mumbai’s DNA quoted TAAI (Travel Agents Association of India) President, Sunil Kumar. It also had another pertinent perspective from Jay Bhatia, Chairman, Tourism Council, and a TAAI member, “If IATA cannot allow us a

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

level-playing field, then what is its use. Why should we be even part of it?” There was deathly silence from Tyler. Not just here is Delhi. Even in Miami at their annual June jamboree, the most contentious issue of the Gulf carriers versus the US ‘Big Three’ (United, Delta and American) and the no-holds barred fight against Emirates, Etihad and Qatar was simply brushed under the carpet while IATA waxed eloquent on profits and how things are looking up for the airline business. Just the other day it was announced that United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta and Southwest Airlines were being investigated by the US Department of Justice for collusion to limit seats and raise ticket prices. IATA had nothing to say on that. BA had been fined for price fixing and fuel price fixing some years back. In not one of these cases had IATA anything to offer by way of solutions or improvements to the system. Glory be to the airlines as long as they are making money! Without a doubt, things are looking better for the airlines but this is no thanks to IATA or Mr. Tyler. Oil prices are at a historic low and airlines are using this opportunity to renew their fleet, upgrade their systems and get back to good health. Delta just ended its best ever quarter with over a billion dollars in profits as did United, but it’s on the back of the paying public, the airports with improved and better infrastructure and the thousands of agents who push their wares. It’s time Tony Tyler realised that waltzing just to one tune — that of the airlines — doesn’t make for a good dance. He needs to be judicious and fair and that would mean addressing all issues that are a consequence of the behaviour of a member airline — be it Kingfisher, Delta, BA or Qatar. Unless he learns to be even-handed he will face the sort of embarrassment he faced in Delhi — time and time again.

srini@newsline.in

In the era of embracing technological innovation, airports are also not very far

contents

behind. One of the recent examples is the adoption of Robotics. It may sound weird or preposterous. But it is going to be soon in reality. Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, in coming September will deploy two robots, one exoskeleton. The two robots have been developed by Japan’s robotics company Cyberdyne. The robots have their task cutout. One robot will be engaged in ferrying heavy luggage while another Exoskeleton will assist with heavy-lifting. Interestingly, the robots have been customised to perform a particular type of work. For instance, one of the robots resembles like a pushcart and transports articles upto almost 450 pounds — useful for any traveller. It can also be used to help the loaders to move product at airport stores. Another

robot

displays

DIAL

will be deployed to clean the airport.

TERMINAL ILLNESS

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Will a second Delhi international airport ever see the light of the day? The question has been raised time and again for the past 15 years since the project was first proposed. The airport has become a favourite toy of politicians who raise it only to win quick brownie points. This time around, it has come back into the limelight due primarily to political compulsions. The prime question that it has raised is: Do we really need a second Delhi International Airport?

totally

another type of look. It by itself cleans the floors and returns to its home position mechanically when done. Exoskeleton is also very different as compared to these two robots. It has conductors that detect the electrical signals muscles emit when in limb motions, making things easier to lift. Regarding the project, Yoshiyuki Sankai, CEO of Cyberdyne was quoted as saying, “An airport is a perfect place to try out emerging tech like robots, because an airport is actually a huge place, like a small town, so to speak. We’re providing technologies that will change the airport staff’s ways of working.”

H C TIWARI

a person moves, automatically assisting DGCA

Off the cuff

Reckoning for robots

NEWS DIGEST

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Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ups the ante to frame guidelines for Indian pilots to take mandatory psychometric tests in the wake of the Germanwings plane crash. Plus: Low-cost carrier (LCC) SpiceJet becomes the first airline in India to wetlease aircraft.

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

INTERVIEW

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Patrick de Castelbajac, France-based aircraft manufacturer ATR’s CEO, during his recent visit to India reviewed the regional aviation market. He exuded confidence that ATR’s turboprop aircraft would become a useful element to boost the regional aviation market in India as well as in China and other Asian countries.

contents ARTICLES NEWS VIEWS EDITS INTERVIEWS CLIPPINGS PROFILES NEWS DIGEST

CHOPPERS

NET EXPRESS

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CRUISING HEIGHTS VOLUME X n NO 3

Four cities – Paradip, Puri, Konark and Chilika – of Odisha are all set to see a boost in tourism as helicopter service provider Pawan Hans has chalked out plans to launch services to these cities from Bhubaneswar. Also, Airbus Helicopters offers eco-efficient Bluecopter while Bell 525 makes first successful flight.

Editor-in-Chief

K SRINIVASAN Managing Editor

TIRTHANKAR GHOSH

Group Consulting Editor

R KRISHNAN

Bengaluru Airport recently introduced automated e-Gates on a trial basis. And AirAsia in association with roKKi launched inflight access to Twitter onboard selected AirAsia flights. Plus: Qantas announced 120 hours of HBO drama, comedy and documentary for customers.

SNIPPETS

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Consulting Editor

NANDU MANJESHWAR, M MURLIDHARAN Senior Sub-Editor-cum-Reporter

PUNIT MISHRA Copy Desk

ANJANA TANWAR, CHARCHIT SINGH Correspondent

NAVEED ANJUM Designers

NAGENDER DUBEY, MOHIT KANSAL Picture Editor

PRADEEP CHANDRA

Photo Editor

AIR CARGO

H C TIWARI

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SHRI

According to WorldACD, cargo General Sales and Service Agency (GSSAs) and General Sales Agents (GSAs) have seen a substantial growth in revenues. GSSAs like Air Logistics Group and ECS Group are becoming necessary for airlines, WorldACD noted in the report.

Staff Photographer

HEMANT RAWAT

Director (Admin & Corporate Affairs)

RAJIV SINGH

TruJet, the newest airline in the country, recently announced the commencement of operations from Hyderabad. Jet Airways expanded its domestic network with additional flights. SpiceJet announced discounts for customers who carry handbaggage only. Plus: British Airways unveiled its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from Delhi. ATR’S CEO ON THE TURBO-PROP REVOLUTION THAT WILL CONNECT INDIA

BACK PAGE

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You have heard of swankiest terminals at airports – but they are only for humans. This one, however, is different: being built exclusively for animals. New York’s JFK airport recently announced the world’s first animal terminal. The terminal will handle more than 70,000 animals every year and have showers and access to massage therapies.

CRUISING HEIGHTS www.cruisingheights.in

AUGUST 2015 I `90

COVER PHOTO

Inside T3 at Delhi International Airport (Photo: H C Tiwari)

COVER DESIGN NAGENDER DUBEY

The total number of pages in this issue: 68

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

Director (Marketing)

RAKESH GERA

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All information in CRUISING HEIGHTS is derived from sources we consider reliable. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. Opinions/ views expressed by third parties in abstract or in interviews are not necessarily shared by us. Material appearing in the magazine cannot be reproduced in whole or in part (s) without prior permission. The publisher assumes no responsibility for material lost or damaged in transit. The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the Indian Advertisements Code. The publisher will not be liable for any loss caused by any delay in publication, error or failure of advertisement to appear. Owned and published by K Srinivasan 4C Pocket-IV, Mayur Vihar Phase–I, Delhi–91 and printed by him at Shivam Printographics (P) Ltd, 163, DSIDC Shed, Okhla Indl Area Ph-1, New Delhi -110020

How can I make all my passengers comfortable?

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PERISCOPE

No-nonsense approach “The policy for aviation today should not force airlines to operate flights on loss-making routes.” MUKUND RAJAN, Chief Ethics Officer at Tata Sons critiquing the rules such as Route Dispersal Guideline (RDG) and Domestic Flying Credit (DFC) being imposed by Civil Aviation Ministry

Phenomenal rise “Air traffic growth has been robust in the last few months driven by lower airfares.” SAMYUKTH SRIDHARAN, President and Chief Operating Officer, Cleartrip explaining the rationale behind the huge air traffic growth during the April-June period as compared to the same period in 2014

Befitting reply

LETTERS TO EDITOR It was a pleasure reading the cover story Sparks aplenty, but no fires (CH, July 2015). IATA’s AGM every year has a novelty factor, but this time it proved to be somewhat dull event as no concrete announcement was made except some few. People associated with aviation A SUBDUED PARIS industry keenly look forward to this annual meet, but this time around it MIAMI SPARKLES has disappointed many. The issues and agendas which were discussed during the AGM looked out-of-sorts. Speakers too were not in their usual best. As the keen watcher of the AGM, I am little disappointed at the way it was organised. LUFTHANSA BOOSTS ITS FINANCES AMIDST PROTESTS FROM TRAVEL AGENTS

CRUISING HEIGHTS www.cruisingheights.in

JULY 2015 I `90

Orders came aplenty but the show this year lacked the usual bells and whistles

“The methods employed by the US legacy carriers to discredit Emirates have been surprising and frankly, repugnant. Unlike the Big 3’s white paper, which is riddled with inaccuracies, conjecture, and legal misinterpretations, Emirates’ response is comprehensive and based on hard facts.” TIM CLARK, Emirates Airline rebutting all claims about subsidy and unfair competition allegations after submitting Emirates’ response to US Departments of State, Transportation, and Commerce

For the first time in IATA's records, the aviation industry as a whole will earn its cost of capital: 2015 will see a $29.3 billion collective profit

Extra-cautious “No business is immune, but aviation is a specific target for those intent on doing cyber mischief and theft or worse. Airlines are the highest value target for fraudsters and close to fifty per cent of all phishing attempts are made against airlines and airline passengers, according to one cyber security firm with which we work.”

Alka Singh, Ranchi Showing off at Paris (CH, July 2015) took a sneak peek at the recently-concluded Paris Air Show. The 51st edition of the biannual Paris Air Show was the delightful treat for the spectators. This time around, the Show gave the impetus to the newer technologies which will shape-up the future of aviation industry. Indeed, the aviation industry needs such kinds of shows which generate and builds the interest regarding the sector thereby giving the platform to manufacturers and customers to have an interface. Paris Air Show, over the years has become a semblance for burgeoning aviation sector. Raghav Chaturvedi, Shimla I liked reading the story titled Lufthansa vs travel agents (CH, July 2015). In my opinion, Lufthansa Group decision to impose a fee on those not buying their tickets on the airlines’ website is reprehensible. How could an airline of Lufthansa stature think of this weird idea? This is an unbecoming of an airline. Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and travel agents are the catalysts which drive the airlines’ business and if Lufthansa is thinking of implementing this odd idea then I think that the airline will create greater trouble for itself in the future.

TONY TYLER, IATA’s Director General and CEO on the number of cyber threats that civil aviation is witnessing in today’s times

Go local “In whichever market you are, you must be a viable, strong player. If you spread over too many markets, you are not strong... simplicity is the key thing.” WOLFGANG PROCK-SCHAUER, CEO of GoAir stressing on the need to focus on domestic market

Kalyan Dey, Kolkata

All correspondence may be addressed to Editor, Cruising Heights, D-11 Basement, Nizamuddin East, New Delhi -110013, OR mail to cruisingheights@newsline.in

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

Suicidal step “If you compete with (Gulf carriers) in an open sky situation, it’s sort of suicide. It means European airlines will disappear.” JEAN-CYRIL SPINETTA, Chairman of the Air France-KLM Group on the competition with Gulf carriers

Asian airlines: ‘Cleanest’

PERISCOPE

third spot. Hong Kong based carrier Cathay Pacific took the fourth spot. Interestingly, no Indian carrier found the place in the top ten. Here are the top ten cleanest airlines: 1 EVA Air (Taiwan) 2 Singapore Airlines (Singapore) ANA All Nippon Airways (Japan) 3 4 Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong) 5 Asiana Airlines (South Korea) 6 Garuda Indonesia (Indonesia) 7 Japan Airlines (Japan) Hainan Airlines (China) 8 9 Korean Air (South Korea) 10 Hong Kong Airlines (Hong Kong)

LOOKING GLASS

5/20, 3/2, 4/3, 5/7....too many numbers. How do we decide what combination wins?

Bottlenecks aplenty “Cost of doing business is already weighing down (carriers) even before they start competing. My friends have been asking me whether I have lost hair after coming here.” PHEE TEIK YEOH, Vistara CEO on the over regulated aviation sector in India and how new operators face regulatory hurdles while operating in India

Stop Hullabaloo “I have been seeing him (Phee Teik Yeoh) for the past one-anda-half years... He (might have) lost his hair in Singapore, not here.” M SATHIYAVATHY, Chief, DGCA countering Yeoh saying that though there are some regulatory hurdles, DGCA is steadfast in eliminating them

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

COLD STATS

If you travel by plane, and aircraft cabin cleanliness puts you off. Then, don’t worry. You have a choice. Go for Asian airlines because when it comes to aircraft cabin cleanliness, Asian airlines rule the roost. SkyTrax 2015 World Airline Awards recently rated airlines all over the world on cabin cleanliness and results were startling. No Gulf carriers or for that matter no US carriers were able to find a spot in the top 10. On the contrary, all Asian airlines claimed top ten places in the rankings. Passengers were asked to assess the standards and quality of cleanliness in the aircraft cabin on the airlines they were voting for. Seat areas, cabin panels, carpets, tables and aircraft washrooms all were taken into account for the tabulation of the rankings. More than 18 million passengers on 245 airlines were surveyed. Taiwanese carrier, EVA Air topped the charts followed by Singapore Airlines. All Nippon Airways of Japan grabbed the

PANORAMA

SPECIFICATION CABIN Two in-line seats ENGINE Twin 30kW variable-pitch, eightblade, ducted-fan engines. Ducts increase thrust by reducing losses at propeller tips WINGS It houses 120 lithium-ion polymer batteries that deliver 250 volts and 100 amps of electric power BATTERY The wings houses 120 lithium-ion polymer batteries that deliver 250 volts and 100 amps of electric power. The battery life of the e-Fan is just 50 minutes. Earlier it was for only 45 minutes

ELECTRICITY IN THE AIR INVESTMENT

REGULATION

Airbus will invest €20 million ($22 million) in E-Fan project. Its initial customer can include L’Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile, a pilottraining school in Toulouse France

The US and Europe do not have any certification standards for electric planes like this. For which, the E-Fan aims to establish such standards in Europe as NASA’s electric plane, X-57, will help FAA to set initial standard around 2017

WHEELS Two retractable wheels and two small wheels under wings. 6kW electric motor accelerates aircraft up to 60km/h during take-off

HISTORIC E-FLIGHT 106 years ago, Louis Blériot, who was a French aviator, inventor and engineer, became the first to fly electric powered aircraft in the reverse direction across La Manche from near Calais to a field in Dover in July 1909

WINGSPAN 9.50 m (31 ft 2 in) LENGTH 6.67 m

CRUISING HEIGHTS March 2013

Airbus is justifiably proud after its all-electric E-Fan plane prototype successfully made a historical English Channel crossing in just 40 minutes. With no fuel burden, the plane took off from Lydd Airport, UK and landed at Calais in France, marking a historical journey. E-Fan was able to achieve a nearly silent flight and zero CO2 emissions

ROADMAP E-Fan Two-seat concept aircraft (technology demonstrator), first flown in March 2014 E-Fan 2.0 Proposed all-electric two-seat production variant, to fly 2017 E-Fan 4.0 Proposed hybrid-electric four-seat variant, to fly 2019; a kerosene fuelled generator will extend endurance from 2 hr to 3 hr 30 min E-Thrust Proposed 90-seat regional jet based on the principles of the E-Fan

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

DEVELOPMENT

TECHNOLOGY

Airbus plans to build regional plane with this technology that can carry 100 passengers. The plane can take-off and land using electric engines and when the battery drains, a bio-fuel-powered motor recharges power cells

The E-Fan is a vital innovation in technical terms. Jean Botti, Airbus’ Chief Technical Officer commits electric storage capacity has increased 60 per cent as lithium-ion polymer batteries have become more efficient

ANOTHER E-FLIGHT

ü 75 per cent CO2 emissions reduction per passenger km ü 90 per cent NOx emissions reduction ü 65 per cent noise reduction

Just 24 hours before the Airbus flight, a French pilot Hugues Duval flew his twinengined "Cri-Cri", one of the world's smallest electric planes, across the same route. He claims he is the first but Airbus said their rival's flight "would not count" as Duval "set off from another plane"

LYDD

E NN AQ

Q G

CALAIS

FRANCE

COMPILED BY: ANJANA TANWAR INFOGRAPHIC: NAGENDER DUBEY

CRUISING HEIGHTS March 2013

PANORAMA

FLYING WITHOUT

Flying without a drop of ATF will be possible, thanks largely to Solar Impulse 2. The plane — powered solely by the sun — saw two Swiss pilots and its founder circling the world. Starting from Abu Dhabi on March 9, it landed in Hawaii, crossing the Pacific Ocean on July 3, 2015 SOLAR IMPULSE 2 BODY

2 pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg Single-seater cockpit Zero fuel on board A 35,000km (22,000 miles) journey 500 flying hours approx. 10 legs approx., some lasting more than 5 days and nights A 5-month mission (March-August 2015) A 60 people support team Next flight: Phoenix 2016

ü ü ü ü ü

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Uses lightweight carbon fiber composite. Every gram added has to be deducted from elsewhere to make room for enough batteries. At 2300kg the plane weighs as much as a family car

BATTERIES DAY FLYING

The Pilot ascends to an altitude of 8,500m, accumulating solar power which is stored in batteries

Energy collected by solar cells is stored in 633kg lithium polymer batteries insulated by high – density foam and mounted in four 13-kilowatt engine nacelles

NIGHT FLYING

The plane glides to a lower altitude before consuming power stored in batteries to maintain a level flight

SPEED

Solar Impulse can fly at the same speed than a car, between 36 km/h (20 Kts) and 140 km/h (77 Kts). In order to save energy, the aircraft climbs to 8’500 m during the day and descents to 1,500 m at night

Six oxygen bottles on board The reclining seat allows 2.4 kg of food, 2.5 litres of pilot to take several naps of water per day about 20 minutes

CRUISING HEIGHTS March 2013

A parachute and a life-raft are packed into the back seat. The seat can also be used as Toilet

A DROP OF FUEL PILOTS

A triumphant arrival in Hawaii for recordbreaking pilot and CEO of Solar Impulse, AndrĂŠ Borschberg. After 118 hours of non-stop solo flight, Borschberg exults with co-pilot Bertrand Piccard

SOLAR CELL

17000 solar cells, each 135 microns thick, which convert sunrays into electricity stored in batteries

PROPELLERS

4m in diameter Four wing pods each contain 17.5hp electric motor and lithium polymer battery

MOTORS

Average power of a small motorbike (11kw) with a maximum power of 52kw

COCKPIT

3.8 cubic metres. Unpressurised, unheated, but highly insulated cabin designed to support solo pilot for 5-6 days. It has enough space for oxygen supplies, food, survival equipment and a multi-purpose seat onboard

ROUTE COVERED

NAGOYA

SOLAR IMPULSE

CRUISING HEIGHTS March 2013

COMPILED BY: ANJANA TANWAR INFOGRAPHIC: NAGENDER DUBEY

JAPAN

NUMBERS NUMBERS

3.5

PER CENT BOOST

.5 per cent was the boost that Boeing gave its 20year forecast for aircraft demand, predicting two out of every five new jets will feed Asia’s booming travel market. Boeing expects airlines and freight firms to take delivery of 38,050 jets worth $5.6 trillion by 2034, compared with 36,770 it predicted last year. Single-aisle aircraft such as Boeing’s 737 and Airbus' A320 will account for $2.7 trillion in the next 20 years, or 26,730 jets, Boeing said.

3 LAKHS AND COUNTING….

ulf airports are topping up the charts garnering maximum arrivals from India. Among the top is Abu Dhabi International Airport, May month saw 305,000 Indian people passing through it, witnessing a rise of 58.6 per cent from the same period last year. The major reason behind Indians frequenting the Abu Dhabi Airports is Etihad’s introductions of more flights to India. Haddabi acknowledged the contribution of Etihad by pointing out, “The ability to handle increases in traffic on this scale, month after month, is a testament to the efforts and experience of our operations team, as well as a clear indication of our national carrier Etihad’s strong continued growth.” The top five destinations from Abu Dhabi International Airport in May were Manila, London Heathrow, Mumbai, Doha and Bangkok.

1,000 SEATS ON POPULAR ROUTES J

et Airways is mulling to beef-up its operations on the popular routes especially on the domestic circuit. For this, the carrier will add 1,000 seats in order to improve connectivity. With the addition of these new frequencies, Jet Airways’ daily seats deployment will increase to 64,500 per day from 63,500. Raj Sivakumar, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways, said, “The additional frequencies have been introduced to cater to the growing demand on the high density routes and to ensure better connectivity between India’s emerging cities.” Jet Airways said in a release, “The new services which will commence between July 23 and September, include a ninth daily service between Mumbai and Chennai, a second service between Kolkata and Bengaluru and a fourth daily service connecting Mangaluru with Mumbai.”

`1 CRORE AS COMPENSATION

ata-SIA joint venture Vistara has run into the trademark tangle. Vistara Voyages recently sued Tata SIA Airlines Limited over the use of the name Vistara. Vistara Voyages accused Tata SIA Airlines of using the trademark Vistara and wanted the court to prevent Tata SIA Airlines from using it. `1 crore was also sought as compensation by Vistara Voyages. The High Court said that the suit cannot be initiated in Bengaluru courts as Vistara Voyages does not hold a registered trademark right over ‘Vistara’ and there was no evidence to show that ‘Air Vistara’ was operating or had branch office in Bengaluru. Justice Aravind Kumar who passed the judgement said in the court order, “Vistara Voyages does not hold a registered trademark and applied for it only on July 21, 2014 which is still pending. There is no evidence that Vistara had a branch office in Bengaluru or it was operating from there so as to enable initiation of a suit here. Tata SIA Airlines had challenged the order of December 18, 2014 passed by City Civil Court refusing to return the plea for want of jurisdiction.”

5 AIRPORTS FOR GMR-MEGAWIDE

ndian airport developer GMR’s subsidiary GMR-Megawide is in race to develop five airports in Philippines under public private partnership projects worth $2.4 billion. According to a statement issued by the Philippines government, six companies have evinced interest in developing these airports. “These PPP projects involve development, operations and these airports involve an estimated total cost of $2.40 billion,” the statement said. The companies which have bid for the airports other than GMR-Megawide are Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Miguel Corp, Metro-Pacific-JG Summit Consortium, Philippine Skylanders Inc and Union Equities. Under PPP mode, the five airports which would be developed are Iloilo (Bundle 1), Bacolod-ilay, Laguindingan, New Bohol (Panglao) (Bundle 2) and Davao.

PER CENT MORE FLYERS

onth of April augured well for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. According to the latest Airports Authority of India (AAI) data, 4.96 lakh passengers, including 1.16 lakh international and 3.8 lakh domestic passengers, passed through the airport in April 2015, a 36.9 per cent increase over passenger movement as compared to April 2014. Multiple factors contributed to the increase of passengers at the airport such as positive economic sentiment, better connectivity, enticing offers by airlines on fares and start of summer holidays. An AAI official said about the trend, “Vistara began the flights in January while several other domestic airlines added services to newer destinations such as Bhopal, Indore, Pune and Hyderabad. Jet Airways began daily flights to Abu Dhabi while Air Arabia and other low-cost airlines increased frequency on international routes.”

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

89 PER CENT SUPPORT OPEN SKIES O

penSkies.travel recently released the results of a US consumer survey, conducted online using Google Consumer Surveys, among 2,546 US adults ages 18 and older. The survey found that 89 per cent of Americans who have travelled internationally or outside of the United States by airplane agreed that they support US government Open Skies policy objectives, to lower airfares and provide more convenient travel options. In addition, 67 per cent of Americans agreed that, “the government should not give into US airlines’ demands that foreign airline expansion into the US be stopped”. “These results should be a wake-up call for the US Departments of Transportation, State and Commerce,” said Kevin Mitchell, OpenSkies.travel and Business Travel Coalition Founder. “Consumers, as the most important aviation policy stakeholder, realise the significant benefits to them and their communities from our Open Skies policy and see straight through the US airlines’ allegations of unfair Gulf carrier competition as nothing more than blatant commercial protectionism. Recent business-traveller comments in the Wall Street Journal only reinforce this widespread understanding,” added Mitchell.

A$90M BONUS TO EMPLOYEES

ustralia’s largest carrier Qantas recently said that it will pay A$90 million bonus to its staff amid a profit recovery. The payout will cover 28,000 employees, including those at subsidiary Jetstar. Earlier, Qantas Airways had frozen employee wages for 18 months as part of a (A$2.06 billion) cost-cutting plan. “Our ability to make these bonus payments reflects a bright future provided we stay focussed on fully delivering the transformation programme that has brought us this far,” Alan Joyce, Chief Executive Officer, Qantas said in the statement. “The rapid turnaround of the Qantas Group has only been made possible through the dedication and hardwork of all our people.”

B767S FOR FEDEX

0 additional 767s have been ordered by FedEx in what is the largest such order for Boeing. The cargo and package delivery company placed a firm order for 50 Boeing 767-300F freighters with options for 50 additional 767s. The firm portion of the order would be worth nearly $10 billion at list prices, though big customers typically get substantial discounts.

$27,900 COMPENSATION TO AIR CRASH VICTIMS

sum of $27,900 was recently offered by Lufthansa to the families of the German passengers who were killed in the Germanwings crash in March. But the victims’ families’ lawyers dismissed the sum as “completely inadequate”. In a joint statement, Lufthansa and Germanwings said they would assume the long-term responsibility for the outcome of the crash. “An additional fund was also being set up to provide individual support for aid projects of the relatives.”

BN IN NET INCOME

whopping net income of $1 billion was reported during second quarter by Delta Air Lines up 22 per cent from the June quarter of 2014. “Delta’s record results have allowed the company to invest in its employees through higher wage rates and profit sharing; improve the experience for our customers through new aircraft and innovative partnerships with global carriers; and uniquely deliver value for our shareholders by accelerating our capital returns while also paying down debt,” said Richard Anderson, Delta’s CEO. CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

irlines are raking-up ancillary fees revenue like never before. A new report by IdeaWorksCompany and CarTrawler has found out that ancillary fee revenue grew at a double-digit pace last year. According to the annual study by IdeaWorksCompany and CarTrawler, despite murmurs from flyers about revenue from checked bags, additional

$38

BILLION FROM ANCILLARIES charges, changed reservations and a host of other additional fees jumped nearly 21 per cent to an all-time high of $38.1 billion. Said Jay Sorensen, President of IdeaWorks, “This report shows ancillary fees have become a reliable source of revenue for airlines, and airlines know what they can do to increase it.” Other major findings of the report include: Ancillary revenue per passenger among 63 airlines worldwide was $17.49, an 8.5 per cent increase compared to 2013; Lowcost carriers collected more than $2.9 billion, an increase of 32.8 per cent year over year; and ancillary revenue among major US airlines jumped more than $2.6 billion, or 18.7 per cent.

NEWS DIGEST/ALLIANCES

Avianca Brasil joins the party A

vianca Brasil became the 28th airline to join Star Alliance at a ceremony held at Guarulhos International Airport, Brazil. “Adding Avianca Brasil to our network is an important step in enhancing our customer proposition in Latin America. Brazil is the most important aviation market on the continent and we are pleased that from today onwards, we can once again offer domestic connections in Brazil,” said

Mark Schwab, CEO, Star Alliance. Acknowledging the importance of the partnership with Star Alliance, Jose Efromovich, President and CEO of Avianca Brasil said, “Today we are setting the future pace of our airline and close a two year process which saw us move to a new IT platform, review and update our internal processes and specific training programme for our employees to ensure they can provide the best possible service to cus-

JetPrivilege etihad regional tie-up

FFPs gets squeezed down under

etPrivilege, the frequent flyer programme of Jet Airways, recently tied-up with the Switzerland-based regional carrier Etihad Regional for a frequent flyer partnership. Etihad Regional became the 28th frequent flyer partner carrier of JetPrivilege. JetPrivilege members will now be able to avail themselves of more opportunities for accrual and redemption of JPMiles on all eligible flights of Etihad Regional.

s many as 180,000 flights will get almost free as Australian government is mulling pooling the frequent flyer miles that 100,000 public servants earn travelling for work and use them instead of cash. This exercise, it is believed will save $50 million in the annual $377 million flight budget of the Australian government. The move has been initiated by the government in the wake of Federal Speaker Bronwyn Bishop who has been slammed for her extravagant travel.

tomers. We are proud to be part of the most experienced airline alliance and are pleased to put Brazil back on the Star Alliance map.” In total 13 member carriers of Star Alliance (Air Canada, Air China, Avianca, Avianca Brasil, Copa Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP, Turkish Airlines and United) now serve Brazil, which strengthens Star Alliance’s position

QUOTEMETER “Alliances are especially important for small carriers as they provide access to global networks, but while such carriers represent no downside for large members, traffic on the global highways of long-haul travel is largely determined by a sub-group of airlines within Star forming individual partnerships.” Rickard Gustafson Chief Executive, SAS Group

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

AI marks first anniversary with Star

oneworld Priority gets simpler

he first anniversary of Air India-Star Alliance partnership was marked by Air India recently. Air India celebrated the day with fervour and enthusiasm, with lots of exciting initiatives planned for passengers. Passengers on 10 select domestic metro flights were treated to an exclusive, personalised in-flight experience with a Chef onboard who interacted with them and also, assisted cabin crew in the service. On the other hand, the passengers onboard international flights in the First and Executive class were treated to delectable chocolates. Designer display cards at the metro airports were placed on check-in-counters and personnel adorned Air IndiaStar Alliance badges at the airports.

neworld is to make it easier for frequent flyers to see where they can take advantage of the privileges the alliance offers them at airports, making their journeys on the ground smoother still. Distinctive new oneworld ‘Priority’ branding will highlight key touch points where the alliance’s benefits are offered to top tier frequent flyers – at check-in, fast tracks, lounges and boarding. The new oneworld Priority logo will also feature the three oneworld frequent flyer gemstone tier status symbols as appropriate, to enable these cardholders to identify quickly and easily where they are entitled to receive their special oneworld benefits. oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby said, “We firmly believe that oneworld offers the most compelling range of alliance benefits for our most loyal customers. We also know that identifying where to take advantage of those privileges in often cluttered airport environments, particularly in unfamiliar surroundings, can sometimes be a challenge, even for the most frequent traveller.”

H C TIWARI

as the alliance with the most airlines in this market. Avianca Brasil adds 15 new destinations in Brazil to the existing 12 which the Star Alliance member carriers already served, bringing the total to 27. In addition to Avianca Brasil’s domestic network, customers can fly internationally on 88 weekly flights from 12 airports in Brazil to destinations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. By connecting through Star Alliance hubs in these regions, passengers gain access to the worldwide network provided by the 28 member airlines that in total offer more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,330 airports in 192 countries.

Now a ‘Portuguese’ website!

neworld recently gave Portuguese-speaking customers a moment of joy when it unveiled a simple-to-use dedicated website in Portuguese language and a Portuguese language version of its popular online Training Academy. The dedicated website — at www.lan.com with a direct link from TAM and LAN’s own websites– includes a Portuguese version of the online planning and booking tool for oneworld Explorer, the alliance’s flagship round-the-world fare, along with a range of sample itineraries and guidance on how to use the system.

CODESHARE

SriLankan unveils one more tie-up

SriLankan has unveiled its codeshare pact with airberlin and its subsidiary NIKI. The three airlines will offer daily codeshare flights between Berlin, Vienna and Sri Lanka via Abu Dhabi.

Etihad-PIA in codeshare pact PIA entered into a codeshare with Etihad. It will allow for more connections between the UAE, Pakistan and beyond. Etihad will place its EY code on PIA flights into Abu Dhabi

SAA enters into pact with AM

Air Mauritius announced its partnership with South African Airways. From July 1, both airlines started selling tickets on one another’s networks The relationship is a fallout of the growing traffic between our two countries.

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

File picture shows Air India CMD Rohit Nandan and Star Alliance CEO Mark Schwab during the unveiling of Air India's Star Alliance livery when AI joined the alliance last July. Also seen former CEO of Austrian Airlines, Jaan Albrecht

Air India celebrated this occasion with much enthusiasm across its offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The celebration function included its employees and partners like travel agencies, corporates and other Star Alliance airlines. Air India became the first Indian carrier to be inducted into Star Alliance network. This partnership gave the passengers an opportunity to travel to 1316 destinations across the network and enjoy services, better connectivity and seamless travel.

GLOBAL DIGEST

Biofuel powered flights for Olympics

TSA gets a new boss

USA’s airport security agency Transportation Security Administration (TSA) saw a change of guard at the top level. Peter Neffenger has taken over as the new Chief of TSA. “TSA’s mission is critical to the safety and security of our nation. I am deeply honoured to continue serving our country, particularly alongside the dedicated men and women of TSA. I look forward to applying my years of leadership experience, law enforcement background and security skills to protecting our nation’s transportation systems,” Neffenger said in a statement. Neffenger has taken the position when TSA has been mired in controversies. Neffenger recently retired from the US Coast Guard.

2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo will witness the flights powered by biofuels. The biofuels would be developed by Boeing and Japanese aviation industry stakeholders. The Initiatives for Next Generation Aviation Fuels (INAF) — a consortium of 46 organisations including Boeing, ANA (All Nippon Airways), Japan Airlines, Nippon Cargo Airlines, Japan’s government and the University of Tokyo — laid out a five-year “roadmap” to develop biofuel by 2020 as a way to reduce aviation’s environmental footprint. “Boeing is proud to work with Japan’s aviation sector, including customers and

Rap for drone pilots

the Japanese government, to achieve their ambitious goals for developing sustainable aviation biofuel,” said George Maffeo, President, Boeing Japan. “Building on our longstanding relationships in Japan, we are committed to help reduce aviation's carbon emissions and its reliance on fossil fuel.” Shinji Suzuki, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Tokyo said, “Developing and using sustainable aviation biofuel is an excellent way for Japan to show its commitment to the environment and technologies that can reduce aviation's environmental impact.” He also said that as the new aviation biofuel 'roadmap' indicated, Japan was ready “to accelerate development and use of sustainable aviation fuels by the 2020 Olympics”.

Laser-pointers,

beware!

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a ‘drone code’ after several drones were found in near misses with passenger jets using British airports. “Drone users must understand that when taking to the skies, they are entering one of the busiest areas of airspace in the world,” said Tim Johnson, CAA’s Policy Director. “They must be aware of the rules and regulations for flying drones that are designed to keep all air users safe.” CAA has proposed the ‘drone code’ to persuade operators to avoid the danger of collisions. In recent years, UK has seen a sharp rise in the number of drone operators. According to the sources, as many as 800 operators are registered drone users including BBC Natural History Unit.

Troubled by the public shining lasers into plane cockpits, the US-based Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) President Tim Canoll said the only way to stop people and educate them about the threats posed by such acts, was to call the police. At least 35 “laser incidents” were reported by pilots in the US in a single night sometime ago, including 11 involving commercial aircraft flying over New Jersey on approach to Newark or New York LaGuardia airports, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. He said the public needed to be informed to take a “see something, say something” approach on laser pointers. “I think we need to do some more education here for the public at large,” Canoll explained. “If you see someone outside your house shining a laser into the sky, please call 911 [Police].”

EC-EASA gives safety authorizations European Commission (EC) and its subsidiary European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recently issued third-country operators (TCO) safety authorizations to 22 non-EU carriers. After issuing the certification, EU Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc said, “The new safety authorization scheme has a clear European added value. It will take the

safety of Europeans one step further by ensuring that third country operators flying to Europe match the highest safety standards, comparable to those the EU requires from European carriers. The ‘one-stop-shop’ approach means cutting red tape and reducing administrative costs for airlines.” The 22 TCO carriers include: Aerovias de

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

Nagoya gets a 787

Boeing recently donated the first-ever 787 Dreamliner to Nagoya’s Central Japan International Airport. “It is fitting that we bring Boeing’s first-ever 787 Dreamliner, also known as ZA001, back home to Nagoya,” said George Maffeo, President, Boeing Japan. “Many of our partners here spent countless hours to develop and produce the 787 Dreamliner’s airframe structure and Centrair was with us from the very start of the journey. ZA001 carried all of our dreams and aspirations, and has grown to symbolise the storied partnership between Boeing and Japan's outstanding aerospace industry.” ZA001 is the last of three original flight test 787-8s Boeing has donated to inspire future generations around the world. Previously, Boeing donated ZA002 to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona and ZA003 to the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Mexicos, Aeroflot, Air New Zealand, Emirates Airline, Japan Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Sun Express, El Al Israel Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Etihad Airways, Nippon Cargo Airlines, Oman Air, Korean Air, MNG HavayollariVeTasimacilik, Orenburg Airlines, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Pegasus, South African Airways, TAM and United Airlines.

Best profits ever

HAJJIS GET NEW AIRPORT

United Airlines has reported a record second quarter net profit of $1.2 billion recently. Even as net profits rose by over 50 per cent driven primarily by a decline in fuel expenses, revenue fell accompanied by a decline in passenger revenue. Meanwhile, American Airlines earned $1.7 billion in the second quarter, its best quarter ever and nearly twice the previous record, set in 2014’s third quarter. Delta Air Lines also posted a profit of $1.03 billion in June 2015 quarter.“We’re quite proud of that, given the fact that this company was in bankruptcy about 18 months ago, to be producing the highest earnings any airline ever produced,” American Chairman and Chief Executive Doug Parker said. NORABLOG301. BLOGSPOT.IN

Medina, the second holiest city of Islam recently saw an opening of new airport built at a cost of $1.2 billion and a passenger capacity of eight million a year especially for the Hajj pilgrims. Known as the Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz International Airport, it is Saudi Arabia’s first airport constructed and operated entirely by the private sector. “The new Medina airport is the first in a series of airports that will be privatised to further elevate passenger services and experiences,” said Sulaiman Al-Hamdan, President of General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

NATS goes for a ‘traffic’ solution A new traffic system is being mulled which will introduce speed limits for planes. UK’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) is in the process to develop this system. Martin Rolfe, Head of the UK’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS), said, “We aim to end holding. Passengers can

expect to arrive on time as a matter of course. Getting rid of the holds means we’ll be able to depart modern, efficient, capable aircraft into more efficient higher airspace more quickly – which in turn will help reduce the noise footprint on the ground and the wider environmental impact.”

Thailand gets FAA notice Thailand again found itself in the dock with US aviation regulator FAA issuing a 65 days’ deadline to Thai aviation authorities to take “corrective measures” over critical omissions in its commercial aviation safety standards. Thailand’s problem is lack of an aviation inspector, lack of qualified staff for aircraft being operated in the country and an incomplete aviation manual.

Philippines bans lighters The Office for Transportation Security (OTS) of Philippines has come out with a list of objects that passengers will not be allowed to bring in by air. Amongst these prohibited items are lighters. “In the course of evolving levels of threat affecting transportation security in the international and domestic level, this office has revised its policy guidelines relative to prohibited items,” OTS said. OTS spokesperson Jonathan Maliwat added, “The agency had to revise the list of prohibited items on airports, which was previously based on the prevailing security challenges in the Philippines and was last updated in 2007. As a signatory to the Chicago Convention or Annex 17 of the ICAO, we have to abide by the international safety standards.”

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CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

GLOBAL DIGEST

Airbus recently achieved EASA certification of its innovative Runway Overrun Prevention System (ROPS) technology on A330 family aircraft. This on-board cockpit technology, which Airbus has pioneered over several years, is now certified and available on all Airbus families. ROPS is an alerting system which reduces exposure to runway overrun risk and if necessary, provides active protection. Korean Air will become the first A330 operator to implement ROPS on its A330s in service in the coming months. “Already in service on the A380, A350 and A320 families, ROPS is the result of years of continuing research by Airbus,” said Didier Lux, Airbus’ SVP Head of Customer Services. “This EASA certification for ROPS on the A330 family is an example where innovative technology and services meet for the benefit of operators and aviation safety, and is thus an important step to offering the enhanced operational benefits across all our aircraft.”

SKYBRARY.AERO

The A330 gets more ‘secure’

Taiwan gets A380 feel Taiwan recently welcomed its first A380 aircraft. The flight was flown by Emirates Airline to Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport. A special ceremony was organized to mark the occasion which was attended by Fan Chih-Ku, Administrative Deputy Minister of Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), David Fei, President and CEO of Taoyuan International Airport Corporation and Emirates Senior Executives. “Emirates is honoured to be the first airline to land the A380 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport,” said Edwin Lau, Emirates Vice President, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Guangzhou. “Taiwan is an important market for Emirates, and we’ve witnessed increased demand from passengers since we began daily flights between Dubai and Taipei in February 2014.”

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

Boeing’s titanium woes Boeing that loses about $23 million on every 787 Dreamliner passenger jet that leaves the factory, is trying to stem the losses by cutting the use of one of its signature ingredients: titanium. The strong, lightweight alloy used extensively on the 787 costs seven times more than aluminum and accounts for about $17 million of the cost of the $260 million plane, according to industry sources. The push to reduce titanium costs is part of a broader, long-running effort by Boeing to make the 787 profitable

NEWS DIGEST

Psychometric tests to prove

mental instability? T

he Germanwings crash on March 24, 2015 shocked the world, resulting in a ripple effect that has got aviation regulators, including India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), thinking: How can someone entrusted with flight safety be the direct cause of a crash that claimed 150 people? The shock has resulted in action — the world over. But the DGCA had taken measures after an incident in India that was somewhat similar to the Germanwings crash — except that the situation was recovered before the airplane could impact the ground, and that the pilot was not determined to be in a poor mental condition. On May 26, 2010, Air India Express flight 212 from Dubai to Pune entered into an unusual descent, losing 6800 feet in approx 67 seconds. During cruise, the commander excused himself to use the lavatory. The co-pilot, who was alone in the cockpit, inadvertently handled the control column in fully automated mode, resulting in the steep descent. The Pilotin-Command used the emergency access code to enter the cockpit, and manually arrested the rate of descent. This incident made the DGCA send out a circular, mandating that the cockpit be manned by two crew members at any point in time. In the case of today's two crew cockpits, a pilot who excuses himself from the flight deck will have the lead cabin crew occupy the observer's seat. While the reaction of the DGCA to the Air India Express 212 incident helps speed up the access of a flight crew member into the cockpit, it does not fix the issue brought to light by the Germanwings accident: filtering out mentally unstable crew. According to Boeing, 80 per cent of all accidents are attributable to human errors. Globally, pilot errors are attributed to two types: tactical errors, which are related to a pilot’s poor actions or decisions, often caused by fatigue, inebriation or lack of experience; and operational errors, related to problems with flight instruction and training. Neither address the emotional and motivational aspects of human

behaviour. Psychological measurement, or psychometrics, has been employed by leading airlines around the world to assess a candidate's ‘behaviour’, to classify him or her as suitable or unsuitable for the post of a flight crew. These tests are not mandatory, but conducted by airlines to meet and maintain internal standards. These tests are designed to test the suitability of candidates to be an 'ideal' pilot and consist of questions designed to map a candidate’s psychological profile, face-to-face interCRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

views with evaluators, and a simulated environment that attempts to evaluate the candidate's verbal, numerical and spatial reasoning under stressful conditions. These tests, however, are only useful in assessing a candidate's character, profile and traits to measure his or her suitability for teamwork and functioning in the cockpit. These tests were never intended to, nor do they measure mental illness or emotional instability and vulnerability. In fact, trying to assess the psychology of a person is pseudo-science: the results are not abso-

lute, but largely probabilistic. Probability only indicates odds but can never measure or guarantee the actual outcome. Facing a dilemma, the DGCA constituted a group to carry out a study and recommend medical or psychometric tests for flight crew. To discuss the issue of introduction of psychometric test for pilots, a meeting of company doctors of

all the scheduled domestic airlines was called at DGCA headquarters on April 10, 2015, which led to airline representatives making suggestions. Based on these suggestions, the DGCA group recommended “Psychological assessment of pilots” at the following four stages of a pilot's career: 1. At the time of applying as ab-initio cadet in the flying training organisa-

tion. 2. At the time of recruitment in the airline to ascertain if the aspirant has any traits that would make him a good pilot and to rule out any unwanted personality traits and psychiatric tendencies. 3. Before upgrade as Pilot-in-Command or trainer to assess the suitability to take up a leadership role. 4. In case it becomes apparent during investigation of occurrance, feedback from the trainers and peer group. Stages 1 - 3 are precautionary while stage 4 is reactive. Further, in case of pilots showing 'psychological abrasions’, they would be referred to either Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), New Delhi or Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), Bengaluru for further evaluation before release. Both are Indian Air Force medical institutions. The big question is the effectiveness of such assessment. On April 9, 2009, the Germanwings’ pilot’s Class 1 medical certificate was not revalidated by the Lufthansa Aeromedical Centre due to depression and medication. Yet, a medical with special restrictions was issued at a later date, allowing him to fly the jetliner that eventually took the life of 149 other people. By implementing regulations in place, the system will get tighter, but not foolproof. If these four stages are to become mandatory, the first policy to get affected will be insurance. Insurance policies of pilots, flight schools and airlines will need valid certificates of psychological fitness of pilots to disburse insurance claims. This will automatically filter out those with a high probability of mental illness as no

SAFETY ABOVE EVERYTHING: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India, announced that psychometric tests were mandatory for the pilots (following the Germanwings crash); (above) pilots in the cockpit, and, (right) the site of the Germanwing flight crash which was due to pilot Andreas Lubitz (inset) who alledgedly crashed the aircraft into Fresnch Alps on March 24, 2015

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

NEWS DIGEST

AAI NEWS

ABOVE GROUND LEVEL  AAI MAKES HUGE PROFITS The Airports Authority of India (AAI) declared a dividend of `288 crores for the year 2013-14. An interim dividend cheque amounting to `145 crores was presented to Ministry of Civil Aviation on August 4, 2014. Another cheque towards final divi-

NOT ENOUGH: Trainee pilots undergoing lessons in the cockpit. Now, mental stability will be essential factor R K Srivastava, Chairman, AAI presenting a cheque amounting to `143 crores as final dividend for the year 2013-14 to Ashok Gajapati Raju, Minister of Civil Aviation

dend of `143 crores was recently presented by R K Srivastava, Chairman, AAI to the Union Minister of Civil Aviation in the presence of R N Choubey, Secretary, Civil Aviation. Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Civil Aviation complemented the AAI for its financial achievements. The Secretary, Civil Aviation also extended his compliments and best wishes to AAI for its continued growth. IATA TO TRAIN 4000 AAI OFFICIALS An agreement was recently signed between Airports Authority of India (AAI) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) for imparting training to 4000 AAI officials for skill

operator will want to take the risk of bearing the losses of an accident uncovered by insurance. To pilots, however, such stages are seen as ridiculous. For one, it gives the regulator another reason to ground a pilot which will lead to a pilot shortage. Second, fears of false positives and effectiveness do concern the pilot fraternity. Even worse, in a country riddled with high levels of corruption, pilots fear that in the wrong hands, such rules may be used for revenge, to stifle the career growth of a pilot. Fears also loom in the minds of aspiring pilots that this may start a bribeseeking culture to join a flight school or airline or while upgrading to a Captain, should such decision-making powers fall into the wrong hands. These certificates of mental health may join the list of certificates that may be ‘bought’. Interestingly, the first three proposed stages of evaluation do happen silently

Falling loads in June D

Rajesh Bhandari, Executive Director, Finance, AAI and Ayaz Hussain, CFO, IATA exchanging the agreement signed between AAI and IATA for imparting training to 4000 AAI Officials

development in airport management as per global standards. The agreement was signed in the presence of R K Srivastava, Chairman, AAI and Victor De Barrena, Director, ITDI, IATA by Rajesh Bhandari, Executive Director, Finance, AAI and Ayaz Hussain, CFO, IATA.

and subjectively although unscientifically. In a flight school, peers detect 'abnormal' behaviour, and rumours and gossip about cadets with questionable behaviour reach instructors, who hesitate to easily release solo such cadets. Peers in the airline gossip about unusual behaviour and ridicule the ‘abnormal’. Such behaviour has never gone undetected. However, hitherto, there have never been measures or regulations in aviation to formally assess, document, investigate and correct such behaviour. Till such time regulations fall in place and psychometric evaluations may prove to be largely dependable, both acceptable and unacceptable behaviour will remain ambiguous as ever, such as in the US: The Federal Aviation Authority's (FAA) regulations require of commercial pilots the relevant medical examination and to read, speak, write and understand the English language and: Be of good moral character”.

GCA data released for the month of June 2015 showed passenger numbers and load factors falling, when compared to May. The summer peak season trails off in the month of June, in line with historic trends. However, when compared to June 2014, passenger traffic grew 16 per cent. SpiceJet was the only airline to maintain very high load factors (above 90 per cent) and was one of two airlines to register a growth in load factors, albeit small. The other airline to witness higher load factors was AirAsia India, which registered a 2.6 per cent growth to 84 per cent. This was on the back of June being the airline's first full month of Delhi operations CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

ABOVE GROUND LEVEL 

VISTARA

MIAL RECEIVES ISO 50001:2011 ACCREDITATION

BEST IN CLASS: Flight attendant serving passenger in Vistara

PEDIREDLA RAVIKUMAR/PANORAMIO

and was further helped by a slew of season cancellations. Customer services contindiscounts. The other TATA airline, Visued to account for a quarter of total pastara, saw load factors falling by 11.8 per senger complaints. Along with Air Pegacent to 59.3 per cent, raising questions sus, SpiceJet had the highest number of on the short term viability of complaints. the airline's model. All SpiceJet had the worst onother airlines witnessed time performance figure. A total of 6.6 milmodest drops in load Due to this, the brand is lion domestic passenfactors, to largely finding it hard to attract settle load factors last minute, high-paygers were flown in June, in the mid-70s to ing passengers who on 54,710 flights. AirAsia mid-80s range. value on-time perIndia completed one year Only one-fifth formance. Its market of operations in June 2015 of the cancellations share grew by 0.4 per in June were attribcent, outperformed by and carried a total uted to weather. Air AirAsia India whose of 842,000 India had the highest market share grew by an passengers cancellation rate, while impressive 0.6 per cent. IndiGo had the lowest, A total of 6.6 million sticking to the brand percepdomestic passengers were flown tion the airline has built. SpiceJet conin June, on 54,710 flights. AirAsia India tinued to be unreliable in service reliabilcompleted one year of operations in June ity, clocking the second highest number of 2015 and carried a total of 842,000 passengers from June 12, 2014 to June 30, 2015. The airline is expected to fly its millionth passenger in early August. In the month of July, SpiceJet increased its fleet size with the addition of a second wet-leased Airbus A319 (See story on Page 24). The airline also rolled out a slew of innovative offers after its hand-bag only fares. The airline now allows hand-bag only passengers to carry up to 5 kg extra on board, raising the total weight of hand baggage to 12 kgs, at an extra fee. The airline also launched another `1 sale, with certain riders that prevented it from becoming a steal. The airline also supported payments of air tickets through EMIs, when booked with select credit cards. CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

MIAL recently announced that it received the ISO 50001:2011 accreditation that recognises efforts and measures put forward by an entity to Energy Management system. This standard provides a recognised framework for integrating energy performance into management practices. The main objective of the standard is to continuously improve energy-related performance and identify energy reduction opportunities through the development of an energy management system (EnMS). RAJU TAKES STOCK OF UPCOMING VARSITY Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju recently said that Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University, aimed at facilitating and promoting aviation studies and research, will start functioning very soon at Fursatganj, UP. Inspecting the Indira Gandhi National Aviation Academy at Fursatganj, around 50 kms from Amethi, Raju said, “Very soon the proposed university will start functioning.” HYDERABAD AIRPORT BAGS AWARD In the field of environment management, GMR Hyderabad airport recently bagged the ‘Golden Peacock Environment Management Award (GPEMA)’ for the year 2015. Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment and Forests and Climate Change, presented the award to Manish Sinha, Chief Operating Officer, GHIAL, during the ‘17th World Congress on Environment Management’. The awards jury under the Chairmanship of Justice Arijit Pasayat, former Judge, Supreme Court of India, selected GHIAL for this award.

NEWS DIGEST SPEEDREAD

10 lakh flyers for Air Costa A

ir Costa flew its millionth passenger in July. One of the airline's aircraft was knocked out of service for a few days, due to a bird strike suffered during takeoff at Coimbatore airport. IndiGo’s 6E-Pass has become the talk of the town, with a bundle of tickets at a flat fee that hedge against fluctuating fare prices. Interestingly, the validity of these tickets is only till the month of September. Airfares are lowest in the present period and start picking up after September as the year approaches the winter peak season. Jet Airways continued to strengthen its network by adding additional flights between Mumbai and Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, Mumbai and Mangaluru, Bhopal and Lucknow, Indore and Lucknow, and Hyderabad and Rajahmundry. The airline added 2000 seats per day. The addition of frequencies between Hyderabad and Rajahmundry was to cater to a high demand by religious travellers, due to a festival in Rajahmundry. It was also to start competing with TruJet, India's newest airline based out of Hyderabad.

TruJet commences operations T

ruJet, an all ATR 72 turboprop operator, received its Air Operator Permit (AOP) on the July 7, and immediately started operations from July 12. The initial flights connected Rajahmundry and Tirupati to Hyderabad and Chennai, to cater to the same religious season that Jet Airways aimed to capitalise on. Effective July 26, the airline started flying its intended schedule, connecting Hyderabad to Tirupati, Rajahmundry, and Aurangabad. The airline enjoys a monopoly on the Hyderabad-Rajahmundry sector and an all-turboprop competition from Jet Airways and SpiceJet on the Hyderabad-Rajahmundry sector. The more popular Hyderabad-Tirupati sector has more players flying the route but most deploy 70-80 seat airplanes, including Air Costa with its 67-seat Embraer E170s. TruJet presently has two aircraft in its fleet, with only one operational. The airline will soon have its second ATR 72 operational and will cater to routes based out of Chennai, including Salem and Tuticorin. This will make SpiceJet lose its monopoly on the Chennai-Tuticorin route. The airline, which is well capitalised, plans to add more aircraft by the end of the present financial year. With 18 Tier II cities identified in South India, the airline seems to be set to establish a strong South India presence with its ATR 72 aircraft. TruJet is India's ninth operational private airline, the third operational regional scheduled airline, and the second operational turboprop-only airline.

SpiceJet:

Wet-leases as stop-gaps

or the first time in the airline's history, and perhaps for the first time in the history of Indian aviation, has well-established scheduled airline SpiceJet resorted to wet leasing planes as a means to meet short-term capacity shortfalls. What is even more of a surprise is that the airline presently has two wetleased Airbus A319s in its fleet. A wet lease, is technically known as an ‘ACMI lease’, wherein Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance are covered. Crew includes the cockpit and cabin crew. The advantages of such leases are that capacity can be added very fast, are short, and no hiring of crew and engineers are necessary. Due to this, the type of aircraft does not really matter. Such leases also allow an airline to evaluate another aircraft type by closely monitoring its operational suitability. Payments for such leases are made on a block hour basis, making it largely a variable cost, as opposed to dry leases which are paid on a monthly basis and are a fixed cost. Dry leases cover only the aircraft. SpiceJet presently has 18 dry leased Boeing 737s. Between mid-April 2015 and midJune 2015, SpiceJet had wet leased, for a period of two months, three Boeing 737800s from operators based at the Czech Republic. This was essential as the airline back then had only 17 dry-leased Boeing 737s to service the peak travel seasons of

TRUJET

SHORT-TERM GAME: SpiceJet has wet-leased Airbus A319 similar to the one in the photograph

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

ABOVE GROUND LEVEL 

VEERESH MALIK

AEROBRIDGES AT GAYA GET PERMISSION Air travellers at Gaya airport can soon experience the aerobridge facility as two aerobridges at the airport are going to be in the ready to use mode. The passengers will directly disembark on the first floor of the airport and exit through the centrally air conditioned corridor. According to Dilip Kumar, Director of the airport, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given approval to the airport for the use of aerobridges. The initial permission has been given for a period of three months subject to review of the aerobridge performance.

RUSH HOUR: Passengers at check-in counters of SpiceJet

April and May. the only aircraft available for ACMI in the On June 23, 2015 SpiceJet received its June-October period. first A319 (registered OK-MEL) on wet Such wet leases are looked upon as lease from the Czech Republic’s airline, stop-gap arrangements till the time the airCSA. The aircraft, fitted with 144 seats in line is able to re-negotiate with lessors who a single class configuration, flies had repossessed the airline’s aircraft. a fixed pattern every day: The airline has already managed Delhi-Bengaluru-Delhito re-induct a Boeing 737Goa-Delhi-Hyderabad900 that was earlier reposSuch wet Delhi. The second sessed. Once the airline's leases are looked A319 (registered capacity targets are met upon as stop-gap arLZ-AOA) from by re-inducted aircraft, rangements till the time the the airline may not Bulgaria’s Balkan Holidays joined need to resort to any airline is able to re-negotiSpiceJet’s fleet on further wet leases. ate with lessors who had July 19, 2015. The Corporates are an repossessed the airline's aircraft, fitted with important source of rev150 seats in a single enue for an airline and aircraft class configuration, also most corporates judge an flies a fixed pattern every airline by its marketshare and day: Mumbai-Delhi-Guwanetwork. By growing the fleet, hati-Kolkatta-Guwahati-Delhiand hence the marketshare and network, Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Mumbai. Both leases the airline will be left with just its on-time are for three months each. It is believed that performance to work on, before it can rethe airline inducted the A319s as these were emerge as an airline of choice. –– Vasuki Prasad

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

GOVERNMENT SCANS CORRUPT PRACTICES Navi Mumbai and Goa airport consultant, Louis Berger International, has been ticked off by the government following its admission to US authorities that employees paid bribes to officials to win contracts in India. The company clarified to the Economic Times that the allegations of wrongdoing only pertained to water projects in Goa and Guwahati. Regine DelaCruz, a spokeswoman for Louis Berger, was quoted saying, “The only indication of inappropriate activities was the Goa and Guwahati water projects outlined in our agreement with the US Department of Justice. Of course, Louis Berger would cooperate with Indian authorities the same as we did with US authorities.” NEW CHENNAI AIRPORT TO MISS GIM DATE The new Chennai airport terminal which was to welcome the investors and captains of industry from abroad for the Global Investors Meet (GIM), has failed to meet the dates. The attendees would have to use the Old Anna International Terminal. Due to lack of staff, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has taken the decision to spruce up and refurbish the old arrival terminal as the newly constructed one could not be operational before the event.

INTERVIEW

"We should have ten times more aircraft flying in India" Patrick de Castelbajac, Chief Executive Officer of ATR, was recently in Delhi to attend an aviation conference and review the best-selling turbo prop’s presence in the Indian market. Castelbajac is gung-ho about the Indian market and believes that sooner rather than later it is the turbo revolution that will really connect India. He spoke on these and other issues during the course of an in-depth conversation with K SRINIVASAN You have reached the landmark figure of 1500 aircraft sold, over 300 aircraft to be delivered. It’s a good place to be in. What are your first thoughts?

Well, the first thoughts for 1500 were not only that it was a 1500 number, it was (also) for us the first aircraft sold directly to Japan which is a great aviation country. They are very demanding in terms of safety, in terms of comfort and we had to convince them about everything that we are able to perform up to their standards. So, that was very important and then indeed 1500 is a fantastic number. The business case when we launched the ATR was 400 aircraft. So yes, it was an important milestone and for me it has meant that we have to do better, basically. It’s a milestone but now we’ve got to up our game moving forward. So to me it is more demanding than satisfying.

You have projected sales of 2500 aircraft over 20 years, but indeed if you have to reach that figure then you need to really dent two critical markets — North America and India and China in Asia. You have a marginal presence in India, but you are simply not there in the other two markets. What are your thoughts on that?

In North America, I think we’ve got two big obstacles. One is the scope clause (there are scope clauses or similar restrictions made in collective bargaining agreements in many parts of the world, but the limitations are probably still strongest in the market that otherwise liberalised first: US mainline pilots are very reluctant to give ground on scope because they believe outsourced flying costs them jobs. Some US airlines still have pilots on furlough, which can make extracting more concessions to allow such expansion of outsourcing even more difficult) which basically does not play in our favour because if you ask a pilot who is abiding by one agreement that says he’ll be paid less if he flies the aircraft and the next sentence you

India! To be honest, first for the Southeast Asia –– Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand –– all of Southeast Asia is very active for us. It is a huge market for us, we’ve got more aircraft flying there today than in Europe today. But India, is my big frustration because when I look at the numbers, when I look at the fundamentals, we should have like ten times more aircraft than what we have today

ask ‘would you love to buy it?’, for same reason they say ‘No’. So, scope clause is a big, big obstacle. Another obstacle is the way we function today is our aircraft, and the design of the aircraft is that people go onboard and go up by a door at the rear of the aircraft, which is again for the Americans in particular, not their custom or habit. They don’t like it. They want to be able to go directly from the room in the airport to the aircraft without going on the tarmac. So, we need to see whether or not we want to change the design of the aircraft to do a pax door in the front and then maybe, we can have more chance to get the attention of the US market. However, we are studying it and if it can be done, we will do. I think it’s a big market. I believe the scope clause is a big issue but we need to work on it. So, we’ll first try and see if we can get the right product for the market and then see if we can get back into it. I’m actually reasonably confident that one day we’ll go there because my experience of American people is that there are pragmatic and the economics of our aircraft are just unbeatable on short distances. So, for me at one point of time we’ll get back there. We need the right product first and then we’ll see. That’s for North America. China! China is a very difficult market for us for one simple reason –– MA 60 (The CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

Xian MA60 is a turboprop produced by China’s Xi’an Aircraft Industrial Corporation under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The MA60 is based on the An-24 to operate in rugged conditions with limited ground support and has short take-off and landing (STOL) capability). So, my belief is it is very hard for us... but we are trying and now we have a full team in China. We set up an office in Beijing (and) we are really trying to get back into the Chinese market. Our target there is not necessarily the regions near the coast which are overpopulated and where the loadfactors are huge anyway, so they don’t need our aircraft. There are other parts of China, more in the West and in the North, which are less populated and people still need to travel. Again for them to buy, to build train or highways is not necessarily an option. So, our aircraft can be very useful there. And we have started to talk to some people and there are some airlines that really would be very keen on, very interested at least in, getting our aircraft there. So we have to now work little more on the political level to make it happen but things will take time. But if it happens, yes, the potential is huge. India! To be honest, first for the Southeast Asia –– Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand –– all of Southeast Asia is very active for us. It is a huge market for us, we’ve got more aircraft flying there today than in Europe today. But India, is my big frustration because when I look at the numbers, when I look at the fundamentals, we should have like ten times more aircraft than what we have today.

If you look at the turbo market per se, you have over 78 per cent of the market, but if you look at 90-plus seater market, you come down to the 30s in percentage terms. Ideally, it should be turbo country not Embraer country, but that isn’t happening. Why?

A couple of things. I think, first, we may not have backed on the right players all the time. So, at one point of time ATR invested with some people and the airlines didn’t survive…. Kingfisher, Air Deccan. It’s unfortunate. Everybody loves money. We lost lot of money and that’s life and that happens. I think, India is a country the only place maybe where the level of complexity equals the potential. And it’s a huge potential. So the question is: can India be able to simplify enough to get rid of these complexities? Because today, I don’t believe that aviation in India fights with the same weapon as does the rest of the world. If we take-off some of the burdens –– administrative layers, taxes, fuel (surcharge). If we simplify this a little bit not massively, that could make a big change. On top, if you pay little attention to the airports, and again I am not talking about building A380 airports everywhere. I am talking about airports with minimum ATC, minimum facilities where our aircraft can go in-and-out all day, that will change the picture.

But even that isn’t happening. If you look at the North of India, I can think of at least 10 airports where you can do it, but it is still not happening. All the B and C cities are being served by jets not the turbo.

some will grow and some won’t. But when you have to test a route to open it, why test a route with a 160-seater or a 200-seater? You need to test a route with a 70-seater or even a 50-seater. And you see if the traffic comes and actually there is genuine traffic at a later point in time, will get a level of maturity when we can get the big ones. But people go directly for the big ones because that’s what they know, that’s what they are familiar with. I am very confident now that the next step will be actually the regional one. I see that happening and I’m not the only one. I see it happening because I hear it from people here, I hear it from people outside India as well who talk to me

and say, “Hey, we are thinking about doing something regarding regional in India and all that” because as you just said indeed if you take Turboprop we are like 80 per cent of the market share. But even if you take Turboprop and jet (below 90 seater), we still are at 38 per cent. So, when people think regional, they come to us and say, “Hey, what’s that?” So yes, I hear India more and more every day. I really think that if again the current government delivers on what they say, it’s going to be fantastic.

So, I e matters. Exactly, siz e people were tim kthink for a on that, thin g in s s u c fo al. really internation a, s b u h ig b n ing se –– inter l li a e r y e th Then ationa thing –– n , e n o is l a n tio nd so otential. A has huge p k home still bac they went ys with big to

I think it is not happening because the people who have the means and the knowledge to launch a business, they go first for the big ones.

More sex appeal perhaps?

Exactly, size matters. So, I think for a time people were really focussing on that, thinking big hubs, international. Then they realise –– international is one thing –– national has huge potential. And so, they went back home still with big toys. Now there are routes on which the traffic doesn’t justify big toys and that is very clear to me. And if you remain

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW You have replaced the Bombardier in some markets recently. In that sense, it’s a feather in your cap.

Thank you. When you got to the percentage we are in, it’s not only because we have good sales people, but because we’ve got a very good product. Basically, we have got a very good product. It’s simple, it’s efficient, it works as simple as that. So, after that our job is to improve the product and we are working on it. I think also Bombardier focussed maybe a little bit too much on the C Series for a little too long. That’s tough. But I trust they are going to re-focus on the Qs now. They have to improve. If you look at a couple of years ago, we are roughly at par in production. Last year, they produced 24 aircraft, we produced 83. So, they need to do something. And they’ve got a very good team now managing the company, and I am sure they will put right focus on the Qs and they will get something out of it.

There are several innovations that you have recently announced. The modular galleys, a more spacious cabin, more seats (74 to 78).

A couple of things happened. When I joined the company a little more than a year ago, until now we were really focussed on making a full new Turboprop aircraft. The problem is that it takes two to tango, same for an aircraft and ATR. If the Italians want something that the others don’t want, it’s not happening and the other way around.

Which means you will never do a stretch?

First, I think the 72 P is already a stretch. So, if we can stretch it further, we will but to do another new aircraft, we need to have Airbus and Alenia on board together.

Airbus isn’t on board.

Exactly! So, as a result we changed focus because before that the company’s focus was ‘okay let’s do this all-new aircraft’ and then I think we realised that this

is not happening. At least in the near future it’s not happening, so let’s focus on what can we do with the aircraft. So, now at last responding to your question, what can we do? We could improve density. A little more fuel, that means more revenue for the airline. And again, our aircraft are flying in average one hour. So, do we need all the galleys we have for a one hour flight? Not necessarily. Now, we have a new scheme of seats. They take less weight. We are improving now regarding avionics, we decided for the next five years to go on with Thales. We do an electronic flight bag (TR’s optimal onboard tablet-based system for the airline’s electronic flight bag (EFB) initiative). We do SkyVision with Elbit (a first for commercial aviation), ATR and Elbit systems will make available a wearable substitute for a head-up display (HUD) for pilots flying ATR 600 series turboprops. The system, called Skylens integrates with Elbit’s ClearVision enhanced flight vision system (EFVS) to display highresolution information, images and video on a head-mounted visor, allowing pilots flying ATR 600 series turboprops to take-off and land in low-visibility conditions, day or night) and that will, for example, in India when you have this airport without ILS. And the philosophy was –– okay, what can we do with the avionics that will enable us to increase safety and for the aircraft to be reasonably independent from the ground structure? So that’s what we tried to do. Then, we are looking at engines. Okay, we have a great engine, a very efficient and a robust one. With the jets what they have done is increased the bypass ratio. With the propeller you already have a nominal bypass ratio. So, it doesn’t work. We cannot expect exactly the same game. So what we’re looking at and what I said to the teams to work with is: what can we do regarding fuel burn on the one hand and maintenance on the other. Because I really believe that our aircraft don’t turn as hot as a jet. They work a little bit differently, so we should be able to cut the maintenance cost

down. So, I’m trying to build a case where I can secure some saving on the fuel and maintenance because my problem is almost a paradox, is when you have our engine burn so little under bracket that when you get 10 per cent of this, it’s nothing. Our aircraft fuel burn roughly 225 gallons per hour. You take 10-20 per cent gallons per hour. 20 gallons per hour – you don’t build a business case. Nobody will pay extra money to save that. It’s a great problem to have. So, I need to figure out if we can make it work. So I’m working on it. If I can make it a profitable business for everyone, I will. If I see that it is marginal, I won’t.

What is the present assessment?

The assessment today is basically fuel burn alone won’t justify it. I need to get some decent gain on maintenance.

Improvement on thrust?

Not much, actually because again we don’t believe in race for speed, Bombardier believed in it and we know where they are. So, I don’t believe it makes a real difference. Okay, climb speed is something I’m working on but cruise speed…. (No).

But you have aped the Bombardier in one respect. In following them in having a Combi — a cargo/passenger mix on some aircraft

Basically, what happens is some customers have very thin routes. So, we are talking 2025 people. And they serve basically isolated areas where it makes sense for them to bring some cargo. So, we looked at what we could do and we realised it was actually quite easy and we’ve done it already in the past but never went public with that and that’s not smart of us. So, what we’ve done is now is a kind of combi version whereby you’ve got double the size of the cargo to roughly 20 cubic metres and that is a lot of flexibility for the airlines. Depending on the routes, they can reconfigure the aircraft very quickly.

You are working on a Air India’s ATR flies plenty in the North East and offers immense connectivity across the region

CRUISING HEIGHTS July 2015

new air

PARIS AIR SHOW 2015 conditioning system. You were quoted as saying that particular in the case of short fights like island hopping, too many landing and take-offs at short periods takes a toll on the present system.

That’s true. When you go and stay high, for a while, it takes-off the humidity and it enables the cabin to cool down. Imagine, I’ve got people doing 15 minutes flight, 15 minutes, oof! Up and down. So, that’s work in progress and we are trying to see if it could be retrofitted.

How many do you assemble a year now? 120?

I just moved from 50, 60, 70, 80, and to 90 and now we are going to move to 100.

The challenge is indeed there. We improved production, we increased production from 2010-2014 by 60 per cent. And the challenge today for the supplychain is, for me, one of the biggest I have, honestly. It’s difficult. One of the reasons why it is difficult is also because we are not the only one and we are little bit the small guys on the block. Because the suppliers are the same for Boeing, Airbus and guess what when Airbus said, “Hey, I want 200 aircraft more” and I came and said, “Hey, I need 10 more, 15 more,” guess who has the priority. So, the challenge is for us to motivate the supplychain to serve us well without getting crazy about the prices because our market will not withstand too much price increase and to make this increase in production while keeping the quality and that is the challenge. And today, I think the industrial set-up is actually reasonably standard in our industry. Everybody is the same. We just have bits and pieces manufactured everywhere.

These days the fuel prices have hit rock bottom, ATR is hot when the fuel prices are hot, ATR is not so hot when the prices are down. It is a larger philosophical question. How do you deal with it?

I’m not getting philosophical, don’t worry.

PHOTOS: H C TIWARI

That would be a challenge in logistics and in managing the supply chain

LEADING FROM THE FRONT: (L)Patrick de Cattelbajac with Guillaume Huertas, Sales Director for South Asia and the man responsible for pushing the aircraft in the sub-continent

That’s why, I also set a target this year as book-to-bill because the challenge for us this year is also we sold so much of the past 2-3 years that indeed not only have we got 300 aircraft in the backlog (firm) but we have to add roughly 120 (options). Our conversion rates for the past 10 years have been 94 per cent. So, the real backlog is in excess of 400 aircraft. Which is a big problem when you sell an aircraft for me because…

You can’t offer any aircraft till 2019!

Precisely! So, I have people here saying, “Hey, can we have an aircraft by next year, will that be possible? (Can I have an aircraft the year after?” And I am like, “No. But ’19 sounds like a great year.” And the guy says, “Hey, I don’t care.” That also slows down the sales. So, you’ve got that (and) you’ve got the fuel price which is going down, which is not helpful for us. It helps because the airline might get a little more cash, not necessarily a lot. Then, you’ve got the increase of the dollar. You guys are doing very well in India. In most places, the dollar reached sky high levels and so that impacts also the business because you procure many things in dollars. So, it actually reduced impact on the fuel as well for them. So, that’s not excellent. And again my problem is early slots. So, to come back to your question, now, I don’t suffer that much. We’ve managed book-to-bill so far and CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

I’m very confident we’ll do better than book to bill. Also there are a couple of differences. One remembers that in year 2000 what happened close to a big dive in 2003-2004. It was at that time, the fuel price was around $20 a barrel and everybody would go “Hey, jets are sexy.” So, they all went for jets and they all bought a number of jets. That sounds great except that the fuel started to go up again and when they started receiving the aircraft some of them were parking them into the desert directly brand new because in terms of operation it wasn’t flying. So, I think people remember that. So people are less hasty in saying, “Oh, fuel price is down now, so I buy.” So I don’t see this rush into the jets. We see a little bit but not very much. That is why I am reasonably confident that basically the best way to hedge your risks versus fuel, I think is to buy ATR. Today with the ATR 600, we have a good aircraft in terms of comfort, in terms of security and safety, in terms of technology and in terms of reliability… operated in I think 90 countries by 190 operators we still have a dispatch reliability of 99.6. So, today I think people do not only buy the aircraft only because of the fuel burn, that’s the main driver, I know it, but to buy it because it is reliable, simple to operate, reasonably comfortable and safe as well. So, I think what we are selling today compared to what we were selling 10 year ago, our only speech was fuel, fuel and fuel. Now, people in the operations show that we’ve got more fuel to offer.

DIAL

COVER STORY

Second airport chant – again! Now we see it; now we don’t…Now we see it; now we don’t…But wait, now we do. Thank you for that, Dr Mahesh Sharma. A second international airport for Delhi has become a toy for politicians of all hues – each one throwing up the issue to earn more than his share of brownie points – who care little to question the need of creating expensive infrastructure

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

he plan for a second airport for Delhi can be compared to a pot of stew on a fire bubbling away. At regular intervals, politicians of all hues from states touching the Capital region, take time off to dive in to the pot and announce grandly that the preparations were over and a second international airport would come up at ‘X’, ‘Y’ or ‘Z’. Dr Mahesh Sharma is no exception. He has stirred the contents of the bubbling pot and lo and behold we have been presented with yet another proposal for a brand new second airport that would be constructed at Jewar in Noida. Coming as it does from none other than the Minister of State for Civ-

il Aviation the announcement is significant for a number of reasons. First, of course, the fact is that he is not only a Member of Parliament from Gautam Budh Nagar (Noida) but also holds the second most important position in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Second, for those who have been following the party in power, Dr Sharma is apparently close to Home Minister Rajnath Singh (who had announced a new international airport in Greater Noida when he was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh). This has given rise to the general impression — rightly or wrongly — that obstacles in the path of the second international airport would vanish. Indeed, the Jewar airport proposal has already earned quite a reputation — politically. The BJP’s detractors point to it as the proverbial carrot being dangled before the next assembly elections though Dr Mahesh Sharma has emphasized that it has nothing to do with politics. He was quoted saying that “it's a long pending demand addressed in nick of time. At times politics is not everything”, he said. “We've to plan for the future and do a planning for next 20 years for better connectivity keeping in mind both national and global tourists criss-crossing the country through Delhi and Uttar Pradesh,” he said. Ever since Dr Sharma popped the news on June 26, 2015 that the Ministry of Civil Aviation had approved the proposal to build a second international airport in the Delhi NCR region (the National Capital Region of the country includes the cities of Gurgaon and Faridabad from Haryana and Noida from Uttar Pradesh) at Jewar in Greater Noida (Jewar is around 100 km from Delhi) in a meeting with officials from the ministry, the Airports Authority of India and others, the question that has been doing the rounds is: Does the capital city of Delhi require another international airport? The Indira Gandhi International Airport is nowhere near saturation: the airport can handle 62.5 million passengers but in 2014-15, it saw only 40.9 million and as for cargo, the airport handled 0.7 million tonnes in 2014-15 when it has a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes. According to aviation industry experts, traffic at Delhi airport is expected to grow 5.1 per cent on a compound annual growth rate: It will be expected to handle 62.5 million passengers in 2020-21 and 100 million by 2030-31 as per the master plan. As for facilitating fliers, when completed, the Jewar Airport would help those from Greater Noida, Mathura, Aligarh, Agra, Alwar and at least add dozen districts of Uttar Pradesh to reduce travel time by almost two to four hours that they spend to reach the Indira Gandhi International Airport today. Advocates of the second international CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

Bumpy ride through the years 2001F Greenfield Taj International Airport at Jewar mooted

2003F Project cleared by AAI 2007F May: Mayawati govern-

ment revives Jewar airport proposal in meeting with the then PM Manmohan Singh. Civil Aviation ministry asks state to submit details

2007F October: UP government

gives assurance to Centre to abide by contractual agreement by Centre and GMR Group, promoters of Delhi’s IGI airport, in case any loss of revenue is reported

2008F January: GoM on Jewar

headed by the then Home Minister P Chidambaram constituted

2009F November: Mayawati

government again requests Centre to sanction the airport proposal at Jewar

2010F August: GoM meets. Decision deferred on airport

2010F October: Mayawati appeals to Centre to clear airport proposal

2011F December: Ajit Singh takes over as Civil Aviation Minister. Rekindles the hope of reviving Jewar airport

2012F May: Akhilesh-led UP

government scraps Jewar airport proposal

2014F November: Newly-appointed Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Mahesh Sharma, revives Jewar airport saying it was important to decongest the air traffic in the NCR region

2015F June: Aviation ministry

clears proposal for second airport in Delhi-NCR to come up at Jewar COMPILED BY: PUNIT MISHRA

COVER STORY airport theory point out that if London can have six and New York seven airports, why not Delhi? There are reasons for the airports. Take London, for instance. In terms of number of passengers per year in descending order, there is Heathrow — incidentally, the airport narrowly lost its number one position to Dubai with its 70.5 million international passengers when it reported 68.1 million international passengers in 2014; if domestic flights are included Heathrow had 73.4 million passengers in 2014 three million more than Dubai — Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, City and Southend. Most of these airports were built on aerodromes set up between the two wars. One such was Croydon Airport, the first airport in London. The airport died a natural death after World War II because it did not have runways that were long enough for larger planes. So, there is Heathrow at the edge of the city. Then, there is Gatwick — a backup for Heathrow — that is close to the Royal Air Force airfields, but way out of the city. Both Stansted, a RAF airfield, and Luton (a regional airport meant to serve the Home Counties) were set up to serve London. That leaves City which is part of Canary Wharf and Southend being the most recent. For an international city like London, all the airports serve their purpose. According to Kapil Kaul, CEO (South Asia) at the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, it would take anywhere between five and seven years — even if things moved at double quick time — for the second airport to become operational. That would bring us to around 2022. “By then,” Kaul was quoted saying, “the present airport will be closer to its structural capacity”. He went on to point

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LONDON

LOS ANGELES

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• • • • •

Mahesh Sharma Minister of State for Civil Aviation

“The new airport project in Jewar is an important project. It has to be discussed in the wider interest of the nation. The airport is not a project of Mayawati or Mulayam Singh, but of India.”

7 6 5

ONE TOO MANY Cities with more than one airport NEW YORK

out that the Indira Gandhi International Airport by 2022 or later would be “a more competitive and perhaps, a very critical airport for the aviation sector with very strong network density and will remain unchallenged even after the second airport becomes operational. Amber Dubey, Partner and India head of Aerospace and Defence at KPMG, is one of those who feel that Delhi and the NCR would need three or more airports like London or New York — but not just yet. The situation that would warrant the creation of a new airport was many years away. He believed that two airports in close proximity of each other handling 55 million passengers and 1.5 million tonnes of cargo would send airport tariffs for passengers flying. Additionally, it would also be difficult for airlines, cargo stakeholders and others to station staff at two airports for a small demand base. That has, however, not fazed Dr Mahesh Sharma. He has gone on record to state that “the new airport at Jewar is in the wider interest of the country. Considering the indus-

trial growth in Noida and Greater Noida belt, there is a need to develop infrastructure, like a new airport”. He also mentioned that with the rise in air traffic at Indira Gandhi International Airport, a new airport near the Indian capital would be needed. In an interview with business daily Mint, Dr Sharma said that with the “population of NCR (National Capital Region) at 5-6 crore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, portion of western Uttar Pradesh — even up to Meerut — they will use this (Jewar) airport”. There should be an airport in NCR, the Minister emphasized although he pointed out that “I don’t say it should be in Jewar. Let it be anywhere. Now the question is, where? We need about 1,200 acres of land. Do we have that? With new laws, it is not easy to acquire this land. So we have some land lying over there (in Jewar). We can think of it…” Other than the growth in population of NCR, one of the major reasons for the establishment of a new airport, according to Dr Sharma, was the fact that “air cargo business is almost nil as compared to its actual potential and if we really open all our doors for cargo, Delhi roads will be choked further…” second international airport for Delhi has been in the news for quite some time. What is more important to note is that it has been embroiled in politics. Way back in 2001, when the present Home Minister Rajnath Singh from the BJP was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, he had raised the idea of an international airport around Noida. When he quit and Mayawati took over as Chief Minister, she pushed the project. The present Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh is in no mood to accept the Jewar project and has been pushing for an airport near Agra.

John F. Kennedy International Airport LaGuardia Airport Long Island MacArthur Airport Newark Liberty International Airport Stewart International Airport Trenton-Mercer Airport Westchester County Airport

London City Airport Gatwick Airport Crawley London Heathrow Airport Luton Airport London Stansted Airport London Southend Airport

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

Bob Hope Airport John Wayne Airport Ontario International Airport Long Beach Airport Los Angeles International Airport

Dr Sharma’s announcement about the Civil Aviation Ministry’s proposal for a second airport in the National Capital Region brought in its wake a volley from detractors. Commenting about Sharma’s announcement that the proposal has been cleared by his Ministry and would be sent to the Cabinet, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju had said, “Please ask Mr Sharma... Anybody can give suggestion, anybody can write (to the Ministry)…I don't even know whether it (proposal for a new airport) should go to the Cabinet.” Raju also said that the “state (Uttar Pradesh) has to agree for an airport as airport has to come up on land and land is a state issue. We need two hands to clap”. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has also underlined the fact that a second airport would be needed only after the IGIA reaches saturation. “In general the preferred option is to have a single airport serving a particular city. Having a single airport will grow Delhi as an aviation hub as it makes it convenient for passengers making flight connections. Airlines can focus all their resource in one location. And there would be greater efficiencies in not having to duplicate services, as in the case of air traffic control and the fire services," IATA spokesperson Albert Tjoeng said in an email response to a daily. He also stated that “the primary consideration for Delhi should be on maximizing the capacity at Indira Gandhi International Airport. It is only after all capacity expansion options have been exhausted — if there is no more land available for additional runways or terminals, and no more efficiencies can be added to the terminal (through expansion or using technology) — should a second airport be considered”.

Delhi airport, in fact, has ample scope for capacity expansion, according to aviation analysts. Indeed, even before the first brick is laid – that obviously is a long way off — obstacles could come from the state government of Uttar Pradesh (Noida is part of Uttar Pradesh). The UP government wants an international airport between the cities of Agra (around 165 km from Delhi) where the Taj Mahal is and Mathura, 50 km away. More important is the fact that the Jewar airport — or for that matter any airport in the NCR region — would have to override the agreement with GMR, the operators of IGIA. According to the agreement, the government cannot permit construction of any airport within a 150-km radius of the Delhi airport. And if it did, the first right of refusal for construction and operation would be GMR’s. For Mahesh Sharma, however, that does not seem to be a problem. He was quoted saying that GMR would indeed be

given first right of refusal and if it refused, “we are committed to complete it in time once we put it on drawing board”. He went on to say that “for the new project, the government will be required to amend certain regulations”. Though the Jewar proposal has once again brought a second international airport for the capital in the limelight, it is time to boost the present Delhi airport and develop it into a hub and one that is worthy of a world-class city. Indeed, the country has not been able to create an aviation hub in all these years since its independence while next door neighbours, Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong have taken away passengers and cargo from India. Incidentally, one of the reasons for the establishment of Jewar airport would be to facilitate cargo movement, according to Dr Sharma. If, as experts believe, air cargo growth worldwide would be driven by Asia over the next two decades and intra-Asia growth will be expected to dominate world air cargo growth, it is time our ministers and leaders push forward an impetus for a strong air cargo infrastructure at Delhi, for instance. Transshipment cargo facilities need to be created since Delhi is ideally located to act as a transfer hub for various intercontinental routes like Australia and Europe and South East Asia. These routes, at present are dominated by European, Middle Eastern and South Eastern Asian carriers. Despite the geographical advantage, India has not been able to successfully compete in the market to capture intercontinental traffic. Till such time, however, fliers out of Delhi will have to bear up with the likes of Dr Mahesh Sharma bringing in politics instead of concentrating on the work at hand.

MELBOURNE

STOCKHOLM

BOSTON

• • • •

Ashok Gajapathi Raju Union Civil Aviation Minister

“I don't even know whether it (proposal for a new airport) should go to the Cabinet. For setting up a new airport, both state and the Centre have to come on board... It takes two hands (to clap)..."

4 4 4

Avalon Airport Essendon Airport Melbourne Airport Moorabbin Airport

Stockholm Arlanda Airport Stockholm Bromma Airport Stockholm Skavsta Airport Stockholm Västerås Airport

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

Logan International Airport Manchester–Boston Regional Airport T. F. Green Airport Worcester Regional Airport

FOCUS

‘India offers vast opportunities for Pilatus’ Exuding confidence in the Indian market, Ignaz Gretener, Vice President-General Aviation, Pilatus Aircraft Limited tells Cruising Heights about the Pilatus’ journey in India and how India and South Asia promises to the best market for its aircraft Indian general aviation market is relooking at the value of the single-engine turboprop aircraft. As a leading player globally, in this aircraft category, do you share this optimism and if yes, what in your opinion are the key growth areas for single-engine turboprop aircraft in India and South Asia?

PC-12 and PC12 NG have been in service in India now for quite a few years through your Direct Sales Agents (DSAs). Given that the PC-12 serves multiple roles as executive transport, air ambulance and special mission applications – which of these has had the best response so far and how do you plan to expand and stimulate growth potential of this segment?

We certainly share that optimism. Due to its unique concept, there are actually many key growth areas in India and South Asia for the PC-12. The PC-12 has already established a solid position in the medical evacuation market and is used for several different transport operations in this region. The combination of a large cabin with a passenger and a cargo door, the capability to take-off and land from short and unprepared runways as well as the reliability proven in more than 5 million flight hours makes the PC-12 a very strong tool for many more in India.

Indeed the first PC-12s started flying in India in the early 2000s. The key to success is top support of each and every PC-12 operator. In India, Pilatus has appointed ACS (Air Charter Services) as official Pilatus Centre for the sales and service of the PC12. ACS is one of the leading maintenance organisations in India and approved by Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) India as a CAR 145 certified company. ACS runs a 24 hours/7 days service facility with capabilities from line maintenance to heavy maintenance. The relationship we have with our authorised sales and support centres around

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

the world is unique and crucial to the success of our company in general. We approach the centres as an extension of Pilatus which creates a reliable partnership for our customers. In India, the PC-12 is mainly used in executive and air ambulance missions. The diversity of the PC-12 shows that PC-12 can be used also for surveillance, airlines, cargo transport, fractional ownership, law enforcement, charter, fire spotting, and relief aid roles or in a combination of it.

Within India, commercial aviation does an inadequate job of connecting second and third-tier cities, creating a great opportunity for business aviation. Do you have plans for tying up with new regional commercial aircraft companies that are now coming up to tap this opportunity? If yes, please share some details.

Since making its debut in the market, the PC-12 has built a proven record as one of the safest business aircraft in the market. This and its low fuel burn and operating cost have made the PC-12 the number one choice for many regional operators around the world offering point-to-point connections with 10 or less passengers on one

Starting in 2008, growth of the total fleet of aircraft in India has started to decline on the account of economic recession. In combination with some other factors, it came to complete halt in the last year. But, we are positive that this downtrend has reached the bottom now.

The Pilatus PC-12 turboprop single is gaining ground as a cost-effective alternative to helicopter air ambulances. Medanta’s patient rescue service, ‘Flying Doctors India’ apparently employs Pilatus PC-12 aircraft as dedicated air ambulances. Since its launch what has been the growth? Have other hospitals started similar services in India?

I have to admit that Pilatus is proud that the well-respected Medanta is relaying on the outstanding safety, dispatch reliability and mission flexibility of our PC-12 aircraft. In a typical air ambulance configuration, the PC-12 allows for safe, comfortable, and fast transport for one or two patients on stretchers and medical crews and their life-saving gear (Intensive Care Unit [ICU]). Its standard, large 53”x52” (1.35m x 1.32m) cargo door allows easy loading

operations. In India too, given that vast tracts of land continue to be remote and inaccessible, the PC-6 could prove to be boon. Given its current demand in China, do you plan on tapping the potential for PC-6 here as well? If yes, what segment would you target?

The Pilatus Porter PC-6 has become a legendary aircraft. Its unique Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) capabilities, reliability and versatility in all weather and terrain conditions have established the reputation of the PC-6 as a rugged utility aircraft. The Pilatus Porter PC-6 is fully capable of operating from different types of unprepared, rough and short airstrips, in remote areas, at high altitudes and in all climates. A simple but solid construction, proven systems and features, combined with precision Swiss workmanship result in the highest reliability and lowest maintenance possible. The potential for the Pilatus Porter in India is there, however, untapped. With its high wing and propeller ground clearance, the PC-6 is much less exposed to damage from very rough airstrips than aircraft with a conventional nosewheel-type undercarriage. Whether as a passenger aircraft, a platform for parachutists (sky diving), air ambulance or just for cargo transport, the Pilatus Porter delivers the versatility to perform any role where a rugged utility aircraft is demanded.

Now that the PC-24 has successfully completed its first maiden flight, how do you see this super versatile jet redefining the executive jet market in India in the next five years?

flight. We are convinced that the formula of less cost and less carbon footprint will also work for commercial aircraft companies in India.

What are the challenges you face in India with regard to making inroads in general aviation?

of the patients on stretchers. The PC-12 has proven itself to be a flexible and cost-effective air medical transport solution throughout the world and in some most extreme environments. We foresee an immense future potential in this market segment.

Pilatus Porter or PC-6, the oldest aircraft in Pilatus’ stable is known as a versatile workhorse –– serving as air ambulance or passenger aircraft and several other CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

The first ever PC-24 Super Versatile Jet took off on its maiden flight on May 11, 2015. In the meantime, the PC-24 has successfully completed already more than 50 hours in flight. A total of three PC-24 prototypes will be built and used to complete a test programme of some 2,300 hours over the next two years. Certification and initial deliveries of the first aircraft to come off the production line are planned from 2017. Pilatus sold 84 PC-24s at last year’s European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE). That is equivalent to all PC-24 delivery positions planned between the start of deliveries in 2017 and the end of 2019. With the rampup of the production the time will come when the PC-24 –– the world’s first business jet to be equipped with a cargo door as standard, with take-off and landing performance that allows the use of very short and even unmade runways –– will redefine the Indian business jet market.

NO CABIN CREW Club One Air talks about DGCA's new directive to operators

QATAR'S JET BIZ GROWS Qatar Executive is making profits through its private jet business

S-512 UPGRADES Spike Aerospace unveiled the latest update to the Spike S-512 jet

The cabin crew, basically, are the ambassadors of any charter operators since they represent the services offered and make an impression about the company to clients flying in their business jet. But, from now on, if you are flying in a 19-passenger capacity jet, chances are that you will not see a crew member welcoming you with a smile. With a relaxation in rules by the DGCA, you may have to help yourself in a six-hour journey. A report by ANJANA TANWAR

n a big relief for general aviation, a new rule by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has allowed charter operators to operate 19-passenger jets without any cabin crew onboard. “The rules for having cabin crew member onboard have been relaxed for aircraft with up to 19-seat capacity,” a senior DGCA official was quoted saying. The directive has brought relief to a large number of charter operators in the country. In India, 90 per cent of the total 130 general aviation aircraft fleet operated by charter operators are below the 19-seat capacity. The operators were fighting this battle for a very long time and after repetitive requests, DGCA removed the rule of flying cabin crew for 19-seat business jets.

However, the operators of such aircraft also want the regulator to waive off additional cabin crew requirement, if they prefer to carry cabin crews on long journeys. Business Aircraft Operators’ Association (BAOA) had taken up this issue both with DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation for amendment of the existing Rule on carriage of cabin crew. Though, the process of amendment in Aircraft rules is lengthy one and needs approval of the parliament. DGCA has followed the due process to come out with an interim for the benefit of entire GA/BA industry. Capt RK Bali, MD, BAOA said, “DGCA has recently come out with a draft on Flight and Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) regulation of cabin crew. In this

AIRBUS

SERENE: Interior view of one of the Airbus-manufactured corporate aircraft

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

A look at the business of general aviation

No helping hands on bizjets draft CAR, carriage of additional cabin crew, for single sector flight of more 6 hours; has not been made applicable to small aircraft operated by GA/BA industry, having single entry/exit doors. As of now, if you are traveling to London on a corporate jet with less than 19 seats, you have the option of either not taking Cabin Crew at all, or, if you decide to take one along, and if the aircraft has single entry/exit door, this requirement of additional cabin crew will not be applicable. We do hope that this dispensation given for small aircraft with single exit/entry door, mostly operated by GA/BA operator; would be retained in the final CAR on the subject.” Globally, the current norms of not having any cabin crew member are followed as per safety standards, unless a flier demands for this facility. In case of an international flight beyond six hours travel time, the operator had to take on board an extra cabin crew member since there are duty hour limitations after six hours. Capt. Bali added, “We welcome the decision to waive the cabin crew requirement. However, if you are travelling over six hours on a corporate jet with less than 19 seats (mainly to international destinations), you have the option of either not taking cabin crew at all or if you decide to take one along, then you have to take two as per current rules and cannot go with one, putting operators in a difficult situation.”

CLUB ONE AIR

Cruising Heights talked to Bhupesh Joshi, Director and CEO, Club One Air about the DGCA’s new directive. Excerpts from the conversation: What is your reaction to the DGCA’s new directive to operate flights without cabin crew? We are very happy with the directive as the requirement for cabin crew was much more suitable for commercial jetliners than small business jets.

What kind of charter aircraft do you operate?

We operate four types of aircraft in small, medium and large category, CRJ 100 (17+1 seating), Citation Excel (7+1 seating), Cessna Citation C-II (7 seating), Falcon 2000 (8-10 seating) in total of 9+ aircraft.

What problems do you and other charter operators faced earlier in terms of flying cabin crew in every flight?

hard work and persuasion went into it.

If a charter operator wants to have a cabin crew on a specific journey, as per the requirement of a client, will it be possible for an operator to allow a cabin crew in the aircraft? Yes. It is just a matter of customer need and we are open to it.

Will this move help operators save money that was earlier spent on cabin crews?

To a great deal, yes! Training a cabin crew member on foreign shores is a costly affair.

We are very happy with the directive as the requirement for cabin crew was much more suitable for commercial jetliners than small business jets

There is a dire need of trained professionals and training agencies in the industry. There is no agency in India which trains these professionals on various types of aircraft on the safety point of view as the SOP is different for every aircraft so we need to send our cabin crew members to Europe or US for training which costs us very much

What do you think forced the DGCA to suddenly come up with this idea?

It is not a sudden decision as many years of

What problems did the crew face earlier on long-route flights? Due to lack of trained professionals we were unable to operate on long-haul flights.

How are you going to implement this rule in your company and what benefits do you see after implementing this?

Now the training cost can be brought down. Instead of training four people we may have to train only two as the relaxed rule will allow us not to fly everyone for every flight. We can also put cabin crew as an optional feature to be availed on a need basis.

It has been more than a decade that Club One Air has been operating in India. What, CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

according to you, are the steps that need to be taken to scale the business aviation market in India?

Ease of doing business is our highest priority. We should be allowed to have our presence at the airports – at least at booking counters where we can sell our flights to general public and make people aware of our group packages for the choicest of destinations across India and globally. Secondly, fuel taxes and parking charges should be subsidized for us as this non-scheduled flight business is yet to reach its growth potential so needs a bit more of nurturing at this growing stage.

What is the future of the business aviation market in India?

It has a huge potential. We have the largest group of upper middle class income group of people with disposable incomes who can avail our services. Besides that the awareness of these type of services is still at a very nascent stage and we would like to break the perception barrier that charters are only for the ‘uber rich’.

What are your further plans to expand in the country?

We are readying more aircraft for the coming years. We acquired two Falcon Jets this year and two more are set to join our fleet next year. We are looking to incorporate chopper services to provide end to end services in the charter aviation industry and we also intend to increase our regional footprint by accessing even far-flung or interior geographies of the country.

BUSINESS AVIATION

Qatar’s private jet business gets a boost

atar Executive’s service portfolio received a significant boost with Qatar Airways’ private jet division rapidly developing and expanding its aircraft management business from its Doha hub. In response to ‘great demand’ from Qatar customers who have acquired their own business aircraft, Qatar Executive has seen a substantial growth in aircraft management agreements and have added three owned jets to its fleet over the last 18 months. Aircraft owners benefit from Qatar Executive’s ‘in-house competencies’ such as the skilled and experienced aircraft maintenance team, which ensures that all maintenance work and operations are performed to the highest standards in compliance with a number of

the world’s leading regulatory authorities. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al-Baker, who also heads the airline’s business jet division, said, “Our private jet division is an integral part of the Qatar Airways group and has developed into a world-class corporate aviation operation since its start in 2009.” The fleet size is also set to increase, as Qatar Executive recently announced the purchase of 30 aircraft from Gulfstream Aerospace including firm orders and options of a combination of Gulfstream’s new wide-cabin aircraft, the G500 and G600, and the flagship G650ER. The first G650ER aircraft is expected to join Qatar Executive’s fleet in the last quarter of 2015.

HondaJet expands in South America H

onda Aircraft Company recently announced that it is expanding sales of the HondaJet for the first time to South America. Sales will begin in Brazil with HondaJet making its first appearance at the 2015 Latin America Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (LABACE) in São Paulo, Brazil, in August. With the expansion into Brazil, the HondaJet dealer network spans three continents and includes 11 territories in North America, Europe and South America. Michimasa Fujino, President and CEO, Honda Aircraft Company said, “General aviation in Brazil has experienced impressive growth, and it is the second largest country for new business jet sales. Expanding sales to this important market is part of our global sales plan and strategy for the HondaJet.”

Luxaviation receives first Phenom 300 E

mbraer Executive Jets delivered the first Phenom 300 to Luxaviation SA which is part of Luxaviation Group, the second largest business aviation group in the world based in Luxembourg. Luxaviation Group operates a combined fleet of more than 250 business aircraft, including 18 Embraer business jets. Marco Tulio Pellegrini, President and CEO, Embraer Executive Jets said, “I’m glad to welcome Luxaviation to the Phenom 300’s family. As an Embraer executive jets fleet operator, Luxaviation Group recognises our expertise in design-differentiated products as well as our excellence in customer services. I’m very confident with this longterm partnership, which will allow us to support Luxaviation Group’s operations and increasing presence in some of the world’s fastest growing business aviation markets.”

IAI mulls designs for new light business jet

srael Aerospace Industries (IAI) is thinking about a number of designs for its light business jet and is planning to present the shortlisted concepts to potential funding partners by the end of the year. Rafi Maor, Chairman at IAI said recently that “a light jet is being evaluated by the company and its design is based on revolutionary approach”. The planned project is another attempt from IAI to get into the civil aviation market with something unique, based on its long experience of designing and manufacturing aircraft.

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

Updated S-512 Supersonic Jet unveiled S

pike Aerospace unveiled the latest update to the Spike S-512 Supersonic Jet, an elegant, sleek and innovative business jet that will fly passengers to their destinations at supersonic speeds. Flying 450 mph faster than any other civilian jet, the Spike S-512 will enable customers to fly from London to New York in just 3 hours — making day trips for business possible, The Spike S-512 interior features the Multiplex Digital cabin where passengers can enjoy panoramic views outside the aircraft, movies, maps, images or a presentation. With room for up to 18 passengers, customers can work or relax in comfort and style. Vik Kachoria, CEO and President at Spike Aerospace, said, “Flying supersonic is clearly the future of aviation. It makes the world smaller and more accessible. For any competitive global business, cutting flight times in half will have significant value. But for people who have busy global lives and want to spend time with the people they love, the Spike S-512 Supersonic Jet will be a necessity.” The most noticeable change to the aircraft design is that the wings are now a modified delta wing. According to Senior Engineer Anutosh Moitra, “The new delta wing of the S-512 delivers high aerodynamic efficiency and improved flight performance in

both low-speed flight and supersonic cruise. The highly swept leading-edge reduces wave drag and consequently reduces fuel burn and increases range. We’ve also modified the tail to reduce drag and improve aircraft control in supersonic conditions. Improved stability characteristics of the new S-512 design allowed us to eliminate the horizontal tail resulting in further reduction of drag and weight.”

Gulfstream enables onboard use of smartphones G ulfstream Aerospace has received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for installation of the next-generation Satcom Direct Router (SDR), an enhancement that simplifies cabin communications on Gulfstream G550 and G450 aircraft. Mike West, Vice President, Product Support Sales and New Business Development, Gulfstream said, “This equipment elevates the airborne office to a new level. The addition of a smart router allows for more communications options in the cabin, including Satcom Direct’s GlobalVT, which allows passengers to use their personal smartphones to call and text in flight. Just as they would if they were on the ground, outgoing calls show the passengers’ personal phone number and incoming calls display the number of the person calling them. This

voice and text functionality is seamless, secure and available at any altitude, virtually anywhere in the world.” The SDR offers 3G cellular connectivity worldwide with any service provider while on the ground and provides the latest technology in data compression and acceleration. The SDR also supports mobile applications for onboard cabin services, including moving map and Flight Tracker, etc. CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

Eclipse’s special edition released O NE Aviation recently announced the special edition of the Eclipse Special Edition (SE) twinengine jet. The Eclipse SE is a factoryrenewed Eclipse 500 which has been substantially upgraded and reconfigured to include nearly all new features introduced on the new Eclipse 550, including a Dual Avio Integrated Flight Management System (IFMS), Antiskid Brake System, a newly designed pilot-side Standby Display Unit, PPG glass windshields, new premium interior, and deluxe two-tone paint scheme. Alan Klapmeier, ONE Aviation’s CEO, said, “The Eclipse SE is much more than an upgraded Eclipse 500, it is a factory supported, like-new aircraft for a very reasonable price. Our decision to provide the SE with a 3-year warranty and 3-year maintenance plan further demonstrates our goal of simplifying aircraft ownership and providing clarity, convenience, and peace of mind for our customers who own and operate an Eclipse twin-engine jet.” With the introduction of the Eclipse SE, ONE Aviation will discontinue the Total Eclipse series of aircraft.

ENGINES

Leap-1C arrives at Comac CFM has delivered the first CFM LEAP-1C turbofan to China’s Comac for installation on the new C919 narrow body. This was announced in late June by the powerplant maker

FM and Comac recently held a delivery ceremony to mark the delivery of the first CFM LEAP-1C turbofan to China’s Comac for installation on the new C919 occasion in Shanghai. “It is a great day for the Leap engine and CFM,” said CFM Executive Vice President Allen Paxson. “This engine is the culmination of more than six years of hard work between the CFM and Comac teams and represents the launch of the next exciting phase of the C919 aircraft development.” Wu Guanghui, Vice President of COMAC said, "Delivery of this engine paves the way for the final assembly and rollout of the first C919 aircraft later this year. We have been very pleased with CFM's efficient management, strong technology, and professionalism. In addition, the candid collaboration and deep friendship that has developed between the COMAC and CFM teams resulted in a very smooth joint programme." Comac picked the LEAP-1C as the sole engine supplier for the 150-passenger C919 in December 2009. CFM is executing the most extensive ground and flight test certification programme in its history.

ON TRIAL: The LEAP 1A on test at GE's outdoor test facility in Peebles in Adams County, Ohio USA.

Airbus resumes 1A testing Airbus has resumed testing of the CFM Leap1A powered A320neo, after a break to upgrade the power plants and on-board equipment. At present, pone solitary aircraft is part of the development fleet and flies with the Leap-IA. The break was to prepare the aircraft for the hotweather and high-altitude test phase. Since its first flight in the middle of May, the LEAPpowered aircraft has accumulated around 150h across some 45 cycles. There are, currently, a total of more than 30 LEAP engines (all three models) on test or in final assembly and the programme has logged a total of more than 4,730 certification ground and flight test hours and 7,900 cycles. The total programme, which encompasses all three LEAP engine variants, includes 28 ground and CFM flight test engines, along with a total of 32 flight test engines for aircraft manufacturers. The first LEAP-1C engine successfully completed a flight test programme in late 2014 on a modified 747 flying testbed at the GE facilities in Victorville, CaliCRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

fornia. The flight-test programme encompassed a comprehensive test schedule that gauged engine operability, stall margin, performance, emissions, and acoustics. Meanwhile, the C919 development has entered a critical phase and Comac has nearly finished final assembly of the first airframe structure. The company reports that the wind tunnel test, iron-bird test, avionics integration and power system tests continue to progress following delivery of the first LEAP-1C engine and hydraulic systems, installation of the airborne systems will begin soon. This

Airbus’s A320neo fleet that includes two aircraft fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW1100G turbofans, but testing had been suspended for several weeks to sort out a technical flaw in the engine. It was because of the discovery of a loose ring-shaped component in the combustor section of an engine on one of the two test aircraft. The upgraded engines are now on their way back to Toulouse. “We will resume flight testing as soon as the engines are installed on the aircraft,” said Airbus. However, the ground testing is continuing with two unmodified engines. Between them, the two PW1100G-powered jets have completed over 175 flights, totalling more than 560h. Airbus said the A320neo is still on track for delivery this year. engine will be installed on the first C919 airplane in preparation for airplane roll out and first flight. For all those wondering if CFM will be able to meet the pressures of delivering three engines back to back, CFM has repeatedly pledged to meet the ambitious production objectives. “We are really serious about delivering on promises," JeanPaul Ebanga, President at CFM said during the course of the Paris Air Show 2015. CFM plans to increase production from 1,560 engines in 2014 to 1,670 engines this year. It expects a gradual transition to the LEAP engine, which will dominate production by 2020. The company could increase its projected production of

traditional CFM56 engines but its plate is full for the time being with planned LEAP production. It sold 4,244 engines in 2014, including 1,527 of the CFM56 engine and 2,717 new LEAP engines, which is designed to save fuel partly through the use of lightweight materials. CFM already produces the industry's most-sold jet engine, the CFM56, which powers all Boeing 737s and about half of Airbus's A320 series. That engine's successor, the LEAP, will power two aircraft under development –– the Boeing 737 MAX, for which CFM remains the sole supplier, and the Airbus A320neo, where CFM will continue to compete with Pratt & Whitney.

Air Works marks it presence in Europe A

ir Works, India’s aviation services company, recently announced a strategic partnership with Acumen Aviation Europe through a minority investment. With this partnership, Air Works has entered the large and growing aircraft asset management business, building a greater presence in Europe, Asia and the United States. Acumen is an Aircraft Asset Management Services company with operations in Ireland, India and China. While Air Works has already been providing critical repossession and redelivery services to global leasing firms, the partnership with Acumen will enable a stronger foothold in asset management and provide significant cross selling opportunities for both organisations. Vivek Gour, Managing Director, Air Works, said, “The aircraft leasing industry continues to expand as more and more airlines focus on their operations and move to an asset light model of using leased aircraft – we are highly optimistic about Acumen’s long term growth prospects. The synergy

potential will be ultimately realised over the longer term when we can crosssell Acumen’s services to some of the other businesses that Air Works is intending to build organically as well as inorganically.” Acumen provides asset management services including technical asset management (TAM) and data management (records management enabled through software) services to aircraft leasing companies and airlines globally (Europe, Asia the United States). In this new arrangement, Bengaluru will continue to be a hub for delivery and software development while business development and technical management activities will be centered around Ireland (Acumen’s headquarters), USA and China, where Acumen’s new office has been set up. Acumen will benefit from the experience of the management team of a welldiversified aviation services company as well as access to Air Works’ network of clients and partnerships. CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

India to be a global hub for

MRO services

or the first time, the aviation ministry held a meeting with domestic Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) players to make India a global hub for the MRO service for aircraft and engines. During the meeting, which was chaired by Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey, the industry representatives gave a presentation on the overall scenario and on what could be done by the government and the private sector jointly to exploit the full potential of the MRO business, according to a report in Business Standard. Currently, the total Indian MRO market stands at $800 million, which is expected to touch the $2.5 billion mark by 2020, according to the industry estimates. However, the Indian MRO market is said to be around 30 per cent costlier than those in the neighbourhood like Sri Lanka, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and China due to service tax and VAT, which had dampened the growth of the industry. “Government is quite keen to make India as a hub for the global MRO Industry. The government at the meeting sought suggestion from the MRO players, however, not much could be deliberated as it was the first interface with them,” the sources said. This was MRO industry's first interface with the ministry since Choubey took over as the new civil aviation ministry in June 2015.

BOMBARDIER

P&W returns to Neo test fleet

ENGINES

ITP joins UltraFan research programme R

olls-Royce with Industria de Turbo Propulsores, S.A. (ITP) has signed an agreement to support a €43 million research programme to test Intermediate Pressure (IP) turbine technologies that will go into its future engine design, UltraFan. UltraFan, which will be available for service from 2025, will offer at least 25 per cent improvement in fuel burn and emissions compared with first generation RollsRoyce Trent engines. ITP will develop and validate intermediate pressure turbine and rear structure capabilities for the UltraFan engine demonstrator including design, development, testing and manufacture. The IP turbine programme, which is receiving €23.5 million of its total funding from the EU, is part of the wider EU Clean Sky 2 initiative. The remainder of the funding will come from ITP. Mike Whitehead, Rolls-Royce, Chief Engineer and Head of Programme – UltraFan Technologies, said: “We are pleased that ITP have been selected as a core partner in our technology demonstrator programme for UltraFan. We are committed to develop engines that meet future customer requirements of even better fuel efficiency, environmental performance and reliability. This is another key milestone on that journey.” Alfredo López, ITP Advanced Engineering Director, said: “The participation in this programme represents the single largest investment in technology ever committed by ITP. This agreement continues to place our company at the forefront of technology research and we look forward to working with Rolls-Royce to make UltraFan the engine choice of the future.” Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce is also entering the concept design phase for the High Temperature Turbine Technology (HT3), which is designed to deliver advanced turbine technology for the company’s UltraFan engine developments. The HT3 will be based on an XWB-97 donor engine from the Airbus A350-1000 certification and test effort and follow-ones from the Trent 1000-based EFE (Environmentally Friendly Engine) demonstrator programme. The initiative is one of several new technology tests and validation programmes getting underway for Advance, UltraFan and other potential enhancements to the existing Trent family over the next two years.

GE in JV for engine overhaul facility

E Aviation and Lufthansa Technik AG have entered into a joint venture (JV) to create a new engine overhaul facility in Europe to service GEnx-2B and GE9X engines. Under terms of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), the new JV is expected to be operational in 2018. The MOU was signed at the recently held Paris Air Show by GE Aviation President and Chief Executive Officer David Joyce; Deutsche Lufthansa AG CEO Carsten Spohr; GE Aviation Services President and CEO Kevin McAllister; and Lufthansa Technik AG CEO Johannes Bussmann. The new joint venture will be equipped to perform the full range of en-

gine maintenance services for the GEnx2B and the GE9X, powering the Boeing 747-8 and Boeing 777X, respectively. The partners will continue to collaborate on repair development and mobile support services. McAllister said, “We are committed to building a world-class facility that will help meet future demand for GEnx-2B and GE9X overhauls. Lufthansa Technik has an excellent reputation for engineering expertise and customer service, and we are pleased to extend our long-standing collaboration with the formation of this new facility.” Sound reduction components for A320s:

Rolls-Royce warns – again

olls-Royce has issued a fourth profit warning in less than 18 months as both Airbus and Boeing introduce a series of new and revamped aircraft to replace higher margin mature products. The UK group said reduced demand for its Trent 700 engines — that power the existing Airbus A330 long-range jet and will be replaced by the Trent 7000 on a revamped version of the aircraft — would cut earnings at its flagship civil aerospace unit. Rolls-Royce said it had faced fierce competition from Pratt & Whitney and General Electric — alternative suppliers of engines for the A330 — and this had depressed prices significantly on the Trent 700, one of its most profitable products. Airbus is cutting production of its A330 jet from 10 per month to six by the first quarter of next year because of reduced orders for the ageing aircraft. The European aircraft maker is planning a new version of the A330 that is due to enter service in 2017. Warren East, Rolls-Royce’s new chief executive, in his first public appearance, said, “Nothing has shaken my confidence in the long term prospects of the business. This is a headwind and we have to make sure that the business becomes increasingly resilient to headwinds.”

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

SR Technics to manage Etihad’s B787 fleet

R Technics, technical services provider for airlines, recently announced that it has been selected to provide Integrated Component Services for Etihad Airways’ new Boeing 787 fleet, and is in advanced discussions on further Maintenance, Repair

Lufthansa Technik will soon equip its 100th aircraft of A320 family fleet with sound-reduction vortex generators. The project was started in November 2014. Overall, 157 short and medium-haul aircraft are being equipped with a vortex generator. The noise-reducing components are located on the underside of the wings. Newly built Airbus aircraft have already been delivered to Lufthansa with the sound-reducing technology since the beginning of 2014. Another initiative to reduce aircraft noise will be intensively tested in the next few weeks in flyover measurements over several days at Magdeburg-Cochstedt Airport with two MD-11Fs from Lufthansa Cargo.

and Overhaul (MRO) contracts. The agreement, worth over US$150 million, will see SR Technics to provide component maintenance support to one of the largest Boeing 787 fleets in the world, with 71 aircraft in operation by 2023. The agreement will cover the MRO of Etihad Airways’ core Boeing 787 components, providing access to SR Technics’ main component pool distribution centre as well as its logistical, technical, engineering expertise and support. James Hogan, Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “This agreement confirms our growing relationship with SR Technics, which has already proven its capability when it comes to managing our existing fleet’s component services requirements.”

Airbus sets up China plant for A330

irbus and its Chinese partners –– the Tianjin Free Trade Zone Investment Company Ltd. (TJFTZ) and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) –– have signed a framework agreement on setting up an A330 Completion and Delivery Centre (C&DC) in Tianjin, China. The agreement was signed by Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President and CEO; Yang Bing, President of the TJFTZ and Pang Zhen, Vice President, Commercial Aircraft, AVIC representing the Chinese parties, at the Airbus site in Toulouse, France. The framework agreement firms-up the Letter of Intent signed by the three parties last year. The A330 C&DC Tianjin will be located near the site of the Airbus A320 Family Final Assembly Line in Tianjin. The C&DC will cover the aircraft completion activities including reception, cabin installation, aircraft painting, engine run and flight test, as well as aircraft delivery and customer flight

CHINA OPERATIONS: Airbus A330 Completion and Delivery Centre in China

P&W’s new world-class engineering facility

ratt & Whitney held a ceremonial groundbreaking recently for its new state-of-the-art 425,000-sq ft building in East Hartford that will serve as the company's global headquarters and world-class engineering facility. Construction work, which is supported in part by the 2014 Connecticut Aerospace Reinvestment Act, Company leaders and State and local government will begin later this year and is scheduled officials at the groundbreaking ceremony to be completed in late 2017. Pratt & Whitney President Paul Adams said, “Pratt & Whitney's technology, innovations and engineering excellence have created revolutionary products that have defined aviation for the past 90 years, and continue to do so today with the PurePower and F135 aircraft engines. This new world-class facility will house the best and brightest minds to help us continue operating on the cutting edge of aviation technology for decades to come.”

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acceptance. Brégier said, “Building on our successful cooperation with China, highlighted by the A320 Family Final Assembly Line in Tianjin, our partnership keeps growing and expanding. The signature of this framework agreement on the A330 Completion and Delivery Centre will open a new chapter of strategic cooperation on widebody aircraft with China.” Under the project, the A330 Family aircraft to be completed at the A330 C&DC Tianjin will be assembled in Toulouse but painted and have their cabin furnished and installed in Tianjin. On the same occasion, Airbus has also signed a Letter of Intent with AVIC on cabin development cooperation and procurement frame contract with Zhejiang Xizi Aerospace Fastener Co., Ltd.

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HELI TOURISM

ECO-FRIENDLY 'COPTER

Maharashtra tourism to plan helicopter tourism in the state

Airbus Helicopters introduces eco-efficient Bluecopter

‘Copter connection in Odisha’

Odisha’s heritage cities of Puri, Konark and Chilika along with the port city of Paradip will soon be heli-connected to the capital, Bhubaneswar and provide a boost to tourism

tate-owned helicopter service provider Pawan Hans has shown interest to launch commercial helicopter service from Bhubaneswar to Paradip, Puri, Konark and Chilika. Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Pawan Hans, B P Sharma recently held a meeting with Odisha Chief Secretary Gokul Chandra Pati and representatives of the Paradip Port Trust. After the meeting, Sharma clarified that Pawan Hans was keen “to explore the possibility to start operations in the state. Twothree routes have been discussed. They are Bhubaneswar to Paradip and a link from Bhubaneswar to Konark, Puri and Chilika. Pawan Hans is interested to provide services in the state”, he said. With Pawan Hans agreeing to begin commercial chopper service between the

Heli-way develops between Vellore and Chennai

fter receiving repetitive requests from leather industry, traders and merchants, Pawan Hans is mulling over expanding helicopter service between Vellore and Chennai. There is no air connectivity between the regions as Vellore already has an airstrip and a small terminal building managed by Airports Authority of India (AAI). Till now, no domestic carriers came forward to start operations in the state. M Rafeeque Ahmed, Chairman of Council for Leather Exports, was quoted saying that there is lot of potential for a helicopter service between Vellore and Chennai. “Many people have expressed the need to have air connectivity. Patients coming to Christian Medical College, merchants and buyers associated with leather industry in Ambur, Jewellers, visitors to VIT University

and others would prefer such a service. It will also be useful for VIPs,” Ahmed stated. A trip by road takes more than three hours to cover the distance of 170km between Chennai and Vellore while a chopper will take only half an hour. Ahmed added that talks are going on with the public sector company. “Pawan Hans is expected to take care of the clearances needed for the service from AAI and aviation ministry. ” Meanwhile, Pawan Hans is also planning helicopter service from Gannavaram airport in Vijayawada to Rajahmundry. Recently, Pawan Hans has expressed its interest to operate helicopter services on the route. Speaking to Indian Express, M Raj Kishore, Director at Gannavaram Airport said it has been proposed to operate two helicopters of different seating capacity.

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state capital and Paradip, the Odisha government has also asked the authorities of Paradip Port Trust (PPT) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to consider some of the requirements of the helicopter company. The meeting discussed the proposal to launch Bhubaneswar-Paradip helicopter services. G V V Sarma, Principal Secretary, General Administration, Odisha pointed out that Pawan Hans “has requested the state government to provide subsidy and other support for one or two years since it cannot run full-fledged commercial service as per the sunk-cost assessment in the initial phase. It was decided that the Paradip Port Trust would examine the request of the company and if necessary, the IOCL can also be roped in. Both the PPL and the IOCL will examine the requirement of Pawan Hans and accordingly take a decision.” Rama Chandra Rao, Chief Engineer of

the port trust was quoted saying that they would have to discuss the issue further with the port management. The port could provide its helipad for the helicopter service free of cost. He added, "We can also give guest house facilities for the crew. The port can also provide fire service facility for six months. But the state government has to facilitate security and frisking arrangements." Besides being a port town, Paradip has been emerging as a major industrial centre in the state with IOCL setting up its refinery and a petrochemical complex, with some other investors setting up their units there. The meeting also brought in discussion the possibility of Pawan Hans launching its services in Odisha. “We have plans to launch two services, one from Bhubaneswar to Paradip and second link flight from Bhubaneswar to Chilika via Konark and Puri. We have some more work to do. We have formed two teams for these two separate flights. The company is interested to launch its service in Odisha. We are hopeful that we can start the project

“We are here to explore the possibility to start Pawan Hans’ operations in the state. Two-three routes have been discussed. They are Bhubaneswar to Paradip and a link from Bhubaneswar to Konark, Puri and Chilika. ”

at the earliest possible with the support of the State Administration and the Chief Secretary,” Sharma stated. To another proposal of the launch of chopper services from Bhubaneswar to Konark and Chilika, the Chief Secretary suggested that Pawan Hans and the state's tourism department formulate a proper package before taking a decision on the chopper operation to

these two tourist destinations. The helicopter service provider has also sought guarantee of at least four passengers in a six-seater helicopter flight between Bhubaneswar and Paradip. Sharma told The Hindu, “The cost of per seat from Bhubaneswar and Paradip will be `5000 to `6000 one way and unless guarantee of seats are made the operation will not last. In a six-seater helicopter four guaranteed seats are required and in a day three sorties are necessary to make the helicopter service regular and permanent.” Pawan Hans is one of the Asia’s largest helicopter companies that maintains and operates by offering wide range of services to its clients through its fleet of 46 helicopters. While the Union Government holds 51 per cent share and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has 49 per cent share in Pawan Hans. It was incorporated with the primary objective of providing helicopter support services to the oil sector for its off-shore exploration operations, services in remote and hilly areas and charter services for promotion of tourism.

MTDC’s new chopper project to tap tourism potential

n a first-of-its-kind initiative, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is now bidding for helicopter service to tap the tourism potential in the state. At present, flying to attractive locations is only limited to religious places. Now, the authority is planning to enter the leisure tourism sector for the first time in the state, said an MTDC official. For the heli-project with the trial starting from Mumbai, also called Mumbai Darshan, include five loca-

tions such as Pune, Mumbai, Shirdi, Nashik and Ajanta caves. Paraag Jaiin Nainuttia, Managing Director at MTDC told Times of India about the idea that not only includes visiting tourist destinations in a short time, but also to connect popular spots like Mumbai, Pune, Ajanta Caves, Elephant Caves and Nashik via helicopters, which are close to each other. “Itineraries will be worked out one-way or both ways. Tourists will thus be able to either land at the chosen destination or, if they wish, just get an aerial view,” added

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Nainuttia. The MTDC is also engaging aviation companies for operating helitourism services in the state, as the project will be based on public-private partnership (PPP). The main purpose is to increase tourist flow into the state, optimise utilisation of the existing operational and upcoming helipads in Maharashtra and help tourists shuttle between destinations such as Pune, Mumbai, Ajanta caves in Aurangabad and pilgrimage spot Shirdi, among other places in Maharashtra. The tourism authority has plans to include several routes in the project. The first trial will begin from Juhu in Mumbai where tourists could get a bird’s eye view of Mumbai in an hour. The MTDC will opt for four or sixseaters for the project and has started the bidding process to choose companies which would assist the tourism department. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will be approached to get requisite permissions. Flying for half-an-hour to North or South may cost `5,000 to `6000 per person, while an hour of tour can cost close to `9000 per person.

PHOTOS: AIRBUS

FOCUS ON ‘COPTERS

Eco-efficient Bluecopter takes to the sky

quieter and more fuel efficient future for rotorcraft flight was unveiled by Airbus Helicopters recently with its Bluecopter demonstrator, which has validated leading-edge technologies ranging from an advanced Fenestron, improved rotor and airframe design to intelligent engine power management. In the more than 28 flight hours logged during evaluations performed throughout its operating envelope, Bluecopter has confirmed the feasibility of Airbus Helicopters’ advancements in eco-friendly helicopter design while also proving the company’s next-generation eco-efficient technologies. Using one of the company’s light medium twin-engine rotorcraft as the demonstrator platform, Bluecopter incorporates transversal technologies that can be applied across Airbus Helicopters’ product line. The aircraft made its public debut during a presentation at Airbus Helicopters’ Donauwörth, Germany facility. Marius Bebesel, Programme Manager Research and Innovation in charge of the Bluecopter demonstrator explained, “By bringing together the best of our company’s innovation, we are opening the way for a new generation of rotorcraft that will have lower noise levels, burn less fuel and are more efficient to operate. With Bluecopter, we have met our goals of decreasing fuel consumption by as much as 40 per cent, significantly reducing CO2 emissions, and lowering noise to approximately 10 decibel effective perceived noise (EPN) below

ECO FRIENDLY: A picture of Airbus Helicopter's Bluecopter demonstrator event

International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) noise certification limits, while raising the maximum payload and the passenger comfort.” Airbus Helicopter’s signature Fenestron is further evolved on Bluecopter, with additional performance improvements from the shrouded tail rotor achieved through optimised blade and stator designs. The acoustic liner integrated in the Fenestron’s shroud and the active rudder on the tailfin contributes as well to the reduced noise footprint of the Bluecopter. Its newly-developed rotor system improves operating efficiency while attenuating the acoustic footprint. The demonstrator’s innovative five-blade bearing less main rotor system has ‘Blue Edge’ style blades with an increased diameter, significantly reduced tip speed and an improved distribution of twist along their length. CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

To achieve the ambitious targets in reducing CO2 emissions, a dedicated engine power management is implemented. During cruise the Bluecopter can be switched to an ‘eco-mode’ by shutting off one engine. The remaining engine operates more efficiently and the fuel consumption is drastically reduced. The ‘eco-mode’ is based on an automatic control system that assists the crew and ensures safe operation of the aircraft. The demonstrator features several measures to reduce aircraft aerodynamic drag, including fairings for the main rotor hub and the landing skids, a newly developed aft-body concept and the use of a specially-designed empennage with a T-tail horizontal stabiliser. The ecofriendly approach is extended even to the attractive paint scheme of the Bluecopter, which was realised using the latest waterbased paint technologies.

irbus Helicopters is joining hands with Mahindra Group subsidiary, Mahindra Defence, to produce helicopters in India in order to meet the country’s military requirements. The strengths of both the companies will ensure a strong partnership to present the best rotorcraft solutions for India’s needs and strengthen indigenous industrial capabilities. The teaming represents a significant step forward in the country’s ‘Make in India’ ambition. Guillaume Faury, Airbus Helicopters President and CEO, said, “We have an unparalleled track-record of successful industrial collaborations with local partners across the world. We are convinced that with Mahindra we will not only have a mutually rewarding association but one which will offer immense benefits to India. The tie-up is in line with our intent to develop an indigenous industrial ecosystem dedicated to helicopters. The joint venture will be dedicated to supplying the Indian Armed Forces with Make-in-India, state-of-the-art helicopters of high reliability, quality and safety standard based on combat-proven platforms.” Both companies will now get into discussions to finalise the formation of the joint venture which will act as the prime contractor for India’s military helicopter tenders including the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter, the Naval Utility Helicopter and the Naval Multirole Helicopter procurement programmes.

Lockheed martin buys Sikorsky

nited Technologies has announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its Sikorsky Aircraft business to Lockheed Martin for $9 billion in cash. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and adjustments, is projected to close by year-end or in the first quarter of 2016. Proceeds from the sale are expected to be used to fund additional share repurchase to offset the earnings impact related to the sale. Gregory Hayes, UTC President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are very pleased to announce this transaction. Exiting the helicopter business will allow UTC to better focus on providing high-technology systems and services to the aerospace and building industries and to deliver improved and sustained value to our customers and shareowners.”

Bell 525 makes first successful flight

BELL

Airbus Helicopters and Mahindra unveils tie-up

ell Helicopter, recently announced the successful first flight of the Bell 525 Relentless. The maiden flight of the super-medium helicopter took place at the company’s aircraft assembly centre in Amarillo, Texas. Matt Hasik, Executive Vice President of Commercial Programmes at Bell Helicopter, said, "The Bell 525 was announced at Heli-Expo in 2012, and we are proud to have achieved this milestone. We have diligently executed our schedule to design, develop, build and test the aircraft, and look forward to the next phase of flight testing as we work towards certification. The marketplace has been awaiting the transformational capabilities of the Bell 525 and we continue to see growing customer demand from around the globe for this aircraft.” The Bell 525 was designed with input from Customer Advisory Panel as an aircraft to meet future requirements for operational safety, payload and range, cabin comfort and configuration and reliability. One of the unique characteristics of the Bell 525 is the ability to perform CAT-A take-offs and landings, to and from a helipad at maximum gross weight. Even in the event that one of the two engines fails, the Bell 525 provides sufficient power to maintain occupant safety while lifting off with a single operational engine. With over 60 helicopters reserved under letters

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of intent, the Bell 525 is designed to provide operators and end users unmatched situational awareness and the ability to perform a wide variety of missions under challenging weather conditions. Another milestone: Bell Helicopter’s Singapore Service Centre has received approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) of Australia, to perform maintenance and customisation on all Bell 412 models that are registered for operations in Australia. These operators can now take delivery of, and maintain their Bell Helicopters through its entire life cycle at the Singapore facility. Michael Reagan, Director, Global Services at Bell Helicopters, said, “Customer demand for Bell Helicopters and service offerings in the Asia-Pacific region are rapidly increasing, and we are taking steps to ensure our customers have what they need, when they need it. Over the past few years, the Bell Helicopters team has been laser focussed on obtaining certifications and approvals around the globe that will provide our customers with even more offerings.” The Bell 525 performed extremely well today,” said Troy Caudill, senior flight test pilot at Bell Helicopter. “I am excited to be a part of the development of this advanced aircraft and help define the future of vertical lift.”

CRUISING HEIGHTS

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Bengaluru goes technical with e-Gates

INSIDE

AIRASIA WITH TWITTER AirAsia enhances inflight entertainment with Twitter onboard

You head to the e-Gates, flash your boarding pass, proceed to the security area and you are through in just few minutes. To offer such a seamless travel experience to passengers, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB) recently introduced automated e-Gates at the airport

WIFI AT TRIVANDRUM Trivandrum airport offers WiFi and internet facility

TECH PUSH Rockwell Collins partners Mactan Cebu International Airport

An interactive voice response system

AIRPORT NÜRNBERG GMBH

engaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) has introduced automated e-Gates on trial basis at the domestic pre-embarking security check areas at KIAB. To pass through the e-Gate, passengers can flash their 2D barcoded paper or mobile boarding pass at the eGate, which opens automatically upon verifying the validity. The relevant details are also displayed on the associated screen in-built into the e-Gate. The passengers proceed for the mandatory security check and thereafter, enter the Security Hold Area (SHA). The e-Gate effectively eliminates the need for a manual security stamp on the boarding pass and CCTV cameras have been deployed for additional security measure. Once passengers cross the e-

Gate, they do not have to produce their boarding pass again until boarding begins. Passengers can now take control of their passage through the security checkpoint, reducing stress, errors or inconsistencies, and improving their experience. As traffic at KIAB grows steadily, such measures to automate processes will enable more efficient passenger flow. The removal of manual stamping and enabling of e-boarding is a step taken forward to automate the security environment at airports thereby ensuring better compliance with security protocol. G V Sanjay Reddy, Managing Director, BIAL, said, “Bengaluru is a great location for us to pioneer new technology initiatives, with a traveller who is IT-savvy, young and excited

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custom-developed voice portal and Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) has been introduced at KIAB. All airport and flight-related information of airlines operating at KIAB can be received from this system. The IVRS is an automated telephony system that interacts with callers, gathers information and transfers calls to the appropriate recipients. The IVRS has been interfaced with the airport’s interface systems to automatically fetch flight data and information, which will be relayed to callers in English, Hindi and Kannada. The IVRS was introduced to handle calls for routine airport and airline information such as flight arrivals and departures more efficiently, while avoiding congestion of the phone lines and interaction with a telephone operator.

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about independent processes. The intent is to provide all passengers services that define the technological prowess and is a reflection of the city the airport is in. The e-Gate is a definite step towards a fully automated and seamless passenger flow. As we grow beyond 15 million passengers annually, we are thankful to Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for their collaboration to effectively bring this technology trial to KIAB.” This is being deployed on selected flights only for one lane and will progressively expand in scope subject to mandatory government clearances. The e-Gate unit has been provided by KABA, Germany, one of the leading providers of innovative access solutions for the air transport industry. Meanwhile, Dragonair has also launched its ‘Self-Print Boarding Pass’ service in Bengaluru – the latest innovation to help passengers

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enhance their travel experience while travelling from the city. Effective July 1, passengers departing on Dragonair flights from KIAB, who have already checked in online, can print their boarding pass on A4 (legal) paper in either black and white or colour with their own printer at home, the office or anywhere with access to the internet. Passengers eligible for lounge access are able to view their invitations on the boarding pass. As an airport that has several case studies to its credit, the automated e-Gate is another example of the airport setting benchmarks in introducing pioneering IT initiatives. The airport recently also implemented the Mobile boarding pass trial for travellers that facilitates them to enter the airport, clear security and proceed to board their respective flights, by displaying their mobile boarding pass on their smartphone devices.

AirAsia offers Twitter access onboard

irAsia and roKKi, a provider of in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) solutions, have together launched inflight access to Twitter onboard selected AirAsia flights. This comes as an enhancement to the existing onboard WiFi service that was launched on AirAsia flights last November, which earned the airline an entry into the Malaysian Book of Records for being the ‘First Airline to Provide WiFi Onboard’ in Malaysia. The launch of this latest feature was conducted by Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group CEO on board AirAsia flight AK5208. The avid user of Twitter tweeted for the first time from 10,000ft above sea level, along with Aliza Knox, Twitter Managing Director, Online Sales, Asia Pacific. Guests can now enjoy using the Twitter app while they fly by purchasing a roKKi Chats Instant Messaging (IM) package, which also includes access to apps such as WeChat, WhatsApp, LINE, and KakaoTalk. The IM package is priced at $2.36 for a total of 3MB data usage on these apps. The onboard WiFi service is available on almost 4,000 flights each month and will continue

EXCITEMENT ONBOARD: (Right)

AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes posing with crew and passengers; (left) CEO's first tweet after bringing Twitter to AirAsia

to increase in number as more aircraft are equipped with the service. Adrian Lim, Chief Executive Officer of roKKi said, “We’re delighted to have Twitter join the roKKi family. Our focus has always been to provide airline partners with costefficient IFEC services and to ensure guests have access to exciting entertainment on board. Providing guests access to the latest Tweets from 10,000ft above sea level is another milestone for us. Chatting, whether through IM apps or social media, is an integral part of our lives and our aim is to help everyone stay connected even while they're above the clouds."

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

Net Express

Mumbai airport runs mobile boarding pass trial

hhatarpati Shivaji International Airport and Vistara recently announced the launch of mobile phone boarding pass facility for the latter’s domestic passengers travelling out of Mumbai’s T2 terminal to New Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Goa. The mobile phone boarding pass facility will offer a hassle free experience to passengers and will also save significant time of passengers. Additionally, the initiative will also lead to reasonable saving of premium paper which otherwise is required for printing boarding pass. Overall, the mobile phone boarding pass facility will lead to another ‘Experience Simplicity’ feature while travelling through Mumbai Airport. Passengers travelling with Vistara out of Mumbai will only need to download the e-boarding pass on their mobile devices. The technologically advanced machine installed at the airport will enable the passengers to by-pass the check-in counters and directly head towards the security check-in or via baggage check-in area if they are carrying luggage. Passengers need to carry authorised ID proof as is mandatory. Expressing his pleasure, Rajeev Jain, CEO at MIAL said, “Our resolve is to usher in a truly world-class airport travel experience at Mumbai Airport. We are pleased that Vistara banked upon us to launch this service before introducing it in other airports.” Phee Teik Yeoh, CEO, Vistara commented, “We continually look for ways to enhance our customers' travel experience by harnessing the power of technology and offering operational and service excellence. Our promise of a seamless travel experience is reaffirmed today with this initiative of integrating mobile boarding pass for a speedy check-in and secured boarding.”

Net Express

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Jet offers one-stop solution to passengers

et Airways has launched its new website jetairways.com, which has been built around the theme 'Designed to Delight'. The all new website features user friendly navigation, simplified and integrated booking process and responsive design for a seamless experience across desktops, tablets and smartphones. The mobile-first design approach offers guests an improved interface for a consistent experience across devices. Designed with a strong focus on innovation, the website has smart features such as payment in local currency in select countries, Express Checkout and Seat Select options. The website features 61 country specific sites including sites in eight languages besides English. The smarter and faster booking engine, with country specific payment options and opportunity to combine travel essentials such as car rentals, travel insurance and hotels within the flight itinerary will enhance the guests' online booking experience. Cramer Ball, Chief Executive Officer, Jet Airways, said, "The new Jet Airways website will provide guests with a refreshed, one-stop service for all their travel requirements. The use of latest trends in user experience, design, and technology, will provide a unique experience which we believe will ensure our guests keep coming back.”

Etihad’s Cloud-first initiative

tihad Airways and Okta recently announced a strategic technology partnership to integrate Okta’s identity and access management platform into the airline’s existing security infrastructure. The partnership will enable the airline to oversee its global data network of customers, employees and partners in the Cloud. The multi-million dollar deal comes as an integral part of Etihad Airways’ technology and innovation strategy to further strengthen its architecture and security through strategic partners. It will enable the airline to easily authenticate, federate, manage and secure user access to its growing list of cloud and mobile services. Robert Webb, Chief Information and Technology Officer at Etihad Airways said: “Selecting Okta’s next-generation technology demonstrates our commitment to secure our business and guest information. It also underlines our strategy of being cloud-first, enhances our guests’ experience, and allows our employees to work smarter.”

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KLM's new app: a perfect travel partner

ravellers can take advantage of the new KLM app for iOS and android. The app caters to the personal needs of passengers-in line with KLM's mobile strategy to customers at the right time and the right place to provide the appropriate service. Customers who open the app immediately get to see them for the most relevant information and key actions. For example: If it is possible to check in, this is prominently displayed in the app. In addition, the client's personal and simplified app faster and easier than before to book a flight and pay. Also change a seat selection and effortless check succeeds with just the push of a button. Tjalling Smit, Senior Vice President, E-Commerce, Air France-KLM, said, “With this new app, we can now be even more responsive to the needs of our customers. So, they can always stay one step ahead during their journey. And this is just the beginning. Together with our customers we continuously work on further improvement and development of this app and our other mobile services.”

HBO in Qantas’ IFE list Q

antas has partnered with one of the most successful TV services, HBO, to bring customers hundreds of hours of the most talked about programmes on screens around the world, from current series. From July, the airline offers 120 hours of HBO drama, comedy and documentary content for customers flying across the Qantas network. Each month, the channel will be updated with 20 hours of the US network’s latest shows and movies. The introduction of an HBO channel also coincides with the addition of three new Foxtel channels –– Entertainment by Foxtel, National Geographic and Lifestyle by Foxtel — each of which will be updated monthly resulting in a total of 160 hours of fresh content each month.

WiFi at Trivandrum airport

he international terminal at Thiruvananthapuram airport has been facilitated with WiFi with high-speed internet connectivity for passengers. The service will not cost anything to passengers in the transit and lounge areas for 30 minutes, later it will be charged for a fee which is to be paid online. The facility was launched by George G Thakaran, Director at the airport in the presence of Sunil Tandon, Head of Non-Voice Services at Tata Teleservices Limited and Sunit Sharma, Chief Airport Security Officer, Central Industrial Security Force. Commenting on the occasion, Tharakan said, "The Airports Authority of India manages 121 Airports in the country, including 11 international airports. Ours is the 11th busiest airport in the country, handling over three million passengers every year. Seventy per cent of them are international travellers. Hence, we wanted to ensure that they got a similar experience here comparable to the world's best airports in terms of services. We are hopeful that this WiFi facility would guarantee customer delight." Tandon added, "Travellers have their own 'magic hour' which they use to check mails, access flight information, browse the web and send messages prior to boarding their flight. This is why airports require high quality and reliable public WiFi services. We are proud to partner with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to provide a great experience to the large number of passengers flying in and out of Thiruvananthapuram."

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T R E N D S

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T R A V E L L E R

E X P E R I E N C E

Rockwell Collins improves operations at Cebu airport

actan Cebu International Airport has selected Rockwell Collins' ARINC airport solutions to improve its passengers' travel experiences. The airport is currently using ARINC vMUSE common-use passenger processing system (CUPPS) as well as ARINC SelfServ common-use selfservice (CUSS) kiosks, and will soon implement many of the company's other solutions including ARINC AirVue Flight Information Display System (FIDS), AirDB 7, the latest generation ARINC Airport Operational Database (AODB) system and ARINC BagLink, a baggage messaging server. As part of the deployment, Rockwell Collins has teamed with Gunnebo AB to

streamline the entire check-in process by implementing ARINC VeriPax on Gunnebo Security Group automated gates. The gates will validate passenger flight details, enhancing security at the airport. Andrew AcINTREPIDWANDERER.COM quaah-Harrison, Chief Executive Advisor, GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC), said, “Rockwell Collins was able to seamlessly migrate our systems from the previous vendor to ARINC vMUSE in record time, providing our airport with a superior passenger processing system without disrupting our travellers. We are extremely pleased to be implementing all of these ARINC airport solutions to improve our operations while keeping costs low.”

Wearable tech for airport workforce

Net Express

New generation tracking app

oyne Airways has launched a new generation smartphone app allowing customers to track their shipments globally. The app enables customers to create an account where they can view tracking information for their shipments using their Airway Bill (AWB) number, look up flight schedules, and search for Coyne Airways offices and General Sales Agents worldwide. Larry Coyne, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Coyne Airways said, “Our Coyne Airways app gives our customers peace of mind when moving freight to some of the world’s most challenging destinations. It is a quick reference tool giving accurate track-and-trace information, a genuine value-add for our customers.” The app also allows users to favourite consignments, enabling them to quick reference important cargo. It is available for Apple and android devices and can be downloaded from the Apple app store and the Google Play store.

Japan introduces FlySmart with Airbus on iPad

uébec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) and Air transport IT specialist, SITA, recently unveiled the world's first use of the Apple Watch for an airport workforce. The airport of Québec will use the watches to connect to the SITA Airport Management solution, which is already in use at the airport, to push regular operational alerts to duty managers and ensure operations run smoothly. Marc-André Bédard, Vice President, Information Technology, Aéroport de Québec, said: "We are always looking for new technology to help enhance our operations, and ultimately better serve our passengers. Wearable tech is one area of interest to us and with the Apple Watch and SITA's Airport Management solution our duty managers will receive important notifications at just the right time to take action as needed. For example, they may get an alert to say that two planes are arriving simultaneously and have been assigned to the same gate or that there is a delay at a certain gate. Previously, they would have checked their tablets regularly for updates. With the watch, a vibration alerts them to an update so they receive vital information just by glancing at their wrist. They can then take immediate action." Airlines look to the promise of the ‘internet of things’: A major revolution in the passenger experience is set to emerge over the next three years as airlines invest in the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT). According to the SITA’s recent survey, the vast majority of airlines (86 per

P cent) expect that the IoT will deliver clear benefits in the next three years and already more than one third (37 per cent) have allocated budget to it. The results of the survey released show that IoT investments will be focused in the areas of check-in, bag drop and bag collection. The ‘Internet of Things’ is when physical objects are connected to the internet, which enables tracking, data collection, analysis and control. As part of this revolution, more things in the airport are being connected up including buildings, equipment, bags, trolleys, tugs – basically all the ‘things’ that could emit a status. In reality, however, because today the vast majority (83 per cent) of passengers carries smartphones, passengers and staff are connected and can be part of the IoT too.

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

each Aviation, Japan’s Low Cost Carrier has selected ‘FlySmart with Airbus’ on iPad, the Airbus Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) solution. Peach Aviation pilots will consult all their Airbus flight operational manuals on iPads. They will also be able to compute their aircraft performance calculations which will provide them with optimised and accurate results on any runway of their operational route network. Shinichi Inoue, Representative Director and CEO of Peach Aviation, said: “FlySmart with Airbus will allow us to realise optimised operations and to remove paper thus reducing associated costs. We consider this solution as a real asset for our future operations to further improve the quality of our service.” In addition, Peach Aviation will also benefit from the service of “EFB Assessment and EFB Operational Approval Assistance” called APPROVE4Flight and provided by Airbus Flight Operations Services Ltd.

AIR CARGO

Airlines bet big on GSSAs

Instead of setting up a solid infrastructure for the movement of air cargo, most carriers now prefer handing over the business to GSSAs. A report

very business works for Return on Investment (RoI) model. Services provided by airlines also work on the same business model and for improvement of services most airlines across the globe rely on General Sales Agent (GSA) and General Sales and Service Agency (GSSA). GSA and GSSA are sales representatives for an airline in a specific country or region. Typically, while the GSA is responsible for selling all products of the airline in its region which includes flight tickets, the GSSAs look at selling of cargo space. Airlines normally use a GSA and GSSA in areas that it does not operate to or from, allowing them to have a sales presence in a country at lower cost than opening their own offices in the short term. Airlines do use their services because the GSA and GSSA have historical ties with travel and cargo agents which are time-

consuming for the airline to build itself. Recent international air cargo figures of April 2015, according to WorldACD, indicate that cargo General Sales and Service Agency (GSSAs) and General Sales Agents (GSAs) have seen a substantial growth in revenues. In fact, well over 20 per cent of global revenues came from sales through GSA agreements. Data suggests that sales through GSAs were higher than those from other sources in Asia Pacific, North America, Middle East and South Asia. Two regions that GSAs did not do well were Africa and Latin America. “In Q1-2015 volumes realised through GSA’s amounted to 19 per cent worldwide, ranging from 1012 per cent (North America and Asia Pacific) via 24 per cent (Africa) to 28-32 per cent (Europe, Middle East and South Asia (MESA) and Latin America). GSA-yields remained below “own-sales-yields”, but CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

the gap was smaller than a year before: they increased from 87 per cent of own-salesyields to 90 per cent. The GSA-yields in Africa and Latin America even surpassed those from own sales,” WorldACD said in its trend report. GSSAs like Air Logistics Group and ECS Group are becoming necessary for airlines. Air Logistics Group, with its group headquarters in Paris, assists air carriers to achieve a cost-effective presence in a market where it could be uneconomical for an airline to maintain its own sales force and premises. ECS Group has also set its sights on its turnover to reach US$1.1 bn in 2015: a whopping increase of around US$230 mn (2014 sales: US$928 mn). Among its clients are Brussels Airlines Cargo, ANA Cargo, China Southern Cargo, Turkish Airlines Cargo and quite a few others. Helmut Mair, Managing Director, Air

Logistics Group ascribes the success of the GSSAs to service. He said that Air Logistics Group was on top of things. “Our staff work longer hours when required, customer services teams are accessible at all times and we are ready to go the extra mile for the airlines we represent.” He was quick to mention that while service to customers was the number one priority for ALG, the work that went on in the back offices was equally important. Outlining the agenda for growth and success, Mair said that ALG analysed capacities, managed yields and optimised products with added value services. These included “finding the right mix for pallet utilisation, finding additional cargo from new regions without jeopardising strong markets and developing interline opportunities…” All this while “still maintaining a personal relationship with the forwarders which is very important in today’s hightech environment”, he said. ALG is guided by the strong belief that information is king and it strives to keep its clients on the ball – always. Way back in 2013, the Group realised that improving information flow was of prime importance. The aim was simple: make accurate information available to everyone in the chain as quickly as possible. So, the Air Logistics Group started to work on their information flows like the processing of air waybills, manifests, etc. It has achieved success today. The MD made it a point to mention that the Group had invested heavily in “our ‘total cargo management’ solution package that also includes IT solutions and financial accounting. The model, he said, was “ideal for many smaller and mid-sized carriers”. What was more important was the fact that it was cost effective for many airlines since “certain costs can be stripped out while the continuation of revenues is guaranteed with a steady year on year growth”. He recounted how over the last few years, “we have taken the risk to expand our network into new continents and regions and now the brand is established and recognised as the leader in the GSSA industry”. This, he said, allowed the Group to acquire new companies in strategic places and “upgrade our exposure at key locations” around the world. Additionally, that made the Group flexible enough to “step out from non-profitable outlets and focus on the growing locations instead. Above all, he underlined, “our plan is to focus on being where our customers are and where our dedicated services are needed”. Despite the challenges that almost every market throws up, ALG counters them head-on. Said Mair, “The challenges are the same for airlines and GSSAs but Air

Logistics Group has the advantage of its that today, the group was clearly focused extensive network and close relationships on innovation and “new services must be with freight forwarders and therefore it can offered to airlines”. He went on to point react quickly to fill any gaps.” out that ECS was committed to “being the Today, with its fully owned network of leader in our everyday work. For us, and 71 offices across 46 countries, ALG claims hence for the airlines that we are representit operates the most comprehensive GSSA ing, it is more than valuable to work on crenetwork in the market. The international ating new roads in conjunction with interfootprint has, in fact, gone a long way to line solutions. Hence we can hit the whole strengthen its prime position in the market. world,” he said. Adrien Thominet, COO of the ParisChairman Bertrand Schmoll was clear. headquartered ECS Group with Chairman He said that meeting the airlines’ growing Bertrand Schmoll in command, tries to be needs “requires us to be highly disciplined in good shape — physically. And, with him and organised. Sales activity is our core the GSSA that he heads believes in keeping business, it is our DNA. Revenues depend fit and fine. on the generated sales. That is why,” he The GSSA is on an expansion mode. emphasised, “we need to be strong sellers As Thominet mentioned, “The whole in order to find the balance” and satisfy world is our territory. That is our baseline,” both airlines and forwarders. he said, “and we work hard on it in order Higher revenues have come with the to offer the best and wide services to spotlight on improving informaour customers.” For the group tion flows. As Thominet put it, then, the main business ECS’ goal is to provide to drivers will be focus on its clients and partners Today, with acquiring airline cusclear and accessible inits fully owned tomers from developformation. “Indeed, network of 71 offices ing markets. “We are we surely worked on across 46 countries, now targeting East improving the quality ALG claims it operAsia and India which of messages, though ates the most comare expanding and always with the idea prehensive GSSA are growing markets of being transparent. due to globalisation of Beyond this transparnetwork in the trade and development ency, we have to reflect market of e-commerce,” said the trust and reliability. This COO. “Thanks to the openenables us to build a powering of borders and thanks to gloful and efficient commercial stratbalisation, we can reach out to all counegy,” he said but was quick to underline the tries from the Association of Southeast fact that “we cannot pretend…we must be Asian Nations (ASEAN) and also access foolproof”, he said. the fast-growing niche markets such as the ECS has capitalised on total cargo Asian-Indian region where activities and management for an airline. This is becomtrade is on a very positive upswing”. Along ing increasingly popular with carriers priwith East Asia and India, incidentally, ECS marily due to rising costs. Royal Maroc has Latin America in its sights. tried it with ECS. The carrier used to do its Last year, for example, saw the group own sales but later gave the responsibility securing AirAsia India’s business along to ECS. with that of Philippines Airlines (US West Today, ECS handles Royal Maroc’s Coast sales) and Royal Air Maroc (France, traffic from Europe to Morocco as well as UK, Belgium). These were in addition to sales on the airline’s flights from the US. the group’s existing 29 mandated carriers Perhaps, what is important is that ECS along with the partnership with DHL Aviaalso provides a wide range of services that tion and Qatar Cargo. include bringing goods by road, Customs ECS Group’s expansion in a challengclearance, invoicing and data control and ing market does not come as a surprise. automated status reporting. The tasks toLatest cargo figures point out that GSAs gether make up “Total Cargo Managehave strengthened their position in air carment”. go: more than 20 per cent of worldwide revThe last words came from Schmoll enues were generated through sales under when he underlined that the ECS Group GSA agreements. In fact, GSAs showed a needs to be best GSSA not only for our higher than average volume growth coucustomers “but also for our employees. pled with less yield loss. What was it that Our employees like working for a healthy GSAs were doing right? company and the better we are, the better ECS, for example, has chalked out they are. This is a virtuous circle which its strategies for growth. Thominet said benefits all.” CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

AIR CARGO TIACA welcomes WCO’s new framework

he International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) has welcomed the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council’s adoption of important updates to its SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade. As part of the changes, the WCO recently formally adopted the ‘7 + 1’ data set as the requirement for risk data analysis, helping to standardise basic PreLoading Advance Cargo Information (PLACI) processes. PLACI initiatives have proved that using advance data for civil aviation risk assessment provides an additional layer of security. TIACA is working with regulators globally to ensure that new PLACI regimes are standardised. The ‘7 + 1’ data elements include the number of pieces, total weight, general cargo description, shipper name and address, and consignee name and address (the seven), plus the house airwaybill number (the one). Doug Brittin, TIACA Secretary General, said, “This is a major step forward for Advance Data. The WCO should be praised for collaborating so closely with industry to work toward a secure supply chain while ensuring the smooth flow of commerce.” Five new members elected: Five new board members, from Asia, Europe, and North America, have been elected to TIACA’s Board of Directors representing a wide range of sectors in the industry. The new officers bring experience of the integrator, chartering, all cargo carrier, and airport sectors. The new Board members are Amy Smith, Head of Customs and Regulatory Affairs, DHL Express (USA), Chee Meng Wong, Senior Vice President, Cargo Services, SATS, Russi Batliwala, Chief Executive Officer, Chapman Freeborn Air chartering Ltd, Oliver Gritz, Chief Commercial Officer, MD Europe, Worldwide Air Logistics Group, and Greg Guillaume, Senior Vice President (Strategic Development), Atlas Worldwide Holdings Ltd.

Air cargo growth slows

he International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air freight markets showing that growth continued to slow in May. Compared to May 2014, growth in Freight Tonne Kilometers (FTK) was 2.1 per cent, the slowest rate this year and outpaced by a capacity expansion of 4.3 per cent. On a year-to-date basis, freight volumes are up 4 per cent on the previous year, but much of that growth was realised in the latter part of 2014. Carriers in most regions, with the exception of those based in the Middle East, saw weak growth or even contractions. In aggregate, airlines in North and Latin America and Europe reported that their freight business was smaller in May 2015 than in the same month of 2014. Carriers in Asia-Pacific experienced slow growth as a result of poor import/export performance. “Cargo growth has undoubtedly come off the boil. The expansion in volumes we saw in 2014 has ground to a halt, and load

trade within the region, as well as shippers taking advantage of the Gulf carriers’ hub strategy. Capacity expanded to 19.4 per cent. WorldACD market data said that after four months of reasonably satisfactory – albeit quite random – growth, the month of May brought only limited increases in air cargo volumes. Worldwide Year on Year (YoY) growth was a meager 1.8 per cent, fuelling suspicions that air cargo may have to face some adverse market conditions once again. Worldwide yield (in USD) was down by 2 per cent compared to April. Further analysis is required to find out whether this would not – on balance – be good news for airlines. Yet, it may be hard to establish the impact of lower fuel prices and shifts to all-in pricing. The areas Europe and North America, volume-wise among the best performing areas only one month ago, were the laggards this time around, together with Central and South America, an area that has been suffering for a while. The growth

factors are falling. Some economic fundamentals still point to a rebound in the second half of the year, but we have to recognise that business confidence is flat and export orders in decline. There is also the risk of a shock to the economic system of a ‘Grexit’ from the Eurozone,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO. Asia-Pacific carriers reported demand growth of 2.8 per cent in May compared to May 2014, below a capacity expansion of 6.7 per cent. European carriers saw demand declined by 1.3 per cent in May, compared to a year ago while capacity grew by 2.7 per cent. North American airlines reported a fall in demand of 2.9 per cent year-onyear while capacity was cut by 4.2 per cent. Middle Eastern carriers saw demand grow by 18.1 per cent, on the back of increased

in May came specifically from Africa and the Middle East and South Asia (MESA), with YoY increases of 8 per cent and 5.5 per cent respectively. MESA was also the fastest growing destination. Interestingly, the Americas did best when it comes to yield comparisons with May 2014. As it has been the case for a while, perishables and pharmaceuticals were the engines of growth again, the former playing a much larger role than the latter in terms of volumes. Worldwide growth in May was completely driven by these two categories with growth figures of 7 per cent and 13 per cent. Although MESA stood out with a 24 per cent growth between South Asia and the Gulf region, the importance of perishables was made particularly clear by comparing Africa with Central and South America.

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

IAG to use first 787-9 between Heathrow and Delhi

Lufthansa counts on IBS

AG Cargo will soon begin cargo services on a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its London Heathrow-Delhi route. The aircraft will make five weekly frequencies beginning October 25. By replacing a passenger-configured 747 on the Delhi service, IAG will be able to offer cargo customers around 17 per cent more capacity per flight. The 787-9 belly-hold capacity allows for seven pallets and 16 tonnes of cargo. Air conditioning systems on the aircraft will enable IAG to maintain a hold temperature to within one degree of accuracy, which will allow temperaturesensitive cargo to be transported safely, IAG said. Steve Gunning, CEO of IAG Cargo commented: “IAG Cargo is in the midst of one of the biggest fleet upgrade programmes in our group’s history. The B7879 is at the heart of this transformation, delivering more cargo capacity than its predecessors more efficiently and making it well-suited to our belly-hold operations. Through our investment in next-generation aircraft we will continue to be able to offer customers a diverse product portfolio that meets their requirements for extremely high levels of reliability.”

Ranchi to have cargo complex

anchi airport will now carry perishable and non-perishable products via air as the Jharkhand government joined hands with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to develop a cargo complex. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the state industries department and the AAI. Once completed, complex at Ranchi airport will export finished goods both from the industry and food processing sectors. The project will cost around six crore rupees of which state government will fund rupees two crore. A timeframe of one year has been fixed for the project. "This will boost the food processing sector. Entrepreneurs will be able to export their products within a short time, thus reducing risk of waste," state industries department director K Ravi Kumar said. Under the MoU, the old cargo complex, whose revamp plan was chalked up as early as 2006, would be developed.

ufthansa Cargo has taken a big leap forward in its IT migration project as it has gone live on IBS’ iCargo IT solution at 120 stations in its network, including its three hubs of Frankfurt, Munich and Vienna. It was a defining moment for IBS softwares when Lufthansa Cargo went live with IBS’ iCargo IT solution at 120 stations in its network, including the three hubs – Vienna, Munich and Frankfurt. Frankfurt is not only Lufthansa Cargo’s main hub for its global operations, but also one of Europe’s busiest cargo gateways. In a press release, IBS said, “This transformation was achieved through a seamless system cutover, with Lufthansa Cargo Frankfurt operations in full swing and without major business disruptions. The system switch-over has been keenly followed by industry stakeholders. With this migration, Lufthansa Cargo is well on its way to modernise its core IT system in use for multiple decades.” Developed in 2006 in collaboration with six global airlines, iCargo is the new generation Cargo Management Solution from IBS that manages the cargo movement from shipper to consignee. iCargo is capable of addressing the needs of all kinds of cargo operations — large or small, combination or pure freighter and is the chosen cargo management solution for over 20 leading airlines across the globe including Lufthansa, All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Indigo, Turkish, Qantas, South African Airways and Nippon Cargo Airlines.The iCargo system will be operated by around 4,500 Lufthansa Cargo users across the world and will support the global cargo operations of Lufthansa Cargo to over 300 destinations spread across 100 CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

countries. The IT modernisation project — a key component of the Lufthansa Cargo 2020 strategy — replaces several key businesses IT systems with a single platform integrating all the participants of the transport chain. “IBS has had the best offering in the industry and our decision to jointly execute the project has verified to be the very best. The commitment of the IBS team is as extraordinary as the seamless collaboration with the offshore team, both being paramount for the overall project success. iCargo has proven to be the right product regardless of station or hub size and delivered countless value driving functionalities. Our Lufthansa Cargo 2020 strategy has further materialised. The modernised IT platform from now onwards acts a lever — enabling us to efficiently introduce innovation and continuously the best products for our customers” said Karl-Rudolf Rupprecht, Member of the Executive Board of Lufthansa Cargo. “This is indeed a defining moment for IBS, proving beyond doubt that iCargo is the No.1 air cargo management solution in the world. The successful cut over is a testimony to IBS’ capability, professionalism and commitment to support the requirements of global organisations such as Lufthansa Cargo, renowned for its disciplined business practices. In fact, I have been privy to several instances where senior functionaries described the switch-over as one of the ‘Best system replacement projects ever in the history of Lufthansa Group.’ iCargo will, I am sure, add significant business value to Lufthansa Cargo to achieve increased operational efficiencies and growth.” said VK Mathews, Executive Chairman, IBS Group.

AIR CARGO

Hawaiian goes smart H

awaiian Airlines became the first airline in the Americas to deploy SmartKargo. SmartKargo in the Cloud provides the paperless solution essential to a modern, efficient air cargo business. Carriers across the globe are benefitting from SmartKargo’s design simplicity and ease of use — a welcoming platform for frontline users as well as executives. State-of-the-art Microsoft Azure Cloud infrastructure delivers unlimited scalability, stringent security, and fail-safe redundancy. Robust out-of-the-box functionality and high configurability enables airlines of all sizes to deploy SmartKargo rapidly, and without big spending to customise the system. Tim Strauss, Hawaiian’s Vice PresidentCargo, said, “My Hawaiian colleagues and SmartKargo have worked hard to make this launch a success, and we couldn’t be happier. SmartKargo is already proving its promise to improve the experience for customers and employees.”

Hactl passes GDP annual audit

ong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) has successfully passed its World Health Organisation (WHO) Good Distribution Practices (GDP) annual surveillance audit. The audit is required in order to maintain GDP accreditation. Hactl achieved GDP accreditation – covering the provision of handling, logistics and storage services for pharmaceuticals – in 2014; it was the first handling agent in Hong Kong to do so. The audit, conducted by independent GDP auditor SGS, included full surveillance of Hactl’s staff competence, premises, equipment, processes, quality control system and hygiene standards. It confirmed that Hactl’s cold chain management system continues to conform to its specified standards and those of the relevant GDP legislation and guidelines, and that the company continues to adhere to its stated policies, objectives and procedures.

Boeing warns airlines

oeing has advised passenger airline customers not to carry large quantities of lithium-ion batteries as it can cause fires capable of destroying large aircraft. The guidance sent to airlines around the globe by Boeing, urged that they should not carry the batteries as cargo "until safer methods of packaging and transport are established and implemented," Boeing Spokesman Doug Alder told The Associated Press. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are used in cellphones, laptops and many other electronic devices. Tests conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over the past year have shown that inflammable gases such as hydrogen are emitted when the batteries short-circuit. They can then cause explosions and cause fires that are hard to extinguish. After one such test, the FAA concluded that the “cargo liner is vulnerable to penetration by molten lithium.”

UPS expands its services

PS has added five Latin American and three European destinations to its UPS Worldwide Express Freight service. The service is designed for urgent, time-sensitive and high-value international heavyweight shipments. New origins include Bulgaria, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Romania and Serbia. The new destinations that have been added are El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. The service offers guaranteed palletised shipments, over 70 kg, for doorto-door and day-definite delivery, with cus-

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

toms brokerage service included. “Eastern Europe is experiencing growth in the manufacturing and automotive industries and Latin America is undergoing rapid expansion of general industrial, healthcare, apparel, and high tech businesses. We expanded the number of countries we serve due to consumer requests and anticipated future demand,” said Nick Basford, UPS Vice President of International Marketing.

Temporary cargo service starts at Indore

ong-awaited domestic-cargo terminal at Indore’s Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport started a temporary cargo service recently. The terminal has the potential to handle around 300 tonnes of cargo a month. It will take three months to start permanent cargo terminal at airport. "This is a temporary arrangement till the tender is awarded for common user domestic terminal. Since all airlines were facing problems regarding cargo shipment, this temporary arrangement might bring relief to them," said Manoj Chansoria, Airport Director adding that looking at circumstances now medi-

cines, food products and agricultural products will be easily transported within India. "Existing passenger flights will carry cargo in their bellies i.e. cargo hold as of now as there are no cargo flights operating to and fro," said Chansoria. Airlines can start taking bookings for cargo but have to arrange their operators for cargo shipment, he added. "It is estimated that the airlines will be able to lift more than 10 tonnes a day collectively," he added. Temporarily, a cargo office has been set up at new terminal building and a scanner had been commissioned for examining the cargo.

Saudi’s new service to New Delhi

audi Airlines Cargo will soon start twice a weekly direct freighter service between Shanghai and New Delhi as part of the airline’s continued expansion strategy. The new direct service offers scheduled main deck capacity using B747-400F aircraft. “Our focus is to improve connectivity and provide a growing network of destinations and quality operations to our customers and the direct service between Shanghai and New Delhi, has been specifically designed for customers in both cities in order to fulfill their needs and requirements,” said Vikram Vohra, Regional Director Far East adding that if demand increases then from China to India, we would definitely increase our frequencies.

With the introduction of the new Shanghai-Delhi service, Saudia Cargo has further consolidated its position as a leading freighter operator from China to the middle-East and beyond. Today, the company offers its Chinese shippers 900 tonnes of capacity per week from Shanghai and Guangzhou.

CAL’s new product for engines

AL Cargo Airlines recently announced the launch of CAL Engines – a dedicated product for the safe transportation of airplane engines. CAL Cargo transports every size and type of aircraft engine around the world. CAL Engines leverages CAL's fleet of 747-400's original freighters, which can accommodate even the largest engine. Eyal Zagagi, CEO of CAL Cargo Airlines, said, "As an airline, we are especially sensitive to the importance and delicate requirements of engine transport and AOG. Over the past few years our business in the engine segment has increased by an average of 25 per cent per year, testament to our good service and repeat customers. CAL Engines is the seventh product in our portfolio of solutions for non-standard cargo, all of which embody our slogan 'Challenge accepted'. Our entire operation is built to service nonstandard cargo, including specialty products for live animals, dangerous goods, pharma and perishable items, artwork, valuables and other oversize and overweight cargo."

Qatar to introduce first 747 freighter

atar Airways Cargo will introduce the first 747 freighter to its expanding fleet on August 1, 2015 to further enhance its global on-demand charter services. The B747-400BCF will complement the cargo airline’s expanding freighter fleet providing 112.5 tonnes of capacity dedicated to worldwide charter services. The aircraft is well known for its loading flexibility and with a wide side cargo door the B747F can be loaded quickly and easily, irrespective of whether the load is made up of standard containers and pallets, or outsized cargo. One of the largest palletised cargo aircraft available in the market, the 747F will provide belly freight capacity and main cargo deck capacity with 39 ULD positions. Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo, Ulrich Ogiermann said: “Qatar Airways Cargo is experiencing increased worldwide demand for quality charter services as well as growing local demand with significant

infrastructure projects under way in Qatar that require outsized cargo capacity. The addition of the B747 freighter will also provide greater flexibility to our global network by supplementing our existing scheduled services as and when required.”

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

The airline will welcome a B747400F with a nose loading door to its fleet in October 2015, replacing the B747BCF to provide even more flexibility to satisfy customers’ oversized cargo transportation demands.

SNIPPETS/ DOMESTIC

New airline joins Indian skies

"At a time when most airlines are withdrawing freebies, we have decided to offer complimentary on-board meals for our passengers and also extend free pick-up and drop in certain cities."

RAM CHARAN,

Director for Turbo Megha Airways

Vistara adds MumbaiGoa route

istara recently announced the launch of weekend flights on Mumbai-Goa route. The flights will operate daily from September 14, 2015. Vistara will also be introducing a new age in-flight entertainment (IFE) system with wireless streaming capability by the end of this year. The system will enable all customers, across cabins, to access highly engaging content streamed to their personal devices through wireless streaming. Vistara’s Business class customers are already accessing entertaining content on preloaded Samsung Galaxy tablets effective May 2015. With the addition of the Mumbai-Goa flights, Vistara now operates 243 weekly frequencies connecting ten destinations, including Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bagdogra, Guwahati, Goa, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune.

TRUJET'S COMMITMENT: (Top) K T Rama Rao, Minister for Panchayat Raj and IT, Govt. of Telangana lighting the lamp while doing inaguration of the flight operations of TruJet from RGI Airport; (below) Ram Charan brand ambassador of TruJet flagging off the maiden flight in the presence of other dignitaries

ajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad has added its eighth domestic airline with the commencement of flight operations by TruJet. The air service will enhance the connectivity to Rajahmundry and Tirupati and will also greatly benefit the passengers for the ongoing Godavari Pushkaram. P Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Union Minister for Civil Aviation; K T Rama Rao, Minister for Panchayat Raj and IT, Telangana; Bandaru Dattatreya, MoS (Independent Charge) Labour and Employment; Ram Charan, Telugu Actor and Brand Ambassador of TruJet; and SGK Kishore, CEO, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL) flagged off the maiden flight at RGI Airport amidst the presence of TruJet Management and other dignitaries. TruJet has begun by offering a comprehensive route network that meets the needs of both business travellers as well as pilgrims. TruJet is also running additional season specific special flights on Hyderabad-Rajahmundry-Hyderabad route and Hyderabad to Aurangabad. Speaking on the occasion, Kishore said, “On behalf of GHIAL, I welcome TruJet to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad and congratulate them for their maiden flight. I am extremely happy about the new air service to Rajahmundry and Tirupati, especially during the auspicious occasion of Godavari Pushkaram.”

Discount for handbaggage travellers

ith the launch of new Hand Baggage Only fares, SpiceJet is once again taking the lead by offering a discount for those passengers who carry hand-baggage only. By encouraging travellers to travel light, SpiceJet is helping lower fuel consumption and emissions as well, thereby helping the environment. The Hand Baggage Only fare will be available on most direct domestic flights (including via flights), with minimum 30 days advance purchase. International and connecting flights are not included. Travellers with check-in baggage can still check in their 15 kg baggage for free using the normal SpiceSaver and other fares. SpiceJet is not charging for checked baggage for those who select the normal fares that exist today. Sanjiv Kapoor, Chief Operating Officer, SpiceJet, said, “With the introduction of this fare, we are passing on the savings of carrying less weight to the most price sensitive passengers who have hand baggage only, and are incentivising more passengers to book early and travel light. This is a win-win situation as those passengers will pay for only the services they consume, airlines can save on fuel costs from the lower weight, and the environment will benefit from lower fuel burn. Historically travellers with no check-in luggage have indirectly subsidised those passengers who have luggage to check-in.”

AirAsia India offers discount

irAsia India recently announced a flat discount of 20 per cent base fates for all flights. The booking period to avail the offer is between July 27 and August 2 and the travel period is between July 28 and November 30, 2015. The offer is valid for all domestic flights as well as over 100 destinations in Asia. Passengers can avail this offer from the AirAsia website, its mobile app as well as its mobile site. Siegtraund The, AirAsia’s group chief commercial officer, said in a statement, “We are extremely thrilled as we count down to our 300 millionth guest. Thi would be another milestone for the whole AirAsia group.” Currently, the airline operates its flights from and to Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Goa, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Pune. Delhi and Vishakhapatnam are the latest additions to the list.

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

SNIPPETS/ INTERNATIONAL

AI connects Bhubaneswar to international destination A ir India recently commenced its first commercial flight AI078 from Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar with an international connection which took off with 163 passengers. The airline has started daily operations connecting Bhubaneswar via Delhi to Dubai and the rest of the world from July. The inaugural flight carried 35 passengers flying to New York, London, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Muscat, Dubai, Singapore and Tokyo. The passengers were presented with a rose bud each at the time of check-in. A special cake to celebrate the occasion was cut for the passengers before boarding. Dignitaries handed over boarding cards to five passengers. Later on, Jual Oram, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs; Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Prasanna Patsani, Lok Sabha member flagged off the inaugural flight. Speaking on the occasion, Rohit Nandan, CMD, Air India said, “It’s a great day as we are all set to get connected with international countries. We at Air India, are extremely happy to fulfill the dream of travellers who would like to visit international countries. We are following the hub and spoke model, according to which

Delhi to be inaugural route for BA’s 787

CONNECTING INDIA: Dignitaries flagging off Air India's Hub and Spoke flight from Bhubaneswar

immigration will happen here and passengers will have the option to complete immigration formalities in Odia. We feel

happy to have 35 passengers for international destinations out of 163 passengers in today’s inaugural flight.”

First Class lounge reopens at HKIA

ritish Airways recently announced that its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, complete with a new First class cabin, will start flying to Delhi from October 25, 2015. With this development, Delhi will become the first route for British Airways globally to benefit from the brand new aircraft and a new First. To commemorate the launch, British Airways launched a special fare offer of over 50 per cent off for its customers travelling from New Delhi to London-Heathrow. Moran Birger, British Airways’ Regional Commercial Manager, South Asia said, “We welcome our customers from Delhi to experience a whole new level of comfort and luxury and do hope they enjoy the benefits of our new aircraft from the city.”

Connecting India to the UK for 15 years

athay Pacific Airways recently reopened ‘The Pier First Class Lounge’ at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), following an extensive renovation. Measuring 2,061 square metres, the newly opened lounge is located at Gate 63 in the North West concourse of HKIA with a maximum seating capacity of 23. Designed by Studioilse, the London-based design studio led by Ilse Crawford, the lounge is an environment that helps passengers relax by engaging the senses and focusing on wellbeing. Wellbeing is the core focus of ‘The Pier First Class Lounge’ as a reflection of this contemporary luxury value. Complimentary foot massage is introduced for the first time in Cathay Pacific lounges to cater for passengers’ physical and emotional needs during travelling. In addition to the Foot Massage, the Retreat area consists also of Day Suites and Showers. With a greater focus on food and beverages, The Pier First Class Lounge features the Dining Room – a warm and handsome room with à la carte dining for 100 people at a time. The Dining Room offers table service with freshly prepared dishes made-to-order by the Chef. CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

irgin Atlantic recently celebrated 15 years of delighting customers from Delhi to London and beyond! Recently, the airline became the first European carrier to fly the brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the Delhi-London route with the latest cabin enhancements including the Wander Wall, a new social space in Premium Economy and WiFi connectivity onboard. Delighted by this achievement, Nick Parker, Head of India and Middle East for Virgin Atlantic said, “The Delhi route is hugely popular among Indian customers who love the unique, personalised experience as we connect them to London and 219 destinations in the US including New York."

SNIPPETS/ INTERNATIONAL

More flights on Doha-Manila route Q

atar Airways will be adding six extra flights per week between Doha and Manila starting from October 26, 2015, following an expanded Air Service Agreement signed between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Philippines. Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive said: “The increase in flight frequencies on the Doha-Manila route serves to further strengthen commercial and trade links between our two countries and we are delighted to be able to provide our Philippines-based passengers with greater connectivity options when they choose to fly with Qatar Airways. Passengers travelling with Qatar Airways beyond Doha can also look forward to flying on some of the world’s most advanced aircraft, including the A350 XWB.” Qatar Airways has also announced network frequency increases to multiple destinations across its global network. The airline is adding frequencies to its popular routes – Dubai (UAE), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Peshawar (Pakistan), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Belgrade (Serbia), Sofia (Bulgaria), Asmara (Eritrea), Djibouti, Najaf (Iraq), Luxor (Egypt) and Salalah (Oman) all of which are launching over the coming months. Qatar lands in Zanzibar: Qatar Airways launched its second new destination of the year, touching down in the Spice Island of Zanzibar recently. Zanzibar is the airline’s third route in Tanzania, following Dar-es-Salaam and Kilimanjaro. Qatar Airways will initially operate five weekly flights to Zanzibar via Kilimanjaro, and commencing October 1, 2015, the airline will offer an additional two weekly flights making it a daily operation. Out of the daily flights from October, passengers will be able to fly non-stop to Zanzi-

PROUD MOMENT: Qatar Airways officials and delegates at the ribbon cutting ceremony

bar three-times-a-week and on a linked flight via Kilimanjaro four-times-a-week. Offers increased benefits to members: Qatar has partnered with kaligo.com, a global hotel booking platform, to give Privilege Club members the opportunity to earn up to 10,000 Qmiles a night when booking their hotel stay online. The members can also earn 3,000 bonus Qmiles for simply making their first hotel booking through kaligo.com between now and August 31, 2015. And an additional 7,000 Qmiles can be earned for hotel bookings for which the cumulative spend is $700 or more. Marche restaurant at HIA: Qatar Duty Free

Non-stop flight to Paris

ir Seychelles’ first non-stop service between Seychelles and Paris landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport recently after an overnight flight. The flight was greeted by a traditional water-cannon salute on arrival. The flight is operated on a modern Airbus A330-200 aircraft with 18 Business Class and 236 Economy Class seats. Guests onboard the inaugural flight, were presented with certificates, a key-ring and a personalised photograph to commemorate the historic occasion.

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

(QDF) has been accredited ISO 22000 certification for its 600-seat restaurant with production facilities Marché in Hamad International Airport (HIA). The road towards achieving this internationally recognised certificate began two-and-a-half years ago, before HIA was even open, with rigorous planning and by creating a complete quality assurance programme that is ISO compliant. As part of this ongoing programme all new staff members who join the company are required to embark on a series of Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) certifications and are trained to value the importance of food safety.

New campaign at Delhi Duty Free

elhi Duty Free recently launched ‘Why shop anywhere else with cheapest price in the region’. If you are travelling abroad from New Delhi, Delhi Duty Free at T3, IGI airport is the best place for duty free shopping to get the best brands at the regions best prices with some great savings against downtown prices and international duty free prices. The campaign promises best prices on top brands as compared to duty-free shops. Said Abhijit Das, Head of Marketing: “The campaign is designed to assure our travellers of as price promise, great offers and world class top brands as compared to other duty-free shops. So, customers travelling to middle-east, Singapore, Europe can now be assured of world’s best duty free brands in India at best prices.”

Emirates’ first A380 flies to Dusseldorf

Dreamliner for Abu DhabiZurich route

mirates has expanded the network of destinations served by its highly-popular A380 aircraft with the launch of the first A380 service into Dusseldorf, Germany. The airline also celebrated its five year anniversary in Prague with a special one-off A380 service. Dusseldorf is the third German city to welcome a regular Emirates Airbus A380 service, the revolutionary double-decker aircraft will transport up to 982 passengers in-bound and outbound daily between Dusseldorf and Emirates’ hub, Dubai. Emirates currently operates a scheduled A380 service to 12 destinations across Europe including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Milan, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Munich, Barcelona and Zurich. Later this year, Emirates will launch two new A380 destinations in Europe including Madrid on August 1 and Copenhagen on December 1.

Air Arabia enters 13th destination in Saudi Arabia

ir Arabia recently announced the launch of regular services to Tabuk, which marks the airline’s 13th destination in Saudi Arabia and 114th globally. Starting July 30, 2015, the carrier operates services on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Commenting on the new service, Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: “The strengthening of our route network in Saudi Arabia with the launch of Tabuk demonstrates the significance we attach to the Kingdom. Going forward, our business focus for KSA will remain to be present where our customers want us to be and continue to offer enormous choice for customers seeking to travel from KSA to the UAE and beyond.”

ENHANCING SERVICE: (L-R) Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Airways and Stefan Conrad, Chief Operating Officer, Zurich Airport celebrate the arrival of the inaugural B787 flight to Zurich

tihad Airways recently introduced its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the Abu Dhabi-Zurich route, offering the airline’s First Suites, Business Studios and Economy Smart Seats. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the departure gate to mark the occasion, attended by Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, Peter Baumgartner and Zurich Airport’s Chief Operating Officer, Stefan Conrad as well as representatives from local Swiss media. Guests travelling on the inaugural flight were presented with special luggage tags and commemorative B787 certificates. Members of the Swiss media were also given a tour of the Etihad Airways’ B787 aircraft where they had the opportunity to experience the airline’s new product offering. Baumgartner said: “Switzerland is one of the most important aviation markets for Etihad Airways and it is significant that we are deploying our state-of-the-art, new B787 Dreamliner on the Zurich route.” Double daily flights on Abu Dhabi-Sey-

chelles route: Etihad Airways has increased its service between Abu Dhabi and Seychelles from four flights per week to daily to give guests more choice and greater flexibility when travelling to and from Seychelles. Effective July 1, 2015, the total number of return flights operated by Etihad Airways and Air Seychelles between Abu Dhabi and Seychelles increased to 14 per week. Serving Zurich Film Festival: The airline recently becomes one of the main partners of the Zurich Film Festival, which takes place from September 24 to October 4, 2015. The sponsorship deal will see Etihad Airways’ brand prominently featured at various locations around the Zurich Film Festival venue and integrated into the festival’s campaign on print, digital, cinema, TV, radio and outdoor channels. The airline has also been announced as the exclusive partner of a green carpet gala premiere, a talent competition for aspiring filmmakers and the International Film Music Competition.

Air China expands Beijing-Los Angeles Service

ir China has launched the third nonstop service between Beijing and Los Angeles from July. This is the first time that ocean-crossing three-time daily flights from Beijing are operated in the history of China’s commercial aviation. To mark the inaugural flight of the third service, Air China prepared, for each passenger, carefully selected, wonderful and practical gifts, including a short-term US telephone card, admission ticket to a song and dance show in Las Vegas and Air China’s cartoon baggage tag.

CRUISING HEIGHTS August 2015

BACK PAGE

THE ARK AT JFK

NEW WONDER: Glimpses of the upcoming world's first animal terminal (artist impressions) at JFK Airport at New York, US (Photos: Ark Development LLC)

CRUISING HEIGHTS July 2015

JEFF GOLDBERG

emember the nursery rhyme, “Old Macdonald had a farm”. Well, now JFK International Airport will turn — by next year — into Old Macdonald’s farm but with a difference. There won’t be a lot of grazing grounds but there will be state of the art living quarters for the stallions and hounds at the new luxury terminal that will handle more than 70,000 animals flying in and out every year from the airport. According to Cliff Bollmann, a leading airport architect involved with the Ark for the San Francisco-based architecture firm Gensler, “a lot of our design making is in collaboration with veterinarians and consultants to help minimise the amount of stress placed on the animal”. The world’s first animal terminal, aptly named the Ark — inspired by the Biblical Noah’s vessel — the new terminal will be almost at par with all that is available for humans. There will, for instance, be sleek, climate-controlled stalls with showers for horses and cows while man’s best friend, dogs, will be made comfortable in five-star like hotel suites with flat-screen TVs. And when that odd pair of penguins come visiting around, they will be given a space that will provide privacy. Being built on the site of an unused cargo terminal, Ark Development, an affiliate of the Madison Avenue real-estate company Racebrook Capital, has signed a 32-year lease for the airport property with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey agency that runs Kennedy Airport. When completed, the facility will have to get approval from the US Department of Agriculture. The $48m, 178,000-square-foot (16,500-square-meter) terminal and quarantine facility will have facilities to take in every animal imaginable from where they will move to barns, cages, racetracks or shows not only in United States but also abroad. The facility will ensure that the quarantine period – for horses arriving in the US, it is three days – becomes pleasant. There will be hay-lined stalls for 70-odd horses and 180 heads of cattle. In addition, there will also be specially allocated areas for goats, pigs and sheeps. But it is the dogs that will have a great time. With an area of 20,000sq ft (1,860-sqm), the luxury suites will have bone-shaped splashing pools, massage centres and places for manicures and pedicures. While the dogs watch flat-screen TVs, their owners can check in on them via webcam – of course, for a whopping fee of $100 a night. And, as for the cats, they will get trees to climb on. All the animals will have complete medical attention, thanks to the 24-hour clinic run by Cornell University’s veterinary college.

E-JETS

Our vision is taking shape. The E-Jets E2 program has moved from concept to reality. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re far beyond the milestone of first-metal being cut, and are now busy assembling the first E2 prototype for first flight next year. The entire E2 family is on schedule, on target, and on the way to affirming its position as the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most preferred family of jets up to 130 seats. Our vision remains clear. And it is taking shape today.

1,100+ E-JETS. 70 AIRLINES. 50 COUNTRIES.

RNI No. DELENG/2006/16897, Postal Reg No. DL(E) 01/5294/2015-17, Publication Date: 1st of every month, Posting Date: 8-9th every month