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By Rajkiran Kanagala, President & Chief Business Officer, Transport Corporation of India Limited (TCI) One evening, while returning home from the office, I noticed a young boy, barely in his early twenties, walking along the roadside, eyes fixed on his mobile phone, completely absorbed in the phone. It was just a few seconds of distraction. The kind we all underestimate. At the same moment, an SUV came rushing down the road, over-speeding, honking relentlessly, zig-zagging through peak-hour traffic the boy just didn’t notice the car, whilst crossing immersed in his phone. The accident was unavoidable! Within moments, the road turned chaotic. The boy lay injured, motionless in shock. The driver, badly hurt, struggled to step out of the vehicle. Lives were not lost that day, but lives were permanently altered. That night, sleep did not come easily. One question kept returning to me: Whose mistake was it? The boy who chose his screen over his surroundings? Or the driver who chose speed over safety, believing a few saved minutes mattered more? Did the driver reach home on time? Did the boy get the entertainment he was seeking? No! A BIG NO! Instead, both were left with injuries, trauma, and consequences that would follow them for years. In India, we often justify risky behaviour with blind faith: “भगवानसाथहै।सबचलताहै। But faith cannot replace responsibility. On the road, belief without discipline is not devotion—it is negligence. “सड़कमाफ़नहींकरती, गलतीकीसज़ादेतीहै।” This incident is not an exception. It is a mirror of our everyday behaviour. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 2023 recorded nearly 4.8 lakh road accidents, with a staggering number resulting in serious injuries and lifelong disabilities. Nearly 70% were caused by over-speeding, and most occurred on straight roads, not sharp curves or poorly designed junctions. The truth is uncomfortable but clear: India’s biggest road hazard is not infrastructure. It is behaviour. Every accident leaves a ripple effect. Families are pushed into emotional and financial distress. Careers are disrupted. Children watch their parents suffer. Lives continue but never in the same way again. And yet, we continue to treat road safety casually, as if it is someone else’s responsibility. If real change has to happen, it must begin early in life. Children are the strongest influencers within families and communities. What they learn, they question. What they practice, they remind others of. When road safety, discipline, and responsibility are taught at a young age, they don’t remain rules—they become habits. A child who insists on wearing a helmet influences the parent. A child who understands traffic signals corrects the family. A child who learns safety early grows into a responsible citizen. Behavioural change is most effective when it is built young. At TCI, this belief led us to initiate “TCI Safe Safar”—a step toward shaping safer behaviour on Indian roads. Through NukkadNataks and direct engagement, we take road safety messages to the transport community, because awareness leads to reflection and reflection leads to change. Over time, the initiative has grown in scale and impact: • 1.27 million+ people reached across the country • 1.33 lakh+ safety pledges taken, turning intent into commitment • 1.14 lakh+ kilometres travelled to take the message beyond boardrooms • 47,000 drivers educated, reinforcing discipline behind the wheel • 1,100+ corporate engagements, embedding safety into organisational culture But one organization, one campaign, or one policy is not enough. The real change begins with each one of us and with what we teach the next generation. “आपसुरक्षितरहेंगे, तभीदूसरासुरक्षितरहेगा।” Slow down. Look up. Follow rules—not out of fear, but out of respect for life and for those who share the road with us. Because on the road few seconds of responsibility or irresponsibility is what which will make or break one’s life. (Views Published in this article are of the author.)

Singapore, 7th February 2026: Airbus has confirmed that the A350F, the freighter programme is progressing, marking major industrial milestones with the first development aircraft currently in final assembly, and the programme securing a 54% market share in the new-generation large freighter segment. Industrially, the programme is now fully underway. Sections for the second development aircraft, MSN 701, are arriving in the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse, France, and first aircraft MSN 700 is continuing the assembly process that started in Q3 2025. “The A350F programme is progressing according to our development plan, and the entry of the first aircraft into the FAL was a major achievement for the teams involved,” said Crawford Hamilton, Head of Freighter Marketing at Airbus. “It reinforces our confidence in the aircraft, the programme’s execution and our long-term freighter strategy.” Airbus remains on track for first flight later in 2026, with entry into service planned in 2027. A two-aircraft flight test campaign will be conducted using MSN 700 and MSN 701. The two development aircraft will be involved in a light flight test campaign of around 600 hours in total, covering various areas such as the cargo loading system, main deck cargo door, environmental control system and smoke detection. The A350F certification basis has been established with EASA, and multiple full-scale development and certification test benches are already in operation. These benches are designed to de-risk the flight test programme and ensure a high level of maturity at entry into service. A key feature of the A350F is its main-deck cargo door – the largest of any commercial aircraft, with a clear opening width of 4.3 metres (169 inches). It is the industry’s first composite main-deck cargo door, delivering weight savings, and features an electrically powered opening system aligned with the A350’s architecture. Its rear-fuselage position helps maintain a safe centre of gravity during loading. Asia-Pacific remains a key growth market for the A350F. Recent commitments include Korean Air’s conversion of seven A350-1000 orders to A350F freighters, Air China Cargo’s order for six aircraft, and STARLUX Airlines’ order for five additional A350Fs. These add to earlier orders from Cathay Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo. Asia-Pacific air cargo traffic grew by 9% in 2025, outpacing global growth rates, driven by expanding industrial economies across the region. Over the next 20 years, Airbus forecasts demand for 2,605 new freighters worldwide, with Asia-Pacific accounting for around one-third of deliveries. “The data is clear: the future of air cargo is centred in Asia-Pacific,” said Crawford Hamilton, Head of Freighter Marketing at Airbus. “Strong regional order momentum and market share underline customer confidence in the A350F. With its record-breaking cargo door, superior fuel efficiency and solid customer backing, it is the right aircraft at the right time for this market.” With its strong market position, advancing industrial maturity and first flight planned for 2026, the A350F is positioned as a core element of Airbus’ long-term freighter strategy and a key platform for the next generation of global air cargo operations.