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    Defence

    India and Australia discuss ways to enhance defence cooperation

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    New Delhi; 22nd June 2022: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Australian Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Defence Mr Richard Marles held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi on June 22, 2022. The two Ministers reviewed the existing defence cooperation activities which have been increasing despite challenges of COVID-19 pandemic and discussed ways to enhance further cooperation. The Ministers reviewed the defence and security pillars of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They reaffirmed their commitment towards implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership based on mutual trust and understanding, common interests and shared values, of democracy and rule of law. They welcomed the growing diversity and frequency of defence exercises and exchanges between the two countries and undertook to build upon operational engagements through the India-Australia Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement. Both Ministers committed to give fillip to the India-Australia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Research and Materiel Cooperation, which will meet in Australia later this year. This JWG is a crucial mechanism for boosting ties between defence industries. The Ministers discussed further opportunities for industrial cooperation between India and Australia to increase the resilience of supply chains and deliver capabilities to their respective defence forces. Both sides agreed to explore means to grow connections and opportunities between Indian and Australian defence industrial bases. Both Ministers welcomed the plan to commence the landmark General Rawat Young Officer Exchange Programme in the latter half of 2022, which was announced during the virtual summit meeting between the Prime Ministers of the two countries on March 21, 2022. The Ministers reviewed strategic challenges and the regional security situation and reaffirmed their shared objective of an open, free, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo Pacific region. They looked forward to India’s participation in Australia’s Indo Pacific Endeavour exercise in October 2022. Earlier in the day, the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Australia visited the National War Memorial and paid homage to the war heroes by laying a wreath at the monument. The Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Australia was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour before the bilateral meeting with Shri Rajnath Singh. Mr Richard Marles is on a visit to India from June 20-23, 2022. On June 21, 2022, he visited Goa which included a tour of Goa Shipyard Limited and a display of India’s growing prowess in indigenous drone development and autonomous vehicle technology.

    Recent News

    Garuda Aerospace partners with HiiLSE Drones to set up 1st international Drone Factory in Malaysia

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    22nd June 2022, Chennai: Garuda Aerospace Pvt Ltd has teamed up with HiiLSE Global Sdn Bhd (HiiLSE Drones) to set up Southeast Asia’s first and largest HiiLSE Garuda Aerospace Plant. The plant will be spread over 2.42 hectares in Malaysia with an investment of Rupees 115 crores. The partners aim to focus on providing cutting-edge technology to both the government and private sectors all across the region.Garuda Aerospace intends to have a global footprint that impacts society in a positive way using robust technology that increases efficiency and reduces costs. Reacting on the development,Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace said, “This partnership will define an ecosystem of drones with advanced artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning technologies. With this partnership, Garuda Aerospace has transcended into India’s most valuable drone start-up, poised to scale globally and belief that the future is here and now.” HiiLSE Drones founder and CTO, Shanmugam S. Thanggavilo said, “We are delighted to partner with Garuda Aerospace in setting up a drone manufacturing plant in Malaysia which focuses on technology and efficiency thereby reducing costs. Having such a plant in the region would create 3000 new jobs centered around drone expertise.”

    Top Stories

    Wizz Air to launch new routes to the KSA from Europe and UAE

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    22 June 2022, Budapest, Hungary: The European airline Wizz Air is launching new routes from Dammam, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to Rome, Vienna and Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi route will be operated by Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, Wizz Air’s joint venture airline with ADQ. Launching in September 2022, the new destinations are the first step towards a growing presence in KSA which will provide point to point travel for tourists and residents in the Kingdom, Europe and the UAE, strengthening global connectivity.The new routes by Wizz Air introduce a new era of travel to the Residents of KSA by unlocking affordable travel opportunities and giving them access to WIZZ’s incredibly low fares. Tickets for all routes are already on sale on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app, with fares starting from 24.99€.* Last month Wizz Air signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Investment for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supported by the Saudi National Air Connectivity Programme (a Ministry of Tourism initiative) to support the development of the Saudi Tourism Sector. The MoU reflects a shared vision between the parties on the potential Wizz Air could bring to the Kingdom to stimulate tourist demand, thereby making a significant contribution to Saudi Arabia’s planned growth. The new destinations support the growing Saudi Arabian tourism sector, aligning with the Vision 2030 programme, a strategic and ambitious vision to triple passenger traffic in the Kingdom by 2030. The ultra-low-cost routes will boost the burgeoning tourism industry and significantly increase connectivity for residents in Europe and the region, with key strategic government partners collaborating to add to the Saudi aviation ecosystem. Robert Carey, President of Wizz Air, said: “Wizz Air is committed to increasing global connectivity to marvellous destinations with real opportunities for growth and expansion. Saudi Arabia is a very exciting market and our expansion will bring ultra-low cost travel to the Kingdom. Our regular flights to Dammam will provide year-round sun for tourists, and provide a mix of destinations for residents of the Kingdom. We want to thank our partners for their support during the expansion, especially the Air Travel Connectivity Programme, the Ministry of Investment, GACA, the Dammam airport, and the government of Saudi Arabia. The recently signed MoU demonstrates our commitment to supporting travelers to and from Saudi by bringing in a new era of air travel with our ultra-low fares, point-to-point network, and high quality onboard service. Unlocking travel opportunities for everyone is the core of our brand and we will keep delivering on that by granting access to travelers to and from Saudi to our incredibly low fares. The WIZZ team is looking forward to welcoming passengers of all ages onboard our modern, young, and green aircraft soon, and to supporting the 2030 vision.” Khalil Lamrabet, CEO of The Air Connectivity Program, said, “We are delighted to have been able to work with both Wizz Air and Dammam Airport to grow traffic, in particular inbound tourism, from key European markets into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We look forward to the success of these routes and working with both our partners to grow the Wizz Air network into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” Fahd bin Sulaiman Al-Harbi, CEO of Dammam Airports Company, said, “We are very happy to welcome Wizz Air flights at King Fahd International Airport. Strengthening the global connectivity of the Kingdom is very important and Dammam Airport Company (DACO) continues to develop new destinations to serve the citizens and residents of the Eastern province. We are ready to welcome tourists and impress them with the beauty of Dammam. ”

    Top Stories

    Vietjet opens four new routes to Vietnam from India

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    Mumbai, June 22, 2022: Vietjet has officially launched four more services linking top destinations of India and Vietnam including Mumbai – Ho Chi Minh City/Hanoi routes and New Delhi/Mumbai-Phu Quoc services. The new routes were announced during the visit of Ho Chi Minh City’s leaders in Mumbai as India and Vietnam mark their 50thAnniversary of diplomatic relations. The ceremony witnessed the presence of Phan Thi Thang, Vice Chairwoman of People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, representatives of Consulate General of Vietnam in Mumbai along with Vietjet’s leaders. The Mumbai – Phu Quoc route will operate four weekly flights on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, starting September 9, 2022. The services between New Delhi and Phu Quoc will also commence on September 9, 2022 with three weekly flights on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The Ho Chi Minh City/Hanoi – Mumbai routes started operation in early June, 2022. The two countries’ two first direct services connecting New Delhi with Ho Chi Minh City/Hanoi resumed operation earlier this year in April with the frequency of three to four flights per week for each route. Passengers can book these routes’ air tickets now with fares starting as low as US$18 for oneway. (*) Nguyen Thanh Son, Vietjet’s Vice President said, “Vietjet’s Vietnam-India’s flight network expansion will boost and strengthen travel connectivity and trade ties between the two countries. We have been the first carrier operating direct services between Vietnam’s capital city Hanoi and its largest city of Ho Chi Minh with India’s capital city New Delhi.” “Vietjet’s flight network covering up to six direct routes between Vietnam and India also mark sa milestone in the two countries’ 50 years of diplomatic relations, since 1972. We will progressively expand the flight connection between the two countries in the coming time while constantly enhancing service quality along with technology adoption to bring our passengers best flying experience,” Mr. Son added. With flight time of just over five hours per leg and diversified flight schedules throughout the week, Vietjet’s direct flights have eased traveling from India to the ‘lands to remember’ of Vietnam including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc. Passengers can now easily connect to Vietnam’s other attractive destinations such as of Ha Long Bay, Da Nang and famous heritage sites in the central region, etc. or quickly transfer across the Southeast and Northeast Asia.Vietnam has lifted the arrival regulations relating to Covid-19 and travelers can enjoy a complete pre-pandemic fashion arrival in Vietnam.

    Recent News

    SpiceJet plane makes emergency landing in Patna after engine suffers technical glitch

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    19th June 2022; Patna: SpiceJet flight number 723 plane makes an emergency landing at Patna airport after take off from Patna to Delhi. This was due to technical fault encountered in the engine of the aircraft as soon as it took off. In the emergency, the plane was made to land back at Patna airport. It managed to land back safely. The engine of the plane is said to have caught fire, soon after it took off. In fact, the fire and smoke were reported by locals first. The plane had over 180 passengers on board along with the crew. “The Delhi-bound flight had returned to Patna airport after locals noticed a fire in the aircraft and informed district and airport officials. All 185 passengers were safely de boarded. Reason for the fire is a technical glitch due to bird hit on the left engine.Later, official tweet by Spicejet also confirmed the incident.

    Civil Aviation

    MoCA in association with FICCI hosts conference for promoting Civil Aviation sector in Bihar

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    New Delhi, 10th June 2022: The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India in collaboration with Government of Bihar and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry organised a Conference for promotion Civil Aviation Sector in the state of Bihar. The conference brought together experts from Indian Aviation Sector for strengthening the state’s opportunities in Airports infrastructure, Heli services, agro-business, and tourist destinations, increase regional connectivity, attract investment, and identify business. The conference was moderated by Smt. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation. Presentations on the promotion of Civil Aviation in the state of Bihar was done by Dr S Sidharth, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister of Bihar and Shri Sandeep Pondrik, Principal Secretary, Government of Bihar. Shri Prashant Ranjan, Director, Ministry of Tourism, Shri Manoj Mehta, Director, FICCI, Palka Sahni, Resident Commissioner, Government of Bihar and Shri Ajay Yadav, Private Secretary to Minister of Civil Aviation were also present in the meeting. A presentation on Industry perspective was done by Capt. Dhruv Rebbapragada, Regional Director, Safety, and member management board of Airbus India & South Asia. Civil Aviation is a key infrastructure sector that facilitates the growth of the business, and seamless flow of investment, trade, and tourism, with significant multiplier effects across the economy. Over a third of world trade by value is delivered by air and about half of international tourism is facilitated by air links. Bihar is one of the progressive states in India and it has immense growth potential. In recent years states civil aviation sector has seen exponential growth in terms of air passengers, Airport Infrastructure etc and holds the key to link the state to the other states of the country while it also taking ahead state’s Tourism, trade, and commerce with the rest of the world. The state has benefited immensely through regular commercial operation of air services from Darbhanga airport since 2020. Darbhanga airport has direct flight connectivity with Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bangalore while Patna is now connected to Amritsar, Varanasi and Prayagraj under UDAN-2.0 scheme.

    Airports

    Greenfield Airport at Hirasar (Rajkot) to boost industrial growth in Saurashtra Region

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    New Delhi, 10th June 2022 : To cater the growing population of the fourthlargest city in the state of Gujarat and increasing flow of air traffic in this region, Airports Authority of India has undertaken the work for construction of New Greenfield Airport, Rajkot in Gujarat. With the project cost of Rs. 1405 crores, the new airport is envisioned to be a transportation hub for people traveling abroad from the state. Spread over 2534acres, a new greenfield airport has been planned with modern facilities and conveniences for the travellers with increased number of counters and other necessary facilities. The location of new airport is approximately 30 kms from Rajkot city and on Rajkot-Ahmadabad highway. With total built-up area of 23,000 sqm excluding basement, the terminal building of this new airport will be capable to handle 1800 passengers during peak hours. The terminal will be equipped with state-of-the-art passenger facilities, four passenger boarding bridges, three conveyor belts and 20 check-in counters along with modern firefighting and fire alarm system. The city side area of the airport will also be developed for adequate parking facilities for car, taxi and buses along with landscaping. Runway length is planned for 3040 m for serving AB-321type of aircraft which will be capable of parking 14 aircraft at a time. The terminal façade design is influenced from the existing Palaces of Rajkot like the Ranjit Vilas Palace, integrating traditional elements into a contemporary form. An outer skin of traditional Jalis of Palaces is provided to minimize the heat gain inside building. The terminal will depict various artforms including dandiya dance through its dynamic external façade and splendid interiors. Rajkot is famous for its’ golden jewellery and filigree work and that has inspired the exterior panel work at drop-off area of city side kerb. More than 82% of earth work and 80% of Runway and other pavement works have been completed. The work for new terminal building & ATC Tower is also in progress. To commission the airport, an interim terminal building of size 60m x 60m capable of handling 300 passengers per hour is also in progress. The present progress of the total project is 45%. It is expected that the new airport will be ready for operation by March 2023. Rajkot is effectively contributing to the economy of India through its small scale and heavy industries. The city is playing an important role in complex supply chains with global perspective, which is expected to grow exponentially. Air connectivity to the international market will boost the industrial growth, which in turn will generate new employment opportunities. Apart from this, the new airport will come up with lots of commercial development. This will boost travel-logistics, hotel industry, restaurants, warehouse-Cargo handling and clearing business etc. and many more. In the PM Gati Shakti’s spirit of inclusive multi-modal connectivity, the Hirasar Airport is accessed from the National Highway NH-27. A clover -leaf flyover is planned on the highway for unhindered access to the airport. Being located on Rajkot-Ahmadabad highway, this airport will aim to reduce time and cost related to logistics for multiple industries in the region. More Importantly, the ceramic industry of Morbi and other industries of Jamnagar also depend on Rajkot for air connectivity. The plans to modernize and beautify the ancient city of Rajkot are already in place and all such infrastructure development projects including construction of greenfield airport will help promote the local business houses adding economic wealth to the country.

    Recent News

    LOT POLISH AIRLINES ADDS SARAJEVO AND PRISTINA TO ITS GLOBAL NETWORK

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    Warsaw, 10. June 2022 As part of its current network expansion, LOT Polish Airlines has grown its services to the Balkan region and is herewith further reinforcing its position as leading carrier in Central Europe. The Star Alliance member carrier has started flying to the cities of Sarajevo and Pristina from its global hub in Warsaw. Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is now served by LOT Polish Airlines five times a week. Tuesday, Friday and Saturday flights depart from Warsaw at 10:35h and arrive in Sarajevo less than two hours later at 12:25h (return flight starts at 13:05h and arrives at 15:00h). On Mondays and Thursdays, the departure from Warsaw is at 14:40h with scheduled arrival in Sarajevo at 16:30h (return flight starts at 17:10h and arrives 19:05h). Passengers from India travelling with LOT Polish Airlines from Delhi enjoy fast and seamless connectivity to this new service. Departing from Delhi at 8:00h they arrive in Sarajevo on the same day at 16:30h local time after a total travel time of 12 hours with a 90 minutes layover in Warsaw. In addition, LOT Polish Airlines has started flying to Pristina, the capital of the Republic of Kosovo, four times a week. Flight LO-587 takes off from Warsaw every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 10:15h and arrives at its destination at 12:30h. On the return leg, LO-588 leaves Pristina at 13:20h, arriving in Warsaw at 15:50h with connectivity to its Delhi flights. Ongoing global expansion. In addition to the new flights to Sarajevo and Pristina, LOT Polish Airlines has recently added further destinations to its global network, which are all served from its Star Alliance hub in Warsaw: Mumbai (two flights per week), Baku/Azerbaijan (four flights per week) and Cairo/Egypt (five flights times per week). On July 1, flights to/from Stuttgart/Germany will be resumed. Stuttgart has been Mumbai’s sister city for more than 50 years, so the new route will seamlessly connect them now via Warsaw. Amit Ray, Director India, DACH Markets and Italy at LOT Polish Airlines: “We are observing strong demand from the Indian market, and we are happy to provide our passengers what they value most: great connectivity, reliability and competitive pricing.”

    Recent News

    AirAsia India deploys TaxiBot operations at BIAL

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    Bangalore, 10th June 2022: As one of the key initiatives during Tata Sustainability Month, AirAsia India today flagged off the commencement of TaxiBot operations at Bengaluru International Airport, following successful trials and subsequent implementation at Delhi International Airport. The flag-off event was attended by Mr. Sunil Bhaskaran, MD & CEO, AirAsia India, Capt. Manish Uppal, Head of Operations, AirAsia India, Mr. Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited and Mr. Murali Ramachandran, CEO, Celebi Aviation. With the commencement of TaxiBot operations in Delhi in February this year, AirAsia India became the first airline globally to initiate TaxiBot services with passengers onboard on modified aircraft. AirAsia India tied up with KSU Aviation, the exclusive operator of the TaxiBot in India. TaxiBot is a semi-robotic aircraft towing device that is a green alternative to save fuel, reduce CO₂ emissions and noise pollution, decrease aircraft wear and tear, and minimise instances of Jet Blast and Foreign Object Damage, improving efficiency and enhancing safety in the parking area. TaxiBot is an alternate taxiing solution which can tow aircraft from the aircraft boarding gate to the active runway without utilising the aircraft engines. “We’re proud to be the first airline globally to initiate TaxiBot services on modified aircraft with passengers onboard. Following the successful trials and implementation in Delhi, we are delighted to be commencing TaxiBot operations at our largest hub, Bangalore, as well. In addition to driving the adoption of sustainable aviation, TaxiBot leverages technology to drive differentiation and efficiency in operations, leading the way forward for a cleaner and greener ecosystem.” said Sunil Bhaskaran, MD & CEO, AirAsia India. Hari Marar, MD and CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) said, “We are the second airport globally to deploy a TaxiBot at our airside operations. With AirAsia India adopting this state-of-the-art technology at BLR airport, we are positive that this will further ensure adoption by more airline partners as a part of their day-to-day operations. Environmental sustainability coupled with the vision of leaving a cleaner and a better world for our future generations has been at the heart of BIAL’s sustainability initiatives. We take pride in accomplishing energy neutrality, water positivity and reducing our carbon footprint thereby ensuring that BIAL continues to remain at the forefront in driving sustainability.” Dr. Ashwani Khanna, Director, KSU, said “AirAsia India has emerged as a trendsetter in alternate taxiing solution by further deploying TaxiBot Operations to their second Base Airport i.e. KIA, Bangalore Airport. M/S KSU Aviation in close coordination with its stakeholders envisages phased deployment of 07 TaxiBot units in next 05 years at KIA Airport, Bangalore, this would assist the airport operator and airline to jointly reduce ~35,000 Tons of Carbon Emission annually at KIA Airport, Bangalore.” TaxiBot is proclaimed as the green revolution in airplane taxiing, helping enhance fuel efficiency and predictive maintenance and services. As a Tata Group company, AirAsia India is celebrating Tata Sustainability Month (TSM) this June, which endeavours to build a group-wide sustainability culture in alignment with the airline’s sustainability goals.

    FOREWORD

    Dear Reader’s,

     

    The current edition of Aviation World has covered many areas of Aerospace & Defence based on the latest development in the sector. The front cover highlights three different images, first for the Union Civil Aviation Minister ….. who is leading from the front to steer Indian Civil Aviation sector to witness one of the most interesting phases. He is also facing most tumultuous timing due to the ongoing financial stress in the Aviation sector due to ATF rising cost and long airspace restrictions resulting in mounting losses for Indian carriers. Despite of all the ground level challenges,the minister is addressing new things on regular basis which keeps the sector motivated. We have featured many such developmental works in this edition done under his guidance which will be interesting to read.

    Our lead story on “ The West War” is another important feature which covers the ground level reality of the challenges faced by the Aviation sector. Its though time ahead and we believe it will pass soon .

    There are features on Regional connectivity and MoCA revised rules on the UDAN 2.0 and how its going to transform the flying experience within India.

    In this edition, we have covered topics on MRO,Various Policy changes,Sea Plane Operations by SkyHop Aviation, TATA-Airbus joint project on C295 military aircraft under Make In India which is expected to roll out soon and many other interesting contents which will be good to read.

    We are covering Farnborough International Airshow 2026 from 20-24July 2026 in London and our next edition will be based on the same event.For features, you may contact our team on priority basis.

     

    Happy Reading!

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    NEWSLETTER

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    We have started 2026 on a very positive note and we look forward to increase our footprints to more locations and induct many more new companies in our campaign.. Do write to us at : editor@aviationworld.in

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