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Technology

TECHNOLOGY

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IT’S TIME FOR INDIA TO TAKE BACK THE SKIES BY MANEESH JAIKRISHNA The COVID-19 pandemic has not just affected human lives but has taken a heavy toll on economies across the world. With a complete nationwide lockdown for about two months, businesses have also suffered huge losses. The aviation industry continues to be one of the most adversely impacted. It is only now that airlines in India have taken to the skies again providing some minimal relief to the industry. However, the damage to this sector will be long and complex and recovery will change the way we travel. At this point, no one can predict what the future may bring. But we are beginning to develop scenarios about what shape the ‘new normal’ might take. In order to mitigate the effects, the aviation industry must transform the passenger experience to increase traveler safety, re-establish trust while balancing economic pressures from reduced customer demand. To successfully walk this tightrope and navigate a return to the skies for viable volumes of passengers, our airports and airlines need to assimilate new information from the government and health officials, adapt operations immediately and automate processes permanently. One of the most striking revelations that has emerged from the crisis is the role and importance of technology. Industry leaders believe that technology will be fundamental in helping airlines and airports become compliant with new and fast-changing regulations and to restore the passenger’s confidence in flying. New preventive measures aimed at limiting risk at airports and onboard will require new approaches to passenger management. Indian airports that were reticent to adopting certain technologies are now transitioning towards it. Digital technologies and automation will be critical in ensuring a smooth, efficient and safe flow of passengers while keeping in mind social distancing-friendly passenger experience. Now more than ever, the industry needs to work towards the vision of an entirely mobile-enabled journey. This will keep passengers informed and moving, making the journey increasingly ‘touchless’ with self-service technologies at every step right up to the biometric boarding system at the gate. Contactless, self-service technologies at every step will facilitate passenger flow, cutting queues while ensuring a social distancing-friendly passenger experience. New kinds of digital identity will facilitate this smooth, touchless journey. This will allow passengers to breeze through the airport using digital IDs stored on their phone verified with facial recognition. Passengers will expect this to be both simple and safe. There are predominantly three key areas that are expected to require maximum technological intervention in order to compliment the short-term hygiene measures such as the use of masks and gloves and ensure a smooth and safe experience for passengers. SOCIAL DISTANCING The use of real-time monitoring technologies along with predictive analytics can ensure proactive planning, appropriate distancing between passengers at key points across the airport. Through technology, the journey will become increasingly ‘touchless’. Automation will be of paramount importance. Contactless, self-service technologies at every step will facilitate passenger flow, cutting queues while ensuring a social distancing-friendly passenger experience. Even the option of extending airport boundaries can also be considered where key steps such as check-in and bag drop are managed using the passenger’s mobile phone before they arrive at the terminal. HYGIENE AND SANITATION It is imperative to reduce the risk of infection by avoiding contact at key touch points. With a combination of biometric and mobile solutions, passengers will no longer have to touch a kiosk or surface and be able to manage their journeys from their phones. With biometric technology and next generation touch points throughout the journey, agents can use their airline’s applications on a mobile device anywhere, freeing them from a fixed location or station used by multiple parties that may be in close proximity. Similarly, passengers can operate process points such as kiosks, using their own mobile devices, without the need to touch screens on the airport’s physical infrastructure. This will provide greater efficiency and improved passenger satisfaction with the welcome benefit of enhanced safety for passengers and employees alike. HEALTH OR THERMAL CHECKS As countries around the globe begin to ease restrictions on air travel and movement in general, authorities will be mindful of preventing a resurgence of cases. Integrating health or thermal checks at key touch points such as check-in kiosks will be important to identify or assist high-risk symptomatic passengers. As a result, the government would require an information-driven approach based on real-time data and responsiveness to handle rapidly changing situations. Passengers, in turn, will increasingly demand easy-to-use solutions that provide the right information, for them to plan their travel. In order to meet the challenges of this ‘new normal’, the air transport industry will need to radically change the way it operates. The government can work with technology experts to adopt these technologies swiftly in order to mitigate the risk of resurgence. We witness an array of opportunities to collaborate with technology and innovation to turn the situation around and use it to our advantage. This will not only make our airlines and airports more adaptable to change in the future but also instill confidence in passengers and make travel more safe, streamlined, and sustainable. (The author is Vice President, Indian Subcontinent, Dubai, Eastern & Southern Africa, SITA).  

Airports

AIRSPACE SAFETY

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THREATENED BY DRONES? BUT WHO DEFENDS THESE THREATS? XPELLER – WE BRING IT DOWN Monitoring the airspace is an important task. Even more so when dangers are becoming smaller and smaller: The use and circulation of small drones has increased substantially over recent years and months. While some regulatory frameworks exist, their implementation has proven difficult in practice. Airports especially are high-risk areas, as a collision between drones and airplanes – whether intentional or not – may result in accidents and even deadly crashes. Added to that the risk of drones employed as weapons by dropping explosives, biological or chemical substances, it becomes clear that airports and other critical infrastructures must be continuously monitored, secured and have access to means of intervention in cases where drones may enter their airspace. Andleeb Shadman ,Managing Director of HENSOLDT Pvt. Ltd in an interesting conversation with Markus Wolf , Head of Sales & Business Development at HENSOLDT Ventures, responsible for the Xpeller CUAV System. AS: Could you describe global threat perceptions for which global customers buy Counter UAV Systems and what are the key criteria that influence their choice in selecting the System? MW: Hostile UAVs are becoming one of the biggest threats is recent years. They are cheap, easy to operate, available everywhere, almost invisible and usable for a variety of attacks. Several incidents within the last few years have revealed that there is a rapidly emerging threat caused by small, cheap and commercially available drones. In 2016 alone there were 70 reported near misses at Heathrow. Recent incidents like the lethal drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s largest petroleum company and arms dropping by UAVs in Punjab, India from across the India-Pakistan border has alerted Indian security and intelligence agencies. It is estimated that India has over 6 lakh rogue or unregulated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and security agencies are looking for pragmatic solutions. Whether they are used for trafficking, industrial espionage, sabotage, terrorist acts or even unintentional this phenomenon is an emerging threat that must be countered. To do so, it is key to detect and identify the drone and assess its threat potential at ranges from a few hundred meters up to several kilometres of distance from the sensitive area. Practical Counter UAV solution (CUS) should maximize true positives and minimize false negatives.We have observed globally that key customer criteria for choosing a Counter UAV solution is influenced by local threat perceptions, i.e. typeand mission of UAV, legal, regulatory or practical constraints in installing radar and/or selection of counter measures and contentment of collateral damages etc. AS: Could you please describe Xpeller system? MW: The Xpeller approach towards countering the UAV threat is based on a multi sensor/effector layer and a three step workflow: 1. Detect the potential threat with the best possible probability of detection. 2. Identify the potential threat as an actual threat with the least possible false alarm rate. 3. Act on the threat by raising alarms, or engaging the threat with a counter measure. Xpeller is highly efficient, modular and scalable counter UAV system designed for civil and military domains. The system allows combination of radar, electro-optical and RF signals, all integrated in operational software for an optimized detection of unauthorized drone threats. The resulting signal domination allows an optimized usage of countermeasures such as intercepting signals to defeat the drone threat successfully. AS: What is the USP of HENSOLDT Solution? MW: The Counter UAV solution market has been consistently growing with increasing in threats due to terrorism and illicit activities across the world and rising incidences of security breaches by unidentified drones. There are been numerous players in the market acting locally and globally offering variety of solutions. The key differentiating factors for HENSOLDT solution are: 1. Mature and already in-service 2. Scalable and modular solution framework catering to different needs of customers 3. Man portable, Vehicle mounted and Fixed installations 4. Catalogue of sensors and effectors to pick and chose 5. Very high probability of intercept and very low false alarm rate 6. Limited Interference with friendly use of air-space and spectrum. 7. Complete solution available based on Inhouse-products with no third-party interdependency AS: How mature is the solution? Are there success stories? MW: In 2018, HENSOLDT demonstrated its Xpeller counter-UAV system at the Airbus airfield in Hamburg.During the demonstration, Xpeller detected UAVs approaching from a number of locations and was able to identify a variety of UAVs, including small recreational models, from a distance of several miles away. Among our most recent successes is supporting the German Armed Forces in the protection of their forward operating bases in their operational areas. The Xpeller modules are used as part of container-based drone defence systems within the GUARDION overall system of ESG Elektronik system- und Logistik-GmbH and its partners for a total of five drone defence systems. “The Spexer2000 3D radar is characterized by outstanding detection capabilities, especially against asymmetric threats. The Z:NightOwl M camera was specially developed for high ranges. With it, we support drone defence against so-called Class I drones, that is, unmanned aircraft weighing up to 25 kg. In addition to permanent deployment, customers also use the system for temporary protection of major events. A recent example was the deployment of Xpeller during the Dutch Day of Remembrance in Amsterdam in May 2020, marking the successful introduction of Xpeller as a service. AS: How do you see Indian market for counter drone solution? What are your plans to offer this solution to Indian customers? MW: India is the vast country with challenging security situations. There have been several instances related to drone threats in civil and military areas. We are also cognizant about India’s uncompromising focus on Military self-Reliance through “Make in India” policy. Our proposed approach is to offer complete Xpeller solution framework to Indian customers.Through a Joint development we could realizean Indigenous Counter UAV solution in the most practical and incremental way, for example in supporting Indian capabilities like Sensors or 3rd Party Hard Kill effectors with selected Xpeller modules. We offer following three

RCS

RCS UDAN

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RCS UDAN MOCA Approves 78 new routes in UDAN 4.0 UDAN 4.0 is more focused on establishment of air connectivity in the priority regions of North East, Hilly States and Islands. A detailed report below on the new sectors based on the govt data released recently. UDAN in all its versions always mentioned about the convenient connectivity to those sector which are not in the mainstream of the airlines. To facilitate such connectivity govt. offers various financial support as well as relaxation so that more and more airlines can join the scheme and make connectivity successful. However, till now we have seen a mixed match review as many airlines are not able to fulfill its terms or even start in few sectors. But, that has not been a deterrent in the ambitious scheme and recently UDAN 4.0 is released. This time the govt has given more impetus to the North East region and other hilly regions as it was much demanded by the respective states to ease connectivity. The time will tell how the airiness responds to the govt. scheme as Post Covid 19, it’s been turbulent times for the aviation sector as all new projects are on hold for the time being. The three successful rounds of bidding, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has approved 78 new routes under the 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- UdeDeshKaAamNagrik (UDAN) to further enhance the connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country. NER, Hilly States and Islands have been given priority in the approval process for the new routes. 29 served, 08 unserved (including 02 heliports and 01water aerodrome), and 02 underserved airports have been included in the list for approved routes. Overall 766 routes have been sanctioned so far under the UDAN scheme. Commenting on this development, Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, said, “Following the three successful rounds of bidding, the Ministry of Civil Aviation(MoCA) had launched the 4th round of UDAN in December 2019 with a special focus on North-Eastern Regions, Hilly States, and Islands. The awarding of these 78 routes under UDAN 4 is in line with the Act East Policy of the Central Government. The airports that had already been developed by AAI are given higher priority for the award of VGF under the Scheme. Under UDAN 4, the operation of helicopter and seaplanes is also been incorporated. Since its inception, MoCA has operationalised 274 UDAN routes that have connected 45 airports and 3 heliports.” The approved RCS routes include the following: S.No RCS Routes 1 Guwahati To Tezu 2 Tezu To Imphal 3 Imphal To Tezu 4 Tezu To Guwahati 5 Guwahati To Rupsi 6 Rupsi To Kolkata 7 Kolkata To Rupsi 8 Rupsi To Guwahati 9 Bilaspur To Bhopal 10 Bhopal To Bilaspur 11 Hissar To Dharamshala 12 Dharamshala To Hissar 13 Hissar To Chandigarh 14 Chandigarh To Hissar 15 Hissar To Dehradun 16 Dehradun To Hissar 17 Kanpur(Chakeri) To Moradabad 18 Moradabad To Kanpur(Chakeri) 19 Kanpur(Chakeri) To Aligarh 20 Aligarh To Kanpur(Chakeri) 21 Kanpur(Chakeri) To Chitrakoot 22 Chitrakoot To Prayagraj/Allahabad 23 Prayagraj/Allahabad To Chitrakoot 24 Chitrakoot To Varanasi 25 Varanasi To Chitrakoot 26 Chitrakoot To Kanpur(Chakeri) 27 Kanpur(Chakeri) To Shravasti 28 Shravasti To Varanasi 29 Varanasi To Shravasti 30 Shravasti To Prayagraj/Allahabad 31 Prayagraj/Allahabad To Shravasti 32 Shravasti To Kanpur(Chakeri) 33 Bareilly To Delhi 34 Delhi To Bareilly 35 Cochin International Airport(CIAL) To Agatti 36 Agatti To Cochin International Airport(CIAL) 37 Aizawl To Tezpur 38 Tezpur To Aizawl 39 Agartala To Dibrugarh 40 Dibrugarh To Agartala 41 Shillong To Passighat 42 Passighat To Guwahati 43 Guwahati To Passighat 44 Passighat To Shillong 45 Guwahati To Tezpur 46 Tezpur To Guwahati 47 Guwahati To Misa(Heliport) 48 Misa(Heliport) To Geleki 49 Geleki To Jorhat 50 Jorhat To Geleki 51 Geleki To Misa(Heliport) 52 Misa(Heliport) To Guwahati 53 Agatti To Minicoy 54 Minicoy To Agatti 55 Agatti To Kavaratti 56 Kavaratti To Agatti 57 Guwahati To Shillong 58 Shillong To Dimapur 59 Dimapur To Shillong 60 Imphal To Silchar 61 Silchar To Imphal 62 Shillong To Guwahati 63 Agartala To Shillong 64 Shillong To Imphal 65 Imphal To Shillong 66 Shillong To Agartala 67 Imphal To Shillong 68 Shillong To Silchar 69 Silchar To Shillong 70 Shillong To Imphal 71 Shillong To Dibrugarh 72 Dibrugarh To Shillong 73 Delhi To Shimla 74 Shimla To Delhi 75 Diu To Surat 76 Surat To Diu 77 Diu To Vadodara 78 Vadodara To Diu   List of Unserved airports: Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh Rupsi, Assam Bilaspur, Chattisgarh Hisar, Haryana Misa (Heliport), Assam Geleki (Heliport), Assam Minicoy, Lakshadweep Kavaratti (Water aerodrome), Lakshadweep List of Underserved airports: Agatti, Lakshadweep Passighat, Arunachal Pradesh

Drones

SKILL DEVELOPMENT

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AASSC TO TRAIN & DEVELOP OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS OF DRONE OPERATOR Aviation is proof that given, the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible. -Edward Vernon Rickenbacker Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are basically machines that can fly without having any human pilot present inside the vehicle. These are mainly controlled by computers, or in case of toy drones, by simple remote controls. The world is moving in to The Fourth industrial Revolution, the digital revolution, and for India it brings tremendous opportunities to leapfrog many stages of development. DRONES- INDIA PERSPECTIVE: Indian UAV market to grow at a CAGR of 18% during 2017–23 in terms of revenue. In a recent report, FICCI and EY projected that the value of the Indian UAV industry and market would be around US$ 885.7 million. Global market size will touch US$ 21.47 billion by 2021. With 22.5% of the world’s UAV imports, India tops the list of drone-importing countries – Opportunity for AtmaNirbhar Bharat. CONSISTENT GROWTH AND REGULATIONS FOR DRONES: Drones are an inevitable part of the future landscape scenery.One thing which is very clear is that the drone industry is only just beginning to pick pace in the country and bound to grow in the next decade or so. The range of drones available for various applications is increasing while the manufacturing cost is decreasing. The demand for drone operators for the varied applications and for other job roles in the drone industry is increasing as well. In December 2018, Ministry of Civil Aviation through Civil Aviation Regulation (CAR) 1.0 established basic framework of rules and launched DigitalSky Platform. In January 2019, Drone Ecosystem Policy Roadmap was released which outlined key principles guiding the draft of CAR 2.0. The new CAR 2.0 is likely to further enable commercial use of Drones/Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and allow its operation Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). The policy seeks to provide a way for foreign players to invest in India, which will allow the development of India’s UAV sector. Investments by the Indian government and citizens, combined with future foreign direct investment, can become the reason for the further evolution of the drone sector in India. The Ministry of Civil Aviation – DGCA has notified the draft rules, known as Unmanned Aircraft System Rules, 2020, on June 2 for importing, manufacturing and owning drones as well as for drone ports, or airports for drones. It had invited comments from stakeholders within 30 days, following which the rules will be finalised APPLICATIONS OF DRONES: CLASSIFICATION OF DRONES: (a) When it comes down to the classification of these drones, there is no set standard. According to the usage, drones are constructed in various shapes and sizes. Normally, drones are classified according to their size. They are Hobby Drones Commercial Drones Industrial Drones Military Drones             (b)Classification on the basis of Usage: “Drones” can be classified on a different basis – say based on ‘usage‘ like Drones for Photography, Drones for aerial Mapping, Drones for Surveillance etc. However, the best classification of ‘Drones’ can be made on the basis of aerial platforms. (c)Based on the type of aerial platform used, there are 4 major types of drones: 1. Multi Rotor Drones 2. Fixed Wing Drones 3. Single Rotor Helicopter 4. Fixed Wing Hybrid VTOL (d)Classification of Drones as per AUW: Civil Drones is categorized as per DGCA (Directorate General Civil Aviation –  Regulatory body – India)  in accordance with Maximum All-Up-Weight (including payload) as indicated below:   SOME RECENT PROJECTS USING DRONES IN INDIA: Anti – Locust operations in Rajasthan & U.P in Jun 20 Drones used in surveillance operations in COVID-19 hit cities like Mumbai & Bangalore In November 2019, Coal India used drones to check illegal mining and pilferage Indian Railways is using UAS for inspection & 3D mapping to bring to life, a dedicated freight corridor with a network of 3,360 km. Upcoming projects: Indian Oil will use drones for aerial surveillance of their Delhi-Panipat pipeline. Survey of India will do high definition aerial mapping of villages in India using drones. Under the SVAMITVA scheme of Ministry of Panchayati Raj which stands for ‘Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas’. The target is to map India’s over 6.6 lakh villages by Dec 2024. The objective of the scheme is to create accurate land records for property rights, direct benefit transfers and panchayat level planning. Maha-Transco will use drones for powerline inspections in remote areas of Maharashtra Enhance its quality of inspection Lesser cost   FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES: Continued reforms in regulations by Govt for use of drones in various applications Govt will provide fast track approvals for mass benefit use cases especially in Infrastructure, Agriculture, Healthcare, Defence &National security Push for ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat – Make in India : Make for the world‘ Govt working towards Make India : Drone Capital of the world   DEMAND FORECAST FOR SKILLED MANPOWER Skills and knowledge are one of the key drivers of economic growth and social development for any country. As India positions itself to achieve strong economic growth, availability of a highly skilled workforce that can help organizations across sectors and more importantly globally withtheir competitive capabilities will be key. The drone industry will need operators, technicians, engineers with the right technical skills combined with the applicable soft skills that are invaluable for the industry. The engineering talent needs to be trained on the relevant skills that will improve their prospects for global employability. India presently has over 50,000 active unlicensed drone pilots who will be required to undergo formal training in the next 12-18 months. To facilitate this India will need a large number of RPTOs spread across the country to meet the growing demand of the drone industry. It is expected that besides FTOs and RPTOs, technical institutions will also have Drone Operation and Maintenance as part of Curriculum. Drones and other ancillaryindustries will need new skill set and are likely to create new job opportunities that did not exist before. ROLE OF AASSC “Make in India” cannot succeed

Top Stories

POLICY

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REGULATORY TRIBULATIONS OF DRONES BY GP. CAPT. AK SACHDEV ( RETD.) Human avarice endows commerce with powerful dynamics which often militate with societal and regulatory norms and constraints; the ongoing drone proliferation demonstrates this amply. Technological advances in drones, and appreciation of their emerging commercial munificence, have led to a great deal of interest in their employment for business and commercial activities. India’s resurgent economy, notwithstanding a temporary setback due to Corona virus, has seen an immense interest in drones; indeed, there is a mushrooming market for drones of all sizes and with variegated payloads and capabilities. The beginnings of this revolution of sorts was visible almost a decade ago and so were the associated risks and hazards, and we should have been ready to regulate its intricacies. However, for various reasons, our regulatory oversight of drones is rather unconvincing at the moment. REGULATORY INFIRMITIES Starting with innocuous remote controlled toy drones at the beginning of the decade gone by, the market was inundated with their presence in the market (and their size)growing at a disquieting pace. As the process of regulating their use was lagging pitiably, a blanket ban was put into place in 2014as an interim, short term measure with the laudable intent of simultaneously drawing up exhaustive regulations to control drone flights in Indian airspace. The intent, however, was not matched by the actions thereafter, and it took an inordinately long time for Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) to promulgate Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), Section 3 – Air Transport Series X, Part I Issue 1 on August 27, 2018. The CAR uses the technical term Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs)for drones and regulates their use in the Indian Airspace; itstipulates the process for obtaining Unique Identification Number (UIN), Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP), and other operational requirements including identification of civil drones and drone operators.The drone operators are required to register their drones on the online portal after which a drone Acknowledgement Number (DAN) and an Ownership Acknowledgement Number (OAN) is issued online which would help in validation of operations. However, this does not give drone operators to fly drones in India without permission. Only around 20,000 drones are registered with MoCA but the number of drones being flown without registration and without permission for various purposes is much larger due to the excessive delay in promulgating the CAR and the inability of the regulatory machinery to ensure the ban prevalent between 2014 and 2018. The establishment of a Digital Sky platform was envisaged as a system to regulate drone flights but it was not ready at the time when the CAR was issued; its partial readiness was announced on 01 December 2018. Digital Sky concept is a massive framework which needs to be comprehensive, complex and data driven. Unfortunately, users and manufacturers alike remain largely unaware of its technical requirements. India has a unique No Permission – No Takeoff (NPNT) clause which means that a drone needs to be configured with a special software and/or hardware in such a manner that unless the regulatory permission is given through Digital Sky platform, a drone cannot fly. In other words, until the NPNT is incorporated into its design, a drone manufacturer should be unable to sell drones in India.However, while the NPNT compliance has been granted only to 19 companies (details at https://digitalsky.dgca.gov.in/RpaTypeList), the drone market is inundated with non-NPNT compliant drones doing brisk business at attractive rates. The problem appears to be that while NPNT is a great idea, enforcing it has become a headache for the regulator as it is still struggling with implementing a system to keep a check on the hardware and software capabilities of drones as there are very few labs to ascertain these standards. On June 2 this year, MoCA published a Gazette Notification with a draft “Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules 2020”; the draft introduced some changes from DGCA’s 2018 CAR mentioned earlier. The important changes are aimed at tweaking the five categories of drones, eligibility of persons authorised to manufacture, import, trade in, own or operate drones, Unique Authorisation Number (UAN) rules, change in UAN/UIN/UAOP/Pilot License fees, and the import of non-compliant drones into India. MoCA had given a month’s time for stakeholders and the general public to submit comments. Expectedly, there were many inputs, possibly the most significant being a 43 page document from the Drone Federation of India (DFI), a non-government, not-for-profit, industry led body promoting unmanned aviation industry in India. Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has recommended that the rules provide for setting up of a single window mechanism to obtain all clearances and approvals necessary for procuring and operating drones in the country. Hopefully, these inputs will be accommodated in the final Rules which are yet to be promulgated. It is also hoped that the final Rules will address the restrictions on entities owned by foreign players or their controlled Indian subsidiaries, as they are not allowed to register as an Authorised Person under the Rules; this restriction is a dampener for foreign investors interested in investing in e-commerce companies that want to use drones. CONCLUDING REMARKS Different sources estimate the number of unregistered drones in Indian skies is to be between two to six lakhs and future projections predict a growth of around ten lakhs per year for the next five years or so. The numbers do not matter so much as the fact that the proliferation appears to be unbridled with the regulatory mechanism not yet in convincing control of the growth. It is not just the commercial impetus or the aviation enthusiasts who are responsible; some of the state governments (at least eleven) are known to have flouted DGCA regulations and employed drones for variegated purposes, sheltering behind the abnormal conditions imposed by the Corona pandemic. The proliferation is certain to continue unabated even after the final Rules are promulgated as the DGCA is not geared up to exercise stringent control and oversight over drone use. Their small size

Airports

Interview

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Daniel Bircher CEO, Zurich Airport International (Asia) NIAL will set a new benchmark as a Digital Airport… With the signing of concession agreement between the Government of Uttar Pradesh and Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a SPV developed by Zurich Airport International AG to commence and develop Noida International Airport at Jewer, all roads are now clear for the much-awaited mega airport project of the Delhi-NCR. The airport to be developed under PPP model has been initially granted licence for 40 years. In an exclusive interview, Vishal Kashyap Managing Editor, Aviation World speaks with Mr Daniel Bircher, CEO, Zurich Airport International (Asia) about details of the upcoming project, operational timelines, viability, passenger facilitation and much more. Excerpts…   What kind of infrastructure is being planned in phase one for Noida International Airport? Zurich Airport has been top ranked by the World Travel Award, the Skytrax Award, ACI ASQ Award and the Air Cargo Excellence Award over the last 10 years. We see this as a result of our well-functioning processes and passenger flows, our focus on passenger service, our dedication to have a clean and efficient airport with Swissness. Accordingly, we will put our customers first as we plan and design the airport. We have identified the needs of passengers, airlines and logistics partners for cost-effective, flexible and scalable infrastructure with a specific focus on digitalization and sustainability. Thus, we challenge all our planning premises to ensure that we will be able to provide quick, efficient and simple processes at the best possible value. Developing the 21st century Greenfield airport, we will make sure to leverage digital possibilities as much as possible. In addition, we are developing a sustainable airport ecosystem the will aims at net zero carbon emissions. We see Noida International Airport as complementary and an efficient alternative to Indira Gandhi International Airport which is set to reach its peak capacity of 110 million in the next six or seven years. How much passenger and number of flights are being projected under phase 1? We will develop this Airport on 1334 hectares of land. The airport’s first terminal is expected to be ready by 2024 and will open with one runway, generating an additional passenger capacity of 12 Million annual passengers. The project which will fuel the economy and generate 3000-5000 direct and indirect job opportunities in NCR, Greater Noida and the state of Uttar Pradesh. We will work in close and forward-looking collaboration with the Govt of UP for development of DNIA and meeting the project timelines. How much area is being dedicated for both aeronautical and non-aeronautical purpose? We are planning the airport as per Concession agreement for a capacity of 12 Million passengers. This will include the required aeronautical infrastructure as well as commercial offers and services for the passengers, meters and greeters, visitors and the airport community. Additionally, the airport has been allocated 24 hectares of land for city side developments. We are currently analysing the optimal use and development forms for this area. We want to make the airport a destination with attractive retail, F&B and entertainment opportunities for weekend getaways and for travellers to Agra and other important tourist destinations in the area.   The total investment for this airport seems to be huge in number. If we notice revenue patterns of India’s two major airport operators GMR & GVK, it seems to be a challenging affair for you as well. How are you prepared for such scenario? The project will be constructed with an initial investment of around INR 4,500 crore for the first phase. The initial investment will be firmed upon finalisation of the airport master plan. The Delhi Noida international airport will be a visionary airport for Delhi NCR, NOIDA and Western UP; which will activate the catchment area and connect it to other metropolitan areas in India and the world offering huge potential. We are even optimistic that the location will help in drawing more traffic towards the airport from connected regions, once operational in 2024. We have a global legacy and experience of over 70 years in building and operating world class airports. We will leverage state of art technology to aid cost-efficient aeronautical processes & commercial offerings across all segments. Customer-focussed processes and infrastructure design will offer quick, efficient and excellent value for passengers, airlines and shippers. The fully-digital Greenfield airport will not only enable contactless travel experience but also accelerate cost-savings across functions. The sustainable airport ecosystem will help us keep the costs low, while extending benefits to partners and customers. Additionally, we will build the airport and nearby infrastructure as the best go-to destination for travel, leisure, business, shopping, entertainment and stay in the country, which shall contribute additional revenues. Finally, there are several factors that determine that final proposal for a concession. We are convinced about the Indian growth story and we are willing to contribute to the government’s plan to create a 5 Trillion Dollar economy. Disposable income, propensity to travel, economic development in the catchment area and expected growth in air travel are some of these factors. We are also convinced that Delhi, as one of the largest Metropolitan areas on this planet, requires additional airport capacity.   With per passenger fee of Rs 400.97, is this airport going to be bit costly for passengers as well as airlines? We are keen to work with airlines in India and will offer low-turnaround costs, excellent connecting times and seamless transfer facilities basis state of the art and proven technology for cost-effective aeronautical processes. The airport has been envisaged to provide a congestion-free environment, offering fast connecting time for passengers and airlines and options to optimise fleet utilisation and turnaround timings, supporting airlines with their growth in India and in international markets. The techno-economic feasibility report by PWC mentions that by 2050, NIA will cater to over 10 crore passengers and around 37 domestic and 31 international destinations. How do you see these projections? We’re envisaging an airport with two parallel

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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Aviation World Magazine is India’s premier aviation magazine and has been actively supporting the development of the Indian and global civil aviation sector. We started our journey in year 2015 and its been 12 years now and the response and acceptance is really encouraging. Thanks to all our associates and writers who remained with us in our progressive journey.

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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The contents published in this website are news covering Aviation, Aerospace and Defence sector. The objective is to provide news in informative form to keep our readers updated of the latest development. We also publish content featured in our print publication Aviation World.We try our best to avoid any factual errors or image displayed here but we ensure immediate corrections to any such thing brought to our notice that might have been published inadvertently. All images and contents are sourced from the relevant organisations media team.

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