Civil Aviation

New Delhi, 23rd August 2024: Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu has launched the Guidelines for Seaplane Operations in India in New Delhi. During his address at the event at the Indian Aviation Academy, Union Minister said that these guidelines not only integrate seaplane operations into India’s aviation landscape for transportation but also create jobs and foster economic empowerment, making seaplanes a symbol of the country’s growth, innovation, and commitment to inclusive development. Rammohun Naidu also launche the 5.4 version of the UDAN. Under UDAN 5.4, fresh bids would be invited for the routes which were cancelled for some reason or the other, to provide connectivity on unserved routes. The Minister also announced that the demonstration flights of the seaplane by manufacturer DeHavilland would be held shortly. Addressing the occasion, Union Minister underlined about India’s 7517 km long coastline and extensive network of rivers and lakes which present a unique opportunity for the development of seaplane operations in the country. On careful study of the situation and drawing from the experience of the helicopter operations, the Government has taken a flexible and pragmatic approach to ensure the growth of seaplane operations. The guidelines would enable the seaplane operations under RCS to make use of the operations under a Non-Scheduled Operator Permit (NSOP). The extension of the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the RCS to seaplane operations would provide the initial fillip to the Operators. While seeking to promote seaplane operations, due care has been taken to ensure the safety and security of the operations. The Minister further informed that despite initial challenges, particularly in the development of water aerodromes, the Government has taken a flexible and pragmatic approach to ensure the continued growth of seaplane operations. Drawing inspiration from the success of NSOP operations for helicopters and small aircraft under the RCS scheme, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has now formulated comprehensive Seaplane NSOP Guidelines. These guidelines prioritize the safety and security of operations and define the responsibilities of all stakeholders, ensuring a seamless and efficient seaplane operation across the nation. The adoption of the Non-Scheduled Operator Permit (NSOP) framework for seaplanes is a significant step forward in the Government’s commitment to enhancing regional connectivity. Union minister emphasized on need of favourable policy environment for seaplane industry in India and encouragement on research into technologies like electric seaplanes to reduce carbon emissions and align with India’s commitments under the UN Framework on Climate Change. Our goal is to create a regulatory framework that fosters innovation, promotes growth, and generates employment opportunities for pilots, maintenance staff, and ground crews by prioritizing local workforce development. We envision developing Multimodal Transport Hubs for seamless connectivity between seaplanes and other transport modes. Addressing the occasion, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and ministry of cooperation, Shri Murlidhar Mohol said that this initiative is poised to not only improve connectivity but also to boost tourism, foster economic growth, and bring the most remote areas of India closer together. The newly launched guidelines represent a well-considered framework designed to ensure that seaplane operations are conducted safely, securely, and efficiently, marking a new era in India’s aviation landscape. Union Civil Aviation Secretary, Shri Vumlunmang Vualnam said in this event the Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken a proactive approach. We have decided to leverage the Non-Scheduled Operator Permit (NSOP) framework for Seaplane Operations, which has already proven successful for helicopters and small aircraft under the RCS scheme. The Seaplane NSOP Guidelines we are launching today provide a structured and safe framework for seaplane operations to continue and grow, even as we work towards the full development of water aerodrome infrastructure. The event witnessed the participation of Director General, DGCA, Shri Vikram Dev Dutt and senior officials from Ministry of civil aviation, State and Union Territory Governments, NSOP and SoP operators, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), seaplane manufacturers, lessors and media personnel, among others.

Indonesia, 22nd August 2024: BBN Airlines Indonesia, an airline based in Indonesia, specializing in ACMI Leasing, Air Charter Flights, and Air Freight Services, is pleased to announce that it has received regulatory approval to operate in Australian airspace through the issuance of a Foreign Air Transport Air Operators Certificate (FATAOC) from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) of Australia. Under the new FATAOC BBN Airlines Indonesia may now begin its commercial operations within Australia, further expanding its capabilities within the Australian and Asian marketplace. “I am excited to receive our FATAOC from the Australian CASA to further expand our capabilities serving the region,” Martynas Grigas, Chairman at BBN Airlines Indonesia, said. “This FATAOC dramatically increases our capabilities in the Asia-Pacific Region.” The increased operational portfolio will further empower BBN Airlines Indonesia to offer interconnectivity within the Asia marketplace. The company plans to continue its operations within the region with increasing capabilities. “The launch of these new operations shows that BBN Airlines Indonesia is committed to working closely with regulatory authorities and following aviation laws and regulations in all operations,” Grigas said. “With the FATAOC now secured, BBN Airlines Indonesia is officially certified to comply with international safety and security standards. The airline remains dedicated to enhancing the quality of its services, prioritizing customer satisfaction above all else.” BBN Airlines Indonesia is a subsidiary of Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest ACMI provider the world’s largest ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance) provider, operating a fleet of 213 passenger and cargo aircraft worldwide. The group also provides various aviation services such as MRO, pilots and crew training, ground handling, and other interconnected solutions.

Colombo,22nd August 2024: SriLankan Airlines, aiming to capture travellers’ attention with its safety protocols, has launched a brand-new onboard safety video featuring a range of Sri Lanka’s most mesmerizing scenic locations. In the air travel industry, disseminating safety information is a regulatory pre-requisite, as well as a precaution to ensure that every passenger is aware of safety provisions and protocols. The new safety video transcends this basic requirement by incorporating the island’s aesthetics and the signature warmth and care of SriLankan’s onboard service, to create a cinematic experience that is both informative and captivating. Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines, said, “We are delighted to launch our brand-new onboard safety video, which we premiered to over 200 international travel trade partners at the Global Sales Conference. This video replaces the one we have had for over a decade and offers a fresh perspective on the island home we proudly share with the world.” While drawing the viewer’s attention to vital safety details, the video unveils the tourist attractions of SriLankan Airlines’ hub, Sri Lanka. It transforms the flight cabin into various scenic ambiances, conveying that a journey aboard SriLankan Airlines to Sri Lanka is a visually captivating experience in itself. As the regulatory body, Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) worked closely with the airline, where the input and valuable insights of the former were immensely helpful to deliver an accurate and universally comprehensible safety demonstration. The Inflight Entertainment system (IFE) version of the video includes subtitles in Sinhala and Tamil, enhancing the clarity and engagement of the safety guidelines being demonstrated.

22nd August 2024: Air Astana and Japan Airlines has announced the signing of a codeshare agreement, which allows both airlines to place their respective codes on a new Almaty to Tokyo service scheduled to be launched in spring of 2026. This agreement enhances connectivity between Kazakhstan and Japan for both business and leisure travelers, as well as more widely fostering greater movement of people and goods between the two countries. Diplomatic relations between Japan and Kazakhstan were established in 1992. Air Astana Group CEO Peter Foster remarked, “Our collaboration with Japan Airlines is an exciting development that will enrich our international network and offer more travel options for our customers. We look forward to delivering a seamless travel experience for passengers between Kazakhstan and Japan.” Japan Airlines Group CEO Mitsuko Tottori stated, “We are delighted to enter into cooperation with such a distinguished partner as Air Astana. We will contribute to further enhancement of over 30 years of diplomatic relationship between Japan and Kazakhstan, through developing passenger and cargo traffic.” More details about routes and schedules will be announced following the integration of both airlines’ scheduling and ticketing systems.

LYNNWOOD, Wash/Wessling, 19th August, 2024: Crane Aerospace & Electronics, a segment of Crane Company , has been selected by German Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Deutsche Aircraft to supply the Proximity Sensing System for its 40-seater regional turboprop aircraft, the D328eco. This decision comes several months after Crane A&E was chosen to provide the brake control system for the same aircraft. For 60 years, Crane A&E has provided aircraft manufacturers with reliable proximity sensing components and systems for high-reliability position sensing of aircraft mechanical systems. More than 30 years ago, Crane was selected to provide a similar Proximity Sensing System for the D328® turboprop, Building on this successful partnership. Crane A&E will introduce its latest proximity sensing interface on the D328eco, offering Deutsche Aircraft a low-risk solution. “We are pleased to be working with Deutsche Aircraft and look forward to supplying the D328eco with our latest proximity sensing solution,” remarked Joseph Mundinger, Crane Aerospace & Electronics VP/GM, Sensing & Power Systems. “Customer satisfaction is our top priority, and we are committed to providing the D328eco with a premier system that will benefit Deutsche Aircraft’s customers.” Nico Neumann, COO at Deutsche Aircraft, confidently announced, “We are glad to continue our ongoing partnership with Crane Aerospace & Electronics, a highly esteemed organization in our industry. Their proven expertise will be crucial for Deutsche Aircraft efforts to advance the completion of our D328eco.”

Singapore, 12th August 2024: Singapore Airlines (SIA) will increase flight frequencies and boost passenger capacity across its network in the 2025 Northern Summer operating season (30 March 2025 to 25 October 2025), supporting the higher demand for air travel to several popular destinations. From 30 March 2025, SIA will have a daily service to London (Gatwick), up from the current five-times weekly services. Together with its four-times daily flights to London (Heathrow), this will give the Airline five daily services to the United Kingdom’s capital. Services to Rome will increase to five times a week between 26 June 2025 and 28 August 2025, up from the current four weekly flights. SIA will delink its three-times weekly Singapore-Milan-Barcelona flights from 24 June 2025 to 7 September 2025 and operate more direct flights between Singapore and the two European cities. The Airline will mount five-times weekly direct flights to Barcelona during this period, up from the current two weekly flights. Milan will have a daily service, up from four-times weekly currently. Flights to Adelaide will go up to 10 a week across the Northern Winter 2024 and Northern Summer 2025 seasons, up from the current seven-times weekly services. Frequencies to Ho Chi Minh City will rise to thrice daily, up from 19-times weekly, and services to Siem Reap will go to twice daily, up from a daily service. A three-times weekly service will be mounted to Johannesburg from 11 December 2024 to 10 January 2025, and from 2 April 2025 to 24 October 2025, bringing the total number of flights to the city to 10 times a week, up from the current daily services, during these periods. The Airbus A380 will return to Tokyo (Narita) between 30 March 2025 and 31 May 2025 on one of its two daily services, replacing the Boeing 787-10. The A380 will stop operating to Mumbai from 28 July 2025 to 31 August 2025, and Delhi from 23 June 2025 to 27 July 2025, and will be replaced by the Boeing 777-300ER. In line with its capacity adjustments, SIA will suspend services to Houston via Manchester from 1 April 2025. However, SIA will maintain five-times weekly services between Singapore and Manchester via SQ302 and SQ301. Details on the flight schedules can be found in Annexe A. Mr Dai Haoyu, Acting Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, Singapore Airlines, said: “Singapore Airlines regularly reviews our network and routes to align our capacity with demand. These adjustments, ahead of next summer, cater to the higher demand to several destinations, particularly during the traditional mid-year peak travel season, enabling our customers to confidently make their 2025 travel plans. We look forward to connecting our customers to the world with SIA’s extensive network, and delivering an unparalleled travel experience.”

Abu Dhabi, 9th August 2024: On the occasion of Singapore National Day,Etihad Airways has announced that it will start flying its A380 double-decker to Singapore (SIN) from 1 February, 2025. The Asian-Pacific powerhouse becomes the fourth major city to enjoy the Etihad A380 experience in addition to London and New York, as well as Paris which will be served by the A380 from 1 November. It means Etihad will have its sixth A380 in operation by the start of 2025. Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said: “We are thrilled to announce that our iconic A380 aircraft will begin serving the Singapore route early next year. “This aircraft provides our business and leisure travellers with an exceptional flying experience and seamless connections to our Middle East, European, and North American networks. It highlights Etihad’s dedication to optimising travel to Abu Dhabi and beyond, ensuring more convenience and comfort for our guests. “We will have our sixth A380 online next year as we build our capacity further to cater for the travel needs of our guests.”

Delhi, 07 August 2024: Akasa Air completed its second year of flight operations on Wednesday.The airline operated its first commercial flight on 07 August 2022 from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. Celebrating the milestone, Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air, said, “Two years ago, we embarked on a journey with a vision to redefine air travel, and today, I can proudly say that we have successfully delivered on our purpose while upholding our commitment to reliability, service excellence and affordability. We offer an unparalleled flying experience with the most comfortable seat in the Indian skies, a fresh in-cabin experience and our carefully curated culinary offerings, delivered by our empathetic crew. In this past year, we have consistently been India’s leader in on-time performance while registering greater operational reliability, and the lowest customer complaints, and cancellations in the industry. These milestones would not have been possible without the dedication of over 4000 Akasians whose effort and passion have been the driving force behind our collective achievements. Our success is also a direct result of the unwavering support and confidence of our partners who have backed us in our plans. We are extremely thankful to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA for their steadfast drive to propel the growth of the industry. We are grateful to our shareholders for believing in our dream and for their constant support and guidance and we are excited about the future and the opportunities that lie ahead and will continue to build an airline that will make India proud.” Vinay added, “Akasa Air has always been more than a carrier flying from one place to another. It is the very embodiment of the Indian spirit, testifying to the potential that India holds as an aviation market”.

Farnborough,22 July 2024: On the first morning of the Farnborough International Airshow 2024, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, unveiled the new, ultra-modern ‘Qsuite Next Gen’. This latest iteration of the award-winning Qatar Airways Qsuite brings the World’s Best Business Class in commercial aviation to new heights. The reveal was held in the presence of His Excellency Jassim bin Saif bin Ahmed Al Sulaiti, the Qatari Minister of Transport; and Mr. Mohamed Faleh Alhajri, Acting President of Qatar Civil Aviation Authority. In the Qatar Airways Discover Lounge at the Farnborough International Airshow, Engr. Al-Meer introduced the Qsuite Next Gen with Sama – the World’s First AI Digital Human cabin crew. Sama built up the audience’s excitement through an interactive conversation on how the World’s Best Airline has once again redefined luxury and innovation, elevating the industry’s benchmark in business class experiences. During the reveal, Engr. Al-Meer highlighted the Qsuite Next Gen’s new and enhanced features, including fully customisable Quad Suites; Companion Suites in window aisles; 4K OLED manoeuvrable in-flight entertainment (IFE) screens; along with increased space and privacy in each suite. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “We are excited to have finally revealed the long-awaited Qsuite Next Gen at the Farnborough International Airshow. Qatar Airways has once again raised the bar for its award-winning product, the Qsuite. We look forward to welcoming media and partners to our stand throughout the week to experience the future of business class travel with the World’s Best Business Class onboard the World’s Best Airline.” Qsuite Next Gen The game-changing Qsuite Next Gen aims to facilitate a mindful work-life balance with its revolutionary attributes for all professionals, friends, and families. The redesigned Quad Suite is now equipped with movable 4K OLED Panasonic Astrova IFE screens – a first for any airline in the world. The screens can be repositioned to the side to create the largest social and productivity space in the sky for up to four passengers in the Quad Suite, and up to two passengers in the Companion Suite. Rest and relaxation on-board the Quad Suite has also been enhanced with increased space for dining together – a hallmark of Qatari heritage, as well added privacy with taller, digitally controlled dividers. With larger lie-flat and double beds, the new Quad Suite will also offer the 5-star Qatar Airways turn-down service with a dedicated ‘Make My Bed’ feature. The new Companion Suite has similar characteristics to the Quad Suite, now with the noteworthy revamp of offering the same shared space in window aisles. Adopting new technologies for increased passenger convenience and connectivity, the Qsuite Next Gen delivers a vast array of customisation options, ranging from ambient lighting to privacy controls, through its upgraded touchscreen Passenger Control Units. The Qsuite Next Gen will be featured on-board the Qatar Airways Boeing B777-9 aircraft by 2025.