Interviews

Aviation World exclusive Interview with Capt. Vaibhav Goutham Suresh, Director,  School of Aviation, Logistics and Tourism Management (SALTM), Galgotias University AW: Aviation, logistics and tourism are different sectors, yet Galgotias University chose to bring them together under one school. What was the core philosophy behind uniting these three fields in a single school? VAIBHAV:  Because in the real world, they were never truly separate. A passenger’s journey, a cargo consignment and a traveller’s experience all move through the same connected system- an aircraft, a supply chain and a destination that succeed or fail together. When a flight is disrupted, logistics and hospitality feel it within the hour. We built SALTM around that reality. Housing aviation, logistics and tourism under one roof means our students learn to see the whole movement economy rather than a single silo. An airline manager who understands supply chains, or a tourism professional fluent in aviation operations, is far more valuable than a narrow specialist. We are not teaching three unrelated subjects; we are teaching one interconnected ecosystem through three doors. AW: There is often a gap between academic curriculum and real industry requirements. How is SALTM breaking away from the traditional learning model to ensure students are genuinely ‘plug-and-play’ when they enter the workforce? VAIBHAV: The gap between higher education and the aviation sector exists because the two operate on fundamentally different timelines. Consequently, by the time a syllabus catches up, the challenges it was designed to solve have already shifted, leaving graduates fluent only in yesterday’s aviation. Closing this gap requires more than superficial adjustments or formal agreements; it demands a fundamental shift in educational design. We have inverted the traditional model, which prioritises years of isolated theory and hopes relevance follows by engineering our curriculum backwards from actual employer requirements. We adapt simulations, live projects, case work and real operational problems from the very first year.  The centrepiece is a full semester-long industry internship: our students do not visit the industry for a week; they work inside it for months, so they graduate with genuine operational experience, not just a transcript. By the time they enter the workforce, they have already done the job. That is what ‘plug-and-play’ means to us- a graduate who is productive on day one, not after six months of hand-holding. AW: You describe running the school on the principles of a ‘High-Reliability Organisation HRO).’ What does that mean inside a university? VAIBHAV: Aviation is the textbook High-Reliability Organisation. An industry that works in genuinely hazardous conditions yet achieves an extraordinary safety record, because of a particular culture rather than luck. I believe an institution that educates for that industry ought to run itself the same way. In practice, that means a few things. A preoccupation with failure: we treat a disengaged student, or a graduate who was not quite ready, as a near-miss to be studied openly, not an embarrassment to be buried. A reluctance to oversimplify: we resist reducing a young person to a single grade or a single metric, because the real story is always more textured. A sensitivity to operations: leadership stays close to the classroom, because that is where the truth of an institution actually lives, not in the boardroom. And a deference to expertise over rank: in a well-run cockpit, the most junior officer can speak up and be heard, and the same must be true of a junior colleague, or a student, who sees something the rest of us have missed. Reliability, in the end, is not a rulebook. It is a culture of honesty and attention, and if we intend to send that culture out into the industry, we have to live it ourselves first. AW: Travel has changed enormously in recent years. How have you rewired the curriculum to prepare students for this ‘new normal’? VAIBHAV: Travel today is digital, experiential and personalised in a way it never was before. Today’s traveller researches, books and shares almost entirely online, expects authentic and sustainable experiences, and behaves very differently from a decade ago. We have rewired our tourism curriculum around that reality- digital travel technology and online distribution, experience and destination design, sustainable and responsible tourism, and the data skills to actually understand the modern traveller. We have also moved the classroom closer to the field, with hands-on exposure to how destinations, hospitality and travel technology really operate. The goal is a tourism professional fluent in this new, technology-driven, experience-led economy, not the travel industry of twenty years ago. AW: The logistics sector is increasingly driven by AI, automation and data analytics. How are you embedding these next-generation tools directly into the academics? VAIBHAV: You can no longer teach logistics as trucks and warehouses; it has become a data-and-technology discipline, and we have embedded that directly into the academics. Our supply-chain students work with data analytics, automation concepts and the digital tools that run modern logistics, from analytics-driven decision-making to the AI and automation reshaping warehousing, freight and last-mile delivery. Just as importantly, we teach students to think with data, not merely about it. A modern logistics manager must be as comfortable with a dashboard as with a loading dock, and that is exactly the professional we are building. AW: Aviation has long trained people on the job. Why does it need a dedicated university education at all? VAIBHAV:  Because aviation is not a set of tasks, but a system, and a safety-critical one. You can train a task on the job; you cannot train judgement, systems-thinking and professional temperament on the job alone. Education’s role in a field like ours is to form the whole professional: someone who understands not only their own function but how the entire machine fits together, who can make a sound decision when the manual runs out, and who carries the discipline this industry quietly depends on. As aviation grows more complex, with more technology, more regulation, and more interconnection between everyone in the value chain, the case for deliberate, structured education only strengthens.

In an exclusive interview with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor of Aviation World, Karim Makhlouf, Chief Commercial Officer(CCO), Royal Jordanian Airlines, outlines the carrier’s forward-looking commercial strategy. From aggressive fleet expansion and modernization to steering the airline back into profitability despite complex geopolitical headwinds, Karim Makhlouf breaks down the definitive factors driving Jordan’s national carrier into a new era. Excerpts: AW:  For Aviation sector Q2 2026 is highly challenging. What strategies did you adapted to keep your airlines flying and maintain operational performance intact in line with the previous quarter? KM : Throughout the recent geopolitical challenges, Royal Jordanian remained one of the very few airlines in the region to operate consistently. Through close coordination with the Jordanian Government and the Armed Forces, we secured dedicated flight corridors that enabled us to maintain safe and reliable operations while prioritising the safety of our passengers and crew. Our ability to maintain uninterrupted services during this period strengthened passenger confidence in the airline and reinforced our reputation as a reliable carrier. Despite the challenging operating environment, our commercial performance remained in line with our budget expectations, reflecting the resilience of our business and the dedication of our teams. AW:  How do you assess the regional uncertainty and confusion impacting the airlines operational efficiency in future? KM :We believe the most challenging period is now behind us, and the outlook for the months ahead is encouraging. Booking trends for the summer season and beyond continue to show positive momentum, with stable demand across our network. While we remain mindful of the evolving regional environment, we are optimistic about the future. Supported by resilient demand, a flexible operating model, and our continued focus on delivering a reliable travel experience, we are confident in our ability to sustain recovery and drive long-term growth. AW:   What are the new routes that Royal Jordanian has launched in the recent times? What are the plans for year ahead? KM :Over the past four years, Royal Jordanian has significantly expanded its network by launching 28 new destinations, including Vienna, Dallas, Tashkent, Alexandria and Trabzon, further strengthening connectivity across Europe, North America, Central Asia and the Middle East. Looking ahead, we will continue to pursue a disciplined and selective network expansion strategy, focusing on markets that offer strong commercial potential and support inbound tourism to Jordan. At the same time, we remain committed to strengthening our position as the leading carrier in the Levant by enhancing connectivity through our Amman hub and creating greater travel opportunities for both leisure and business travellers. AW:   Royal Jordanian achieved JOD 21.5 million net profit in 2025. What are the factors that led to such rewarding results? KM :Our strong financial performance in 2025 reflects the successful execution of a long-term transformation strategy focused on building a more agile, efficient and customer-centric airline. Key drivers of this turnaround included restructuring the business, improving aircraft utilisation and increasing seat load factors across our network. At the same time, we placed tourism at the heart of our commercial strategy while reinforcing Royal Jordanian’s position as the leading network carrier in the Levant. By combining operational efficiency. ( The interview is also published at Aviation World July-August 2026 print edition) 

NINE PLANETS | TWELVE HOUSES | ONE SKY In the winter of the pandemic, when the world’s fleets stood grounded and the industry’s forecasts read like obituaries, one voice in these very pages called the turnaround — exactly to the month. As Farnborough 2026 gathers under the banner of Sustainability and AI, Aviation World returns to the Grandmaster. 1: THE PREDICTION THAT LANDED Every publication keeps a private ledger of the things it printed that came true. Ours has an entry that still draws a quiet smile in the newsroom. At the height of the COVID crisis — when aircraft were parked nose-to-tail in desert boneyards and the most sophisticated forecasting models of the industry could not agree on a recovery year, let alone a quarter — Aviation World sat down with an unusual interviewee: Guruji Shrii Arnav, the Forbes-recognized “Mentor of Mentors,” Father of Astro Gemology, and mentor of Gemstoneuniverse, the world’s leading authority on planetary Gemology. Asked for his observations on the sector, he did not hedge. The turnaround, he told our readers, would begin in December 2022 or January 2023 — and the resurgence would be led by Asia. That is precisely what happened. Asia-Pacific reopened, traffic surged, and the recovery unfolded on the timeline he named — a timeline he gave without a terminal of data, without a consultancy behind him, in an era when optimism itself seemed irresponsible. He also welcomed, in the same conversation, the Maharaja’s return home — the Air India story that would go on to anchor the largest aircraft orders in the history of Indian aviation. Readers of this magazine have seen the association deepen since. Our July–August 2023 edition — the cover carrying the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s meeting with Boeing’s chief executive in Washington, above “The Big Aviation Deal of India” — carried the Gemstoneuniverse marque on that same front page. The Grandmaster’s world and the world of aviation have been travelling companions in these pages for years. II: FROM CERN TO LE BOURGET TO FARNBOROUGH The road to this Farnborough feature runs through some unexpected coordinates. In 2025, at a live AMA with research fellowship scientists at CERN — beneath the shadow of the Nataraja that stands on that campus — a young physicist asked him directly: “Guruji, do you need Artificial Intelligence?” His answer has since travelled far: “No. But the world needs Real Intelligence.” He followed it with a definition that he offered, characteristically, as a humble suggestion to the dictionaries: Intelligence is knowledge acquisition and its application, keeping in view its implications, while understanding the true ramification. From CERN he carried that definition to the AI Conference at the 55th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, where leaders of aviation, aerospace, and defence converged — and where he framed the AI revolution in a single image the industry has not forgotten: a cosmic tandava — creation and destruction in one dance — “and we must dance wisely.” He has not merely philosophized. In August 2025, at dawn in Bangkok, he consecrated and activated the Gemstone Universe GPT on the OpenAI platform — among the first spiritual knowledge systems in the world to be formally embodied in AI, trained exclusively on his verified works, and launched, in his words, because “technology without dharma is like a gemstone without light — lifeless.” The innovation earned him recognition including the prestigious Nelson Mandela Award for AI innovation in Astro Gemology. The arc is worth stating plainly, because no one else in the world owns it: in 2023 he published the industry’s most unfashionable caution against AI herd-mentality; in 2025 he stood at CERN and Le Bourget defining what intelligence must mean; by that August he had built on the very platforms he had warned about — on his terms, with dharma as the operating system. Sceptic, definer, builder. Three acts, all on the public record. And as this edition goes to print, July 2026 finds him engaged in rare private dialogue at the very frontier of technology — of which the world will hear in due time. III. THE MAN Author of The Secrets of Jyotish Gems — the magnum opus of Astro Gemology, published in six languages and released by His Excellency the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee — Guruji Shrii Arnav has been the astrology columnist of Deccan Herald since 2007, a span approaching two decades of unbroken weekly counsel to one of India’s great newspapers. He is accredited by the Gemological Institute of America, associated with the Planetary Gemologists Association of Thailand, and is the architect of Jyotish Gemstones Therapy (JGT™), the proprietary 69-step protocol that standardized a field once ruled by guesswork. His counsel travels in circles that rarely intersect: statesmen and admirals, founders and flag officers, engineers and mystics, across more than fifty countries and three decades of practice. In 2023, the Inspiring India volume placed him among thirty-one personalities defining the nation’s spirit; in 2025, his essay on leadership and destiny appeared in the Businessworld group’s wellbeing edition. And through all of it runs his signature proprietary framework — ️9:12 The Guruji Shrii Arnav Way: Speed. Timing. Efficiency. — where nine is wisdom and twelve is applied cosmic motion. Later this year he extends that framework into publishing once more, with a new digital work distilling three decades of counsel into the nine mistakes that quietly decide human destinies — a book already awaited by a global readership. THE QUESTION Farnborough 2026 convenes under a theme the Grandmaster seems to have been walking toward for years: Sustainability and AI in Aviation. The industry that carries humanity across the sky is asking what kind of intelligence should sit beside the pilot, and what kind of conscience should sit beside the engineer. Those who have followed the Grandmaster’s writings know he rarely explains how he arrives where he arrives. When pressed, he offers only what he calls an old jungle saying: “When you reach a dead end, do not despair —

A Conversation with the Leadership Behind AirFleet Managers & Aviatrics Global As the global aviation industry navigates accelerated fleet transitions, lease restructurings, evolving regulatory requirements, and the rapid adoption of digital technologies, aircraft owners, lessors, airlines, and investors are placing greater emphasis on technical expertise, operational transparency, and efficient asset management. In this dynamic environment, the ability to combine engineering excellence with digital innovation has become a key differentiator. In this exclusive conversation with Aviation World Magazine, Pallavi Joshi and Vimal Priya share their insights on the industry’s evolving landscape and discuss how AirFleet Managers and Aviatrics Global are helping shape the future of aviation asset management. From aircraft deliveries and lease transitions to technical consulting, digital asset management, and proprietary software platforms, they explain how their organisations are enabling clients worldwide to protect asset value, improve operational efficiency, and navigate the complexities of modern aviation with confidence.  Strategic Vision & Digital Innovation Interview with Pallavi Joshi, CEO & Co-Founder Aviation World: What has been the guiding philosophy behind your growth, and what core values shape your reputation? Pallavi Joshi: From the beginning, our philosophy has been simple – build trust through technical excellence, integrity, and consistency. Every aircraft transition or technical inspection has significant financial implications, so our role is to provide independent, reliable solutions that clients can confidently rely on. We focus on long-term partnerships rather than just growth, approaching every assignment with strict attention to detail. Aviation World: Preserving asset value is a constant pressure for lessors. Where do they need the strongest support in today’s market? Pallavi Joshi: Lessors need complete technical visibility across the entire lease lifecycle – from delivery and in-service operations to redelivery and onward placement. One of the biggest challenges is maintaining accurate, complete, and audit-ready technical records. Missing documentation or unresolved compliance issues drastically impact an aircraft’s marketability and residual value. Identifying these issues early allows lessors to avoid costly surprises during compressed transition schedules. Aviation World: You have invested heavily in combining engineering with proprietary technology. How does this digital suite change the workflow for your clients? Pallavi Joshi: Aviation is increasingly data-driven, and clients want information that is accessible, organized, secure, and actionable. Technology doesn’t replace engineering experience; it strengthens it.  AFM Vault & WingsVault provide secure digital records management.  AFM DARTS simplifies collaborative discrepancy tracking during deliveries. AFM Track offers real-time visibility into airworthiness and transitions. SmartAviaHub unifies critical operational intelligence into a single dashboard to drive faster, better-informed decision-making. Aviation World: Looking ahead over the next few years, what is your ultimate ambition for the global reach of the company? Pallavi Joshi: Our ambition is straightforward – we want to be the partner clients think of first when they need dependable aviation asset management globally. We are actively expanding internationally, investing in digital capabilities, and strengthening our technical teams to stay ahead of rapid industry shifts. Our core goal remains to build partnerships that last for years, or even decades, by consistently delivering with absolute integrity. Engineering Precision & Commercial Execution Interview with Vimal Priya, Co-Founder & Technical Director Aviation World: From an engineering standpoint, what differentiates your technical team’s approach from other service providers? Vimal Priya: Experience certainly matters, but consistency matters even more. Every aircraft, operator, and lease agreement has its own specific requirements. Our engineers understand that technical management isn’t just about blindly following a checklist – it’s about understanding the commercial impact behind every technical decision. Our vast operational history helps us anticipate bottlenecks long before they turn into expensive problems for our clients. Aviation World: Your team has achieved several major technical milestones. Which accomplishments best represent your capabilities? Vimal Priya: We have successfully supported over 260 aircraft deliveries and redeliveries while executing complex lease transitions across multiple regions. Furthermore, AirFleet Managers became one of the first independent organizations in India to receive DGCA CAR-145 approval for borescope inspections. We have also become one of the region’s leading specialists in technical records digitization, helping operators transform legacy paper archives into secure, searchable digital assets with over 17 billion records digitized. Aviation World: Aviatrics Global has grown rapidly in less than two years. How does its commercial and logistical focus complement the technical depth of AirFleet Managers? Vimal Priya: We realized clients were constantly juggling multiple vendors for aircraft trading, component sourcing, logistics, and fleet remarketing. We created Aviatrics Global to deliver those commercial capabilities under a single umbrella. The synergy has been highly successful: in less than three years, we have facilitated the movement of over 12,000 aircraft components globally, managed the transportation of over 60 engine and APU stands, and supported the import/export of over 35 engines and 25 aircraft. Aviation World: What final takeaway message would you like to leave with aircraft owners, lessors, and financiers? Vimal Priya: Aircraft are long-term investments, and safeguarding them requires a partner who deeply understands both engineering precision and commercial realities. Whether we are managing a complex lease transition, conducting maintenance audits, or sourcing assets globally, our objective is always to maximize performance while reducing operational risk. Trust isn’t built through slick presentations; it is built by being transparent, highly responsive, and consistently delivering quality when it matters most. About AirFleet Managers AirFleet Managers is a global aviation technical consultancy delivering end-to-end solutions across the aircraft asset lifecycle. Its expertise spans aircraft asset management, lease transitions, aircraft deliveries and redeliveries, technical due diligence, CAMO support, maintenance audits, engine and APU management, aircraft records management and digitisation, ferry services, and aircraft sale and purchase support. Complementing its engineering capabilities is a comprehensive suite of proprietary aviation software platforms designed to digitalise technical asset management and improve operational efficiency. AFM DARTS streamlines aircraft records management and technical documentation, enabling faster reviews, improved compliance, and audit readiness. AFM Vault and WingsVault provide secure, cloud-based repositories for aircraft records and asset documentation, ensuring accessibility, traceability, and data integrity throughout the asset lifecycle. AFM Track offers real-time visibility into aircraft deliveries, lease transitions, maintenance events, and technical projects,

Acron Aviation is making massive strides in India’s aerospace sector, backing its ambition with significant investments in next-generation avionics and advanced surveillance infrastructure. Already a dominant player in the region—most notably through its widespread deployment of ADS-B Aircraft Surveillance & Tracking Systems—the company is firmly positioning itself as a cornerstone of India’s modernized airspace. In an exclusive conversation with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, Aviation World, Robin Glover Faure, Chief Customer Officer, Acron Aviation, dives deep into the company’s strategic alignment with the ‘Make in India’ initiative, its expanding footprint within the Indian defense sector, and the technology defining the future of Indian skies. Excerpts from the interview… AW: Verticals: What verticals is Acron currently working in within India? ROBIN: India is one of the most dynamic aviation markets in the world right now, and Acron is engaged on two fronts. The first is avionics and surveillance: through ACSS, our joint venture with Thales, we supply ADS-B, TCAS and flight recorder product lines across India’s commercial, regional and general aviation fleets. The second is flight data intelligence: our Flight Data Connect platform brings FDM/FOQA services to Indian operators, backed by our role as an analysis partner in IATA’s Flight Data eXchange. One thread runs through both — helping India’s operators fly safely and efficiently through one of the fastest fleet expansions in aviation history. AW: What is Acron’s current market presence with ADS-B Aircraft Surveillance & Tracking Systems in India? How can it work as an alternative to secondary surveillance radar at remote regional airports? ROBIN: Consider what India is attempting. The UDAN regional connectivity scheme has already brought scheduled service to 95 airports, heliports and water aerodromes across more than 660 routes, and the newly approved Modified UDAN programme commits ₹28,840 crore to develop a further 100 airports over the coming decade. Many of these sit in the Himalayas, the Northeast and on islands — exactly the places where building and maintaining secondary surveillance radar is slow, difficult and expensive. ADS-B turns that problem on its head. Instead of a ground radar interrogating the aircraft, the aircraft determines its own position via GPS and broadcasts it continuously to air traffic control and to other aircraft — no rotating antenna needed on a mountaintop. DGCA’s own ADS-B Out guidance makes the point: satellite-based surveillance fills the gaps in remote and high-terrain areas where radar coverage is difficult or uneconomical, complementing the existing radar network rather than simply replacing it. That ground-infrastructure-light model is precisely what a fast-expanding regional network needs. And Acron is ready for that build-out today. Our surveillance portfolio — the NXT 600, the Lynx ADS-B In/Out transponder and display system, our Mode S transponder line and SafeRoute+ — is built on ACSS heritage, certified by the FAA and EASA, and designed for exactly this kind of regional and mixed-fleet deployment. Nor are we arriving from a standing start: ACSS-manufactured TCAS 3000SP and T3CAS systems and Mode S transponders already fly with Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo, and selected ACSS surveillance solutions are installed on aircraft platforms manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. From the country’s largest airlines to its indigenous aerospace programmes, we are already on board. On the heels of our highly successful ADS-B Evaluation program with the FAA and American Airlines, Acron is exploring the opportunity for a similar pilot program in India. In partnership with Indian air carriers, the DGCA and the Airports Authority of India, this program would serve to validate the operational and safety benefits available to the airlines while also demonstrating the value ADS-B technology brings to the modernization of the Indian airspace management infrastructure. AW: As DGCA progressively aligns with global ADS-B Out mandates, how do Acron’s transponders maintain dual compliance with Indian CAR and international standards for cross-border operations? ROBIN: Our answer is simple: we build to the standard the world builds to. DGCA’s ADS-B Out requirement has been in force since June 2023 for aircraft operating at or above FL285 on specified ATS routes in Indian continental controlled airspace, and it was deliberately designed to align with the global shift toward satellite-based surveillance under ICAO’s Aviation System Block Upgrade framework. Acron’s transponder and surveillance systems — including the Lynx ADS-B In/Out transponder and our Mode S product lines — are certified to the international technical baseline that underpins all of these mandates: RTCA DO-260B for ADS-B message formats, ICAO Annex 10 Volume IV for surveillance systems and DO-160G environmental qualification, carrying FAA TSO authorisations and EASA STC approvals. Because DGCA’s regulatory framework is built to be interoperable with ICAO standards and with FAA and EASA precedent, the same transponder that carries an Indian operator across international boundaries also satisfies domestic carriage requirements. No India-only hardware variant, no fork in the fleet, no compliance surprises as the route map grows. AW: How do you pitch the ROI of upgrading to ADS-B In (like SafeRoute+) to a cost-sensitive LCC in the region? ROBIN: I would start by reframing the question: SafeRoute+ is a retrofit, not a re-equip. It’s a software upgrade to existing T3CAS or TCAS 3000SP computers plus addition of a low-cost ADS-B Guidance Display. The system integrates with the aircraft’s existing displays and control units. As a result, both the capital outlay and the aircraft-on-ground time are a fraction of a traditional avionics upgrade. Then look at what it returns. SafeRoute+ gives pilots a 180-nautical-mile forward-field view of surrounding traffic, and the results from American Airlines’ FAA-evaluated trials at Dallas–Fort Worth and in Albuquerque Center airspace are hard numbers, not projections: roughly 490,000 pounds of fuel and 700 metric tonnes of CO₂ saved at DFW in the first year alone, the potential for four to five additional landings per runway per hour, and tighter in-trail spacing with fewer go-arounds. American has since extended the capability across nearly 300 of its A321s. For an LCC flying dense short-haul rotations through congested, capacity-constrained hubs, every minute of holding, every avoided go-around and every kilogram of fuel drops straight to the

– Wg. Cdr. Prem Kumar Garg (Retd.), CEO, IndiaOne Air Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Modified UDAN scheme with a ₹29,000 crore outlay over the next 10 years, marking a major step toward strengthening regional air connectivity and advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. But what will it take for this ambitious next phase to achieve lasting success? In conversation with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, Aviation World, Wg. Cdr. Prem Kumar Garg (Retd.), CEO & Accountable Manager of IndiaOne Air, shares his expert perspectives, operational insights, and recommendations with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, on the opportunities, challenges, and the roadmap for making the revamped UDAN scheme a transformative success. Excerpts… Q: You call IndiaOne “The Baby Airline”. How do you foresee the baby growing into a more mature airline? A: When I call IndiaOne Air “The Baby Airline,” it reflects our stage of evolution rather than our ambition. Every successful airline starts small, learns continuously and builds resilience over time. We are proud that despite operating one of the smallest scheduled fleets and the smallest aircraft in India, we have connected underserved regions, completed over 15,000 commercial flights and served about a lakh passengers including lot of first time travellers. Our vision is not to become the biggest airline but to become India’s most trusted regional connectivity airline. The next phase will focus on strengthening operational reliability, inducting larger regional aircraft, expanding into new underserved markets and building a sustainable regional aviation ecosystem. Like every child, growth requires patience, support and the right environment. Q: How do you analyze the outcome of the modified UDAN scheme in supporting sustainable and viable flight operations? A: The UDAN Scheme has been one of the most transformative aviation initiatives undertaken anywhere in the world. It has democratized air travel and brought aviation to regions that had never experienced scheduled flights. However, the next phase must focus on sustainability rather than only route creation. The modified UDAN scheme is moving in the right direction by encouraging states to take greater ownership of regional connectivity. Long-term success will depend upon stable policy support, infrastructure readiness and innovative financing models for regional small aircraft. Regional connectivity cannot be evaluated solely on airline profitability. Its economic and social multiplier effect including tourism, healthcare, education and business development is many times larger than the aviation investment itself. Q: Due to non-continuation of VGF, you had to suspend a few key sectors. How do you manage such situations in terms of business loss and passenger trust? A: Suspending routes is never an easy decision because regional airlines build relationships, not just networks. Whenever support mechanisms change, we evaluate every route based on commercial sustainability while ensuring safety is never compromised. We communicate transparently with passengers and continue engaging with state governments and stakeholders to restore services when viable. Passenger trust is built through honesty. Most of our customers understand that regional aviation operates under unique economic challenges. Our objective is always to return stronger rather than continue unsustainable operations. Q: Is this also part of the strategy due to mounting ATF prices, which could not make operations viable on smaller aircraft? A: ATF certainly remains one of the largest cost components for every airline, but for small aircraft operators the impact is significantly higher because fuel costs are spread over fewer seats. However, some portions of it is catered due to VGF indexation calculations based on for RCS flights. Moreover, sustainability is influenced by multiple factors like fuel prices, airport charges, maintenance costs, taxation, infrastructure and route economics. IndiaOne Air continues to focus on cost optimization, operational efficiency and partnerships rather than relying solely on fare increases. In being under Regional aviation serves a national purpose. Therefore, its economics must also be viewed differently from large trunk-route operations. Q: What is the future plan of action? Are you looking at leasing a mid-size aircraft to strengthen your operations? A: Yes. Our long term fleet strategy involves gradual induction of larger regional aircraft while maintaining our expertise in last-mile connectivity. We believe there is a significant gap between 9-seat commuter aircraft and larger regional jets. Aircraft in the 19-40 seat category are ideally suited for India’s regional markets and can substantially improve route economics. However, choice of aircraft is well planned and mostly based on airport we are targeting to connect. Our expansion strategy will always remain measured and financially disciplined. Sustainable growth is more important than rapid growth. Q: What is the status of the LoI that you signed for 10 Twin Otter Series 300-G aircraft? A: The Letter of Intent reflects our long-term confidence in the future of regional aviation in India. The Twin Otter Series 300-G offers unique capabilities, particularly for short runways, remote destinations, island operations and difficult terrain. We continue to engage with the manufacturer and various stakeholders while evaluating financing options, market conditions and policy developments. Fleet induction decisions will always be aligned with commercial sustainability rather than timelines alone. Q: Despite Government initiatives, smaller aircraft operators are still struggling to achieve long-term sustainability. What, according to you, is holding them back? A: The challenge is not demand. India has enormous untapped regional aviation potential. The issue lies in economics. Small aircraft operators face disproportionately higher operating costs and per seat costs while serving socially important routes with lower traffic density. Three structural issues remain: a) Limited availability of suitable regional aircraft and affordable leasing. b) High fixed operating costs despite smaller capacity. c) Short-term support mechanisms instead of long-term ecosystem development. Regional airlines should be viewed as public infrastructure partners rather than simply commercial transport providers. Q:  Very precisely, what are the three key policy measures still required to make RCS routes viable for smaller operators? A: If I had to prioritise only three, they would be: Sustainable Aircraft Financing Establish dedicated leasing and financing mechanisms for regional aircraft, including support through GIFT City and state-backed ownership models. Long-Term Operational Support Transition from short-duration VGF to predictable, performance-linked support

In an exclusive interview with Aviation World, Harish Venkateswaran, Designated Airworthiness Inspector and Vice President, Technical and Head of CAMO,  AirFleet Managers discusses his multifaceted role in aviation maintenance and engineering. Excerpts… Q: You’ve just completed 25 years in aviation. Take us back to where it all started? A: I started my career in Line Maintenance with Jet Airways at Mumbai airport, working directly on aircraft in a live operational environment. It was a hands-on, high-pressure setting that built my foundation in aviation—discipline, precision, and real-time decision-making. Q: How did your career evolve from those early days in Line Maintenance? A: After starting in Line Maintenance, I moved into the Powerplant Group, which gave me deeper technical exposure, particularly around engine performance and reliability. From there, I transitioned into the Maintenance Control Centre, where the perspective shifted from individual aircraft to fleet-level operations and real-time decision-making. The next major shift was into Aircraft Lease and Asset Management, where I moved into the commercial and contractual side of aviation—working on lease negotiations, maintenance reserves, inductions, and redeliveries. Each move built on the previous one—expanding my scope from hands-on maintenance to technical, operational, and ultimately commercial and strategic responsibilities.   Q: You’re known for having worked across multiple functions—Line Maintenance, Powerplant, Maintenance Control, Aircraft Leasing, and CAMO. How rare is that combination? A: It’s relatively uncommon, because most aviation careers tend to stay within a defined track—either Maintenance, CAMO, or a specific technical specialization. In my case, each role added a different layer of understanding. Line Maintenance built operational discipline and the ability to work under real-time pressure. Powerplant work added technical depth and a stronger grasp of engine performance and reliability. The Maintenance Control Centre introduced fleet-level operational thinking and decision-making. The move into Aircraft Lease and Asset Management was a defining phase. It brought in the commercial dimension—lease negotiations, maintenance reserves, inductions, and redeliveries—where technical decisions directly influence financial outcomes. Now, leading CAMO and Asset Management functions brings all of that together—long-term airworthiness planning, regulatory compliance, and asset value preservation. That combination provides a complete view of the aircraft lifecycle—from line operations to asset strategy. Q: You are the first resident Indian to serve as a Foreign Regulatory Airworthiness Inspector. What does that role involve? A: Yes—and being the first Indian in this role makes it particularly significant. As a Designated Airworthiness Inspector with the 2-REG Aircraft Registry, I am responsible for independently reviewing aircraft and technical records and recommending issuance of Certificates of Airworthiness, Export Certificates, Permits to Fly, and AMP approvals. It’s a role that requires complete objectivity. You are not representing an operator or a lessor—you are upholding the standards of the registry and ensuring that every aircraft meets the required airworthiness criteria. Having worked on the operator and asset management side, I understand the practical challenges. But in this role, the perspective is different—it’s about consistency, compliance, and maintaining regulatory integrity. Very few roles allow you to see the same aircraft through operational, commercial, and compliance lenses—that’s where the real insight comes from. Q: You also lead CAMO and Technical Asset Management functions at AirFleet Managers. How do you balance operational, commercial, and compliance priorities? A: That balance is central to what I do today. On the CAMO side, the focus is on continued airworthiness—AMP development, AD and SB compliance, regulatory coordination, and ensuring the aircraft remains fully compliant throughout its lifecycle. On the Asset Management side, the focus shifts to value—pre-purchase inspections, technical records evaluation, engine shop visit management, mid-term inspections, and redelivery planning. Because I’ve worked across both areas, I can anticipate issues early—whether it’s a compliance gap, documentation risk, or potential cost exposure during lease transitions. It’s about aligning technical decisions with both regulatory expectations and commercial outcomes.    Q: You’ve had deep involvement in lease negotiations and maintenance reserves. How important is that expertise for technical professionals? A: It’s extremely important, and often underestimated. Lease agreements are not just legal documents—they are highly technical. Maintenance reserves, return conditions, and escalation clauses all have a direct financial impact. During my work on aircraft inductions and redeliveries, I was closely involved in evaluating and negotiating lease terms. Through effective planning and execution, we achieved significant cost efficiencies, including savings of up to USD 7 million in one phase. Technical professionals should actively seek exposure to this side of the business—it fundamentally changes how decisions are made. Q:Having worked with operators, lessors, and regulators, what are the biggest gaps you see in the industry today? A: The biggest gap is alignment. Operators focus on efficiency and operations. Lessors focus on asset protection. Regulators focus on compliance and safety. All three priorities are valid—but challenges arise when expectations are not aligned early. Many issues during audits or redeliveries are not due to lack of capability, but due to gaps in communication and interpretation of requirements. Bridging that gap early makes a significant difference. Q: You’ve led aircraft inductions, redeliveries, and international projects. Any standout experiences? A: Several. Working on aircraft inductions across international locations and coordinating with multiple stakeholders was particularly valuable. Managing redelivery projects with zero compensation outcomes was especially satisfying—it reflects strong planning and execution. These projects bring everything together—technical expertise, coordination, negotiation, and the ability to manage timelines under pressure. Q: Outside aviation, you’ve pursued long-distance running and classical vocal music at a professional level. How do these fit into your life? A: They provide balance. Long-distance running builds discipline and mental endurance. I’ve completed multiple half marathons, and it helps maintain focus and consistency. Classical music is a very different space—it requires patience, depth, and expression. Performing at festivals in Australia, France, and across India has been a deeply enriching experience. In many ways, both pursuits require the same qualities—discipline, consistency, and the ability to perform under pressure. Q: After 25 years, what continues to motivate you? A: The constant learning. Aviation is dynamic—technology evolves, regulations evolve, and business models evolve. No two situations are the same. Whether it’s an audit,

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), the only major airport serving the United States 7th largest metropolitan area, is a large hub airport serving 25.24 million passengers in calendar year 2022. Twenty-seven airlines, including all major domestic carriers, offer nearly 323 daily departures to more than 120 destinations worldwide. Located 7 miles from downtown Philadelphia, the Airport is easily accessible and convenient to many tourist sites, business centers, and cultural hubs. The Airport is self-sustaining and uses no local tax dollars. PHL is one of the largest economic engines in the region, generating $16.8 billion to the economy and accounting for 106,000 full-time jobs annually. As Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Kate Sullivan is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling all functions and activities within the commercial division, which includes air service development, cargo development, concessions, retail, food and beverage, parking, real estate development and all other commercial activities at the Philadelphia International Airport. In this exclusive Interview with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor,Aviation World , she touches upon the factors that binds the two important nations Indian and the US with one of the best air connectivity. And, she also highlights the key initiates and facilities available at PHL Airport to facilitate smooth transition of passengers. Excerpts… Q: As part of establishing a robust connection between Indian airports and PHL what are the focus area and the future plan? A: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)is as a key entry point for Indian travelers to the U.S., leveraging its strategic East Coast location. It continues to strengthen its partnerships with airlines and travel trade stakeholders to enhance connectivity via key hubs such as major international hubs like Heathrow, Doha and Frankfurt. The airport’s collaboration with PHLCVB and tourism partners aims to highlight the demand for direct services to airlines. The Philadelphia region has a significant population of residents from India or of Indian descent. Our goal is assist airlines in their decision-making process to support this segment of the travel population that consistently connects in both directions, in addition to the tourist seeking to spend time in the first capital city of the United States and the first UNESCO-designated city in the United States. Q: What are the traveler’s demographics from India? What would be the Pre and post pandemic arrival figures from India? A: According to the local convention bureau, travel from India has experienced a 13.1% growth since 2019, from 57,100 to 64,600visitors last year.Indian travelers to Philadelphia primarily include business travelers, students, and leisure visitors. Q: Could you highlight the present airport features and services extended to the passengers? A: PHL’s terminals have undergone a number of significant additions and enhancements to enhance guest experience in the past year. PHL’s new lounges provide luxury and local options that make waiting part of the journey. American Airlines new Flagship and Admiral’s Club Lounges in Terminal A-West feel include a menu curated by a local James Beard nominated chef. The new Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club Philadelphia between Terminals D and E serves Philly bites, a beer garden with local brews, a Philly sports-themed game room, and a custom mural by local artist James Burns. Delta also just completed a renovation of its lounge. PHL continues to enhance our Founded in Philly program opening a number of new signature Philadelphia restaurants in the past year bringing the city’s award-winning dining scene into the airport that numbers more than 20. We’re continuing to enhance our Founded in Philly concessions with two new signature eateries opening this spring, Primo Hoagies and Insomnia Cookies. We’re also focusing on family-friendly amenities through our restroom renovation program that is bringing family care rooms, pet-care rooms and additional nursing suites. Also, for families, PHL just opened a new LEGO© Travel retail location. Another iconic addition in 2025, is the new “Rocky” statue in Terminal A-West, and several new art installations and murals that celebrate Philadelphia history and culture. Q: What is the status of new facilities and infrastructure development and expansion at the airport? A: PHL has a $1.8 billion capital improvements program underway to modernize and enhance our facilities. We’re refreshing our gate areas with new seating and work areas and adding electronics. This includes an extensive restroom renovation program bringing modern finishes and new amenities to support every traveler’s needs. Q: How do you rate the airport in its Sustainability initiatives? Do share few of key examples that drive the green efforts? A: PHL is at the forefront of sustainability initiatives and has achieved a Level 3 Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA), joining only 27 airports nationwide. ACA is an international carbon management certification program intended to encourage the airport industry to reduce its carbon footprint and improve efficiency. The airport has implemented sustainable design standards and has earned Envision Silver verification from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure for two airfield projects at PHL by utilizing recycled products in paving, reducing energy usage by 50 percent in lighting and recycling construction demolition materials. PHL continues to add new water filling stations to reduce plastics and enhance facilities with energy efficient updates and support vehicles. Q: What steps are taken towards airport digitization and technology upgrades? A: A significant portion of our infrastructure improvements include digital and technology upgrades. The airport is updating all its digital information displays throughout the terminals to provide guests with enhanced access to information. PHL has partnered with TSA and U.S. Customs to bring to make it easier and faster for travelers to move through security and international arrivals with TSA PreCheck Touchless ID and Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP) EPP which uses facial comparison and biometric technology. Other new technologies alert guests to TSA wait times and guide to available parking spots in our garages. Q: What’s the current capacity and future projections of the PHL Airport? A: In 2025, PHL had 30 million passengers. With major events coming in 2026, we anticipate the summer 2026 season to be incredibly busy for PHL, with expanded capacity and several new service routes that

In an conversation with Aviation World, Saurabh Doshi,Vice President, Asia Pacific, Sterling, A Kuehne+Nagel Company shares an AOG Logistics view on shifting from firefighting to resilience, trust-led execution. Q: Why Trust matters in the world of Aviation Logistics? SD: Trust doesn’t emerge by accident. It is a conscious choice and a leadership mindset. One that prioritizes speed, reliability, and visibility over short term optics or transactional decision making. In complex global environments, especially in aviation logistics, trust becomes the difference between reacting to disruption and staying ahead of it.In AOG (Aircraft on Ground) logistics, trust isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s an operational requirement.When an aircraft is grounded, every minute translates into cost, disruption, and reputational impact. In such high stakes’ situations, customers depend not just on our solutions but on the certainty that we move fast, we communicate transparently and we deliver no matter the shifting dynamics around us. I spend a significant amount of time with our incredibly talented teams at Sterling’s 24/7 Control Towers, where the true value of trust is visible every day. It’s where decisions move fast, informationflows without friction, and disruptions are managed before they escalate.In these dynamic environments, trust is what enables teams to operate with clarity, confidence, and precision. It empowers people to make the right calls, collaborate seamlessly, and maintain resilience even when the unexpected becomes the norm.Ultimately, trust is the backbone of aviation logistics.It accelerates decisions, strengthens partnerships, and ensures that even in moments of disruption, we keep the world flying. Q: How Critical Are Speed, Reliability & Visibility in AOG Logistics? Especially in an Era of Disruption? SD:Since the post pandemic period, we’ve seen that volatility is now structural, and uncertainty is the new normal. Supply chains must be designed for disruption rather than stability. Speed, reliability, and visibility are mission critical pillars of AOG logistics. Speed ensures the aircraft gets back where it belongs, in the sky, with minimum downtime.Reliability ensures consistent, agile execution even when networks are stressed, and global supply chains face ongoing disruption.Visibility enables proactive avoidance of delays and faster decisions for reduced operational impact and more predictability in supply chains. Q:How Sterling Creates a Difference in AOG Logistics through its three critical pillars? SD:Sterling is truly an aerospace company that provides logistics solutions. Our core offering is built around three layers that map directly with speed, reliability,and visibility.Global Control Towers that work 24/7 offer fast and secure shipping for AOG situations. These are highly trained professionals who execute with speed and precision.The operational hubs that Sterling has strategically built close to global OEM locations, give it full control of first and last mile logistics which significantly improves overall turnaround. It brings more reliability to our offering.Furthermore, in a world of structural volatility, exception management becomes a core differentiator. Sterling excels here through real time visibility, proactive communication, and minimizing operational impact. Q: What is Sterling’s growth strategy in Asia Pacific? SD:Sterling’s growth strategy in the Asia Pacific region is centered on trust‑led growth, built through strategic investments in maintaining deep customer proximity and strengthening critical operational infrastructure, such as the APAC control tower, to deliver globally consistent, high‑reliability AOG logistics solutions to our customers. Q:What’s your take on impact of current disruptions in West Asia on Aviation Logistics? SD:Traditional supply chains optimized for cost and predictability are once again being stress-tested. In the short term, it may need navigating through disruptions but going forward, the industry must rethink and redesign logistics networks to be: more flexible rather than rigid, more diversified in routing options and hubs, better aligned with risk and exception handling capabilities, and digitally transparent with predictive visibility to enable quicker pivots. For aviation and aerospace customers, the message is clear: resilience is no longer optional; it is strategic. Keeping aircraft flying, fleets maintained, and supply chains moving is critical. Recent developments in the Middle East have resulted in closed or limited airspace in multiple countries in the region. As a result, global carriers have cancelled flights to/from impacted countries in the region and Middle Eastern carriers have suspended many flights which is directly impacting air cargo operations. That being said, we are seeing operations beginning to resume in the UAE and Qatar, moving from 22% of global capacity being grounded in the first days to around 10% now. Saudi Arabian and Omani airspace are fully open. On the Asia-Europe trade lane, there is increased transit times due to airspace closures. This is causing reduced payload on board aircraft. We have seen carriers add additional direct capacity on the Asia-Europe trade. We do not see any major impact on trans-Pacific trades. Sterling is continuing to closely monitor the situation and working with our partners to support customers, maintain service continuity, and minimize where possible any potential impact on shipments.

According to a new whitepaper released by Alton Aviation Consultancy ahead of Singapore Airshow 2026, “ Asia is emerging as the engine of global Aviation growth, with India, China and Southeast Asia forecast to account for eight of the world’s ten fastest growing air travel markets between 2024 and 2044.” In an exclusive interview, Mabel Kwan, Managing Director at Alton Aviation, Singapore highlights more detail on this report with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor of Aviation World where she presents how India is one of the world’s fastest growing Aviation markets, underpinned by robust economic fundamentals and a rapidly expanding middle class. Excerpts… Q: What are the key takeaways from the latest whitepaper of Alton Aviation Consultancy? A: There are few key messages that we wanted to bring out to the public through this whitepaper. Asia continues to be a driver of growth but more specifically, the growth is not just driven by China. We see a rather broad-based growth story across South Asia which will bring a lot more sustainability and the credibility of Asia as an aviation region in the future. The reason why I say that is based on the analysis that the growth for Asia is definitely higher than the whole world in terms of RPK (Revenue Passenger Kilometers). But more interestingly, going forward, eight out of the ten fastest-growing routes will come from the Asia region. That is sort of like the growth story that Asia will bring to aviation. And obviously, different sub-segments have different nuances around this growth story. Q: So, which region will anchor the future global air travel demand among India, China and Southeast Asia? A: I think China and India for sure. But as a region, Southeast Asia region will begin to be positioned up there from the China and India perspective as well. Q: What are the factors taken into consideration before compiling such an extensive Whitepaper? A: We wanted to understand in terms of what are some of the macroeconomic factors that the Aviation stakeholders will be concerned about. So, things like tariffs, geopolitical circumstances and in general, affecting supply chains. How are the stakeholders reacting to it because we’ve done a lot of work from both across the Aviation value chain. We refine some of these forecasts from these results and with what we see on the ground, some of the strategies around MRO, airlines that place to maybe certain regions looking at different trajectories, studying higher and lower trajectories ground from an aviation stakeholder strategy’s perspective. The companies are learning how to deal with the supply chain issues or the tariffs in the MRO. There is a resilience in the Aviation industry after COVID and they are looking at contracting, what needs to change to make sure that escalation in costs can be absorbed or covered. They are looking at changes in terms of pool of suppliers from a diversification perspective, also from a geopolitical perspective that there is a need to diversify your supply sources. And thirdly, also in terms of technology and digitalisation, because manpower issues, talent issues, are quite pertinent right now and a solution that is obviously everyone is embarking on. “The whitepaper highlights India as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, underpinned by robust economic fundamentals and a rapidly expanding middle class. While China continues to play a dominant role, Alton notes that Southeast Asia is an emerging growth region, led by markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.” Q: In terms of the aircraft orders and the OEMs delivery capabilities, how do you evaluate it from the advisory point of view? A: Unfortunately, the truth is that there is a backlog. From the large OEMs perspective, the wide body backlog is of around 6 years and for narrow bodies, the timeline is much longer maybe 8 years or 10 years. If you order new aircraft now, you’re really not going to get it to boost your capacity in the short to medium term. A lot of the airlines are looking at alternatives and they are retaining and retrofitting some of the existing fleet to make sure that they are brought up and services stay relevant and inhabited without having actually new aircraft. On the MRO side, there’s also a larger demand for maintenance of the aircraft and a bit of the retrofitting work that goes with which the airlines are dealing with it. At some point in time, we also touched on the topic of consolidation in the industry. If you draw an analogy to how LCCs came about in previous years, especially in Europe, there was also a wave of consolidation and similarly for Asia there will be some form and we see that as a reaction to how do you strengthen your balance sheet. How do you strengthen your positioning in the market? Some of these consolidations will of course position for the future but at the same time perhaps rationalise some of the rules as well for aircraft capacity and demand. “Alton’s report outlines that international traffic in Asia-Pacific grew by 8.0% in 2025, outpacing global RPK growth of 6.8%. Carriers across the region have launched more than 600 new routes since 2015, significantly improving access to underserved destinations and enhancing intra-regional connectivity.” Q: After the IndiGo crisis which made the entire Indian Aviation into surrender mode, there are few startup airlines wanted to make an entry. But they are facing challenges into getting an aircraft. How do you analyse such issues? A: This could be due to the reason that already OEMs are busy with giving delivery to their pre-existing customers. So, isn’t it viable for them to try and get a pre-owned aircraft rather than looking forward to a new aircraft? The natural tendency is to go for a leased aircraft and pre-owned of course because from a Capex perspective to kind of put in money at the front to acquire new aircraft is a very big undertaking. Unfortunately, the leasing market is