Interviews

Royal Jordanian is a truly boutique airline with some special soft touch points “ In line with the “Explore Jordan” program, Royal Jordanian has announced the launch of direct flights between its national capital Amman to Mumbai and Delhi this year. The Mumbai route will operate with four weekly flights starting on April 17, 2025, and the Delhi route will commence with four weekly flights starting on September 17, 2025. These new routes align with Royal Jordanian’s growth and expansion strategy, focusing on positioning Jordan as a premier tourism destination for the Indian market and enhancing connectivity to over 45 global destinations. At an event in Delhi, Karim Makhlouf, Chief Commercial Officer at Royal Jordanian Airlines, in an interview with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, Aviation World adds on more on the plans ahead. Excerpts… Tell us about your journey with Royal Jordanian? A: When I joined Royal Jordanian four years ago, we started to change the way we do business. Our new strategy is a bit different to other airlines and is focused primarily on tourism into Jordan because I can tell you clearly that Jordan is a cool destination and it’s very difficult for other destinations to compete with Jordan. While as an airline of course it’s not so easy to compete with everyone, so that’s why tourism into Jordan is it and that’s our new prime focus is to increase the awareness of Jordan which is still relatively niche and urgent is a fundamental new strategy for Royal Jordanian Airlines. What’s the strategy and offer you have for tourists? A: We are a 61-year-old airline and we are one of the pioneer airlines in the Gulf and Middle East way before Emirates and Etihad and so on were founded. So one can imagine the change in this strategy was not that easy from a corporate culture level but as an aviation passionate and aviation expert, I strongly believe that this is our only chance to survive. The second strategy and pillar is to develop Amman, the capital of Jordan, not just as the hub for Jordan but for the Levant. Levant is an area in the Middle East which we call Levant with the surrounding countries of Jordan where you have Syria, Iraq, Palestine, you have even Cyprus. These are markets which lack obviously strong national carriers and here we want to make a difference and position ourselves in this niche which has 140 million population is a very strong hub. So tourism in combination with the Levant strategy will be the fundamental success for growth. This growth is really big for a small country like Jordan so we are planning to double the number of our passengers from three million passengers which we used to have before COVID to 7.1 million passengers by 2027-28. Two million out of these tourists and hopefully a lot from India and we will as well doubling our fleet to 43 aircraft.We used to have 23 aircraft and we’ll have 43 aircraft by 2027 and as of March we are receiving 20 brand new jets until 2026 mainly the A320neo and the 787-8. What’s the USP of Royal Jordanian Airlines? A: Now for a country like Jordan tourism and Royal Jordanian is a very important driver of the GDP. So only Royal Jordanian makes about 5% of the GDP and tourism and as such makes around 20% so you can imagine that the success of Royal Jordanian and of tourism will as well help the country to progress and develop further. I would say that we are a boutique airline, so we have a very nice product. I’m trying to have a contemporary modern truly Arabian flavor in our product because we are not targeting global to global connectors like other carriers in the region. We are really focused on becoming a truly boutique airline with some special soft touch points. But our hardware our product will be state of the art. We will have a brand new A320neo business class seats and even the economy seats will be with in-flight entertainment on every seat and with wi-fi on board. Of course we have a meal service and all the other stuff which is needed for a nice experience. On our brand new 787-9 we will have a new suite as such starting as of December this year and we are using this aircraft right now mainly to the US where we have five destinations in North America. But of course India could be as well a target for the 787 if we successfully develop our tourism strategy as such. These are impressions from our lounge from our product. How conveniently located is Amman Airport and which all country it connects with? A: Amman is a very convenient airport as it’s not too big. It’s easy especially for point-to-point travelers so boutique airline as such. I’m promoting the tourism strategy globally since three four years as I joined the airline and we opened a lot of new destinations. In the last couple of years, 15 brand new destinations are opened , be it in Europe, Manchester, London Stansted, Brussels, Stockholm, Milan, Berlin all for tourism . How much impact is on Jordan due to disturbed neighboring countries? A: Our priority is tourism into Jordan and the awareness of Jordan globally is relatively low and that’s why the strategy started to work very well until the geopolitical situation happened but this is just an interruption and we strongly believe that tourism will come back very strong this year once the situation gets a bit quiet but talking about politics Jordan was is and will always be like the Switzerland of the Middle East we were never involved in any of these conflicts. Jordan is even a safe heaven for a lot of Syrians, Iraqis, Palestinians, so it’s a very-very safe place and as a German, I can tell you Jordan is even sometimes perceived safer than Germany. So this is something which

As global air traffic demand exceeds pre-pandemic levels in 2024, airlines are turning their attention to fleet expansion, according to a new report from Alton Aviation Consultancy. Despite record profits, operators need to consider short-and long-term strategies to overcome production issues and secure additional capacity. The global aviation advisory firm in its independent 2024-2034 Commercial Aircraft Fleet Forecast, offers detailed insight into current market conditions, alongside a 10-year forecast of air traffic demand and the active fleet. Alton’s projections indicate the fleet should increase from 31,000 aircraft in operation today to 41,100 by 2034, marking an annual growth rate of 2.8%. In this exclusive interview, Joshua Ng, Director, Alton Aviation Consultancy, Singapore, speaks with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, Aviation World about the current industry scenario, future demand and strategies to streamline the exponential growth pattern. Excerpts: AW: Looking into the aircraft orders in this region, how do you evaluate the growth of MRO sector? JN: The growth of MRO will follow in tandem with the growth of the current fleet, which we expect will increase from 31,200 aircraft today to 41,100 aircraft by 2034, growing at 2.8% annually. This growth reflects both regional expansion and recovery in air travel demand. AW: How the supply chain issue is going to be resolved and what is the expected timeline? JN: OEMs continue to face supply chain issues as they struggle to ramp up production in the post-COVID environment and restore capacity in their supply chain. In a recent survey at MRO APAC, MRO executives were largely of the view that some suppliers have recovered, but there are other suppliers who still have major issues. Geopolitical tensions, compounded with shortage of raw materials and key components imply that OEM issues with cross-border trade and logistics will further delay deliveries in the near-term. This in turn forces operators to use older aircrafts longer and requiring more MRO activities to maintain airworthiness. Resolving the supply chain issues will require a combination of strategies, such as diversifying suppliers, investing in local manufacturing capabilities, and adopting data analytics capabilities to better manage inventory and forecast demand. While some mitigating efforts is expected to yield improvements within the next 12-18 months, full recovery may take longer as it depends on global stability and continued investment in supply chain resilience. AW: Shortage of skilled manpower is another big challenge globally. How airlines are coping up with this massive issue? JN: The post-pandemic labour environment presents structural challenges to companies and their recruitment and retention efforts. Workers increasingly prefer an environment with “work from home” possibilities, and are more open to “gig employment” as a stable source of income. To cope with labour constraints, airlines and MROs will need to make upskilling and talent retention their priority in order to do more with less. They will need to develop better training programs to upskill their workforce, redesign job processes to balance worker preferences against job activities, and invest in technologies that can raise labour productivity. Modern technologies such as drone inspections can augment labour capability while others such as using augmented realities to enable remote technician support will raise labour productivity. Such efforts to upskill the workforce and utilize of technologies will help airlines and MROs better cope operationally. AW: What steps according to you are required to be implemented for the growth of MRO sector across the region? JN: For the MRO sector to enjoy sustainable growth, further investment in technological innovation and digitalization will be key. Implementing data-driven maintenance practices, such as predictive maintenance and digital twin technology, can improve operational efficiency and reduce downtime. Additionally, creating regional partnerships and pooling resources for specialized skill development would better address both infrastructural and manpower shortages, whilst supporting ongoing innovation across the sector. About Joshua Ng, Director, Alton Aviation Consultancy, Singapore: Based in Alton’s Singapore office, Joshua Ng brings 15 years of experience in the aviation and aerospace industry. He co-leads the firm’s technology and mobility practice and supports the firm’s Asia Pacific aviation advisory engagements across the aviation value chain from airlines, to MROs, to industry investors. Joshua combines his significant expertise in business strategy development, market demand forecasting, operating model development, and financial modeling to help clients with developing and implementing their go-to-market strategies and long-term business plans. He has also worked in the transaction advisory space, helping investors and strategic clients with mergers, acquisitions and divestments of enterprises, infrastructure and assets, as well as on topics including transaction management, valuation, post-merger integration, and carve-out.

Air Astana operates daily direct flight from Delhi (India) to Almaty( Kazakhstan) making it the preferred airlines of the Indians. India, being one of the key market for Air Astana, the Visa free access to the Indians has significantly boosted up the tourism and business for Kazakhstan. In an exclusive interview,Mr. Peter Foster, CEO, Air Astana shares details about on the various developments of the airlines and its future plans with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, Aviation World Excerpts… What is your strategy to enhance Air Astana presence in the Indian market? There are certain things that I can’t unfortunately disclose because of the constraints that I’ve got over me. As you know, as the Accountable Manager for a UK listed company, there are certain things that I can’t say. So, I can’t talk specifically about our plans for working here until such time as I’m talking on a general basis to the market. But what I can say is this, the Indian market is fundamentally important to us. It’s a growth market and we’ve been in Delhi for many years. We’ve expanded our operation into and out of Delhi over the years. Before the pandemic, we were right on the point of launching flights to Mumbai. That didn’t happen because of the pandemic but I think, we can be sufficiently clear that India is a key strategic priority for Air Astana. After the exemption of the visa for the Indians by Kazakhstan, have you witnessed the growth in number of travellers? Huge! Mostly the group travellers. Groups, individuals, families from all over India are now visiting Almaty & Astana which is great sign. You mentioned about the direct flight for London with the modification of the aircraft. How important is the sector for Air Astana? It’s an important route for us. I mean, there’s a lot of business links between the UK and Kazakhstan. There’s a lot of Kazakh students that study in the UK, a lot of Kazakh school children that are at school in the UK. The links have always been strong. And obviously, the company is quoted on the London stock market. But there’s a lot of business traffic, generally speaking, the services sector that comes from London to Kazakhstan. So, all of the big four are all heavily represented here, of course, a lot of many of the investment banks do work in Kazakhstan. The Astana Financial Centre has been set up on the basis of the UK commercial law. So, the Court of Final Appeal are all UK judges. So, the links are strong between the UK and Kazakhstan. What is the current ownership and shareholding structure of Air Astana? On 9th February 2024, all the changes in the listing were completed. It was done around six to eight months ago. So, now it’s now 41% owned by Samruk Kazyna ( they’ve gone from 51% to 41%) , BAE went from 49% to 18%.Now, we have new share holders. We have the National Pension Fund here with 6.5%,we have the EBRD ( European Bank of Reconstruction Development) at 5%, we have a lot of not only investors out of London and we have a lot of retail investors here in Kazakhstan. And we have ourselves, of course, the staffs also have shares. So, the process is completed and now it’s a listed company in London Stock Exchange, Astana Stock Exchange and the Almaty Stock Exchange. In Kazakhstan, there are two stock exchanges, one in Almaty and the other one in Astana. So, we have listed on all three exchanges. What regulatory approvals are required to modify the aircraft for operating between London and Astana? Well remember, this modification is an Airbus modification. So, it’s an Airbus modification, of course, it has to have all general global approvals. What type of fleets does Air Astana operates at present? Could you share details about the fleet expansion plans? At present Air Astana have 57 aircrafts which is a mixed of Airbus and also 2-3 Embraer. The Embraer are leaving the fleet shortly. So, right now it’s Airbus. We have three Boeing 767s also and in fact, we have the newest passenger 767s in the world. We have the last three that came off the production line which are very good aircraft. As part of our expansion plans, our fleet size will go up to 80 aircraft by the end of 2028. We’re not going to change the entire fleet between now and then. Yes, and to answer your question, the average age of the fleet at the moment is five years old. So, the fleet is a young fleet. And by the end of 2028, I think it’ll be slightly less than that, about four and a half years old. That’s good. So, apart from the existing market, can you focus on the top three markets that definitely are your top priority markets right now? Well, of course the Kazakhstan market is the number one. But in terms of our foreign markets, I won’t give you a rank, but I’ll just tell you what our key markets are Korea, India, the Gulf and Saudi Arabia. Turkey is a key market for us and the German market of course, is very important to us. How Air Astana is managing it fleets in terms of maintenance as globally airlines are raining this issue? The global issue is not correct and we should try to get our aircrafts corrected at our own because problems are there. It’s an issue, but it’s not global. Every airline is having that kind of issue. In terms of Air Astana it does affect us like it affects everybody. The main problem that we’ve got is specific to the Pratt & Whitney 1100 engine on the Airbus 320neo family, which, as you’ll be aware, is a problem with Indian carrier too. We are trying to mitigate it by getting more engines from Pratt & Whitney. We have nine spare engines now and we have

“Takeoffs are optional, landings are mandatory”. In Aviation, everyone involved with an operation of an aircraft adheres to this commitment and that’s why Aviation is globally ranked as the safest mode of transport. One such personality popular as the “Iron Lady” among the colleagues in the Business Aviation is Anshu Sharma. She is the Head In-flight Service and Training, DGCA Approved SEP Instructor with Air Charter Service(ACS), whose motto is, “Train to Save, Train to Survive”. Anshu Sharma Joined Business Aviation in the year 2008 and has been ranked as renowned DGCA Approved Cabin Crew Trainer as she played a very instrumental role in getting Civil Aviation Rule (CAR) drafted and implemented by DGCA for training for cabin crew specific to the aircraft below 10 seats and 10-20 seats. She has been certified to train cabin crew and pilots for all prominent business jets category including: Falcon, Beechcraft, Global, Embraer 135, Hawker, Challenger, Gulfstream. She also trains doctors and AMT team who are part of Medvec flights. Anshu Sharma started her Aviation journey in year 1994 with Air Sahara as Cabin Crew and graduated to becoming Chief Flight Attendant and Base Manager, Delhi with Jet Lite and later also as a Specialised Boeing Trainer. She is currently employed with ACS since 2020. In conversation with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, Aviation World, Anshu Sharma explains the importance of training in Aviation & her contribution towards skilling the manpower for the holistic growth of the sector. Excerpts… Q: You are also famous as the “Iron Lady” in the Business Aviation Sector. So, how this tag is attached to you and what’s about your journey in aviation? A: Yes, keeping modesty aside, colleagues in Business Aviation call me the “Iron Lady”as the culture of keeping trained cabin crew in this country was created and encouraged by me along with the support of the regulator. I have over three decades of experience now in the aviation industry and I have tasted pastures on both sides commercial and corporate and so hope with my experience, I am able to contribute to the segment to create more safety standards as corporate aviation grows. Q: What are the courses that you provide to the flight attendants & pilots? A: The courses that I teach the flight attendants and pilots are around the safety and emergency procedures in the aircraft. They are exclusively designed for the crew members operating on business aviation aircrafts. I also do soft skill and service trainings for these aircrafts like presentation of food and some etiquette for managing the clients travelling on board. Q: What are the career growth & prospects of cabin crew in the business aviation sector? A: Business aviation encourages people who are service oriented and have an understanding of travel and food. There is a lot of scope as even though some of them joined as crew members but today are working as EA to office of the Chairman, PR representative etc. So, Business Aviation is a very open platform and does not restrict the crew member profile only to the cabin. Q: How regulatory body is keen towards supporting the Business Aviation in India? A: First of all, I want to say that we are very happy that the regulatory body has been very supportive for a lot of things. They are very open-minded today. Back in days, they were pretty punitive in their approach, but today they are very corrective and they give you flexibility in the approach which is good. Q: How can training be made inclusive part of business aviation growth in India? A: The biggest thing in recent times what I learnt when I got to meet the Civil Aviation Minister is that he is very open to FDIs. He is open to larger companies to come into India and synergize. So, the people who have huge NSOP groups having more than 5 or 6 aircrafts with them, they should definitely synergize from the training perspective also, not just because they want to bring in more aircrafts in this country, they want to create a standard for the aircrafts operating even in our country. Similarly, companies who have more than 7 to 8 aircrafts, they should tie up with international training organizations. For ex., Gulf Air Aviation or Royal Jordanian people have visited our country but they never got people who could hold their hand. So, today we should do that. Q: What steps need to be mandated for standardized procedures in Business Aircraft? A: How can you buy a million dollar airplane and not spend some money on the training of a pilot or training of a flight attendant who’s basically there to take the safety. So, taking safety into concern, you need to build standard procedures for aircrafts. Q: So, what are the burning challenges that need to address as top priority? A: The people who are post holders should respect what that post is all about. They should have applicable knowledge about that post also because then only they will be able to do justice to the organization and the organization will be able to do justice to its employees. Only that way, there will be a sync between what the DGCA is saying and what the operator is saying. With the way the volumes are increasing in our country, if we do not create these standardized procedures, believe me, it will be an open playground where everybody will be doing what they were doing and this time it is going to become far more dirtier because already we are doing so much of undercutting. Q: As an expert trainer, what message you would like to give to the youngsters? A: The first thing that I want to tell them today for all the students that times have changed. It is not as glamorous as it was earlier. So, people who want to join this industry because they feel that they are going to get and join hands only with

IndiGo Airlines is optimizing flight operations, streamlining maintenance processes, and providing personalized services to passengers by leveraging Red Hat’s AI- integrated solutions. This partnership exemplifies how AI can revolutionize traditional industries, making them more agile and responsive to market demands. To brief more about the collaboration and the benefits, Viju Chakarapany, Vice President & Head of Commercial Sales (APAC/JAPAN/Greater China), Red Hat and Neetan Chopra, Chief Digital and Information Officer, IndiGo interacted with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, Aviation World. Here are the excerpts of the discussion: Q: How the collaboration between Red Hat and IndiGo shaped up? Viju Chakarapany: Everything that we looked at, the relationship started about a year ago on the terms of how this would help the business. We spoke about modernizing the application and one of the classic is Skyplus, the application that we have for direct interaction with the customer. How do we make sure that we move it away from legacy technologies into modern technologies, so that changes can be made faster, features can be implemented quickly, scale achieved through the cloud and on-premise whenever required. Because, you don’t know when the scale will come sometimes as some of it is predictable, some of it is not, right?Number of people will come to the site so that the customer experience at the end of the day becomes great. Likewise, opening up the APIs and all that, how will that help the developers, not just within IndiGo to be able to see each other’s APIs and see how we can integrate and make it better and cut off the silos, but also outside, right? Be it a young developer who’s developing something to integrate with IndiGo’s platform. They can do that very easily now, right? How do they do that? So that we can get a lot more open with regards to, you know,Working on newer technologies or newer applications that pretty much uses some of the technology that we have co-created In IndiGo. Automation is extremely exciting because the more you automate, the more time you have to innovate. Q: What is the contribution of Red Hat’s OpenShift and integration solutions to IndiGo’s transformation? Neetan Chopra: There are two-three components of Red Hat that we use. One is to look at application modernization. For example, when you have to modernize your website and app, the digital channels, you need to be able to break them into small components, and then host it within what we call container networks. So, the ability to break up our application into micro services, and run those micro services is one of the components we are using of Red Hat. The other area is once you kind of modernize your app, you need to make sure you are beaming those integration and the API part. So, for this we are using a Red Hat component. Around 160 applications or integration footprints were running on our on-premise application that we had to shift it to the cloud. So, the whole cloud environment, along with Microsoft and Red Hat, that’s another component we are using. From a technology perspective, micro services breaking up into small parts, integration, APIs, and cloud is broadly where we are using reduced software. What is in the works, is this whole, what we call a zero-touch ops or invisible ops, which is the ability to run infrastructure in a software way. So, we are starting to use, one of Red Hat’s programs or kind of products called Ansible Automation Platform. One can now write on Ansible to boot up infrastructure and configure it. So, we are trying to move in that direction as well. Q: What is exactly the role of Open API platform for integration and collaboration? Viju Chakarapany: Open API is extremely important, especially when you don’t want to reinvent the wheel. There are components that have already been done by other players and what not. Let me give you an example, this is nothing to do with IndiGo, right? One of the things that we do in Singapore today is the banks are integrating their login credentials .That’s because they don’t have to reinvent it and do it by themselves. They can just be dependent on someone who’s already done it, who is the authority on making sure that it’s the right person and the right login, and you are getting the right information from that person so that they can do what they need to do in terms of logging them into secure systems, getting an account set up very quickly without needing to ask all this information, because that’s all going to be coming from a so-called third party. So this way of integrating information so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel is extremely important. That’s why APIs became so big.Everybody was just starting to use, just do components so that you can integrate together with each one of them. I think similarly in Indigo’s case was the same. One is internal focused, whereby you don’t have to reinvent the wheel in terms of understanding what exactly is in there. The information goes in and it comes out. You don’t have to know what’s inside there. That’s pretty much using the API, and that makes it faster for developers, a lot quicker for them to implement their solutions. It also helps external organizations who are trying to collaborate with IndiGo. If you go today and you look at any of the airline’s websites, you’ll see that it’s kind of integrated pretty well. The integration behind happens because they’ve got open APIs, they’re exchanging that. And that’s how this whole logic, how do we make this a lot quicker open up. And that’s the logic behind open APIs, right Neetan Chopra: I think one is from a customer perspective, it’s a bit of a technology which is hidden below the wraps, but what does it deliver? I think it delivers speed of response. New features, new innovations, new developments,

ARLINGTON, Va., July 31, 2024: Boeing has announced that its Board of Directors has elected Robert K. “Kelly” Ortberg as the company’s new president and chief executive officer, effective August 8, 2024. Ortberg will also serve on Boeing’s Board of Directors. He will succeed Dave Calhoun, who earlier this year announced his intention to retire from the company, having served as president and CEO since January 2020, and as a member of Boeing’s Board of Directors since 2009. “The Board conducted a thorough and extensive search process over the last several months to select the next CEO of Boeing and Kelly has the right skills and experience to lead Boeing in its next chapter,” said Steven Mollenkopf, Chair of the Board. “Kelly is an experienced leader who is deeply respected in the aerospace industry, with a well-earned reputation for building strong teams and running complex engineering and manufacturing companies. We look forward to working with him as he leads Boeing through this consequential period in its long history.” “The Board would also like to thank Dave Calhoun for his strong leadership at Boeing, first as Chair and then as CEO, when he stepped in to steer the company through the challenges of recent years,” added Mollenkopf. “I’m extremely honored and humbled to join this iconic company,” said Ortberg. “Boeing has a tremendous and rich history as a leader and pioneer in our industry, and I’m committed to working together with the more than 170,000 dedicated employees of the company to continue that tradition, with safety and quality at the forefront. There is much work to be done, and I’m looking forward to getting started.” Ortberg, 64, brings over 35 years of aerospace leadership to this position. He began his career in 1983 as an engineer at Texas Instruments, and then joined Rockwell Collins in 1987 as a program manager and held increasingly important leadership positions at the company prior to becoming its president and CEO in 2013. After five years leading Rockwell Collins, he steered the company’s integration with United Technologies and RTX until his retirement from RTX in 2021. He has held a number of important leadership posts in industry, including serving on the Board of Directors of RTX. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors of Aptiv PLC, a global technology company and an industry leader in vehicle systems architecture. He is the former Chair of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Board of Governors. Ortberg holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa.

Tata Technologies envisions a future where we are a dominant force in aerospace engineering and the partner of choice for our customers… The aerospace industry is undergoing transformative changes driven by technological advancements and increasing demand for more efficient and sustainable solutions. Tata Technologies is at the forefront of this evolution, leveraging its engineering expertise and innovative approach to redefine the future of aerospace. In an exclusive interview,Aloke Palsikar, Executive Vice President & Global Head – Aerospace and IHM, Tata Technologies shares insight on various initiatives with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, Aviation World. Excerpts: Q: With projections of rapid growth, what opportunities does Tata Technologies see in the aerospace sector? A: At Tata Technologies, we anticipate substantial growth in our Aerospace business in the coming years. Our vision for the future aligns with the dynamic needs of the aerospace sector, presenting several key opportunities to drive this growth. We are actively engaged with Aerospace OEMs to enhance throughput within assembly plants by leveraging advanced technology and systems, including increased use of robotics for maximum efficiency. Additionally, we are optimizing supply chain processes to ensure a smooth flow of materials and components, reducing delays that hinder production. By driving greater digitalization across the aerospace value chain, we facilitate faster and better information flow, enabling higher output and improved operational efficiency. Furthermore, in response to the growing demand for cargo transport, we see significant opportunities in converting older passenger aircraft into freighter versions, providing a cost-effective solution for airlines. As more aircraft enter the market, the need for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services becomes critical. With our extensive experience, we see strong opportunities in both digitalization and engineering support to optimize MRO operations. Additionally, recent challenges within the aerospace industry have heightened the focus on regulatory compliance, and we are well-positioned to support our customers with their compliance and certification needs. Our proactive approach to leveraging technology, optimizing operations, and driving innovation positions us to capitalize on the vast opportunities in the aerospace sector. By partnering with our customers and understanding their unique challenges, we aim to deliver solutions that not only meet but exceed their expectations, shaping the future of aerospace and ensuring safer, more efficient, and more sustainable air travel for everyone. Q: What are the key insights on emerging trends in the aerospace industry? A: The aerospace industry has seen significant changes and emerging trends in the post-COVID world. One of the key trends is the increase in passenger air traffic, which has surged as global travel restrictions have eased. However, the supply of new aircraft remains a challenge, making it a top priority to enhance current production capacities. To meet environmental goals, there is a growing emphasis on the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to lower emissions and reduce the carbon footprint of air travel. Additionally, the industry is witnessing a rise in the experimentation of alternate propulsion systems, such as electric and hydrogen-powered engines. Numerous startups are collaborating with established companies to design and test these innovative propulsion technologies. Furthermore, there is a strong focus on the light weighting of major aircraft components to boost fuel efficiency. Urban mobility is also evolving with new ideas like electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft being explored for mass commute purposes. Startups and major OEMs are investing in the development of fully autonomous flights and hypersonic commercial planes, which promise to significantly reduce travel costs and time. These trends highlight the industry’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and efficiency in response to the changing landscape and demands of global aviation. Q: What steps are being initiated towards sustainability in aerospace? A: The aerospace industry, along with its Tier 1 partners, is actively engaged in a range of sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing environmental impact. One major focus is on alternative fuels. The industry is exploring the use of biofuels, hydrogen, and electricity to significantly cut carbon emissions. These efforts include ongoing research and development to make these fuels viable for commercial aviation. Efficient aircraft design is another critical area. Aerospace companies, including OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, are designing more efficient aircraft with improved aerodynamics, lighter materials, and more efficient engines. An example of this is the A320neo, which showcases collaborative design efforts to create a more fuel-efficient product. The entire industry is also adopting sustainable practices in their operations, such as recycling, waste reduction, and energy conservation, to further minimize their environmental footprint. Additionally, carbon offsetting has become a significant focus, with not only aerospace majors but also airlines taking action. Airlines are increasingly partnering with domestic rail and other transport services to offer seamless end-to-end connectivity with a lower carbon footprint. An example is Lufthansa’s Rail & Fly program with Deutsche Bahn, which provides seamless connectivity between long-haul flights and trains for last-mile travel. These initiatives reflect the industry’s comprehensive approach to sustainability, encompassing innovative technologies, efficient designs, and collaborative efforts to reduce environmental impact. Q: How do you plan to address future challenges and opportunities? A: Given the high growth potential in the aerospace sector, Tata Technologies is strategically preparing to address future challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities through several key initiatives. One of our primary strategies is building scale and capacity to effectively deliver on key accounts. We are leveraging our global talent pool across the US, Europe, and India to ensure we have a skilled workforce ready to meet the demands of this dynamic industry. To address the complexity and high-end nature of future work, we are focused on constant training and skill-building. Creating a robust supply chain of skilled workforce is crucial, and we are investing heavily in upskilling and continuous education to prepare our team for the challenges ahead. Additionally, we are enhancing our offerings portfolio by investing in ready-to-implement solutions in critical areas such as Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO), sustainability, and alternate propulsion systems. This proactive approach ensures that we can provide cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. Furthermore, we are expanding our

“Our core has been training and we strive to produce the safest and best pilots,” Khushbeg Jattana, General Manager, Simaero India International pilot training and flight simulator provider, Simaero, recently announced that it will invest $100 million in India to train up to 5,000 pilots over the next five years. The French aviation training services provider will bring in the investment in a phased manner to create training infrastructure in major Indian cities and install flight simulators to meet the growing demand for pilot training in India and the South Asian region. The simulator in the Delhi NCR facility is already under development phase and is expected to be ready by 2024 end or maximum by Q1 2025. Khushbeg Jattana, General Manager, Simaero India, in an interview with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, Aviation World, explains in detail about the upcoming training facility and Simaero’s vision towards creating a world-class sim facility in India.Excerpts: Q: What are Simaero’s plans in India in terms of investment, infrastructure and strategy? A: Simaero India was started in mid-2023 with the idea of establishing a simulation training centre in India, which will also be an Airline Training Organisation (ATO). It will be a DGCA and EASA-approved centre, similar to our ATO in Paris. The training centre will feature eight full-flight simulators and the building is expected to be ready by Q4 of 2024. It will be located 15 minutes from Delhi airport, right next to the NH8 highway. Initially, two simulators will be set up in this main facility: A320 NEO and the Boeing B737 NG. We plan to expand to other types of aircraft, including the B737 MAX and ATR 72-600, within 24 months of operation. Our goal is to have at least four full-flight simulators for the Airbus A320 NEO and at least two for the B737 MAX, as the A320 is the dominant type in India. Additionally, we aim to expand our footprint in India by establishing at least two satellite training centres, each hosting anywhere from two to four simulators, creating a hub-and-spoke model in India. The first satellite training centre is expected to be operational by 2026. We are considering locations in the East, with Kolkata being a primary candidate. We are also actively considering Mumbai and Bengaluru. Kolkata is of particular interest because eastern India currently lacks any training centres. Additionally, we see potential in neighbouring countries, such as Nepal, where we already conduct business through Simaero in Paris. Q: What quantum of pilot training do you project for India per year? A: As of today, India has more than 1,700 aircraft on order and around 800 aircraft currently flying, with approximately 10 percent grounded due to logistical and engine problems. All these aircraft orders are expected to be fulfilled within the next five to seven years, before 2030. In terms of aviation and population, India is the largest country in the world by population. If you compare it with China, which now has a smaller population but 10 times more aircraft, it is evident that India will grow to a similar level. The demand for new pilots is projected to be anywhere between 2,000 to 2,500 per year to accommodate the number of aircraft being inducted into Indian airlines. Currently, around 1,500 commercial pilots obtain their Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) license annually, so we need approximately 500 to 1,000 more pilots every year. In terms of infrastructure, out of the 1,500 pilots trained annually, not more than 500 are trained in India, with approximately two-thirds of them being trained in facilities outside the country. On the simulation side, it is the same avalanche effect. This growth will necessitate more simulators and aircraft for training in our country. As the fleet grows, the requirement will become even bigger. Over the next 10 years, I foresee a significant demand and the need to triple the current simulator infrastructure in India. According to the DGCA, there are around 30 active simulators in India. On the aircraft side, we need to increase the number of Commercial Pilot License (CPL) training aircraft by five times to meet the growing demand. Q: What kind of infrastructure does Simaero have at present globally? A: Presently, Simaero, as an international group, has training centres in France, China and South Africa. We have two training centres in France: one in Paris and another smaller one in Brittany. We are opening another training centre in Paris, which will be operational by Q1 2025. The first simulator to be installed in this training centre will be an A350. We also have a training centre in South Africa and we recently opened a training centre in Changsha, China. In terms of infrastructure, we plan to have eight full flight simulator in Delhi NCR and at least eight more at our satellite centres across India. We aim to support 16 full-flight simulators in the next five to six years. This will include a mix of A320s and the new A321XLR, which Indian airlines have significant orders for. Additionally, we will have B737 MAX and ATR 72 600 simulators. We are always open to installing wide-body simulators, as we already have A330/A340 and upcoming A350 in our training centres in Paris. Our plans are adaptable to customer requirements and we are flexible in purchasing and implementing the necessary simulators to meet their needs. Q: What will be the actual timeline for starting the facility? A:We have started our application process with the DGCA earlier this month. We expect the delivery of the building to be completed by Q4 this year and the simulators at the same time. Therefore, we aim to be ready for training by December or January 2025 at the latest. Regarding training costs, we aim to be highly competitive compared to existing facilities in India and those popular among students abroad. In fact, we plan to be cheaper than the international market. Our primary strategy focuses on initial flight training, specifically type rating, which currently sees

In 2023 we began an ambitious three-year journey to ensure ICAO is fit for the future. Our goal is to become more results-driven with a people-focused culture and way of working. We want to be transparent, accountable, efficient, and value-guided, and ensure that we are innovative and agile. We are at the halfway point of this journey, we wanted to sit down with ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar to discuss the progress so far. Q: Mr. Salazar, thank you for joining us. To begin, we should probably ask why you decided to embark on this transformation journey? JCS: The aviation industry is facing unparalleled changes and challenges that are driven by the unprecedented speed of innovation, the heightened awareness, and the need to improve resilience in the wake of global public health emergencies, and the climate crisis, which is, in fact, just one of the environmental challenges we face. We launched this journey to equip ICAO with the capabilities and capacities it needs to tackle the issues and opportunities more effectively, to ensure we can unite and lead the aviation community towards a safe, secure, and sustainable future. Q: ICAO has named this its “Transformational Objective.” How would you describe the overall progress towards it so far? JCS: We’ve seen a lot of early achievements in all areas: people and culture, digital and operations. This reflects our collective passion, hard work, and dedication to our vision for the organization. Our first 12 months were focused on setting the foundations. We now look forward to seeing more tangible results from implementation, and soon. We are going to accelerate our efforts, with the changes bringing exciting opportunities for growth, innovation, and personal development for ICAO personnel. It’s about building upon the spirit of collaboration and excellence that defines the Organization worldwide. Q: What key achievements or milestones that have been reached at this halfway point? JCS: I am so proud of the hard work of all our colleagues and immensely thankful for their continuous dedication. For me, the highlights so far have been the development, approval, and launch of our ambitious People First Strategy and the progress in our digital transformation, especially in information security. We have also launched our new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system project and have the approval to launch several new policies and strategies that will enable us to build on these strong foundations. We’ve made significant progress with our project for managing our Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). This will improve the efficiency, transparency and business intelligence of the SARPs process, not only for development and updates, but also for consultation and analytics. Q: How well are we tracking against the initial goals and objectives set for the Transformational Objective? JCS: We began this journey with four concrete goals: improved collaboration with stakeholders, a transformational shift in our work culture, enhanced efficiencies of our internal operations, and simplified processes. We’re making steady progress in each area. Out of our 38 projects nine have already been successfully completed while a further 20 are in full implementation. Collaboration with stakeholders has strengthened, particularly through transparent communication and engagement, but also through policy work on agreements with third parties and the implementation of a state-of-the-art customer relationship management (CRM) software. Our culture transformation is underway with several initiatives that further promote integrity, enhanced inclusivity, and encourage innovation. In terms of simplification, we are working on an Implementation Support model to promote a more efficient and unified One-ICAO approach to support States with their aviation-related needs. The establishment of an enterprise-wide business process management system, employing the Kaizen methodology, to continuously improve internal processes, will support this simplification, particularly with the implementation of new technologies and streamlined workflows. Q: What are the most valuable lessons earned from the transformation journey so far? JCS: Our transformation journey has taught us several valuable lessons. The importance of a clear vision and communication cannot be overstated. It is crucial that we ensure everyone understands, and is aligned, with our objectives. Strong leadership commitment has driven the initiative forward and has inspired confidence. We’ve also learned the significance of engaging our employees at all levels to gain their buy-in and valuable feedback. Flexibility and adaptability have been key in navigating challenges, while celebrating even incremental wins, has kept morale high. Lastly, routinely analyzing where our priorities lie and where our resources can be the most effective, has been fundamental in sustaining our progress. This has relied on solid portfolio management and governance for the implementation of projects. Q: Recognizing that long-standing practices can make change difficult, how do you get people to embrace new initiatives and remain open-minded about adopting new ways of doing things? JCS: Just because we have always done things one way, doesn’t mean there aren’t better, more efficient ways of doing things. We have to focus on clear and consistent communication about the benefits and necessity of these changes. We also have to involve employees and stakeholders at all levels in the transformation process, ensuring their voices are heard and their feedback is integrated in our plans. We have to equip people with the skills and knowledge needed to adapt to new methods. By highlighting success stories and incremental wins we can demonstrate the positive impact of these changes, which in turn helps to build confidence and commitment across the organization. Q: What are your expectations for the second half of the Transformational Objective? JCS: As we move into the second half of our journey, I anticipate an acceleration in implementation across all transformation areas—people, digital, and operations. We’re working hard to become a results-based organization. This is already evident in our new business plan and budget structuring for the next triennium, which follow a results-based management approach. The introduction of our Corporate Performance Monitoring and Reporting Tool marks a significant leap in how we measure success, enabling us to track progress and make informed decisions. While we are likely to see many project objectives realized, it’s important to

AAL AG is one of the largest MRO in Europe and together with its partners at the airport, it can combine maintenance, full aircraft paint and full cabin refurbishment. In an interview, Natascha RODE, Managing Director, AAL Ltd. speaks with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor, Aviation World and briefs more about the the business presence, its extension and plans for India. Excerpts: Q: What are the core business segments that AAL deals into? A: AAL AG, better known as Altenrhein Aviation Limited specializes in maintenance of mid-size cabin jets. As a Gulfstream and Embraer Authorized Service Center we cater to all customers’ needs from an AOG to heavy maintenance, it can be a 16C on a Gulfstream or a 120 Month inspection on an Embraer.Together with our partners at the airport we can combine maintenance, full aircraft paint and full cabin refurbishment. In the recent, turbulent years, we have seen frequent aircraft ownership changes. In average, we perform 2 PPIs a month, they are always followed by a registration change. Many leave EASA world for other countries or the other way around. Aviation equals bureaucracy.Aircraft document review is a must. Aircraft must meet new registry regulations. We have seen cases where installed STCs had to be validated or removed. A visual inspection of the aircraft can save the new owner loads of stress and money. WIFI is the “new kid on the EMEA block”. There are new solutions for aircraft operating outside of the USA (not Air to Ground inflight connectivity), which provide fast and affordable connectivity. Together with our partners we develop and install new solutions for our customers` fleets. Q: AAL having served the Aviation industry for over 50 years now, how do you see the evolution of the sector? A: AAL is soon to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Since a few years we are part of the Atlas Air Service Group, who recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Together we are one of the largest MROs in Europe. For the past years many OEMs merged and many aviation companies as well. Merging and buy-outs seem to be the way many companies take. MRO business is a tough business with low margins and high risks. Customers definitely benefit from larger MROs – we are more flexible in allocating slots at one of our bases, we have a larger pool of parts and stronger working relationships with many OEMs. Q: What’s the USP of AAL that makes it the preferred partner of its clients? A: Switzerland is not exactly around the corner. Our experience and our quality of work is what brings customers from all over the world to us. Experienced certifying staff is scarce, training is more and more expensive, however at AAL 90% of technicians assigned to a project are certified B1s or B2s. Knowledge and experience are priceless. Also, it is rare that you can paint and refurbish an aircraft in combination with a heavy check, all at the same location. We can! Q: India seems to be a new market for AAL. What are the prospects that are being projected for this region? A:There are many Gulfstream G150s and G200s flying in India already. We expect some G280s to join their “smaller” sisters soon. We already have customers from India flying to us for major checks. We are in regular contact with them, supporting them with tools, parts and suggestions during their minor checks at local Indian MROs. Q: Any plans to fully venture into India to cater to the growing business aviation sector? A: It is too early to say. At this stage we have plans to expand even more in Europe with additional capabilities, but of course Indian market is very interesting and if we would be presented with a right business proposal we would give it a go. (Interview exclusively published in Aviation World July-August 2024 Print + Digital edition)