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New Delhi, 29th April 2022: The government has finalised disinvestment for state-owned helicopter service provider Pawan Hans Ltd.An empowered cabinet group picked Star9 Mobility Private Ltd as winner for buying 51% stake in Pawan Hans.The value of sale is of Rs 211.14 CR.Star9 Mobility Pvt.Ltd is a consortium of Big Charter Pvt Ltd lead by Capt Sanjay Mandaviya(26%),Maharaja Aviation Pvt.Ltd(25%)& Almas Global Opportunity Fund SPC(49%),Cayman Island based and managed by UAE’s Almas Capital.The rights will remain with the Indian partner & base will remain at Rohini Heliport,Delhi. According to the press release issued by PIB, the government’s stake sale was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, comprising union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Jyotiraditya M Scindia. The government had received three financial bids for its stake in Pawan Hans. The Employees’ Union of Pawan Hans, Global Vectra Helicorp and Heligo Charters were widely expected to bid for the company.Pawan Hans is expected to report a net loss of Rs 100 crore in both 2020-21 and 2021-22 after reporting a loss of Rs 28.08 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 69.2 crore in 2018-19. The state-run helicopter operator had also reported a fall in revenue to Rs 346 crore in FY20 from Rs 381 crore in FY19, according to the information memorandum document floated by the government to invite expressions of interest to invest in the company in 2020.

Kuwait, April 25, 2022: Jazeera Airways has announced net profit of KD3.8 million for the first quarter (Q1) of 2022, compared to a net loss of KD5.2 million in the first quarter of 2021. Total revenue for the quarter reached KD35.7 million, up 339.2%, while operating profit stood at KD5.3 million, up 199.3%. These record earnings were supported by close to sixfold increase in number of passengers with restrictions at Kuwait International Airport being eased and travel capacity gradually increased to levels near to the pre-pandemic period. Similarly, load factor reached 75.2%, an increase of 28.7%. Commenting on the results, Jazeera Airways Chairman, Marwan Boodai said,“The gradual return of travel capacity at Kuwait International Airport since the second half of last year as well as the lifting of travel restrictions worldwide have shown that there is indeed a latent and strong appetite for travel. Jazeera has focused in the first quarter on expanding its services and capacity in preparation of the launch of new tourist and high demand destinations during the year, all supported with a strong financial position and a cautious strategy to mitigate the risks of recent geopolitical developments.” In comparison, during Q1 2019 before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jazeera had reported a net profit of KD1.5 million and flown 529.6 thousand passengers. Q1 2022 performance shows strong resilience in the commercial travel, as well as positive sentiment to the sector for 2022 and beyond. First Quarter 2022 Review Jazeera Airways achieved a new milestone as an “Approved Training Organization” certified by Kuwait’s Directorate for Civil Aviation, enabling the airline to conduct training programs for pilots and cabin crews from its headquarters in the State of Kuwait. The move enables the airline to expand its capabilities to train the required manpower for future growth. The airline has also been certified to conduct performance of line maintenance on its aircraft; a certification that increases its operational efficiency significantly. Jazeera also inaugurated the VIP service, which offers the first private terminal experience at Kuwait International Airport, serving departing and arriving passengers traveling on airlines operating from Terminals 1 and 5 and for general aviation and private jets. The VIV Terminal gives passengers the benefits of a private check-in reception and handling services. Additionally, Jazeera Airways also continued to grow its network with the launch of a new service to the coastal city of Chittagong in Bangladesh. The service is the second for the airline to Bangladesh following the launch of Dhaka in October 2020, serving over 200,000 Bangladeshi nationals living in Kuwait and connecting to more passengers across the GCC region. 2022 Outlook Jazeera has announced plans to launch new routes ahead of the summer season to cater to high tourist demand. The airline has confirmed the launch of routes to Vienna and Prague in June, in addition to other destinations that will be announced during the year.

New Delhi, 25th April 2022: The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Govt. of Himachal Pradesh signed an MoU for development of a Green Field Airport in Nagchala, Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh.Signing Ceremony was graced by Civil Aviation Minsiter Jyotiraditya  Scindia and Jai Ram Thakur, CM of Himachal Pradesh along with senior officials from AAI, MoCA and state govt. officials of Himachal Pradesh including Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, MoCA, Sanjiv Kumar, Chairman, AAI, Rubina Ali, JS, MoCA, Ram Subhag Singh, CS, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh,Devesh Kumar, Principal Secretary, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Dinesh Guleria, ATDO, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh, AK Pathak, Member (Planning), AAI, K. Vinayak Rao, Member (Finance), M. Suresh, Member (ANS), AAI, and Ms V. Vidhya, ED (JVC/PPP). The new greenfield airport at Nagchala, Mandi is being developed under the Greenfield Airport Policy of MoCA and a Joint Venture Company between State Government of Himachal Pradesh and Airport Authority of India has been formed. The projected land requirement for airport is 515 acres approx. and the project is estimated to cost around Rs 900 crore excluding the cost of land. Speaking on the occasion, Scindia said, “We are committed to provide last mile connectivity to the people of Himachal Pradesh. With this aim in mind, we are developing new aviation infrastructure as well as upgrading existing facilities in Himachal Pradesh whether it is development of new green field airport in Mandi or acquisition of additional land for extension of runways at existing airports. With this, we are committed to develop civil aviation as a harbinger of economic development for the region.” There are 3 airports i.e. Shimla, Kullu, & Kangra and 5 heliports i.e. Kangnidhar, Shimla, Rampur, Baddi, and SASE(Manali) in Himachal Pradesh that are developed or being developed which would give a massive boost to tourism industry of the state once completed.

New Delhi: Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong based airline has appointed Rakesh Raicar as the airline’s new Regional General Manager for South Asia, Middle East and Africa (SAMEA).Raicar who has over 30 years of experience working with Cathay Pacific, will take over from his predecessor, Mark Sutch. Based in Mumbai, India, Raicar would be responsible for the growth of the airline’s business and operations in the said regions. Raicar began his career with Cathay Pacific in 1992 and has held several roles through the course of his tenure including Regional Marketing & Sales Manager, South Asia and Country Manager, South Africa and Indian Ocean. His most recent role was General Manager – South West Pacific where he led all aspects of the company’s business for the region. Commenting on the development, Rakesh Raicar said, “My journey with Cathay Pacific has been very enriching. I began with my career with the airline in India and it is a privilege to once again be part of this wonderful team. Cathay Pacific has always seen SAMEA as an important region in the network to grow our passenger and cargo business.” “As an airline with a vision to be one of the world’s greatest service brands, we continue to stay true to our brand ethos and move forward for our customers and partners by offering them a series of enhancements and services across our business verticals.”

New Delhi, 6th April 2022: AirAsia has announced resumption of flights from India to Malaysia and Thailand with few sectors already operational from 1st April onward. In total, six new routes from India to Malaysia include Bengaluru to Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Chennai to Kuala Lumpur (commenced from 1 April 2022), Tiruchirappalli to KL( commenced from 5 April), Kochi – KL commencing 18 April, Kolkata – KL commencing 23 April and Hyderabad – KL commencing from 01 May, 2022. Five new routes launching India to Thailand will include Bengaluru-Bangkok (Don Mueang) commenced on 04th May, Chennai-Bangkok (Don Mueang) on 04th May, Kolkata-Bangkok (Don Mueang)commenced on 02nd May , Kochi-Bangkok (Don Mueang)commenced on 01st May , and Jaipur-Bangkok (Don Mueang) 01st May .Travelers can now fly with ease as quarantine requirements have been lifted. Manoj Dharmani, AirAsia’s Regional Commercial Head for India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh, acknowledged that “AirAsia’s resumption of international flights has been highly anticipated by both the airline and its guests. With Malaysia and Thailand reopening and travel restrictions being lifted, AirAsia will be continually re-introducing international services, starting from April 2022. In this regard, India, Malaysia, and Thailand are countries with significant potential in terms of stimulating tourism and reigniting the economy. We believe that our flight resumption will bring great opportunity and support to the countries’ economic recovery.”

The theme of the summit was “Sustainable Future Growth of Air Cargo-Focus on Gati Shakti Master Plan” 29th March 2022, New Delhi: PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry organized its annual AIR CARGO SUMMIT -2022 with the theme “Sustainable Future Growth of Air Cargo-Focus on Gati Shakti Master Plan”. The summit witnessed participation of the policy makers and industry stalwarts and students. At the summit, Amrit Lal Meena, IAS, Special Secretary, Logistics Division, DPIIT focused on Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) as a tool to ease the process and surmount the challenges of Air Cargo Sector. He further highlighted three issues which need to be addressed in time bound manner. First, to reduce logistic cost second, system and processes to be in place in which ULIP will play an important role as it will facilitate a user with the information and access to all 24 systems as per their convenience and third, the most important is to put user convenience at the top priority. ULIP will ease the process in most of the ways and will be an enabler in increasing visibility and reduction in cost. He emphasised that a framework of resolutions will be prepared to address these issues, if required will take further steps and will solve it in time bound manner. On behalf of MoCA, Piyush Srivastava, Sr. Economic Advisor, MoCA mentioned some of the key ideas under PM Gatishakti master plan. He said that ultimate focus should be on the planning and formulation of policies so that wastage of resources are avoided. PM Gatishkati is a blueprint of Amritkaal with target to develop a multi modal approach in logistics.’ Sabka Prayas’ will empower this program in coming future. He said industry and ministry should join hands to fast forward the implementation f policies. Some of the issues related to cargo lands has also been addressed, he added. In his concluding remarks he suggested that Power Cargo Airports to be developed to become international transshipment hub which is futuristic and inclusive. On policy side, Sudhendu J. Sinha, Adviser (Infrastructure Connectivity – Transport and Electric Mobility), Niti Aayog suggested steps for sustainability in the logistic sector. He said that very solid ,logical and precise approach is required to make India’s position globally strong in this sector. Amritkaal is a window available for preparation and to explore every possibility in infrastructure sector. Policies formulated by the government have the vision of alignment to push forward the sectors towards a national goal. He mentioned PM Gatishakti shall be a game changer in infrastructure development as it will provide a digital framework for all the projects under this flagship programme. All details and information are precisely covered under it which will further enhance the performance and transparency of the projects. Vipin Vohra Chair- PHD Civil Aviation Committees with his insightful presentation shared his views on Collaboration and communication, as well as harnessing the most advanced models and technologies, with facilitation and flexibility of rules, will help the sector manage costs and improve efficiencies to keep it sustainable through this difficult time. Though the air cargo industry has demonstrated how resilient and fast-moving it can be when under pressure, the pandemic’s impact has disrupted air cargo flows , while revealing some weaknesses in the global supply and with opportunities for handling and delivering cargo in a different way. To ensure faster revival to previous volumes, the Indian air cargo industry also has to overcome some of the multitude challenges faced globally and also some of the bottlenecks it still faces domestically. This crisis is a critical wake-up call for the India Air cargo industry. Digitization across the sector resulting in a more enterprising industry and end-to-end adaptation of AI & IT tools, to propel this industry into a sustainable & secure future is the need of the hour, he said. Michael Jain, Co-Chair, PHDCCI in his vote of thanks extended his sincere thanks to the Industry stalwarts for gracing the occasion and for always being a constant support in the chambers endeavours. He also expressed sincere thanks to all the Distinguished guests from the Industry for their presence, which has definitely added further value to our summit and also grateful to all the Air Cargo Associations representing the industry for their presence. The enriching perspectives shared by all the eminent dignitaries have truly been enlightening and informative in nature for today’s summit. Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary General, PHDCCI, talked about that how pandemic while having had a detrimental impact on the air transport industry, has also offered an opportunity for the Industry to rethink their future strategies and operations in a way that shapes a greener & sustainable future. This vital & resilient Air Cargo sector is currently set for a huge transformation and the current need is to adopt sustainable strategies for its future growth. Digital technology adoption, ensuring adequate dedicated freight capacity, implementation of air freight stations, increased stakeholder collaboration, innovation, agility, real-time collaboration, enabling seamless air cargo partner integration and connectivity for efficient and transparent end-to-end operations, along with focus on infrastructure investments are the major prerequisites for the Industry’s resilient and sustainable future growth, he said.

Hyderabad,22 March 2022: The Ministry of Civil Aviation(MOCA) and FICCI are jointly organizing WINGS INDIA 2022 – Asia’s largest event on Civil Aviation (Commercial, General and Business Aviation), providing a congenial forum catering to the rapidly changing dynamics of the sector. It focuses on new business acquisition, investments, policy formation and regional connectivity. It will provide a much-desired fillip to the aviation, and restructured focused forums shall be instrumental in attaining the objective of connecting the Buyers, Sellers, Investors, and other stakeholders at a common vantage forum ‘WINGS INDIA 2022’ from 24th – 27th March 2022, Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad, India. Hyderabad being the hub of Aviation, remains the natural host of the event. MOCA is delighted to announce the launch of the next edition of “WINGS INDIA AWARDS 2022” for Excellence in the Civil Aviation Sector. As part of the country’ Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), the theme of the event is “India@75: New Horizon for Aviation Industry”. “WINGS INDIA AWARDS” will be conferred upon the Aviation-related Companies / Institutions / Organizations that have created benchmarks and made notable contributions in the area of Civil Aviation in India. The prestigious Award Ceremony will be organized on Thursday, 25th March 2022, on the side-lines of WINGS INDIA 2022. Shri Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation will be formally inaugurating the event on 25th March, 2022. Several foreign dignitaries, ambassadors, representatives from various sectors of Aviation like Airlines, Airport Operators, Airports Agencies, Civil Aviation Authorities, Consultant, Engineering, Flight/ Simulator Training, Flight Operations / Transportation, Maintenance\Repair & Overhaul Agencies, Pilot / Instructor, Sales, Service or Support etc. will be taking part in the event. In his message for the event, Shri Scindia said “Wings India 2022 epitomizes the Government of India’s commitment to transform India into the world’s top civil aviation hub. I am confident that the forum that Wings India provides, will serve to synchronize policy formation, with concerns of the stakeholders in the civil aviation sector. Hence, it will consequentially bring unprecedented investment and business acquisition opportunities, thereby creating millions of jobs for those looking to enter this industry. Our new Helicopter Policy, Drone Policy, MRO Policy and Flying Training Organization Policy stand as testimony towards our commitment to streamline and promote the entry of Indian industry into opportunities that the Civil Aviation sector has to offer. I look forward to seeing all the stakeholders at Wings India 2022 and celebrating this incredible growth story of the Indian Civil Aviation Sector.” Gen Dr. V.K. Singh (Retd.), Minister of State for Ministry of Civil Aviation has expressed his wishes for the event, “As India continues to emerge towards playing a dominant role globally, its aviation sector cannot be overlooked. This sector acts as a growth multiplier including economic output, jobs and trade enabled through better connectivity and has proved to be one of the largest contributors to the ‘Make in India’ initiative. WINGS INDIA 2022 is Asia’s largest event on Civil Aviation, providing a congenial forum catering to the rapidly changing dynamics of the sector, focusing on new business acquisition, investments, policy formation and regional connectivity. With all measures taken, for India Aviation, “the sky is the limit”. I wish Wings 2022 will be a huge success.” First two days i.e. 24th and 25th March will have different exhibition, discussions, demonstration like Exhibition & Flying Display by SARANG Team (Indian Air Force), roundtable/panel discussion on Helicopter Industry, Business Aviation, Krishi UDAN, Golden Age of Drones, India – US Roundtable with AMCHAM, Drone Demonstration, Inaugural Session: India@75: New Horizon for Aviation Industry, Global CEOs Forum, Wings India Awards 2022 ceremony etc. On 26th and 27th March, 2022, Exhibition & mesmerising Flying Display by SARANG Team (Indian Air Force) will be witnessed and will be open for general public. For other information about event, website https://www.wings-india.co.in can be visited.