Top Stories

RCS, Top Stories

Indian regional carrier Star Air starts flights between Hyderabad to Jharsuguda with full load

Jharsuguda,03rd January 2025: Indian regional carrier, Star Air has announced the inauguration of flights between Hyderabad to Jharsuguda and vice versa.The debut flight had 100% Load Factor. Star Air’s CEO, Capt. Simran Singh Tiwana, said, “We are thrilled by the incredible response to our inaugural flights, achieving a 100% load factor—a testament to the growing demand for reliable connectivity in Odisha. This milestone underscores the trust our passengers place in Star Air to bridge key destinations seamlessly. Jharsuguda holds strategic importance for us, and we are committed to further strengthening its connectivity with the rest of the country.” Star Air also announced the launch of two new routes from Jharsuguda to Raipur and Lucknow, commencing on 1st February 2025. These routes will further enhance connectivity for the people of Odisha, opening up new opportunities for trade, tourism, and cultural exchange. Fostering the last-mile connectivity to tier-2 and tier-3 cities, Star Air has recently announced a pioneering plan to expand its fleet to 25 aircraft over the next three years. This fleet expansion underscores Star Air’s commitment to “Connecting Real India” by enhancing access to quality air travel in underserved areas. The airline currently boasts a fleet of 9 aircraft, comprising 4 Embraer E175s and 5 Embraer E145s, positioning it well for future growth and connectivity.

Events, Top Stories

Air India announces 2025 network updates for International routes

Gurugram, 16 Dec 2024: Air India has announced significant updates to its international route network starting 2025. The changes will see Air India deploy its best aircraft to key gateways in Southeast Asia and Europe, complementing the deployment of its flagship A350 and B777 with upgraded cabin interiors on multiple U.S. and UK routes earlier. The updates also lead to optimised flight schedules for key international routes to offer greater flexibility to travellers as well as to enable seamless intercontinental travel between North America or Europe and Australia or Southeast Asiavia Air India’s hubs in Delhi and Mumbai. Retrofitted A320neo on Delhi-Bangkok route Air India will deploy its retrofitted A320neo on all flights between Delhi and Bangkok from 16 January 2025. The retrofitted aircraft feature fully refreshed interiors across three classes: Economy, Premium Economy, and Business Class.Vista Stream, Air India’s complimentary wireless inflight entertainment (IFE) streaming service, is available on these aircraft for travellers to access 1600+ hours of rich entertainment content on their personal electronic devices. Air India will also begin operating a fourth daily Delhi-Bangkok service from 01 January 2025, increasing frequency on the route from three times daily. The new service leads to evenly spaced departures to and from Bangkok throughout the day, offering both business and leisure travellers more choice. The increased frequency connects Bangkok to several destinations in North America and Europe via Air India’s hub in Delhi. Travellers from cities such as New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Toronto, Vancouver, London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, and Amsterdam can take seamless one-stop flights to Bangkok via Delhi and vice-versa. Upgraded interiors on flights to Frankfurt and Singapore Air India also announced the deployment of the erstwhile VistaraA321neo and B787-9 aircraft on the following routes: • Delhi-Frankfurt and Mumbai-Frankfurt: Now operating on B787-9 • Delhi-Singapore:Once daily on B787-9 and twice daily on A321neo (from 01 January 2025) • Mumbai-Singapore: Twice daily on A321neo(from 01 January 2025) This optimised fleet deployment will provide the latest generation cabin interiors, including fully flat beds in Business Class and the consistent availability of Premium Economy on these routes.Air India is amongst the few airlines in Asia to offer fully flat beds on its single-aisle A321neo aircraft in Business Class.These A321neo and B787-9 aircraft offer an immersive inflight entertainment experience on HD screens across cabins as well as WiFi internet connectivity on board. Travellers to and from Singapore can also conveniently connect to various destinations in the United States, Canada, and Europe via Delhi or Mumbai. Optimized schedules for Frankfurt, Paris, Sydney, and Melbourne flights Effective 01 February 2025, Air India has optimised the schedule of its flights on the Delhi-Frankfurt and Delhi-Paris routes. The new flight times now offer both daytime and nighttime departures on each route in both directions, providing greater flexibility to travellers.Air India has also retimed its daily flights on the Delhi-Sydney and Delhi-Melbourne routes to enable seamless two-way connectivity between Europe and Australia or points in Southeast Asia via Delhi. This means travellers from London, Paris, and Frankfurt can now easily take one-stop connections to Sydney and Melbourne in Australia, and to points like Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Ho Chi Minh City in Southeast Asia via Delhi.

Top Stories

MEBAA Show 2024 highlights bold steps towards the future of business aviation

DUBAI,11 December 2024: The tenth edition of the MEBAA Show 2024 continued into its second day, welcoming further discussions among business aviation leaders and innovators and more examples of industry collaboration. Reaffirming the show’s reputation as a key platform for impactful deals and announcements, day two featured further milestones poised to shape the future of business aviation. During a press conference, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced the launch of its transformative Golden Package for Registering and Operating Private and Business Aircraft. Aligning with the UAE’s Vision 2031 to drive economic diversification, the new package introduces innovative measures aimed at streamlining processes, enhancing flexibility, and reinforcing the UAE’s position as a global hub for aviation excellence. The GCAA also issued the first Approved Maintenance Organization Certificate to Falcon Technic as part of its Flexibility Initiative, aimed at supporting business aviation in the UAE. Other announcements included a MOU agreement signed between SKYNA and KAMS Global to agree on future cooperation in aircraft leasing and purchase inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and globally, while Comlux’s new state-of-the-art service centre at DWC became operational, with its grand public unveiling during the show. RoyalJet and Airbus Corporate Jets also signed a MOU that signified RoyalJet’s commitment to purchase three ACJ320neos and an additional purchase right of six of the same aircraft. Shafiul Syed, CEO of RoyalJet, commented: “The MEBAA Show has always been an important part of the RoyalJet calendar to showcase our brand of timeless service excellence to the market. This makes it truly significant for us to announce at the show our MoU with Airbus Corporate Jets, involving our commitment to purchase three new ACJ320neos. Such an achievement has been the result of all the hard work put in by all the people involved in making this happen. My thanks to all.” The BizAv Talks conference continued with insightful sessions focused on the daily theme, ‘Driving a Sustainable Future for Business Aviation’. The first session of the day saw Rolland Vincent, Creator/Director of JETNET iQ, launch the industry report ‘Future casting BizAv: Key trends and forecasts’. During the presentation, he commented: “The UAE ranks among the top 20 markets globally for business aircraft. While many countries are experiencing low growth, this region stands out with business aircraft activity being three times the GDP amount. The Middle East fleet is predominantly composed of large, ultra long-range jets.” He continued: “Global business jet departures have increased by 30 points compared to 2019. We are witnessing a strong recovery from the pandemic, with 5.1 million global business jet and turboprop flights year-to-date. Business aviation accounts for 13% of these departures. Al Maktoum Airport is the leading departure point for business jets in the region. If you purchased a plane recently, its value has likely appreciated. Currently, there is a backlog for purchasing new airplanes. Positive feedback and increased demand, especially following the US election, have driven demand up by 25 points.” Vincent then moderated a panel to unpack the key trends with global industry representatives, including Kurt H. Edwards, Director General of IBAC; Douglas Carr, Senior Vice President, Safety, Security, Sustainability & International Operations of NBAA; Robert Baltus, Chief Operations Officer of EBAA; and Jenny Lau, Vice Chair, Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) & Founder and Vice Chair of Sino Jet. With sustainability and innovation as key themes, the session titled “What has changed in the evolving BizAv landscape?” saw David Van Den Langenbergh, Chief Industry Affairs Officer of Luxaviation Group, and Youssef Mouallem, Executive Vice President-International of Vista, discuss how market demands, alternative fuels, and emerging business models are shaping the future of fleet strategies and operations in business aviation. Van Den Langenbergh commented: “We are experiencing a remarkable period, and Dubai stands as a safe haven in these challenging times. The significance of hospitality and business aviation in the UAE is well understood. To drive sustainability, we need high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) to invest in cutting-edge technologies like Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)”. He continued, “The challenge with SAF is the significant cost. There is a demand from certain customers and on every flight we offer to use SAF. We are consistent and are investing in SAF on the production side.” The MEBAA Show will conclude with the final day tomorrow (12 December), with more BizAv Talks sessions set to offer strategic insights focused on the daily theme of ‘The Business of Business Aviation’. Partners for this year’s event include 4Air, Air BP, AIX Investment Group, DarGlobal, DC Aviation, JETEX, Lufthansa Technik, MD Onboard, Saudia Private Aviation.

Top Stories

Air India adds 100 Airbus aircraft to its firm orders

GURUGRAM, 09 December 2024: Air India has placed an order to purchase 100 more Airbus aircraft, comprising 10 widebody A350 and 90 narrowbody A320 Family aircraft, including A321neo. These 100 new aircraft are in addition to the firm orders of 470 aircraft that Air India had placed with Airbus and Boeing last year. The latest order takes the total number of aircraft that Air India ordered with Airbus in 2023 from 250 aircraft, comprising 40 A350 and 210 A320 Family aircraft, to 350. Air India also announced it has selected Airbus’ Flight Hour Services-Component (FHS-C) to support the maintenance requirements of its growing A350 fleet. The new materials & maintenance contract will help Air India to optimise the reliability and performance of its A350 fleet, with comprehensive engineering services and integrated component services including on-site stock at Delhi provided by Airbus. Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons and Air India, said, “With India’s passenger growth outpacing the rest of the world, its significantly improving infrastructure and an aspirational young population increasingly going global, we see a clear case for Air India to expand its future fleet beyond the firm orders of the 470 aircraft placed last year. These additional 100 Airbus aircraft will help to position Air India on the path to greater growth and contribute to our mission of building Air India into a world-class airline that connects India to every corner of the world.” Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO, said, “Having personally witnessed the formidable growth of the Indian aviation sector in recent months, I am glad to see Air India renew its trust in Airbus with this additional order for both our A320 Family and A350 aircraft. Through this continued partnership, we are committed to supporting the success of Air India’s “Vihaan.AI” transformation plan under Tata’s vision and leadership.” With the order for 100 additional aircraft, Air India currently has a total of 344 new aircraft incoming from Airbus, having received six A350s so far. Air India in 2023 had also placed orders for 220 widebody and narrowbody aircraft with Boeing, of which 185 aircraft remain to be delivered. Air India is the first Indian airline to operate the Airbus A350, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Delivering exceptional fuel-efficiency, passenger comfort, and long-range capabilities, the A350s now offer an all-new Air India flying experience to travellers flying non-stop from Delhi to London and New York. The A320 Family fleet, powered by CFM LEAP 1-A engines, is a backbone of Air India’s domestic and short-haul operations, delivering world-class flying experiences to millions of the airline’s customers as well as remarkable operational efficiency and flight economics.

Top Stories

India to have 700 Charter & Business Aircraft by 2029: Martin Consulting Exclusive Report

India’s Business Jet and Helicopter fleet set to soar with addition of over 150 Aircraft by 2029, indicates Martin Consulting® Analysis. In this exclusive November 2024 updated analysis developed for Aviation World Magazine, Martin Consulting maps and presents a comprehensive overview of India’s growing charter and Non-Scheduled Operator Fleet (NSOP) in India.                                                                   Mark D Martin MRAeS, CEO, Martin Consulting                    Post COVID, pre-owned and new aircraft and helicopter charter (limited to NSOP operations) fleet grew its strongest in India with a year on year growth of over ten percent, the highest growth return with Business and Charter aviation ever recorded for India. From a depleting fleet size of 446 aircraft in 2019, India’s combined charter fleet (excluding private category ownership aircraft) grew to over 490 (state government fleet and Private Category Aircraft are excluded) aircraft by 2024 October, an addition of nearly 50 aircraft and helicopters in 5 years, or 10 aircraft and helicopters year on year, the highest recorded for South Asia, according to analysis done by Martin Consulting exclusively for Aviation World Magazine. What’s interesting to note is that that the emergence of new charter companies, both market retail charter companies as well as large corporate owned and operated captive service operators rose from 108 to 115 between 2019 to 2024 and this signals continued commitment with offering newer fleet and improved capacity offering. The factors that helped grow India’s aircraft fleet has been centered with the increased demand of corporate flying, a dramatic rise in charters and private travel amidst the COVID pandemic and a more fundamentally stable Indian economy with the rise of India’s new digital economy and the emergence of the industrial revolution 4.0 trend in FMCG and services in India. Traditional air logistic requirements grew India’s helicopter fleet from 2019 to 2024 with the addition of first time twin engine helicopters. Sikorsky S76D’s and the H145-D3 OG fleet grew in India amidst the background of an aging Eurocopter AS365N2/N3 and Bell 412EP fleet operated by Pawan Hans and Global Vectra HeliCorp. Growth in mid-size and super mid-size Jets has been the strongest in India with the sharp rise of pre-owned aircraft into India’s NSOP register. The notable drivers of this trend was the addition of the Hawker 800XP and 900XP Fleet, the Hawker 4000, Citation CJ2+ and the first time induction of the Pilatus PC24 aircraft fleet with Adani – Karnavati Aviation. India’s Dassault Falcon fleet grew in the backdrop of traditional corporate NSOP’s and first time operator Wonder Cements/RK Marble Group, in addition to high utilization of the Falcon 900 by Reliance Industries Limited. During the last five years, India saw the re-emergence of long range jets with the acquisition of the Boeing BBJ-MAX by marquee corporates Adani and Reliance, the Gulfstream G550 and G650 and the Bombardier Global Express. PRE-OWNED VS NEW AIRCRAFT Growth of India’s jet fleet grew with the addition of pre-owned aircraft driven by the emergence of new charter companies. Effective fleet in numbers were driven by the Hawker 750, 800 and 900 aircraft in addition to induction of the India tested and proven Beechcraft B200, 250 and 350. Light Jets emerged as a key trend in India with the CJ2+ being inducted into India. The ratio of pre-owned to new aircraft induction till 2024 stands at a 70:30 ratio with pre-owned aircraft leading the trend. India’s collective fleet continues to be deployed mostly in North India driven by increased use by corporates and with election and political party charters. Mumbai and Gujarat follows Delhi as effective aircraft basing as a result of the sudden emergence of corporation aviation. INDIA FLEET BREAK UP | 2024 MARTIN CONSULTING ANALYSIS Turboprops, driven by the Beechcraft B200/250, 300/350 and Pilatus PC12; Jets led by the Hawker, Dassault Falcon and Cessna Citation Fleet and Large Jets drive India’s fixed wing aircraft fleet in India. While collective numbers of the Bombardier Global Express and the Legacy 600 and 650 have risen, the demand of light, mid-side and super mid-size jets is attributable to the market attainable charter rates which are on offer. India’s charter market historically and traditionally has been price sensitive with rates structured more under adhoc and less ACMI based longer contracts. Although recent trends with Political Party and Election charters have been suggestive with determining a partial emergence with ACMI long term charters, India’s market is yet to fully mature in this segment. HELICOPTER FLEET GROWTH IN INDIA India’s Helicopter fleet overshadows the business jet and turboprop fleet by nearly twice its size owing to increased demand and utilization by offshore oil exploration companies, offshore and onshore oil and gas helicopter companies, high altitude pilgrimage heli-taxi operators flying to India’s pilgrimage sites at Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri and Amarnath. State Government dependence on helicopter operations continues to be strong in view of increased deployment of flights in districts and regions which are at the moment limited to a helipad and very rudimentary airfield and landing strip access. The demand for high performance and agile light single engine helicopters such as the Airbus/Eurocopter H125/AS350B3e helicopter has been on account of the helicopter’s proven capability of operating in India’s Himalayan mountains and with aerial work. Charter operators Heritage Aviation, Himalayan Helicopters, Global Vectra, HeliGo and Pawan Hans continue to drive India’s fleet in effective numbers. India’s offshore oil and gas region has played a pivotal role with driving India’s twin engine helicopter fleet with the AW139, AW169, Bell 412 and now most recently, the H145-D3 OG in production flying. Although the S76D has been one of the most stable and reliable helicopters in offshore oil and has in South East Asia, India has had a hit and miss moment with S76 deployed with Pawan Hans. Airbus/Eurocopter continues to be market lead in Indian market with over 84 helicopter in active revenue service totaling to a combined market share of 41% followed by Bell Helicopters at 53 helicopters with a market share of 26% and Agusta/Westland/Leonardo with a share of 20% and

Top Stories

Asia Pacific Airlines Outpace Global Growth Amidst Challenges

Brunei, Darussalam,14th Nov 2024: Leaders of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), gathered for the 68th Assembly of Presidents in Brunei Darussalam, to discuss the future of aviation under the theme “Jetting into 2050: Future Proofing Asian Aviation”. Airline leaders were optimistic, as regional air travel and cargo growth continues to surpass the global industry’s growth, while load factors remain steadfastly strong. Reflecting the collective priorities and shared resolve of Asian airline leaders, the Assembly of Presidents passed a series of resolutions covering sustainability, aviation safety and the streamlining of regulations. Airlines are firmly committed to reducing their carbon footprint. With extreme weather events on the rise, airline leaders are only too aware of the risks to aviation safety from climate change. With Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in short supply, AAPA believes that a multi-prong strategy in line with the ICAO net zero emissions reduction roadmap, is critical to meeting the industry’s net zero emissions target. The Assembly passed a resolution calling on Governments, suppliers, air navigation service providers and airlines to deploy all aspects of the ICAO roadmap, namely SAF, breakthrough technology, CORSIA offsets and operational efficiency, in pursuing the net zero emissions by 2050 goal. In particular, SAF produced by co-processing sustainable feedstock together with crude fossil fuel in conventional aviation fuel refineries, is a cost-effective way to stimulate SAF supply. Airlines and fuel suppliers could give impetus to the transition to SAF with co-processed SAF being made available at airports immediately. “Every new generation of aircraft and engine delivers 15-20% more fuel efficiency. The acceleration of plans for carbon-friendly aircraft and propulsion systems is an effective pathway to the common goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, starting with short-haul aircraft that currently account for some 28% of industry emissions. With delays in the delivery of new generation aircraft, airlines are extending the use of older equipment. A strategy that prioritises technology alongside SAF, is a surer route to carbon neutrality, than one over-reliant on SAF,” said Mr. Subhas Menon, AAPA Director General. Aviation safety remains the number one priority of all airlines. The Assembly adopted a resolution calling for civil aviation authorities, aviation safety agencies and airlines to work closely together to share best practices through data analysis, to mitigate risks such as the loss of control in-flight. The resolution also called on all stakeholders to support the adoption of safety measures that address the most critical risk categories identified in the Asia Pacific region. “The Assembly welcomed the results and recommendations of the safety culture survey conducted by the Flight Safety Foundation, as aviation safety is about promoting a proactive safety culture, leveraging data and sharing best practices to improve performance,” said Mr. Menon. The Assembly of Presidents acknowledged that supply chain disruptions and air space closures, are leading to more flight diversions, delays, and cancellations, while also inhibiting future growth. Such issues, including component failures and labour shortages were impinging on schedule reliability. Conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and in the Middle East have resulted in airspace closures, exacerbating the situation. Knee-jerk reactions by some governments target only the symptoms of failure, while burdening airlines with more cost and complexity. A third resolution was passed calling on governments to refrain from introducing unilateral measures that would disproportionately inconvenience the travelling public and increase the cost burden on the airline industry, while achieving limited benefits. There needed to be greater recognition of the value of aviation to the global economy, and closer collaboration amongst governments, industry, and service providers, to streamline protocols for international travel. Mr. Menon concluded, “The outlook for the region’s airlines is broadly positive, given the sustained demand for air travel and strong rebound in trade activity. It is a remarkable recovery on key metrics, considering that air transport ground to an almost complete standstill for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This is also a timely testament to the industry’s endurance and longevity as we commemorate the 80thAnniversary of the ICAO Chicago Convention in 2024. By keeping the travelling public and the economies we serve at the core of our strategy, the industry is well positioned to tackle upcoming challenges and pursue sustainable growth in the years ahead.”

Top Stories

Singapore Airlines group orders sustainable aviation fuel from Neste

Singapore,6th May 2024: The Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group has signed an agreement with Neste to purchase 1,000 tonnes of neat Neste MY Sustainable Aviation FuelTM. This will make SIA and Scoot, the two airlines in the Group, the first carriers to receive Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), produced at Neste’s refinery in the country, at Singapore Changi Airport. Neste will blend the SAF with conventional jet fuel according to the required safety specifications[1], and deliver the blended jet fuel to Changi Airport’s fuel hydrant system in two batches – once in the second quarter of 2024 and once in the fourth quarter of this year. This milestone will also mark the first direct supply of Neste’s SAF to airlines at Changi Airport, reinforcing their end-to-end SAF supply chain capabilities in Singapore. This follows the completion of the expansion of Neste’s Singapore refinery in May 2023. The refinery has the capacity to produce a million tonnes of SAF each year, making it the world’s largest SAF production facility. Neste’s SAF, which is made from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%[2] over the fuel’s life cycle. Blended with conventional jet fuel, it seamlessly integrates with existing aircraft engines and fuelling infrastructure. Mr Alexander Kueper, Vice President Renewable Aviation, Neste, said: “We are proud that Singapore Airlines and Scoot are our first customers benefiting from our integrated supply capabilities into Changi Airport. This supply of locally produced SAF to Changi Airport is a milestone in our journey of supporting the aviation industry and governments in the region to achieve their emissions reduction goals. Singapore is a leading aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific region and this delivery of SAF, as well as the recently announced national SAF target, will hopefully encourage the wider adoption of SAF across the broader Asia-Pacific region. We are looking forward to expanding our cooperation with Singapore Airlines as well as supplying visiting carriers at Changi Airport.” Ms Lee Wen Fen, Chief Sustainability Officer, Singapore Airlines, said: “This agreement with Neste is an important milestone in the SIA Group’s journey to have a minimum of 5% sustainable aviation fuel in our total fuel uplift by 2030. Close collaboration with our partners and stakeholders, both in Singapore and globally, plays a critical role in our long-term decarbonisation goals. A more sustainable aviation industry will ensure that future generations continue to benefit from the global connectivity, economic prosperity, and people links that air travel fosters.” Starting from May 2024, SIA will offer 1,000 SAF Book & Claim Units (BCUs) for purchase by its corporate travellers, shippers, and freight forwarders. Each BCU represents one tonne of neat SAF with its associated carbon dioxide reduction benefit. Purchasing SAF BCUs allows corporate travellers, shippers, and freight forwarders to claim the associated environmental benefits for flights related to their business travel and operations, validating the demand for SAF BCUs and supporting the development of the nascent SAF industry. The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) Book & Claim system[3], a trusted industry standard, ensures the traceability and credibility of these transactions.

Top Stories

Lessors can take Go First aircraft, orders Delhi High Court

Delhi,26th April 2024: In one of the major setback,Delhi High Court has directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to move on with the process of deregistering aircraft leased by Go First within the next five working days. This order means that the lessors can now reclaim their aircraft following Go First declaration of bankruptcy almost a year ago. It may be noted that the court has issued an order for the deregistration of all 54 planes involved in the case. Additionally, it has restricted Go First from operating these aircraft, added the report. Foreign lessors have been locked in a legal tussle to repossess their planes after Go First was granted bankruptcy protection in May 2023, with the recovery of 54 Airbus planes blocked under a law in place at the time. The matter was registered in the Delhi High Court by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Capital, ACG Aircraft Leasing,Pembroke Aviation, Accipiter Investments Aircraft 2, EOS Aviation and SMBC Aviation. They had approached the Delhi High Court in May 2023 to ask for permission to reclaim their planes as they were allowed only occasional inspections of their grounded planes.

Top Stories

Exclusive Interview

At the Singapore Airshow 2024, Textron Aviation displayed four of its popular aircraft variants at display. To understand more about these aircraft and discuss on various aspects, Aviation World Team met two senior management of Textron Aviation, Jimmy Beeson, Director, Technical Marketing & Tony Jones, Vice-President Sales – APAC. They shared their insight with Vishal Kashyap, Managing Editor of the publication.Excerpts… Q: We would like to know more about the current market status of Textron Aviation and also if you would like to focus upon any particular aircraft that is being quite famous in the APAC region? Jimmy Beeson: From a company standpoint, I’ll say we were always among the leaders in the market in terms of innovation and producing products to meet the needs of various customers throughout the world. And I think that’s a great lead into the second part of your question of what products appeal to this market. I think four of them we have on static at SAS 2024 to show, but certainly it doesn’t stop there. King Air Family Look at the King Air platform, which we’re now celebrating 60 years of the King Air and how durable and reliable that platform is. But also, you know, I think it’s a great opportunity to be able to see that how configurable it is for a multitude of missions. So, when I look at configuring not only from an interior standpoint to meet the customer specifications and needs in terms of how many customers I can take, what sort of baggage and payload capacity I need to have on the airplane, but also a platform that is versatile in how you operate it in terms of being able to operate on and off runway. So, that makes it very popular in areas of the world. Where, either you’re trying to operate in and out of short runways, high altitude runways, or potentially dirt, grass, and gravel runways as well. So, that makes it appealing to customers all over the world. Then you take the 360, for instance, and its high payload capability. It’s got a very high full fuel payload of over 1,500 pounds, meaning I can fill the tanks and still put either 1,500 pounds of payload or roughly seven or eight passengers onboard and still maintain that great range that the King Air 360 can do. And then I look at the King Air 260,that still maintains the great durability and reliability, but also has the ability to either take large amounts of payload, or passengers, or loiter and stay in the air for a great amount of time. Those are all great characteristics of the King Air platform that’s made it so successful over the last 60 years. The 360 and 260 platforms were also bringing about change to the King Air. The product line, which I’m sure you’re probably very familiar with at this point, the auto throttles, the digital pressurization, electric ground cooling, and the beautiful new interior. So, you’re starting to see a lot of that step change that you see on even some of the citations with the new interior making its way into the King Air platforms as well. Citation Jet Series The two CJ series have done very well in the market. The M2 is the smaller of the two. It’s our light entry jet. It’s got great performance and great operating economics, so it’s very efficient to operate both from a fuel burn standpoint and cost of operation standpoint. What I feel makes it attractive in markets such as this is its performance capability. So, it has great range, great payload range, meaning it can maintain a large percentage of its range when you’re adding payload, albeit passengers or payload, to the platform. But it’s got great short field performance. So, both on standard days and high and odd performance, so high elevation, warm temperatures, it maintains great short field performance, which makes it available and capable of performing in and out of a lot of airports that some other jets just simply can’t. CJ-4, much of the same, great operating economics, even better payload to range capability. You’re talking about an airplane that with four passengers on board can go over 1,900 nautical miles. Even with eight passengers on board, it can go almost 17. So, you don’t have that steep drop off in operating range when adding payload. And then you maintain a lot of those light jet capabilities, the great field performance, the great operating economics. Those are all things that you don’t lose by stepping up into the larger CJ. You just maintain all that great operational characteristics. Citation Latitude Lastly, the Latitude, which is an aircraft we have done a great job of positioning as both a commercial option but also a great charter or corporate flight department option. It’s very comfortable. Its cabin amenities are well-appointed, but it maintains great operating economics, short field performance. It’s got the latest in Garmin G5000 technology, which makes it very pilot-friendly and very intuitive and easy to operate. It allows our pilots to just aviate and operate the airplane rather than worry about knobs and switches. And control. So, really building on a legacy of the Citation brand and the Citation family, culminating in the newer aircraft such as Latitude and Longitude. Longitude being our flagship aircraft, it’s got an almost 3,500 nautical mile range and great payload and great cabin technology, great cockpit technology. It also has the G5000 suite in it with an optional HUD EVS now, enhanced vision system. It’s got a heads-up display integrated. Q: Your focus is on enhancement of technology and onboard facility for all the category of business Jets. Is this one of the key areas that you have improvised? Jimmy Beeson: Well, I guess more so, I think the message now is rather than a sole focus on improvements to legacy or clean sheet designs, we found a proper mix where we continue

FOREWORD

Dear Readers,

 

Welcome to the latest edition of Aviation World. This is an incredibly significant issue for us, perfectly timed to align with several prominent aviation events unfolding across the globe.

 

Chief among them is the Farnborough International Airshow, taking place from July 20th to 24th, 2026, in Hampshire, United Kingdom. Ranked as one of the world’s premier events for aviation, aerospace, and defense, this year’s airshow arrives at a crucial moment. Against a backdrop of geopolitical turbulence, Farnborough provides an invaluable platform to engage with global leaders and gain firsthand perspectives on the future of the industry. Inside, you will find our comprehensive curtain-raiser report focusing on the show’s core themes, as well as the highly anticipated static and aerobatic aircraft displays.

 

On our front cover, we are proud to feature Capt. Vaibhav Goutham Suresh, Director of the School of Aviation, Logistics and Tourism Management (SALTM) at Galgotias University. In an exclusive interview, Capt. Suresh highlights how SALTM bridges the gap between academia and the runway, delivering a comprehensive curriculum that ensures graduates are industry-ready from day one. Complementing this, our special feature on SALTM dives deeper into how the institution maintains world-class academic standards and a cutting-edge learning environment.

 

We are also privileged to bring you exclusive insights from a stellar lineup of industry trailblazers in this edition, including:

  • Robin Glover-Faure, Chief Customer Officer of Acron Aviation
  • Karim Makhlouf, CCO of Royal Jordanian Airlines
  • Pallavi Joshi & Vimal Priya, the leadership powerhouse behind AirFleet Managers &Aviatrics Global
  • Wg. Cdr. Prem Kumar Garg (Retd.), CEO of IndiaOne Air

Each shares a detailed perspective on driving innovation, navigating current market dynamics, and establishing progressive frontiers within their respective sectors.

 

Beyond these highlights, this issue is packed with curated features and analytical pieces designed to keep you informed and inspired.

 

Finally, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed advertisers and partners. Your unwavering support empowers us in our ongoing endeavor to make Aviation World a truly world-class publication with global reach and recognition.

 

Happy Reading!

 

The Editorial Team

 

Aviation World

NEWSLETTER

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

We have started 2026 on a very positive note and we look forward to increase our footprints to more locations and induct many more new companies in our campaign.. Do write to us at : editor@aviationworld.in

Disclaimer

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

Copyright ©2014 – 2026. AVIATION WORLD. All rights reserved.

Scroll to Top