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Bengaluru,12th January, 2023: Damodar Bhattad S has taken charge as the Director (Finance) of Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) with effect from January 11, 2023. He was working as General Manager (Finance) at BEL’s Corporate Office prior to his elevation. Damodar Bhattad is a Chartered Accountant, who had secured All India Rank in ICAI final examination. A B.Com Graduate from the University of Madras, he joined BEL as Accounts Officer at its Chennai Unit in 1988 and in a career spanning over 34 years, served the company in various roles and capacities. As Head of Finance at BEL Corporate Office, he played a significant role in the formulation of various company policies and procedures. He also played a pivotal role in BEL recording its highest ever turnover of Rs. 15,044 Cr in FY22 and achieving an order book of more than Rs. 50,000 Cr. As Head of Funds, he efficiently managed Working Capital and ensured BEL remained debt free. He and his team played a key role in efficient collection of Trade Receivables, in the last two years (FY 2021 and 2022). He also initiated investment of surplus funds in Mutual Funds, which increased the company’s returns from Treasury Management. Damodar Bhattad has ensured that adequate internal financial controls are put in place in BEL and the company’s Risk Control Matrix is current and updated. He has been a member of various Management Committees — Management Audit Committee, Corporate Risk Management Committee, CSR Screening Committee and Invitee of Audit Committee and Capital Investment Committee to name a few, and has been able to provide valuable insights to BEL Management from the Finance perspective. Damodar Bhattad was Lead Member (Finance) for devising a business-cum-growth plan for BEL with respect to a strategic advisory services contract signed by the Defence major with a leading consultancy firm. He has been an integral part of the BEL Management team at various analysts/investor conferences. He has played a major role in BEL making the leap from conventional financial reporting to the more holistic approach of bringing out its first Integrated Annual Report in 2021-22. He believes and supports initiatives which increase BEL’s value for shareholders, in terms of higher Dividend payout and capitalisation of reserves. As a member and Finance representative of BEL’s Pension Trust and Gratuity Trust, Damodar Bhattad has ensured that the trust portfolio is suitably diversified in order to minimise risk and maximise returns. Earlier, during his tenure as Head of Finance (Operations), he played a crucial role in finalising contracts and selling price of major equipment and systems with customers. As a member of BEL’s Price Negotiation Committee, he was instrumental in obtaining significant price reductions from suppliers. He believes that BEL being a socially responsible corporate citizen must maximise its value for all its stakeholders.

Bangkok, 11th Jan 2023: Nok Air, Thailand’s low cost airline will commence operations from Bangkok to Hyderabad from 19th February, 2023 onwards. The Airline will operate 4 Weekly non-stop flights from its hub Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) in Bangkok to Hyderabad. The new route will be operated Boeing 737-800 with 189 Economy Class seats.The new route conveniently connects Bangkok to over 20 destinations in Thailand including Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai as well as International destinations including Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) and Yangon (Myanmar).

Bangalore 26th Dec 2022: Star Air, the regional airline based out of Bangalore has signed a lease for two more Embraer E175 passenger jets with Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), the largest Regional Aircraft Lessor in the world. These two aircraft are in addition to the two Embraer E175 jet orders signed at the Farnborough International Airshow, UK in August 2022. The first of these four aircraft orders is due to arrive in January 2023. The E175 is powered by GE CF34-8E engines which is feet for the regional jet segment having surpassed 200 million hrs in operations, has no middle seats in a dual-class cabin configuration. Currently flying over 18 destinations across India,the airline is geared to expand its regional presence. Commenting on the fleet expansion, Shrenik Ghodawat, Director – Star Air said, “As we witness the increase of passengers, Star Air is delighted to announce the expansion of our fleet. The addition of these aircraft will not only address the need for more capacity but also help us with Connecting Real India.The E175 aircraft will not only help us achieve greater productivity and higher utilization but will also strengthen our customer experience.”

In a recent statement, Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA expressed his concerns over introduction of COVID-19 testing and other measures for travellers from China by several countries. He said even though the virus is already circulating widely within their borders, it is extremely disappointing to see this knee-jerk reinstatement of measures that have proven ineffective over the last three years. Research undertaken around the arrival of the Omicron variant concluded that putting barriers in the way of travel made no difference to the peak spread of infections. At most, restrictions delayed that peak by a few days. If a new variant emerges in any part of the world, the same situation would be expected. That’s why governments should listen to the advice of experts, including the WHO, that advise against travel restrictions. We have the tools to manage COVID-19 without resorting to ineffective measures that cut off international connectivity, damage economies and destroy jobs. Governments must base their decisions on ‘science facts’ rather than ‘science politics’.”  

15 December 2022, New Delhi: Cathay Pacific is providing customers in India with more choices as its flights from Mumbai and Delhi are set to increase to five and seven times per week, respectively, from January onwards. The airline has also introduced the Airbus A350-900 on its Bengaluru-Hong Kong route. This marks the first time that the airline is deploying the A350-900, one of the most modern aircraft in its fleet, from India. Cathay Pacific’s A350-900 aircraft is configured in a three-class layout with 280 seats, comprising 38 Business Class, 28 Premium Economy and 214 Economy seats. Each state-of-the-art cabin class on the A350-900 provides a whole new experience for passengers, with its extra-wide cabins including new seats, an innovative inflight entertainment interface and inflight connectivity. Each of the configurations boasts added comfort, convenience and entertainment features that promise to offer an enhanced experience to travellers. Moreover, the Business Class and Premium Economy Class seats are designed by Studio F.A. Porsche, known for its expertise in seat ergonomics, functionality and comfort. Anand Yedery, Regional Head of Marketing and Sales, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, said: “We are thrilled to announce the increase in frequency of flights from Mumbai and Delhi to cater to the rising demand, as well as the introduction of the A350-900 on the Bengaluru-Hong Kong route. The A350-900 is one of the most modern aircraft in our fleet and its enhanced fuel-efficiency will play a critical role in helping us achieve our sustainability goals. With Bangalore seeing a large number of corporate and leisure flyers travelling to Hong Kong and beyond, the enhanced Premium Economy and Business Class cabins on the A350-900 will also allow us to offer them an unsurpassed experience when flying the route.” The A350-900 is a lighter aircraft with a lower fuel burn, and employs the latest generation of Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines that produce 25% lower carbon emissions. Not only is this beneficial for the airline to attain major improvements in efficiency for long-haul routes, but it also benefits the environment, with less GHG emissions coupled with a diminished noise footprint.

Delhi,10 December 2022: Akasa Air, India’s youngest airline,inaugurated its maiden flight from Visakhapatnam, its tenth city, marking the airline’s foray into the state of Andhra Pradesh. Akasa Air will offer double daily flights on the Visakhapatnam-Bengaluru route; the second frequency with the added benefit of an early morning option will start from December 12, 2022. This launch to Visakhapatnam, a city playing a key role in India’s aviation growth story, further reiterates Akasa Air’s interest towards enhancing regional connectivity and strengthening important transportation links in our country. The airline’s operations from Visakhapatnam will cater to the increased demand for travel from the city while offering its signature warm and reliable service to passengers on the most affordable fares. Earlier in December, Akasa Air announced the addition of Lucknow as the eleventh destination on its network, with flights connecting the city with Bengaluru and Mumbai, scheduled to commence from December 25, 2022. Since its launch in August this year, Akasa Air has been progressively scaling up its operations and by December end expects to cross over 500 weekly flights on a total of sixteen routes across 11 cities – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Visakhapatnam and Lucknow. With a fleet expansion plan of adding one new aircraft every 15 days, Akasa Air’s fleet size will be 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023 and over the next four years, the airline will add 54 additional aircraft, taking its total fleet size to 72 aircraft.

Goa, 11th Dec 2022: Advancing into the development of airports in India, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Mopa International Airport, Goa on 11th December 2022. The foundation stone of the airport was laid by the PM in November 2016. Developed at a cost of around Rs 2,870 crores, the airport has been built on the theme of sustainable infrastructure and comprises a solar power plant, green buildings, LED lights on the runway, rainwater harvesting, state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant with recycling facilities, among other such facilities. Initially, phase I of the Airport will cater to around 4.4 million passengers per annum (MPPA), which can be expanded to a saturation capacity of 33 MPPA. The PM said that this advanced airport terminal is an attempt to return the favour and expressed happiness that the Airport is named after the late Manohar Parrikar. Remarking on the approach towards infrastructural development by the governments in the past, the Prime Minister said that the vote bank had been the first priority instead of the needs and requirements of the citizens. The Prime Minister underlined that thousands of crores were spent on projects that were not even required. As a result, the places that were in dire need of infrastructural development remained neglected. “Goa International Airport is a clear example of this”, he added. Recalling Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government that had initially planned this airport, the Prime Minister lamented the lack of effort after his government was out of power and the project remained abandoned for many years. In 2014, the Prime Minister said that once the Double Engine Government came to the scene, work on the airport gained new momentum and he laid the foundation stone 6 years ago despite legal hurdles and the pandemic, this airport is ready to function today. The airport has the facility to handle about 40 lakh passengers per year which can be scaled up to 3.5 crores in future. Apart from tourism benefits, the presence of two airports has created new opportunities for Goa as a cargo hub. The Prime Minister pointed out that Manohar International Airport is proof of the changed working style and approach to governance. He said before 2014, air travel was an elite affair for well-to-do people. This neglect of the common citizen’s desire for air travel led to low investment in airports and other infrastructure related to air travel and India lagged behind in air travel despite huge potential. The Prime Minister said that in the first 70 years of independence, the number of airports in the country was just 70 and air travel was restricted to big cities. The Government worked on 2 levels, the Prime Minister continued, First, the Airport network was expanded throughout the country. Second, common citizens got the opportunity for air travel via the UDAN scheme. In the last 8 years, 72 airports have been constructed compared to 70 in the 70 years before that. This means that the number of airports has doubled in the country. Furthermore, the number of air passengers rose to more than 14 crores in 2020 (just before the pandemic) compared to just 6 crore passengers in the year 2000. More than 1 crore passengers flew under the UDAN scheme. “Because of these measures, India has become the world’s third-largest aviation market”, he said. Referring to the achievements of the Udaan Yojna, the Prime Minister said that it has the potential to become a case study for the academic world. The Prime Minister also remarked on the changing trend of the middle class checking for air tickets instead of railways even for shorter distances. He remarked that as the network of air connectivity expands in the country, travel by air is fast becoming the go-to means of transportation. The Prime Minister said, “It is true that tourism helps in boosting the soft power of a nation, while as a nation becomes stronger, the world wants to know more about that nation and is attracted towards it.” The Prime Minister further added that if one glances at India’s prosperous history, it was the centre of attraction for the entire world where scholars, travellers, businessmen, industrialists and students would come to India to know more about the land. The Prime Minister also lamented the dark time of slavery faced by India which transformed the image and perspective toward the country even though the culture and traditions remained the same. “India of the 21st Century is New India which is making a mark on the global platform, and as a result, the perspective of the world is changing rapidly”, the Prime Minister remarked. He underlined that the world of today wants to know India and understand its ways. He further added that a lot of foreigners are narrating India’s story on digital platforms. The Prime Minister listed the steps taken to ensure ease of travel and improve the country’s tourism profile in the last 8 years. He talked about easing the visa process, improved visa-on-arrival facilities, modern infrastructure and last-mile connectivity, and accompanying digital, mobile and railway connectivity. These measures have borne results. In 2015 the number of domestic tourists in India was 14 crore. Last year this number increased to about 70 crores, he said. The Prime Minister reiterated that tourism has the biggest potential for employment and self-employment and elaborated upon the steps to improve the tourism infrastructure in Goa. “More than 10 thousand crores have been invested in highway projects in the state since 2014. The traffic problem in Goa is also being addressed. Electrification of the Konkan Railway is also benefiting the state”, he said. The Prime Minister said, apart from increasing connectivity, the government’s focus is also on promoting heritage tourism by improving the upkeep of the monuments, connectivity and related facilities. Shri Modi mentioned the development of the Agoda Jail Complex museum as an example of this effort. He added that modern technology is being used to make the monuments more attractive and the journey to the places

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – 6 December 2022 – HHs Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group,opened the much-anticipated MEBAA Show 2022 at Dubai Airshow site (DWC). Reaffirming the MEBAA Show’s position as the foremost business aviation platform in the Middle East and wider regions, gathering key players in the industry from over 95 countries, the ninth edition of the global business aviation show will run until 8th December 2022. With an increased international presence at this year’s show and an up-weighted focus on in-person networking, Day 1 saw business leaders from across the world connect with exhibitors, all working together to redefine the future of the industry and take it to new heights. Key themes for the event include future aviation, sustainability, emerging markets and regulations, as well as a focus on digitalisation, block chain, AI and crypto based payments, all recognised as key trends that are driving the industry forward. Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi, Founding and Executive Chairman of MEBAA – the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association, comments: “As we continue to witness huge growth across the business aviation industry, it’s been fantastic to see so many new initiatives highlighted at this year’s MEBAA Show. Day 1 has already seen the formation of many new connections between our visitors and exhibitors, along with the launch of a series of market-leading new technologies and sustainable solutions that will play a vital role in the future of the industry. We are pleased to be working with global industry leaders and specialists to deliver our best show to date, and look forward to seeing a continuation of today’s success over the next two days and beyond.” Day 1 saw the launch of the first-ever BizAv Talks conference, which included a series of seven presentations and panel discussions on the daily theme – Future Private Jet Business Models. With sustainability a key focus for this year’s show, Rolland Vincent, Creator / Director at JETNET iQ, Alexandre Geahchan, MENA Commercial, General & Military Aviation Account Manager at Air BP, and Trine Braathen, Senior Manager Sustainability – Carbon Markets at World Kinect Energy, joined the panel discussion ‘Strategies for business aviation sustainability’, which was moderated by Douglas Carr, SVP, Safety, Security, Sustainability & International Affairs at National Business Aviation Association. The discussion focussed on Sustainable Aviation Fuel and approaches to reducing the carbon footprint of the industry. They also highlighted technology advances on the road to sustainability. During the discussions, Carr said: “The aviation industry has unprecedented pressure on sustainability, with a special focus on business aviation. The industry as a whole has committed to milestones that will be necessary to reach net zero goals and fuel is the single biggest opportunity to make aviation sustainable.” Geahchan followed with: “A lot of focus is on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). It shares a lot of the chemistry with jet fuel, which makes it promising for the industry as a solution that can be used without any changes to existing aircraft. SAF can reduce emissions by 80% over the life of an aircraft.” Meanwhile on the show floor, a huge number of exhibitors displayed the latest aircraft, technology and solutions. In light of the business aviation industry’s remarkable growth over the last few years, this has opened up huge opportunities for innovation – much of which was on display at the MEBAA show. With the global private jet market projected to reach nearly $40 billion in 2025, from an estimate of almost $26 billion in 2021, exhibitors presented a series of new innovative aircraft, all equipped with specialist features. These included the Boeing – 737, SkyLady Boeing 767-200ER, Dassault Aviation – FALCON 8X, Bombardier Aerospace – Global 7500, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation – G700 & G650ER, Embraer – Praetor 600, Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty, and Phenom 300E plus the Learjet 60XR and many more. Speaking of Airbus’ participation in the MEBAA Show, Benoit Defforge, President of Airbus Corporate Jets, commented: “The Middle East is the leading market for ACJ and we are proud to be at the MEBAA Show this year, demonstrating our latest innovation within the business aviation sector. We see significant opportunities in the region for further growth and aircraft renewals, especially considering that more than 100 of the large private jets are older than 15 years old, which represents more than 40% of the fleet. Through our ACJ Connect solutions, we provide the most advanced and sustainable private aircraft, with cutting-edge connectivity, inflight entertainment and operations. We look forward to even more collaboration with our regional and global customers for years to come.” Mohamed Hussain Ahmed, CEO of RoyalJet, also commented: “MEBAA is an industry-leading event that brings together aviation enthusiasts, professionals, business leaders, policymakers, customers, and change agents from across the globe to network and interact, and we are delighted to participate. I am looking forward to having productive discussions at the event and I am also hoping to witness some of the latest technology and digital solutions in aviation that will facilitate rapid digital transformation in the industry.” During Day 1, there were also a series of key announcements. Lufthansa Technik awarded a contract for VIP cabin completion of an ACJ320neo. Meanwhile, Empire Aviation Group marked its 15th anniversary at the show and announced the induction of a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) into its regional managed fleet of business jets and signed an agreement with the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) at Dubai South to develop a new, multi-purpose business aviation facility on a plot adjacent to the VIP Terminal.

CHICAGO, Dec. 1, 2022 United Airlines today named Maria Deacon senior vice president of technical operations, overseeing the carrier’s maintenance operations, ground service equipment and facilities maintenance, supply chain, technical services, and planning and strategy. Deacon will also shape the continued growth and investment in United’s Calibrate apprenticeship program, helping the airline expand and diversify its next generation of maintenance employees.Maria Deacon, Senior Vice President of Technical Operations, United AirlinesMost recently, Deacon served as GE Aerospace’s general manager of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). In her new role at the airline, Deacon will report to United’s Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer Greg Hart.”Our ambitious United Next growth strategy provides a remarkable opportunity to leverage Maria’s unique skillset,” said Hart. “In her nearly 25 years at GE, she established an impressive record of supply chain and operational successes, and her approach to team culture has driven exceptionally high levels of accountability and execution that drove operational excellence.”At the helm of GE Aerospace’s extended MRO network, Deacon was responsible for delivering revenue across a mix of more than two dozen global GE and partner sites worldwide. As general manager of CFM Services at GE, she managed the financial aspects of the largest in-service fleet in commercial aviation and the joint venture relationship for all CFM and LEAP engine services. In her role as general manager of supply chain at GE, Deacon led the ramp up of critical helicopter, fighter jet engines and spare parts for U.S. military operations among other key responsibilities. Deacon holds a CPA from the University of Cardiff in Wales, U.K. and is a certified investment management accountant.

Delhi,26th November 2022: Akasa Air inaugurated its first flight on the Pune-Bengaluru route. Pune is the ninth destination in Akasa Air’s network and its second city in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai. The airline is offering double daily flights on the Bengaluru–Pune route starting today with additional daily flights linking the two IT hubs, starting from December 10, 2022.Earlier in November, Akasa Air announced the addition of Visakhapatnam as the tenth destination on its network, with flights connecting the city with Bengaluru, scheduled to commence from December 10, 2022, and a second frequency on the route to be added on December 12, 2022. Since its launch in August this year, Akasa Air has been progressively scaling up its operations and by mid-December expects to cross over 450 weekly flights on a total of fourteen routes across ten cities – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, and Visakhapatnam. Commenting on the maiden flight and the new route, Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder, and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air, said, “Commencement of operations on this route is a momentous occasion as we expand our footprint in Maharashtra by adding Pune to our network. Both Pune and Bengaluru are important IT hubs, and enhanced connectivity on this route, backed by affordable fares, are in line with our purpose to strengthen important transportation links of our country, which will provide a boost to economic development. We will soon launch another daily flight on this route from December 10 onwards, taking daily departures from Pune to three convenient options through the day.” Akasa Air started its commercial operations with two aircraft and has subsequently received nine aircraft to date. Akasa Air’s fleet size will be 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023, and over the next four years, the airline will add 54 additional aircraft, taking its total fleet size to 72 aircraft.