Friday, October 17, 2008
Hyderabad: The downturn in the aviation sector does not seem to have hurt Seattle-headquartered aircraft manufacturer Boeing, even as its rival France-based Airbus plans to halt production for the time being. The manufacturer of the iconic 747 is firm on its earlier forecast of long-term demand for aircraft in the country. Boeing also projected that India would place orders for 1,001 aircraft valued at $105 billion in the next 20 years. The company on Thursday said that the current slowdown is temporary and will not continue for a long time.
“Our earlier forecast for India stands firm. In fact, so far no airline has formally asked us for either cancellation of the previous order or deferment of their deliveries. The current downturn in the sector is temporary and may not prolong for more than 6 to 9 months,” Boeing V-P (sales) Dinesh Keskar said here at India Aviation 2008.
However, Airbus expects demand for aircraft to slacken all over the world owing to the credit crunch. The company plans to put on hold its production plans till 2009. “We arrived at this conclusion given the global financial turbulence and the present state of the aviation industry,” said Kiran Rao, executive vice-president, marketing and sales, Airbus India.
The European aerospace company has decided reduce the number of A-320s produced a month. Company officials said that they would neither increase nor bring down the production of A330. The company would, however, revisit its production plans at the end of the second quarter in 2009. Aviation is cyclical business. There is bound to be an upswing after the downturn, said an official at the show.
17/10/08 Economic Times
“Our earlier forecast for India stands firm. In fact, so far no airline has formally asked us for either cancellation of the previous order or deferment of their deliveries. The current downturn in the sector is temporary and may not prolong for more than 6 to 9 months,” Boeing V-P (sales) Dinesh Keskar said here at India Aviation 2008.
However, Airbus expects demand for aircraft to slacken all over the world owing to the credit crunch. The company plans to put on hold its production plans till 2009. “We arrived at this conclusion given the global financial turbulence and the present state of the aviation industry,” said Kiran Rao, executive vice-president, marketing and sales, Airbus India.
The European aerospace company has decided reduce the number of A-320s produced a month. Company officials said that they would neither increase nor bring down the production of A330. The company would, however, revisit its production plans at the end of the second quarter in 2009. Aviation is cyclical business. There is bound to be an upswing after the downturn, said an official at the show.
17/10/08 Economic Times
Labels: Airbus, Aircraft Manufacturer, Boeing, Europe, US
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The government has identified 34 regional airports in the country for city side development in the PPP mode at a cost of $357 million, even as it grapples with issues of technology, funding and regulation to upgrade and modernise airport infrastructure and open up business opportunities for the private players.
Speaking at the International Conference on India Aviation: Scaling New Heights, organised by Ficci and the civil aviation ministry, Praful Patel, minister for civil aviation, said the government’s endeavour was to see the development of all metro cities as aviation hubs to connect all cities of India and facilitate transportation of cargo at competitive rates. He described the crisis in the aviation industry as `temporary’ and urged all the stakeholders to cash in on the opportunities of providing low cost services.
M Madhavan Nambiar, secretary of civil aviation ministry, pointed out that a major challenge before policymakers was the financial modeling of infrastructure creation.
He said passing on the entire development cost to the passengers would not be an optimal solution as had been amply demonstrated by the decrease in traffic in major airports due to the recent hike in fares by airlines. There is price elasticity of demand for low cost as well as short destination flights, he added.
The entire sector needs to get together and evolve a holistic approach as the sustainability of the recent growth in aviation should be recognized as a key factor by all the stakeholders.
17/10/08 Financial Express
Speaking at the International Conference on India Aviation: Scaling New Heights, organised by Ficci and the civil aviation ministry, Praful Patel, minister for civil aviation, said the government’s endeavour was to see the development of all metro cities as aviation hubs to connect all cities of India and facilitate transportation of cargo at competitive rates. He described the crisis in the aviation industry as `temporary’ and urged all the stakeholders to cash in on the opportunities of providing low cost services.
M Madhavan Nambiar, secretary of civil aviation ministry, pointed out that a major challenge before policymakers was the financial modeling of infrastructure creation.
He said passing on the entire development cost to the passengers would not be an optimal solution as had been amply demonstrated by the decrease in traffic in major airports due to the recent hike in fares by airlines. There is price elasticity of demand for low cost as well as short destination flights, he added.
The entire sector needs to get together and evolve a holistic approach as the sustainability of the recent growth in aviation should be recognized as a key factor by all the stakeholders.
17/10/08 Financial Express
Labels: Airports
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The financial meltdown does not seem to have dented the plans of the jet-setting corporate head honchos and politicians in the country . It seems
business is as usual, if not better, for marketers of helicopters and private jets.
Among the corporates expecting to buy helicopters in the next three-four months include Reliance Industries, Essar and real estate major DLF, which is buying an AU 139 from the Italian company AugustaWestland, according to industry sources. A number of Delhi and Mumbai-based charter companies are also buying small helicopters like AU 109 and Bell 407 to be in time for the general elections to ferry politicians.
"We are bringing in one aircraft every month, starting this month, until January next year. And all of these have been bought by big corporate houses in the country for their top bosses and they want the machines as of yesterday," said A J S Walia, MD - India, Sikorsky Aircraft.
And interestingly, all the four aircraft ordered by the Indian corporate houses are in the VVIP version of its executive series S-76 C++. The company has six orders for the improved version of this machine, S-76 D, from public sector undertakings and state governments.
Similarly, of the 40 orders for helicopters that Bell Helicopter has in India for the next three years, significant numbers are from corporates, according to Max E Wiley, vice-president , Asia Pacific Sales of Bell Helicopter. He said even owners of construction companies are buying helicopters to move from site to site.
Further, Bombardier is very bullish about the Indian market and is seeing the numbers of private jets being bought by private companies and governments in the country on an upsurge.
16/10/08 Padmaja Shastri/Times of India
business is as usual, if not better, for marketers of helicopters and private jets.
Among the corporates expecting to buy helicopters in the next three-four months include Reliance Industries, Essar and real estate major DLF, which is buying an AU 139 from the Italian company AugustaWestland, according to industry sources. A number of Delhi and Mumbai-based charter companies are also buying small helicopters like AU 109 and Bell 407 to be in time for the general elections to ferry politicians.
"We are bringing in one aircraft every month, starting this month, until January next year. And all of these have been bought by big corporate houses in the country for their top bosses and they want the machines as of yesterday," said A J S Walia, MD - India, Sikorsky Aircraft.
And interestingly, all the four aircraft ordered by the Indian corporate houses are in the VVIP version of its executive series S-76 C++. The company has six orders for the improved version of this machine, S-76 D, from public sector undertakings and state governments.
Similarly, of the 40 orders for helicopters that Bell Helicopter has in India for the next three years, significant numbers are from corporates, according to Max E Wiley, vice-president , Asia Pacific Sales of Bell Helicopter. He said even owners of construction companies are buying helicopters to move from site to site.
Further, Bombardier is very bullish about the Indian market and is seeing the numbers of private jets being bought by private companies and governments in the country on an upsurge.
16/10/08 Padmaja Shastri/Times of India
Labels: Foreign, Helicopter Manufacturer, Private Jets
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Hyderabad: Even as the general civil aviation industry is going through a meltdown, the helicopter segment appears to be unaffected and in fact ex
cited. Moreover, India is gaining importance for helicopter manufacturers. Leading helicopter maker Bell says it will sell 17 helicopters this year and between 25-30 next year. The importance of India for the company is underscored by the visit of the company's president and chief executive officer Richard J Millman's visit to India Aviation 2008. "The fact that I'm here shows how important it is for us," he quipped.
Further, Bell is setting up a heliport design and operations centre. "We have been asked by the government to help them in this," Millman clarified. Interestingly, India has just about 60 heliports, while Shanghai in China alone has between 60-100, he pointed out.
Further, Millman said that there is a severe shortage of helicopter pilots in India. Seeing this need, Bell is planning to set up a training academy here. "We are looking at several prospective partners for this," he said. In all likelihood, the academy would be in place by next year. "While we are looking at one, the government wants us to set up one in the north and the other in the south. But we are yet to decide on that and also the location," Millman added.
It may be noted that most of the helicopter pilots come from the Air Force, Army and Navy as there are hardly any training facilities to train helicopter pilots, unlike in the fixed wing segment.
Meanwhile, to address the pilot shortage issue, Bell is wooing its customers with a free training slot for pilot training. "You buy a chopper from us, we will give you a training slot free at Fortworth Texas," proferred Millman. Right now many of its customers are hiring foreign pilots.
17/10/08 Satya Naagesh Ayyagary/Times of India
cited. Moreover, India is gaining importance for helicopter manufacturers. Leading helicopter maker Bell says it will sell 17 helicopters this year and between 25-30 next year. The importance of India for the company is underscored by the visit of the company's president and chief executive officer Richard J Millman's visit to India Aviation 2008. "The fact that I'm here shows how important it is for us," he quipped.
Further, Bell is setting up a heliport design and operations centre. "We have been asked by the government to help them in this," Millman clarified. Interestingly, India has just about 60 heliports, while Shanghai in China alone has between 60-100, he pointed out.
Further, Millman said that there is a severe shortage of helicopter pilots in India. Seeing this need, Bell is planning to set up a training academy here. "We are looking at several prospective partners for this," he said. In all likelihood, the academy would be in place by next year. "While we are looking at one, the government wants us to set up one in the north and the other in the south. But we are yet to decide on that and also the location," Millman added.
It may be noted that most of the helicopter pilots come from the Air Force, Army and Navy as there are hardly any training facilities to train helicopter pilots, unlike in the fixed wing segment.
Meanwhile, to address the pilot shortage issue, Bell is wooing its customers with a free training slot for pilot training. "You buy a chopper from us, we will give you a training slot free at Fortworth Texas," proferred Millman. Right now many of its customers are hiring foreign pilots.
17/10/08 Satya Naagesh Ayyagary/Times of India
Labels: Foreign, Helicopter Manufacturer
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Hyderabad: Moscow-based Russian Aircraft, an arm of United Air Corporation, expects to sell 100 of its Ilyushin series of aircraft (IL 114) in India over the next three years.
The company, through its marketing agency Hindavia Aeronautical Services Limited, is talking to scheduled regional carriers across the country to sell the turboprop aircraft which can seat 44-64 people. The low-flying aircraft (around 7000 metres) can fly at its best efficiency up to 1000 km.
"These aircraft are best suited to short-hauls and most suitable to regional airlines. We expect to sign a few confirmed letters of intent in the next three days," said Pavel Melnikov of Russian Aircraft.
According to him, the market for such small aircraft in India is 500 airplanes over the next three years.
Pavel Melnikov spoke at his stall at the ongoing Indian Aviation 2008 expo.
The older versions of IL series, which will compete with ATR twin turboprop aircraft, have so far been deployed in Russian airliner Viborg and Uzbekish Airlines.
"We expect the demand for small aircraft to surge in the current financial situation as they can be easily filled up to capacity," said Siddhartha Bose, chairman of Hindavia .
16/10/08 Times of India
The company, through its marketing agency Hindavia Aeronautical Services Limited, is talking to scheduled regional carriers across the country to sell the turboprop aircraft which can seat 44-64 people. The low-flying aircraft (around 7000 metres) can fly at its best efficiency up to 1000 km.
"These aircraft are best suited to short-hauls and most suitable to regional airlines. We expect to sign a few confirmed letters of intent in the next three days," said Pavel Melnikov of Russian Aircraft.
According to him, the market for such small aircraft in India is 500 airplanes over the next three years.
Pavel Melnikov spoke at his stall at the ongoing Indian Aviation 2008 expo.
The older versions of IL series, which will compete with ATR twin turboprop aircraft, have so far been deployed in Russian airliner Viborg and Uzbekish Airlines.
"We expect the demand for small aircraft to surge in the current financial situation as they can be easily filled up to capacity," said Siddhartha Bose, chairman of Hindavia .
16/10/08 Times of India
Labels: Aircraft Manufacturer, IL 114, Russia, Russian Aircraft
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Hyderabad: The Helicopters of Russia holding will set up a joint venture in India to service Russian-made civil helicopters, a company official said Thursday.
India's Vectra Group will be the partner in the JV with about 50% ownership.
"The joint company will have a storage facility for spare parts and equipment for repairs to ensure their delivery to any part of the country in less than 48 hours," Dmitry Vypryazhkin, the head of the regional department at Helicopters of Russia, said at the India Aviation 2008 exhibition.
The JV will be located in Chandigarh in northern India and will help to ensure the competitiveness of Russian helicopters on the Indian market.
"The Indian [helicopter] market is very promising and we should be a part of it," the official said, adding that his company could sell up to 40 civil helicopters in India in the next few years, despite serious competition from foreign makes, especially Eurocopter.
16/10/08 RIA Novosti, Russia
India's Vectra Group will be the partner in the JV with about 50% ownership.
"The joint company will have a storage facility for spare parts and equipment for repairs to ensure their delivery to any part of the country in less than 48 hours," Dmitry Vypryazhkin, the head of the regional department at Helicopters of Russia, said at the India Aviation 2008 exhibition.
The JV will be located in Chandigarh in northern India and will help to ensure the competitiveness of Russian helicopters on the Indian market.
"The Indian [helicopter] market is very promising and we should be a part of it," the official said, adding that his company could sell up to 40 civil helicopters in India in the next few years, despite serious competition from foreign makes, especially Eurocopter.
16/10/08 RIA Novosti, Russia
Labels: Helicopter Manufacturer, India, Joint Venture, MRO, Russia
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Hyderabad: "Taj Air and Piaggio Aero Industries SpA announced today at the 'Indian Aviation 2008', the International Conference and Exhibition of Civil Aviation taking place in Hyderabad, the agreement to become Taj Air the exclusive distributor of the P-180 Avanti II for India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Mauritius. Taj Air will promote, distribute and service Piaggio Aero Aircraft.
Taj Air also become the first Piaggio Aero authorized service center in India. The authorization allows Taj Air service center to perform maintenance, repair an overhaul services to P-180 Avanti II aircraft.
The agreement represents a long-term commitment to satisfying Piaggio Aero customers by offering a professional Avanti II aircraft dealer network , a convenient and efficient aircraft support and first class services. The establishment of the Avanti II service center will be at the Taj Air Main facility located at the Mumbai International Airport. As part of the agreement, Taj Air personnel will attend recurring annual training courses at Piaggio Aero's, Genoa (I) and Flight Safety West Palm Beach (FL) maintenance training centers.
Taj Air is a Tata Company.
The Piaggio Aero P-180 'Avanti II' version has been EASA and FAA certified in 2006, and expected to receive the Civil Aviation Authority of India certification within this month.
17/10/08 WAPA/Avionews, Italy
Taj Air also become the first Piaggio Aero authorized service center in India. The authorization allows Taj Air service center to perform maintenance, repair an overhaul services to P-180 Avanti II aircraft.
The agreement represents a long-term commitment to satisfying Piaggio Aero customers by offering a professional Avanti II aircraft dealer network , a convenient and efficient aircraft support and first class services. The establishment of the Avanti II service center will be at the Taj Air Main facility located at the Mumbai International Airport. As part of the agreement, Taj Air personnel will attend recurring annual training courses at Piaggio Aero's, Genoa (I) and Flight Safety West Palm Beach (FL) maintenance training centers.
Taj Air is a Tata Company.
The Piaggio Aero P-180 'Avanti II' version has been EASA and FAA certified in 2006, and expected to receive the Civil Aviation Authority of India certification within this month.
17/10/08 WAPA/Avionews, Italy
Labels: Aircraft Manufacturer, Piaggio Aero
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Hyderabad: Boeing and Airbus, leading global aircraft makers, are bullish on the Indian aviation market for the next 20 years in spite of the current worldwide economic slowdown.
At a press conference held in connection with the on-going ‘India-Aviation-2008’ here on Thursday, Dinesh A. Keskar, Senior Vice-President, Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said he was more “bullish” on India than other places as the forecast for the economic growth for the next 20 years for the country was expected to be 6.7 per cent as against the world average of 3.2 per cent. The Indian domestic air service had increased dramatically over the past 10 years from 64 per cent in 1997 to 198 per cent in 2007. Foreign travel to/from India had grown by 78 per cent in the past four years.At another press meet, John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer (Customers) of Airbus, said that India and China would be the growth markets. Kiran Rao, Executive Vice-President (Sales and Marketing), Airbus India, confirmed that Kingfisher Airlines had cancelled orders for three A 340 planes.
17/10/08 Y. Mallikarjun/The Hindu
At a press conference held in connection with the on-going ‘India-Aviation-2008’ here on Thursday, Dinesh A. Keskar, Senior Vice-President, Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said he was more “bullish” on India than other places as the forecast for the economic growth for the next 20 years for the country was expected to be 6.7 per cent as against the world average of 3.2 per cent. The Indian domestic air service had increased dramatically over the past 10 years from 64 per cent in 1997 to 198 per cent in 2007. Foreign travel to/from India had grown by 78 per cent in the past four years.At another press meet, John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer (Customers) of Airbus, said that India and China would be the growth markets. Kiran Rao, Executive Vice-President (Sales and Marketing), Airbus India, confirmed that Kingfisher Airlines had cancelled orders for three A 340 planes.
17/10/08 Y. Mallikarjun/The Hindu
Labels: Airbus, Aircraft Manufacturer, Boeing
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Hyderabad: Though there was much excitement of the Airbus A380's maiden landing - albeit as a test flight - at the Begumpet airport on Thursday, t
he turbulence in the Indian aviation industry became evident as Kingfisher Airlines cancelled its order for three Airbus A340 airplanes.
Confirming this at a press conference here at the India Aviation 2008 on Thursday, Dr Kiran Rao, executive vice president, sales, marketing and customer affairs, Airbus said, "Kingfisher has cancelled the three A340s" . The three aircraft were due for delivery in the next few months.
He, however, said that the cancellation doesn't have any impact on Airbus as they would be given to another customer. "This is nothing new. This happens at times," he said.
While admitting that the aviation industry is going through tough times, he expressed optimism on the outlook for the industry. According to him, Airbus does a market outlook study every two years and the latest one is due in a few months. When asked if it needs revisiting, he said it will be seen.
17/10/08 Times of India
he turbulence in the Indian aviation industry became evident as Kingfisher Airlines cancelled its order for three Airbus A340 airplanes.
Confirming this at a press conference here at the India Aviation 2008 on Thursday, Dr Kiran Rao, executive vice president, sales, marketing and customer affairs, Airbus said, "Kingfisher has cancelled the three A340s" . The three aircraft were due for delivery in the next few months.
He, however, said that the cancellation doesn't have any impact on Airbus as they would be given to another customer. "This is nothing new. This happens at times," he said.
While admitting that the aviation industry is going through tough times, he expressed optimism on the outlook for the industry. According to him, Airbus does a market outlook study every two years and the latest one is due in a few months. When asked if it needs revisiting, he said it will be seen.
17/10/08 Times of India
Labels: Airbus, Aircraft Manufacturer, India, Kingfisher Airlines
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Hyderabad: The United States Commercial Service on Wednesday stated that the total bilateral trade between India and the US is likely to exceed $50 billion by the end of 2008 against $41.6 billion last year.
With the signing of the nuclear deal between the two countries recently, the trade volumes are likely to go up further not only with India but other countries too, according to senior US officials.
Of the $17.6 billion US exports to India in 2007, aviation accounts to about $6 billion (34.4 per cent). The growth has been quite rapid from $2 billion in 2006 to $6 billion in 2007, and there is immense potential for upside, according to Mr Steven White, Charge D’ Affairs, US Embassy.
Addressing a press conference here, Mr White said that a large contingent of US companies is now in India exploring opportunities for co-operation with their Indian counterparts in the aviation sector.
Unfazed by the current financial turmoil, they believe that China and India are amongst two fastest growing economies having potential for business expansion in several sectors, including aviation, infrastructure and energy.
17/10/08 Business Line To read the news in full | PermaLink
With the signing of the nuclear deal between the two countries recently, the trade volumes are likely to go up further not only with India but other countries too, according to senior US officials.
Of the $17.6 billion US exports to India in 2007, aviation accounts to about $6 billion (34.4 per cent). The growth has been quite rapid from $2 billion in 2006 to $6 billion in 2007, and there is immense potential for upside, according to Mr Steven White, Charge D’ Affairs, US Embassy.
Addressing a press conference here, Mr White said that a large contingent of US companies is now in India exploring opportunities for co-operation with their Indian counterparts in the aviation sector.
Unfazed by the current financial turmoil, they believe that China and India are amongst two fastest growing economies having potential for business expansion in several sectors, including aviation, infrastructure and energy.
17/10/08 Business Line To read the news in full | PermaLink
Hyderabad: Jeppesen, a wholly-owned Boeing subsidiary specialising in aeronautical charting, is to open an office in Hyderabad by early 2009. While it has operations in Singapore and Beijing, the Hyderabad office would be the first and the only one in India.
Addressing the media at the India Aviation 2008 air show here on Thursday , Thomas Wede, Jeppesen's senior vice president for commercial and military aviation, said the company zeroed in on Hyderabad due to various factors including the presence of a state-of-the-art international airport at Shamshabad, the growth of the city as an aviation and aerospace hub including the setting up of an SEZ, and the fact that its central location in the country allows one to fly anywhere within India in less than two hours time.
Jeppesen is an information solution provider to the aviation market and supports the majority of airline operators in India with flight critical services. In addition to providing mission critical information , Jeppesen helps customers optimise their operations by providing flight operations management and crew optimisation solutions and electronic flight bag applications and data. The Hyderabad office is to be led by Max Ali, general manager for the location.
17/10/08 Times of India To read the news in full | PermaLink
Addressing the media at the India Aviation 2008 air show here on Thursday , Thomas Wede, Jeppesen's senior vice president for commercial and military aviation, said the company zeroed in on Hyderabad due to various factors including the presence of a state-of-the-art international airport at Shamshabad, the growth of the city as an aviation and aerospace hub including the setting up of an SEZ, and the fact that its central location in the country allows one to fly anywhere within India in less than two hours time.
Jeppesen is an information solution provider to the aviation market and supports the majority of airline operators in India with flight critical services. In addition to providing mission critical information , Jeppesen helps customers optimise their operations by providing flight operations management and crew optimisation solutions and electronic flight bag applications and data. The Hyderabad office is to be led by Max Ali, general manager for the location.
17/10/08 Times of India To read the news in full | PermaLink
