Aviation India: India Aviation 2008 News

Deal time at Begumpet

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:17:00 +0000

The first civilian airshow in Hyderabad was a hit for political reasons but not for big orders. As India Aviation 2008 came to a close, blame it on economic crisis, no big orders were sealed from the behemoths such as the Boeing or Airbus. While this was more a civilian show, a careful wait and watch is being observed by the industry watchers to sign more deals. However, for the commoners, it is still a big hit to view a range from Boeing 777 300 ER to ultra light aircraft SportStar Plus.
While big aircraft like Boeing 777 and Airbus 380, were claimed to be the star attractions, small aircraft like IL-114 from Uzbekistan, 10-feet long and four-feet wide Sport Star Plus of Czech Republic company Evektor-Aerotechnik and eight and six-seater Hawker caught everybody’s attention. CRJ900 NextGen, Learjet 60 XR, Challenger 605 and Global Express XRS, all from Bombardier, Gulfstream and Beechcraft were a few among the star attractions. Not to leave behind a range of helicopters which added more colours to the display range.
More than 200 exhibitors from leading aviation and allied industries from around the world including Airbus, Boeing, EADS, HAL, BES, Rolls Royce, Engine Alliance, Cessna Aircraft Co, Bell Helicopter, Textron, ATR and Bombardier displayed their products at the show.
However, there were some deals by the airliners to position their base in the country. For instance, Engine Alliance, a 50:50 joint venture of Pratt & Whitney and General Electric Aviation works for GP7200 engine powering the A380, is strengthening its strong roots in India. And for this, Hyderabad-based Infotech Enterprises’ Engineering Services team works to create high quality designs and reduce the weight of parts for GP7200. Engine Alliance member company GE Aviation has one of the largest research facilities in India. The John F Welch Technology Center in Bangalore employs over 4,000 advanced researchers who work with global teams to develop advanced technology products.
19/10/08 BV Mahalakshmi & Kavitha Venkatraman/Financial Express

Aviation exhibition disappoints people

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:08:00 +0000

Hyderabad: The last day of ‘India Aviation 2008’, the first international exhibition on civil aviation, proved to be a disappointment for the thousands of people who thronged the Begumpet Airport on Saturday. Finally thrown open to the public on the last day of the four day exhibition, the show proved a dampener for the nearly 50,000 people who braved the heat and the serpentine queues to catch a glimpse of the latest aviation marvels. Since the legendary Airbus A380 had flown off on Friday itself, all that was on display were a few business jets and Boeing 777 aircraft belonging to Kingfisher and Indian Airlines. A parachute jump show and a glimpse of a couple of helicopters taking off and a Cessna touching down was all some of them had to make do with.
The response to the throwing open of the exhibition had been so overwhelming that the organisers had stopped the sale of tickets for over an hour. Many families like that of Ravi Kiran waited for over 2 hours to get the entry tickets. “It cost me Rs 750 to buy tickets for the family but we are very disappointed. I did not know the Airbus A 380 flew back. I wanted to bring my family day before yesterday but the ticket cost was Rs 500 which was unaffordable. There are no aircraft worth seeing except for the small jets parked too far away from public view. Besides, there is no guide or commentator to provide information on the aircraft on display,” Ravi Kiran said.
Visitors thronged the Indian Civil Aviation Museum, which provided a historical perspective of India’s civil aviation sector.
19/10/08 Indian Express

Civilian air show draws huge crowds

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:02:00 +0000

Hyderabad: The first ever civilian air show in India hosted by Hyderabad at the Begumpet Airport set a record of sorts with the highest-ever turn out for an air show in the world, according to officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Over 1.5 lakh people attended the air show. The organisers were caught unawares, as they had expected only about 10,000 people.
Today itself, as many as 10,000 to 15,000 returned home as the airshow closed shop even before they could gain entry into the airport.
The turnout may have made the show a success, but it was a sore disappointment for the spectators.
The Airbus A380 is not on the show”, said Venkatesh,a student of the Vignan Engineering College. Almost all others have a similar tale to tell of expectations belied.
While air displays by various planes were planned in the day, only one of them happened in the morning.
The officials cited heavy bird movement as a reason for discontinuing the show.
No arrangements were made for the visitors. People were not even provided drinking water.While there was an outlet selling refreshments and water, it proved far short of demand and the chaos on the road to the airport made fresh supplies impossible.
Traffic police were caught unawares. By the time they realised the gravity of the problem, nothing could be done. The Begumpet to Punjagutta stretch also was sheer hell, as was the Lifestyle flyover- Ameerpet section.
The snarls which started around 11:00 a.m. eased up only around 7 in the evening.
19/10/08 Express Buzz

No aircraft orders as airshow comes to a close

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Usually, the rivalry between (Airbus and Boeing, ) two of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers is the centre piece of any airshow worldwide. One tries to outdo the other by squeezing as many orders. Nothing close to that was visible at the Hyderabad's India Aviation Airshow as it drew to a close.
Not a single new order was announced by the two majors though both declined to reduce their market forecast which expects India to buy another 1000 aircraft over the next twenty years. Possibly, who knows? But as of today that was "wishful thinking", as one top domestic airline executive told me.
Just to give a sense of the relationship between an airshow and aircraft orders - Nearly 700 aircraft, according to various reports, were announced at the Paris Airshow last year in June- including a fairly large one by India's Kingfisher Airlines (15 A350 XWB, 5 A340-500, 10 A330 and 20 A320 family aircraft). In November the same year, Dubai Airshow traded 350 aircraft orders valued US$69.7 billion. By July this year, at the Farnborough Airshow, orders worth US$64 billion were sealed.
In Hyderabad's Airbus instead said it has sold off Kingfisher's 5 A340 ultra long haul aircraft to other carriers as per its discussions with the airline.
There could be multiple reasons why there were no real orders clinched- or announced atleast. For one, global economic crisis means India's airlines are in no mood to continue their dream international expansion or domestic expansion as they have done over the past few years. Two, the Hyderabad airshow was the first civilian airshow (just over two dozen aircraft on display) in India- much similar to Dubai's 1989 start with 200 exhibits and 25 aircraft (its gone up to over 500 exhibits and 85 aircraft displayed now). And lastly it could also have been due to the absence of any international carriers- the usual suspects like Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Dubai Aerospace Enterprise who have been ordering hundreds of aircraft were not in attendance here.
17/10/08 Tarun Shukla/Livemint

Airbus sees more demand from India

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 07:58:00 +0000

Hyderabad: Notwithstanding cancellation of three A340 aircraft by Kingfisher and turbulence in the aviation industry globally, Airbus has said that the company’s latest forecast, which is due in the next two months, would peg the demand for aircraft at a higher level.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday at Indian Aviation 2008, John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer (Customers), said the Airbus market share in India had gone up to 57 per cent (of 250 aircraft) in 2007 from 20 per cent in 1981.
Dr Kiran Rao, Executive Vice-President (Sales and Marketing), said that world would need 24,000 new aircraft in the next 20 years.
“India with a growth rate of 11.3 per cent tops the list of emerging aviation markets with a total population of 5.6 billion,” he said.
Stating that the airport traffic had gone up significantly in India since 2003, Dr Rao said India was expected to have a total fleet size of 1,221 (the present capacity is 253) by 2006, requiring 992 new aircraft with a total value of $120 billion. It would require 670 single-aisle aircraft and 227 twin-aisle aircraft.
18/10/08 Business Line

Bombardier likely to come up with MRO facility in India

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 07:51:00 +0000

Hyderabad: Upbeat over growing demand for regional jets, Canada-based Bombardier said that it was considering options for establishing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities in India.
"We are in the process of evaluating options for MRO facilities in the Indian-subcontinent. We are already offering aircraft maintenance facilities to our existing operators in the Asia-Pacific region," Bombardier Aerospace Commercial Aircraft (BACA) Vice-President (Marketing) Trung Ngo said here.
Air India currently operates three CRJ 700s and Jet Airways flies seven CRJ 200s, produced by BACA. Bombardier is now aggressively showcasing its CRJ 900 regional jet in the Indian market, one of which is at display at the ongoing airshow here. These CRJs (Canadair regional jets) have passenger capacity ranging between 60 and 100.
"Our comprehensive family of Learjets, Challengers and Global Business Jets are operational in the region. We also offer a complete range of travel solutions to meet the ongoing growing business travel requirements," Bombardier Regional Vice-President (Sales) David Dixon said.
Ngo said that India and China were experiencing the highest forecast growth rates for regional and single-aisle commercial aircraft.
17/10/08 PTI/Economic Times

Jet crisis shrouds India Aviation show in Hyderabad

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 07:45:00 +0000

Hyderabad: India Aviation 2008 exposition, spread over four days, is the first in the series of such shows, to be held once every two years that offers high drama with a wide range of aircraft on the ground. India Aviation, the first exposition, demonstration and conference of its kind, is showcasing the opportunities, potential and strength in India's civil aviation sector.
By a bizarre coincidence, the exposition opened just the day after the genial Jet Airways chief Naresh Goyal and his more flamboyant Kingfisher counterpart Vijay Mallaya announced that they were joining hands to operate both domestic and international services in order to cut costs and brave the liquidity crunch imposed by the fall out of the global financial crisis. But the immediate fall out of their deal—the lay off of cabin crew and other staff, protests against pink slips and the hoopla surrounding it—cast an ominous shadow on the exposition.
Now, the main problem is that there are simply too many planes for the number of people who can afford to fly, and there are many more on order. India is one of the most expensive places in the world to buy aviation turbine fuel. Excise duties, throughput fees charged by airport operators and state taxes of up to 30 per cent for domestic flights result in a cost structure that cannot support a competitive industry. The global crisis resulting from high oil prices and declining traffic is hitting India so hard that growth has slowed from 33 per cent in 2007 to 7.5 per cent for the first six months of this year.
Predictably, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel dismissed it as turbulence at a time when the aviation industry in the country is looking up. He did not miss the opportunity to assure that steps to bail out airline companies will be taken soon but clarified that there would not be a cash bail - out. Patel exhorted states to reduce the tax on aviation turbine fuel to four per cent like Andhra Pradesh did and should look at the larger picture and see the benefits for the economy.
Participants did exactly this except for the top honchos of Indian airline companies for they had to weather the turbulence caused by the rising costs and cash crunch. Aerospace companies from the United States, the partner country of Indian Aviation 2008, eyed opportunities in Indian aviation infrastructure.
India's aviation sector offers investment opportunity of $200 billion to $300 billion by 2020, and it is confident of overcoming the 'temporary hurdles' to continue the growth. The tremendous investment opportunities are in various aspects of aviation like purchase of new aircraft, replacing the existing fleet, building infrastructure and improving navigation systems. Patel said the business opportunities in other facets of aviation like helicopter tourism, sea tourism and business aviation have to be explored. He said India was also ready to be part of the growth of global aviation and integrate with European Union and the US.
18/10/08 Amarnath K. Menon/India Today

Airbus to trim output, Boeing to keep flying

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:18:00 +0000

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

Regional airports to take wings

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:16:00 +0000

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

What meltdown? Biz honchos go shopping!

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:18:00 +0000

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

Copters fly over meltdown blues

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:16:00 +0000

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

Big market for small aircraft in India

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:14:00 +0000

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

Russian firm to set up helicopter maintenance JV in India

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:12:00 +0000

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

Piaggio Aero and Taj Air sign agreement

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:10:00 +0000

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

Boeing, Airbus bullish on India

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:09:00 +0000

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

KF cancels 3 Airbus orders

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:07:00 +0000

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

Indo-US bilateral trade may top $50 b in 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:05:00 +0000

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

Boeing subsidiary to open office in city

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:03:00 +0000

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

NACIL and EADS venture to set up MRO in India

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:57:00 +0000

Hyderabad: The National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL) and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) today signed a joint venture agreement to set up an aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centre at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The proposed MRO centre will start its operations from early 2009 after it receives formal approval from the Government of India, said a press release.
The centre would be the member of the Airbus MRO network. The total project cost would be around 40 million US dollars spread over five years.
As per the agreement, the joint venture would initially undertake airframe maintenance and repair of Airbus aircraft of NACIL. Later, it would extend the facility to other aircraft like the ATR and also the aircraft of other airlines.
NACIL is a major operator of Airbus aircraft and is now inducting 43 new A320s into its fleet. The induction programme that began in mid-2007 would continue till 2010, the press release added.
The joint venture was a new milestone in the long history of co-operation between India and EADS, the company said, adding that it was keen on supporting the fast-developing aeronautical sector in India.
16/10/08 PTI/Economic Times

Airbus A380 participates in `India Aviation Airshow`

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:55:00 +0000

Mumbai: The world’s most modern and sophisticated aircraft, the Airbus A380, has landed in India’s Hyderabad Begumpet airport to take part in the India Aviation 2008 air show. It is the first time the A380 has landed in Hyderabad and the second time an A380 has visited India.
The Airbus A380 development aircraft MSN001 (manufacturers Serial Number 001) will be on static display for a day. MSN001 is powered by four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines. It is a fully instrumented aircraft for conducting flights tests and does not have a full cabin for passengers. The first visit of an A380 to India was in May 2007, when development aircraft MSN007 visited Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi and Sahar International Airport in Mumbai.
“Airbus is delighted to support India Aviation 2008 with the A380’s second visit to India. The A380 is the world’s most modern and advanced aircraft, and because it carries more passengers, it can help airports and airlines to manage passenger growth whilst keeping aircraft movements down. The A380 can also take off and land at airports of all sizes and on shorter runways than previous generation large aircraft, which makes it an ideal aircraft for Indian carriers,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers.
Jean-Michel Roy, Test Pilot, who captained the A380 from Toulouse to Hyderabad says, "I had the chance and the honor to be the first to land the A380 in India last year when we came to visit Delhi and Mumbai. I am very proud to bring this iconic aircraft to Hyderabad this time and support the India Aviation 2008 air show. Tomorrow we will also be making a visit to the new Hyderabad International airport. This major project is a clear sign of Indian aviation development and will see, I am sure, many A380s landing in India in the future."
Being greener, cleaner, quieter and smarter, the A380 is already setting new standards for air transport and the environment.
16/10/08 India Infoline.com

Tatas to set up first defence aerospace hub near Hyderabad

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:02:00 +0000

Hyderabad: The Tatas are proposing to set up the country’s first defence and civil aerospace hub at Aadibhatla, near Hyderabad.
Speaking during the inauguration of the India Aviation-2008 at the Begumpet Airport on Wednesday, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy said the Tata Group’s Tata Advance Systems would invest Rs 500 crore in the proposed special economic zone to set up the aerospace hub to manufacture radar and satellite systems. The AP Government would provide 50 acres of land to the Tatas at the SEZ near the hardware park to set up the aerospace hub.
The Tata’s aerospace hub is over and above the Lepakshi Aerospace Station and Academy that may also come at Chilamatur in Anantapur district. Besides, the Lepakshi Aerospace Station and Academy will also come up at Chilamattur in Anantapur district for design, manufacture and maintenance of military and civil space vehicles.
Besides several small business jets by Dassault, Bombardier and other companies, an Airbus 319 acquired by Air India landed at the airport during the country’s first-ever international aviation exhibition and air show.
16/10/08 Indian Express

US keen to introduce Indian aviation to its SMEs

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:42:00 +0000

Hyderabad: Even as American aviation biggies consolidate their presence in the Indian market, the US government is keen on introducing this mart to its small and medium enterprises (SMEs), a top official said.
“We have strong SMEs focusing on the high end of the technology. The participation of these SMEs in the Indian aviation market will help deepen and broaden the cooperation between the two countries,” said Carmine d’Aloisio, minister counsellor at the US Embassy.
D’Aloisio is part of the US trade mission at the India Aviation 2008 being held in Hyderabad. The US is the partner country for the event.
“Many SMEs in the US have the capability to cater to the needs of the Indian market. They are keen on getting their supplies to India,” he said. According to US Commercial Services officials, the two countries have already been working close on various issues such as regulation, certification, MROs and training.
They have been working on the civil aviation sector jointly through the Aviation Cooperation Programme (ACP), a public private partnership initiative launched in 2007.
About 18 American companies are part of the ACP and have been exploring and tapping the potential of the domestic market.
“The ACP has been working very well. The partnership has been strengthened through funding from the US Trade Development Agency, technical expertise from the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration and the support of the US Embassy,” d’Aloisio said.
Under the ACP, the US has already taken up several projects in the country. Officials said that the first project focusing on air traffic management is close to completion and the second would be a seminar on air traffic flow management next week in New Delhi.
16/10/08 K V Ramana/Daily News & Analysis

Bell Helicopter planning MRO unit in India

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:37:00 +0000

Hyderabad: After successfully capturing a significant market share in the Indian helicopter market, Bell Helicopter, the US-based rotorcraft manufacturing major, is now working on a plan to set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in the country.
The company is in its initial stages of talks with potential partners for the proposed facility. Bob Fitzpatrick, senior vice-president, Bell Helicopter, told DNA Money that the final plan shouldn’t take more than a year.
The US company, which specialises in the manufacture of military and civilian helicopters, has supplied about 99 helicopters to various Indian clients. The 100th helicopter will be handed over to the client on October 16 at the India Aviation 2008, the country’s first civil aviation show being held in Hyderabad.
Among Bell Helicopter’s leading domestic clients are Deccan Aviation, Global Vectra Helicorp, Heligo Charters and Pawan Hans.
The company has also been working jointly with the Director General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA) for offering support for helipads and other infrastructure and maintenance issues.
16/10/08 K V Ramana/Daily News & Analysis

Grand A-380’s grand arrival

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:36:00 +0000

Hyderabad: While Hyderabad was more or less cold to the Surya Kiran air show on the opening day of the India Aviation-2008, it gave a rapturous response to the A-380’s maiden arrival to the twin cities today.
When the super jumbo was still a blip south of the Begumpet airport, every neck in and around the airport craned to follow its flight. Near the tarmac it was quite something else.
The aircraft which flew directly from the Airbus manufacturing facility in Toulouse, France approached the runway and then proceeded very slowly across the terminal to gain altitude again. Fifteen minutes later at 12.21 p.m. it touched down from the northern side. The double-deck, wide-body aircraft was made more awesome by the fact that the noise from the four-engined aircraft was not more than a strong hum and far removed from the deafening jet blasts from regular aircrafts.
While all were taken in by the spectacle, keen cameramen and videographers scaled the four-feet high metal barricade and went close to the runway to get an even better angle of the aircraft. Security men then rushed in with ropes to prevent them from getting any closer to the aircraft.
They, however, were helped by two fire tenders who acted as water cannons to spray water on the aircraft to welcome it. It could not taxi to its designated area as sufficient place was not created in the display zone that could accommodate its 80 meters span. The cockpit window opened and test pilot Mr Jean-Michel Roy waved the Tricolour. This caused a literal frenzy across the arena.
16/10/08 Stanley Theodore/The Statesman

US to have permanent aviation official in India

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:35:00 +0000

Hyderabad: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the US, will have a permanent representative in India, it said here Wednesday.
FAA Administrator Robert A. Sturgell made the announced at the inaugural function of India Aviation-2008, India's first international conference and exhibition on civil aviation.
The move is aimed at promoting aviation partnership with India. He said the official appointed as permanent representative to India brings with him a decade of air traffic operation experience, including recent work in China during the Beijing Olympics.
Sturgell said the FAA was working to promote partnership and cooperation in air traffic management, aircraft certification, airport safety and environment.
Sturgell said as countries were developing new aviation systems, there was a need to ensure that they are harmonised. He pointed out that the FAA had already set up working groups to address safety and efficiency issues.
15/10/08 IANS/Economic Times