Aircraft Industry

India is the main market that offers a lot of potential and ATR is open for opportunities in terms of sourcing components from the country, according to a senior official of the European aircraft maker. ATR, a joint venture between European aeronautics players Airbus and Leonardo, manufactures turboprops with up to 78 seats as well as freighters. IndiGo and two regional carriers -- Alliance Air and FLY91 -- operate ATR planes that are used for regional flight operations. ATR's Chief Commercial Officer Alexis Vidal told PTI in a recent interview that the company is looking at India as the main market and the country's regional air connectivity is very promising. Currently, nearly 70 ATR planes are in operation in India and worldwide, the company has delivered around 1,700 aircraft. "We believe there is a potential in India for another 200 aircraft in the coming decade... All this, I believe very well supported by policy making... will drive additional aircraft into the country," he

Highlighting the aviation sector's growth potential, Union minister K Rammohan Naidu on Wednesday said efforts are on to make India a global aviation hub as well as to start manufacturing aircraft in the country. With Asia-Pacific region poised to lead global aviation growth, Naidu said strategic investments in infrastructure and collaboration amongst the regional stakeholders is critical to achieving sustainable growth across the sector. Speaking at the second Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation in the national capital, Naidu emphasised on three elements -- infrastructure, integration and innovation -- for the sector's growth. "My ministry is working with the vision of establishing a seamless aviation landscape in the country, integrating helicopters and seaplane operations alongside wide-body aircraft under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN," he noted. India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets and the fleet size of domestic carriers

NCLT indicated that it needed more time to study the Delhi High Court's order that told the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to deregister all its 54 aircraft by May 3, 2024

So far this year, the world's largest planemaker has sold 227 planes - or 222 after allowing for the conversions within the IAG airline group's order book

New service agreement unfairly treats permanent vs FTE staff with disparity in notice period and benefits

The company reported that HAL had received fresh manufacturing contracts of Rs 19,000 crore, and repair and overhaul (ROH) contracts of over Rs 16,000 crores during FY24

The CEOs of multiple prominent airlines have aired frustration with the state of Boeing's operations since the January accident

Major airlines are in a race to procure new fuel-efficient widebody jets to keep operating costs down and to cater to booming international travel demand

SpiceJet is currently operating about 1,362 flights per week, which is 16 per cent fewer services than a year ago, Cirium's data stated.

Aircraft maker Boeing and AI Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) will collaborate to enhance aircraft training activities in India. As part of the collaboration, Boeing will provide training materials, aids, and instructor support to help ensure the standardisation of AIESL training programmes. "AIESL will provide infrastructure and instructors, while securing Civil Aviation Regulation (CAR)147 approval from the Indian regulatory authority to conduct maintenance training for customers," Boeing said in a release on Tuesday. According to Boeing's 2023 Pilot and Technician Outlook, the country will require almost 33,000 pilots and 34,000 maintenance technicians through 2042. AIESL CEO Sharad Agarwal said the tie up with Boeing will go a long way in supporting industry requirements. "AIESL would be able to support training requirements for at least 100 engineers each year going forward," he added. In the release, Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam said the collaboration between

The shortfalls were found at both Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc., which makes most of the 737's fuselage, the Federal Aviation Administration said a statement on Monday

Russian forces threatened to shoot down French flights patrolling last month in international airspace over the Black Sea, signals of a particularly aggressive posture from Moscow as its invasion of Ukraine struggles to make headway, France's defense minister said Thursday. The minister, Sbastien Lecornu, didn't give specific details about the French flights or aircraft involved in the threatened shootdown. But he said Russia was returning to a particularly aggressive posture reminiscent of the former Soviet Union's behaviour during the Cold War. A month ago, to give you a very concrete example, a Russian air traffic control system threatened to shoot down French aircraft in the Black Sea when we were in a free international zone where we patrol," he said on RTL radio. The behaviour of Russia in 2024 bears no relation to what we saw in 2022 and, obviously, before the aggression in Ukraine, the minister said. It is explained by the fact that Russia is in difficulty on the battlefiel

Laser strikes aimed at aircraft including airline planes surged 41% last year to a record high, according to federal officials. The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that it received 13,304 reports from pilots about laser strikes last year, erasing a record set in 2021. Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety hazard that puts everyone on the plane and on the ground at risk, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a video posted by the agency. The FAA said pilots have reported 313 injuries since the agency started keeping records in 2010. Each of the last five months of 2023 surpassed the previous high month, November 2021. The full-year rise over 2022 numbers easily topped the 28% increase in reported incidents from 2016 to 2022. Authorities blame the surge in attacks on factors including the widespread sale of inexpensive lasers in stores and online, stronger devices that can hit planes at higher altitudes, and the increased awareness among pilots to report

With more than Rs 900 crore funding coming in this month, SpiceJet will focus on upgradation of its fleet and cost-cutting measures, as the no-frills airline works on ways to come out of turbulent times. In an internal note to the senior staff on Monday, the airline said it now has a substantial bank balance of more than Rs 900 crore, including Rs 160 crore received as an instalment under the government's Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS). The carrier, which had been facing multiple headwinds in recent months, has so far received around Rs 1,000 crore under the ECLGS. The latest instalment came recently after its Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh infused funds into the airline, according to an official in the know. Singh, who has been helming the no-frills carrier, has so far put in Rs 200 crore out of the Rs 500 crore fund infusion that he had announced last year. The official said the airline has garnered a total of more than Rs 1,100 crore funds in three ..

Alaska Air CEO Ben Minicucci echoed the sentiment, saying the carrier will "hold Boeing's feet to the fire to make sure we get good airplanes"

Airbus on Friday said it has signed an HCare Initial contract, a comprehensive by-the-hour services deal, with Heligo Charter Private Limited for six Airbus H145 helicopters deployed for offshore and onshore operations in India. A press release from the aircraft maker said under this five-year contract, Heligo will benefit from Airbus's HCare Initial programme, which will give the operator the freedom to replace scheduled and unscheduled components within 24 hours and pay a fixed rate per hour of helicopter flown. This will help Heligo bring down its maintenance costs and do away with the need to keep a regular inventory, thereby providing it with enhanced fleet availability for streamlined operations, it said. "We are proud to be the first operator to offer a fleet of Airbus Helicopters' 5-bladed H145 to ONGC for offshore operations in India. Once these helicopters are delivered this year, Heligo will have the largest H145 fleet in India serving both offshore and onshore missions,

Air services operator JetSetGo has signed a 280 hybrid-electric aircraft deal, including 130 on option, worth over USD 1.3-billion with three global aviation tech firms. These planes can be deployed for airport transfers, regional connectivity, inter-city commute, intra-city shuttles and urban air taxis, JetSetGo said. The strategic collaboration with Electra.aero, Horizon Aircraft and Overair, was unveiled at the on-going mega aviation event Wings India 2024 in Hyderabad. "As part of the agreements signed this week, JetSetGo is set to acquire 150 aircraft for an aggregate deal value of USD 780 million. "The agreements include further options to acquire additional aircrafts for a potential fleet size of 280 to scale its innovative air mobility solutions, raising the overall deal value of above USD 1.3 billion," the company said. Advanced Air Mobility utilizes new aviation technologies like electric and hybrid-electric propulsion to enable air taxi-style services for short distance

The bolts were meant to secure the door panel that suddenly broke loose on Jan. 5, when Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 was climbing toward cruising altitude with 171 passengers aboard

Aircraft that has three-class cabin configuration will later be used for 'destinations across continents'

India stands out as a major purchaser of aircraft, with major domestic airline operators such as Air India and IndiGo placing two of the world's largest aircraft orders with Airbus and Boeing