Helicopter

Gangs on Thursday opened fire and hit a UN helicopter as it prepared to land in Port-au-Prince, marking the latest attack in Haiti's capital as violence surges once again. No one was injured as several rounds of gunfire hit the helicopter that was carrying three crew members and 15 passengers, according to a UN source who was not authorised to confirm the incident. The helicopter landed safely. The attack comes five months after Haiti's main international airport reopened following coordinated gang attacks that forced it to close for nearly three months. The violence has spilled to nearby areas including Arcahaie, where some 50 suspected gang members died this week after attacking the coastal town located just northwest of the capital. Among the dead are at least a dozen gunmen who drowned after their boat capsized, a government official said Thursday. While the majority were killed by police, a group of gunmen drowned on Wednesday after their boat hit the reef as they ferried ...

Shares of major insurance companies like Star Health, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, and Go Digit General Insurance traded in the red due to concerns over insurance premium GST rates

At the Shakti engine's current unit price of Rs 8-10 cr, the expense on these engines would amount to Rs 40,000-50,000 cr

Expanding the helicopter industry presents a significant opportunity and the government is set to advance towards manufacturing helicopters, Union Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said on Friday. India is poised for a significant transformation in its aviation sector with the introduction of the Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill, 2024, he said. The Bill was moved for passage in the Lok Sabha on Friday. It promises to enhance the country's aviation capabilities, including helicopter manufacturing and the introduction of seaplanes. In a speech delivered while introducing the Bill, the minister highlighted the potential for growth in India's helicopter industry, noting that the country operated just 250 helicopters at present. "This is a great opportunity to tap into. We are going to manufacture helicopters and the state-of-design element in the Bill will improve the establishment of manufacturing plants and designs," he said. The minister expressed confidence that once the .

CM Dhami inspected the rescue operations in the Rudraprayag district affected by heavy rains resulting in landslides in the region

European major Airbus has shortlisted eight sites in India for setting up its final assembly line for H125 helicopters and the ground-breaking ceremony for the facility is expected later this year. The facility, which will be the fourth Final Assembly Line (FAL) for the single engine H125, will initially produce up to 10 helicopters annually and the capacity will be ramped up depending on the market demand, Airbus officials said. "India is the market of the future for helicopters... at present, the market is extremely embryonic, it is very small compared to what the potential could be," Olivier Michalon, Executive Vice President Global Business of Airbus Helicopters, said. The ground breaking ceremony for the FAL is expected in October or November this year and the facility will be operational in 2026 and the delivery is anticipated to start towards the end of 2026. "We have identified eight sites which we are currently assessing. We are still in the final assessment stage. We shou

A helicopter with seven people, including pilgrims, on board made an emergency landing in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath after developing a technical snag early on Friday. The helicopter landed a few metres from the helipad at the Himalayan temple, an official said. It was carrying seven people, including six pilgrims and the pilot. Everyone is safe, he said. Rudraprayag District Magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar said the helicopter took off from the Sirsi helipad for Kedarnath early on Friday. It developed a technical snag in its rear motor, prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing a few metres from the helipad in Kedarnath, he said citing preliminary reports. The pilot kept his cool and took a quick decision, averting a major mishap, Gaharwar said. Everyone is safe and the pilgrims have even returned after having "darshan" at the temple, he added. The incident occurred around 7 am and further investigations are underway, Gaharwar said.

The pilot of a helicopter was injured after it tilted during landing in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Friday, a police official said. The chopper was scheduled to pick Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare for a public rally in connection with the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, he said. The helicopter got tilted when the pilot tried to land on a makeshift helipad at Mahad around 9.30 am, he said. While the pilot suffered injuries, the helicopter's rotor blades got damaged in the incident, he said, citing preliminary findings.

BJP, Congress dominate advance bookings, helicopter charter firms say

The Indian Army raised its first squadron of Apache attack helicopters in Rajasthan on Friday seeking to support ground operations in the western sector, officials said. Sources said the squadron has been raised in Jodhpur. The Indian Army raised its first squadron of Apache attack helicopters today in the presence of Army Aviation Corps' Director General, Lt Gen Ajay Suri, officials said. The squadron will support ground operations in the western sector, they added. The delivery of the Apache attack helicopters is expected to start in May, officials said. Manufactured by American aerospace major Boeing, Apache is one of the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopters and is flown by the US Army. The Indian Air Force already operates a fleet of these attack helicopters.

Following the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the Ministry of Defence signed two contracts for a combined value of Rs 8073.17 crore with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bengaluru, on Wednesday, an official statement said.The contracts were signed for the acquisition of 34 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Dhruv Mk III along with Operational Role Equipment for the Indian Army (25 ALHs) and Indian Coast Guard (09 ALHs) under the Buy (Indian-IDDM--Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category, marking a significant move towards indigenisation in defence manufacturing.According to the Ministry of Defence, the ALH Dhruv Mk III UT (Utility), the Indian Army version, is designed for Search & Rescue, Troop Transportation, Internal Cargo, Recce/and casualty evacuation, etc. It has proven its performance in high-altitude regions like Siachen Glacier and Ladakh.The ALH Mk III MR (Maritime Role), the ICG version, is designed for maritime surveillance ..

The Maldivian defence force on Thursday said it will have operational authority over the helicopter given by India to the island nation and the civilian crew that will pilot it. Addressing a press conference, the Principal Director of Plans, Policy, and Resources Management for the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), Colonel Ahmed Mujuthaba Mohamed said that discussions are underway for withdrawing Indian troops from the Maldives. He emphasised that the government of President Mohamed Muizzu has decided not to permit any foreign troops to remain stationed in the Maldives beyond May 10, PSM News, the state broadcaster reported. Last week, India said its first civilian team of technical experts has reached the Maldives to replace the military personnel operating an advanced light helicopter in the island nation. "The first team of technical personnel to operate the advanced light helicopter has reached the Maldives. It will replace the existing personnel who were operating this .

Airbus has received approval from aviation regulator DGCA for its new generation H160 helicopter in India. More than 100 helicopters of Airbus, including the single-engine H125, are being operated by various entities in the country. In a release on Thursday, Airbus said its H160 helicopter has been granted the letter of type acceptance by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that will pave the way for its entry into the Indian market. A multi-role helicopter, H160 can be used for offshore transportation, emergency medical services, private and business aviation and public services, among others. Sunny Guglani, Head of Airbus Helicopters, Airbus India and South Asia, said the DGCA approval paves the way for the introduction of the world's most modern helicopter in India starting with a corporate customer followed by the potential deployment for other types of missions. "Airbus Helicopters is committed to developing a holistic helicopter ecosystem in India, including ...

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,

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will inaugurate the helicopter service from Lucknow

"The booking schedule and fare rates will be finalised on the evening of January 16 and the distance from Lucknow to Ayodhya can be covered in just 30-40 minutes," it added

The minister, however, did not give a specific date. "The services will start before January 22."

UP Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said the introduction of this epoch-making heliport service would open new vistas of tourism growth and development opportunities

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited applied for European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification of Helicopter 1 in 2009 to enhance its export potential to European countries, but failed to anticipate stringent requirements of EASA which took longer time for compliance and a consequential additional fee, a CAG report has found. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)- Union Government (Public Sector Undertakings Ministry of Defence) for the year ended March 2020 Report No 18 of 2023 was presented in Parliament on Thursday, according to an official statement. "The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) also failed to identify technical experts to avail consultancy services for timely compliance of the stringent requirements of EASA. The expenditure of Rs 108.24 crore incurred was impaired," it said. As on March 31, 2021, there were nine main defence PSUs, six subsidiaries and two joint venture companies under the Ministry of Defence, the CAG has said in the report. On ..

The Nepal government has formed a four-member panel to probe the deadly helicopter crash near Mount Everest in the country's eastern region, authorities said on Wednesday. The Manang Air helicopter 9N-AMV crashed on Tuesday, killing all six people on board, including five members of a Mexican family. The probe committee is headed by Budhisagar Lamichhane, joint secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, according to the ministry sources. The helicopter took off from Surke Airport in Solukhumbu district at 10.04 am for Kathmandu and suddenly lost contact at an altitude above 12,000 feet at 10.13 am. The helicopter crashed in the Lamjura area of Likhupike Rural Municipality in the remote mountainous Solukhumbu district. A meeting of the Council of Ministers convened at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers at Singha Durbar on Tuesday expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the crash and decided to form a committee to probe it, cabinet source