Neha Jain: http://indianairlinesnews.blogspot.com/ 31

1. The pigsty that is civil aviation in India (Part II)

The next time you take a flight, demand photocopies of licences, insurances, minimum equipment list and airworthiness documents to satisfy yourself that it’s safe to fly. Else, just walk off the aircraft. It’s the only weapon air travelers have to make a reasoned argument about deficiencies in airlines. And we have a responsibility to try and clean this mess

It is not amazing anymore what a weekend with some cricket can do to divert attention from real issues in India. Be it corruption scams, energy crisis, water shortage, or the latest on pilots with fake licences generated through methods used by much-maligned auto-rickshaw drivers. Actually, at least the
auto-rickshaw drivers are often honest about things, and now and then seem to also be part of attempts to improve or fix the system-as many of us would have observed by the slogans and couplets painted on their vehicles.

Have we ever seen any such attempts on airplanes? No way. Fancy in-flight magazines aside, nothing. The idea is-don't make noise. Mainstream media will not make a noise-airlines are among their largest advertisers, and besides, all those free seats and upgrades mean a lot too. Airline employee unions will not make noise-too many of their friends and family members want to be pilots, I guess,by any means possible. Airlines themselves will not make a noise-the idea is to simply remain technically "airworthy" and the insurance companies will look after the rest, and as for reputation, a new colour scheme as well as "re-branding" is good for everybody if an incident should occur.

And aircraft manufacturers, will they make a noise about their planes being flown by auto-rickshaw driver incarnates? No way! They have to-right you are-sell more planes. As simple as that. That the airline manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, have been concerned about the issue of fake and even sub-standard pilots in and around India, has been open knowledge for some time now.

So now, time for airlines, manufacturers and their employees to go in for "noise abatement procedures", a process which we know airlines are good at. Meanwhile, a few junior to mid-level officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will apparently carry the can; some more sacrifices shall be made to the Gods of Lucre, and life will go on. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) will be prevailed upon not to place India on their blacklist (again), as India packs a punch there, and the "flying schools" will re-invent themselves.

And the head of the DGCA has the nerve to call this an "aberration". That's really, really, rich. Noisily rich.

The "noise" in Delhi this weekend has been all about the Mohali cricket match. And the attention has all been towards a summit on "luxury", which for those who go deeper into these things, is a desperate attempt by the purveyors of expensive beads and baubles to try and desperately recover from the sudden drop in sales in Japan and China-one due to the tsunami and the other due to a change in spending patterns. Cricket is cricket, in India, so that's something else. But on "luxury", an 80% discount at the Hugo Boss showroom close to where I live says it all-luxury is aspirational in India, but we want it at 80% discount.

On the other hand, the "non-noise" silence and ostrich-head-in-the-sand approach being taken by pilots as well as airlines in India, is not only deafening, it is positively criminal. Commercial pilots and their multiple associations and unions, who have in the past not hesitated from going in for labour action for minor and silly reasons and manipulated the media brilliantly, have simply not even bothered to comment or come before the media so far. Barring a few sad looking young pilots, bleating plaintively as they are escorted away to spend quality time with pickpockets and whores, complaining that they spent so much money and now deserve sympathy-nothing.

As for the airlines, it seems as if they are treating this issue as nothing more than a bad smell which may soon pass away like a whiff of smoke, so that they can go back to their business. Barring the suspension or sacking of a few pilots, the rest has been one rapid cover-up operation-business as usual, and resolve as quickly the minor issues of passengers suddenly looking into the cockpit to see what the pilot really looks like. After all, they know the truth. It is not just the young recently employed pilots who were working on fake licences. Look around, check out some of the older and senior pilots, do a double-check on the engineers and figure out. Better to close ranks and not make waves-or clear air turbulence, in this case.

Not that there aren't good and qualified people in the aviation industry in India. Sure there are. But the truth be simply told, they were and are aware of what is going on, and have all been in some way or
the other, compromised. The rot is so deep that anybody who speaks or breathes against it internally is going to suffer.

2. Afghan cargo airline destinations likely to include India

certified under the new, internationally compliant Afghan aviation standards, acquired four CASA 212-00 ramp-loading cargo planes from EADS CASA.
The aircraft will make stops in Malta and the UAE for final inspection, maintenance and pilot training before proceeding on to Afghanistan, a statement from the company said.

Once the aircraft arrive in Afghanistan, East Horizon will complete the final operational preparations necessary for the grant of an air operator's certificate (AOC) by the Afghan Aviation Ministry.

East Horizon executives expect the final operating certificate to be awarded in May, 2011, with the airline planning to begin cargo operations the day after the AOC is awarded.

The start of operations will be a welcome milestone for a country determined to rebuild and redevelop its national infrastructure following years of unrest.

"We are a 100 per cent Afghan-owned cargo airline dedicated to supporting and accelerating the re-development of Afghanistan by moving reconstruction materials across the country more safely and quickly than is currently possible," said East Horizon Airlines Chairman Fawad Sultani.

He also emphasised the new airline's mission to build commerce both within Afghanistan and between the country and its neighbours, accelerating the process by bringing fast, safe and reliable air cargo service to remote cities and towns which have had little or no air cargo service before.

"As the first airline designed from the ground up to comply with the new internationally-recognised Afghanistan civil aviation regulations, East Horizon Airlines will lead the way as a new Afghan aviation industry emerges," added Sultani.

The airline's first operational routes will be inside Afghanistan, moving cargo quickly and safely from Kabul to smaller Afghan cities, which have previously been dependent on slower, less dependable truck delivery of goods.

East Horizon Airlines selected the CASA 212-100 as the first aircraft in its fleet because of its capacity, reliability and strong safety record, with its excellent short take-off and landing performance also a key consideration.

"The CASA 212-100 can take off from unimproved landing areas in as little as 1,500 feet. That sort of performance is essential when we are trying to serve remote cities and towns which have had little or no air cargo service previously, because they may not have a conventional airstrip," said East Horizon Airlines Chief Executive Officer Peter Donlevy.

East Horizon will have a fleet of five aircraft in operation by the end of the year, with further expansion planned over the next two to three years as market demand dictates.

3. Heat on AI over fuel dues
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Under pressure
New Delhi, March 30: State-owned oil firms have demanded that Air India should come out with a road map to clear over Rs 2,400 crore jet fuel dues and make upfront payment for future purchases.

According to officials in the civil aviation ministry, the government is likely to encourage Air India to submit a payout plan, but it is unlikely that the oil firms will be allowed to ask for full upfront payment. “The national carrier is going through a bad patch and other PSUs have to be a little understanding,” officials said.

Air India has defaulted on the payment of about Rs 2,000 crore in jet fuel bills since last year, and the total amount outstanding has crossed Rs 2,400 crore after including Rs 400 crore in interests, industry officials said.

“Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum suffer huge losses on selling petrol, diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene way below their production cost and to expect them to sell ATF (aviation turbine fuel) at subsidised rates is not acceptable,” oil industry sources said.

Oil firms have put Air India on cash-and-carry since December. Air India buys jet fuel worth Rs 18.5 crore per day from the three PSU oil firms but pays only Rs 13.5 crore, leading to oil firms threatening to stop supplies beyond what the airline pays for.

However, the cash-strapped carrier has got a month-long breather for clearing the dues after a meeting of a committee of secretaries headed by cabinet secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar.

Oil firms give a discount of Rs 1,600-1,800 per kilolitre to private airlines on the promise of assured payment.

4. InterGlobe launches range of supercars and bikes
InterGlobe General Aviation has launched a wide array of super-luxury transportation portfolio in India on the back of increasing demand for luxury products. The company estimates $14.72 billion worth of luxury products coming into India by 2015 compared with $4.6 billion in 2009.

The range to be sold under a new brand named 'The Estd' spans across products such as light jet planes, supercars, custom-built motorcycles and luxury yachts. We've put together a collection of the products launched by the company for you to enjoy along with the technical and pricing details.

NEHA JAIN

International Airlines Training Expo