Video: Interglobe's new A320 flight simulator training centre near New Delhi

by Devesh Agarwal

Late last month we reported on the Interglobe-CAE joint venture simulator training centre near New Delhi. Here is a video promotion of the same facility.


With a hat-tip to @neelammathews

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Boeing and Korean Air commence construction of new aviation training facility

By BA Staff

Boeing participated in a groundbreaking ceremony with Incheon and Korean Air for construction of Korea's largest new aviation training facility to be located in Incheon's Free Economic Zone (IFEZ).

The new campus, which is slated to open in 2015, will allow Boeing to expand the scope of its training business in Korea and continue its long-standing training relationship with Korean Air.

The facility, once complete, will house 12 full-flight simulators for pilot training programs supporting Korean Air's flight training needs.
Once the campus is complete, Boeing will relocate its existing training support staff and equipment to the new facility.

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InterGlobe and CAE inaugurate India’s largest pilot training facility

by Devesh Agarwal

Rahul Bhatia, InterGlobe, Marc Parent, CAE

InterGlobe Enterprises, the parent company of India’s largest domestic airline, IndiGo, and CAE, a global leader in flight simulators and training, inaugurated India’s largest pilot training facility in India. Located in Greater Noida, in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Centre, CAE Simulation Training Private Limited (CSTPL), is a joint venture between InterGlobe Enterprises and CAE with an initial investment of $25 million.

The Centre starts with two CAE Series 5000 A320 full-flight simulators certified level D, and has the capacity to expand to six simulators. The facility provides "wet" and "dry" type-rating, recurrent, conversion and jet indoctrination training for commercial aircraft pilots of IndiGo, and will commence training, GoAir’s A320 pilots from December. CSTPL will also be the first centre in India to impart Airbus certified training, and can train up to 5,000 pilots per year.

CSTPL is the fourth aviation training location that CAE operates in India. CAE already trains more than 1,500 crew members every year at its training centre in Bengaluru, the first independent training centre in India and the first to earn approval as a fixed-wing Type Rating Training Organisation (TRTO). CAE also operates a joint venture helicopter training centre in Bengaluru and in partnership with the Government of India, CAE operates ab-initio flight schools in Gondia and Rae Bareli, located in the parliamentary constituencies of former civi aviation minister Praful Patel, and India's first political dynasty, the Gandhis.

India is expected to be the fourth largest aviation market in the world, with a large demand for narrow-body pilots. IndiGo and GoAir have placed orders for 180 and 72 A320 family aircraft respectively. IndiGo already has 71 A320-232 aircraft in its fleet from an original order for 100 A320s.

The country's other two major carriers, Air India and Jet Airways have their own in-house training facilities.
 

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FAA issues final rule on pilot training

By BA Staff

The United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a final rule on the training of commercial air carrier pilots.  

The final rule stems in part from the crash of Colgan Air 3407 in February 2009 near Buffalo, NY, and addresses a Congressional mandate in the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 to ensure enhanced pilot training. This rule is one of several rulemakings required by the Act, including the requirements to prevent pilot fatigue that were finalized in December 2011, and the increased qualification requirements for first officers who fly U.S. passenger and cargo planes that were issued  in July 2013.
The final rule requires:

• ground and flight training that enables pilots to prevent and recover from aircraft stalls and upsets.  These new training standards will impact future simulator standards as well;
• air carriers to use data to track remedial training for pilots with performance deficiencies, such as failing a proficiency check or unsatisfactory performance during flight training;
• training for more effective pilot monitoring;
• enhanced runway safety procedures; and
• expanded crosswind training, including training for wind gusts.

In addition, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta is inviting the nation’s commercial aviation safety leaders to Washington, D.C. on November 21, to discuss additional voluntary steps that can be taken to further boost safety during airline operations, including pilot training.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said:

“Today’s rule is a significant advancement for aviation safety and U.S. pilot training. One of my first meetings as Transportation Secretary was with the Colgan Flight 3407 families, and today, I am proud to announce that with their help, the FAA has now added improved pilot training to its many other efforts to strengthen aviation safety.”

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said:

"This pivotal rule will give our nation’s pilots the most advanced training available. While the rule marks a major step toward addressing the greatest known risk areas in pilot training, I’m also calling on the commercial aviation industry to continue to move forward with voluntary initiatives to make air carrier training programs as robust as possible.”

The FAA proposed to revise the training rules for pilots in 2009, one month prior to the Colgan Flight 3407 accident. The FAA issued a supplemental proposal on May 20, 2011, to address many of the NTSB’s recommendations resulting from the accident, and incorporate congressional mandates for stick pusher, stall recovery and remedial training.  A stick pusher is a safety system that applies downward elevator pressure to prevent an airplane from exceeding a predetermined angle of attack in order to avoid, identify, or assist in the recovery of a stall.

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Boeing Forecasts Growing Need for New Pilots in Asia Pacific Region

By BA Staff

Boeing projects that the Asia Pacific region will continue to lead the globe in demand for hundreds of thousands of new commercial airline pilots and maintenance technicians to support expanding demand for new airplane deliveries over the next two decades.

The 2013 Boeing Pilot and Technician Outlook calls for 192,300 new commercial airline pilots and 215,300 new technicians in the Asia Pacific region through 2032.

Bob Bellitto, the global sales director for Boeing Flight Services said

"There is a very real, urgent demand for competent aviation personnel globally, and the Asia Pacific region is particularly impacted. While Boeing is investing in cutting-edge technologies to attract and retain young people interested in careers in aviation, this is an industry-wide issue that can only be solved with industry-wide solutions. Aviation is a great field to be in. We have a responsibility to make sure it's a viable career option for the world's youth. Tomorrow's aviation workforce is going to be very different than their present-day peers. We need to focus on their expectations for learning, moving away from paper and chalkboard-based techniques to incorporate tablets, eBooks, gaming technology and three-dimensional models."

Leading the region in projected demand for new pilots and technicians:

• China – 77,400 pilots and 93,900 technicians
• Southeast Asia – 48,100 pilots and 50,300 technicians

Other parts of the region will also continue to see long-term demand in the tens of thousands of pilots and technicians:

• Southwest Asia will need 30,900 pilots and 28,500 technicians
• Northeast Asia will need 18,500 pilots and 25,500 technicians
• The Oceania region will need 17,400 pilots and 17,100 technicians

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Bombardier CSeries flies for the first time

by Vinay Bhaskara

Earlier today at Montreal's shuttered Mirabel Airport (YMX), Bombardier's new CSeries jet flew for the first time today. The flight of CSeries flight test vehicle 1 (FTV1 - a CS100) was performed under perfect weather conditions in Montreal, and also represented the first flight for engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney's new PurePower geared turbo fan (GTF) engine.

The flight lasted two and a half hours, taking of at 9:55 am local time and landing again at 12:25 pm. It ended more than two weeks of constant speculation over the date of the CSeries' first flight as Bombardier battled unsuitable weather conditions in the Montreal area.

The flight was crewed by Captain Charles (Chuck) Ellis, Chief Flight Test Pilot, Bombardier Flight Test. He was joined by his colleagues, Capt. Andris (Andy) Litavniks and Andreas Hartono in the roles of First Officer and Flight Test Engineer respectively.

Captain Ellis had this to say about the first flight:

The performance of the CSeries aircraft was very impressive! We couldn’t have wished for a better maiden flight,....FTV1’s state-of-the-art flight deck was responsive and comfortable, and the aircraft handled exactly as expected. Overall, we had a very productive first flight and an excellent start to the flight test program.

During its first flight, the CSeries reached a height of 3,810 meters and an airspeed of 230 knots (426 km/hr). Several test were done in-flight including flap and landing gear retractions/extensions, in-flight maneuvers including a simulated landing, and validation of the flight control system.

Onlookers raved about how quiet the CSeries was on take off and landing, one of the benefits touted by Bombardier and Pratt & Whitney. A total of five CS100 test vehicles, in various stages of completion, will join the flight test program in coming months, and according to Bombardier, it will be months before acoustical testing is finished. The total flight test program is set to be around 2,400 hours.

The first flight is good news for the CSeries program, which has suffered under the weight of a long delay, rising costs (program cost is now projected at $4 billion, up from $3.5 billion), and strong competition from rival Embraer, whose E2 re-engine of its E-Jet family of aircraft has already won more than 100 orders after being offered for less than 3 months against 177 total orders for the CSeries after six years (63 CS100, 114 CS300).

The first flight of the CSeries and the Boeing 787-9 later this week will be the last major first flights for at least the next three years, until the A350-800, the 787-10, and the Embraer E2 all have their first flights in the 2016-2017 time frame.

The following video from Bombardier shows the take-off of the first flight.

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Working for an airline still top career choices for British kids

An independent survey of 650 children aged between six and twelve years, in the United Kingdom, shows that working for an airline is still on of the top career choices.

Boys Top Jobs (in order): Footballer, Pilot, Superhero, Policeman, Teacher

Girls Top Jobs (in order): Teacher, vet, nurse/doctor, air stewardess, popstar

Some of the more unusual jobs that children nominated were: a Formula One driver, a shark fisherman, an inventor, a monster truck driver, a pirate, a princess and very specifically – a tree house builder!

The findings also show regional differences; children in London and Wales grow up wanting to be pilots, kids in Northern Ireland aspire to be Superheroes, youngsters from the South West UK hope to be teachers, children in the North West of UK aspire to be footballers, and Scottish kids hope to be vets.

As official partner of Disney’s new movie ‘Planes’ British Airways has renamed an aircraft ‘Bulldog’ after the British aircraft in the film, voiced by John Cleese. The film will be shown on board flights from September.

Abigail Comber, British Airways head of marketing, said:

“It’s great to see that working for an airline is as popular today as it ever was – ranking in the top five jobs for boys. However, with more female pilots at British Airways than ever before, we were surprised to see this wasn’t more popular with girls. Nonetheless, I’m sure Planes will help inspire the British Airways pilots and cabin crew of the future!”

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Opinion: Air India pilots should not resort to scare tactics

by Devesh Agarwal

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) of the erstwhile Indian Airlines, who fly the narrow body A320 family fleet of national carrier Air India is resorting to scare tactics accusing the airline "of arbitrarily changing the flight operating procedures for narrow-body A320 aircraft, affecting flight safety."

The issue revolves around the carrier's decision to reduce the acceleration altitude to 800 feet AGL (above ground level).

Bangalore Aviation readers will recall our report last month on German carrier Lufthansa reducing its take-off acceleration altitude, as a method to save fuel and reduce harmful emissions.

Immediately after take off, an aircraft usually ascends at a constant speed with the flaps extended until it reaches a certain altitude. In an effort to preserve engines, and since most modern aircraft generally do not require the maximum thrust available, a reduced level of take-off thrust is used. When the aircraft reaches a certain initial target altitude, the engines thrust is reduced, flaps retracted, and then the aircraft is switched to climb thrust. Soon after that the aircraft starts speeding up. The altitude at which the speed increase begins is called the acceleration altitude. This is also when the aircraft commences entering a "clean configuration" which is flaps up, etc. - a configuration it will fly in.

In India, IndiGo was one of the first airlines to work on reducing the acceleration altitude. Initially it was driven by safety as a counter measure to avoid bird strikes, so common around Indian airports. The Airbus A320 typically maintains an angle of 15 degrees when it takes-off, till it reaches the clean configuration. This high nose-up attitude prevents forward visibility and thus prevents the pilots from taking any corrective action in case of bird activity. An additional benefit was fuel savings. The airline worked closely with aircraft manufacturer Airbus, and today the airline commences flap retraction at 500 feet AGL and enters a clean configuration before 1,000 feet. The two Boeing 737 operators in India, Jet Airways and SpiceJet too maintain an acceleration altitude of 800 feet AGL.

The flap with the pilots appears to be, that a Regional Director issued the norms instead of a senior person like a Director Flight Operations, or a Director Training and it is altogether possible the egos of these pilots are bruised. On the flip side, I acknowledge that proper procedure and protocol should be followed, but my issue is the public scare tactics the pilots are resorting to. It hurts the image of an airline, and it hurts the image of the pilots themselves, who are already perceived as a pampered and selfish lot. Today's companies are teams and employee loyalty is a critical component to their very survival.

Air India is making a change that is already being practised by its fellow airlines, and one that will save it money.

I, for one, would expect to see the pilots of the ICPA support such proven cost saving initiatives.

Do feel free to post your comment in agreement or disagreement. I would like to hear from other pilots, especially A320 pilots. Just request to keep the comment clean and civil. We do have the young generation reading this site.

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FAA significantly enhances pilot qualification standards

by Devesh Agarwal

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced today that it is increasing the qualification requirements for first officers who fly for U.S. passenger and cargo airlines.

The rule requires first officers – also known as co-pilots – to hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, requiring 1,500 hours total time as a pilot. Previously, first officers were required to have only a commercial pilot certificate, which requires 250 hours of flight time.

The rule also requires first officers to have an aircraft type rating, which involves additional training and testing specific to the airplanes they fly.

The new regulations stem in part from the tragic crash of Colgan Air 3407 in February 2009 near Buffalo, New York, and address a Congressional mandate in the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 to ensure that both pilots and co-pilots receive the ATP certification. Today’s rule is one of several rulemakings required by the Act, including the new flight duty and rest requirements for pilots that were finalized in December 2011, and new training requirements expected this fall for air carrier training programs to ensure pilots know how to react properly in difficult operating environments.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said

"The rule gives first officers a stronger foundation of aeronautical knowledge and experience before they fly for an air carrier,” “With this rule and our efforts to address pilot fatigue – both initiatives championed by the families of Colgan flight 3407 – we're making a safe system even safer."

Other highlights of the rule include:

• A requirement for a pilot to have a minimum of 1,000 flight hours as a co-pilot in air carrier operations prior to serving as a captain for a U.S. airline.
• Enhanced training requirements for an ATP certificate, including 50 hours of multi-engine flight experience and completion of a new FAA-approved training program.
• An allowance for pilots with fewer than 1,500 hours of flight time or who have not reached the minimum age of 23 to obtain a “restricted privileges” ATP certificate. A restricted privileges ATP certificate allows a pilot to serve as a co-pilot until he or she obtains the necessary 1,500 hours. The options are:
• Military pilots with 750 hours total time as a pilot;
• Graduates holding a Bachelor’s degree with an aviation major with 1,000 hours total time as a pilot;
• Graduates holding an Associate’s degree with an aviation major with 1,250 hours;

• Pilots who are at least 21 years old with 1,500 flight hours.


The rule is consistent with the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010. The rule addresses recommendations from an Aviation Rulemaking Committee, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the FAA’s Call to Action to improve airline safety.

The rule can be viewed at: http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/recently_published/media/2120-AJ67.pdf 


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Video: Breitling Jet Team visits Cathay Pacific pilots and training centre

The Breitling Jet Team is the largest civilian aerobatic display team in Europe. The team which commenced sponsorship by the Swiss timepiece manufacturer in 2010, is based in Dijon, France, and flies the Czech made Aero L-39 Albatros, the most widely used jet trainer in the world.

As one of the pilots in the video says "Flying is an art" and all pilots past and present share the motivation and passion for soaring in the skies. These "soft" aspects of the profession of piloting touched an emotional chord, and I only wonder "what-if"? I had not listened to my father 32 years ago. In the video there are also subtle references to the Breitling watches, a long time favourites of pilots, and in the interests of full disclosure, I have been wearing a Breitling for over 15 years.



Do visit the web site of The Breitling Jet Team for more information on them.

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Indian Navy receives first Boeing P-8i maritime aircraft

The Indian Navy has taken on-site delivery of the first of its ordered eight Boeing P-8i long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The order was placed on January 1, 2009.

Indian Navy pilots are training on this aircraft in the USA, and expect to ferry this aircraft to India around May 2013.

The Boeing P-8I is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft first developed for the US Navy, as a replacement to the ageing P3C Orion, on the successful Boeing 737 airframe.

The P-8I has been customised for India, and the platform's electronics are crucially required in plugging the huge gaps in the Indian Navy's maritime monitoring and surveillance capabilities. The P-8I will also be armed with the deadly, anti-ship, Harpoon missiles, torpedoes and depth bombs to give them potent anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capability.

The P-8I will replace the ageing and fuel-guzzling Russian Tupolev-142Ms of the Indian Navy. Presently, the Navy uses the TU-142Ms, IL-38SDs and Dorniers for surveillance operations in the Indian Ocean region.

Boeing is expected to deliver two more P-8Is during 2013.

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Video: IndiGo continues chic look with new pilots' uniforms

A little more that two years ago, India's largest domestic airline, IndiGo, updated its stewardess' uniforms to reflect a hot, chic and youthful look (see photos here). Now, IndiGo, has unveiled an equally chic and youthful look on its pilots.

The new uniform, designed by famous fashion designer Rajesh Pratap Singh, has a navy blue bomber jacket, while shirt, and trousers.



The bomber jacket breaks with tradition which sees most airlines dress their pilots in shirts and coats.

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Opinion: A date of ignominy in the Kingfisher Airline calendar

2010 Kingfisher Calendar. Copyright KingfisherWorld

Kingfisher is known for its super-sexy swimsuit calendar, featuring some of the most beautiful women in the world, and Kingfisher Airline's Chairman Dr. Vijay Mallya's son, Sidhartha, may love cavorting on the beach with them, but yesterday, October 4, 2012, witnessed a tragedy, and was, to borrow the words of FDR, a date that will live in infamy for the financially imploding airline.

The wife of one its employees committed suicide due to non-payment of her husband's salary for over six months.

Sushmita Chakraborti was not a model on a fancy calendar, nor would either of the Mallya father or son, like to cavort on the beach with her; she was the poor, 45 year old wife of a retired Indian Air Force officer, Manas Chakraborti, who is working, salary unpaid, as an engineer with Kingfisher Airlines. Living in a LIG (low income group) housing colony in airport suburb of Dwarka, in New Delhi, where she hung herself, she was the mother of an 18 year old college going son.

CNN-IBN reports, in her suicide note, Sushmita wrote,

"My husband works with Kingfisher where they have not paid him salary for the last six months. We are in acute financial crisis and so I am committing suicide"

Mrs. Chakraborti's suicide has stained in blood the Kingfisher Airline's image, and forever damaged the already tarnished the Kingfisher brand, once valued at over Rs. 1,000 Crore. The contagion is already spreading. The Reserve Bank of India has already instructed banks not to use the brand as collateral for loans.

Her death is in stark contrast to the extravagant uber-lavish lifestyle of the Mallyas, which has been loudly condemned across the country, yet shows no sign of abating. Even as Sushmita was dying, Dr. Vijay Mallya was overseas, reportedly on a vacation, leaving the airline CEO, Sanjay Aggarwal, to meet with Government officials, Kingfisher pilots, engineers, and other employees, with the same helpless platitudes that has plagued the airline for over a year. He too, he says, has not been paid his salary.

While many Kingfisher employees held candlelight vigils around the nation, in support of the grieving family, CNN-IBN reported, the airline’s company secretary Bharath Raghavan resigned.

Yesterday too, the airline extended the lockout to October 12, 2012, blaming the employees for "illegally" striking. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Last yesterday, in a clear sign of the political clout of Vijay Mallya, the Income Tax department agreed to unfreeze the airline's bank accounts containing about Rs. 60 Crore. The authorities had frozen these accounts in May this year, when Kingfisher failed to deposit the withheld income taxes, deducted from employees salaries, since March 2009. This apart from non payment of service tax to the Excise department. It is important to note, that there is no sign that either Kingfisher Airlines or Dr. Mallya have cleared this liability.

Continuing the clout, the banks, who are owned more than Rs. 8,000 Crore by Kingfisher, and who, by their own admission, do not have collateral worth more than 10% of the loans, have agreed to release this money towards payment of employee salaries. Now, whether this money will be disbursed to the unpaid employees or squandered in more fancy lifestyle displays, is not known.

As this tumultuous week comes to a close, we offer our sincerest condolences to the Chakraborti family, and condemn the actions of the airline, its leader, and all his political benefactors who have allowed circumstances to degrade in to an abyss, resulting in this tragic act of desperation. Yesterday was a day of ignominy for you Dr. Mallya.

Comments are welcome. Messages of support are welcome. Any defence of Kingfisher or Dr. Vijay Mallya is very welcome. And last but not the least, please do cast your vote in our survey whether Kingfisher Airlines should be allowed to continue or be closed.

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Share your view: Strikers manhandle fellow employees at Kingfisher Airlines disrupting flights across the network

Our topic of this week comes thanks to the financial troubles at Kingfisher Airlines.

The flights of the financially ailing carrier have been disrupted across its India network due to striking engineers.

As per media reports, striking employees, after hearing that some employees received salaries, manhandled fellow employees, beat up a management executive, held passengers hostage aboard a flight for over three and half hours by refusing to connect aero-bridges or ladders to the arriving aircraft.

A statement issued by Prakash Mirpuri, Vice President-Corporate Communications, Kingfisher Airlines Limited, said

A section of employees of Kingfisher Airlines has not been reporting to work over the last fortnight and over the past 2 days, they have been threatening and even manhandling the other employees who are reporting to work as usual. We are anticipating disruptions and/or delays of flights across our network on October 1, 2012 as it is likely that a section of employees of Kingfisher Airlines may not report to work due to such threats. With a view to mitigating the impact of these anticipated disruptions, we are proactively cancelling several flights across our network for October 1, 2012.

As per the Press Trust of India, pilots from Mumbai have joined the striking engineers, adding to the disruptions. Mirpuri went on to say

We are monitoring the situation and continue to engage with this section of employees to see reason as such action is not only detrimental to the company but directly impacts the travelling public and it will be our endeavour to resolve the situation and restore normal operations at the earliest.

Unfortunately, it appears that non-payment of salaries have frayed the patience of the employees to breaking point. This does not appear to be a one or two wildcat strike. This is serious and appears long term.

The attack on an executive is a milder shade of one of the worst and recent industrial unrest in India, at Maruti's Manesar plant, which resulted in death, as is the holding of passengers hostage.

The country's civil aviation regulator the DGCA has indicated it will review the situation.

The platitudes offered by Mirpuri, though genuine, may not be enough to placate irate customers

We deeply regret any inconvenience that may be caused to our valued guests on account of this unprecedented action by a small section of employees and we are doing our best to minimise the impact of these anticipated disruptions.

Your thoughts please? What should Kingfisher Airlines now do? Share your thoughts via a comment.

Please remember, our DISQUS comment system also allows you to share your comments via Twitter and Facebook too. In case you want the airline to hear your comment via Twitter (we cannot guarantee they will read them), use their tag @flykingfisher in the start of your comment and share via Twitter. You can also tag the Chairman of the airline, @TheVijayMallya.

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Honeywell Technology Solutions trains its aerospace engineers as pilots. A first in India.

In a first of its kind in the Indian aerospace industry, Honeywell Aerospace and Honeywell Technology Solutions (HTS) trained 16 of its development engineers and graduated them with a private pilot's license (PPL). The PPL training was started in 2010 to train HTS engineers to think and act like pilots in real flight conditions.

There has always been a gap between pilots, and engineers developing aerospace and avionics solutions. With this training, Honeywell hopes to improve the engineers' understanding of the challenges pilots face, which leads to better determination of product requirements from a pilot’s perspective. Engineers also improve their technical communications skills in the language of pilots, improving Honeywell delivery of aerospace and avionics solutions.

Participants must attend 200 hours of classroom training and pass an exam, before completing in-air training. The program culminates with 20 hours of flying solo and 10 hours of flying cross-country.

Tim Mahoney, President and CEO, Honeywell Aerospace summarises the program

“By enabling our engineers to understand the cockpit from a pilot’s perspective is a new approach for India’s aerospace industry,” “Through their pilot training, these engineers can now truly understand what it’s like for a pilot flying an aircraft, and use the live interaction and experience to develop technologies that are even closer aligned with our customers’ needs.”

Honeywell’s avionics portfolio includes communication, navigation and surveillance systems, flight display systems, and flight control and management systems for general and business aviation, commercial air transport, military aircraft and space-based platforms.

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Mumbai airport commences trials of automated ATC departure clearance system

The congested Air Traffic Control (ATC) system at Mumbai airport is under-going a major leap forward with trials of the SITA Departure Clearance System (DCL) through Data Link Communication (DLC).

The Datalink Control and Display Unit (DCDU) the pilot interface for CPDLC messages. Image courtesy Wikipedia.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) which manages civilian ATC operations across most of India, has begun has begun trial operations of Data Link Communication for pre-departure clearance. This new system is expected to significantly reduce workload of ATC controllers by automating the transmission of routine information like clearance delivery, Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS), meteorological (weather etc.) information (VOLMET) etc.  The system is supplied by SITA and its components at Mumbai are :

1. PDC (Pre Departure Clearance delivery) through data link using ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System) capability.
2. Centralised d-ATIS
3. d-VOLMET

however, initially only the automated PDC system will be operated.

Read this SITA PDF document for more information on this technology.

Pre-departure clearance is an authorisation issued by ATC to a pilot regarding the runway to be used, route to be flown right from take-off to destination, including use of SIDs (Standard Instrument Departure), and cruising level that the aircraft is expected to maintain. The PDC system can be extended to include taxi information i.e. the route the aircraft is expected to take from its parking bay to the runway.

At present, pilots obtain their PDCs from the ATC through voice radio communication. The pilots then read back the entire clearance to confirm correct receipt of the PDC. (See and hear this clearance delivery at Long Beach airport in Los Angeles). This is a time consuming exercise leading to increased communication workload, along with having the potential of misunderstanding.

In the new system the pilot requests pre-departure clearance using the Flight Management Computer (FMC) in the cockpit. The request is transmitted via data-link to the air traffic controller (ATCO), who then selects the appropriate clearance sends the PDC back to the aircraft at the press of a button, again via an ACARS data link. At the aircraft, the PDC can be printed out.

Getting the information both on screen and print saves on both the radio chatter and time for both the controller and the pilot, and eliminates human errors enhancing safety and operational efficiency. For the passenger this translates to quick departures as pilots do not have to wait in a queue for obtaining clearance.

Image courtesy Wikipedia. 

In case you are wondering on the importance of clear communications between the pilot and controller, the worst accident in the history of aviation occurred on the ground, due to mis-understanding and mis-communication. 583 people died when a KLM 747 collided in to a Pan Am 747 at Los Rodeos Airport, Tenerife.

See a 84 minute video on this incident at the end of this article.

Kingfisher and IndiGo to benefit most
This system is dependent on the aircraft having the data link capability. Bangalore Aviation contacted the major domestic airlines to determine their fleet capability.

Air India confirmed that their wide body fleet i.e. Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777-200LR and 777-300ER fleet is fully equipped up to a higher level of data link called CPDLC (Controller Pilot Data Link Communication) which is part of FANS. However their narrow body fleet Boeing 737-800 of Air India Express, and Airbus A319/A320/A321 of the erstwhile Indian Airlines is not equipped with any data link capability.

Kingfisher confirmed their Airbus A320/A319/A321 fleet is equipped to receive PDCs via ACARS. Their ATR-72 "are also capable of receiving PDC messages, when ACARS is activated."

Jet Airways, SpiceJet and IndiGo did not respond to our requests.


IndiGo advertises its use of ACARS, so it is safe to assume their aircraft will have the ability to benefit from this system. Airline sources indicated that SpiceJet aircraft are not equipped with data link, and technical airport sources indicated that narrow body aircraft at Jet Airways and Jet Airways Konnect may not have data link capability. It is not clear if Jet's wide-body aircraft are data link capable.

In addition to Mumbai, such Data Link Departure Clearance (DLC) systems are also being deployed at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad airports.

Sources at Bangalore Airport informed that the DLC system is already built-in to their Selex air traffic control equipment from the time of its delivery almost five years ago. It is awaiting activation pending some software updates from the manufacturer and a green light from the AAI operated ATC.

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Editorial: Time to Eliminate Unions at Air India

When the Indian Pilots Guild, one of two pilot unions at national carrier Air India, began a strike around 2 weeks ago, it once again illustrated the deep fallacy of the employee situation at Air India. Coming on the heels of a $5.8 bailout package over 8 years offered by the Indian government, IPG’s industrial action marks just the latest in a series of missteps from India’s beleaguered national carrier, which lost Rs. 7,853 Crore in 2011-12, or more than Rs. 20 crore per day. However, the situation had improved (it went from being a gigantic financial black hole, to a smaller financial black hole) since private carrier Kingfisher shrank by more than 50% earlier this year, with Air India losing just Rs. 10 Crore per day. But this strike by IPG has once again cast doubt on Air India’s ability to move forward.

For such petty grievances as non-exclusivity on 787s and marginally different work rules between the IPG and their former Indian Airlines counterparts the IPCA, 10-12 of Air India’s 20 Boeing 777 aircraft have been grounded, and the carrier has been forced to all but cancel most of its international network. As of right now, 7 European and North American services are mostly cancelled (Delhi-Paris-New York JFK, and Delhi-Frankfurt-Chicago are still quasi-operational), while 12 routes to the Gulf and 6 Asian routes are cancelled as well. These international cancellations and the general strike have cost the already near-bankrupt airline more than Rs. 230 Crore over the first 13 days of the strike, with no apparent respite in sight.

The new civil aviation minister Mr. Ajay Singh, who is apparently far more pragmatic and sensible than his predecessors, has threatened to withdraw Air India’s bailout package. "This is bailout is not without strings. They have to meet strict standards. If they meet these standards, then we will release public money. We can't keep pouring public money. This is the last chance for them to perform." He also urged the pilots to return to work, even offering an olive branch to downplay fears of reprisal, "Strike is not an answer to solve your grievances,” he said, “All the grievances will be heard unconditionally. [Pilots] must come to talks unconditionally ... please go back to work….Air India management will in no way be vindictive towards any employee .... a lot of young people have just joined (as pilots). But the first priority should be that passengers are not inconvenienced."

There is a hint of legitimacy to IPG’s claims and grievances. After all, the Aviation Ministry made a remarkable hash of things by failing to properly integrate Indian Airlines and Air India pilots on basis of seniority. By keeping the two unions separate, Air India has created an environment in which the pilots of the respective unions are continually thinking in terms of an “us versus them” sort of mentality; each seeking to enrich itself as opposed to the company as a whole. To be sure, it is unlikely that IPCA members would have ever operated 787s or any widebody aircraft for that matter, had Indian Airlines remained a standalone carrier. And the disparities in work rules are tangible for IPG’s pilots. The following two graphics (from the Economic Times) will give a good overview of the issue.
But in a broader sense, most of what IPG is asking for amounts to nothing more than holding Air India and the Ministry of Civil Aviation ransom. Notice in the first graphic above that ex-Air India (IPG) commanders make a whopping 8-9 lakhs per month. This is roughly $190,000-$210,000 per year; levels not reached at most (profitable) Western and Asian airlines until 15-20 years of service. Meanwhile, they also have the audacity to ask to be shuttled in first class. Forget pilots, most executives at private airlines don’t get to fly first class, yet IPG insists on forcing its pilots into taking up such seats which could instead be sold as upgrades or used to improve frequent flyer loyalty (through free upgrades). These pilots are, by some measure, the highest paid in the world, yet they keep asking for more and more pay and benefits. Clearly, there is a disconnect between how IPG views the Indian airline scene and the current market reality.

To be fair to the IPG, they alone are not at fault here; as in most cases of labor strife, the blame is shared between management and the unions. But the continual labor strife at Air India brings up another question… Why does the IPG exist in the first place, and should it? Generally speaking, government-run corporations (especially prestige projects like an airline) have dismal financial performance, because there is no incentive to be profitable. Company leaders (and employees) know that even if the airline is poorly run, bloated, and offers horrid service quality, they will keep their jobs (the government will fund their operations and debt).

The thing is, public sector unions understand this as well; they know that even if their demands would bankrupt a normal carrier, the Sugar Daddy (Government of India) will pay for it anyway. Secondly, public sector unions play a large role in choosing who their bosses will be (both by directly voting and manipulating public opinion); when you can pick your bosses, the quality of your work tends to decrease. What this creates is a perverse scenario where unionized Air India workers can get cushy pay and benefits, yet have almost no incentive to do their jobs – to provide good service, be productive, or even do their jobs properly. They are also able to throw out any boss who dares to challenge their demands. Thus the combination of a public sector company and unions creates a toxic cocktail of reverse incentives that prevent Air India from becoming a successful company.

While the profit motive may not appear at Air India for some time, at least the unionization scourge can be removed. This strike not only affects Air India, but each and every Indian as well (at least those that pay taxes). And every time Air India’s unions ask for wages and benefits above the market rate or go on strike, they are robbing you, the taxpayer, of your hard earned money. When pilots at Jet Airways strike (as at Air India), they ultimately harm the shareholders of the company (private citizens for the former, the taxpayers of India for the latter). But the difference is that Jet Airways’ shareholders voluntarily invested in that the company; they went in knowing the risks. Meanwhile, you pay taxes that support Air India regardless of whether you want to or not. Stop allowing Air India’s unions to rob taxpayer money… ban unions at Air India.

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Opinion: Bold admissions Mr. Singh. Now please free Air India

The newly travelling youngsters may not have the pathos, but the Maharaja of national carrier Air India is a brand cherished by most persons of my age, with ties to India. We remember, with pride, the fact that Air India was the first all jet airline in the world; one of the earliest adopters of the Boeing 747 jumbo jet and the Airbus A300. We cherish the warmth and grace of days gone by, and then we are dragged in to the present and land, with a thud, on the dismal state of affairs at the airline today.

Sloth rules the daily operations, political interference is the mantra, petty factionalism hollows the foundations like termites sucking the resources of the airline without a care for the consequences.

Every so often, one puts aside rational thinking and tries to feel some sympathy for Air India, hoping against hope, for some optimistic future for the beleaguered airline, and then Air India delivers, with amazing regularity, a dose of bad news; and it is almost always, self-inflicted.

Over the last few days the airline is being blackmailed by the striking Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) representing erstwhile Air India pilots, who want exclusive access to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, blocking the re-training of their pilot "colleagues" from the pre-merger Indian Airlines, despite a Supreme court ruling to the contrary.

It borders on criminal, that such petty issues are being used to justify the cancellation of almost the entire international schedule of Air India, causing it daily losses already in the hundreds of crores, less than a month after the government has committed a whopping Rs. 30,000 Crore ($6 billion), taxpayer funded, bailout of the airline, an amount greater than the central government's outlay for the health department this year.

The IPG is a perfect example of the political and labour aristocracy nexus that plagues Air India. This pilot's union's is led by Jitendra Awadh, who is not a pilot, but a career politician from the same party of former civil aviation minister Mr. Praful Patel, during whose tenure, Air India went from profit, to annual losses topping $1.5 billion.

Unlike Mr. Patel who ducked last year's scathing indictment by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of his ministry's operations, the current minister Mr. Ajit Singh made some refreshingly candid admissions during his interview with Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN. (Watch the 22 minute video here.)

He accepted that government should not be in the service industry, especially a specialised one like an airline. He accepted that the days of a government owned national carrier are long gone. He accepted that the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines, forced through by Mr. Patel, and considered one of key reasons for the ills of Air India, is still only on paper, far from complete, and receiving only lip service at best.

Undeniably true statements Mr. Minister, but then, when you admit government's inability to run an airline, why keep perpetuating the folly by insisting on government control of Air India's operations? When you admit that government owned national carriers are extinct like dinosaurs, why pretend to try and revive Air India, that too, under government interference?

Sir, if you truly believe in your admissions, and I believe you do, you need to abandon all this pretence that is at the heart of Air India's problems. Stop throwing good money after bad. Stop this criminal waste of taxpayer money, which is on the surface ostensibly committed to revive the airline. Stop protecting "past managements".

Air India has still has some capable people, but they are drowned out by the hordes of political lackeys that have infected the airline over the years. Unlike your many predecessors, you have shown your resolve by not bowing to the blackmail of strikers, now you need to raise the sense of responsibility up a notch. You have to isolate and remove all the causes of failure, in all quarters, right from the ministry to the doorman at Air India's office.

Air India can be revived, but never while its operations are under government control. Yes, it will be a herculean effort to loosen the stranglehold of the vested interests, but it can be done. If not full privatisation, take a leaf out of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad airports and commence with PPP (Public Private Partnership).

Use the PPP route to transparently auction and place Air India's operations under private control. Give that private management the freedom to run the airline, and deliver the benchmarks, goals, and results you have already demanded from and agreed to with Air India.

It is time to free Air India Mr. Singh.

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Employee Relations, Payment Defaults Hinder Kingfisher's re-structuring

The damning evidence against Kingfisher continues to mount, as a new report from the UK High Court claims that the embattled airline owes $21.6 million (Rs. 109.06 Crore) to the Bank of Scotland for overdue lease payments on 10 ATR 72-500 aircraft. The action was brought by Bank of Scotland on behalf of a consortium of lenders against Kingfisher parent UB Holdings, who had guaranteed Kingfisher's obligations. The judgment, brought by Justice Eder, paves the way for potential action in India or elsewhere, and enables Bank of Scotland to pursue United Breweries Holdings' assets to recover the outstanding sum.

Bank of Scotland is owed money because it helped fund KF Turbo Leasing, a special purpose vehicle incorporated in the Cayman Islands that purchased the ATR aircraft to lease to Kingfisher. Each ATR aircraft was then leased by KF Turbo Leasing to Kingfisher for a period of 10 years, dating from an agreement signed on 29 March, 2007.

The troubles with the Bank of Scotland represent only the latest credit issue for Kingfisher, who has been grappling with lessors off and on since the carrier first entered a state of crisis back in November. Since that point, Kingfisher has shrunk its operations at a rapid pace, operating around 175 flights per day (versus 340 at the same time last year). However, the decline in revenues has further eroded Kingfisher's cash flow, making it difficult for the carrier to pay for contracts entered into when its operations were more than two times their current size. Adding to this is the fact that Kingfisher is almost Rs. 7,000 Crore in debt (US $1.26 billion), and interest payments are now an astronomical 25.9% of nominal revenues. At this point, Kingfisher has defaulted on most of its interest and supplier obligations, and is essentially operating on a cash-and-carry system for critical charges such as landing fees and fuel. Thus it was not surprising that Kingfisher had its bank accounts seized by the income tax department; though the question of whether Kingfisher should even be taxed at all given its gargantuan losses and refusal to pay employees is a valid one?

India's aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) too has continued to repeat its concerns over potential safety violations in the face of Kingfisher's financial difficulties. Late last week, the DGCA threatened to de-register another Kingfisher plane as the carriers maintenance technicians went on strike from Thursday onwards. As of now, the strike has not yet caused major operational disruptions, but as time goes on, the situation will continue to worsen. The DGCA has already de-registered 3 Kingfisher A320s (VT-KFA, VT-KFD and VT-KFE), according to a report in The Live Mint.

More seriously, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh threatened Sunday that a suspension of Kingfisher's operating license might be in order as the ministry continues to worry that non-payment of dues and employee salaries will compromise safety. "Closing an airline will impact passengers, employees," said Singh, "So cancellation of license won't happen. Suspension, however, gives a chance to restart operations once the issues have been sorted out,"

Employees indeed may be the most immediate threat facing Kingfisher. As we mentioned above, Kingfisher's technicians have been on strike at Delhi Airport since Wednesday. MRO service technicians perform routine and scheduled maintenance on aircraft engines, air conditioning systems, brakes, cockpit instruments, valves and other components. They also replace worn-out or defective parts, rebuild engines maintain service records, and perform aircraft inspections. While this maintenance work can be performed by technicians at other airports for the time being, Kingfisher's large Delhi operational base will eventually necessitate a resolution.

Kingfisher's pilots also feel threatened according to a recent report from the Times of India. According to the paper, Kingfisher had a confrontational meeting with its pilots Thursday, as the exodus of pilots to India's other airlines continues. Kingfisher hasn't been on-time with salary payments to pilots since early 2011, and with India's other airlines hungry for qualified pilots, many of Kingfisher's pilots have fled for greener pastures. Remaining pilots in Mumbai have reportedly begun calling in sick in droves in a form of industrial action that does not qualify as a formal strike, while up to 20% of Bangalore based employees have simply quit. If such industrial actions were to spread amongst the rest of Kingfisher's 510 odd pilots, management has claimed that Kingfisher may have to temporarily shut down as Australian carrier Qantas did back in October in response to strike threats from unhappy employees.

Kingfisher's current method of salary deferral while continuing operations (which has also shown up at Jet Airways and Air India in recent times) would not be valid in the US, where contracts (which employee salaries fall under) are absolute until a company shuts down or enters bankruptcy reorganization. But in India, the situation is not so cut and dry, and Vijay Mallya recently sent out a letter (presented at the bottom of this post) to his employees, urging them to maintain their faith in the company and accept proposed changes. However to many, Mallya's words ring hollow in the face of his huge personal wealth and possessions. All those photo shoots with statuesque models and the time spent at Formula One races and IPL matches do not mesh with Mallya's message of sacrifice by the employees, and we fear that his efforts may thus prove unsuccessful. When labor resents management, the results range from severe financial issues to full-on bankruptcy (see Qantas and American Airlines).

One of the ironic things about this entire sequence of events at Kingfisher is that the ATR aircraft adding to Kingfisher's woes are in all likelihood grounded. Kingfisher's cancellations have brought the airline closer in size to Go Air than to Jet Airways, and customer confidence and perception has continued to erode. Foreign travelers have for the most part sworn away from booking Kingfisher for their Indian flights, and we fear that the problem may no longer be easily solvable. Recognizing this issue, Kingfisher recently sent out the following letter to its travel agent partners in the United Kingdom seeking to re-assure them.

Dear Trade Partner,

On behalf of all of us at Kingfisher Airlines, I deeply regret the inconvenience many of your customers, who were booked on Kingfisher between 17th and 26th February, faced due to the unforeseen schedule disruption in our domestic network. Please do accept my sincere apologies to you and your staff for the anxiety and extra effort caused by these sudden cancellations. I totally appreciate the crucial and valuable role you and your team play between us and the guest. In order for us to be successful and bounce back on our feet, we need your support more than ever. Please be assured we are reaching out to all our valued guests who were affected during this period and personally apologizing to them. Kingfisher Airlines is on its way to normalcy. We are currently operating approximately 200 daily flights to 46 domestic and 7 international destinations. In the coming week, we will be adding more flights and our teams will keep you updated on the same. I reiterate that operating our schedule at its utmost consistent level is mine and my team’s endeavor. I request you to continue doing your valued business with Kingfisher Airlines. Your support and belief in us is something I am counting on.

Best Regards,
Sanjay Aggarwal
Chief Executive Officer

Ultimately, these issues have all arisen because Kingfisher's business fundamentals are poor; they are not a profitable carrier, or even a solid one by any stretch of the fiscal imagination. Kingfisher may be able to work its way out of this current rut, especially if either British Airways parent IAG or Etihad Airlines invests in the carrier under India's new foreign direct investment (FDI) regime. But in order to do so, it must first restore customer confidence, get its fiscal house in order, and win back the loyalty of its employees.

Vijay Mallya's Letter to Kingfisher Employees

Dear Colleagues,

I want to take this opportunity to update you on our current situation amidst all the media frenzy that is taking place. The Indian media and the "paid" media that even the Prime Minister referred to are unscrupulous and they will do whatever it takes, part fact or fiction, part true or untrue to achieve their sensationalist objectives.

I have organised funding so that we can pay your seriously overdue salaries which is a source of great personal sorrow for me. We are currently handicapped as our bank accounts are frozen by the tax authorities. I have been working tirelessly to urgently resolve this issue through negotiation and I hope that these efforts will be successful early next week. We fully intend to pay our tax dues as much as we commit to paying your salaries.

Government policies can make or break any Industry. So far it has been downhill for Civil Aviation except for one Airline that defies the odds and claims to be profitable however unlikely that may be.

Finally, there seems to be light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Government has issued a notification allowing direct import of Aviation fuel which promises to save us about 15 percent of our current fuel costs.

I am hoping that the next positive move would be the formal notification permitting Foreign Airlines to invest upto 49 percent of the equity in Indian carriers. This has already been widely announced by the Minister of Civil Aviation and according to reports, has been decided upon at a Empowered Group of Ministers meeting. Recently, last week, the promoters of our airline, The UB Group and its associates acting in concert, converted its loans for an additional 5 percent equity in Kingfisher Airlines. This is the maximum permitted under law in any one financial year but clearly demonstrates the faith that I have in all of you and in our Company.

I have been overwhelmed and emotionally moved by all the widespread expressions of support and appreciation for our Company despite the turbulence we are flying through. Despite media reports, we have many many supporters, well wishers and loyal guests. And all these words of appreciation are dedicated to you. Whilst many may have left our family and many may be in the process of leaving, our family may have become smaller for now. But our family will grow with those who have the pride in their hearts of having stood by our Company through ups and downs, sometimes with great personal sacrifice. That is the true test of loyalty dedication and commitment which I am going to reward.

Please stay committed to our common cause and for good reason to smile happily when this turbulence is over. We were the biggest and best. We may not be the biggest now but we remain simply the best for our guests and our valued King Club members.

I hope to have some good news for you shortly; thannk you for your patience and understanding.

Warm Regards
Vijay Mallya
Member of Parliament
Chairman and Managing Director
KINGFISHER AIRLINES LIMITED

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Is Jet Airway's trainee pilot fiasco a continuation of pilot misbehaviour?

Two days ago, The Mint newspaper reported an incident in which a Jet Airways Boeing 737 captain put a trainee fresh out of flight school, who was not even trained, let alone certified, in any form of jet transport, into the co-pilot's seat during a landing at Chennai.

The airline is accused of trying to hush up the incident from safety regulators and taking indequate action against the pilot commander, may be under pressure from some Bollywood actor well known to commander and the senior management of the airline.

On learning of the incident, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered the removal of the Jet's Director of Flight Safety, which in turn is causing uproar amongst the aviation professionals, who feel the Director is being offered as a sacrifical lamb in order to let the airline, and its politically well connected management, get away without facing punitive action.

Jet Airways put out this statement in response to the snowballing of the incident

In line with international practices on improving safety, Jet Airways encourages a voluntary and a confidential reporting system for all employees. Based on a confidential report and after appropriate investigations, two cockpit crew members were suspended for a period of two and a half months.

Jet Airways is in contact with DGCA and has extended all co-operation. Jet Airways will continue to adhere to all requirements as laid down by the regulator from time to time.

At Jet Airways safety is of paramount importance of its crew and guests. The airline has and always will adhere to additional measures as prescribed by the regulatory authority.

In response to the airline's claims, many pilots, aviation professionals and enthusiasts claim there is a pattern of evasion in the airline, pointing to another incident on October 20 on Jet Airway's flight 9W 332 around 8.50am where a Jet Airways check pilot did the unthinkable, and pulled the circuit breakers when the aircraft was at around 3,700ft. on landing approach from Delhi to Mumabi; apparently to see the pilots' reactions to a failure in a Boeing 737 cockpit.

In that incident too, Jet Airways did not initially deroster the pilot, and also did not initiate any action till the incident was brought to public notice and the DGCA got involved. Though a probe was ordered, no results have been publically shared.

What are your views on these developments? Share a comment.

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