British Airways India -- A Ticket to Visit Mum

by Vinay Bhaskara 

British Airways recently launched an powerful advertising campaign entitled "Visit your Mum." The following video shows British Airways flying Ratnesh home from New York City to surprise his mother and visit his family for the first time in more than 15 years since leaving home at the age of 17. His unwitting mother is cooking his favorite dish - Bhindi (Okra) - and is told that British Airways will just be flying the dish over to NYC and sending a representative over to pick up the tiffin box. That representative is Ratnesh. The video is extremely moving and powerful. Kudos to British Airways for a job well done, and more importantly for bringing those two together again.

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Image: First Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner features the new Boeing livery

Boeing rolled out its first 787-9 Dreamliner, and this aircraft has also become the first 787 to don the new Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) livery.

The new look began with the 747-8 and evolved with the 737 MAX. The new livery retains many of the features of the original 787-8 livery, adding a prominent number on the tail to help distinguish among models within the same product family.

With the fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters), the 787-9 will carry 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555 kilometers). First delivery to launch customer Air New Zealand is set for mid-2014.

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SpiceJet to commence Ahmedabad to Muscat service

Low cost carrier, SpiceJet, will commence a thrice a week service on the Muscat-Ahmedabad route from August 29, 2013. The airline will deploy its 189 seat Boeing 737-800 New Generation aircraft. Muscat, the capital of Oman, will be the ninth international destination to be served by SpiceJet.

The airline is offering an introductory fare of just Rs 5,999/- one way (inclusive of all taxes) on this route.


SG 061 departs Ahmedabad 21:30 arrives Muscat 23:00 on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays
SG 062 departs Muscat 00:30 arrives Ahmedabad 04:20 on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

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Jetihad deal finally clears FIPB, but still has long way to go

by Devesh Agarwal

The 24% stake sale by India's Jet Airways to Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways has been finally cleared by India's Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), albeit with conditions, after the share holder agreement (SHA) was changed to incorporate the apprehensions of the government of India.

One of the conditions imposed by the FIBP requires prior Government approval before making any changes in SHA. The revised SHA also calls for arbitration under Indian law and not English law as earlier proposed.

The Jet Airways board of directors will have 12 members. Promoter Naresh Goyal with 51% shareholding, post the sale, will have four representatives. Etihad which has less than half of Goyal's holding, 24%, will have two with the right to nominate the Vice Chairman, and there will be six independent directors, all Indians. As Chairman Goyal will also have veto power, though one has to see how he will use it.

A revised Commercial Cooperation Agreement (CCA) has also been submitted and approved, as it says the principal place of business would be Mumbai. Plans for shifting, operations, revenue, and network functions to Abu Dhabi have been scrapped.

Jet has already sold its London Heathrow slots to Etihad to realise desperately needed cash to lower ballooning debt levels. You can also read our initial analysis of the deal. You can also read a quick recap of the Jetihad deal time-line here.

The Jetihad deal still needs three more approvals. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) which is examining the deal, since the CCA calls for Jet to terminate existing code-share and partnership agreements on routes operated by Etihad.

Following the CCI, the deal will go to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) since it involves a foreign direct investment (FDI) of more than 1,200 crore. After which the deal will come to the ministry of civil aviation for approval under the Aircraft Rules, 1937.

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Opinion: Why are tax-payer funded banks going easy on Kingfisher Airlines loans recovery?

by Devesh Agarwal

The consortium of banks which lent vast sums of money to Vijay Mallya promoted Kingfisher Airlines seem to be making a mockery and charade of recovering almost Rs. 7,000 Crore worth of loans from the airline and its guarantors. The question is why?

As per a Mint report,

SBI, the leader of the creditors’ consortium, has the maximum exposure at Rs.1,600 crore to Kingfisher Airlines, followed by Punjab National Bank (Rs.800 crore), IDBI Bank Ltd (Rs.800 crore), Bank of India (Rs.650 crore), Bank of Baroda (Rs.550 crore), United Bank of India (Rs.430 crore), Central Bank of India (Rs.410 crore), UCO Bank Ltd (Rs.320 crore), Corporation Bank (Rs.310 crore), State Bank of Mysore, an SBI associate bank (Rs.150 crore), Indian Overseas Bank (Rs.140 crore), Federal Bank Ltd (Rs.90 crore), Punjab and Sind Bank (Rs.60 crore) and Axis Bank Ltd (Rs.50 crore).

On reading a recent Business Standard report it appears that the members of the consortium are "wondering" on their various legal options, even as they continue to hold a crucial 2.38% of shares in United Spirits Ltd. (USL) which was recently acquired by global major Diageo.

Equity shares in profitable companies are routinely pledged to lenders as collateral allowing the lenders to sell the shares in case of failure to pay the debt. If the shares are not encashed by selling, there is little point of taking these shares as collateral. Why are the bankers holding on?

Adding intrigue is the fact that in April the Bombay High Court rejected a plea from Mallya's primary holding company United Breweries (Holding) Ltd. (UBHL), and allowed the consortium lenders to sell their shares.

In addition to shares directly pledged, Mallya and UBHL who own shares in both of the UB cash cows. USL, and United Breweries Ltd. (UBL), have given guarantees to the lenders The former in his personal capacity and the latter in a corporate capacity.

The Business Standard report goes on to state the relative simple and easy manner in which banks can and should use these guarantees to recover their debts and shore up their own balance sheets.

According to Sajan Poovayya, managing partner of a leading law firm, lenders can file a summary suit action, as the process of enforcing guarantees is much faster through this route. Simultaneously, the lenders could also move the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) and restrain the promoters from alienating their assets.

Again, why have these "public sector" tax-payer funded banks, stood by, while both Mallya and UBHL sold their shares in USL to liquor major Diageo.

Mr. Poovayya also states

“There have been many instances when guarantors’ assets have been encashed. It’s surprising that Kingfisher lenders have not yet moved on this. I am not sure of the reason for that,”

He is being polite and diplomatic. We might be tempted to say "the banks can still file a summary suit and enforce the guarantees". That unfortunately, is easier said than done. India is still reeling from the after effects of the Vodafone debacle. Queering the pitch for Diageo at this stage, after the deal is sealed, will seal India's reputation in the foreign investment market.

However, all is not lost. Mallya and UBHL own 37.5% of United Breweries Ltd. (UBL), the country's largest beer company, which has a market capitalisation of about Rs. 21,600 crores, thus making their shares worth over Rs. 8,000 crore. More than enough to cover the 7,000 crore debts of the airline. Via the guarantees, the lenders have recourse to these funds, but the question is why are these banks standing by?

Again the simple answer that would come to mind would be the enormous political clout wielded by Dr. Mallya. However, in the murky world where alcobev (alcoholic beverages) and politics meet, things are not what they seem.

The Kingfisher saga is too public that it can be buried by sheer political pressure, there has to be a financial hook.

A hypothesis for consideration.

With the governing UPA lurching from one scam to another, the economy is in doldrums. Alcobevs are a huge source of revenue, especially for the states. With control of almost 50% of the market, Mallya can turn off the revenue tap in a heartbeat. Alcoholics will suffer withdrawal symptoms, but the government will go in to shock.

In a subtle move, Mallya can dispute a few contentious rulings of the state excise authorities in court. The time taken to decide with the following appellate process and the resultant lack of income, will be a death blow to the finances of almost any state.

With elections looming, the UPA has already commenced adding more misery to the Indian economy with its populist schemes. Cash is required to fund these adventures in profligacy. The coffers are empty and the government's credit card is maxed out.

Another financial hook is the fact that alcohol and the slush funds within the industry are the lifeblood of political campaigns in India; and elections are coming. Should the banks make a move, and force Mallya to liquidate stock, control of UBL will go to current partner Heineken, who is a lot less likely to play in that murky alcohol fuelled world of politics.

Furthermore, this is a last cash cow, and hell will freeze over, before Mallya gives up control.

I welcome your comments and thoughts.

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Air India secures $500 million funding for five Boeing 787 Dreamliners

by Devesh Agarwal

According to a PTI report, Air India has tied up with Deutsche Bank and Investec Bank to raise up to $500 million as bridge loans to take the delivery of five Boeing Dreamliners, according to airline sources. India's flag carrier had invited bids for this on June 26.

A bridge loan is normally a short term loan of six to twelve months used to meet immediate payment commitments to the airframer until a long-term financing such as sale and lease back is arranged.

The five Dreamliners are expected to be delivered between July and October. The 27 Dreamliner order deal is part of the 68 aircraft that the carrier had ordered from Boeing in January 2006, which also includes 777-200LRs, 777-300ERs and 737-800s.

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Trivia quiz: Big planes on short flights

by Devesh Agarwal

LoganAir. Photo by Dave Wheeler. Used under CC license.

While many of us will be aware of the longest non-stop flights; Singapore Airline's soon to be withdrawn Newark Singapore and Los Angeles Singapore, and Qantas' Sydney Dallas-Fort Worth which become the longest; how many of us are aware of the shortest non-stop flights?

The world's shortest flight is performed by Loganair, Flight 353, from Westray to Papa Westray airports, in the Orkney islands off the northern tip of Scotland, using a Britten-Norman Islander. The 1.7 mile (2.7 kms) distance is covered in just two minutes.

Passengers have to carry their own baggage to the plane.

Some of the shortest trips performed by a jet aircraft.

Narrow body

• Alaska Airlines uses a Boeing 737 to operate flight AS 65 from Wrangell to Petersburg in Alaska. The distance of 32.4 miles (51.1 kms) is covered in 20 minutes, giving an average speed of about 90 miles per hour.
• Etihad investee airberlin also uses a 737 to operate flight AB 4651 from Lanzarote to Fuerteventura airports in the Spanish Las Palmas islands, off the western coast of Morocco. The 37 miles (60 kms) is covered in 30 minutes making the average speed 74 miles per hour; the speed on many US highways.

Wide body

• Arkefly uses a wide-body Boeing 767-300ER to perform flight OR 365 on the 46 mile (75 kms) flight between the Dutch Caribbean islands of Curaçao and Bonaire. Bonaire's airport is aptly named Flamingo.
• Cathay Pacific subsidiary DragonAir uses a 300+ seat Airbus A330-300 to perform its 73 mile (118 kms) 50 minutes long flight from Hong Kong to Guangzhou (Canton).
• The 91 miles (146 kms) from Bahrain to Doha in the Gulf is performed by two wide-bodies on a regular basis. British Airways flight BA 125 a Boeing 777-200 takes 40 minutes while Lufthansa LH 620 an Airbus A330-300 takes 30 minutes. Time to pull up your socks old chap.

There are two flights in India on the global shortest flights list. Take a guess on the routes, and which airline performs it. One is performed in a narrow body jet aircraft, and one is in a fast turbo-prop. Send your answers via a comment.

In fair spirit, do not refer to any external reference sites like Wikipedia till the answers are posted tomorrow.

Update July 25, 2013

Thanks for the answers. The correct and most complete answers are posted in the comments.

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Photos and videos: American Airlines receives first Airbus A319

by Devesh Agarwal and Vinay Bhaskara

Dallas-Fort Worth headquartered American Airlines recieved its first Airbus narrow body aircraft, an A319-112(WL). MSN 5678 is registered N8001N, is the first A319 delivered, equipped with Sharklets, and the 100th A320 family aircraft delivered, fitted with the new wing-tip devices. The engines are from CFM.

Our Vinay Bhaskara captured these exclusive photos at the Hamburg delivery centre on behalf of airchive.com. You can read his story about the events of the delivery day here.


The videos are below the fold. All images are credit of airchive.com.

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Spicejet CEO Neil Mills resigns for personal reasons

India's only publicly listed low fare carrier, SpiceJet Ltd., faced turbulence in the stock market after newspapers reported the resignation of its Chief Executive Officer Neil Mills.

The stock price of the Kalanithi Maran controlled airline fell as low as Rs. 26.50, its lowest price since June 27.

Mills joined the airline in October 2010 from flyDubai. While there is much speculation on the reasons behind Mills' departure, sources inside the airline, who prefer to remain anonymous, said, the resignation was amicable and was for family reasons. A search for a new CEO is on.

Bangalore Aviation wishes Neil Mills continued success and happiness.

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Your opinion: Question of the week: Is Jet Airways too financially weak? What should existing investors do?

by Devesh Agarwal

Majority of Jet's A330 fleet parked at New Delhi's IGI airport

In what is not a very uncommon development, The Economic Times reports, India's financial markets' watchdog, the Securities Exchange Board of India, better known as SEBI, has written to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), the approver of FDI proposals, expressing concern on the agreement to sell a 24% stake by Jet Airways to Etihad Airways PJSC. SEBI feels that the agreement structure allows India's largest private airline by revenue, to pass into foreign hands, which is not allowed as per the existing law.

Over the last one month the deal has been question by various ministries, regulators, boards, authorities, stake-holders, and members of Parliament, amongst others. Putting aside partisan motives, one obvious fact is emerging; the agreement appears to be extremely lop-sided in unduly favouring Etihad. You can read our earlier analysis highlighting some of the lop-sided provisions of the agreement.

While the debate on these provisions continues, we want to question the financial condition of Jet Airways itself. Without doubt, the debt levels of Jet Airways are high enough to be classified as scary.

However, the question at hand is; what insight does this agreement offer in to the situation at the Indian carrier? Is the situation so dire that the promoters of Jet willing to let go of their airline for a mere $379 million? or did Mr; Hogan's team simply out-negotiate that of Mr. Goyal's?

As its possible control of Jet Airways is whittled away, by the regulators, at point would Etihad walk away from the deal? There are already rumblings, that come July 31, the first deadline for the deal, Etihad might reduce the amount of premium it is willing to pay for Jet. In which case, will Goyal still be interested?

And surely, exiting investors must be watching the scene nervously and wondering what should they do? Hold on? Or jump ship?

Share your thoughts via a comment.

Disclosure: Devesh Agarwal is a shareholder in Jet Airways.

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Photos: Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i First Class

By Devesh Agarwal

In late April, on a business trip, I flew from Bangalore to Frankfurt aboard Lufthansa's newest Boeing 747-8i D-ABYH. She is named Thüringen after the state located in central Germany with its capital at Erfurt.

While the business class was packed, the First Class was strangely empty. As we were flying over Europe, a kind and cooperative cabin crew gave me a tour of the "Quietest First Class Cabin" in the sky, and it was quiet. Missing was the classic whoosh sound of the air rushing past the nose of the aircraft.

Eight seats. Six individual along the windows and one double in the centre.

The new 747-8i cabin shares many common aspects of the "Sky Interior" with the 737 and 787.

Uber comfortable seats with "share system" which moulds to the body convert in to beds with nice thick duvets.

The meal presentation with the red rose, the signature of Lufthansa's 'Senator' service

Some of the features of the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i First Class.

• “The quietest First Class in the world”.
• Outer skin insulation: optimum protection against engine noise and other annoying sounds
• Sound-insulating curtains absorb noise from the on-board galley and the travel classes next to it
• Sound-deadening flooring: specially structured floor in the aisle, including the use of soundproofing foam
• “Best bed in class” – widest bed, with a width of 80 cm x 207cm length
• Exceptional seating comfort – upholstery, continuous adjustment mechanism and an endless number of sitting positions developed with external ergonomics experts
• Seat cushion moulds to every sitting/recumbent position, thanks to the “Shape System”
• Personal wardrobe
• Electrically powered window shades
• Washrooms in the Lufthansa First Class design

Can some of Lufthansa's competing airlines to give me a short ride in their first class for a comparison report?

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Post 787 fire, UK air accident investigator recommends review of all Lithium powered ELTs on all aircraft

by Devesh Agarwal

The United Kingdom's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has issued a special bulletin (read PDF here) on the fire that broke out on Ethiopian Airline's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner ET-AOP, parked at London's Heathrow airport last Friday.

In the report, the AAIB said the fire occurred in the rear upper fuselage where the fixed Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) is located. The ELT model RESCU406AFN is made by US aviation major, Honeywell International.

The report says

Detailed examination of the ELT has shown some indications of disruption to the battery cells. It is not clear however, whether the combustion in the area of the ELT was initiated by a release of energy within the batteries or by an external mechanism such as an electrical short. In the case of an electrical short, the same batteries could provide the energy for an ignition and suffer damage in the subsequent fire.

There are no other aircraft system in this area of the plane which, with the aircraft unpowered, contained stored energy capable of causing such a fire,

However, the report also gives some benefit of doubt to Honeywell, saying

The ELT manufacturer has produced some 6,000 units of this design which are fitted to a wide range of aircraft and, to date, the incident on 12 July 2013 has been the only significant thermal event

The AAIB has made two safety recommendations in its report:

Safety Recommendation 2013-016
It is recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration initiate action for making inert the Honeywell International RESCU406AFN fixed Emergency Locator Transmitter system in Boeing 787 aircraft until appropriate airworthiness actions can be completed.

Safety Recommendation 2013-017
It is recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration, in association with other regulatory authorities, conduct a safety review of installations of Lithium-powered Emergency Locator Transmitter systems in other aircraft types and, where appropriate, initiate airworthiness action.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing released a statement saying

As a party to the investigation, Boeing supports the two recommendations from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which we think are reasonable precautionary measures to take as the investigation proceeds. We are working proactively to support the regulatory authorities in taking appropriate action in response to these recommendations, in coordination with our customers, suppliers, and other commercial airplane manufacturers.

We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity.

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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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Bengaluru International Airport renamed as Kempe Gowda International Airport

The renaming of Bangalore's Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) to Kempegowda International Airport received approval from the Union Cabinet yesterday.

The lower house of the state legislature, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, passed a unanimous resolution on December 10, last year and the upper house, the Karnataka Legislative Council, also passed a similar resolution two days later to rename the airport.

Hiriya Kempe Gowda commonly known as Kempe Gowda I or Bengalooru Kempe Gowda was a ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire, who is considered to be the founder of the metropolis of Bangalore, the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Kempe Gowda was a well educated and successful ruler. Noted for his progressive thinking, he ushered the foundations of a modern city with successful planning and building the current city building many temples and water reservoirs in Bangalore.

Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) is the sole airport serving the Bangalore region. It was commissioned and became operational on May 24, 2008. It is owned and operated by Bengaluru International Airport Pvt. Limited (BIAL) a conglomerate majority (74%) held by GVK Group, Siemens Projects, and Zurich Airport, along with two government bodies, the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation KSIIDC, representing the state of Karnataka, and the Airports Authority of India, representing the Government of India, each owning 13%.

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Analysis: Emboldened by Etihad deal, Turkish Airlines seeks additional flying rights to India

by Vinay Bhaskara

Late last week, The Times of India reported Turkish Airlines, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines in the world, wanted to more than quintuple its Indian footprint, requesting an increase in weekly seat allocation from 4,000 to 20,000 seats per week, and gain access to Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Amritsar, and Ahmedabad.

Turkish is also requesting an increase in its weekly frequency allocation from 14 weekly flights (one daily each to Mumbai and Delhi), to 70 flights per week.

Reportedly, Turkish Airlines’ Indian general manager Adnan Aykac made the following statements with regards to his carrier’s requests:

We currently fly 14 flights a week — a daily from Delhi and Mumbai each to Istanbul. This is very limited capacity. We have asked the government for more destinations as we want to fly to all the six metros [Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai], Amritsar and Ahmedabad. We want to have 70 weekly flights from eight cities in India. We are ready to mount the flights that we seek to and from the new cities as early as possible. Delhi and Mumbai are among the most expensive airports in the world, with Delhi being costlier than Mumbai. But these are the two gateways to India and generate almost 70% of all international traffic to and from India. Indian carriers can start flights to Turkey whenever they want. This will be a commercial decision. There are many places whose airlines fly to India without an Indian carrier going there like Amsterdam, from where KLM flies without any Indian carrier going to Holland. 

Turkish Airlines may have some weight behind its request thanks to the timing. As a condition of the recent purchase of a 24% stake in full service carrier Jet Airways by Etihad Airways (with the Abu Dhabi government behind it), Etihad asked for and received a massive increase in seat allocation through the bilateral air service agreement (ASA). Etihad now controls more than 92,000 seats per week between India and Abu Dhabi, while other Middle Eastern rivals like Emirates (54,000) and Qatar Airways (24,292) control more than the 20,000 seats requested by Turkish Airlines. However, Turkish Airlines lacks the political clout of Jet Airways head Naresh Goyal, which might affect its chances of getting an expanded bilateral. And the so-called Jetihad deal is under further review by concerned parties in the Indian government.

Regardless of the outcome of its request, Turkish Airlines already has a strong presence in the Indian market. As with much of its route network, the success is predicated on connectivity across its global hub at Istanbul. Currently, Turkish operate daily services to both Delhi and Mumbai, and each destination is primarily utilized for connecting Indian passengers westbound to Europe, Africa, North America, and (now) Latin America. In 2012, only 24% of Turkish Airlines passengers at Mumbai (where it had a seat factor of 82%) were origin and destination (O&D) passengers from Istanbul, while the figure was 23% at Delhi (on seat factors of 75%).

The five largest origin points for Turkish Airlines service to Mumbai in 2012 were Tel Aviv (despite nonstop service from Israeli national carrier), Stockholm Arlanda, London Heathrow, Washington Dulles, and Chicago O’hare. Arlanda, Dulles and O’hare all lack nonstop service from Mumbai. The market between Washington DC and Mumbai was sized at 38,232 passengers in 2011, while Chicago – Mumbai had nearly 62,367 annual passengers. The five largest origin points for the Delhi flights were Tel Aviv, Barcelona, Washington Dulles (an annual market size of nearly 61,235 passengers), Berlin Tegel, and Copenhagen. Mumbai and Delhi were of course the two largest inbound feeder markets for Turkish Airlines’ services to Washington Dulles, and both airports were amongst the top 5 feeders for Turkish Airlines service to Tel Aviv and Berlin. Delhi was a top 5 feeder market for Turkish Airlines flights to Sao Paulo, Barcelona, Bremen, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Madrid, Nuremberg, Milan and Venice, while Mumbai was a top 5 feeder market for Chicago, Los Angeles, London Heathrow, and Rome. It is interesting to note that Turkish Airlines has won a large share of traffic between Germany and Delhi, despite the presence of German national carrier Lufthansa in Delhi with the largest aircraft available; the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental. Perhaps this lost traffic is behind Lufthansa’s long standing request to operate the Airbus A380 to Delhi?

The services to Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Amritsar, and Ahmedabad will likely follow much of the same pattern. While Bangalore and Chennai are reasonably well served to Europe, the remaining destinations all lack connectivity. Africa and Latin America are un-served, as is the United States, to which these destinations had more than 1.7 million passengers worth of annual demand in 2011 (436,881 – Bangalore, 481,748 – Hyderabad, 398,941 – Chennai, 244,185 – Ahmedabad, 108,581 – Kolkata, and 100,000 – Amritsar).

Turkish Airlines currently serves 235 destinations worldwide on a fleet of 218 passenger aircraft (carrying 39 million passengers in 2012), including 38 in Africa, seven in North America, two in Latin America, and 87 in Europe (with several more in each region announced). Its hub at Istanbul’s Ataturk International is one of the fastest growing airports in the world, with traffic having more than quadrupled to nearly 45 million passengers in 2012 from 11.3 million in 2002.

However, space is constrained at Ataturk, and the airport is now heavily congested, with airline on-time performance in June of 2013 at Istanbul Ataturk registering at an abysmal 38.02%. Turkish has already begun to develop Istanbul’s second airport, Sahiba Gokcen, as a secondary hub. Traffic there hit 14.5 million annual passengers in 2012, but these growth pressures should be resolved by the end of the decade, as Turkey has broken ground on the world’s largest airport in Istanbul.

Analyst's views are individual and may not necessarily reflect the views of Bangalore Aviation.

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Emergency services at Indian airports capable of handling Asiana San Francisco type crash

by Devesh Agarwal

The recent crash of Asiana Airlines flight OZ-214 at San Francisco International airport showcased the quick and heroic efforts of both the airport's emergency fire and rescue services and the cabin crew. Praise has flowed to both of these sets of people for their actions which resulted in minimal loss of life and injuries.

Prompted by this crash, Bangalore Aviation reader Anil Arvindam, wrote in the other day

"How prepared are our airports in India? Are our fire-fighters trained to respond like this San Francisco did?"

The short answer is a resounding YES. The details though are worth exploring.

ARFF / RFFS / CFR

There are many acronyms given to this specialised fire-fighting service. In the United Kingdom it is RFFS (Rescue and Fire Fighting Services), in India and the United States it is ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting), in some parts of the US and in the Philippines it is Crash Fire Rescue (CFR). In this article we'll follow the Indian standard of ARFF. ARFF is a very specialised category of fire-fighting that involves the response, hazard mitigation, evacuation and rescue of passengers and crew of an aircraft involved in an emergency at, or near, an airport.

Rescue and fire-fighting services at airports in member countries are governed by standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), pronounced "Eye Kay Oh". For example, ICAO Document 9137-AN/898, Airport Services Manual, Part 1 guives unform guidance in an effort to provide standardised levels of emergency services, across the world. The respective national civil aviation regulators like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India, or the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in turn publish and enforce the rules and requirements.

ARFF normally will respond to all aircraft emergencies within an airport's boundaries and will also respond to emergencies outside the airport boundaries, typically in a six degree cone from the end of each runway, out to about eight kilometres and there is an defined understanding with the city emergency services on the respective roles and responsibilities to an 'off-airport' incident.

ARFF will also respond to non-aircraft emergencies within airport boundaries, but ARFF will not respond to non-aircraft emergencies outside the airport as this will leave the airport without adequate protection.

All the major airports in India are compliant with ICAO and DGCA norms for emergency services and are audited regularly. By rules if an airport has inadequate or no ARFF cover, it has to close its runways to passenger paying aircraft unless in an emergency, and even then, use of the airport is at the discretion of the commander of the aircraft.

The trend to modern ARFFs was initiated by the private airports of Bangalore, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Mumbai. Soon after, even the Airports Authority of India (AAI) run airports like Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, etc., migrated from their vintage Tata-Leyland trucks to modern ARFF stations and equipment.

Airport Category and ARFF capacity

The size of the ARFF facility at an is determined by the airport's category rating. The number of fire-stations at the airport are determined by the response time requirement which is detailed in the next section.

The category of the airport is based on the size of the largest aircraft that lands at the airport and is also tied in to the number of runways. The table below shows how category is determined, and then for each category what is the requirement of fire tenders, water, chemicals, foams, etc.

The British system is from Category 1 to 10. This system is also followed in India. The US FAA mandates a category system from A to E, and is also tied in to the number of daily departures of the largest size aircraft. FAR Part 139, Sec. 139.315, and FAR Part 139, Sec. 139.317 provide full details.

How an airport's fire-fighting capabilities and capacities are determined.

Bangalore's airport is single runway and is rated 'Cat-9' since it regularly handles flights up to a 747-400 i.e. Code E size. However, since 2012, the airport also regularly handles one daily flight of a Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i which is Code F size, the same as the A380, and this requires the airport to temporarily increase capability to the highest category, 'Cat-10', rating for the duration of that one flight. As airport spokesperson Anjana explains

ARFF scales up to Cat 10 for the period of operations of 747-8 by augmenting additional manpower out of the shifts during this period)

Response Times / Airfield Crash Fire Tenders

Fire is a major risk during any aircraft emergency. With wide-body aircraft now carrying over 300 passengers regularly, the potential of an emergency turning in to a mass casualty has increased in recent years. Keeping the fire risk in mind, safety regulations require an aircraft should have enough exits to be able to evacuate all passengers within 90 seconds.

Similarly, the arrival of the ARFF team(s) at the scene is of paramount importance. In air traffic control (ATC) towers around the world, there are emergency push-buttons within close reach of controllers which set off alarms blaring. The response time norms require ARFF teams to arrive at the scene within two minutes, for 'on runway' incidents, and within three minutes for 'off-runway' incidents anywhere within the airport perimeter.

This response time requirement has resulted in the development of specialised Airfield Crash Fire Tenders (ACFTs) which can only be described as "super trucks". Weighing well over 25~30 tons, twice more than a regular road truck, these tenders can accelerate to 100 kmph in under 30 seconds, thanks to special engines developing between 700 BHP to 1,000+ BHP, about the same power as a Formula 1 car. Taking a leaf from the racing cars, these trucks make extensive use of high strength, low weight, composite and fibre-glass parts.

Rosenbauer Panthers of Bangalore International Airport ARFF. The floor spray extinguishes ground fires ahead of the tender.

ACFTs are fitted with specialised suspensions that allow them to corner at high speeds like a sports car, go up slopes of over 60 degrees, or travel on a tilted embankment sloped up to 30 degrees. These trucks incorporate latest technology and automation. Forward looking infra-red (FLIR) allowing the fire-fighters to see in complete darkness, whether at night or in the black smoke of a fire, multiple spray nozzles, with individual remote controls, enabling fire-fighters to fight fires from inside the tender cabin, and much much more.

In India, due to the number of runways and its sheer size, Delhi's IGI airport has four fire stations. Bangalore airport has one station equipped with four Rosenbauer Panthers.



There are many vendors of ACFTs in the world. Rosenbauer of Austria, Iveco of Italy, and Oshkosh of the United States are major players. In India the Rs. 5 Crore Rosenbauer Panther 6x6 (6 wheels driving, 6 wheels total) is the preferred ACFT. At San Francisco Airport the ACFT of choice is the Oshkosh Striker 4500 8x8 which is a bigger and more expensive tender. Scroll down to see a video of the Striker in action at Dallas-Fort Worth International airport.

Oshkosh Striker 4500 of San Francisco International Airport ARFF.

In addition to the ACFTs, ARFFs and airports have other rescue equipment like high-lift turn-table ladders, ambulances, mobile intensive care units, power and hydraulic rescue tools, and special suits enabling fire-fighters to enter in to fires. Bangalore airport even has inflatable motor-boats just in case the emergency occurs on one the many lakes around the airport.

The airports have triage centres within the airport premises for trauma victims. Bangalore airport has special tie-ups with area hospitals like M.S. Ramaiah and emergency ambulance services to handle large scale trauma events.

Fire-fighters and Training

Human beings are a critical component of the airport's ARFF capabilities. At Bangalore Airport, with one ARFF station the team consists of 134 personnel working 24x7 in four watch shifts. Due to multiple runways, the ARFF at Delhi IGI airport has four stations and a significantly bigger team.

Continuous on-going training is a critical part of the ARFF operations. ICAO Annex 14, § 9.2.34 directs that: All rescue and fire fighting personnel shall be properly trained to perform their duties in an efficient manner and shall participate in live fire drills commensurate with the types of aircraft and type of rescue and fire fighting equipment in use at the aerodrome, including pressure-fed fuel fires.

In India, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) operates two ICAO approved training centres in New Delhi and Kolkata which trains ARFF personnel from across the country.

The fire fighters have to know by memory every aspect of the airport, and also the details for every aircraft that operates at the airport. Come an emergency, there is no time to be looking up books and charts. ARFF charts for Airbus aircraft can be downloaded here, and for Boeing aircraft here.

You can read a detailed paper on the various ARFF training methods across the world and their differences here.



In conclusion, we at Bangalore Aviation invite you to travel safely and with confidence. Air travel is the safest means of travel, and the heroes of the ARFF are on duty looking out for you.

If you would like to say thanks to them, post a comment. The PR teams at both BIAL and DIAL read Bangalore Aviation regularly and we are confident they will be happy to carry your compliments to their respective ARFF teams.

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Opinion: After Ethiopian Airlines incident at Heathrow Airport; 787 remains safe

by Vinay Bhaskara

Last Friday, a pair of incidents occurred with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Smoke was observed billowing from an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 parked on the ground at London Heathrow International Airport with no passengers on board, while a Thomson Airways Dreamliner operating between Manchester and Sanford, Florida (SFB) was forced to return to Manchester due to a routine maintenance problem.

Turning first to the Ethiopian 787, the facts are as follow:

Around 16:30 B.S.T, the Ethiopian 787, registration ET-AOP, was observed with smoke billowing throughout the aircraft. Fire response crews at Heathrow rushed to the aircraft and doused it with fire retardant foam from at least 3 vehicles

787 damage at Heathrow Airport - via Sky News

There was significant smoke/fire damage to the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) skin of the Ethiopian 787, in the crown of the fuselage just forward of door 4 (the aft door). The damage was in a different location than that caused by the issues with the 787’s lithium-ion batteries that caused the Dreamliner to be grounded worldwide for more than 3 months. In fact, the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has ruled out a direct causal relationship between the 787’s batteries and/or auxiliary power unit (APU) and the fire damage. The graphic below from Boeing shows that the damage from the 787 batteries occurred in a different location entirely.

Graphic showing location of 787 batteries - Image Credit: Boeing

The 787 was on Fixed Electrical Ground Power (FEGP) at the time of the incident. A report in the Financial Times quoted an Ethiopian Airlines source as stating that a problem had been observed in the aircraft’s air-conditioning system, and that “sparks were observed,” but this report has not been corroborated anywhere else. The 787’s aft ceiling contains Remote Data Concentrators (RDCs) and Remote Power Distribution Units (RPDUs) with significant amounts of wire, and there is a galley station (but no crew rest) beneath the section of the roof where damage occurred.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), European Air and Space Agency (EASA), AAIB, Boeing, and Ethiopian are all investigating the incident. The damage represents a massive aircraft on ground (AOG) challenge, and a good testing case for composites repair, which presents its own set of challenges (find more information on composite repair here). The cause of the damage is unknown at this point.

These are the facts we know; full stop.

All of the speculation about design problems with the 787 and maintenance issues is exactly that, speculation.

For their part, Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines, and (importantly) the assorted aviation safety agencies are all treating this as a one-off event. Ethiopian Airlines issued a statement saying that the incident was “unrelated to flight safety.”  Ethiopian is scheduled to take delivery of its 5th 787 this week, and plans to do so as scheduled and keep its entire remaining fleet of Dreamliners operational.

To their credit, the DGCA is taking a similar approach with national carrier Air India’s fleet of 787s. "We are keeping a close watch in the investigations (at Heathrow). We will take a view (on Air India's fleet) only after we receive reports of the inquiry and know the causes behind these incidents," DCGA chief Arun Mishra told the Press Trust of India (PTI). To date, Air India has taken delivery of 7 Dreamliners out of a total order of 27.

Air India should keep its Dreamliner fleet operational

This is the correct tactic. While many in the media, especially (albeit understandably) among the British press, have used this as an opportunity to question the 787’s safety, the fact is that this incident is unrelated to any prior ones on the 787. Aviation is not a perfect process; things can go wrong. And even the best of aircraft have one off issues from time to time (see the recent 777 crash or the Air France A330 crash in 2009). When the safety authorities whose job it is to separate isolated incidents from chronic safety problems are treating the 787 as a safe, airworthy aircraft; you should too.

Every aircraft, especially one with such a large degree of new and advanced technology, will suffer its fair share of teething issues. Remember the A380s wing rib cracks? Or the myriad issues that the 747, 777, 767, A340, and A300 all faced on their respective entries into service (EIS). Give Boeing and other involved parties some time to work out the kinks; because when they do, the 787 is set to revolutionize air travel.

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Dubai Airports invites food and beverage, and retail service bids for Concourse D

Dubai Airports is inviting bids from food and beverage operators and selective retail-service providers for the award of concessions in Concourse D at Dubai International. Construction of Concourse D is well under-way with the facility’s opening slated for 2015.

The opportunity is available to food and beverage providers in the categories of popular restaurants, 24-hour casual dining, licensed bars, coffee shops, speciality concepts and fast food. The process also seeks to appoint providers of financial services and selective retail services (non-Duty Free).

Customer-facing services have become an increasingly important part of Dubai Airports’ non-aeronautical revenue, as Dubai International’s expanding network of destinations and rapidly growing passenger numbers allow popular brands to target a unique and cosmopolitan audience. Dubai International connects customers to over 260 destinations on six continents on more than 140 airlines. Passenger numbers are expected to surpass 66 million in 2013 and exceed 78 million in 2015 when Concourse D opens.

Once complete, Concourse D will be home to the more than 100 international airlines that currently use Concourse C and will serve up to 18 million passengers annually. It will be linked to a completely refurbished Terminal 1 by an elevated rail system which will offer transfer times between the two facilities of less than two minutes. The new concourse will elevate the passenger experience by shortening queuing times to allow passengers more time to relax and enjoy a wide range of top-flight retail and F and B experiences.

Tender documents are available for purchase by interested vendors, at AED 1,000 per tender from the Commercial Unit offices in Dubai International, Terminal 1 departures. Further details are available online.

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BREAKING: US Airways Shareholders Approve Merger With American Airlines

by Vinay Bhaskara

Earlier today, at its annual general meeting for shareholders, the shareholders of Tempe, Arizona based US Airways voted to approve the merger between US Airways and Fort Worth, Texas based American Airlines. The merger, which would create the world's largest carrier by passengers carried, was announced on February 14, 2013.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, US Airways shareholders would get 28% of the combined shares in the company. The all-stock transaction would yield a company with annual revenues of nearly $38.7 billion, and headquartered in Dallas Fort Worth. The new board would include 5 AMR creditor representatives, 3 current AMR directors, and
4 US Airways representatives. US Airways shareholders did not question any component of the merger agreement proposal before voting.

According to US Airways CEO Doug Parker, the merger is still on track to close by the end of the 3rd quarter. Clearance for the merger is still required from the Department of Justice and the AMR bankrupcy court. Parker said at the meeting that if forced too, the new American will give up precious landing slots at Washington's Reagan National Airport, where the merged carrier will hold a dominant market share. However, Parker warned that the first markets to lose service as a result of divestment would be small cities. Parker said that the new American preferred to keep its entire slot holdings intact post merger;

There is no such standard in antitrust law that says airlines can't have that size of departures from any given airport.

Parker also tried to downplay any antitrust concerns surrounding the deal.

It [the new American] creates an important strong competitor to United, Delta and Southwest .... We will create a premier global airline.

Recent testimony from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) before Congress warned that Philadelphia International Airport, currently US Airways' second largest hub and trans-Atlantic gateway, could lose service post merger to nearby New York JFK. However, Parker, in responding to a question from a Philadelhpia based frequent flyer and shareholder appeared to allay these concerns.

"Our hub [in Philadelphia] does well for US Airways... it will do even better as a part of American"

The new American will operate a mainline fleet of more than 940 aircraft, operating more than 6,700 flights per day to 336 destinations around the globe.

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Have your say: Question of the week: Will the Jet Etihad deal fructify? Will Jet survive?

by Devesh Agarwal

We welcome your feedback and comments on the Jet-Etihad deal.

Without a doubt the humongous increase in seat capacity offered to the Abu Dhabi government by India has some quid-pro-qua links to the Jetihad deal. There is also talk that the bilaterals seat increase was to pacify the UAE government after their telecom company allegedly lost over $1 billion in the recent 2G scam, and get foreign investment flowing in to India from that country.

Regardless of the reasons, the new proposed bilateral air services agreement (ASA) has come under severe flak from many political quarters. At the focal point of attacks is the Prime Minister, who had given his approval to the Group of Ministers (GoM) comprising P. Chidambaram (Finance), Anand Sharma (Commerce), Salman Khurshid (External Affairs) and Ajit Singh (Civil Aviation), to proceed and conclude the ASA.

Dr. Manmohan Singh is regarded as an honourable man, but his reputation has taken a hit following the 2G telecom scam and Coalgate, where national resources like spectrum and coal were doled out to political supports for cheap. A weak Congress, facing a multitude of elections, is now desperately trying to protect the image of the Prime Minister and the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the UAE government on the ASA is now being questioned. To help weather the political story, give cover to the Prime Minister, and justify the deal, a note from the civil aviation ministry is being prepared for perusal and overall approval of the MoU, the Cabinet.

The suave and politically connected Naresh Goyal is reportedly pacing the corridors of power, and doing all he can to keep the Jetihad deal alive.

On the side, news reports indicate Etihad is waiting for the outcome of the cabinet meeting, and the decision on the MoU. Indirectly, it has been reported, that if it does not get the massive increase in traffic rights, Etihad make walk away from the deal.

Jet is facing a debt of over 12,000 Crore ($2 billion), higher than even Kingfisher Airlines, and its very survival is at stake.

Do you think the Jetihad deal will fructify? Under what circumstances? If the deal does not fructify, will the baniya Naresh Goyal be able to prevent Jet Airways experiencing the same fate as Kingfisher Airlines?

Share your thoughts and views via a comment.

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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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Images: Singapore Airlines unveils new cabin product for its Airbus A350XWB and Panasonic eX3 IFE for 777

Small portion of existing Boeing 777-300ER (77W) fleet also to be refitted.

by Devesh Agarwal

National carrier Singapore Airlines unveiled its next generation of cabin products, which will be deployed on its Airbus A350 XWB aircraft which recently celebrated its first flight on June 14th, and is due to enter service in late 2014.

The airline will also initially introduce the new cabin products, progressively, on eight Boeing 777-300ER (B77W) aircraft, at a cost of US$ 150 million. The airline has 19 B77W in its fleet and another eight on order. It is not clear if the airline will retrofit existing 77Ws or introduce the new cabin on the new aircraft. The airline's total fleet is 102 aircraft comprising of A380s, Boeing 777-200ERs, 777-300s, 777-300ERs, A340-500s, and A330-300s.

The first passengers to experience the new cabin will be on the 777-300ER service between Singapore and London Heathrow starting from September.

The airline has worked for more than two years with world-renowned design firms to develop the new products. BMW Group DesignworksUSA assisted with the development of the new First Class, James Park Associates assisted with Business Class and Massive Interactive with the in-flight entertainment system interface.

The new in-flight entertainment (IFE) audio-video on demand (AVOD) system

The new Krisworld IFE system is uses the new Panasonic eX3 system which the airline will be the launch customer of on the A350 XWB and is the first to offer on the 77Ws.

The new KrisWorld features larger LCD screens and video touch-screen handsets across all classes. LCD screens will increase from 23 to 24 inches in First Class, 15.4 to 18 inches in Business Class and 10.6 to 11.1 inches in Economy Class. Economy Class customers will also be able to browse through the more than 1,000 on-demand entertainment options by swiping or scrolling through the touch-screen monitor, while first and business will have touch-screen handsets.

Passengers will be able to multi-task among the varied entertainment options available. For example, they may watch a movie, while at the same time use the handset to keep up to date with the latest news headlines or track the aircraft’s flight path. Alternatively, customers may use the handset as a touchscreen trackpad to navigate KrisWorld. New features such as “Quick Search”, where a flick of the handset pulls up a playlist of entertainment choices, are also being introduced.

The new 'Notification Centre' on the KrisWorld dashboard contains information relevant to the flight, reducing the number of on-board announcements, allowing uninterrupted viewing of video programs. Passengers will also experience greater personalisation, with KrisWorld providing content recommendations based on passengers’ preferences. They may also rate movies and see how others have rated these.

First Class

Singapore Airlines' new First Class seat features a new fixed-back shell design with curved side panels to provide a clear demarcation of personal space, for added privacy. At 35 inches in width and with an increased bed length from 80 to 82 inches, it is one of the most spacious First Class products in the sky. An ergonomically sculpted cushion and improved adjustable headrest have been introduced for greater seating comfort, while new features such as a padded headboard for extra support and an additional mattress layer ensure passengers enjoy a comfortable rest.

Little but important features have been added. For example, the seat now boasts a stylish passenger control unit that includes a new switch to provide passengers easier access to turn off their in-flight entertainment monitor, and for cabin crew to do so without disturbing passengers when they are resting. New lighting was developed after extensive scientific research. In addition to reading lights, the seat features ambient lighting, which not only accentuates the seat design but also serves as a night light in a dimmed cabin. The seat features an all-in-one panel including in-seat power supply, USB port, eXport and HDMI ports allowing passengers to view content from personal media devices.

Business Class

Singapore Airlines retains its leadership in this class with its 1-2-1 configuration which rivals the first class of most airlines. The new Business Class seat offers greater recline at 132 degrees and features an improved ergonomic seat cushion. When converted, it becomes the industry's widest full-flat bed, at 78 inches in length. In addition, the new seat offers two new seating positions - 'Lazy Z' and 'Sundeck' based on in-depth research and feedback from passengers. The seat offers increased stowage space, with an amenity stowage area on the side console and a laptop stowage area. The lighting, LCD monitor on/off switch, and all-in-one panel from the first class cabin is added.

Economy Class

From photographs, it appears Singapore Airlines has retained its 3-3-3 configuration which offers the widest economy class seat in the world. The new seats are of a 'slimline' type which provides a feeling of increased personal space and legroom. Each seat comes with new backrest seat cushions with side bolsters for better back support and an ergonomically sculpted headrest cushion offering better neck support.

The IFE is on a 11.1-inch touch screen accompanied by a video touch-screen handset.

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Infographic: The Boeing 777 is Safe

by Bangalore Aviation Staff

After the crash of Asiana Flight 214 at San Francisco International airport this past Saturday, a media firestorm erupted around the Boeing 777 aircraft involved in the crash. Fears grew among much of the traveling public and non-aviation media that the 777 was in fact an unsafe aircraft to fly. This is simply not the case. Bangalore Aviation has prepared the following infographic to help allay some of the safety concerns that have arisen around the aircraft.

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Analysis: Etihad post strong results; government fears over Jetihad overblown

by Vinay Bhaskara

Abu Dhabi based full service carrier Etihad Airways announced yesterday that it had achieved record revenue growth for the second quarter and first half of 2013. For Q2 2013, passenger revenues grew a robust 8% to $921 million, while passenger revenues for the first half of 2013 hit $1.8 billion, up 13% from $1.6 billion in 2012.

Revenue generated by its code share and equity alliance partners leapt 25% to $184 million in Q2 and was responsible for 20% of Etihad’s revenue for the first half. Passenger traffic as measured in revenue passenger miles (RPMs) and capacity as measured by available seat miles (ASMs) each grew 13% year over year in Q2; the figures were 15% and 12% respectively for the first half of 2013. Etihad added 11 new aircraft to the fleet over the preceding 12 month period (bringing its fleet up to 78 frames), and added new services to Amsterdam, Belgrade, Sao Paulo, and Washington DC (added at the end of March) in Q2.

Clearly, Etihad has achieved a strong pattern of growth in the shadow of its behemoth rivals of the MEB3 +1 (Middle East Big 3 plus One) carriers; Dubai based Emirates Airlines, Doha based Qatar Airways, and Istanbul based Turkish Airlines. A key component of this growth is driven by Etihad’s equity investments.

In addition to Etihad’s proposed 24% investment into Jet Airways creating the so-called Jetihad partnership, Etihad holds a 29% share of airberlin, 40% of Air Seychelles, 10% of Virgin Australia, and 3% of Aer Lingus. Etihad recently secured Australian regulatory approval to increase its equity stake in Virgin Australia from 10% to 19%.  It also announced that it had signed an Initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Serbian government to discuss potentially investing in Serbian national carrier JatAirways.

As per the Etihad press release, CEO James Hogan:

…said a significant achievement in Q2 was the improved contribution of the Etihad Airways equity alliance partners, in particular Germany’s airberlin, which has become the largest code share contributor. This reflects increased connectivity between the integrated networks of the two airlines.

And the Etihad results illustrate the case that can be made for the Jetihad partnership. In recent weeks, the Jetihad deal has hit a series of setbacks due to government reticence over allowing control over Jet Airways’ strategy to fall into foreign hands. A report from CNN IBN stated that

Jet's plan to relocate operations and core functions to Abu Dhabi has raised eyebrows as the proposed plan is not consistent with Indian norms, sources said. The co-operative board of the company will have control with 19 foreign nationals nominated by Etihad, sources added, and the government fears losing operation control of the domestic airline Jet.

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh is reportedly sending a note to the Prime Minister’s Office asking Jet and Etihad to rework their deal to allay government concerns that the recent seat sharing agreement in the re-worked Abu Dhabi – India bilateral air service agreement (ASA).

Clearly the Jetihad partnership will benefit Etihad extensively, giving it a solid grip on westbound international traffic from India. And the seat sharing deal indeed does favor Jetihad over other full service carriers serving Abu Dhabi. But the ASA with Dubai is similarly tilted in favor of Emirates Airlines, and Jetihad will only serve to create a strong competitor to Emirates, who has increasingly monopolized westbound international traffic from India.

As to the question of whether Indian norms are being flouted by the addition of foreign nationals… maybe. But is that all together a bad thing? Operating under Indian norms, Jet Airways had fallen into a rut of sustained financial losses and network stagnation. In contrast, Etihad has created robust partnerships with its equity partners and helped re-vitalize them; Aer Lingus is reporting excellent financial results despite recession in Europe and residual demand weakness in its home country of Ireland.

Foreign blood may very well be just what Jet Airways needs to return it to profitability and stability domestically – the expertise of Etihad in running a profitable airline will be invaluable for Jet given the latter’s inconsistent result. And from a practical perspective, Etihad will likely do little to change Jet’s domestic strategy given its lack of expertise in the market. There is even room for some organic international expansion under the umbrella of Etihad; for example Aer Lingus recently announced an intercontinental expansion from its hub in Dublin to San Francisco and Toronto for 2014. Similar opportunities may present themselves for Jet Airways heading eastbound from the new integrated terminal at Mumbai.

I would like to remind readers, this is my view. Your comments, as usual, are requested and welcome.

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Trip Report: India and Europe Summer 2013 - Introduction

Introduction
United Club Newark
United Economy Class Newark to Hamburg
Lufthansa Senator Lounge Hamburg
Turkish Airlines Economy Class Hamburg to Istanbul
Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul
Turkish Airlines Economy Class Istanbul to Mumbai 
Lufthansa Senator Lounge Mumbai
Thai Airways Business Class Mumbai-Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Lounge and Spa Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Bangkok to Frankfurt
Lufthansa Senator Lounge Frankfurt
Lufthansa Business Class Frankfurt to Zurich
*tentative*
Swiss Business Lounge Zurich
Air Canada Executive First Zurich to Toronto
Air Canada Maple Leaf Club Toronto
Air Canada Business Class Toronto to Philadelphia
*tentative*
_________________________________________________________________________________

This post is meant to serve as an introduction to a trip I will be taking later this summer. The trip report will be updated as I actually do the flying.

So the genesis of this trip is that I am taking a trip to India in August of this year, and on the return I will be stopping over in Europe to visit with family.

Now within the parameters of a standard United Airlines award ticket, I booked the itinerary you see above, Economy Class going to India, and First Class on the return. My first step was finding award inventory in the India-US direction, which is incredibly difficult to do in the summer time, as this is a peak period for US origin travel to India. I eventually managed to find a one-stop from Newark via Munich to Mumbai on August 7th, but instead I opted for a more circuitous Newark-Hamburg-Istanbul-Mumbai routing. This routing would allow me to visit two new airports (Hamburg and Istanbul), and fly a new aircraft type (the Airbus A321 --  most of my short haul flying has been on United and American, neither of whom currently have A321s) in the spirit of a true aviation connoisseur.

The advantages of this routing are that I have a comfortable 4 hour layover in Hamburg (allowing me to shower in the lounge) as opposed to the hour long sprint I'd have to endure in Munich, as well as 4 hours to review the Turkish Airlines CIP lounge in Istanbul, considered by many to be the best business class lounge in the world. It also allows me to provide a review of Turkish Airlines' service offering in economy class on flights between India and the West. And the Istanbul-Mumbai sector is currently scheduled on a Boeing 777-300ER leased from Jet Airways.

Turkish Airlines Business Class (CIP) Lounge - Istanbul
Image Credit - One Mile at a Time

The return flights from Mumbai are also notable. On a first class award, I will have a business class flight overnight from Bangkok to Mumbai, and then I will be able to experience Thai Airways famed first class services in Bangkok- including a golf cart ride to the lounge, hour long complementary Thai massages, and a full service restaurant. Then I will be on to the highlight of my trip; First Class on the Thai Airways A380 between Bangkok and Frankfurt, my first time in international first class and my first time flying an A380. Then its a couple of hours of layover in Frankfurt and off to Zurich,.

Thai Airways Royal First Class on A380
Image Credit - Australian Business Traveler

Now its the flights home to the US that I am still unsure about. The only flight home I could find at the time of booking was the Air Canada itinerary displayed. However, what I am banking on is that Lufthansa tends to release its first class award inventory to United 14 days before departure; Lufthansa First Class and the First Class Terminal at Frankfurt would be  a perfect way to end this trip. Either way, I am excited for my journey!

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