The last few years of the Indian aviation industry have
witnessed tremendous growth, though there is still much
left to desire in terms of infrastructure and some other
vital areas. A lot of efforts are being put in to
overcome the barriers that are hampering the industry's
growth. A Report
The stupendous economic and trade
growth has given a lot of impetus to the growth of the
Air Cargo industry and the fact that most of the foreign
players in the industry are making a bee line to India
bears ample testimony to the opportunities available in
this emerging market. The recently concluded Air Cargo
India 2008, provided the window to new developments in
the country.
The past few years have seen the
launch of several new airlines that can offer their
belly hold capacities and existing airlines investing in
the air cargo sector by purchasing cargo aircraft and
building cargo handling centers at airports. The Indian
government is also trying to attract more foreign
investors who can give a boost to this industry.
The Government is initiating a number
of steps towards improving air cargo trade expansion at
the various airports in the country. At Indira Gandhi
International Airport Delhi, infrastructure development
such as air conditioned Public Waiting Hall with working
paraphernalia, the Truck Dock Area of Centre for
Perishable Cargo (CPC), modification of cargo terminal
with facility to maintain ambient temperature have been
undertaken.
For
the widely acclaimed Indian space programme, it was yet
another high adding to the string of its recent
achievements. And for the country, badly in need of a
good news, it was a veritable red letter day. Breaking
all the earlier records, India's four stage space
workhorse PSLV(Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), after a
smooth take off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre
s(SDSC) in the spindle shaped Sriharikota island on
India's eastern coast, successfully placed into orbit as
many as ten satellites in one go with a high degree of
precision on the sunny morning of April 28.
The core alone version of the PSLV
without its usual six strap on boosters attached to the
first stage and featuring alternate liquid and solid
fuel stages—launched two Indian built satellites along
with eight nano satellite probes from foreign
universities.
The dogfight for the $10 billion
contract for 126 jets for the Indian Air Force is
hotting up. The manufacturers of Eurofighter ‘Typhoon'
fighter aircraft European Aeronautic Defence & Space
(EADS) has invited India to join the company in building
next-generation fighter Typhoon if it wins the deal.
This salvo is seen as an attempt to
boost the chances of the Eurofighter winning the
contract. The Eurofighter consortium comprises Alenia
SpA of Italy's Alenia Aeronautica, BAE Systems PLC (BA.LN)
of the UK, and the Spanish and German units of European
Aeronautic Defence & Space Co, EADS Casa and EADS
Germany.
India's contract for the fighter deal
includes outright purchase of 18 fighter jets by 2012 is
hotting up. The country also holds the option of buying
another 64 fighters from the top bidder.
India had called for the bids as the
number of Indian Air Force's operational fleet of
fighter planes plummeted to 576 aircraft in 2007 from
about 750 in early 2000.
Russia and France have traditionally
been the major suppliers of fighter aircraft for the
Indian airforce. But the US has joined the fray with
Lockheed Martin, based in the United States, striving to
sell F-16 fighter planes to the Indian Air Force, which
is in need of advanced technology. Boeing Company, based
in Seattle, Washington, the United States, is also
offering F-18 Superhornets.
If the Americans clinched the deal,
US aircraft-engine maker Pratt & Whitney Inc. plans to
supply engines to Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp
depending on who is chosen to supply 126 multi-role
combat aircraft, estimated to be worth more than Rs
40,000 crore, to the Indian Air Force and what is dubbed
to be the biggest defence purchase deal in India ever.
The flawless test firing of India's
most powerful surface to surface, nuclear capable
ballistic missile Agni-III on May 7 from Wheeler Island
on India's eastern coast has come as a shot in the arm
for India's credible nuclear deterrence strategy. This
is the second successful flight of all solid fuel driven
Agni-III. While the first successful flight of the
missile took place on April 12, 2007, the test firing of
the missile on July 9, 2006 came a cropper on account of
the problems encountered in the stage separation system
of this two stage missile designed to hit a target at a
distance of 3,500-kms.
Sources in India's state owned
Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO)have
described Agni-III as a "fire and forget missile". For
it is fully well capable computing its own trajectory
and was totally immune to the external interference
after launch. By all means, Agni-III has catapulted
India into the ranks of countries such as Russia, China,
France and USA which are in possession of missiles
similar in capability to Agni-III.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful
Patel's ambitions to make India a maintenance, repair
and overhaul (MRO) hub for aircraft in Asia are unlikely
to take off. With over 300 MRO companies in operation in
China, India's aggressive neighbour has already clocked
revenues of US$1.3 billion as compared to 410 million
for India. The number of aircraft serviced in China is
1,060 while in India it is only 380. However the bright
side is that growth in India is 11.50 per cent, while
that of China is 6.80 per cent. The three shops in India
are Max Aerospace, Airworks and Indamer. Though the
entry of Lufthansa Technik, Boeing and Airbus will
double the number of MRO centres in India, the numbers
will still fall way short of China. So far, ten
companies have shown interest in getting into the
business. However, not all, experts expect the ventures
to see the light of day. Some of them like GoAir's
venture with SIA Engineering have already been shelved,
while others like Kingfisher's joint venture with GAMCO
are still under consideration.
This year's Berlin International
Aerospace Exhibition at the Schoenefeld international
airport south-east of Berlin outlived its expectations.
The show provided an impressive display of high tech
wizardry and machinery and was also a major draw for the
general public. The attendance of 241,000 nearly reached
the record level set at the ILA2006 (250,000).
Approximately 120,000 trade visitors (2006:115,000) came
to find out about the products and services on offer on
the 250,000 square metre site, Germany's largest
temporary exhibition grounds, and to learn about the
latest trends at more than 100 accompanying conferences.
With a record number of exhibitors, some 1,100 from 37
countries, and over 300 aircraft, which is more than at
any other trade show, the ILA went down as a major
success not just for Germany, but the entire global
aviation industry.
The Dubai Airport Show,
touted as the largest airport construction, operations,
technology and services exhibition in the region took
place June 2-4 at the Dubai Airport Expo site amid a
record number of suppliers in attendance. International
Aerospace's Amitabh Joshi reports.
The show was officially opened on
June 2 by Sheikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President
of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of
Emirates Airline and Group. It attracted 600 suppliers
from 40 countries, and over 100 civil aviation
authorities and airports. The exhibitors included 9
national pavilions representing the UK, Germany, France,
Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Italy, Netherlands and
Denmark, covering more than 17,000sqm of space.
26 Airports and Civil Aviation
Authorities including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Sudan,
Iran, Syria, Armenia and the Ukraine were represented.
There were officials from more than 30 airlines and 100
airport consultants and contractors. The three-day event
was imbedded with a string of conferences and debates
concerning the aviation and airports infrastructure
industry-ranging from security concerns to air traffic
management.
The last few years of the Indian aviation industry have
witnessed tremendous growth, though there is still much
left to desire in terms of infrastructure and some other
vital areas. A lot of efforts are being put in to
overcome the barriers that are hampering the industry's
growth. A Report 
For
the widely acclaimed Indian space programme, it was yet
another high adding to the string of its recent
achievements. And for the country, badly in need of a
good news, it was a veritable red letter day. Breaking
all the earlier records, India's four stage space
workhorse PSLV(Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), after a
smooth take off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre
s(SDSC) in the spindle shaped Sriharikota island on
India's eastern coast, successfully placed into orbit as
many as ten satellites in one go with a high degree of
precision on the sunny morning of April 28. 
The dogfight for the $10 billion
contract for 126 jets for the Indian Air Force is
hotting up. The manufacturers of Eurofighter ‘Typhoon'
fighter aircraft European Aeronautic Defence & Space
(EADS) has invited India to join the company in building
next-generation fighter Typhoon if it wins the deal. 
India's contract for the fighter deal
includes outright purchase of 18 fighter jets by 2012 is
hotting up. The country also holds the option of buying
another 64 fighters from the top bidder. 
The flawless test firing of India's
most powerful surface to surface, nuclear capable
ballistic missile Agni-III on May 7 from Wheeler Island
on India's eastern coast has come as a shot in the arm
for India's credible nuclear deterrence strategy. This
is the second successful flight of all solid fuel driven
Agni-III. While the first successful flight of the
missile took place on April 12, 2007, the test firing of
the missile on July 9, 2006 came a cropper on account of
the problems encountered in the stage separation system
of this two stage missile designed to hit a target at a
distance of 3,500-kms. 
Civil Aviation Minister Praful
Patel's ambitions to make India a maintenance, repair
and overhaul (MRO) hub for aircraft in Asia are unlikely
to take off. With over 300 MRO companies in operation in
China, India's aggressive neighbour has already clocked
revenues of US$1.3 billion as compared to 410 million
for India. The number of aircraft serviced in China is
1,060 while in India it is only 380. However the bright
side is that growth in India is 11.50 per cent, while
that of China is 6.80 per cent. The three shops in India
are Max Aerospace, Airworks and Indamer. Though the
entry of Lufthansa Technik, Boeing and Airbus will
double the number of MRO centres in India, the numbers
will still fall way short of China. So far, ten
companies have shown interest in getting into the
business. However, not all, experts expect the ventures
to see the light of day. Some of them like GoAir's
venture with SIA Engineering have already been shelved,
while others like Kingfisher's joint venture with GAMCO
are still under consideration.
This year's Berlin International
Aerospace Exhibition at the Schoenefeld international
airport south-east of Berlin outlived its expectations.
The show provided an impressive display of high tech
wizardry and machinery and was also a major draw for the
general public. The attendance of 241,000 nearly reached
the record level set at the ILA2006 (250,000).
Approximately 120,000 trade visitors (2006:115,000) came
to find out about the products and services on offer on
the 250,000 square metre site, Germany's largest
temporary exhibition grounds, and to learn about the
latest trends at more than 100 accompanying conferences.
With a record number of exhibitors, some 1,100 from 37
countries, and over 300 aircraft, which is more than at
any other trade show, the ILA went down as a major
success not just for Germany, but the entire global
aviation industry.
The Dubai Airport Show,
touted as the largest airport construction, operations,
technology and services exhibition in the region took
place June 2-4 at the Dubai Airport Expo site amid a
record number of suppliers in attendance. International
Aerospace's Amitabh Joshi reports.