• UDAN 5.3 launched
  • Training was the buzz word

By Sangeeta Saxena

Begumpet, Hyderabad. 18 January 2024. It was a jam packed house at the inaugural area with the same numbers standing under the scorching sun to witness the opening of the first big show of 2024-Wings India 2024. And ofcourse to see the biggest crowd-puller in the younger generation of ministers in the Indian Government – Jyotiraditya M Scindia, whose oratory skills have made him the cynosure of all eyes.

Difference from the previous inaugurations was the fact that major announcements and big ticket deals were part of the ceremony in the presence of the minister. The newest low-cost airline in India, Akasa Air, became the first in the country to order more than 200 aircraft in just 17 months of operation when it formally placed an additional order for 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. B737 Max 8-200 and Max 10 .

 

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also inked by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) to form an industry consortium within the aviation ecosystem and employ blockchain, artificial intelligence, and other technologies to enhance customer experience and improve operational efficiency.

Training was definitely the buzz word on Day 1 of Wings India. GMR Aviation School was established in partnership with Airbus by GMR Aero Technic, the MRO division of GMR Air Cargo and Aerospace Engineering Ltd (GACAEL). The school will provide integrated 4-year licenced aircraft maintenance engineering programmes that have been approved by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This will address the industry’s lack of qualified engineers.

Narrating India’s civil aviation growth story, the Minister stated that, “Total number of domestic passengers rose from 60 million in 2014 to 143 million in 2020 growing at a CAGR of 14.5% and is expected to have crossed the figure of 150 million in 2023. We are clocking more than 4.5 lakh Pax a day on a regular basis with a high of 4.67 lakh domestic passengers recently. In the six years leading to FY 2020 the number of international passengers had also grown at CAGR of 6.1 per cent. Domestic Cargo volumes handled by Indian airports in the 15 years leading to FY 2019 increased by 60 per cent while international cargo volumes increased by 53 per cent. Despite tremendous growth in recent times, India still remains highly under-penetrated market. Even if, as per projections, the number of domestic passengers reaches 635 million by FY 2030, India will still be one of the least penetrated of the 20 largest markets.”

The ceremony also saw Minister of State for Civil Aviation General V.K. Singh and Telangana Minister for Roads, Buildings and Cinematography Komatireddy Venkat Reddy . On the stage were also Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation Asangba Chuba Ao, India Head of Airbus Remi Maillard , Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana Dushyant Chautala, along with representatives of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Another focus was on unmanned systems and the need for experts behind the machines. According to Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Telangana has already trained and licenced 430 drone pilots, the majority of whom are working. He also batted for direct connectivity to USA keeping the increasing number of passengers from Hyderabad in mind. He said that the government was working hard to revive three brownfield airports, at Mamnoor in Warangal, Basanthnagar in Peddapally, and one in Adilabad, as well as three greenfield airports, at Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jakaranpally in Nizamabad, and Gudibanda in Mahbubnagar. The minister declared, “We have started work on the airports in Adilabad and Warangal (Mamnoor).” The Airports Authority of India has completed a pre-feasibility report on the water aerodrome that the state government has proposed to build in the Nagarjunasagar reservoir. According to the minister, the government was also considering building water aerodromes in other bodies of water. All district headquarters now have permanent helipads, a first for the government. The Telangana State Aviation Corporation and the tourism department were offering heli-tourism joy rides in Hyderabad and Vemulawada, and they were prepared to provide a comparable service at the largest tribal festival in Asia, Medaram Jatara.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Gen (Dr) VK Singh (Retd.), asserted that civil aviation is a lucrative sector all over the world, contributing to both the national and global GDP. Speaking at the inauguration he said, “the growth of civil aviation is contributing to global GDP besides India’s. Drones will enter the sector in the coming days, we need hassle-free comprehensive growth-oriented actions to be taken and for stakeholders to share innovations in aviation technology in the sector.”

Scindia reiterated, “We have already taken unprecedented steps across the spectrum to create capacities, remove bottlenecks and simplify processes and procedures and ensure that in 2047, India has an aviation system that supports a USD 20 Trillion economy. We are not only focusing on airplanes and airports, but the development and enhancement of building a holistic airline ecosystem that has strong roots across the value chain. As part of this vision, we have doubled number of Airports in the country in the last 9 years, increasing from 74 in 2014 to 149 now. Government of India has so far accorded ‘in-principle’ approval for setting up of 21 Greenfield Airports across the country out of which 12 Greenfield airports have been operationalised. We are also working on Capacity Enhancement at our Metro Airports where our overall capacity is slated to rise from 221 MPPA currently to over 468 MPPA in the next decade or so.

The fastest-growing commercial market in the world for manufacturing aviation components is India, according to Remi Maillard, Chairman of the FICCI Civil Aviation Committee and President and Managing Director of Airbus – India. He also described India as a “growth engine” for the global aviation industry. Decarbonisation will be the next industrial revolution, and India has the skills and technology to lead the world in this regard, he claimed. Air India also got it’s first A350, a wide-body aircraft which captured major eyeballs at the show. The A350-900 is one of the 70 wide-body aircraft that have been ordered. Its non-stop flight duration of 16–17 hours and competitive advantage in long-haul travel are expected to improve Air India’s standing in the market. Its fuel efficiency is impressive, as it uses 25% less fuel than its predecessors. The A350 is set for domestic operations by the end of January after necessary checks and approvals.

Another major attraction for one and all was the flight line on the tarmac of Begumpet Airport. On Day One of Wings India 2024, a total of 25 aircraft were on display, including  Boeing’s Experimental B 777-9, which is the latest and largest wide-body aircraft from Boeing. Standing tall next to it was the Air India Airbus A350. Reminded the visitors of the clash of the titans. An Air India Express Boeing 737-8 was also on display along with a former version of Boeing 777.

The Minister reminded that under RCS-UDAN, 76 airports in Tier-3 and Tier-4 and other remote corner of the country have been operationalized, thus enhancing last mile connectivity. “Over the past 6 years, UDAN has unlocked the true potential of our country by promoting tourism, boosting trade, and empowering local economies. Airstrips and Airports languishing since 2nd World War have been transformed under this scheme and are now giving wings to flyers in the remotest parts of the country. More than 1.32 Crore people have benefited from this scheme in more than 2.5 Lakh flights. We have also provided VGF of almost Rs 3,100 crores, awarded 1300 UDAN routes and operationalized 517 routes under the scheme. To ensure seamless Last Mile Connectivity in the country we are also working promote growth of Helicopters and Small Aircrafts in India. We have conducted special UDAN rounds for Small Aircraft Schemes, Seaplane Routes and Helicopter Routes. To enhance safety of helicopter operations and provide all-weather day/night access, we are working to rollout a helicopter specific low-level IFR route using GAGAN. In addition to Aviation Infrastructure we are addressing issues of Capacity building across the value chain including Human Resources. We have liberalized policies so as to ensure adequate availability of Pilots, Cabin Crew, Engineers, etc. in the country. We have substantially increased number of FTOs in the country which shall ensure adequate supply of trained resourced for the Industry. We have been issuing record number of Commercial Pilot Licenses in the country over the last two years with the figure crossing 1,622 CPLs in 2023 which surpassed the previous best figure of 1165 CPLs clocked in 2022 by 40%.”, he informed.

The flying display was small but took the breath of the audience away. The Indian Air Force (IAF) Sarang helicopter team mesmerised the audience with their precise manoeuvres. The UK’s Mark Jefferies aerobatic team, with four aircraft, also put on an extraordinary show afterward, taking centre stage with breathtaking demonstrations of their Extra Flugzeugbau EA300 two-seat aerobatic monoplanes. Air India Express’ Boeing 737-8 aircraft made the audience gasp with its  low fly-bys.

Seven major announcements were made today at Wings India 2024 during the inauguration:

  • Release of the joint knowledge paper on civil aviation by FICCI and KPMG
  • Launch of UDAN 5.3
  • Launch of the Airbus-Air India Training Centre, with the purchase of more airplanes and the setting of a flight training center in Gurugram with 10 flight simulators and 10,000 pilots being trained in the coming years
  • Airbus manufacturing contracts with TATA ASL and Mahindra Aerospace Structures Pvt. Ltd. to foster more pilots
  • GMR and IndiGo also signed a consortium to collaborate with multiple patterns in developing sustainable training in the aerospace industry
  • Inauguration of the GMR School of Aviation
  • Deal announcement of Akasa Air with a triple order of 200 aircrafts in a period of 17 months