Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Tatas aim to build aircraft for Ruag Aviation

Published in The Hindu, Hyderabad, 23 Jun 2014


The Tata Group on Monday said it aims to bring out a fully built aircraft for Ruag Aviation — makers of Dornier 228 new generation aircraft, parts of which are to be made in India by TASL.
Tata Advanced Systems Ltd held ground breaking ceremony in Hyderabad for manufacturing Dornier 228 fuselage and wings.
The Tata-Ruag partnership is a glowing example of cooperation between India and Europe, TASL Chairman S. Ramadorai said.
“It is our belief that this project is a significant step forward in India’s growth as a high technology, precision, manufacturing destination. Ruag has entrusted the Tatas to deliver its showcase product, the Dornier 228, at world-class standards of precision and quality,” he said.
“Our vision is to work with Ruag in having a full aircraft, equipped with systems flying out from a Tata final assembly. This will be of significant importance to the Indian Armed forces in their desire to produce products locally,” he said at the function.
Within five years, TASL has become a significant player in the Global Aerospace market by delivering successfully over 70 Sikorsky S-92 cabins, and delivered Empennage and Center Wing Box for the C-130 J aircraft through its separate JV with Lockheed Martin, Mr. Ramadorai said.
It has also made Hyderabad a premier manufacturing destination for Global OEMs, he added.
The Ruag project is the fourth Aero structures unit to be set up by TASL since 2009 in Hyderabad and the products of all the units are 100 per cent exported.
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, chief guest of the function, said the government will soon announce new industrial policy and consultations with stakeholders are underway.
“The goal is to make the Made in Telangana label as a globally recognised brand for its quality and innovativeness,” Mr. Rao said.
The city — hosts many research and development bodies such as DRDO, DRDL, Midhani and BDL — is ideal for setting up aerospace industries, he said.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Bangalore airport grants indirect sops to AirAsia India



New Delhi: Bangalore airport has decided to offer sops to new airlines in a move being seen as a way of benefiting budget airline AirAsia India Pvt. Ltd, which launched operations this month with a flight to Goa from Bangalore. 

Bangalore International Airport Ltd, which runs the airport, has crafted a new definition for what will be called a home carrier for the airport and got it cleared by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (Aera) on 10 June. 

The airport has defined home carriers as those that declare Bangalore as their home base and station half their fleet in the city. The airlines will have to be headquartered in Bangalore, have the highest number of base aircraft (planes parked in the night) at the airport and have at least 1 million additional passengers annually. 

Given that AirAsia has stationed its first aircraft, an Airbus A320, at Bangalore airport and may do so with the next aircraft too and possibly shift its operations to the city from Chennai, it may meet the requirements specified by the airport operator. 

A home carrier will get a 50% discount on landing and housing charges and fees will be waived for night parking. Bangalore airport declined to comment for this story. 

The move may face resistance from the rivals of AirAsia, a joint venture between AirAsia Bhd, Tata Sons Ltd and Telestra Tradeplace Pvt. Ltd. No other airline cleared by the aviation ministry fits the tag of home carrier. “There will be opposition,” said a senior private airline official. “Everyone will not keep quiet. They will talk of pulling out or neglecting Bangalore airport.” 

Major airlines including Air India, with a 120 aircraft fleet, Jet Airways with 112 aircraft, IndiGo with 78 and SpiceJet with 52 aircraft cannot station half their aircraft at Bangalore to qualify for the status. Also, the airport wouldn’t be able to handle such a large number of aircraft. Air India, Jet Airways, IndiGo and SpiceJet declined to comment. Aera also didn’t comment. 

A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed Aera was justified in clearing the Bangalore airport operator’s move. The move had been approved because it was the first time any airport operator had come up with such a proposal anyway. Every sop given to any airline has to be cleared in the tariff card, which has to be Aera-approved. Secondly, it is not as if it’s being done exclusively for AirAsia India; other airlines that meet the criteria can also take advantage of the incentives, this official said. “If they don’t like it they can go to airport tribunal or knock at the doors of the CCI,” the government official said, referring to the Competition Commission of India. This official said it was logical that airport operators will offer sops to new airlines and not to old ones if it wants to attract more passengers. “Those Indian airlines which are themselves opposing new competition should be the last ones to complain about these sops,” the government official said. Aera has also added to the burden of passengers using Bangalore airport, which has been allowed to charge Rs.342, up from Rs.260, in user development fee from domestic travellers and Rs.1,368, up from Rs.1,070, from international travellers starting on 1 July, Mint reported on 14 June. 

An analyst said providing incentives and rebates to attract airlines was a practice followed by all airports. Bangalore airport’s “offer to ensure AirAsia shifts base is cleverly done but on expected lines,” said Kapil Kaul, South Asia CEO of the consulting firm Capa. “I expect other airlines to seek more rebates from Bangalore airport.”