Air India SATS to develop a multi-modal cargo hub at the upcoming Noida International Airport

The Noida International Airport (NIA) has selected Air India SATS (AISATS), a leading organisation in the cargo and logistics sector, to develop a multi-modal cargo hub (MMCH) at the upcoming airport, an official statement said on Friday, February 10.

Spanning 80 acres of land, the upcoming cargo hub will provide quick, convenient and intermodal connectivity to and from manufacturing hubs in the country. As of now India Gandhi International Airport in Delhi is ranked number one as the biggest cargo hub in India.

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Air India SATS to develop a multi-modal cargo hub at the upcoming Noida International Airport

The cargo and logistics infrastructure and ecosystem will cater to a differentiated catchment and several upcoming industrial clusters in NCR and Uttar Pradesh, creating a cargo gateway for Northern India, the statement added.

"We are convinced that our novel approach to plan and develop a multi-modal cargo hub with integrated facilities and seamless processes will support the cargo and logistics industry in North India. The Noida International Airport cargo hub will help Western Uttar Pradesh and the NCR fully develop its cargo and logistics potential.

The multi-modal cargo hub will bring predictability in operations and address existing logistics bottlenecks through digitisation and enable seamless and fast processes. We are confident that Air India SATS (AISATS) is the perfect partner to bring this vision to life, owing to its global footprint and long-standing experience. We look forward to this strategic partnership with AISATS to make NIA a preferred cargo hub in Northern India."

Christoph Schnellmann, CEO, Noida International Airport

AISATS has expertise in ground and cargo handling and is present at five airports in India. It handles 1,30,000 flights annually both in cargo and ground handling.

According to the statement, the MMCH will comprise an integrated cargo terminal combined with an integrated warehousing and logistics zone. This unique logistics zone will offer a transhipment centre, as well as a warehouse zone for freight forwarders and integrators. The MMCH will also provide for transportation facilities to support road-to-road, road-to-air, and air-to-road movements.

"We are excited to partner with Noida International Airport to build a state-of-the-art, modern, and efficient cargo infrastructure, by making the best use of technology. India is envisioned to become the next logistics hub for the world and the government is taking necessary measures to make logistics more efficient and globally competitive.

We are aiming to develop world-class infrastructure to deliver a seamless, best-in-class cargo experience for all stakeholders. Catering to a large catchment area with a huge growth potential owing to multi-modal connectivity, we are certain that this multi-modal cargo hub will truly become the gateway to North India."

Sanjay Gupta, CEO, Air India SATS

Overall, the infrastructure at Noida International Airport's MMCH is focused on efficiency, scalability, seamless process flows as well as common digital infrastructure and systems.

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Construction work of the first phase of the Noida International Airport in Jewar, Gautam Buddh Nagar, some 75 km off Delhi, is currently underway and scheduled to be completed in 2024.

Air India has a detailed plan to connect every product of UP to the rest of India

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairperson of Tata Sons at the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit, which kicked off on February 10 said “Air India has a detailed plan to connect every product of UP to the rest of India and potentially to the important destinations of the world.”

Chandrasekaran also noted that the group has huge investments in Noida - both from the TCS and Air India point of view. “We are going to build an integrated multimodal air cargo through Air India SATS with our partner Zurich airport in the new Jewar airport.”

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is a state-owned aerospace and defence company based in India and is one of the leading aerospace companies in the country. The company is now set to launch a new aircraft, the LCA Mark 1A, by February 2024.

This exciting news was announced by the Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, R Madhavan, during a recent press conference.

The LCA Mark 1A is an upgraded version of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, which was developed and produced by HAL. The new aircraft is expected to feature advanced technologies and improved capabilities compared to its predecessor.

According to Mr. Madhavan, the LCA Mark 1A will be equipped with cutting-edge avionics, an AESA radar, and an electronic warfare suite, among other advanced features.

One of the key goals of the LCA Mark 1A project is to make the aircraft more affordable for the Indian Air Force. HAL is working closely with various government agencies to reduce the cost of production and make the aircraft more accessible to the Indian military.

The company is also investing in new manufacturing technologies and processes to increase the efficiency of the production line and reduce the overall cost of the aircraft. The LCA Mark 1A is also expected to have improved combat capabilities compared to the original LCA.

The aircraft will be equipped with more advanced weapons and sensor systems, as well as a longer range and improved maneuverability. These upgrades are designed to increase the aircraft's survivability and effectiveness in combat situations.

In addition to its military applications, the LCA Mark 1A is also expected to have significant potential for export. The Indian government is actively promoting the aircraft to countries in the region, and HAL is working closely with various international partners to promote the aircraft's capabilities and secure export orders.

In conclusion, the launch of the LCA Mark 1A is a significant step forward for India's aerospace and defence industry. The aircraft is expected to be a game-changer for the Indian Air Force, offering advanced capabilities and improved performance at a more affordable price.

The LCA Mark 1A is also expected to have a significant impact on India's export market, as the country continues to establish itself as a major player in the global aerospace and defence industry. We can expect to see the LCA Mark 1A in the skies by February 2024, and we are excited to see what the future holds for this cutting-edge aircraft.

Crew shortage is impacting the operations of Air India, with some flights to the US and Canada either getting cancelled or facing inordinate delays, according to a source.

Tata group-owned Air India, which is the only air operator flying on ultra-long haul routes, had faced problems last year also due to the shortage of crew members.

An ultra-long haul flight's duration is more than 16 hours.

"There is an acute shortage of manpower, which is impacting airline's operations particularly to the US and Canada," the source in the know told PTI.

In the last 5-6 days, the airline has cancelled three flights to San Francisco in the US and one flight to Vancouver in Canada. Also, some of the flights on these routes are facing a delay of 10-12 hours, the source said on the condition of anonymity.

There was no immediate response to queries sent to Air India.

In the last two months, Air India has inducted two leased wide-body Boeing 777 planes as part of its fleet augmentation plans.

The airline has also announced inducting a total of 11 such planes in the fleet over a period of time in addition to dry leasing 25 Airbus A320 family planes.

Gen24 Flybiz, an upcoming Flight Training Company based in Mumbai, India has entered into an agreement with Avion to supply eight Airbus A320 Full Flight Simulators. The new center is scheduled to open in July, with two Avion A320 simulators being shipped to India and certified by the Indian civil aviation authority, DGCA. The remaining six simulators will be delivered in about eighteen months.

The agreement followed the announcement of the acquisition of Avion Group and Avion Simulators in the Netherlands by the Gen24 Group of India. The group is promoted by Padmakar Mulay Group of Companies and its flagship company, Gangamai Industries & Constructions Limited (GIACL).

“Avion’s unique simulator design combined with the team’s expertise offers a great opportunity for Gen24 to rapidly expand our footprint in professional flight training and simulator manufacturing. The synergies shared between Gen24 and Avion make it an ideal acquisition and impeccable match.”

Manoj Pandey, CEO, Gen24 Group

The companies have agreed to further enhance Avion’s R&D activities by developing a Full Flight Simulator for the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, developing new functions like lesson plans, debrief tool and a 2.1 software update for the Airbus A320 simulator. To support the enhanced R&D program, Avion will expand its team in the coming months.

“We are thrilled Avion has become part of a strong industrial group with a clear ambition to be a knowledge leader in the flight training industry. This will enable Avion to develop its portfolio of products and grow market share accordingly.”

Erik Varwijk, outgoing CEO, Avion

The Avion Flight Training Center at London Luton Airport will continue its operations, and further expansion of this center will be investigated.

Air India has finalised an order for around 250 aircraft with Airbus and the deal is expected to be announced next week, a source said on Thursday. The source in the know also said the airline has signed a deal with Boeing for about 200 planes. Specific details could not be immediately ascertained and there was no immediate comments from Air India about the deals. The Tata group-owned Air India is expanding its operations as well as fleet. On January 27, Air India chief Campbell Wilson said the airline is finalising a historic order of new aircraft. Air India, earlier under the ownership of the government, had acquired new aircraft more than 16 years ago. It has not purchased a single aircraft since 2005 and the last order was for 111 aircraft -- 68 with Boeing Co and remaining 43 with Airbus -- and that deal was worth USD 10.8 billion. The source told PTI that the deal with Airbus for around 250 planes has been finalised and the announcement is likely next week. The deal is likely to include 40 wide-body Airbus A350s and Air India will be the first Indian carrier to operate the aircraft. In the past, Air India had operated wide-body A330s. On Wednesday, aviation consultancy CAPA said Indian carriers are likely to place orders for up to 1,700 planes by 2024 and Air India may make the first move with some 500 planes order. Currently, Indian carriers operate less than 50 wide-body aircraft, an insignificant number for such a significant market. In contrast, Emirates alone has a fleet of over 260 wide-bodies, CAPA had said. Recently, IndiGo started wide-body operations on India-Turkey route with a wet-leased B777 and plans to induct two more such planes.

Vistara announced the launch of its flight services to Mauritius from Mumbai, starting March 26. Mauritius is the 12th international destination that Vistara is connecting with Mumbai.

The five times weekly flight services will be catered with a long-range A321 aircraft, which the airline inducted in its fleet recently, in a three-class configuration (business, premium economy and economy), Vistara said.

The aircraft is also the first A321LR in India. The A321LR has an increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 97 tonnes and a third auxiliary center fuel tank helping it cover a longer range. The great circle distance between Mumbai and Mauritius is 4675 kms.

The airline has already announced commencing flight services to Colombo and Dammam from Mumbai next month.

"Vistara announces the addition of Mauritius to its constantly expanding global network. Besides being a popular tourist destination, Mauritius is an important business hub and home to many global financial institutions. This new route will further aid the growing traffic between the two countries."

Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara

The Tata-Singapore Airlines-run Vistara is in the process of merging with Air India, which was acquired by the Tata Group in January last year.

Feature Image - Tobias Gudat