Jobs aplenty in aviation sector

Mumbai: The skill gaps in the Indian aviation industry, which is the ninth largest market in the world and will be the third largest by 2020, is sought to be bridged by the Indian Institute of Aerospace Engineering and

Management under the auspices of the Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries.
It will take expert assistance from organisations like HAL, NAL, DRDO, ISRO, AAI, Air India, BIAL, private carriers and many leading aerospace organisations said Dr N.G.R. Iyengar director IIAEM. He is also provice chancellor of Jain University that has designed and has just started offering MBA-aviation business management courses.

Dr Iyengar said aviation business management could become a lucrative career for Indian students but there are not enough or good courses available.

They are making a small beginning because whether in the aviation or the arms industry or in managing the business jet fleets of Indian’s growing number of billionaires, the job opportunities would be tremendous in the next 10 years.

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Etihad Airways promises red carpet welcome to Air India pilots with double salaries and perks

Mumbai: Air India Boeing 777 pilots are most happy with the Jet-Etihad deal. For, they are suddenly in demand.
Last week, Etihad Airways emailed Air India pilots individually, promising them a red-carpet welcome with tempting salaries and compensations that are hard to refuse. AI pilots who have been complaining of salary cuts for the past year or so are more than glad to accept the offer.

“Etihad Airways invited us through personalised emails. The vacancies are for Indian pilot licence holders with experience of flying Boeing 777 aircraft,” a senior AI pilot said.

Only Air India and Jet Airways so far operate Boeing 777 aircraft in the country. At least 10 AI pilots have confirmed that they would join the Etihad Airways. They will be based in Abu Dhabi.

Etihad airways needs 50-70 pilots for ultra-long haul flights, specially to the US, Canada and other places as it will be adding over seven Boeing 777 aircraft by April next year.

Etihad has offered a monthly compensation of nearly Rs10 lakh (tax free) to a commander level pilot. In Air India, the package is Rs5 lakh (taxable).

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Demand for aviation training shoots up

Bhubaneswar: Youngsters in the city are pursuing dreams of finding jobs in the aviation sector.
Besides jobs as airhostesses and in-cabin crew, the young boys and girls are looking for ways to find jobs as ground staff.

Sources said aviation and hospitality training institutes are flooded with applications from youths belonging to various economic sections.

Sources said once international operations start here, various airlines would require about 80-100 additional ground staff, who will be mainly engaged as guest relations executives, ticketing and security managers besides other ground duties. As far as in-flight staff is concerned, an estimated 30-40 personnel would be required.

Biju Patnaik Airport received international status on October 30.

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Mahindra Aerospace to spread wings with small aircraft

Melbourne facility. The company is confident of selling at least 25 aircraft annually, a top official said.

“More than six months ago, we applied to DGCA for approval to fly eight-seater aircraft. They have allowed flying of only five members on board. Already, 32 countries have certified this aircraft,” said Hemant Luthra, president of Mahindra Systech and member of the group executive board of M&M Ltd.

Mahindra Systech, a division of the $16.2-billion Mahindra Group, is a ‘design to delivery’ supplier of comprehensive component products and engineering services.

Mahindra’s utility aircraft business is sold in 32 countries. Apart from making the GA8, it is developing the GA10, a 10-seat turboprop derivative, for market entry in 2014.

The company is also awaiting FAR23 certification, allowing it to become a Tier-1 supplier of components and aerostructures to original equipment makers (OEMs). The company is currently classified as a Tier-2 supplier of components and aerostructures.

Spanish collaborator
Besides supplying parts to its own facility in Australia, the company will supply these to Aernnova Group of Spain. Mahindra Aerospace on Monday announced the signing of a technology partnership with Aernnova, a Tier-1 supplier of aerostructures.

Under the partnership, Aernnova has taken a 24 per cent stake in Mahindra Aerostructures, a company under the fold of Mahindra Aerospace, for Rs 48 crore. Aernnova would provide training and transfer technology to Mahindra; the two would work together to develop capabilities and meet market demand.

“Our vision is to become a very robust part of the global aerospace supply chain for OEMs in the next few years. We have capacity to make utility aircraft and we want to become a major player in the global aerospace industry,” said Anand Mahindra, chairman and managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra.

New facility
Mahindra Group also inaugurated their new facility to manufacture aerostructures and components at Narasapura, about 55 km from here. It has invested Rs 150 crore on the new facility, which will start with the manufacture of aerostructures to be supplied to Gipps Aero, based in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley in Australia. Mahindra Group acquired Gipps Aero about three years earlier.

“This is our first step towards becoming a Tier-I supplier to OEMs. Simultaneously, we are going acquire capabilities to manufacture utility aircraft at our facility near Bangalore. In the next two years, we intend to build the capability to manufacture the eight-seater aircraft currently made in our Australian facility,” Luthra told Business Standard.

He said once the DGCA approval comes, the company would commence sales. “If things go as planned we should be able to shift the manufacture of the eight-seater aircraft to Bangalore from Australia. Te Australian subsidiary will focus on GA10 and GA18 aircraft," he said.

The new facility near this city has the capacity to deliver about Rs 250 crore in annual revenue in the next three to four years. Initially, the company plans to commence manufacturing activities with smaller parts and sub-assemblies, and then move to larger and more complex ones.

IN EXPANSION MODE

* Mahindra Systech, a division of the $16.2-billion Mahindra Group, is a supplier of comprehensive component products and engineering services

* Mahindra’s utility aircraft business is sold in over 32 countries

* Besides supplying parts to its own facility in Australia, the company will supply these to Aernnova Group of Spain

* The company is awaiting FAR23 certification,  to become a Tier-1 supplier of components and aerostructures to original equipment makers

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VAT relief for aviation sector

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 27: The state cabinet today gave its nod to the reduction of value added tax (VAT) on the aviation turbine fuel (ATF) from the current 20 per cent to 5 per cent to ensure growth of aviation sector.

The move is expected to woo airlines operators to start international flights from Biju Patnaik International Airport.

Chief secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra said: “Biju Patnaik International Airport has become ready to handle international flights. If VAT on aviation fuel is reduced, it would attract commercial airlines to operate international flights from Bhubaneswar.”

                                                                             Chief secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra

The reduction of VAT on the ATF will not only boost air connectivity, but also make the city airport an international hub for re-fuelling. It may also add to the development of a cargo terminal. The Telegraph carried several reports on ATF in the past.

Airport director Sharad Kumar said: “The decision will boost the air connectivity as Indigo has already shown interest to add four more flights to the city. They will connect Bangalore, Delhi, Calcutta and Mumbai. Similarly, Spicejet and GoAir are also keen to add the city as their destination shortly.”

With the slashing of VAT on the ATF, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is also ready to waive night parking fees for flights. This will ensure that more morning flights from the city will be available, so that people can start from city as early as 7.30am.

At present, the state gets annual revenue of Rs 27 crore. “It is not the question of how much revenue we lose if waive the VAT on the aviation fuel. If we get more international flights, we can earn more revenue from tourism,” Mohapatra said.

The chief secretary met various airlines operators in New Delhi yesterday to connect Bhubaneswar with south and south-east Asia and the middle east. Fly Dubai and Air Arabia have also expressed their interest to start international operations.

The state government also decided to launch “Sabuja Odisha” (green Odisha) to increase green cover in the state. Around 44.52 crore seedlings will be planted under the scheme to raise the green cover.

The cabinet also decided to launch a Rs 1,000crore scheme to provide water through canals to farmers at the tail end of the channel.

The chief secretary said: “We have earmarked Rs 438.20 crore to continue the plantation programme to have nearly 44 crore seedlings within a span of four years. Out of this seedlings, 15.60 crore seedlings will be distributed to the public.”

Govt to recruit docs, medical officers

The state government has sought to speed up the recruitment process for medical officers and doctors in periphery cadres through introduction of an entrance test. Personal interviews, which were in practice till now and carried 10 per cent weightage, shall be discontinued.

The cabinet today approved these amendments to the Odisha Medical and Health Service Rule, which include 70 per cent weightage on marks secured in entrance test and 30 per cent on academic career. This would ensure selection of meritorious and quality candidates for appointment to medical and health services cadre, said an official.

“Selection will now be held based on performances in the written test and marks secured in Class X, Plus Two and MBBS or postgraduate levels. Once it receives the governor’s assent, we will notify the vacancies and the Odisha Public Service Commission would conduct the recruitment procedure,” said health secretary Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra.

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Dreamliner now faces cold blues

New Delhi: After overheating, the Boeing-787 Dreamliner aircraft of Air India and other airlines is now facing cold-related issues in Delhi.
Japan Airlines (JAL) will, from Monday, stop using the Dreamliner on the Delhi-Tokyo route and replace it with the Boeing-777 after being warned of ice crystals forming on the aircraft's General Electric (GE) engines.
A senior JAL official said: "The engine manufacturer (GE) has said that engines being used on the Dreamliner and Boeing 747-8 series flying over 30,000 feet may see ice crystal icing (ICI) formation when the aircraft gets in contact with cumulonimbus clouds. Aircraft have been asked to divert from the flight path to be at least 80 to 90 km away from such clouds. On the Delhi-Narita (Tokyo airport) route, we do not have the permission to divert so much. "
Moreover, the aviation regulator has said that Air India is now unlikely to get permission to use the plane in dense fog using instrument landing system category-III. AI's B-787s may at best be certified for use in Cat-II or shallow fog this winter.
28/11/13 Saurabh SInha/Times of India

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