American Airlines and British Airways are getting ready to welcome customers to the newly renovated Terminal 8 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

American Airlines and British Airways are ready to welcome customers to the newly renovated Terminal 8 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Starting on Dec. 1, 2022, customers will benefit from an enhanced travel experience with seamless travel connections as the two airlines co-locate operations as part of a $400 million investment. This marks the completion of the first phase of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s redevelopment of the airport.

To celebrate British Airways’ move from Terminal 7 to Terminal 8; New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, American Airlines and British Airways today announced the opening of a newly expanded Terminal 8, marking completion of the first phase of the historic JFK Vision Plan that is transforming the international airport into a world-class global hub. 

Governor Hochul said: “The completion of Terminal 8 is the latest milestone in our historic efforts to build a whole new JFK worthy of New York,”

“I congratulate American Airlines, British Airways and the Port Authority for the first of what will be many milestones to come. We will continue our close partnerships as we transform JFK into a magnificent global gateway that will help to keep New York at the centre of the world stage.”

American Airlines CEO, Robert Isom said, “We are thrilled to welcome our long-standing joint business partner, British Airways, as it joins American and other oneworld partners at Terminal 8. As part of our investment to transform JFK into a leading global airport, we are excited to offer customers expanded terminal space, new check-in areas and elegant lounges.”

British Airways Chairman and CEO, Sean Doyle said, “We announced our joint investment early in 2019 so it is an honour to reach this significant milestone with our business partner, American Airlines. From December 1, our customers and colleagues will be able to enjoy all the benefits that Terminal 8 has to offer.”

Port Authority Executive Director, Rick Cotton said, “This inspiring expansion of Terminal 8, fostering superb hourly services between JFK and London, is an example of what’s to come at JFK, where our vision for a world-class, 21st-century airport is now unfolding from one end of the airport to the other. Thanks to the investment made by American Airlines and British Airways, Terminal 8 – with five new wide-body gates – offers an improved passenger experience and expanded capacity for transatlantic travel to and from JFK. This investment by our private partners at Terminal 8 is a vote of confidence in the future of the airport and of the JFK region.”

€7.1 Million net profit in Q3 of 2022 for airBaltic

€17.1 Million net profit in Q3 of 2022 for airBaltic

The Latvian national airline airBaltic has released its latest headline results, which, according to the unaudited consolidated numbers for the first nine months of 2022, airBaltic group has already achieved EUR 362.5 million in revenue, which is by 172% more than in 2021. At the same time, the pre-exceptional net income for the third quarter of 2022 has grown to EUR 17.1 million.

Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic: “The aviation industry is recovering from the effects of the pandemic, and that is reflected also in our financial results. With exceeding EUR 362.5 million revenue and 2.4 million passengers already in the first nine months of this year, airBaltic is on the way back to profitability.”

“The war in Ukraine with all its consequences has changed our market conditions significantly, facing supply chain issues, growing fuel prices, rescheduling the airline’s operations, and more. But we remain consistent and our core goal remains the same – airBaltic will continue expanding its market share, by further improving connectivity between the Baltics and the rest of the world,” Martin Gauss added.

During the first nine months of 2022, airBaltic has carried 2.4 million passengers or by 133% more than during the same period last year. The number of performed flights has increased by 88% - to 27 713 flights.

position	Jan-Sep 2022	Jan-Sep 2021	Change %
Revenue	EUR 362.5 million	EUR 133.3 million	1.72
Net loss**	EUR (35.6) million	EUR (72.1) million	-0.506
Passengers	2.4 million	1.0 million	1.33
Flights	27713	14719	0.88

** Supplemental commercial support included and adjusted for the period; the foreign currency exchange loss related to re-evaluation of USD denominated liabilities is excluded.

Celebrating industry success at the Royal Aeronautical Society........the 2022 honours, medals and awards.

The Royal Aeronautical Society has announced the 2022 winners of the global aerospace community’s most prestigious and long-standing awards honouring achievement and innovation.

The awards celebration, held in London on Monday 28 November 2022, saw leaders in aviation, aerospace and space recognised for their significant contributions to industry and education in areas of leadership, high-speed propulsion systems, fluid dynamics and aerodynamics among others..

Peter Round FRAeS, President of the Royal Aeronautical Society said: “The RAeS Awards offers an opportunity to recognise and celebrate outstanding contributions from senior executives and future leaders within engineering, defence, flight operations, training, space, research and education annually. The achievements of this year’s award winners showcase the ongoing innovation and commitment to excellence that exists across the breadth of our global aerospace, aviation and space industries and we congratulate them on their accomplishments and success.”

Full list of 2022 honours, medals and awards 

Honorary Fellowships mark the world’s highest distinction for aerospace achievement, awarded only for the most outstanding contributions to the aerospace profession.

Honorary Fellowship and Geoffrey Pardoe Space Award

Mr Colin Paynter, Former Managing Director of Airbus Defence & Space. Mr Paynter is awarded for his leadership of the UK’s space industry, maintaining it as a powerful force in Europe and in support of the UK’s space priorities which he has been hugely influential in setting during the turbulent period of the last two decades.

Honorary Fellows

Professor Jonathan Cooper FRAeS, Airbus Royal Academy of Engineering Sir George White Professor of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol. Professor Cooper is awarded Honorary Fellowship for more than 3 decades of remarkable contributions and service to education in the UK and over 50 projects, many in conjunction with aerospace manufacturers across the world.

Mr Tewolde Gebremariam, former Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, now at Delta Airlines as Senior Strategic Advisor. Mr Gebremariam is awarded Honorary Fellowship for his devotion in the development of aviation and the growth of the most profitable airline in Africa.

Professor Darrell Pepper FRAeS, Professor of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Professor Pepper is awarded Honorary Fellowship for his internationally recognised work in the areas of high-speed propulsion systems, fluid dynamics and aerodynamics.

Honorary Companions are awarded for rendering distinctive and notably meritorious service to the aerospace profession.

Mr Michael Turner, President of Guild of Aviation Artists, awarded for his achievements as a celebrated aviation artist depicting the advancement of science and engineering to create aviation art.

Gold Medal

Mr Alan Newby MSc FREng FIMechE FRAeS, Director Aerospace Technology and Future Programmes and Technology – Rolls-Royce plc, is awarded the Society’s Gold Medal for his major contribution to the family of Rolls-Royce Trent engines for the Boeing 787, Airbus A350 and A330 NEO aircraft and to the definition of the company’s product and technology strategy.

Silver Medal

Professor Clyde Warsop is awarded the Society’s Silver Medal for initiating the project that provided the first flight demonstration of Circulation Control for manoeuvre control of an aircraft in flight (DEMON) and for continuing to collaborate, advance and innovate flow control technologies.

Bronze Medal and Flight Simulation Medal

Mr Antony Hunt FRAeS is awarded both the Society’s Bronze Medal and the Flight Simulation Medal for radically changing the way the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEM) simulator data is delivered to Training Device Manufacturers (TDM) and customers by providing a single performance and systems model across all training devices.

Bronze Medal

Dr Peter J Downer, UK Ministry of Defence, is awarded the Society’s Bronze Medal for leading the airspace integration of the RAF’s next generation Remotely Piloted Air System, PROTECTOR, achieving a number of world firsts.

Team Medals are awarded for significant contributions to the advancement of aerospace art, science and engineering.

Gold Medal

Ingenuity - NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter team is awarded the Society’s Gold Medal for the advancement of aerodynamics and aerial robots for planetary science through the design, development, and fabrication of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Technology Demonstrator.

Silver Medal

FlyZero, for its world leading research project on zero-carbon emissions in large commercial aircraft.

Project ACCEL, The Electro-Flight team in partnership with Rolls-Royce under the project title ACCEL Spirit of Innovation, created the powerplant and airframe for an attempt at breaking the world speed record for electric powered aircraft.

Project Telstar, for their innovative introduction of Aireon space-based ADS-B technology, safely enabling real-time surveillance and safely reducing minimum separation standards to increase access to the most fuel efficient trajectories, making flight operations within the world's busiest oceanic airspace safer, more predictable, more fuel efficient and more environmentally sustainable for all.

Flight Operations Specialist Group Award

Number 99 Squadron Flight Operations, a small team of five responsible for organising the emergent evacuation of over 10,000 persons by UK C-17 force from Afghanistan.

Society Specialist Awards are conferred on individuals or teams in well-established professional disciplines. These awards recognise advances, innovation, excellence and long service that has made a significant impact.

Roger Green Human Factors Medal

Dr Anne Isaac, Director of Haumaru UK Ltd. and Chair of the RAeS Human Factors ATC Sub-group

Flight Operations Medal

Air Commodore Dai Whittingham FRAeS, CEO of UK Flight Safety Committee, a longstanding and active member of RAeS Flight Operation Specialist Group.

RP Alston Medal

Mr Andrew Roberts CEng MRAeS, Test Director for ACCEL Ground and Flight Test

Aeronautical Heritage Specialist Group Award

Mr Tony Buttler MA AMRAeS, distinguished metallurgist and aviation historian

Space Specialist Group Award

Dr Rachana Bhatawdekar, postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Directorate of Science at the European Space Agency’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA ESTEC)

Women and Aviation Aerospace Committee Specialist Group Award

Professor Lucy Rogers, FREng, FIET, independent innovation consultant and Visiting Professor of Engineering: Creativity and Communications at Brunel University, London

Young Persons’ Awards recognise individual achievement and promise.

Young Person’s Achievement Award

Dr Duc H. Nguyen AMRAeS FHEA, Research & Teaching Associate of the University of Bristol, for furthering aerospace science.

Young Person’s Achievement Commendation

Mr Adam Conner MEng AMRAeS, Junior Engineer of Atkins, a key figure in the Atkins Future of Flight market, covering the Sustainable Aviation and Advanced Air Mobility industries.

Miss Lucy Crabb, Human Factors Engineer, BAE Systems – AIR.

Mr Travis Ludlow, on 13 July 2021 Travis became the youngest pilot to circumnavigate the world at the age of 18.

Miss Zara Rutherford, the youngest female pilot to circumnavigate the world at the age of 19.

Alan Marsh Award

Mr Thomas Magowan, Senior Structural Dynamics Analyst of Leonardo Helicopters.

Herbert le Sueur Award

Mr Albert Ilunga, Design and Certification Engineer of 2Excel Aviation Ltd.

N E Rowe Medal — 22 to 30 Age Group

Mr Barnaby Pine Meng, for his paper titled “A Cool Journey to net Zero – A Review of Superconductor Application in Decarbonising Aviation”

N E Rowe Medal — Under 22 Age Group

Miss Amelia Weaver, for her paper title “The Foundations to My Future – My Outstanding Apprenticeship”.

Other Award

Sir Ralph Robins Medal

Ms Sacha Wright MSc MRAeS, Head of Design Organisation of 2Excel Aviation Ltd.

2021 Written Paper Prizes are awarded annually for the best papers published in The Aeronautical Journal by the Society during the previous calendar year.

Silver Award

A. Filippone, B. Parkes and N. Bojdo for their paper titled: ‘Prediction of aircraft engine emissions using ADS-B flight data’

Bronze Award

J. Huete, D. Nalianda and P. Pilidis for their paper titled “Propulsion system integration for a first-generation hydrogen civil airliner?”

J.D. Hoyos and J.P. Alvarado and J.H. Jiménez for their paper titled “Propeller aerodynamic optimisation to minimise energy consumption for electric fixed-wing aircraft”

Young Person’s

J Hoole, et al for their paper titled ‘Landing Gear Ground Manoeuvre Statistics from Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Transponder Data’.

Journal of Aeronautical History Written Paper Prize is awarded annually to the paper published in the Journal of Aeronautical History during the preceding calendar year that is most likely to engage and excite the widest possible community of professional and other interest and thus to exemplify the best in terms of communicating aerospace history in order to inspire future developments.

S C Liddle for his paper titled ‘Pearcey, Newby, and the Vulcan’

easyJet to expand its Belfast International Airport base

easyJet, Northern Ireland’s largest airline has revealed its plans for expansion at Belfast International Airport today, announcing that an additional Airbus A320 family aircraft will be based in Belfast this summer. The airline has also announced it will launch a new summer route between Belfast and the popular Greek island of Rhodes.

easyJet will add an eighth aircraft to its Belfast base and launch a new route to Greek island of Rhodes

The aircraft’s arrival will create around 40 local job opportunities at the airport

The Airbus A320neo aircraft brings significant improvements in environmental and operational efficiencies compared to the previous generation of aircraft

Flights and easyJet holidays packages to Rhodes will launch on 3 June 2023 operating twice weekly throughout the summer and seats are on sale from 7th December 2022

The 186-seat A320neo aircraft will be based in Belfast throughout the summer season, and it joins three 156-seat Airbus A319, two 186-seat A320 and two 186-seat A320neo aircraft already serving the airline’s customers in Belfast. Compared to the current generation of aircraft, the Airbus NEO brings significant environmental benefits and operational efficiencies compared to the previous generation of aircraft, resulting in at least 15% less CO2 emissions and 50% less noise during take-off and landing. easyJet is one of the largest single-brand operators of NEOs in Europe.

The addition of the new aircraft will also create around 40 job opportunities at the airport.

The new route between Belfast and Rhodes is scheduled to launch on 3 June 2023, with twice weekly departures on Tuesdays and Saturdays, offering customers in Northern Ireland even more choice when it comes to picking a beach holiday destination with easyJet and easyJet holidays. Seats go on sale at easyJet.com and via the mobile app from 7th December.

For holidaymakers looking for the complete package, easyJet holidays operates to over 100 hotels in Rhodes. All beach holidays include 23kg of luggage per person, flights, hotels and transfers, and are covered by the easyJet holidays Protection Promise. The package provide has recently launched its Summer 2024 season which allows customers to plan and book their holidays in advance, all the way until 31 October 2024.

The airline has also revealed the results of a survey of 2000 UK consumers this week, which has shown that almost two-thirds (64%) are planning on flying abroad in 2023. Holidays topped the list of most important things people planned to spend on in 2023, with two-thirds (66%) saying this was the most important.

Vienna, Munich and Tenerife are the top winter destinations for airBaltic

airBaltic Top Winter Destinations – Vienna, Munich and Tenerife

The most popular destinations of the Latvian national airline airBaltic for the upcoming winter season are Vienna, Munich and Tenerife. At the same time, London, Paris, Copenhagen and Amsterdam remain among the most popular year-round routes of the company. Reservations during the period of the winter solstice and New Year celebrations have already reached more than 60%, compared to the year before. 

Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic: “Currently, we are living in a favourable situation, where the presence of the pandemic no more limits the possibilities to travel, and a growing number of passengers are already planning their trips up to two months in advance and more.”

“At this time of the year, of course, we can record a much higher demand for skiing trips, as well as, warm and sunny leisure destinations, and airBaltic can offer both,” Gauss added.

airBaltic provides flights to more than 70 destinations from Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius and Tampere, offering connections from Riga to a wide range of destinations in the airline's route network in Europe, Scandinavia, the CIS and the Middle East. Also, this year airBaltic launched direct flights between Riga and sunny Gran Canaria and exotic Marrakech, both available twice a week.

JetBlue Donates 2 Million TrueBlue Points to Charitable Organizations

JetBlue today continues to commemorate November as JetBlue For Good® Month, celebrating all the ways the airline and its crewmembers give back to communities across its network. On Giving Tuesday, and throughout JetBlue For Good Month, the airline is continuing its longstanding tradition of service by donating 2 million TrueBlue points to its partnering charitable organizations. JetBlue invites customers to join in the good through its TrueBlue Points Donation Platform, where TrueBlue loyalty members can donate points to a variety of charities and causes, including the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP), World Central Kitchen (WCK) and many others.

In addition to donating points, JetBlue’s crewmembers have been donating their time through volunteer projects across the airline’s network including fundraising initiatives, airport-partnered family assistance events, and care efforts for communities affected by and recovering from natural disasters.

“While JetBlue For Good Month marks a place in time to focus on giving back, it also recognizes how our crewmembers go above and beyond year-round to champion the causes they’re most passionate about in the communities where they live, work and serve,” said Icema Gibbs, vice president CSR and DEI, JetBlue. “Whether it’s through in-person community outreach programs, in-kind donations, direct disaster relief efforts, or simply volunteering our time—service for our communities will always be rooted in our DNA and we are proud to continue our commitment of giving back and responding to needs across our network.”

JetBlue is proud to support 25 charitable organizations year-round through the airline’s TrueBlue Points Donation platform. All points donated go directly to the selected charity, and each charity may use the points for travel for their organization. These organizations align with JetBlue’s mission to inspire humanity and includes the following longstanding partners, as well as many others.

Successful hydrogen engine test completed by Rolls-Royce and easyJet

Rolls-Royce and easyJet confirmed they have set a new aviation milestone with the world’s first run of a modern aero engine on hydrogen.

The ground test was conducted on an early concept demonstrator using green hydrogen created by wind and tidal power. It marks a major step towards proving that hydrogen could be a zero-carbon aviation fuel of the future and is a key proof point in the decarbonisation strategies of both Rolls-Royce and easyJet.

Both companies have set out to prove that hydrogen can safely and efficiently deliver power for civil aero engines and are already planning a second set of tests, with a longer-term ambition to carry out flight tests.

The test took place at an outdoor test facility at MoD Boscombe Down, UK using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine. Green hydrogen for the tests was supplied by EMEC (European Marine Energy Centre), generated using renewable energy at their hydrogen production and tidal test facility on Eday in the Orkney Islands, UK.

Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer, Rolls-Royce, said: “The success of this hydrogen test is an exciting milestone. We only announced our partnership with easyJet in July and we are already off to an incredible start with this landmark achievement. We are pushing the boundaries to discover the zero carbon possibilities of hydrogen, which could help reshape the future of flight.”

Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, said: “This is a real success for our partnership team. We are committed to continuing to support this ground-breaking research because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft, including easyJet-sized aircraft. That will be a huge step forward in meeting the challenge of net zero by 2050.”

Following analysis of this early concept ground test, the partnership plans a series of further rig tests leading up to a full-scale ground test of a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine.

The partnership is inspired by the global, UN-backed Race to Zero campaign that both companies have signed up to, committing to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

easyJet survey reveals that holidays remain a priority for the British in 2023

A survey conducted by easyJet of 2000 UK consumers this month has shown that almost two-thirds (64%) are planning on flying abroad in 2023. Holidays topped the list of most important things people planned to spend on in 2023, with two-thirds (66%) saying this was the most important.

70% of people surveyed agreed that they will prioritise a holiday over other expenditure in their yearly budget and three quarters said it was one of their most important plans for next year. To prioritise their holiday, people will be cutting back on other discretionary spend like eating out (46%) or new clothes (40%) and on big purchases such as new cars or home improvements (33%).

Research by easyJet conducted with 2000 UK consumers in mid November 2022 showed that 64% plan to fly abroad in 2023

Protecting holiday spend remains a priority for most with three quarters saying it was one of their most important plans for next year and 70% agreed that they will prioritise a holiday over other expenditure in their yearly budget.

In order to protect their holidays next year people will book with a low-cost carrier (66%), be flying short haul instead of long haul (74%) and travel to closer-to-home destinations in Europe (70%)

Consumers are also looking at the way they travel to prioritise a holiday, with two-thirds of people saying they are more likely to book with a low-cost carrier (66%), while three-quarters of people are more likely to fly short-haul instead long haul (74%) and holiday in closer to home destinations in Europe (70%), in order to protect their holidays. The majority (80%) also believed that holidaying in the UK can be more expensive than abroad. 

Around half of respondents said they still plan to go on the same number of holidays that they usually plan for and spend the same amount, while around a quarter of people plan to go on more and spend more on holidays compared to last year. Half of Brits are planning on taking at least one holiday in 2023, while almost a third plan to take at least two.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, almost all surveyed (94%) agreed that going away on holiday is one of the most enjoyable experiences. 86% said having a holiday is a priority for them, with 57% saying this is because of the quality time it allows them to spend with friends and family and the opportunity it provides to recharge (48%), while the significant majority of people (83%) said holidays are crucial to their emotional wellbeing. 

Johan Lundgren, easyJet CEO commented:  “Travel is one of life’s greatest pleasures and we know that holidays are important to people. Not only does travelling connect friends and family but it offers a wealth of benefits, from promoting wellbeing to experiencing new cultures. This survey goes to show just what a priority it is for people, with so many determined to protect their holidays. With our low fares and unrivalled European network easyJet is ideally placed to offer a fantastic value and great quality holiday that people don’t have to compromise on. It is fantastic to see that so many consumers plan to travel next year already, and we look forward to welcoming them onboard.”

.

Condor A330neo performs successful test flight

Ready for takeoff: The first of the 18 new Condor A330-900neo long-haul aircraft took off yesterday on its first test flight. At around 1:30 p.m. local time, the aircraft, which will in future be identified as D-ANRA and painted in stripes of the colour " Island," took off from Toulouse. During the test flight over the Pyrenees and the Atlantic coast, which lasted several hours, all tests were successfully completed and the aircraft landed safely back in Toulouse. The first Condor A330neo will go on route later this year, with Mauritius and the Maldives among its first destinations.

From the end of this year, the first factory-new Airbus A330neo will join the Condor fleet. This will be followed by the rollover of the entire short- and medium-haul fleet from 2024. With the 2-litre aircraft on long-haul routes and ultra-modern short- and medium-haul aircraft in the A32Xneo family, Condor is consistently focusing on state-of-the-art technology, maximum efficiency and the highest level of customer comfort and will have one of the greenest fleets in all of Europe.

Space Travel at a cost of air ticket travel is not too far away......

Space Travel at a cost of air ticket travel is not too far away: Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-founder, Skyroot Aerospace--the Hyderabad start-up behind India's first privately designed and built rocket that was launched recently

Hyderabad is India’s Rocket City, says Pawan Chandana, at FLO session

Indian tourists travelling into space is not far away and will become reality in the next 10 years

Telugu states' contribution to Indian space technology is immense

Hyderabad is the rocket city. Most of the recently launched India’s first private rocket was entirely built in Hyderabad. The supply chain is very critical. Hyderabad is the best city in India for the supply chain for building rockets. It is also the best in the world said Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace--the Hyderabad start-up behind India's first privately designed and built rocket that was launched recently.

Talking to FICCI Ladies Organisation(FLO) Members at Hotel Radisson Blu in Banjara Hills on “THE METTLE AND THE MANTLE” Indian Business Growth Trajectories, he said only a few countries in the world have the capabilities of building satellites on their own. India is far ahead in space technology. And Hyderabad is becoming a hub.

The talk was organised by FLO Hyderabad. Welcoming the gatherings Shubhraa Maheshwari, Chairperson of FLO Hyderabad said ‘be a solution to the problem, nobody can stop being a unicorn’.

150 FLO members attended the session

Pawan Kumar Chandana participated and spoke along with two other startup co-founders—Alok Bansal Co-founder & Executive Vice Chairman, Policy Bazaar---a one-stop destination online for all types of insurance products and Pavan Guntupalli, Co-founder of Rapido--India's first and fastest-growing Bike taxi app with a whopping 25 Million+ app downloads.

Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons agree to merge Air India and Vistara.......

A major shake-up of the commercial airline scene in India..

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Tata Sons (Tata) have agreed to merge Air India and Vistara, with SIA also investing INR 20,585 million (S$360 million, US$250 million) in Air India as part of the transaction. This would give SIA a 25.1% stake in an enlarged Air India group with a significant presence in all key market segments1. SIA and Tata aim to complete the merger by March 2024, subject to regulatory approvals.

SIA intends to fully fund this investment with its internal cash resources, which stood at S$17.5 billion as of 30 September 20222.

SIA and Tata have also agreed to participate in additional capital injections, if required, to fund the growth and operations of the enlarged Air India in FY2022/23 and FY2023/24. Based on SIA’s 25.1% stake post-completion, its share of any additional capital injection could be up to INR 50,200 million (S$880 million, US$615 million), payable only after the completion of the merger.

The actual amount will depend on factors including the progress of the enlarged Air India’s business plan, and its access to other funding options. SIA intends to fully fund any additional capital injections with its internal cash resources.

The merger will create India’s leading airline group

Through this transaction, SIA will reinforce its partnership with Tata and immediately acquire a strategic stake in an entity that is four to five times larger in scale compared to Vistara. The merger would bolster SIA’s presence in India, strengthen its multi-hub strategy, and allow it to continue participating directly in a large and fast-growing aviation market.

Mr Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Airlines, said: “Tata Sons is one of the most established and respected names in India. Our collaboration to set up Vistara in 2013 resulted in a market-leading full-service carrier, which has won many global accolades in a short time.

“With this merger, we have an opportunity to deepen our relationship with Tata and participate directly in an exciting new growth phase in India’s aviation market. We will work together to support Air India’s transformation programme, unlock its significant potential, and restore it to its position as a leading airline on the global stage.”

Mr Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman, of Tata Sons, said: “The merger of Vistara and Air India is an important milestone in our journey to make Air India a truly world-class airline. We are transforming Air India, with the aim of providing great customer experience, every time, for every customer. As part of the transformation, Air India is focusing on growing both its network and fleet, revamping its customer proposition, enhancing safety, reliability, and on-time performance.

“We are excited with the opportunity of creating a strong Air India which would offer both full-service and low-cost services across domestic and international routes. We would like to thank Singapore Airlines for their continued partnership.”

India is the fastest-growing global economy, and is projected to become the third-largest in the world by 20273.  It is also the world’s third-largest aviation market. Demand for air travel is surging with passenger traffic expected to more than double over the next 10 years, supported by rising income levels and ongoing investments in its aviation infrastructure. However, India also remains underserved with low international seats per capita, signifying significant growth potential4 .

Jetstar Asia signs three major maintenance and services agreements with ST Engineering

Jetstar Asia has announced a new three-year line and base maintenance service agreement and a multi-year component repair service agreement with ST Engineering to support Jetstar Asia’s fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft. 

ST Engineering has been providing line and base maintenance and engineering support to Singapore-based low-cost carrier, Jetstar Asia since 2013. Moving forward, line and base maintenance will now be complemented by ST Engineering’s component repair service. 

Under the component repair services agreement, ST Engineering will provide Jetstar Asia with comprehensive repair management services through its in-house component repair and overhaul facilities and global repair network. 

Jetstar Asia’s Head of Engineering, Mr Ang Chee Keong said Jetstar Asia was delighted to renew the new line maintenance services agreement with ST Engineering and was confident the new component repair services agreement would further strengthen the long-standing relationship. 

Airlines, airports, and passengers to have their say on independent aviation regulator

The UK government has this week launched a call for evidence as part of its review of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK’s independent aviation regulator.

Open to all interested parties, it will provide an opportunity for anybody who uses the CAA or is affected by its work – including airlines, airports, pilots and passengers – to provide insight and evidence to inform the government review, on everything from the CAA’s strategy, to its organisation and performance.

• Government launches call for evidence as part of Civil Aviation Authority review

• Public, industry and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to share feedback on performance and strategy

• Insight will be used to help ensure the provision of world-leading civil aviation regulation and public services for decades to come

Online survey here

The call for evidence will close on 22nd January 2023. It will ask questions such as whether the CAA has the right powers to effectively regulate the aviation market, whether its charges are good value for money, and whether it is effectively structured.

The wider CAA Review began in August this year and forms part of the Cabinet Office’s Public Bodies Review Programme, which aims to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of public bodies. Led by an independent reviewer, Jeremy Newman, also a member of the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, the review will run until spring 2023.

The CAA has a number of functions, including ensuring the highest standards of aviation safety and security, the efficient use of airspace and space operations and protecting consumer rights. The review aims to help the organisation build on its success in tackling the unprecedented challenges of recent years.

The effectiveness and efficiency of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) - GOV.UK 

Croatia Airlines signs firm order for six A220 aircraft

Croatia Airlines, Croatia’s national flag carrier based in Zagreb, has signed a firm order for six A220-300 aircraft. Croatia Airlines plans to lease an additional nine A220s, taking its total commitment for the type to 15.

The A220s will replace previous generation aircraft in the company's fleet, reducing operating costs as well as improving environmental efficiency and competitiveness while offering passengers unrivaled comfort throughout its fleet.

Today’s signing of a contract for the purchase of state-of-the-art Airbus aircraft is a very special moment for all of us at Croatia Airlines. It marks the beginning of a new period of aviation, a new period in the life of Croatia Airlines, a new period for our passengers, and a new period for Croatia’s tourism and the economy as a whole,” said Jasmin Bajić, CEO and President of the Management Board of Croatia Airlines.

“We are thrilled to add Croatia Airlines as a new A220 customer. The A220 is ideally suited to Croatia's aviation needs, providing operational flexibility and efficiency allowing its airline to pursue its ambition for both regional and international connectivity without compromising on any aspect, be it passenger comfort or trip and seat cost economics,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International.

CDB Aviation Details Executive Leadership Transition

CDB Aviation, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Limited, announced that the Board of Directors selected Jie Chen to become the company’s new Chief Executive Officer.

Mr Chen will take the helm in early January 2023, replacing Patrick Hannigan whose retirement caps six years of leading the evolution of CDB Aviation into a globally positioned top-tier lessor. The announcement is the culmination of a planned transition that will ensure a smooth leadership changeover and lay a re-energized foundation for the lessor’s next phase of growth.

“The Board and I are thrilled that Mr. Chen has elected to take on the important role of leading the exciting next stage of the platform’s development – this is an opportune moment for CDB Aviation to drive its growth momentum with the industry recovery in full swing,” commented Madam Hong Ma, Chairperson of CDB Leasing, the lessor’s shareholder. “We are highly confident that Mr. Chen will steer the organization successfully into the future, and we look forward to providing the support and resources that the talented leaders and colleagues of CDB Aviation will require to continue their efforts.”

Deploying more than three decades of exemplary aviation industry experience, Mr. Chen’s immediate focus will be on advancing collaboration with the lessor’s airline customers, shareholder, and other stakeholders to support the industry recovery while building on the team’s strong relationships and the strength of its full-service, global platform to capitalize on emergent market opportunities.