An Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter crashed early Thursday morning while on a routine training exercise, killing one of the two pilots on board.
This the first time than an Indian Su-30 has crashed and a board on inquiry has been formed to look into the incident, says the service. Its Su-30 fleet has not been grounded because of the incident, it adds. No other details were available.
New Delhi has bought 50 Su-30s directly from Russia and state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics license-produces the fighter in the country as well.
In any case, SIA does not appear to be keen now and that is hardly surprising. It has problems of its own in the current economic crisis, and needs to work out how to arrest its falling traffic figures and cut costs. In the foreseeable future, fixing those issues will be its priority.
China remains an important market for any ambitious Asia Pacific airline, but there are simply too many barriers to entry - the biggest of which is its government itself. Without Beijing's blessings, which SIA failed to get the last time, a tie-up with a Chinese airline is a no-go.
SIA could eventually enter into talks once again with a Chinese airline, but that is not going to happen any time soon. And, in any case, that may not necessarily be with China Eastern. SIA, it appears, has hardened its heart and moved on.
Just when people thought that things could not get any worse for the reeling aerospace industry, here comes the "swine flu" to deal another blow. Whether we will be down for the count depends on the findings and decisions made by the scientific and medical communities, and various governments, in the coming days.
The way and the speed with which the virus has spread to far corners of the world will undoubtedly affect airlines and airport operators, who are waiting for more information before deciding on how to properly deal with the problem. Their share prices have been tumbling in a reflection of the public's worries about the issue,
The initial steps - additional screening points at airport, grounding staff who may have been in contact with those who were infected, and discouraging people from travelling to places where the virus appears to be most virulent - are necessary.
However, the truth is that it is still too early to jump to conclusions about the scale of the problem. Precautions are necessary, but let us not allow that to lead to widespread panic. When dealing with the unknown, a cool head is the best way to handle the issue.
Yet, there is still no sign of the country's defence white paper. It looks like many of the key military procurement decisions are being made ahead of the report, with the white paper then likely to set a broad framework for the coming years.
According to some sources, the white paper, which had been due last December, could be released at the end of this week. We are all waiting with bated breath. Could you guys please get on with it?
What gives at Air India? The Indian state-owned carrier has eased out Raghu Menon (above) as chairman and managing director after only a year in-charge due to differences between him and civil aviation minister Praful Patel.
The Indian media have been speculating about the reasons, but one thing is for sure - the civil servants who are responsible for making the new appointment have to move fast. With the country's general elections taking place now, any dithering could result in them leaving the decision, which the cabinet must approve, to the next government and therefore further delays in the appointment.
That would leave Air India without a permanent chief during an immensely challenging time for airlines globally and especially in India, and make matters worse just when the carrier needs proper direction the most.
Talk about flying high! Here are some photos of the Cessna Citation XLS at Tibet's Qamdo Bangda Airport, the world's highest airport at 14,219ft (4,334m). What a view the pilots must have had.
Call it corporate travel with a conscience. Bangkok-based OrientSKYs, a business jet charter company, is giving its clients the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions on their flights.
"As far as I know, we are the only private jet charter company in Asia who currently offer our clients the opportunity to offset their carbon emissions. Furthermore, the cost of this program typically represents less than one third of 1% of the total booking price," says Trevor Merszei, director of marketing and sales at OrientSKYs.
OrientSKYs partners Plant a Tree Today (PATT) Foundation, a UK-registered charity with an office in Thailand, to calculate the cost of the hourly carbon dioxide emission rates for all the aircraft that it operates. The money goes directly to PATT, which will plant trees within its "carbon free" project in Northeast Thailand.
Sure, this might help some corporate types who find it hard to sleep at night worrying about their carbon footprint. But will it go far enough to appease some of the more strident environmentalists who have set their guns on the aviation industry? I doubt it. But hey, at least it is a start!
It must feel like Groundhog Day for Singapore Airlines and the Air Line Pilots Association - Singapore (Alpa-S), which are once again in disagreement.
This is turning out to be a regular occurrence at SIA, which said earlier that it is parking several aircraft and cutting capacity drastically in response to the ongoing economic crisis. The airline also wants its pilots to take three to four days of no-pay leave a month as a cost-saving measure.
The union says that its members should not take more than the one day that the airline has asked of its other staff. If they must, the airline has to agree to some form of restitution when times are better, adds the Alpa-S. The carrier and its other staff unions agreed earlier this month to begin a shorter work week from 1 May, but that is contingent on a deal with Alpa-S. Singapore's Ministry of Manpower has been asked to mediate between the two parties.
Since its inception in 1981, the Alpa-S has had more than 20 disputes with the carrier. In 2003, after the Sars virus led to a slump in the travel industry, union members overthrew their leaders due to unhappiness about the carrier's plans to cut wages. That led to Singapore's former prime minister and current minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew stepping in to resolve the dispute. In 2007, the union disagreed over the allowance for pilots who fly the Airbus A380 aircraft and the country's industrial Arbitration Court eventually had to settle the case.
Here's a suggestion - why don't we put both parties in the economy class of one of the parked aircraft in a desert, preferably one of SIA's older Boeing 777-200s with the horrible seat pitch, and serve them only dry bread and water until they reach an agreement? That just might help to move things along a little bit faster.
Having said everything about Cathay Pacific's bad times over the last few days, one blogger claims that some airline staff will go the extra mile to please their passengers. The post, which first appeared on www.airliners.net, is no longer available.
However, according to several newspapers, the blogger was in the first class cabin of a Boeing 777-300ER from Toronto to Hong Kong. He and his girlfriend began to get frisky and a steward, who he knew from previous flights, invited them to use the crew rest area to join the mile-high club. His description of the events makes for an interesting read.
"On these long, long flights there isn't really anything to do after the meal service so my gf [girlfriend] and I were cuddling and watching movies. With the magnificent large bed one thing led to another and soon my friend was at our side saying, 'Would you like the privacy of our crew rest upstairs?'
"My gf and I looked at each other and were like, sure why not? We haven't been in the mile-high club. Now THAT left me exhausted."
All we need right now is for some Cathay frequent fliers to begin enquiring about this "upgrade" programme.
So just how bad are things at Cathay Pacific Airways? Very bad, according to a frank admission by the Hong Kong carrier's senior executives.
In the latest issue of CX World, the airline's monthly magazine, chief executive Tony Tyler calls the economic crisis "one of the most difficult" in the carrier's history. Chief operating officer John Slosar adds that there is no sign of a recovery. "Things went downhill very quickly, and there is no sign of any upturn as yet," he adds.
Last week, the airline announced a slew of measures to help it rein in costs and increase revenues. In these tough times, Cathay appears to be trying to swallow the bitter pill in an effort to keep afloat amid the ongoing turmoil.
Dassault says that it is waiting for news and referred all media enquiries to the French embassy in India, saying that the negotiations were being conducted on a government-to-government basis. The embassy declined to comment.
Chalk this one up as just one of those confusing events that take place regularly during Indian military tenders!
People's Liberation Army Navy Xian JH-7 strike fighter (source:http://english.chinamil.com.cn/)
People's Liberation Army Navy transport helicopter (source:http://english.chinamil.com.cn/)
China's navy plans to buy and develop a new generation of aircraft as part of its modernisation programme, says the service chief.
The service has about 800 aircraft, including fighters, bombers, maritime patrol, transport aircraft and transport helicopters. However, its inventory is not as modern as the air force's fleet and the modernisation programme is much needed if the country wants to have proper blue water navy.
Beijing has been in discussions with Russia for several years to buy Sukhoi Su-33 naval fighters along with a refurbished Russian aircraft carrier, Kamov Ka-29 attack helicopters and Kamov Ka-31 airborne early warning helicopters. Chinese companies are also working on a naval version of the Chengdu J-10 fighter, Shenyang J-11 fighter, and Harbin Z-15 transport helicopter.
It certainly would be interesting to see how the US Pacific Fleet, as well as China's neighbours such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and India, react to this modernisation plan. This could be the spark to trigger a new wave of arms purchases by these countries as well. Any comments?
Several Indian newspapers are reporting that the Dassault Rafale has been dropped from the country's medium multi-role combat aircraft competition after failing the technical evaluation. Dassault officials say that they are still waiting for word from the Indian defence ministry.
If confirmed, it would leave five contenders for the $10-12 billion contract. They are the Boeing F/A-18E/F, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-16, RSK MiG-35 and Saab Gripen. India is due to begin flight trials shortly.
Here is some pretty cool footage from the Royal New Zealand Air Force show at Whenuapai in March. The first video has footage of the service's Boeing 757-200 transport and Lockheed Martin C-130s, among other aircraft. Looks like the aircraft are returning from their recent upgrades! Time to check in with the air force for an update, I suppose.
Given that the RNZAF does not have a strike squadron, the Royal Australian Air Force lent them a hand - the second vide shows a RAAF Boeing F/A-18A taking part in the show.
G R Gopinath (above), founder of Indian low-cost carrier Deccan, is contesting in India's parliamentary elections. Better known as Capt Gopi, he sold his stake to Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines in 2007 and Deccan was renamed Kingfisher Red last year. He now plans to start up a cargo airline, Deccan Cargo, in May.
Contesting as an independent in the Bangalore South Constituency, he says in his official campaign website that he has thrown his hat into the ring in frustration at "the state of affairs in the political arena". He plans to start a "citizen's committee for civic issues, fight corruption and promise good governance". This is his second foray into the political arena after unsuccessfully contesting for a state assembly seat in 1994.
Voting will take place in the constituency on 23 April, but Capt Gopi probably has some long odds given that he is just one of 20 candidates for the seat. He also has to manage without the resources of the major political parties - an important factor in every Indian election.
To seem him in action on the campaign trail, click on the following videos. Good luck Capt Gopi!
Oops! My bad. Today's announcement by Australia's defence minister was on the findings of the community consultation segment of the defence white paper - and not the actual report itself. Apologies for being too quick off the mark.
Not surprisingly, the consultations found that Australians do not want their country to go beyond the current A$22 billion defence budget. Doh! Does anyone really want their government to increase defence spending in the middle of an economic crisis - especially one touted as the worst since the Great Depression?
Anyways, Australia's defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon reiterated this morning that the actual defence white paper will be released "in the very near future". We have been waiting since December, the original deadline. Please Mr Fitzgibbon, could you just end the suspense for all of us as soon as possible? We are weary with anticipation...
Australia will release the highly anticipated findings of its defence white paper tomorrow morning.
Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon will release the findings at 10.30am local time, a day after he returns from a trip to the USA that included visits to Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman facilities.
Among other things, the announcement should clarify Canberra's position on its commitment to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme. It should also confirm if it will order additional Boeing F/A-18F fighters. There should also be guidance on Australia's naval helicopter, transport aircraft, and tanker programmes.
Let's just hope there is no plan to buy Lockheed Martin F-22s - that would be extremely bad timing after recent events in the USA!
Jobs are also at stake. Qantas and its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar will remove 500 management jobs, in addition to 90 management job cuts announced in March. Up to another to 1,250 jobs will be affected, says the airline's CEO Alan Joyce.
Finally, the carrier is in talks with Boeing to reduce the delivery of 787-8 aircraft over the near term. It will also ground 10 aircraft and make them available for sale. It is also slashing passenger and freight capacity for domestic and international routes.
Following US defence secretary Robert Gates' plans to overhaul his country's military procurement process, it is clear that there will be some winners and losers in Asia.
Japan suffered the biggest setback, given that the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor that it covets so much will not be produced beyond the 187 on order. It is unlikely that the US Congress will give its nod for the fifth-generation stealth fighter to be exported.
Countries that are keen on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be happier. The US has increased its focus on the programme and will now buy 30 aircraft in 2010, up from 14 this year. Japan is now likely to turn its attention to the F-35, while several others like Australia, Singapore and South Korea will be engaged.
Without any major export orders, Boeing's C-17 transport aircraft production line is likely to end as Washington has decided not to buy any more of the type. India and Australia remain potential customers, but the cost is likely to be higher than expected.
Boeing probably suffered the most in the reassessment, but the company received a minor boost when the US government said that it would buy 30 F/A-18E/Fs in 2010, up from a previous plan to buy only 18. The type is in contention in India and Japan, and could be offered to countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.
Unmanned aerial vehicles like the Predator and Reaper will also be in greater demand across the region, in line with Washington's increased focus on the technology.
Gates' announcement is bound to lead to one thing - expect business development honchos from the various US military contractors to spend more time in Asia as they come under pressure to diversify their companies' revenue streams.
Meanwhile, here is a video of the F-22 Raptor on an exercise in Kadena, Japan, earlier this year. It looks increasingly like the only time the fighter will be on Japanese soil is when it is flying in USAF colours!
There were five passenger aircraft and a helicopter in the hangar at that time, and one of the fixed-wing aircraft suffered some slight damage in the incident.
The video below, taken from an Indonesian television channel, shows what could have happened via computer simulation. However, it is still not clear what led to the incident and the Indonesian Air Force is conducting an investigation.
Marwoto Komar was arrested in July 2008 after a Boeing 737-400 with 140 passengers that he piloted crashed on landing at Yogyakarta airport in March 2007 (left). Prosecutors said that he was criminally negligent for the deaths and the courts agreed.
Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Commission said in its final report into the accident that the aircraft was far too high and fast on its final approach. Despite ground-proximity warning alerts, a flap deployment of just 5° and calls from the co-pilot for a go-around, the captain did not abandon the approach. The aircraft overran the runway and burst into flames.
The verdict will raise the ire of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations (IFALPA), which condemned Komar's arrest and said that the investigation failed to address fully the reasons for the crew's actions. It reiterated its stance that the criminalisation of individuals involved in accidents "does little" to improve air transport safety.
Given that Indonesia has had several high-profile crashes in recent years, the government probably felt it had to show that it was doing something to address the problem. There are other issues, however, that the country must address including the lax safety records of some carriers and a lack of investment in airport infrastructure.
The debate over whether pilots should be held criminally responsible for air crashes is a separate issue from the fact that airlines and airport authorities are just as important to ensuring air safety in Indonesia and elsewhere in the world.
Korean Air probably has some of the prettiest flight stewardesses around, and here is a video to prove it. In conjunction with its 40th anniversary, the South Korean carrier is having an online competition to select the best uniform worn by its crew in that time.
Watch the video below to see some of their stewardesses in various uniforms, and then go to the Korean Air website where you can see even more and cast your vote. There are prizes waiting for 72 of those who cast their votes.
It is all getting a little bit confusing over in Melbourne.
Last year, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways paid good money to sponsor the Australian city's main stadium. The deal makes sense for the carrier, which has just started its first direct Melbourne-Abu Dhabi flights and is planning on a major expansion of services to Australia. The operators of Etihad stadium, as it is now called, got a good deal after Australian communications firm Telstra's sponsorship ended last year.
But the Australian Football League, which has six teams based in the stadium, is furious. It has taken the venue's operators to court saying that the deal breached contractual agreements with Qantas, Australia's national carrier and a major AFL sponsor. This is because Qantas and Etihad are major competitors in the global aviation market, the AFL's lawyers added in court. Sounds fair?
Hang on a minute. Two weeks ago, just as those arguments were being heard in Melbourne courts, senior officials from Qantas and Etihad shook hands over a major code-share agreement. This partnership will allow the Australian carrier to add four Middle Eastern destinations to its network and allow Etihad to add new destinations in Australia and New Zealand.
Hmmm, so are Etihad and Qantas partners or competitors? Go figure. I suppose, at the end of the day, it is all a matter of whom you talk to - and whose business is at stake.
In the meantime, while everyone scratches their head and tries to figure a way out of the mess, the AFL season has begun and that has plenty of people in Australia excited. For some, the game's rules are about as clear as the Qantas-Etihad saga. So, to help you along, here is the rather ambitious official promotional video for the AFL's 2009 season, followed by footage from some actual games. Enjoy!
An Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter crashed early Thursday morning while on a routine training exercise, killing one of the two pilots on board.
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