Aviation

Air India gets aircraft-cleaning robot at Delhi Airport

NEW DELHI: According to Times of India , As Air India‘s A320 went for cleaning before a scheduled flight at the IGI airport, it was not greeted by the usual manual cleaners, but instead, a giant robotic armwas being operated and brought in to clean the aircraft. Called the Nordic Dino II, the machine carried out the first automated aircraft exterior cleaning for a plane at the IGIairport, completing it in just one fourth of the usual time spent on cleaning such an aircraft.

After successful trial runs, officials say the machine has now been implemented on the ground for Air India and will help in saving time and increase the frequency of flights.

The machine was brought in jointly by airport operators DIAL and Air India SATS, the ground handling company which carried out a series of trial runs before finally implementing the technology which is already being used worldwide in several airports. This is the first time such a technology has been implemented in India however. TOI had earlier reported that the technology had got clearance from officials and would likely be implemented by the end of April.
The Nordic Dino-II, is a computerized and self-contained system brought in from Sweden which will bring automation to the aircraft exterior cleaning process. Earlier, cleaning an aircraft like the A320 would take close to 8 hours, while cleaning a narrow body aircraft would take 5-6 hours of time and up to 18 cleaners. The new technology will significantly reduce the manpower and take just 2 hours in cleaning a narrow body aircraft, officials said.

“We are proud to bring the nation’s first automated aircraft cleaning machine to the IGI airport. The introduction of Nordic Dino II and the recent investment in GSE holds testimony to our commitment to use technology to improve ground handling services to customer airlines at the IGI Airport and to contribute to a greener airport by using eco-friendly equipment,” said Mike Chew, CEO, AI SATS.

Airport officials say other than Air India, airlines such Vistara, SpiceJet and Indigo may also benefit from the technology as they use the IGI airport as its hub.

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”