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

Boeing, Antonov to Collaborate on Defense Projects

– MOU represents Boeing’s commitment to work with Ukrainian industry

– Includes exploring opportunities for collaborating on in-country support of Unmanned Aerial Systems

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed today by Boeing and Antonov Company to investigate potential collaboration on defense-related projects.

“We’re happy to keep collaborating with the Antonov Company to help Ukraine’s economic development and expansion,” stated Ted Colbert, CEO and president of Boeing Defence, Space, & Security.

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“This agreement demonstrates our ongoing efforts to find more opportunities to work with Ukrainian industry, which was underscored by our signing of the Ukrainian Defence Industry Compact earlier this year.”

The areas of potential collaboration identified in the agreement consist of training, logistical support and overhaul services for tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems utilized by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which includes the ScanEagle. In addition, the companies will also explore opportunities for Antonov to provide engineering support to Boeing.

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“A strong, innovative, and efficient defense industry is key to sustainable economic development and national security, and we are extremely excited to collaborate with Boeing,” said Ievhen Gavrylov, CEO of Antonov Company.

This agreement brings a whole new level of opportunity to implement the latest and most effective solutions – in addition to the possibility of future projects with Boeing in the aerospace and defense industry.”