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Rafale Dassault gifted 1 million Euros to Indian middleman?

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Rafale Dassault gifted 1 million Euros to Indian middleman?

Rafale Dassault gifted 1 million Euros to Indian middleman? French combat jet manufacturer company Dassault paid one million euros (Rs 8.6 crore) to an Indian middleman after the Rafale fighter jets deal between India-France agreement in 2016, a French magazine Mediapart report has revealed Dassault has not been explain to French anti-corruption agency, Agence Française Anticorruption (AFA), the total amount 508,925 euro was paid under “gifts to clients”, an investigation into Dassault group’s 2017 account books has revealed.

Read more : What’s the world’s cheapest international airline?

In 2016, India and France signed a Rs. 59,000 crore deal, under which Dassault manufacture 36 Rafale jets for India. Dassault agreed to pay the amount to one of its sub-contractors in India, Defsys Soultion. Defsys provides solutions for defence and aerospace applications and owned by Sushen Gupta. Gupta was earlier arrested for his alleged role in Agusta Westland VVIP Chopper money-laundering scam in March 2019.

In 2017, the AFA was checking whether large companies are following the anti-corruption procedures set out in the French law as Sapin 2.

In 2018, AFA spotted possibilities of corruption in the Rafale deal, AFA held audit of Dassault and found an item of expenditure, under the heading “gifts to clients”, cost 508,925 euros (Rs 4.3 crore). AFA asked Dassault for an explanation. Dassault said that money was used to pay for the manufacturing of 50 large replica models of Rafale jets. However, Dassault was not able to proved to the AFA that the models were actually made. Each model costs 20,357 euros.

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Read more : 10 Things to know About IndiGo Airline, India 2021

Now, this news is surfaced after the report of Mediapart, it revealed that the AFA did not alert the prosecution authorities over the payment, this scandal raises question on the both the justice system and the political authorities.

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A video of the Indigo cabin crew has gone viral when they lose their cool while dealing with disrespectful passengers.

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A video of the cabin crew has gone viral when they lose their cool while dealing with disrespectful passenger.

Today, a lot of information spreads quickly online. One of the Indigo flight staff members got into a dispute with a passenger over the course of the meal.

The video makes it visible and audible that, The crew is attempting to convey to the passengers that they are responsible for providing the meals on board as per the list. The entire incident was recorded on camera by one of the passengers. The passenger’s disrespect towards the crew during their argument with the first cabin crew appears to have irritated them. In addition, for peer support, another crew had arrived to provide the details of the error that had occurred and to clarify that the crew was not at fault.

Alaska Airlines Pilots Refused to Fly Together and Turned the Plane Around to the Gate After Argument(Opens in a new browser tab)

The crew was speaking to the passenger politely, but things quickly got out of hand. The crew lost their cool and told the passenger to stop talking, then quickly apologized. The Indigo CEO offered his support to the staff during the incident. The majority of internet users claimed that each passenger must show respect for the staff because, by law, they are required to serve the passenger.

Female pilot reveals airport employee mistook her for flight

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Detailed information about the dispute is unavailable. Please share your thoughts on the incident in the comment box.

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Singapore approves the merger of Vistara and Air India and acquires a 25.1% share.

A major milestone for Air India.

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Air India boosts services to destinations in East Asia

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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 .

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Following its acquisition by Tata in January 2022, Air India unveiled a wide-ranging transformation programme to strengthen its foundations and revamp its operations, setting it on the road to recovery and positioning it for growth5.

The combination of Air India and Vistara would bring significant synergies. Air India has valuable slots and air traffic rights at domestic and international airports that are not available to Vistara. With Vistara widely recognised as India’s leading full-service carrier, Air India will benefit from its operational capabilities, customer base, and a strong focus on customer service and product excellence.

Today, Air India (including Air India Express and AirAsia India) and Vistara have a total of 218 widebody and narrowbody aircraft, serving 38 international and 52 domestic destinations. With the integration, Air India will be the only Indian airline group to operate both full-service and low-cost passenger services. It can optimise its route network and resource utilisation, be flexible and agile in capturing demand across market segments, and tap on a larger consumer base to strengthen its loyalty programme.

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This would reinforce its position as India’s largest international carrier and second largest domestic carrier, allow it to offer more options and connectivity for business and leisure customers, and enable it to compete as a leading global airline.
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1Today, SIA and Tata hold a 49% and 51% stake in Vistara respectively. Tata wholly owns Air India, which includes the low-cost carriers Air India Express and AirAsia India.

2In addition to its cash and bank balances of S$17.5 billion, the Group retains access to S$2.2 billion of committed lines of credit, all of which remain undrawn. SIA intends to redeem the 2020 Mandatory Convertible Bonds on 8 December 2022, and cash and bank balances will decline by S$3.86 billion on a pro-forma basis on that date.

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India’s top 5 Punctual airlines at the moment.

These Are The Most Punctual Airlines In India

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All flights across US grounded, major glitch in Federal Aviation Administration's system

As the air becomes more accessible to travelers, Indian airlines support the increased traffic, yet we are surprised to learn that Air India is leading the list for on-time performance in October. Within a six-month period, the airline revamped its image, elevating it to the top spot among domestic carriers in terms of frequency.

This Is The Most Punctual Airline In The United States(Opens in a new browser tab)

In September, Air India was in third place; today, it is first.

 

 

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Air India led the pack in terms of On-Time Performance (OTP) in October with a score of 90.8%, followed by Vistara (89.1%), and AirAsia India (89.1 percent). The Tata group includes each of the three airlines.

Alaska Airlines one of first US Airlines to use virtual reality in pilot training(Opens in a new browser tab)

IndiGo had the highest OTP (87.5%), followed by Alliance Air (74.5%), SpiceJet (68.9%), and Go First (60.7 percent). Four metro airports—Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai—have had their OTPs calculated.

In comparison to the same period last year, domestic airlines carried 988.31 lakh passengers, up from 620.96 lakh. This represents a 59.16 percent annual growth and a 26.95 percent monthly growth, according to the DGCA.

SpiceJet and Go First had market shares of 7.3 percent and 7 percent, respectively, while Air India had a 9.1 percent share in October. In October, Alliance Air’s market share increased marginally to 1.3 percent, while AirAsia India’s market share increased to 7.6 percent.

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Honda Aircraft Company Reveals Latest Aircraft – the HondaJet Elite II(Opens in a new browser tab)

According to the data, Vistara’s market share decreased from 9.6 percent in September to 9.2 percent last month. The market share of Akasa Air, which began operations in August, increased to 1.4 percent in October from 0.9 percent in September.

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Spicejet likely to induct 7 Boeing 737 Max aircraft on wet lease by November-end

#Spicejet will probably start taking delivery of 7 Boeing 737 Max planes by the end of November in preparation for the winter schedule.

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Spicejet likely to induct 7 Boeing 737 Max aircraft on wet lease by November-end

Spicejet will probably start taking delivery of 7 Boeing 737 Max planes by the end of November in preparation for the winter schedule. The number of flights the airline runs during the winter season may be lower than during the summer season.

Korean Black Eagles aircraft skids and catches fire on Changi Airport.(Opens in a new browser tab)

Two aircraft are likely to be inducted by the end of October, and the remaining ones by the end of November. There have been strong headwinds for Spicejet. At least six aeroplanes have had their registrations removed in the recent months. In order to balance out the aircraft that have been deregistered, the person explained that these aircraft were being wet-leased.

The no-frills carrier has recently experienced some technological difficulties as well. SpiceJet was asked by the DGCA in July to run at up to 50% of the number of departures authorized under the summer schedule 2022 until October 29, 2022.

Jet Airways Could Start Operations with Five Aircraft by October End, Details Here(Opens in a new browser tab)

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For the summer schedule, SpiceJet received authority to run 600 daily flights, of which it ran about 300. SpiceJet would fly fewer daily flights than the summer timetable. It declared that it will send a total of 80 pilots who fly Dash 400 and Boeing 737 planes on unpaid leave. This will be done for three months, presumably to cut costs for the airline.

The past few quarters have seen a severe cash crunch for SpiceJet. It reported a 789 crore net loss in the first quarter of FY23. A beneficiary of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme is SpiceJet. Both 200 crore and 400 crore were made available.

This is the third time that the government has also offered assistance to the airlines. According to sources, SpiceJet has applied to participate in the scheme’s current round of benefits. “The promoters are working to set up the necessary equity.

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Indonesian Pilot Attacks Turkish Airlines Cabin Crew While Traveling Off-Duty

The pilot for Batik Air has been identified by Indonesia’s Lion Air Group as the passenger who reportedly attacked Turkish Airlines flight attendants

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Indonesian Pilot Attacks Turkish Airlines Cabin Crew While Traveling Off-Duty
The pilot for Batik Air has been identified by Indonesia’s Lion Air Group as the passenger who reportedly attacked Turkish Airlines flight attendants while intoxicated on a journey from Istanbul to Jakarta.

On his Monday Turkish Airlines trip, Muhammad John Jaiz Boudewijn was returning from a vacation in Turkey when he got into a physical argument with the flight crew.

The incident forced the pilot to make an emergency landing, and after being assaulted by other passengers and being hit by a flight attendant who was attempting to restrain the aggressive pilot, the pilot sustained injuries. A Lion Air Group representative told Voi.id that the airline will not intervene because the pilot was on business.

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The conflict, not booze as witnesses claimed, was brought on by a dog in the cabin, according to a statement made by the pilot. His behavior aboard the Turkish Airlines flight did not surprise a coworker who wished to stay anonymous.

They claimed the pilot is dangerous since he is renowned for imposing his religious views on other crew members and for having issues with the junior crew. They claimed that the pilot was responsible for previous flight delays by refusing to fly with a co-pilot who did not adhere to his religious convictions.

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These are two new challenges Malaysia faces in purchasing FA50.

These are two new challenges Malaysia faces in purchasing FA50.

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These are two new challenges Malaysia faces in purchasing FA50.
Malaysia and South Korea are stuck with the final price of the FA 50 and Malaysia ask KAI to match the price of HAL Tejas Mk1A. they asked them to bring down the price of the unit price of the AESA radar and Inflight refueling capable FA 50 version from 50 million to 43 million USD to make it comparable to the price of Tejas MK-1A.
KAI selected a few of the fighter aircraft for the country’s defense squad which should be single-seater fighter jets and the trainer type of category aircraft with refueling facilities. Malaysia was chosen for the KAI’s FA 50 and Tejas fighter jet from HAL. finally, it selected the Korean fighter jet.
which India offered to Malaysia despite Mk-1A having a higher TRM AESA and better Weapons package including Brahmos capability, KAI, however, is not agreeing to this demand as it would mean a loss for the company which has not yet completed certification of the equipment listed in RMAF RFP requirements.
Another reason behind KAI’s reluctance is that, unlike India which is the sole owner of the Tejas program and has exclusive rights to decide which systems to buy/make to integrate with Tejas as per customer demands, Fa-50 is a Joint program between US company Lockheed Martin and Korean KAI, thus certification and integration of new equipment for Fa-50 would be more time consuming and expensive.
There is also the possibility of limiting the technology transfer if it builds in Malaysia. there are challenges which have to face it by Malaysia with KAI.
While this stalemate between both sides over the pricing might not be a deal breaker, as per Malaysian media it might delay the signing of the final contract by a month.
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On Akasa Air, you can now travel with your pets; bookings open from 15 Oct

a new scheduled airline in India, will permit the carriage of domesticated cats and dogs onboard together with passengers.

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On Akasa Air, you can now travel with your pets; bookings open from 15 Oct

Many pet owners postpone their travel plans or struggle to find destinations that will accept their animal friends. In addition to accommodations, traveling with pets can be difficult. However, starting next month, Akasa Air, a new scheduled airline in India, will permit the carriage of domesticated cats and dogs onboard together with passengers.

Akasa Air Founder Rakesh Jhunjhunwala No More, Passes Away At 62(Opens in a new browser tab)

Domesticated dogs and cats will be allowed to travel starting in November, and reservations in this regard will open up on October 15th, according to Belson Coutinho, co-founder, and CMO, as quoted by PTI. Only tiny animals up to seven kg in weight are permitted in the passenger cabin; larger animals that weigh more than seven kg must fly in the cargo area.

Akasa Air has announced that animals will be allowed on board, making it the second commercial airline in India to allow pet travel. Prior to now, Air India was the only commercial airline in the nation to allow certain types of dogs to fly with passengers.

Air India intends to increase the fleet size by an additional 30 aircraft.(Opens in a new browser tab)

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Additionally, Akasa Air has made it clear that only domesticated animals (cats and dogs) would be permitted to travel in the cabin after paying a fee. The cost to bring your pet onboard an Akasa Air flight will soon be announced.

Furthermore, Akasa Air news, Vinay Dubey, CEO of India’s low-cost airline, Akasa Air, revealed that it will receive 18 brand-new aircraft by the end of March next year, after operating for roughly 60 days. By the end of March 2023, we anticipate receiving 18 brand-new Boeing 737-MAX aircraft.

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