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Rostec Started Flight Tests of the Upgraded Ka-32A11M Fire-fighting Helicopter

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Rostec Started Flight Tests of the Upgraded Ka-32A11M Fire-fighting Helicopter
The upgraded Ka-32A11M firefighting helicopter produced by Russian Helicopters (part of Rostec State Corporation) took off for the first time and began flight tests. The rotorcraft fitted with new engines, radio-electronic equipment and fire extinguishing system is to undergo preliminary and certification tests in 2022-2023, after which it will be available for Russian and foreign customers.
The first flight of the Ka-32A11M took place in hover mode at the flight-testing complex of the Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise (KAPE) in Bashkortostan.

“Modernization is significantly expanding the capabilities of one of the world’s best fire-fighting helicopters, Ka-32, аnd we are planning to complete certification of the Ka-32A11M in 2023.   After that, the rotocraft with the latest electronics and firefighting system will be available for Russian and foreign customers,” said Andrey Boginsky, Director General of the Russian Helicopters.

Ka-32A11M was first presented at the MAKS-2021 Aviation and Space Salon. The modernization program of Ka-32 includes equipping it with a “glass cockpit” with an onboard avionics system, more powerful VK-2500PS-02 engines, and a new fire extinguishing system. VK-2500PS-02 engines will significantly improve flight performance of the helicopter in hot and mountainous environments. According to calculations of engineers, helicopter load-carrying capacity in such conditions can be increased by the value of about 1600 kg.
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Technical solutions used in the “glass cockpit” of Ka-32A11M have already been tested on the Ansat and Mi-38 civil multipurpose helicopters; they will greatly facilitate the operation of additional navigation, optoelectronic and search equipment, which can be installed on the helicopter. It will also be possible to work with night vision goggles.

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A new SP-32 fire extinguishing system developed by specialists from National Helicopter Center Мil&Kamov and KAPE has a number of significant advantages. A new tank holds 4 tons of water and is divided into four compartments. The patented flap system with digital control allows the flaps to be opened in pairs or alternately, as well as the opening angles of the flaps to be adjusted, thereby increasing the water discharge time.

The fire extinguishing system can automatically draw 4 tons of water in 60 seconds and add up to 400 liters of foam agent and is adapted for the use of a water cannon. In addition, all SP-32 systems are electrically heated, and that is why SP-32 is the first system in the world that can be used in winter conditions at temperatures down to -20 degrees Celsius.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rNET60PdCM

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Coaxial design of the Ka-32 helicopter provides stable hover mode and excellent crosswind stability. In addition, the absence of a tail rotor reduces the size of the helicopter, making it more maneuverable. These features provide special advantages for operating in mountain and forest areas, as well as in dense urban environment. Ka-32 is capable not only of extinguishing fires, but also of performing high-precision construction and installation operations, medical, search and rescue missions and of transporting cargo. It is well suited for high-humidity conditions and is particularly resistant to aggressive marine environments. Ka-32 characteristics allow it to fly in high turbulence and storm winds.

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Mass production of the Ka-32 helicopters has been launched at KAPE. As for now, more than 240 helicopters have been built there. They operate in more than 30 countries, including Austria, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Indonesia, Spain, Canada, Kazakhstan, China, Portugal, Russia, Turkey, Switzerland, South Korea and Japan.
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Air India Enters Into Codeshare Agreement With AIX Connect for 100 Flights

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Air India Enters Into Codeshare Agreement With AIX Connect for 100 Flights

A codeshare arrangement has been made between AIX Connect, formerly known as Air Asia India, and Air India, which is controlled by the Tata Group. A codeshare arrangement allows one airline to sell seats on a different carrier’s flights while both use the other’s flight number.

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Over 100 flights per day on 21 destinations operated by AIX Connect will now have Air India’s ‘AI’ designator code. It will gradually add more routes covered by the codeshare agreement. In a statement, Air India announces that reservations for the codeshare flights are now being accepted at all points of sale, with travel beginning on September 27, 2023.

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The codeshare flights are now accepting reservations at all points of sale, with travel beginning this Wednesday. The extent of the agreement between the two airlines allows passengers to have their bags checked in all the way to their ultimate destinations and receive their boarding tickets at the initial point of departure for all of the travel sectors on a single ticket. To comply with government regulations, passengers connecting from international to domestic flights must go through customs at the initial point of entrance into India, according to Air India.

In addition to the shared destinations between the route networks of the two airlines, Air India has expanded its domestic route network with the introduction of the codeshare agreement to include Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, and Surat.

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Embraer and Scoot Sign Pool Program Agreement for its E190-E2 fleet

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Embraer and Scoot Sign Pool Program Agreement for its E190-E2 fleet

Embraer announced a Pool Programme services agreement with Scoot to support the airline’s incoming fleet of nine E190-E2 aircraft.

The Pool Programme provides access to component exchanges and repair services for over 300 repairable parts to support Scoot’s Embraer aircraft, allowing the airline to reduce its upfront investment in high-value repairable inventories and resources while leveraging Embraer’s technical expertise and extensive component repair service provider network. The Pool Programme currently covers more than 60 airlines globally.

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The E190-E2 jet is the most effective and quiet single-aisle aircraft in the world, and Scoot will receive the first batch in 2024. Scoot’s operations will also gain from the AHEAD (Aircraft Health Analysis and Diagnosis) system, which includes early detection capabilities for critical systems, reducing technical interruptions and preventing flight cancellations, and the eSight, which provides real-time fleet performance monitoring.

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With 10,000 flying hours for basic checks and no calendar limit for normal E-Jet operations, the E-Jets E2 series of aircraft, including the E190-E2, has the longest maintenance intervals in the single-aisle jet category. As a result, the aircraft can be used with little downtime.

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Singapore serves as the hub for Embraer’s business in the Asia Pacific region. The company has employees based in Singapore as well as a regional distribution centre inside the free trade zone of Changi Airport. A state-of-the-art E2 full flight simulator and pilot training programme will be launched in Singapore in 2023, according to a recent announcement by Embraer and CAE. The Singapore-CAE Flight Training Centre at the SIA Training Centre will serve as the home base for the full flight simulator.

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British Airways And IndiGo Announce New Codeshare Partnership

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British Airways And IndiGo Announce New Codeshare Partnership

British Airways and IndiGo, India’s top airline, have announced a codeshare deal to improve connectivity between the UK and India.

Customers will benefit from better connectivity between Southeast Asia and Europe as of October 12, 2023, with this arrangement, which will see British Airways add its code to a variety of destinations across IndiGo’s network.

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When flying from London Heathrow to New Delhi or Mumbai, eight destinations are now accessible as codeshare possibilities. This comprises three new locations that were previously unavailable to British Airways customers:

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  • London Heathrow to Amritsar via New Delhi
  • London Heathrow to Kochi via Mumbai
  • London Heathrow to Ahmedabad via Mumbai
  • London Heathrow to Goa via Mumbai
  • London Heathrow to Thiruvananthapuram via Mumbai (NEW)
  • London Heathrow to Kolkata via Mumbai
  • London Heathrow to Rajkot (Hirasar) via Mumbai (NEW)
  • London Heathrow to Vadodara via Mumbai (NEW)

Customers flying from Rajkot (Hirasar) to London or transiting through Heathrow (or vice versa) will be able to connect to their destination on a single ticket as a result of the agreement.

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IndiGo’s fleet of A320 aircraft serves a large domestic and regional network. All British Airways customers who continue their journey with IndiGo will receive a complimentary meal as well as the UK carrier’s substantial baggage allowance in the economy via codeshare on flights to India – two checked bags weighing up to 23 kilogrammes per person.

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The number of British Airways flights from India to London now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, with the airline operating 56 flights a week, to five Indian gateways: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

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