Airlines

Tiger-faced customized jet reaches Namibia to bring cheetahs to India

Eight cheetahs are being transported to India by a tiger-faced airplane in Namibia, Africa.

Eight cheetahs are being transported to India by a tiger-faced airplane in Namibia, Africa. The cheetahs are being transported from South Africa to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

The cheetahs will depart from Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, for India in a specially designed Boeing 747-400 aircraft. They will fly overnight and arrive in Jaipur on Saturday morning. The “Reintroduction of the Cheetah” initiative will be launched at the Kuno National Park in the Madhya Pradesh district of Sheopur on September 17 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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As well as releasing the cheetahs into the state’s woodlands, the prime minister will bring them from Africa. Cheetahs will be reintroduced to India after 70 years, after being declared extinct in the country in 1952. The Indian High Commission in Namibia tweeted on Thursday, “A special bird lands in the Land of the Brave to transport goodwill ambassadors to the Land of the Tiger.”

A special bird touches down in the Land of the Brave to carry goodwill ambassadors to the Land of the Tiger.#AmritMahotsav #IndiaNamibia pic.twitter.com/vmV0ffBncO

— India In Namibia (@IndiainNamibia) September 14, 2022

For the transcontinental relocation of the cheetahs from Namibia, the Indian Oil Corporation Limited will contribute 50.22 crores over five years. The project to import cheetahs from Namibia is known as Project Cheetah. Based on the initiative, wild species are being reintroduced in accordance with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) principles.

The government has launched the ambitious Project Cheetah with the goal of reintroducing the species to its former habitat in the nation. India has a long heritage of wildlife conservation.

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Airlines

Sanctions & Engine Issues Ground Half of Russia’s A320neo fleet

Russia’s aviation sector, already strained by Western sanctions, faces another setback as nearly half of its Airbus A320neo family aircraft are grounded due to unresolved engine issues.

This development highlights the growing challenges for russia commercial aircraft in maintaining their fleets under the weight of global restrictions and limited access to spare parts.

Out of the 66 Airbus A320neo and A321neo jets in Russia, 34 are now out of service, according to the Kommersant business newspaper. These planes are powered by engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of RTX Corporation.

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The engines are affected by a previously identified defect in the metal used for certain parts, prompting accelerated inspections and maintenance.

Sanctions have compounded the issue, blocking the supply of essential components from major manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus. Without proper maintenance, experts warn that these aircraft may face decommissioning as early as 2026.

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Airlines like S7, which operates a significant portion of these grounded jets, plan to conserve the engines for future use during peak travel seasons. However, reports suggest that over 20 of S7’s Airbus planes have engines that have already reached the end of their operational lifespan. Recently, russia seeks assistance from kazakhstan’s airlines to bolster its domestic flights.

While some A320neo and A321neo planes in Russia are equipped with French-made LEAP engines, which are seen as less problematic, the challenges remain daunting.

The situation underscores the long-term impact of sanctions on Russia’s aviation sector and the increasing difficulties in keeping its modern fleets operational.