22 February 2009
17 February 2009
New Brochure
16 February 2009
Aero 2009: The Drama on the Defense continues
Posted from www.mutiny.in
Aero India 2009: The Drama Continues
Posted: 14 Feb 2009 09:35 PM PST
Aero India 2009 kicked off in the Garden City on February 11, 2009, with firms from 25 countries showcasing their hardware in a quest for the supposed multi-billion dollar contracts that the Indian military is going to hand out in the years ahead. Defense Minister AK Anthony was on site, claiming confidently that there was no question of scaling down the defense budget in times of economic recession. He’s right. There’s no question about it, because scaling down the defense budget is already a foregone conclusion. The fact that a country with the third largest armed forces in the world and a GDP growth of 7.1% amidst global economic downturn would peg its defense budget at a beggarly 1.98% of GDP is a colossal embarrassment. Compare that against China’s defense budget (4.7% of GDP), or even that of Pakistan’s (4.5%), whose revenue consists almost exclusively of dole money from the US, China and Saudi Arabia.
Worse, an inefficient defense procurement mechanism has resulted in a dearth of military hardware and parts, so much so that even the abysmal defense allocations of previous annual budgets have not been fully utilized. Given the circumstances, the rational reader will be justified in questioning why there should be an increase in defense budget allocation at all. The procurement bottleneck notwithstanding, this biennial aero-drama in Bangalore continues unabated, with many firms eying that lucrative $9 billion, 126 multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) deal intended to replace the Indian Air Force (IAF) backbone MiG-21 “Flying Coffin” aircraft. The only problem being that the Defense Ministry has harped on about this proposed phase-out since 1998. American firms Boeing and Lockheed flaunted their F/A-18s and F-16s respectively in the hopes of hitting the motherload, while Russia rolled out the MiG-35 “Fulcrum-F”. France and Sweden threw their lot into the race with the Dassault Rafale and JAS-39, respectively. However, 11 years, 3 administrations, and 5 defense ministers later, India is still to decide on the vendor, much less enter into price and/or technical negotiations with anyone. Meanwhile, our air force faces critical shortages, most noticeable in the sharp reduction of the number of squadrons from 39.5 to about 30 within a span of seven years.
IAF also faces a shortage of advanced jet trainers (AJTs), with only about 20 of the expected 35 Hawk AJTs being currently operational. The most pressing shortage that can’t be outsourced to foreign service firms is in trained pilots — the headcount is currently 400 below par. About the only (relative) success story has been the (almost) on-time delivery of Israeli Phalcon Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) last month. The AWACSs will be mounted onto IL-76 transporters and will give the IAF the ability to detect missile movement deep within enemy territory. Israel’s ability to translate demand into delivered product on schedule is a promising sign and indicative of a reliable long term supplier. That Israel has been fairly resistant to Beijing and Washington’s earlier protests against providing India advanced technology is also a good sign. At Aero India’09, Israel demonstrated its third-generation AWACS (called “Conformal Airborne Early Warning and Control System”, or CAEW) which have already been inducted into the Israeli Air Force in 2006. The wildcard in the Indo-Israeli military equation is India’s political leadership, which shows neither the urgency to plug gaping defense holes, nor the capacity for strategic thought.
In conclusion, while the Surya Kiran’s aerobatics may light up the skies of Bangalore with mesmerizing tinges of saffron, white and green, this biennial platform is meaningless if the Defense Ministry isn’t willing to commit to an overhaul of its procurement mechanism, maintain a well trained and motivated yoke of pilots, and put its money where its mouth is with regard to defense budget allocation.
12 February 2009
Aviation News 12 feb 2009
- CFM International (CFM), world's leading aircraft engine manufacturer to set up maintenance training centre at GMR Hyderabad International's Aerospace park
- Praful Patel speaks out against cartelization amongst airlines
- OAG and Sabre extend airlines data supply agreement
- Government approves handing over of Nagpur Airport to a JVC for setting up Multi Modal International Passenger and Cargo Hub
- Air India clarifies on domestic air fares
- MRO to maintain steady growth as global meltdown eases, says Frost & Sullivan
Best Regards,
Raghunandan Jagdish, CEO
|
| NANDAN GSE PVT. LTD. Works: D - 205 MIDC Turbhe, Navi Mumbai – 400705, India Office: C - 15, Nanddham Industrial Estate, Marol-Maroshi Road, Mumbai - 400059, India Tel: +91-22-2763 5508/09 | Fax: +91-22-2763 5510 | e-mail: raghu@nandan.co.in |
P Please consider the environment and do not print this email unless absolutely necessary. NANDAN encourages environmental awareness.
Truck Loading Conveyor
10 February 2009
Double Scissor Car Lift for bungalow
Picture during the demonstration/ testing given to client at our workshop.
09 February 2009
Aviation News
News Alert for: indian aviation
| Indian aviation spinning out of control; fare war slams yield by 50% |
| Cabinet Secretary reviews emergency response systems at Indian ... |
| SpiceJet implements IBS’ iCargoLite |
| Was Mysorean SV Setty India's first pilot and aviator? |
| Global fighter jets scramble for Indian aero showpiece |
| India's biggest aerospace show sees large foreign presence |
| Global fighter jets scramble for Indian aero showpiece |
| Unruly flyers may be handcuffed |
| Air India Express set to expand network |
| Duke Aviation to form six SBU’s to provide MRO facilities |
Blogs Alert for: indian aviation
| PIB Press Release |
| Thinking made Easy: The liberalization of aviation market in Hong Kong |
| Indian CFD Brokers- Who is the Best | information-overload |
| Article on the 2008 Genocide of Christians in India - Pakistan ... |
| US FAA to loosen policy to help Boeing 787 Dreamliner |
A 380 Hi Lift from FFG
Airbus brief on A380 servicing
GeoPost Takes India Express
GeoPost Takes India Express
From Flying Typers: Ezine of Air Cargo world 9th Feb 2009
A move that is certain to boost India's image as an atmosphere for investment, La Poste GeoPost Group, the express parcel arm of La Poste, has been cleared by the Indian government to buy into in express parcel delivery firm Continental Air Express.
GeoPost now holds a 60 percent stake in the privately-held Indian company. The clearance has come, however, with a restriction:
GeoPost will only deal in Business-to-Business express parcel deliveries with each parcel weighing more than two
kilograms.
GeoPost's willingness to take a stake in the Indian company had been rejected a number of times by India and the permission came, according to senior officials in the Finance Ministry, came only after an intervention from the French Ambassador to India, Jérôme Bonnafont (right).
The Ambassador wrote a letter to the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram (left, he is now the Home Minister) asking him to personally intervene in the GeoPost case.
The objections to the investment had come from the agency that looks at foreign investors, the Foreign Investment Promotion Board.
The Board had been told by the Indian Department of Posts—which would face direct competition, if GeoPost was allowed to operate in the country that the action would go against international postal conventions if it came in to the country.
Indeed, the rules are clear: any postal agency, which wants to operate in any country outside its own, must have an agreement with the postal operator of that country.
GeoPost's stand, however, was equally clear.
It said that its operations would not pose a challenge to India Post since it focused on the premium express parcel segment and did not deliver letters and postal parcels or express parcels weighing more than two kilos.
GeoPost also pointed out that there were no objections to DHL India operations—a company owned by Germany's Deutsche Post.
According to industry-watchers, the permission to GeoPost could trigger a change in the India Post Office Act.
Apparently, one of the amendments to the act seeks to limit foreign investment in express and courier companies to 49 percent from the present 100 percent.
Now all of that is changed.
Tirthankar Ghosh
Best Regards,
Raghunandan Jagdish, CEO
|
| NANDAN GSE PVT. LTD. Works: D - 205 MIDC Turbhe, Navi Mumbai – 400705, India Office: C - 15, Nanddham Industrial Estate, Marol-Maroshi Road, Mumbai - 400059, India Tel: +91-22-2763 5508/09 | Fax: +91-22-2763 5510 | e-mail: raghu@nandan.co.in |
P Please consider the environment and do not print this email unless absolutely necessary. NANDAN encourages environmental awareness.
08 February 2009
Catering Hi Lift ffrom Smiths Vehicles
A 380 Catering Challanges
By Sandra Arnoult
Frankfurt
Airport Equipment & Technology, Summer 2005
If you can handle the A340-600, the 777 or the 747, then you can handle the A380 from the GSE side," says Bernd Scholz, senior manager-equipment for Fraport, the management company for Frankfurt International Airport. That in a nutshell describes the attitude of many airport officials preparing for the arrival of the first A380 that took to the skies for the first time on a sunny April day in Toulouse.
The only two pieces of equipment that need to be redesigned to accommodate the aircraft are an upper-deck catering unit to reach the second level and high-powered tow tractors with the muscle to move the behemoth down a taxiway. Seven manufacturers are offering towbar and towbarless tractorsmany already in operationthat can handle the A380. They are Douglas, Goldhofer, TLD, Schopf, Koegel Kamag, FMC and Bliss Fox. The tractors also are compatible with existing widebody aircraft. A tow tractor for the A380 must operate at 20 mph and produce about 1,200 hp.
While the main deck is compatible with existing equipment, the upper deck will require service from a catering truck able to extend 8 m. above ground level, which is about 3 m. higher than a 747. "Catering is the absolute bottleneck," says Scholz. Prototypes are available for this type of vehicle from nine manufacturers: Inutsuka, FFG, Mallaghan, Smith TE, CATCON, HTR, Saxon, Tesco and Beilhack. These trucks also are compatible with widebodies.
"We advise using an upper-deck catering vehicle," declared Richard Carcaillet, Airbus director-A380 product marketing, at a meeting in Frankfurt the day after the first flight of the aircraft. "All the equipment could serve other aircraft."
Airbus has worked diligently with airports and GSE providers over the past several years in an effort to ensure that the overall aircraft design will be relatively compatible with existing infrastructure. The manufacturer even has developed a computer program that will take the dimensions of existing pieces of GSE and determine compatibility with the A380.
Scholz says a concern was noted early in the design stages that GPU servicing points might not be accessible from the ground. Members of the working group convinced Airbus "to change some bells and whistles" and the problem was solved (see related chart), bringing the service points more in line with a 747, he says.
There is grand talk among the prospective operators of the new aircraft about lounges with showers on the upper deck, individual cabins complete with butler service, double beds, bars or workout rooms. Such oneupmanship is standard procedure for an airplane that will be considered the flagship of an international carrier. But thus far the true configurations and cabin service options are being held close to the vest by all future operators, making it somewhat of a challenge for ground service people to plan for all contingencies and pinpoint all of the service needs.
For example, does the carrier intend to have a full galley on the upper deck or to use an onboard lift to haul food from the main deck? Will cleaning crews need to access the aircraft from the lower deck and use the interior stairwell to haul cleaning equipment up and trash back down? The answer to these questions could provide more guidance about airport GSE as to the amount and type of equipment required.
Some airports, such as Dubai, are well on their way to obtaining the needed equipment, while otherslike Frankfurtcontinue to test GSE. Rimzie Ismail, manager-marketing and business development for Dept. of Civil Aviation Dubai, says the airport is investing in five high-loaders that can be elevated to 8.1 m. with the ability to move sideways and over the wing. The equipment is undergoing simulator testing and she expects a decision to be made by year end. The airport also is investing in special hydrants and fueling equipment.
The A380 can be configured for about 500 seats with two or three classes of service, or up to 850 seats in a single-class layout. Airbus estimates that the aircraft provides 35% more capacity than its closest competitor. That means planning and delivering catering, cleaning and servicing, and loading and unloading baggage for a high volume of passengers. But airport officials, who literally have been planning for years, believe they will be up to the challenge.
The overall design, balance and configuration of the doors are geared for a 90-min. turnaround using only two bridges, according to Airbus officials. "It doesn't require much more than a 747. We're not recommending anything more than two bridges," Carcaillet tells AE&T. "You don't need three, four or five bridges to board the A380. This is a legend." Still, he concedes that some carriers will opt for direct access to the upper deck if only as a way of "product differentiation."
There are companies that are prepared to provide upper-deck boarding systems and some airports continue to do comparison shopping.
FMC Technologies is developing an upper-deck boarding bridge that is in the testing phase at company headquarters in Ogden, Utah. Engineering Manager Steve Nestel says FMC has built a mockup of the upper deck of an A380 in order to demonstrate the capabilities of the UD boarding bridge. The mockup also can be used as a training device for bridge operators. The bridges can be adapted to serve both widebody and narrowbody aircraft, he says.
Alex Pfurr, director, ThyssenKrupp Airport Systems SA, says that company offers a boarding system that can incorporate an escalator into a boarding bridge. "Customization is important. You need to access the rear doors and to speed up the [boarding] process," he notes.
Fraport is testing a ThyssenKrupp boarding bridge that features an automated docking device developed by Indal Technologies. The automated system takes out the "human factor" and enables the bridge to connect to the aircraft via a system of laser-guided lights and cameras that steer it into place at the aircraft door. "The automated docking and retraction improves ontime arrivals and departures," says Paul Upp, director-sales and marketing for Indal. "The smoother, consistent operation extends the life of the bridge, reduces damage and labor costs."
Carcaillet believes that by the time the first A380 is placed into service, everything will be in place for operations. "Airports will be ready when they need to be ready. It is a business plan, like any other investment."
The A380 marks a new age in air travel that is likely to spark fierce competition among the leading airports of Europe, says Wilhelm Bender, chairman of the executive board of Fraport AG, the company that operates Frankfurt International Airport. Bender was a keynote speaker at a recent conference aptly titled "Welcoming the A380" held in Frankfurt.
Lufthansa, which is based at Frankfurt, has firm orders for 15 A380s with the first delivery scheduled for 2007. In preparation for that first flight, a new A380 maintenance facility to be operated by Lufthansa Technik is planned for the airport. The current runway system meets standards for the aircraft but apron and ramp areas will require new markings.
"To cut costs, the members of the top three alliances will redirect the bulk of their long-haul transfer traffic into a handful of megahubs, sidelining many of today's secondary hubs," says Bender. "The trend will be accelerated by open skies, deregulation, mergers and the introduction of megaplanes such as the A380, which only the largest hubs with significant feeder capacity will be equipped to handle."
He says the competition will be "most noticeable" in Europe with the Star Alliance and Lufthansa focused on Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich; Air France and KLM/SkyTeam focused on Paris Charles De Gaulle and Amsterdam, and British Airways/oneworld focused on London Heathrow.
The only two pieces of equipment that need to be redesigned to accommodate the aircraft are an upper-deck catering unit to reach the second level and high-powered tow tractors with the muscle to move the behemoth down a taxiway. Seven manufacturers are offering towbar and towbarless tractorsmany already in operationthat can handle the A380. They are Douglas, Goldhofer, TLD, Schopf, Koegel Kamag, FMC and Bliss Fox. The tractors also are compatible with existing widebody aircraft. A tow tractor for the A380 must operate at 20 mph and produce about 1,200 hp.
While the main deck is compatible with existing equipment, the upper deck will require service from a catering truck able to extend 8 m. above ground level, which is about 3 m. higher than a 747. "Catering is the absolute bottleneck," says Scholz. Prototypes are available for this type of vehicle from nine manufacturers: Inutsuka, FFG, Mallaghan, Smith TE, CATCON, HTR, Saxon, Tesco and Beilhack. These trucks also are compatible with widebodies.
"We advise using an upper-deck catering vehicle," declared Richard Carcaillet, Airbus director-A380 product marketing, at a meeting in Frankfurt the day after the first flight of the aircraft. "All the equipment could serve other aircraft."
Airbus has worked diligently with airports and GSE providers over the past several years in an effort to ensure that the overall aircraft design will be relatively compatible with existing infrastructure. The manufacturer even has developed a computer program that will take the dimensions of existing pieces of GSE and determine compatibility with the A380.
Scholz says a concern was noted early in the design stages that GPU servicing points might not be accessible from the ground. Members of the working group convinced Airbus "to change some bells and whistles" and the problem was solved (see related chart), bringing the service points more in line with a 747, he says.
There is grand talk among the prospective operators of the new aircraft about lounges with showers on the upper deck, individual cabins complete with butler service, double beds, bars or workout rooms. Such one-upmanship is standard procedure for an airplane that will be considered the flagship of an international carrier. But thus far the true configurations and cabin service options are being held close to the vest by all future operators, making it somewhat of a challenge for ground service people to plan for all contingencies and pinpoint all of the service needs.
For example, does the carrier intend to have a full galley on the upper deck or to use an onboard lift to haul food from the main deck? Will cleaning crews need to access the aircraft from the lower deck and use the interior stairwell to haul cleaning equipment up and trash back down? The answer to these questions could provide more guidance about airport GSE as to the amount and type of equipment required. Some airports, such as Dubai, are well on their way to obtaining the needed equipment, while otherslike Frankfurtcontinue to test GSE. Rimzie Ismail, manager-marketing and business development for Dept. of Civil Aviation Dubai, says the airport is investing in five high-loaders that can be elevated to 8.1 m. with the ability to move sideways and over the wing. The equipment is undergoing simulator testing and she expects a decision to be made by year end. The airport also is investing in special hydrants and fueling equipment.
The A380 can be configured for about 500 seats with two or three classes of service, or up to 850 seats in a single-class layout. Airbus estimates that the aircraft provides 35% more capacity than its closest competitor. That means planning and delivering catering, cleaning and servicing, and loading and unloading baggage for a high volume of passengers. But airport officials, who literally have been planning for years, believe they will be up to the challenge.
The overall design, balance and configuration of the doors are geared for a 90-min. turnaround using only two bridges, according to Airbus officials. "It doesn't require much more than a 747. We're not recommending anything more than two bridges," Carcaillet tells AE&T. "You don't need three, four or five bridges to board the A380. This is a legend." Still, he concedes that some carriers will opt for direct access to the upper deck if only as a way of "product differentiation."
There are companies that are prepared to provide upper-deck boarding systems and some airports continue to do comparison shopping.
FMC Technologies is developing an upper-deck boarding bridge that is in the testing phase at company headquarters in Ogden, Utah. Engineering Manager Steve Nestel says FMC has built a mockup of the upper deck of an A380 in order to demonstrate the capabilities of the UD boarding bridge. The mockup also can be used as a training device for bridge operators. The bridges can be adapted to serve both widebody and narrowbody aircraft, he says.
Alex Pfurr, director, ThyssenKrupp Airport Systems SA, says that company offers a boarding system that can incorporate an escalator into a boarding bridge. "Customization is important. You need to access the rear doors and to speed up the [boarding] process," he notes.
Fraport is testing a ThyssenKrupp boarding bridge that features an automated docking device developed by Indal Technologies. The automated system takes out the "human factor" and enables the bridge to connect to the aircraft via a system of laser-guided lights and cameras that steer it into place at the aircraft door. "The automated docking and retraction improves ontime arrivals and departures," says Paul Upp, director-sales and marketing for Indal. "The smoother, consistent operation extends the life of the bridge, reduces damage and labor costs."
Carcaillet believes that by the time the first A380 is placed into service, everything will be in place for operations. "Airports will be ready when they need to be ready. It is a business plan, like any other investment."
A380 MAY SPARK FIERCE COMPETITION IN EUROPE
The A380 marks a new age in air travel that is likely to spark fierce competition among the leading airports of Europe, says Wilhelm Bender, chairman of the executive board of Fraport AG, the company that operates Frankfurt International Airport. Bender was a keynote speaker at a recent conference aptly titled "Welcoming the A380" held in Frankfurt.
Lufthansa, which is based at Frankfurt, has firm orders for 15 A380s with the first delivery scheduled for 2007. In preparation for that first flight, a new A380 maintenance facility to be operated by Lufthansa Technik is planned for the airport. The current runway system meets standards for the aircraft but apron and ramp areas will require new markings.
"To cut costs, the members of the top three alliances will redirect the bulk of their long-haul transfer traffic into a handful of megahubs, sidelining many of today's secondary hubs," says Bender. "The trend will be accelerated by open skies, deregulation, mergers and the introduction of megaplanes such as the A380, which only the largest hubs with significant feeder capacity will be equipped to handle."
He says the competition will be "most noticeable" in Europe with the Star Alliance and Lufthansa focused on Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich; Air France and KLM/SkyTeam focused on Paris Charles De Gaulle and Amsterdam, and British Airways/oneworld focused on London Heathrow.
From http://www.atwonline.com/magazine/article.html?articleID=1419
Truck Loading Conveyor
Lifting Times vol 1 Issue 2
Editorial: Recession
The scenario today has turned bleak but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. With massive layoffs, production reductions, bankruptcies, defaulted payments, tougher credit terms from financial organizations make functioning of business seemingly tougher.
Aviation Update
Airlines seek a billion $ bailout
The global credit meltdown has hit home and how. India’s beleaguered airline sector has become the first industry to seek an official bailout from the government. The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) has asked for a billion dollar (Rs 5,000 crore) interest free loan from the government to tide over the current crisis in addition to many other fiscal sops and easing of regulatory measures. FIA whose members include Air India, Go Airlines, IndiGo, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Paramount Airways & SpiceJet wants a moratorium of three years on the repayment of loan. A fiercely competitive market, slowing passenger traffic, rising costs and the current liquidity crunch has brought the industry to a stage where it feels that if a bailout package is not on the cards then it would need to substantially downsize.
Times of India
I have to hand it out to the guys at for the “sexiest” (pardon my French) ad I have ever seen of an engineering goods!Click here to see the way an American company sells Scissor Lifts
