Aircraft Archives - Lokmarg - News Views Blogs

HAL To Hand Over First LCA Trainer Aircraft to IAF In Bengaluru

By LokMarg 4th October 2023

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will hand over the first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) twin-seater trainer version aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, and Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, arrived at the LCA Tejas division plant.

This historic event today will mark the achievement of a key milestone of producing the LCA Twin Seater which is designed with a strategic intent of graduating the budding pilots from the Twin Seater variants to fighter Pilots.

HAL has an order of 18 twin seater from IAF and is planning to deliver eight twin seater in FY 2023-24. Further, 10 twin seaters would be delivered progressively by 2026-27. Further orders are also expected from IAF.

LCA-Tejas is the largest R-D program ever undertaken in India that made its maiden flight in 2001 and has achieved various milestones since then.

It is going to be the backbone of the IAF fleet in years to come and is slated to be produced in high numbers by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bengaluru as HAL has already received an order of 123 aircraft out of which 32 fighters have been supplied to IAF and two squadrons already operational with Indian Air Force (IAF) at Sulur, AF base.

Series Production of LCA Tejas is going in full swing at HAL and balance aircraft are planned to deliver by 2027-28 progressively.

Moreover, HAL has now successfully produced the first ever twin-seater variant of LCA Tejas which has all the capabilities to support the training requirement of IAF and augment itself to the role of fighter as well in case of necessity.

LCA Tejas Twin Seater is a lightweight, all-weather multi-role 4.5 generation aircraft. It is an amalgamation of contemporary concepts and technologies such as relaxed static stability, quadruplex fly-by-wire flight control, carefree manoeuvring, advanced glass cockpit, integrated digital avionics systems and advanced composite materials for the airframe.

This adds India to the list of very few elite countries who have created such capability and have them operational in their Defence Forces, another feather on the cap of the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative of the government.

Minister of State for Defence was the chief guest during the function wherein the unveiling of the LCA Twin seater, handing over of Release to Service (RSD), and handing over of Signalling out Certificate (SOC) were conducted in the presence of the Chief of Air staff- IAF, Chairman and Managing Director HAL, Director General ADA, Chief Executive of Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CE-CEMILAC). Top echelons of IAF, MOD, HAL, ADA, DGAQA, CEMILAC, DRDO and production partners were also present during the same.

HAL is also in discussions with many foreign-friendly countries towards exporting the LCA Tejas platform and has submitted various customized Proposals for exporting LCA Tejas fighter and Twin Seater aircraft to foreign-friendly countries around the world. LCA Tejas is the best platform for India to be a flag bearer to achieve export targets set by the government. (ANI)

Multiple Flights Diverted From Mumbai After Aircraft Skids Off

By LokMarg 14th September 2023

Multiple flights were diverted on Thursday after a VSR Ventures Learjet 45 aircraft VT-DBL on a flight from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai was involved in runway excursion (veer off) while landing on runway 27 at Mumbai airport leading to a temporary closure of runway, an official statement said.

According to officials, Two Vistara and one Akasa Airlines flight were diverted towards Bangalore airport. An Air India flight coming from Dubai was diverted towards Ahmedabad. Also a Vistara flight from Dehradun to Mumbai (DED-BOM) has been diverted to Goa Airport.

A total of 5 aircrafts have landed at Surat airport and two flights are still hovering in the airspace.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) Spokesperson confirmed that it was not a crash and a aircraft had veered off the runway at Mumbai airport.

DGCA said that there were 6 passengers and 2 crew members on board however no casualties have been reported.

According to officials, three people were injured and taken to hospital. (ANI)

DGCA Extends 50% Cap On SpiceJet’s Flights Till October

By LokMarg 21st September 2022

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday extended the 50 percent restriction on SpiceJet flights till October 29.

“Based on the review of the safety performance of Spicejet, the authority issued Interim Order of even number dated 27 July 2022 whereby restricting the number of departures of Spicejet to 50% of the number of departures approved under Summer Schedule 2022 for a period of eight weeks,” DGCA said in its order.
Whereas the review has indicated that there is an appreciable reduction in the number of safety incidents, it said.

“However, as a matter of abundant caution, the competent authority has decided that the restriction as imposed on July 27 this year shall continue to be in force till the end of the summer schedule on September 29, in accordance with the powers conferred under rule 19A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937,” it further read.

DGCA said that any increase in the number of departures beyond 50% as approved during this period, shall be subject to the airline demonstrating to the satisfaction of DGCA that it has sufficient technical support and financial resource to safely and efficiently undertake such enhanced capacity. During this period, the airline shall be subject to “Enhanced surveillance” by DGCA, it reads.

Earlier on July 27, reviewing the reply of Spicejet on show cause notice, the DGCA had restricted the airline to operating only 50% of flights for eight weeks.

In a letter to Spicejet, the Joint Director General of Civil Aviation mentioned that the reported incidents on aircraft operated by Spicejet from 1st April to 5th July 2022 were reviewed and it was observed that on a number of occasions, the aircraft either turned back to its originating station or continued landing to the destination with degraded safety margins. There is poor internal safety oversight and inadequate maintenance actions, which have resulted in the degradation of the safety margins.

Reacting to DGCA restriction, SpiceJet had stated, “We are in receipt of the DGCA order and will act as per directions of the regulator. Due to the current lean travel season, SpiceJet like other airlines had already rescheduled its flight operations. Hence, there will be absolutely no impact on our flight operations.”

The airline had further added, “We want to reassure our passengers and travel partners that our flights will operate as per schedule in the coming days and weeks. There will be no flight cancellation as a consequence of this order. DGCA’s observation that SpiceJet is taking measures for arresting the trend of incidents is very encouraging and we will continue to work under the close guidance of the regulator.”

A financial assessment carried out by DGCA in September 2021 had revealed that Spicejet was operating on cash and approved vendors were not being paid on regular basis leading to the shortage of spares and frequent invoking of Minimum Equipment Lists (MELS).

Whereas from the above, it was deduced that Spicejet failed to establish a safe, efficient and reliable air transport service under the terms of rule 134 read with Schedule XI of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 and accordingly, a show cause notice was issued on July 5, 2022, to the Accountable Manager of M/s Spicejet Ltd. to explain within three weeks of receipt of the notice as to why action should not be taken against the airline.

“On July 25, Spicejet submitted a reply to the show cause notice. The same has been reviewed at an appropriate level and it has been observed that Spicejet is taking measures for arresting the trend of incidents, however, the airline needs to sustain these efforts for safe and reliable air transport service,” the letter had read. (ANI)