The aircraft industry and the C-295

News Highlight

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the C-295 transport aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara to be set up by Airbus Defense and Space and Tata Advanced Systems Limited.

Key Takeaway

• This is the first time a private sector company would manufacture a complete aircraft in the country.
• This is a huge step forward for India in the global aircraft manufacturing domain.

The C­295MW transporter

• What
• The C­-295 MW is a transport aircraft of 5­10 tonne capacity which will replace the legacy Avro aircraft in the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• History

• The C-295 was originally produced by a Spanish aircraft manufacturer named Construccionaes Aeronauticcas SA.
• This company is now part of Airbus, and the aircraft’s manufacturing occurs at Airbus’s plant in Spain.
• In 2021, India signed a Rs 21,935 crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure 56 C295 aircraft to replace the IAF’s ageing Avro-748 planes, which entered service in the early 1960s.
• Technical specifications

• The C-295MW is a transport aircraft with a 5 to 10-tonne capacity and a maximum speed of 480 kmph.
• It has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para-dropping troops and cargo.
• The roles that the C-295 can perform
• As a tactical transport aircraft, the C-295 can carry troops and logistical supplies from main airfields to forward operating airports of the country. 

• The aircraft can also be used for casualty or medical evacuation, special missions, disaster response, and maritime patrol duties.

India’s Civil Aviation

• About

• In total, 1.5 per cent of the country’s GDP is supported by inputs to the air transport sector and foreign tourists arriving by air.
• India’s domestic air traffic made up 69 per cent of total airline traffic in South Asia.
• The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report, 2018 ranks India as 53rd out of 140 countries worldwide in air transport infrastructure.
• Passenger traffic
• According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India’s air passenger traffic has grown by at least 16% annually over the past decade.
• Freight traffic
• There has been an increase in air cargo domestically and internationally in 2016-17.

Issues and Challenges 

• Capacity and infrastructure
• Due to the rapid expansion of India’s civil aviation sector, airspace, parking bays, and runway slots will become increasingly scarce, especially at metro airports. As a result, it could decrease efficiency and safety.
• Skilled workers

• According to a study by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Indian aviation could directly support 1.0 to 1.2 million jobs by 2035.
• Shortages and gaps in the availability of industry-recognised skills – from airline pilots and crew to maintenance and ground handling personnel – could constrain the growth of different sector segments.
• Aviation safety
• The number of aviation safety violations in 2017 was 337.
• High cost to passengers and air cargo
• There is a high cost for air passengers and cargo due to the non-inclusion of Aviation Turbine Fuel under the Goods and Service Tax. 

Government Initiatives

• National Civil Aviation Policy of 2016
• The policy aims to take flying to the masses by making it affordable and convenient and establish an integrated ecosystem which will lead to significant growth in the civil aviation sector.
• Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN)
• UDAN seeks to boost air connectivity by linking up un-served and under-served airports in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with the big cities and each other.
• Air Sewa

• The Government has launched the ‘Air Sewa’ Web Portal and a Mobile App for the convenience of air passengers. 
• It provides an integrated common platform on which air passengers can lodge their grievances against all significant stakeholders in the aviation sector, including airlines.
• National Air Cargo Policy Outline
• In 2019, the Government of India released the National Air Cargo Policy Outline 2019, which envisages making Indian air cargo and logistics the most efficient, seamless and cost and time effective globally by the end of the next decade.

Way forward

• Prioritise aviation safety

• Shift focus to pre-empting and preventing accidents/incidents.
• There should be zero tolerance for safety violations.
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) should create a single-window system for all aviation-related transactions, queries and comp.
• Enhance aviation infrastructure
• Complete the planned airports under the UDAN initiative in a time-bound manner.
• Address the shortage of skilled human resources
• Promote collaboration between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), industry and educational institutes to teach the latest concepts in the aviation industry, including management principles, IT in aviation, etc.
• Ease the regulatory environment for airports
• Deregulate further and open up the aviation market to help increase passenger and freight traffic in India.

• Meet the regulatory and security requirements prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at all times.

Content Source: The Hindu

Read more…