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The article highlights the inauguration of India's longest sea crossing, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, spanning 22 kilometers and connecting Mumbai, India to a satellite city on the mainland.

This article reports that even as 2005 ended with Asian carriers splurging on orders, their acquisition plans for this year include more than 200 additional short and long-haul aircraft. It seems the region, led by China and India, has an insatiable appetite for new aircraft. Studies by the International Air Transport Association put their combined profit in 2005 at $1.5 billion, compared with $1.3 billion in Europe, and a net loss of $10 billion in the U.S. The International Civil Aviation Organization's forecast expects the Asia-Pacific countries to supplant Europe this year as the second largest aviation region after North America.

The article offers information on the aftermath of Typhoon Doksuri hitting northern China, causing heavy rainfall and flooding in Hebei Province and Beijing, China.

The article reports on India's aviation sector. Once straitjacketed by bureaucratic hurdles and little imagination, India's aviation sector is on a roll. With a middle class of 200 million people--20% of the total population--and an economy that grew 8.2% in 2004, India's demand for aviation is expected to outstrip China's in a decade. The key is price stimulation from a demand perspective. India is attracting aviation investment. The Center for Asia Pacific Aviation says 10-12 aircraft are currently grounded for lack of pilots and estimates that India will need up to 4,000 more pilots over the next five years.

The article informs that Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. is reaping benefits from legacy carriers' growing demand for MRO outsourcing: it has beaten market expectations with a 36.5% increase in quarterly earnings. In the past, the 55% state-owned company generated about half its revenues from the Singapore military. In 2004, its aerospace division accounted for more than half of the group's net profits, with U.S. contracts contributing 45% of the division's revenues, up 2% or$ 16 million compared to 2003. Singapore-based Jetstar Asia and Malaysia's AirAsia are two of Singapore Technologies' budget carrier customers.

The article presents information about India's space program. India is pushing its largely indigenous space industry into the international arena as buyer, seller and potential exploration partner. Blocked by sanctions and diplomacy from collaborating on space projects, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has developed a sophisticated indigenous space infrastructure to meet its needs. India has a highly successful commercial deal with Space Imaging of the U.S. to market lower-resolution imagery from its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) system, which has included several ISRO satellites and sensors since the deal was struck a decade ago.

The article discusses the development program of Boeing for the 787 aircraft. The company has announced that it must suffer at least a three-month delay for the first flight of the 787 and compress the delivery schedule to as few as five months just to keep on track. Originally set for late August 2007, the first flight will now take place no earlier than mid-November to mid-December. The announcement did not significantly affect Boeing's stock price.

This article reports that when Tourism Australia tallied international visitors between July 2004 and June 2005, the numbers were up a healthy 6.9%. But low fares driven by competition from discounters, high fuel bills and an appreciating Australian dollar mean the government tourism agency's report isn't as comforting as it might appear. Qantas Airways Ltd., Australia's big network carrier, is feeling pressure from all sides: on the domestic front, from low-cost airlines and internationally, from high-profile carriers looking to the Australian market as a source of new passengers. Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon says that the carrier will base its strategy over the next year on seeking new international routes, particularly with more point-to-point services to U.S. cities.

This article asserts that Asian carriers are finding that hedging is not a good thing as they fight the remorseless rise in fuel prices. Their profits under siege, they are exploring downsizing and eliminating profitless routes to cut costs. From China across Asia to India, the region is witnessing a surge in startups, with more in the offing. The newcomers will face belligerent markets smarting under the pressure of high oil prices. Another tactic for network carriers is to shift routes to their subsidiaries to better match equipment with demand.

The article presents information about India's space research program. A case is cited in the article, according to which India's first geostationary communications satellite loaded on a bullock cart. the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) pressed the cart into service when it needed a non-metallic mobile platform for electromagnetic interference and compatibility tests. Now India's satellite builders proudly claim state-of-the-art status for some of their spacecraft and ground facilities, and are making space and power available for foreign scientists on their planned Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter.

This article reports that as passenger and cargo traffic continues what has been the airline industry's greatest sustained boom, the Asia-Pacific region's major hubs are restructuring in response to new competitive pressures. Markets are shifting for long-standing hubs such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok. But it's the continuing expansion of China's economy, now 30% of Asia's total output that remains the big news, as it has for a decade. Long the provenance of United Airlines and Northwest Airlines, China trade is now being sought by Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Continental Airlines. Safety concerns caused China to curtail airline expansion a decade ago while it focused on crew training and regional and international airport growth. Until recently, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific left the China market to Dragonair, an affiliated regional carrier that has grown more independent since Hong Kong became part of China.

The Southwest effect is spreading across Europe to Asia, until recently, a location less than hospitable to discount airlines, such as Europe's Ryanair PLC and the U.S.' JetBlue. Major carriers in Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are awakening to the fact or will soon discover that Asian discount operators are a force to be reckoned with. Like Europe, Asia too has its share of government-backed discounters namely Thai Airways Co.' Nok Air, SIA's Tiger Airways, and Air-India's Air-India Express. Thailand's unused rights to fly to Singapore and Macau from Bangkok led to Thai Air Asia connecting Bangkok to eight Thai provinces and six international destinations, including Singapore.

Defense spending in Asia is slowly rebounding, but it is being driven by new political and economic realities that could alter traditional spending habits. Emerging factors impacting military procurement trends range from a growing awareness of the need to better integrate equipment, to concerns about ballistic missiles, to China's increasing economic and military force, say industry representatives. Moreover, elections of one sort or another loom this year in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and other countries, which could slow modernization decisions.

Asian airline carriers are using deals and appeals to lure passengers back. With discounts of as much as 30%, Asian airlines are starting to see brighter days after a harrowing experience with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). As more people climb on board, fares are starting to creep back up after hitting rock bottom in May 2003. All Nippon Airways, which had suspended or reduced most of its services to China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, has resumed most of them, including those to Beijing, Dalian (China) and Singapore. Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) flights to Australia and Europe are operating with 82% load factors, while those into Southeast Asia are close to 90% full. Singapore Airlines (SIA) reduced nearly 40% of its capacity at the peak of the epidemic, parked 34 aircraft and phased out its Airbus A310-300 and A340-300 fleets ahead of schedule. Another hard-hit destination, Taiwan, is seeing traffic return faster than expected.

Reports the efforts of Asian airlines to boost tourism in the region. Development of niche markets; Plight of Thai PB Air; Strength gained by Garuda Air through foreign alliances.

The article highlights that India's aviation business has rebound to pre-pandemic levels, with startup airlines and new routes on the way; and mentions that government has an ambitious goal of developing 220 new airports by 2025.

The article presents information on the EMB-145 airborne early warning system aircraft being designed and built by Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica (Embraer) for India's air force. The aircraft's use of an active array antenna designed by India's Defense Research and Development Organization is discussed. The author also comments on the remote-sensing capabilities of the aircraft which inspired the EMB-145.

The article examines the procurement process for a military jet airplane by India's Defense Ministry. The ministry has told aerospace industries firm bidding on the lucrative contract that they must enter new bids, driving up their costs. Previous delays in the process of awarding the contract are discussed. Defense Minister A. K. Antony cites the need for caution in public expenditures.

The article offers information on failed space technology programs in Asia. Three recent examples of which are the KSLV-1 launch vehicle of South Korea, the Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter of India and the Indonesian telecom satellite. South Korea is currently collaborating with Russia to determine what caused its aircraft to fail during fairing separation.

The article reports on the restructuring strategies of Air India and Thai Airways. Their strategies are aimed at boosting domestic services of low-fare subsidiaries. Air India Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav revealed that the company is facing cash-flow problems and the debt burden and rising cash deficit necessitates aggressive financial restructuring.

The article focuses on the impact of the elections in India in 2009 on the country's aerospace industry. The election of members of the Congress Party in India has led to the return of its majority rule and is deemed to open up bureaucratic difficulties in the country. The country was previously led by the Communist Left Party, which opposed Western politics and blocked India's military acquisition programs. However, multiple delays are still expected in the country.

The article reports on the plan of India to test fly the baseline variant of its Kaveri turbofan engine on a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 testbed within the next 3-4 months, even as it prepares to effectively re-launch the engine, drawing on Snecma's M88 core to improve overall performance. The Kaveri is India's entrée into the combat aircraft turbofan market, but the drawn-out development has yet to provide a engine for the originally intended platform, the Light Combat Aircraft, or Tejas, according to the authors.

This article reports on the negotiations between the Indian defense ministry and European Aeronautics Defence and Space Co. (EADS) to codevelop an active electronically scanned array radar. The negotiations are part of a wider effort-including re-engining-to revamp India's Light Combat Aircraft. The company has already been picked by the defense ministry to provide technical support for the LCA, including flight-test and engineering work on its planned upgrade.

This article reports on the bids for the 126-aircraft acquisition project of the Indian air force. Among the six bidders, some believe a downselect may yet occur. The acquisition is at the heart of a broad modernization program for the air force, and it is a key element of efforts to rationalize the disparate fighter fleet. Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major, chief of the air staff, said the aim is to reduce combat aircraft types.

The article reports on the seventh biennial Aero India exhibition held in Bangalore, India in February 2009. It states that the number of Indian firms participating in the trade show is up by 14% to 592. The U.S. occupy the most exhibition space in the 2009 show with 22 companies. Some foreign exhibitors are eager to demonstrate their willingness to work with the Indians, but they are frustrated with India's laws such as the 26% cap on the amount of equity that they may hold in Indian firms.

The article reports on the addition of 10 routes to the Istanbul, Turkey hub of Turkish Airlines defying the current economic trends. The carrier is also proceeding with its planned fleet expansion. Turkish Airlines will purchase 85 aircraft, including 35 widebodies. Chief executive officer (CEO) Temel Kotil relates the carrier's plan to retire three A310s and retain nine A340s.

The article reports on the impact of the current economic crisis on the gambling industry in the Chinese special administrative region of Macau. A generally poor economy has led to casinos laying off workers, and new travel restrictions imposed by Beijing on gamblers from China threaten to dim Macau's prospects even further. An opening of weekend charter flights between Taiwan and mainland China also have diverted a core supply of traffic from Macau.

The article reports on the decision of India to purchase Boeing P-8 Poseidon long-range maritime reconnaissance and antisubmarine warfare aircraft. The decision came when the country was struck by terrorist attacks from the sea in November 2008 and it opens the door to a major advance in its maritime patrol capabilities. India's navy is to receive the first of eight P-8I aircraft within 48 months of the formal contract signing.

The article reports that Dassault expects the Rafale to gain an edge in a competition to build 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft for India's Air Force. The advantage was due to the decision of the French government to clear its aerospace and defense industries to make technology transfers of all systems. The Rafale will not be subjected to the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which restrict transfer of advanced technology abroad.

The article reports on the decision of India to not apply its offset policy to its Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft bids from six European, Russian and U.S. suppliers. The contenders to make 126 new fighters to replace the Indian air force's aging MiG-21s are the EADS Eurofighter, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, Mikoyan MiG-35, Boeing F/A-18E/F, Lockheed Martin F-16 and Dassault Rafale. The contract is expected to be worth $12 billion, with the winner committed to achieving a 50% offset in the value of the contract through investments in India.

The article reports that Boeing is remaining positive on its outlook for India's airline industry despite the saturation of flights in the country. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the growth rate of domestic air services has shrunk to 8% in June 2008 and is expected to enter negative territory as the year progresses. However, Boeing Senior Vice President and India specialist Dinesh Keskar asserts the 20-year forecast for India is strong enough to support a need for 1,001 new aircraft.

The article reports that India will formally request government funding for a human space mission within seven years as it continues to push its spaceflight capabilities in the civil and military arenas. With China moving ahead on preparations for its third human launch, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will ask the government to approve a human spaceflight mission by 2014 to 2015. The project is expected to cost $2.5 billion. The Space Commission headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will review the request of the ISRO.

The article focuses on the merger activity of airlines based in India. It was the merger of the two government-owned carriers, Air India and Indian, that started the consolidation trend as Jet Airways, Air Sahara and Kingfisher Airlines followed suit by picking up a stake in Air Deccan. More mergers and acquisitions may follow. For instance, budget airline SpiceJet is getting investor support from the Tata Group and Dubai's Istithmar.

The article reports on the suggested shift of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions from the Delta II medium-lift launcher to the Delta IV which could oblige the country's small manufacturers to move offshore for their spacecraft launches. According to Boeing, it will likely be forced to shut down the Delta II line if the shift is favored.

The article looks at the merger and acquisition (M&A) activities in the Indian airline industry. It lists some of the challenges facing the airline industry including poor infrastructure, labor shortages, low domestic yields and unsustainable losses. It mentions some industry M&A deals including the acquisition of budget carrier Air Deccan by Kingfisher Airlines and the consolidation of Jet Airways and Air Sahara. It also cites the rapid growth of India's airline industry.

This article reports on the decision of India's Aviation Corporation Program to support air traffic and air space management initiatives to help improve the country's air traffic infrastructure. The program was established by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. According to administrator Marion Blakey, the program is supported by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. It will be a mechanism for Indian aviation officials to work with their U.S. counterparts.

The article reports on the growth of India's airfreight industry as of May 2007. India's 9% annual economic growth and consumer appetite are paving the way for the growth according to the article. Airports Authority of India has reported that air cargo movements reached 1.4 million metric tons in 2006. A contract for four 777Fs was signed with Flyington Freighters in 2006. The industry employed more than 1 million people and handled more than 1.25 billion shipments in 2005.

The article reports that at the Farnborough air show, Airbus Industrie SA received the strongest endorsement from Singapore Airlines Ltd. (SIA) for its beleaguered new product line. SIA's assurance for the A350 must be pleasing for the European manufacturer. SIA wants new Airbus and Boeing Co. products for what they offer compared to current-generation aircraft. Singapore has also placed an order with Boeing for 20 787-9s.

The article focuses on the efforts taken by Thales for securing contracts in India's expanding defense and civil aviation markets. Thales have sought the intervention of French President Jacques Chirac after Indian press reported that Thales have illegally used middlemen to win a contract to supply the Indian navy with six Scorpene submarines. Thales also wants the government to act as a guarantor for it's bid to upgrade 52 Indian air force Mirage 2000 fighters.

The article informs that the orders for Airbus and Boeing aircrafts nearly doubled the reserves for both and will put the aircraft industry on a vast capacity expansion over the next five years as the deliveries play out. According to Prithpal Singh, Singapore-based aviation analyst, places like Indonesia and the Philippines, where there are now calls for fleet renewals, there will be a need to expand and upgrade. According to Peter Harbinson, Chairman of the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, as the industry enters 2006, there is a higher than usual level of unpredictability, as the still-unknown impact of fuel costs continues to flow through to consumer spending.

The article reports that the business deal among Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., Dragonair, and Air China Corp. has helped in creating a powerful airline grouping. The carriers agreed on a new ownership structure, according to which Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. will take over the outstanding shares of Dragonair. Under the agreement, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. also doubles its stake in Air China Corp. to 20%, while Air China Corp. gets a 17.5% share of Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. The acquisition of Dragonair will enable Cathay Pacific Airways to become the largest airline group in Asia-Pacific operating to mainland China.

This article reports that air traffic is growing rapidly at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India and Sensis Corp. of the U.S. is providing one of the first surface movement surveillance systems to help air traffic controllers. The Advanced-Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS) being installed at the New Delhi airport is a fully integrated system that can fuse data from a variety of sensors to display to controllers the position of an aircraft on the airport's surface to an accuracy within 7.5 meters. A-SMGCS takes input from a Raytheon ASR-10 secondary surveillance radar and a new X-band surface surveillance radar provided by Sensis as part of the new system installation.

This article reports that the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Multicrew Pilot License (MPL) training program, is generating a lot of interest. Starting at the ab initio level, MPL makes heavy use of computer simulation to teach piloting skills. ICAO says that MPL can reduce total training time for first officers with glass cockpit operational skills to just 45 weeks from the 18-26 months needed with traditional programs. Boeing Co.'s Alteon Training business unit is among the early service providers developing an MPL training program. However national aviation authorities must endorse the MPL concept before training for first officers can begin. Alteon's approach in Brisbane is to include regulators in the beta test program to assure their acceptance.

The article informs that India's nascent commercial space-launch industry could get a boost under new bilateral agreements that should clear U.S. export-control roadblocks for spacecraft and their components. The agreement signed by U.S. President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh makes civil space cooperation a significant aspect of the emerging high-technology and strategic cooperation between the two nations. An upcoming robotic Indian mission to the Moon already has benefited from the relaxation in relations that culminated in Bush's visit to New Delhi and Hyderabad in March.

The article informs that the growth of commercial aviation markets in the Asia-Pacific region will push revenues for flight and technical training simulators in the region. Boeing Co.'s Alteon Training subsidiary estimates 23,500 new pilots will be needed in the Asia-Pacific region over the next 20 years. To meet those demands in China, Alteon and Jeppesen, another Boeing subsidiary, are working with the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the Civil Aviation University of China and Singapore training specialist Mil-Com Aerospace Pte. Ltd. to establish a technical training center in the port city of Tianjin near Beijing.

The article informs that India plans to upgrade airports in secondary cities to cope with surging air traffic. In India, where airlines have boosted their seat capacity tenfold in just three years, rickety aviation infrastructure is splitting at the seams. India's Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has outlined an ambitious $12.5-billion plan to upgrade 35 secondary airports by 2009 to ease pressure on facilities at New Delhi and Mumbai, which now handle nearly 50% of all domestic traffic. Earlier this month, Patel faced down 22,000 union workers on strike to protest government plans to privatize the Delhi and Mumbai airports to pay for modernizations.

This article reports that with India moving fast to become a major weapons buyer, U.S. companies used the growing partnership and trust between the two countries to dominate Defexpo, the biennial exposition on naval and land systems held in New Delhi, India in January 2006. So large was the U.S. presence that traditional ally Russia, which has supplied nearly 75% of India's military arsenal for decades, was relegated to third place, after the U.S. and Israel. India's interest in purchasing up to 200 Multi-role Combat Aircraft, helicopters, transports and medium-sized ships is turning attention to its newly introduced offset policy.

This article focuses on the growth and development of the company Jet Airways. When Jet Airways announced its buyout of Air Sahara, it startled India's fast-growing aviation sector and prompted some competitors to seek relief from regulators. The independently owned Jet has been shaking up the establishment for the past decade as it slowly ate away the traditional route and seat advantage of state-owned Indian Airlines. Under India's increasingly liberal operating environment, Jet's bottom-line-driven operating strategy seemed to catch the lethargic incumbent off guard, and Indian Airlines lost control of the market. Jet's announcement last month that it would buy Air Sahara, another independent, pushed its market share to 50% from 40% and has left Indian with 37%.

This article reports that Air India Engineering Services, a new subsidiary of Air India set to be operational by year-end, wants to tap third-party airframe and engine work in India, as the relatively modest fleet of 215 commercial aircraft is expected to more than double by the end of the decade. The government-owned airline required offsets for the recent aircraft deal it signed with Boeing for 737s, 777s and 787s. While the structure of the offsets is still being discussed, the commitment for a new maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility could reach $100 million, according to an engineering department official. As an alternative, Boeing is offering to help Air India develop a training center instead of an MRO facility.

The article informs that sales of A320 aircrafts is setting new milestone for Airbus Industrie SA. While most of the attention in 2005 in the perpetual Boeing Co. versus Airbus battle was focused on the admittedly higher-margin wide-body market, where the U.S. manufacturer has been trouncing its European rival in recent months, in the narrow-body world, Airbus has quietly put together a record-breaking series of wins. The aircraft maker so far has signed 12 customers for 166 aircraft, a mix of firm orders and commitments. Airbus has reached double-digit orders for its A318 Elite corporate jet, after an undisclosed customer opted to take five more of the aircraft that was formally launched in November.