GMR Aero, Akasa Air in 3-yr pact
'under the agreement, GMR Aero Technic will undertake scheduled base maintenance checks for Akasa Air's fleet at its state-of-the-art MRO facility, located within the GMR Aerospace & Industrial Park here,' said GMR in a release on Monday.
'Under the agreement, GMR Aero Technic will undertake scheduled base maintenance checks for Akasa Air's fleet at its state-of-the-art Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility, located within the GMR Aerospace & Industrial Park in Hyderabad,'Akasa Airadded.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Air India, Boeing respond to AAIB report on Ahmedabad plane crash; Pilots' association says report biased
NEW DELHI: The preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AIIB) has drawn varied responses from the airline, aircraft manufacturer and a leading body representing pilots in the country. In a statement, Air India said, "We acknowledge receipt of the preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) today, 12 July 2025. Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses." It further stated, "Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB." Air India added that it "stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during this difficult time." Boeing Company, manufacturer of the Boeing 787 aircraft involved in the crash, said in a statement, "Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected on the ground in Ahmedabad. We continue to support the investigation and our customer." It added, "We will defer to the AAIB to provide information about AI171, in adherence with the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization protocol known as Annex 13."
India Gazette
3 hours ago
- India Gazette
"No stone should be left unturned,": Aviation safety firm's CEO on AI 171's crash report
New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Martin Consulting's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark D Martin, an aviation safety expert said on Saturday that 'no stone should be left unturned,' on investigating the AI 171 crash, and urged for the preliminary report to be 'taken into the global quorum,' so that international safety regulators could also understand the reasons for the Dreamliner 787-8's crash. The AI 171 crash of the Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aircraft in Gujarat's Ahmedabad killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground. Martin said that one should wait for the full report to come out, but questioned certain aspects of the preliminary report which suggested pilot error, saying that it is 'highly unlikely that any pilot, especially during take-off would want to meddle or fiddle around with switches behind the thrust levels.' 'This will be a complex crash to investigate for the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board), AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Board), Boeing, EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency), the Indian DGCA (Director General of Civil Aviation), and the UKCAA and no stone should be left unturned with this investigation,' read a statement from the firm's CEO. 'It is imperative that this investigation also be taken into the global quorum with the including of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), CAA Canada and other Safety oversight regulators that manage and oversee the 787 aircraft operation in their jurisdiction,' the statement added. The consulting firm's CEO also said that the report suggests pilot error, saying that 'It is highly unlikely that any pilot, especially during takeoff would want to meddle or fiddle around with switches behind the thrust levels. At best, you'd focus on raising the landing gear which is located in the front panel of the cockpit, or raise the flaps.' The AAIB's Preliminary Report released on Friday said that both the engines of the aircraft were moved from 'run' to 'cutoff,' in quick succession, which resulted in the fuel supply to be cut off. The report says that in the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he did the cutoff, which the other pilot denied ever doing so. 'The aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 Knots IAS at about 08:08:42 UTC and immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec. The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off,' the preliminary report said. 'In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so,' the report added. As per the Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) accessed by the AAIB, the engine 1's fuel cut switch transitioned from 'cutoff' to 'run' at about 8:08:52 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). On 8:08:56 UTC the Engine 2's fuel switch also went from 'cutoff' to run'. According to the report, just 13 seconds later, at 8:09:05 UTC, one of the pilot transmitted the Mayday call, which the Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO) enquired about, but did not receive a reply. Shortly after, the aircraft was observed crashing outside the airport boundary and the emergency response was activated. The Airline Pilots' Association of India on Saturday also called for a 'fair, fact-based inquiry,' into the incident and rejected the 'tone and direction of the investigation' which suggested a bias towards pilot error. 'The report was leaked to media without any responsible official signature or attribution. There is lack of transparency in investigation as investigations continue to be shrouded in secrecy, undermining credibility and public trust. Qualified, experienced personnel, especially line pilots, are still not being included in the investigation team,' the association said in a statement. Notably, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol urged people not to draw conclusions based on the preliminary report. While speaking to mediapersons, the MoS said, 'The AAIB has brought out a preliminary report. This is not the final report. Until the final report comes out, we should not arrive at any conclusion. AAIB is an autonomous authority, and the ministry does not interfere in their work.' (ANI)
India Gazette
7 hours ago
- India Gazette
"Fault within aircraft that jet fuel switch turned off automatically": Civil aviation expert on AI171 preliminary crash report
New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Civil aviation expert Sanat Kaul has said that the preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the Air India flight AI171 crash suggests that 'some fault within the aircraft' led to the jet fuel switches turning off automatically during takeoff, causing the tragic crash that killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground. Speaking to ANI, Kaul said the report indicates that fuel supply to the aircraft's engines was unexpectedly cut off during takeoff. 'From the report I have seen, there was no other reason for the aircraft to go down but the manufacturing part; the fuel to the engine itself switched off accidentally or there was something that the pilot or the co-pilot was not aware of and the engine lost the thrust,' Kaul said. 'It appears that the fuel was cut off on takeoff. The voice recorder makes it clear that neither the commander nor the co-pilot switched off the jet fuel switch. This is obviously some fault within the aircraft that the jet fuel switch turned off automatically,' he added. Kaul also raised concerns about aircraft manufacturer Boeing. 'In Boeing, it is not the first time; there were two instances of that new plane, which, after takeoff, again went down and crashed, and people died. In both these cases, it finally came out that the changes have been made in the max varieties of 737, and the pilot was not aware of the situation, and Boeing deliberately did not give training because training costs money, and they have to bear the cost,' he said. 'There have been whistleblowers from the ones who worked in the Boeing company who said that Boeing is trying to save money on manufacturing and safety aspects,' Kaul added. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released the preliminary report into the tragic crash of Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12. The report outlines a harrowing sequence of events that unfolded within 90 seconds of takeoff, as both engines of the aircraft shut down unexpectedly during the initial climb, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust and rapid descent. Flight data recovered from the aircraft's Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) revealed that the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were inadvertently moved from RUN to CUTOFF, one after the other within a 1-second interval, at an altitude just moments after liftoff. One pilot was heard asking the other, 'Why did you cut off?' to which the response was, 'I did not.' This uncommanded shutdown triggered the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), and the aircraft began losing altitude almost immediately, unable to sustain powered flight. According to the AAIB, the pilots re-engaged the fuel switches in an attempt to relight both engines. Engine 1 showed signs of recovering thrust, but Engine 2 failed to stabilise. The aircraft, which had briefly reached a speed of 180 knots, was already descending and failed to regain altitude. The final distress call -- a 'MAYDAY' -- was transmitted at 08:09 UTC, just seconds before the aircraft crashed into residential buildings outside the airport perimeter. The aircraft struck several buildings, including the BJ Medical College hostel, causing significant structural and fire damage across five structures. The Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) did not activate, and emergency services were mobilised within five minutes of the crash. The wreckage trail extended over 1,000 feet, with major components including the vertical stabiliser, engines, and landing gear found embedded in buildings and scattered across the crash site. The aircraft, registered VT-ANB, was delivered in 2013 and had recently undergone routine maintenance. All Airworthiness Directives had been complied with, and the fuel quality was confirmed to be within specifications. There were no reported technical defects linked to the engines or flight control systems immediately before the accident. The pilot-in-command, a 56-year-old with over 15,000 flying hours, and the co-pilot, 32, with over 3,400 hours, were both fully qualified and had no recent duty irregularities or medical issues reported. (ANI)
