Latest news with #B777
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
IndiGo orders 30 more Airbus A350 aircraft for long-haul expansion
IndiGo on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus to order 30 additional A350-900 widebody aircraft, aiming to expand its long-haul network over the next decade. According to aviation industry sources, the order is estimated to be worth around $5 billion. In April last year, the airline had ordered 30 A350-900 widebody planes from Airbus. The April 2024 order was the very first time that India's largest carrier had placed an order for wide body planes. During the April 2024 order, it was revealed that IndiGo had the option to increase the wide body plane order to 100 planes. "IndiGo had the option to order 70 more A350 planes. We are exercising a part of that option and ordering 30 more A350 planes. This takes our total wide body order to 60 planes," IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said after signing the MoU with Benoit de Saint-Exupéry, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Airbus at the annual general meeting of International Air Transport Association (IATA). "IndiGo has 1,370 planes on order with us. This new order takes the total order book to 1, are delighted to be part of assisting IndiGo to expand its long haul travel around the world using these A350s and A321XLR. We are happy to support IndiGo during the next 2-3 decades of its expansion,' Beniot said during the conference. Airbus will start delivering A350-900 planes to IndiGo between 2027 and earlier part of the next decade. The next batch of 30 A350-900 planes will be delivered from the earlier part of next decade to the second half of next decade, Elbers noted. Widebody aircraft have larger fuel tanks and engines compared to narrow-body aircraft, enabling them to travel longer distances. The A350-900 aircraft has a range of about 15,000 kilometers. This capability means that IndiGo will be able to operate non-stop flights on long-haul and ultra long-haul routes such as India-US, India-Australia, and India-Europe. This also positions IndiGo to directly compete with Air India and other foreign carriers such as Emirates and Qatar Airways on these lucrative routes. IndiGo currently has about 430 planes. Only three of them are widebody planes -- two B777 leased from Turkish Airlines and one B787 leased from Norse Atlantic. The two B777 planes will be returned to Turkish Airlines within the next three months. The diplomatic tensions between India and Turkey have recently risen due to the latter's diplomatic and military support after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. IndiGo has recently changed its business model. The airline last year ordered wide body planes for the first time. Last year, the airline also started business class on its flights. By the end of this year, the airline will have 45 planes with business class on them. The airline also started a frequent flyer program -- something which only full service carriers have -- last year. Elbers had on Friday announced that in 2025-26, the airline will start international flights to 10 new destinations including Manchester, Amsterdam and London using its recently-leased B787 wide body planes and 321XLR, which are expected to join its fleet during the latter part of the financial year. Currently, IndiGo flies to 40 international cities. To meet the growing demand in the country's air travel market, Indian carriers have made several significant aircraft orders since 2023. In February 2023, the Tata-run Air India Group placed an order for 470 planes: 250 with Airbus and 220 with American planemaker Boeing. In June 2023, IndiGo made the world's largest aircraft order by signing a deal for 500 A320neo family planes from Airbus. In January 2024, the new airline Akasa Air placed an order for 150 B737 Max aircraft with Boeing. In April 2024, IndiGo ordered 30 A350 planes from Airbus. In December 2024, Air India ordered 10 A350 planes and 90 A320 family planes from Airbus.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Time of India
How airplane toilets work and why they sometimes all fail at once
Air India has in recent months experienced recurrent disruptions of flights on its international routes due to the overflow of lavatories. The problem has attracted a lot of concern, with many raising questions over the performance of aircraft toilets. Two such instances in specific—one on a Boeing 777 (B777) operated from Chicago to Delhi in March and another this month operated from Toronto to Delhi—have illustrated the intricacy of aircraft toilet systems. In both instances, several toilets rendered themselves unusable, resulting in flight diversions and delays. Explore the science behind aircraft toilet systems and why these unfortunate interruptions occur. Science behind aircraft toilets and vacuum technology Aircraft toilets fundamentally differ from household toilets. The most apparent difference is the technology used to flush away the waste— vacuum toilet systems . Vacuum toilet systems take advantage of the pressure differential between the cabin and the exterior environment, which is important for both passenger safety and proper toilet operation. Cabin pressure on an airliner is much greater than external air pressure, particularly cruising altitudes of 35,000 feet when atmospheric pressure is only approximately 3.45 psi. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Moose Approaches Girl At Bus Stop In Dac Lac - Watch What Happens Happy in Shape Undo Cabin pressure is kept between 11 and 12 psi to provide enough oxygen for passengers to breathe. The pressure difference is the basis for vacuum toilets on aircraft. When a toilet is flushed, a valve located at the bottom of the toilet bowl opens up, subjecting the waste to lower cabin pressure. It allows air at higher cabin pressure to flow into the toilet bowl and create a vacuum which sucks the waste into a holding tank found in an unpressurized compartment of the plane, underneath the floor. The waste is kept in this tank until the plane reaches the ground, where it is serviced and drained. Why multiple toilets become clogged on Air India flights Air India's recent history of disruptions poses a question: why do a large number of toilets on one flight become clogged at the same time? The reason lies in the specific manner the toilet systems are constructed and the reasons that clog them in the first place. A standard Boeing 777 (B777) boasts 12 toilets, each of which is linked to a waste tank by a system of drain lines. The most common cause of these blockages is usually foreign objects flushed into the toilets. These range from polythene bags, fragments of cloth, to other objects that are too large to move through the drain lines. When such objects get clogged in the system, they cause interference with the vacuum toilet working like it is supposed to. The location of the clog in the drain line is very important when considering how many toilets are to be affected. When the clog is closer to the waste tank, it will affect all the toilets that are linked to this tank. The reason is that the vacuum pressure needed to force out waste is interfered with, making all the affected toilets inoperable. However, if the clog is located near the toilet bowl or the adjacent drain line, only that particular toilet will be affected. Understanding the design and functionality of aircraft toilet systems Aircraft toilet systems are engineered with multiple tanks and drain lines, based on the configuration and size of the aircraft. A single waste tank is present in a narrow-body aircraft like the Boeing 737 MAX or Airbus A320, but there are two or more tanks in wider, larger aircraft like the Boeing 777. For a B777, in the event of two tanks, a half of the toilets are hooked up to each of them, so a clog in one tank may make several toilets inaccessible. At the root of an airplane's vacuum toilet system is the concept of differential pressure. A clog within the drain line has the potential to stop this pressure differential from working due to the vacuum which is no longer pulling the waste into the tank. In this situation, the toilets are no longer able to expel waste, causing a system-wide malfunction of several toilets. Moreover, objects that are too big for the drain lines to accommodate can block an outlet and hinder waste from flowing into the holding tanks accordingly. Exploring possible solutions to avoid clogging Although toilet clogging is a natural risk involved in flying an aircraft, attempts are underway to try and cushion these problems and avoid them causing flight interruptions. One solution that has been put forth is putting a mesh at the rear of the toilet bowl to keep out things like plastic bottles or diapers from going into the waste system. The theory behind this is that waste matter can flow through but stop things that are too big and may clog up drain lines. Yet this option is not a simple one. Aircraft toilets have high suction pressure, so mesh material employed has to be sufficiently robust to withstand the pressure without rupture. If the mesh material is poorly developed, it can fail to stop blockages, but materials that are too robust can clog the toilet bowl themselves. The second case would only impact the single toilet but would still become an inconvenience for passengers. Ashwani Sharma, an experienced aircraft maintenance engineer, flags that toilet blockages are a common problem, not one specific to Air India. With aircraft of all airlines being prone to such disruptions, the sector is always looking for ways of minimizing their frequency. Maintenance from time to time, adoption of better materials, and new design features are all areas that are part of the ongoing bid to overcome this problem. Also Read | Kenton Cool, British mountaineer, makes 19th ascent of Mount Everest, setting new non-Sherpa record
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
How aircraft toilets work, and why they often clog together
Clogged lavatories have disrupted two of Air India's international flights in the span of two months, drawing attention to how aircraft toilets operate. All but one of the toilets on a Boeing 777 (B777) from Chicago to Delhi became unusable in March, forcing the aircraft to return, and at least five toilets clogged on a B777 from Toronto to Delhi this month, forcing a diversion to Frankfurt. A B777 typically has 12 toilets, but why should so many clog simultaneously? The key factor is the location of the objects causing the blockage — often polythene bags or pieces of cloth — which can affect all toilets whose waste lines pass through that area. But, regardless of whether one or multiple toilets are affected, such blockages stem from a disruption in the physics that aircraft lavatory systems rely on. Vacuum toilets Aircraft must, by necessity, maintain cabin pressure at a level higher than the atmospheric pressure outside — and this pressure differential also underpins the scientific principle on which aircraft toilets operate. The primary reason for maintaining relatively high cabin pressure is passenger safety and comfort. At an altitude of, say, 35,000 feet, the air pressure is around 3.45 pounds per square inch or psi (for context sea-level pressure is roughly four times higher). To ensure passengers have enough oxygen to breathe, cabin pressure is typically maintained at 11 to 12 psi. The aircraft toilet system takes advantage of the pressure differential between the cabin and the surrounding atmosphere by creating a vacuum so that air at higher pressure rushes toward the area of lower pressure, carrying waste along with it. This does not mean the waste is expelled into the atmosphere — as might happen to characters in an action movie when an aircraft door blows open. Instead, the waste is directed into a holding tank located in a lower-pressure zone in an area where the pressure is lower, similar to the conditions outside the aircraft. Also Read: Polythene bags, clothes clogged toilets: Air India after flight returns to US 'The waste tank is located below the floor of the aircraft cabin, in an unpressurised area. This tank, when full, can be serviced (emptied of waste material) whenever the aircraft lands at an airport,' said Ashwani Sharma, a veteran aircraft maintenance engineer who served with Air India for many years and is currently a professor of practice at Chandigarh University's aerospace engineering department and chairman of the Aeronautical Society of India's Mumbai branch. When one flushes a toilet at home, it releases a stream of water that carries the waste into a sewer line. In contrast, when one flushes an aircraft toilet, it opens a valve at the bottom of the toilet bowl, exposing the contents to the pressure differential. Air from the cabin immediately rushes into the bowl and, often noisily, passes through the valve on its way to the waste tank. The science behind clogging What is flushed down the toilet is often the reason behind clogging. Another cause can be mineral buildup — something that frequently affects household toilets — but clogs in aircraft toilets are more often associated with items flushed by fliers and where these end up in the network of drain lines. Different aircraft models have different numbers of toilets and water tanks. Narrow-body, single-aisle aircraft such as the Boeing B737 MAX and Airbus A320 NEO have one tank each, while wide-body, twin-aisle aircraft have two or more. 'A B777 has two tanks, while an Airbus A350 has four. If there are two tanks, then half the toilets would be connected to each,' Sharma said. Also Read: Air India flight returns to Chicago over clogged loos HT has reported earlier that the B777 diverted to Frankfurt had three sewer lines. No details were immediately available on how these three lines were divided between two tanks (if there were indeed two), but it is easy to understand why some clogs affect a larger number of toilets than others. A clog in a vacuum-based toilet means that one or more objects are acting as a barrier between the areas of higher and lower pressure, so the air in the cabin can no longer flow out with the waste, making the principle of differential pressure unworkable, Sharma said. 'If the clog is in a portion of drain line that is near the waste tank, then all toilets connected to that particular tank will be clogged as the clog will prevent differential pressure being created. If, however, the clog is in a toilet bowl or the drain line immediately below the bowl, then only that toilet would be clogged,' he added. Size matters because some items may be small enough to pass through the toilet bowl hole but too large to go through the drain line, whose diameter is smaller. 'This can block the drain line. Once there's a block in the line, differential pressure cannot be created and all toilets connected to that waste tank would become unserviceable,' Sharma said. Looking for solutions Sharma stressed that the problem of clogging is not limited to Air India or any single airline, calling it a universal issue. As such, newer ways to prevent or reduce clogging continue to be discussed. For example, a mesh could be placed at the end of the toilet bowl. 'The mesh will not allow a plastic bottle or a diaper to go through and block the line, but waste matter will go,' Sharma said. 'But it can create other issues,' he said. The suction pressure is so high that if a weak material is used, it will not last. Then again, if the material is too strong, the toilet bowl itself can get blocked. 'The difference is that if the toilet bowl gets blocked, only one toilet will become unserviceable. That particular toilet can be labelled as such, but the others will continue working.' Sharma said. It remains an evolving area with scope for innovation.
Mint
11-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Will Indian travellers now treat Turkey and Azerbaijan as Maldives was treated?
As Operation Sindoor took centrestage, the murmur going on for the past many months took to some strong voices asking for a boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan. Social media was flooded with statistics, some verified, some unverified on how many passengers from India travelled to these countries. As the ceasefire announcement was being made, more and more travel companies decided to not take bookings for Turkey and Azerbaijan. Cox & Kings decided to pause bookings to Turkey, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. This was followed by Ixigo deciding against taking bookings for Azerbaijan, Turkey and China. Many smaller Travel Management Companies have joined this and advised against travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan. Turkey, Azerbaijan and China have come out openly in support of Pakistan during Operation Sindoor with the Turkish drones being used in large quantities against India. These countries have also shown open support to Pakistan and Pakistan's claim over Kashmir in the past. While there is no direct air connectivity between India and China currently, there are direct flights to Turkey and Azerbaijan. IndiGo and Turkish Airlines offer one flights each to Delhi and Mumbai from Istanbul, a total of 28 weekly departures. IndiGo has a daily flight to Baku from Delhi, while Azerbaijan airways operates Delhi and Mumbai, a total of seven flights a week split between the two cities. When Air India decided to appoint İlker Aycı as its CEO, there was an uproar like no other which eventually led to Ilci pulling out on his own. The co-operation between the Indian aviation ecosystem and Turkey has been much bigger than just one person. Turkish Airlines was the first codeshare partner for IndiGo and IndiGo operates Turkish Airlines B777 on damp lease to Istanbul, thereby increasing its passengers per flight to 531 from 232. It also operates a couple of damp leased B737s from Corendon, a Turkish Airline. Turkish Technic, the engineering arm of Turkish Airlines, has deals with IndiGo and Air India for various services. Recently Turkish Technic informed about their new deal with Air India for nose-to-tail maintenance of Air India's Boeing 777 fleet, while there already is a deal in place for maintenance of Air India Express 737 aircraft. IndiGo also has deals with Turkish Technic for redelivery checks as well as maintenance checks on the A320neo family. It seems highly unlikely that airlines will get away from the deals in place, especially on the engineering side. However, the market dynamics dictates the flights and capacity. Maldives, for example, has far fewer flights to India today than what it had even during the pandemic, as Indians ditched Maldives for other points. If such a situation arises with Turkey and Azerbaijan, airlines will be commercially forced to reduce capacity due to lack of passengers. As per Azerbaijan Tourism Board, only 4,853 Indians visited Azerbaijan in 2014. The number stood at 243,589 in 2024. The tourism board expects a growth of 11% from now until the next 10 years. Turkey saw Indian arrivals at 3,30,000 passengers in 2024, while the number stood at 119,503 in 2014 as per the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey. There are roughly 13000 seats between India and Turkey each way on a weekly basis, while Azerbaijan and India have a little over 3000 seats each way on a weekly basis. There remain many one-stop options to both these countries. It is too early to tell if this will be successful, but the last time such a clarion call was made on social media was against Maldives and the number of Indians visiting Maldives has dwindled substantially since then. The India - China air connectivity restart has been in the talks for a long time, but are yet to start. Civil Aviation and diplomacy are now more closely linked than ever with aviation and connectivity a major tool in geopolitics. However, will it have an impact on the numbers, will the airlines voluntarily announce suspensions? They have never done that in the past, and they may not do not it, unless there is a commercial impact.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
The Headaches at Newark Airport Could Continue For A While
Since last week, Newark Liberty International Airport has experienced frequent delays and flight cancellations, affecting both inbound and outgoing travel. Over 500 flights were affected on Monday, according to FlightAware, and already Tuesday, there have been 44 canceled outgoing flights and over 200 flights impacted by the issues. Newark's problems stem from equipment failures, a shortage of air traffic control staffers and the closure of one of the facility's busiest runways. Right now, it looks like it might be a while before things get better. On the runway front, Jeff Goldman wrote Tuesday that Runway 4L-22R, which handles nearly 47% of the airport's flight activity, is closed until June 15 for renovation. The runway reopens next month, but from Sept. 1 through the end of the year, will be closed on weekends between 11 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Sunday. 'Due to the volume of flights arriving and departing EWR (the closure) will significantly affect carriers' ability to operate reliably and on time,' federal officials said last November. 'Absent increased scheduling flexibility during the construction period, the FAA anticipates a high likelihood of congestion, delays, and cancellations at EWR.' United Airlines Boeing 777-200ER wide body passenger aircraft spotted during take off, departing from Newark Liberty International Airport EWR serving New York Metropolitan area. The B777 airplane has the registration tail number N783UA and is powered by 2x Pratt & Whitney PW4090 jet engines. United Airlines with headquarters in Chicago is the largest airline in the world by destination and fleet size member of Star Alliance aviation alliance group. Newark, United States on November 2024 (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto/Getty Images As for the equipment trouble, Galen Munroe, a spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, revealed Monday that back on April 28, a Philadelphia control center responsible for sorting flight traffic for Newark 'temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control,' and were 'unable to see, hear, or talk to them.' Obviously, that's incredibly alarming, and the aftereffects of the outage have also been devastating. Munroe said that a number of controllers from the Philadelphia operation have utilized their rights under the Federal Employees Compensation Act, which allows employees who are injured or involved in a traumatic event at work to take leave without penalty. As a result, Newark is short-staffed, and though the FAA has pledged to hire 2,000 new traffic controllers nationwide this year, those efforts aren't going to help the second-busiest airport in the New York area at the moment. "Keep in mind, this particular air traffic control facility has been chronically understaffed for years and without these controllers, it's now clear – and the FAA tells us – that Newark airport cannot handle the number of planes that are scheduled to operate there in the weeks and months ahead," United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a letter to customers last Friday. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 05: A monitor shows flight delays at Newark International Airport on May 05, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. Delays and cancellations at one of the nation's busiest airports have persisted for about a week, with these disruptions continuing into Monday morning. Air traffic control outages, runway construction, and an announcement by United Airlines that over 20% of FAA controllers at Newark walked off the job have all contributed to delays and cancellations. (Photo by)United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Monday a plan to "radically transform" air traffic control and fix a problem that has been brewing for decades. 'We're going to build a brand-new air traffic control system — from new telecom, to new radars, to new infrastructure. We're bringing on new air traffic controllers,' Duffy said. Duffy added that officials have slowed traffic down in Newark to help alleviate the congestion and make commuters "feel safe." 'When you have an incident like this, you want to make sure that people are safe,' Duffy said. 'And so, you just have less departures out of the airport until we feel comfortable and safe that the system isn't going to go down again.'
