NEW DELHI, Sept 10: Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on Thursday said India and Russia have expanded discussions on manufacturing airplanes in the country, including turboprop IL-114 and Sukhoi Superjet 100 planes.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the BRICS Summit, Naidu said discussions were held with the Russian delegation regarding the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia for aircraft manufacturing in India.

He said the aircraft are compatible with India's regional connectivity requirements, especially with several airports being developed across the country.

"Regarding the Russian delegation, I would like to update you on the MoU that HAL had with Russia in terms of manufacturing a plane in the country. There are two kinds of planes. One is the turboprop IL-114, and also the Sukhoi Superjet 100, which is a jet-engine plane. So these two are quite compatible with our regional connectivity scheme," Naidu said.

"With a lot of airports coming up, it is very important for us to connect them. And these planes are very efficient for us to connect them. So we have expanded the dialogue on that. And we want to start the process as soon as possible of getting their planes manufactured in the country. So that has been the crux of the discussion for us," Naidu added.

The Minister further said that India-Russia ties continue to grow, with aviation emerging as a key pillar of the strategic partnership.

Discussions and proposed deals cover potential deliveries and arrangements for 105 regional turboprop aircraft to Indian operators, including Pinnacle Air, Air Kerala, and Sleek Aviation.

Russia displayed its regional SJ-100, MC-21, and Il-114-300 aircraft at the Innoprom event in Delhi to target India's expanding regional connectivity needs.

The growing aviation engagement comes as Russia seeks to deepen industrial cooperation with India beyond traditional defence platforms such as the MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets.

The proposed aircraft deals indicate a possible expansion of India-Russia aerospace ties into civil aviation, regional connectivity and aircraft manufacturing.

300 flights cancelled as UK airports hit by tech snag

LONDON, Sept 8: Nearly 300 flights were cancelled on Tuesday after air traffic control provider NATS experienced a technical issue, with Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted among the hubs affected by cancellations and delays, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

“We have identified that the issue was in our flight processing system. Our engineers are on site and working urgently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible. We recognise the ongoing disruption to travel, for which we sincerely apologise,” NATS said in a statement.

“Flights are still departing and airspace is open, but recovery will take some time,” it added.

Flightradar24, a website that tracks flights, said on social media that the problem had led to strict controls on both arriving and departing flights at airports across the London flight information region.

Edinburgh Airport said in a post on X that its operations could also be affected by the problem. Dublin Airport in Ireland said flights arriving at and departing from the airport were experiencing disruptions as well.

London Luton and Birmingham airports were among those reporting delays or cancellations, along with Aberdeen and Glasgow. Dublin Airport also said some incoming and outgoing flights would face delays.

British Airways said the technical problem was disrupting its flights. "This is entirely out of our control and we're in touch with our customers whilst our teams work to get them on their way as quickly as possible," the airline said in a statement.

There appeared to be no reported impact on incoming flights. The cause of the technical issue was not immediately known.

Indonesia volcano eruption: 300 flights hit, schools shut as ash soars 50,000 feet

JAKARTA, Sept 6: An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau sent volcanic ash soaring up to 50,000 feet over parts of Java and Sumatra on Sunday, disrupting air travel and affecting hundreds of flights.

The eruption also led to some school activities and fishing trips being cancelled as ash spread across nearby areas.

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta suspended flight operations until 1.30 pm local time because of volcanic ash, Reuters reported. Airport operator Angkasa Pura said the suspension affected 301 flights, including 58 international services, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at Indonesia’s main airport.

The airport halt followed runway checks conducted between midnight and 1 am that confirmed dangerous volcanic ash accumulation. Air navigation authorities later extended the operational suspension to ensure runway safety.

London-bound Virgin Atlantic flight makes emergency landing at Bengaluru airport after technical snag

BENGALURU, Sept 6: A London-bound Virgin Atlantic flight made an “emergency landing” at Bengaluru airport on Sunday due to a technical snag.

The flight, carrying 270 passengers, was forced to make an "emergency landing" at the Kempegowda International Airport due to a technical glitch shortly after take-off, said sources at Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).

As per reports, the flight took off from KIAB at around 8.20 am but reportedly developed a technical issue soon after departure, prompting the crew to circle the aircraft near Tumakuru for more than half an hour before returning to Bengaluru.

"All passengers on board are safe," sources at BIAL said, adding that the aircraft was brought back as a safety precaution and made an emergency landing.

A statement from Virgin Atlantic is awaited regarding the incident. Airport authorities are trying to ascertain the exact nature of the technical problem.

Air India terminates Phuket-Delhi pilot

MUMBAI, Sept 4: Air India said in a statement on Friday that it has terminated the pilot-in-command (PIC) of its August 4 Phuket-Delhi flight after the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude in cruise, injuring 20 passengers and 4 crew members.

The pilot tested “non-negative” for a psychoactive substance in a confirmatory test, according to a preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday.

“Safety remains Air India's highest priority. The Pilot-in-Command of the Phuket-Delhi flight tested positive for a psychoactive substance. In line with Air India's zero-tolerance approach to violation of safety, fitness or regulatory requirements, the pilot's employment has been terminated with immediate effect,” an Air India spokesperson said in a statement.

The report said the PIC was the pilot monitoring, meaning the crew member on a two-pilot aircraft who was not handling the primary controls at the time. The copilot tested negative in both tests.

The report did not find any connection between the detection of the psychoactive substance and the altitude upset. “Detailed investigation regarding technical and other aspects is underway.”

The AAIB advised the aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to take appropriate action as deemed fit to prevent the misuse of psychoactive substances.

It described the use of such substances as a serious concern and said a detailed investigation into the technical and other aspects was still underway.

The flight departed Phuket in Thailand at 7.11am IST and initially reported no issues. At 9:10am, it entered the Kolkata Flight Information Region.

At 09:32 am, the aircraft's flight-control system detected a loss of the green hydraulic system. Four seconds later, it detected the loss of the blue and yellow hydraulic systems.

Hydraulic systems operate several aircraft components, including wheel brakes, nose-wheel steering, landing gear retraction, flight control surfaces, windshield wipers, and propeller pitch control.

At 9:32 am, the autopilot disengaged, and a continuous repetitive chime began. Three seconds later, the stall warning was activated for two seconds.

“...the aircraft encountered altitude upset. Initially, it gained 372 ft and fell by 292 ft from its assigned FL360 during the event,” the AAIB report said.

It added that the blue hydraulic system was restored around 09:32am. The yellow and green hydraulic systems were restored a few seconds later, restoring control of the surfaces and allowing the aircraft to return to normal operating conditions.