Wings India 2022 takes off at Hyderabad

Helicopter Emergency Medical Service and Urban Air Mobility emerged to be the use cases that are going to drive the future of helicopter sector in India. Helicopter Acceleration Cell is the government's dedicated tool to engage with the sector to cater the dynamic needs of helicopters and its operations in the country

Hyderabad: Wings India 2022, Asia's largest event on civil aviation (Commercial, General and Business), kicked off here at Begumpet Airport on Thursday. The first day of the four-day event witnessed a mesmerising flying display by the Sarang helicopter aerobatic team of the Indian Air Force. The biennial event is jointly organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and industry body FICCI.

More than 125 international and domestic exhibitors and 15 country delegations are participating in the Indian aviation industry's ace event. National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) had a Demo Flight of NAL-Hansa NG, its two-seater Flying Trainer Aircraft. It unveiled SARAS-Mk II aircraft mockup. It also showcased it NAL-Octacopter with drone formation show. An agreement was signed between CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories and Scientech Technologies Pvt Ltd for technology transfer on multicopter drones for societal applications like medicine delivery, agriculture and earth surveillance. Airbus released its India Market Forecast and briefed about A-350. The company also displayed a scale model of its single aisle A220 aircraft, built for 100-160 seat market.

Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer displayed its largest commercial aircraft E195-E2 at the event. With its stunning 'TechLion' livery, the E195-E2 was the cynosure of all eyes. The aircraft is the largest member of the new generation E-Jets family, the E-Jets E2, and is designed to seat up to 146 passengers in its signature two by two seating.

The day was marked with various panel discussions and round tables with including senior ministry officials and key policymakers, global experts, corporate leaders and other stakeholders. A round table on 'Helicopter Industry' discussed the growth story of Indian Helicopter industry (India@75), the issues, challenges, and brainstorming solutions for the way ahead.

As per the panel, the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and Urban Air Mobility emerged to be the use cases that are going to drive the future of helicopter sector in India. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, said that Helicopter Acceleration Cell is the government's dedicated tool to engage with the sector to cater the dynamic needs of helicopters and its operations in India.

Sunny Guglani, Co-Chair, FICCI General Aviation Taskforce and Head of Airbus Helicopters, India & South Asia said that helicopter is the key thread of the fabric of aviation in India. He called for a 'Vision 1000 Helicopters' in India. Emergency rescue, aerial work, disaster response, and airborne law enforcement were a few use cases that the panel discussed as critical for viewing helicopters as a nation building tool.

Rohit Kapur, President of Jet HQ Asia said that business aviation suffered during the Covid pandemic but has seen a huge demand for charter services.

The demand for charter aircrafts is huge and the supply is not adequate, he said. He urged the government to look for ways to make easy finance availability for people who want to enter the industry.

Rajan Mehra, CEO of Club One Air, said that the pandemic highlighted the importance of safety. Chartered flights, in the earlier days, were looked at as for only the rich and famous. The pandemic changed the perception. It made public realise that there is more to general aviation than as it was thought earlier. General aviation is an enabler for economic growth, and employment generation.

Moderator Kanika Tekriwal, Co-Chair at FICCI General Aviation Taskforce and Co-Founder & CEO of JetSetGo Aviation Services Pvt Ltd India pointed out the pain points namely reducing owning and operating cost, rationalising duty on engine repairs and rationalising ground handling charges. She also stated that there is no better time to be in aviation than now with a very proactive government.

Addressing the audience at the panel discussion 'The Outlook: Aviation Financing and Leasing', Dipesh Shah, Executive Director, International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) stated that IFSCA India can match the flourishing Aircraft leasing sector of Ireland. He also mentioned that India now hosts 15 aircraft lessors.

A panel discussion on 'Making India a Global Drone Hub by 2030: Issues & Way Forward' discussed how the perception has changed on drones especially as life saving tools in the battle against Covid-19. The session examined the future of drones with emphasis on technology, infrastructure, standard/ regulations, safety, privacy, collaborations, R&D and public acceptance.