Wings India 2022: All eyes on air show

Wings India-2022 is being held after two years from March 24. The last edition in 2020 was perhaps the last show to be held before Covid struck. Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M Scindia will inaugurate and address the delegates and visitors at 'Wings India 2022 – India@75: New horizon for aviation industry.'

General (Retd) VK Singh, MoS, Ministry of Civil Aviation & Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways will also address the audience. With the number of aircraft expected to double in the next 10 years, there will be tremendous pressure on air traffic management, on airports and on the demand for talent required to maintain and operate these aircraft safely and efficiently. Additional orders are likely as well, as airlines firm up their long-haul strategy. A launch from the organisers on the preparatory assembly mentioned there was overwhelming response for Wings India 2022. FICCI mentioned over 125 worldwide and home exhibitors have confirmed participation.

The occasion, which comes within the backdrop of life returning to normalcy after the third wave of the pandemic, is predicted to have delegation from 15 nations and 25 States and Union Territories. Solely totally vaccinated delegates shall be allowed to take part and correct well being screening protocol is to be carried out, the organisers mentioned.

One of many highlights of Wings India 2022 shall be aerobatics by Sarang staff of the Indian Air Drive. The action in the Indian market for widebody aircraft is hotting up. Airbus kicked off the action, bringing the Airbus A350 Extra Wide Body (XWB) demonstrator aircraft to the Hyderabad Wings biannual air show. It showcased the aircraft in Delhi and Mumbai before proceeding to the air show. The aircraft is capable of flying non-stop for up to 19 hours, with Singapore Airlines using it on the New York-Singapore route.

The pilot community is sure that now that Airbus has brought its latest Extra Long Haul aircraft to India, Boeing will follow. Vistara has already ordered the Boeing 787-9, which can fly 15 hours non-stop and reach the interiors of the US. Vistara is still awaiting permission from the US government to start flights there.

The emphasis on widebody aircraft comes at a time when the Indian government is pushing Indian carriers to make India a global hub for aviation, just as Dubai and Singapore are. For this, Indian carriers need to increase the number of widebody planes in their fleet. At the moment, Air India and Vistara are the only Indian carriers that have aircraft to launch long and ultra-long-haul flights to Europe, the US, Canada and Australia.