Kempegowda International Aiport

KARNATAKA: INDIA’s FIRST /AIR MOBILITY TO AIRPORT: ‘City to airport in 5 minutes’: Bengaluru airport, Sarla Aviation partner for India’s first advanced air mobility solution through eVTOL

According to Sarla Aviation, a journey of 1.5 hours to Bengaluru airport from the city can be reduced to just ‘five minutes’ through an electric powered seven-seater aircraft – eVTOL.

Travelling to Bengaluru airport amid the chaotic traffic of the city is going to be a thing of the past. In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) and Sarla Aviation, an aerospace component manufacturing company, recently signed a statement of collaboration to explore a sustainable and advanced air mobility option to travel from city to the airport.

With this partnership, according to Sarla Aviation, a journey of 1.5 hours to Bengaluru airport from the city can be reduced to just ‘five minutes’ through an electric powered seven-seater aircraft – eVTOL.

Sarla Aviation on Monday announced its partnership with BIAL to make Bengaluru India’s first eVTOL-friendly airport. eVTOL or electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing uses electric power to hover, take off and land vertically, similar to a helicopter.

eVTOLs are being developed as part of the broader push toward advanced air mobility (AAM), aiming to offer urban air transportation solutions such as air taxis, cargo deliveries or medical emergency services. eVTOLS are often seen as part of the future of urban mobility, with the potential to reduce traffic congestion and create more efficient transportation networks, particularly in cities.

According to the company’s website, the aircraft is capable of covering distances up to 160km, but it’s optimally designed for the typical 20-40 kilometre inner-city commutes. “In our launch cities – Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi – passengers can expect to save up to 87% of their usual commute time, transforming the way you travel in the bustling urban landscape.”

It also states the with eVTOL the time taken from Electronic City to BLR Airport is set to reduce to under 20 minutes, compared to 152 minutes taken by road. “Equipped with four, double-isolated battery packs, our eVTOL powers seven electric motors. Sarla achieves speeds up to 250 km/h, transforming hour-long commutes into mere minutes. It is built to accommodate a pilot, and comfortable seating for 6 passengers, along with their luggage. It is also capable of performing back-to-back 40-kilometer trips with just 15 minutes of charging time in between,” the company has stated in its website.

The company in a statement said, “We are very excited to share that Sarla Aviation partners with Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BLR) to make Bengaluru India’s first eVTOL-friendly airport! We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Bangalore Airport Ltd as we join forces to bring the future of air mobility to India’s tech capital. Bengaluru International Airport is not only our home base and one of the largest airports in India and the world but also a forward-thinking hub where #sustainability is at the heart of everything. Together, we aim to make Bengaluru India’s first eVTOL-friendly airport, setting a new standard for sustainable aviation.”

Adrian Schmidt, CEO and one of the co-founders of Sarla Aviation, said, “I am proud to partner with Kempegowda International Airport, marking a significant step in addressing Bengaluru’s congestion challenges. Currently, a journey from Indiranagar to the airport can take 1.5 hours—very soon, we will reduce that to just 5 minutes with Sarla’s fully electric flying taxis. I am truly inspired by the leadership at Bengaluru Airport, whose vision challenges young companies like ours to push boundaries and redefine what’s possible.”

He said that the collaboration represents a transformative journey towards reshaping how passengers travel, providing faster, cleaner, and more efficient air mobility options.

Last week, Sarla Aviation also met Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in Delhi to discuss India’s leadership in the Era of Urban Air Mobility, steps toward creating a Bharat-centric eVTOL policy and outlining the company’s steps to bring Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) to India and ensuring smooth regulatory pathways.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: AVIATION & AIRLINES: RECORD SETTING: India’s First wide-bodied Airbus A350 Flies from Bengaluru to Mumbai

Flight AI 589 will operate from Kempegowda International Airport six days of the week barring Tuesdays to the same launch timings.

Air India on Monday commercially launched of India’s first Airbus A350 flight from Bengaluru to Mumbai carrying 297 passengers on board. Flight AI 589 departed from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) at 7.05 am and reached Mumbai at 8.50 am.

The Airbus A350 aircraft is part of Air India’s record setting order of 470 aircraft signed with Airbus and Boeing in June 2023. The first Airbus A350-900, registered as VT-JRA arrived at IGI Airport, New Delhi on December 23, 2023, said an official release. One aircraft will arrive every six days in 2024.

The configuration of the aircraft is 316 seats – 28 private business suites with full-flat beds, 24 premium economy seats with extra legroom and 264 spacious economy seats. The latest generation Panasonic (eX3) in-flight entertainment system and HD screens in them will offer a superior flying experience to flyers, it said. “Fitted with the Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines, this aircraft is 20 percent more fuel efficient tan other similar aircraft,” it added.

Bengalurean Naveen, who flew on this spacious aircraft during one of its subsequent trips later on Monday from Bengaluru to Chennai told TNIE, “I have been waiting for long to travel by this magnificient aircraft. This model has been operated by international airlines to India and I have flown by them. But this is the first time that an Indian airline is operating one and that too on a domestic route.”

Asked what impressed him about this make, he said, “The entertainment systems available were impressive. Overall, it has more space than regular aircraft.”

AI 589 will operate from KIA on six days of the week barring Tuesdays to the same launch timings.

The release added, “Initially the aircraft will be deployed on domestic routes for crew familiarisation and regulatory compliance purposes. Passengers from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai will have the opportunity to experience the unparalleled comfort and state-of-the-art technology of the A350 – part of the 470 new aircraft order that Air India placed less than a year ago. The aircraft will be later deployed for long-haul flights to destinations across continents, strengthening AI’s growing fleet of wide-body fleets, comprising its own and recently leased aircraft.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: AIRPORTS / TRAVEL/ METAVERSE: Kempegowda Intl Airport’s Terminal-2 (KIA T-2) is One of the First in the World that can be Experienced on the Metaverse. First phase of ‘BLR Metaport’ Launched

The Kempegowda International Airport’s Terminal-2 has become one of the first terminals in the world that can be experienced on the metaverse, after Bangalore International Airport Limited, operator of the KIA, on Tuesday announced the first phase launch of the BLR Metaport.

The Kempegowda International Airport’s (KIA) Terminal-2 has become one of the first terminals in the world that can be experienced on the metaverse, after Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), operator of the KIA, on Tuesday announced the first phase launch of the BLR Metaport.

Built in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Polygon, the BLR Metaport offers an immersive, three-dimensional (3D) virtual experience of the newly launched terminal.

Interested travellers and members of the public can log on to www.blrmetaport.com and virtually tour and navigate the new terminal using their smart devices.

The BLR Metaport is an outcome of the Joint Innovation Centre (JIC), announced in April 2022 by BIAL, AWS, and Intel. The JIC focuses on driving the development and adoption of digital solutions in aviation.

“For BIAL, the mission of the JIC is to leverage emerging technologies to build new business models and passenger experiences and be at the forefront of technology innovation in India’s commercial aviation,” BIAL added.

Developed in line with this mission, the BLR Metaport is one of the first airport metaverse experiences, designed to deliver an enhanced digital experience.

A 3D interface will offer customers new ways to interact with the airport, such as checking into flights, navigating terminals, shopping, and social aspects like connecting with other travellers.

BLR Metaport brings the virtual and physical worlds together to provide consistent engagement, and aims to excite travellers with new, unique, and immersive experiences.

BIAL’s Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Satyaki Raghunath said, “We are very excited that BIAL is entering into the new world of metaverse through the BLR Metaport.

This is our first foray into the world of Web3 and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and we aim to delight travellers with a unique, immersive, and virtual experience. We believe that it is important to connect with a new generation of our global audience through the metaverse.

We also have several initiatives planned around the BLR Metaport, which promise to increase ways in which we can engage with our global audience and enhance business impact over the next few years.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)