Editor’s Note

In a boost to supersonic air travel, Boom Supersonic, the aerospace company building the world’s fastest airliner, unveiled its supersonic demonstrator, XB-1 on October 7, 2020. The first independently developed supersonic aircraft ushers in new era of supersonic flight and include developing one of the highest-efficiency civil supersonic engine intakes ever tested. We have a report on the roll-out included in this of the magazine.

A focus area for the aviation sector has always been advancements in engine technologies for more fuel efficiency and greener environment. In a series of articles in this issue, we cover the whole range of technologies that are being worked on simultaneously to make our skies greener either through more fuel efficient engines or the use of composites in engines making them lighter to the introduction of hybrid or electric engines for commercial and regional aviation.

A major disaster that has struck the global civil aviation industry this year has been the COVID-19 pandemic that originated from China. However, it is China that now appears to be leading the world in recovery from the pandemic. This issue of the magazine carries a comprehensive study by Ayushee Chaudhary on how China is defining the roadmap for the recovery of the global civil aviation industry.

The Indian civil aviation industry was severely jolted when Air India Flight IX-1344, from Dubai to Calicut International Airport overshot the table top runway, rolled downhill and crashed, killing 18 out of the 190 on board including the two pilots who were flying the plane. In this issue of SP’s Airbuz, there is an in depth analysis by R.K. Yadav, a specialist in civil aviation, of the malaise afflicting the Indian civil aviation industry especially in the domain of air safety and his recommendations on the way forward to enhance air safety.

After a long time, the Air Headquarters Communication Squadron located at the Indian Air Force Station, Palam, has received a significant boost in its capability to provide long distance international air transportation of very high standards to the VVIPs of the nation with the induction of two appropriately modified Boeing 777 aircraft in the beginning of October this year. A report on this induction has been included in this issue of the magazine. All this and more in this issue of SP’s Airbuz. Welcome aboard and wish you many happy landings!

At SP’s we continue to work relentlessly and restlessly towards bringing more value and innovations to our valuable readers and our respectful audience. Following this path, established way back in 1964, we have now partnered with ‘editorji’, an innovative news-app founded by renowned journalist Vikram Chandra. Another baby step, yet, towards digital space.

Jai Hind!