A Word from Editor

Moderation in the price Of ATF has come as a welcome relief for airlines who were in deep financial distress with no light at the end of the tunnel. However, the relentless onslaught of rising global price of oil in the recent past has spurred efforts to find new and more efficient ways to propel aircraft. Joseph Noronha takes a look at the unique effort to circumnavigate the globe in an experimental solar powered aircraft.

Will this pave the way to exploitation of the inexhaustible source of energy, the Sun, by the aviation sector? Considering the heights the aviation industry has conquered in just over a century since the first hesitating hop by the Wright Brothers in 1903, this does not seem outside the realm of possibility. In the interim, it would be pertinent to explore alternative fuels that could be used to power aircraft.

Apart from the high cost of propulsion, the aviation industry is plagued by a variety of daunting challenges. While B.N. Gokhale examines the problems of congestion in the skies, Sajal Dutt focuses on the crucial and related issue of shortage of air traffic controllers. This critical area is currently under government control and in serious need for reforms essential to sustain the industry’s growth. A possible solution lies in privatisation in this area.

Boom in the aviation industry in the last five years has led to a sudden increase in the demand for civil flying training. Captain Ajit Agtey, a senior commander in Jet Airways, highlights the long-term implications of dilution in the quality of basic flying training as hordes of young men and women make a beeline for schools in different parts of the world—some with doubtful and even dubious credentials.

Compromise with quality is akin to a virus that could weaken the system from within and affect air safety adversely in the long run. G.S. Chaudhry recommends enhanced participation by the private sector in the development of aviation infrastructure for the industry to thrive.

The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation sponsored Aviation Outlook 2008 seminar hosted in Mumbai in June this year painted a bleak picture of the aviation scene in country. However, A.K. Sachdev takes a more balanced view of the evolving scenario which ends on a somewhat encouraging note.
Happy landings!