The scientific community is proud of the successful launch of the Mangalyaan, a space vehicle on the 300-day journey to the Red Planet. The nation will look forward to successful completion of the mission that would propel India into the elite club of just a handful of nations in the world that can boast of having this capability.

The regime of aerospace has been agog with activity in the recent past not only in India, but in the world as well. Despite a ripple of scepticism from some quarters centred essentially around the huge expenditure incurred on the mission to Mars project and the issue of affordability, the scientific community is justifiably proud of the successful launch of the Mangalyaan, a space vehicle on the 300-day journey to the Red Planet. The nation will look forward to successful completion of the historic mission that would propel India into the elite club of just a handful of nations in the world that can boast of having this capability.

The civil aviation scene in India is also full of anticipation with Singapore Airlines and AirAsia, the two major international carriers of global repute in collaboration with the Tata Group that is endowed with an equally formidable reputation, are moving forward to take the Indian civil aviation market by a storm. While the travelling public is eagerly looking forward to the launch of operations by these two giants in the global airline industry, this development would, in all likelihood, drive a chill down the collective spine of the existing Indian carriers some of whom are doddering on the verge of financial distress. Hopefully, negotiating the labyrinthine regulatory framework of the Indian civil aviation establishment will not dampen the spirit or frustrate the efforts of the two foreign carriers to penetrate the Indian market. The demise of Kingfisher Airlines will then recede into history and the trauma of the episode will eventually fade from public memory.

Two other events, both on the global scene namely the National Business Aviation Association 2013 convention held in the US in October 2013 where 1,100 exhibitors were present and the Dubai Airshow now under way and where over 1,000 exhibitors are participating, are clear evidence that the ill effects of the global economic slowdown are behind us and that in its wake, business aviation globally is on the rebound. Hopefully, the Indian civil aviation establishment is aware of this change and will take the necessary steps to promote this vital component of the civil aviation industry that is so crucial to the economic well-being of the nation but sadly continues to languish in India. Meanwhile Embraer is moving forward to raise comfort and efficiency of business jets to a new level with the introduction of the Legacy 500. A report on this jewel in the crown of Embraer in included in this issue.

An area of major concern lately for the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been the lack of response from the Indian aerospace industry in the private sector to its initiative to seek its active participation in its plans for expansion. The issue was deliberated upon extensively in the Eighth International Conference on Energising the Aerospace Industry organised in Delhi by the Confederation of Indian Industry together with Centre for Air Power Studies and the IAF. It is abundantly clear that unless the problems confronting the industry in the private sector are adequately addressed by the government, the IAF’s initiative in this regard may not bear fruit.

All these apart from the regular features in this issue. Welcome aboard and happy landings!