A major event for the global aviation industry covering both military and civil aviation, was the iconic Farnborough International Airshow 2018 held in July this year. The Airshow this year was on even a greater scale and was clearly dominated by the civil aviation segment of the global aerospace industry. A report on the Airshow by Rohit Srivastava of SP Guide Publications figures in this issue of SP’s Aviation.

Effort by the NDA Government to procure 36 Rafale jets from Dassault Aviation of France in place of the failed tender for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft to meet the urgent needs of the IAF too has got embroiled in an ugly political controversy distorting the process of defence procurement. In this issue of SP’s Aviation, Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy (Retd), former Chief of the Air Staff of the IAF, has placed the contract for 36 Rafale jets in the correct perspective and has shown a way out for procurement of military hardware without controversy.

A Tata-Singapore Airlines joint venture full service carrier Vistara that commenced operations in India in 2015 has, a vision for growth in the future that indeed is impressive. This issue of the SP’s Aviation carries an interview of Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer of Vistara wherein he shares plans of the airline for the future and his optimism about the prospects of growth of the carrier.

In a brief article in this issue of the magazine, Simon Davies, Sales Director, Global Jet Capital, elaborates on the four factors that propel the market for business aircraft. These are considerations related to comfort, convenience, capacity and cost-efficiency that offer clear advantages of travel to the business community by owned or leased platforms as opposed to travel by airlines.

In the first week of September this year, the landmark Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) between India and the US was signed during the ‘Two-Plus-Two’ dialogue at New Delhi. This agreement is expected to provide a major boost to Indo-US relations making India’s status as ‘Major Defence Partner,’ of the US far more meaningful. In this issue of SP’s Aviation, Air Marshal Sukhchain Singh (Retd) has a detailed analysis of the agreement and its implications. This issue of the magazine also carries a report by Rohit Srivastava on a seminar in New Delhi organised by the IAF along with other organisations on the ways to reenergise the Indian Aerospace Industry.

It is indeed a matter of immense relief for the Indian as well as global aerospace industry that the MoD has decided to retain the 12th edition of the Aero India Airshow at Yelahanka with no change in time frame. News about the plan of the MoD to shift the Airshow out of Bengaluru to Air Force Station Bakshi Ka Talab near Lucknow, had generated considerable anxiety and even a degree of dismay amongst the leading players in the aerospace industry both in India and abroad. Mercifully, better sense has prevailed. The next logical step would be to bring Defexpo India back to New Delhi as explained in this issue by Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd).

All this and more in this issue of SP’s Aviation. Welcome aboard and wish you happy landings!

Jai Hind!