India’s strides in space exploration took a historic leap with the successful demonstration of space docking—a sophisticated orbital maneuver mastered by only a handful of nations. This accomplishment, as detailed in an insightful article by Air Vice Marshal Sanjay Bhatnagar (Retd), marks a critical step toward India’s long-term goals, including manned space flights, in-orbit maintenance, and the ambitious Bharat Antariksha Station. Complementing this, the magazine highlights the recent appointment of Dr V. Narayanan as Secretary, Department of Space, and Chairman, ISRO, symbolising a new chapter in India’s space journey.

On the defence front, the Ministry of Defence is addressing delays in its Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) systems, with plans to procure six Mk1A aircraft worth ₹9,000 crore and advancing the development of six Mk-2 systems at the cost of another ₹10,990 crore. Manish Kumar Jha’s report sheds light on these pivotal initiatives, underscoring India’s commitment to enhancing its airborne capabilities, especially bearing in mind that China has significantly advanced its AEW&C technology in recent years.

In the realm of business aviation, the Middle East has emerged as a global leader, leveraging strategic investments, economic diversification, and a growing demand for private travel. At the heart of this transformation was the tenth edition of MEBAA 2024, held in December, which featured groundbreaking deals and innovative platforms. MEBAA 2024 was the perfect platform for global business aviation, emphasising sustainability, leading platforms for advanced air mobility, enhanced connectivity, and luxury services to cater to corporate and individual clients. Ayushee Chaudhary reports a detailed coverage of MEBAA 2024 and a range of expert insights, underscoring the innovation and resilience that continue to drive the aviation and space sectors in the Middle East.

Extending our coverage of MEBAA, there are three exclusive interviews, with torch bearers of Business Aviation around the globe. In the first interview, Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi, Chairman of IBAC Governing Board and Founding Chairman of MEBAA, reminisces on the region’s exponential growth from a handful of companies in 2006 to now over 370 companies engaged in all aspects of business aviation in the region. He also shared his insights and vision on business aviation’s role, challenges and a sustainable future.

Then we have an exclusive conversation with Michael Swift, Group Vice President – Sales, EMEA & APAC at Gulfstream Aerospace. He stressed that Middle-East market is a launch pad and that there is a Gulfstream aircraft for every mission. He then delves into the company’s groundbreaking achievements in sustainability, including its pioneering transatlantic flight powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel.

Similarly, in another upfront tête-à-tête, Carlos Brana, Executive Vice President Civil Aircraft at Dassault Aviation, discusses how Dassault Falcon Business Jets are blending luxury, safety, and utility to redefine business aviation. Quite the story teller, Carlos Brana proudly shares that till date, no Falcon aircraft has been lost in incidents or accidents. According to him, Falcon aircraft are very stable airplanes, very easy to fly, very easy to pilot and deemed extremely efficient. He also believes that the new Falcon 10X will be a ‘game changer’ in business aviation.

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