AAV News in Brief 30 March 2026

Air India to relocate all Ahmedabad flight operations to Terminal 2: Air India announced that all its domestic flight operations at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport will shift from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2, effective 29 March 2026. The relocation covers Air India’s schedule of 210 weekly domestic flights operating to and from Ahmedabad, while the airline’s international flights departing and arriving in Ahmedabad already operate from Terminal 2. From 29 March onwards, all Air India arrivals and departures will operate exclusively from Terminal 2. This transition is part of Air India’s ongoing efforts to enhance the airport experience for guests travelling to and from Ahmedabad. Spread across 49,000 sq. m built‑up area, Terminal 2 offers a significantly upgraded passenger experience and is equipped with 52 check‑in counters, self-baggage drop kiosks, DigiYatra kiosks, 17 departure immigration counters, 22 arrival immigration counters, 8 Fast Track Immigration e‑gates at departures and arrivals, and a wide range of retail and F&B options. Air India has begun notifying all passengers booked to travel to or from Ahmedabad about the terminal change through SMS, email, and other direct communication channels. Travellers are also advised to double‑check their terminal information before heading to the airport to avoid any last‑minute inconvenience. AVIATEK expands special mission aviation with Tecnam P2006T NG: Tecnam announced a significant fleet expansion for the Colombian aviation and technology company, AVIATEK Group. Already successfully operating a highly capable Tecnam P2012 Sentinel in South America, AVIATEK is now acquiring two new Tecnam P2006T NG Special Mission Platform (SMP) aircraft to enhance its global operational footprint. This strategic acquisition bridges two continents. The first of the newly acquired P2006T NG aircraft will represent the official launch of the company’s European operations under its Polish sister organization, EKOLOT. A second P2006T NG SMP is scheduled for delivery in March and will be shipped directly to Colombia. This milestone delivery will introduce the very first P2006T NG to the country, specifically tasked to support the extensive special mission contracts AVIATEK holds throughout the Latin American region. Luis Zapata, President & CEO of AVIATEK Group, stated: “The introduction of the Tecnam P2006T NG marks an important milestone for AVIATEK and for Colombia. As a Colombian company, we are proud to pioneer the introduction of this new generation aircraft in the country, expanding the availability of modern special mission aviation platforms in the region. This acquisition strengthens AVIATEK’s operational capabilities and reinforces our commitment to supporting surveillance, environmental monitoring, risk management, disaster response, and humanitarian operations across Latin America.” The Tecnam P2006T NG SMP offers a highly efficient and cost-effective platform for specialised aviation. Arriving mission-ready, the aircraft is capable of adapting to a wide range of complex configurations while maintaining extraordinarily low operating costs compared to larger twin-engine alternatives. Its versatility, endurance, and reliability make it perfectly suited for the demanding operational environments of Latin America—expertly handling coastal regions, tropical climates, and diverse, challenging geographical conditions where flexibility is essential. Honda Aircraft Company wins FAA AMT Diamond Award: Honda Aircraft Company announced that it has earned the William (Bill) O’Brien Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Award for the fifth straight year from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The AMT Employer Diamond Award represents the highest level of distinction available to aircraft maintenance employers, requiring that 100% of eligible employees earn the AMT Award of Excellence by completing at least 12 hours of FAA-approved training in a year. For Honda Aircraft Company, 42 associates earned the AMT Award of Excellence. Consistently earning this award builds on the commitment of Honda Aircraft Company to support the company’s associates with comprehensive training and qualifications needed to deliver world-class service to its aircraft. This includes human factors training, which focuses on a variety of tactics to enhance situational awareness and foster tighter collaboration across teams, creating a work environment that ensures the highest level of quality and safety in all operations. While human factors training has always been a mainstay of talent development at Honda Aircraft Company, the company’s Customer Service Centre has led the charge in expanding these successful educational programs to additional departments, realizing additional benefits across the company. “Earning the FAA AMT Diamond award for the fifth year in a row is a direct result of the passion and precision our associates bring every day to their support of HondaJet owners,” said David Grubb, director of the Customer Service Division at Honda Aircraft Company. “Honda corporate culture places the highest value on creating joy for the customer, and we are proud to support the efforts of our associates through comprehensive training initiatives.” Airbus brings digital technology to firefighting: Airbus has just successfully completed a first-of-its-kind trial in forest firefighting. By linking aircraft, helicopters, drones and ground personnel via communication and data processing systems, Airbus has demonstrated the ability to carry out highly accurate water drops and significantly reduce the time between fire detection and extinguishment. The trial mobilised significant resources, including the  Airbus H130 FlightLab helicopter, two aircraft, an ATR 72 test aircraft and a Cirrus SR20 light aircraft, four drones including an Airbus Aliaca, and three lorries from the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service of Le Gard (SDIS 30) to collect and process data. To interconnect the entire system, Airbus deployed a local private mobile network bubble in the area, connected to Agnet, the mission-critical communication solution developed by Airbus for security and emergency services. These tests were carried out by Airbus and its partners at the Garrigues military camp in Nîmes (France), based on scenarios developed with Departmental Fire and Rescue Services (SDIS) as well as the Entente Valabre, a public body empowered by the French Ministry of the Interior to assess forest firefighting equipment, provide training for personnel in France and abroad, and which is recognised as an international authority. In these scenarios, two drones and the light aircraft captured images of the fire area, including infrared footage, and transmitted them in real time to Airbus servers connected to a command centre aboard a ground vehicle. The images were analysed, geolocated and merged with data, including satellite imagery, taking into account the terrain, wind strength and direction measured by a drone, and the location of firefighters on the ground. Data processing systems using AI produced a comprehensive view of the tactical situation on the ground and in the air, and enabled flight paths and water drop points to be transmitted to the helicopter equipped with a precision water drop assistance system and to the ATR72, which was simulating a water bomber. CPaT wins new training deal with Cabo Verde Airlines: CPaT Global announced they have been awarded a new contract with Cabo Verde Airlines. Under this agreement, CPaT will provide Cabo Verde Airlines with Aircraft Systems courses for the Boeing B737NG and B737 MAX fleets, along with access to CPaT’s robust library of General Subjects courses. In addition, Cabo Verde Airlines will implement CPaT’s B737NG and B737MAX Cabin Crew Training Suite, Exam System, and CPaT Invent, the company’s powerful content-design software platform. “We are proud to partner with Cabo Verde Airlines and support their training initiatives with our comprehensive pilot and cabin crew training solutions,” said Capt. Greg Darrow, Vice President of Sales at CPaT. “Providing airlines with the flexibility to customize their training content is a key part of our mission, and we look forward to supporting Cabo Verde Airlines as they continue to strengthen their training programs.” Based in Praia, Cabo Verde, Cabo Verde Airlines operates worldwide and serves as a key connector between continents. Armindo Sousa, Chairman & CEO of TACV Cabo Verde Airlines, added: “We are pleased to partner with CPaT Global, a company with deep expertise in aviation training and a strong track record in pilot and cabin crew training solutions, with extensive capabilities in content delivery and training platform technology. We value this partnership as a key driver in strengthening our training programs and ensuring that our crews have the right tools, content, and support. By working with CPaT, we can maintain the highest training standards and continue improving both pilot and cabin crew readiness.” Deutsche Aircraft accelerates D328eco programme with Dassault Systèmes: Deutsche Aircraft has advanced the development of its D328eco regional turboprop by deploying an integrated, model‑based digital engineering environment built on Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The move marks a significant programme milestone and strengthens the company’s strategy to industrialise the D328eco using a modern, data‑driven development and production ecosystem. The D328eco, a next‑generation evolution of the Dornier 328, is being designed for short and medium‑range operations with upgraded performance, modern avionics and full compatibility with sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). By incorporating virtual design, simulation and validation early in the programme, Deutsche Aircraft can assess system behaviour, structural loads and cabin configurations before physical manufacturing begins. This approach supports risk reduction, accelerates decision cycles and helps maintain development timelines as the programme progresses toward industrial maturity. By centralising product requirements, configuration management and engineering data, Deutsche Aircraft ensures continuity between design, manufacturing and in‑service support. This digital backbone is particularly important as the company prepares for industrial ramp‑up at its new Final Assembly Line in Leipzig, where digitalised workflows will help enable a scalable and repeatable production system. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]