The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the LFV Air Navigation Services of Sweden have signed a memorandum of understanding to bring together the two countries with demonstrated capabilities in building and operationalising the next generation of sustainable aviation technology.
The agreement will enable the two sides to explore smart aviation solutions and pave the way for bilateral exchanges of aviation knowledge and technology. It will allow Indian companies to accelerate growth while leveraging Swedish innovation and expertise. Under the aegis of the MoU, companies can collaborate in areas of mutual interest. According to a press release, AAI and LFV, both government agencies of India and Sweden respectively, will collaborate on the following areas:
- Air traffic management
- Air traffic control
- Remote airport management and traffic control
- Airspace design and planning
- Airport design and infrastructure
- Digitalised airport and aviation
- Capability and training
- Sustainable airports and aviation
- Processes for pilots
- Processes for scale-up
Acknowledging the pressing need for rapid development concerning next-generation smart airports and the necessity to build sustainable transport systems, both parties agreed to exchange aviation knowledge and technology transfer programmes; promote close and friendly relations between the two agencies; expand technical cooperation in airports; and support the development of a safe, secure, sustainable, and efficient aviation sector.
A joint working group shall be organised to prioritise interest areas and drive collaboration between the two countries. This MoU will play a crucial role in furthering government-to-government engagements between India and Sweden in the aviation sector, in addition to other existing areas of collaboration like sustainability, healthcare, innovation, energy, and infrastructure.
The Ambassador of Sweden to India talked about the long-standing collaboration between India and Sweden. “We are looking forward to this addition to the already expansive India-Sweden collaboration, which already includes sustainability, health, innovation, energy, and will now extend to civil aviation.” The Ambassador of India to Sweden explained that the MoU covers new ground and will facilitate technology collaborations to improve safety, sustainability, and efficiency in the aviation sector.
The Indian government has also been exploring aviation technology solutions for the military. Last year, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur (IIT-Kanpur) inked an MoU to build robust aerospace technologies. The partnership would establish a long-term relationship for academic and research-based interactions and lead to the exchange of technical knowledge to foster innovations in aerospace technology.
The partnership created a pool of think tanks with strategic knowledge and intellectual skills among IAF officers. As OpenGov Asia reported, IAF bolstered teaching, research, and technology development in aerospace technologies, aircraft structural integrity, aircraft health monitoring, and other allied subjects in the fields of aeronautics and aviation. It helped demonstrate new technology intervention and created awareness among IAF officers to address their problems through interactions with IIT-Kanpur faculty members. The agreement also facilitated the development of training programmes for IAF personnel, which created platforms for the dissemination of knowledge to innovate new technologies.
