Weekly News Debrief: 11-17 August

 Putin Alaska Visit:

  • As Putin visited Alaska for negotiations about the war in Ukraine, we got to see some pretty cool aviation moments.
  • In an unprecedented move, Putin's IL96 aircraft was escorted by US fighters, most likely F35s as it departed Russia.
  • This is the first documented instance of an official Russian aircraft receiving such an escort in US airspace, making it a historic aviation moment.


Italian F35s Intercept Russian Aircraft:
  • On August 13, two Italian Air Force F35A fighters were scrambled as a part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission to intercept Russian Su-24 and Su-27 aircraft.
  • These aircraft were operating near NATO airspace without transponders or flight plans.
  • This was the first ever F35 interception operated by Italy for NATO, highlighting their preparedness.

Indigo Tail-Strike:
  • An Indigo Aircraft VT-NCJ suffered a tail strike while operating Indigo Flight 6E1060 from Bangkok (BKK / VTBS). 
  • The tail strike occurred while it was executing a go-around amid heavy rains, while landing in Mumbai (BOM / VAAB).
  • The aircraft landed successfully thereafter.
  • Damage to the aircraft seems minimal- as of writing this article the plane shows to be operating 6E1011 on FlightRadar24. 

Indian Oil Can Now Make Sustainable Aviation Fuel:
  • Indian Oil's Panipat Refinery has been internationally certified to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from used cooking oil.
  • It has a target output of 35,000 tons by the year-end.
  • This is a major milestone for sustainable aviation in India.

Location: GXWC+C8 Manjari Budruk, Pune, Maharashtra, India

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