NEW DELHI — Indian space officials say the country’s first Mars orbiter is still on track for launch on Oct. 28 and will not be affected by the U.S. government shutdown, which has forced mission partner NASA to halt most of its operations. “We are going ahead with the Mars Orbiter Mission as planned. There is no delay,” D.P. Karnik of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) tells Aviation Week. “The launch window will remain open till Nov. 19.”
Air Costa, a new regional carrier in India, aims to acquire more Embraer E-Jets to supplement its current fleet of two E-170s as part of a two-year, $100 million investment plan. The start-up, which will be based in the Andhra Pradesh state in southern India, is a part of LEPL Group, an infrastructure and real estate company. “The airline has already taken delivery of two Embraer 170 aircraft, and will add three more by the end of this year,” says Air Costa Chairman L. Ramesh.
