airport

Delhi Airport To Have India’s 1st Private Jet Terminal!

AirWhizzJan 31, 2019 No Comments

Delhi Airport To Have India’s 1st Private Jet Terminal!

Aviation Insider

India’s first terminal for private jets to land and take off is expected to be ready by May at the Delhi Airport.

It will be connected by a separate road leading to the facility, and feature sculptures evocative of the Mughal era and artificial water bodies.

The terminal coming up at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport will ensure faster turnaround of business jets and chartered planes, shielding them from the clutter of general passenger terminals, where they now have to compete for landing and take-off slots with commercial planes.

The terminal building is designed to withstand over 60 aircraft movements a day and is being built with a handling capability of over 200 passengers a day.

The terminal will be able to handle Boeing 767 business jets and any Boeing 777 with a VIP configuration and a passenger capacity of 250.

About 1,200 scheduled flights operate from Delhi airport every day; an additional 40-50 small non- scheduled chartered planes also land at and take off from the airport daily.

Airport officials say that VIPs prefer to travel in private jets and all their movements take place from Terminal 1, which is already operating beyond its capacity.

Site development work on this integrated general and business aviation terminal commenced in March 2018 and work has rapidly progressed on the 22-acre lot that was allocated by the airport run by a consortium led by GMR Group.

“The separate terminal in Delhi would help us in expanding the business but such terminals are required in other metro cities as well,” said aid Rajesh Bali, managing director of the Business Aircraft Operators Association.

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Chandigarh Airport To Start 24/7 Operations From March 2019!

AirWhizzJan 30, 2019 No Comments

Chandigarh Airport To Start 24/7 Operations From March 2019!

Aviation Insider

The Chandigarh international airport will be functional for round-the-clock flying operations by March 31, the Central Government told the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

As a petition filed in public interest for making the airport fully functional came up during high court the hearing, the Centre submitted that the entire work related to night operations at the Chandigarh international airport was expected to be over by March-end.

Assistant Solicitor-General of India Chetan Mittal added that a substantial amount of work for making the airport fully operational round the clock had been completed.

He added that issues related to delay in payments of the agencies involved in the work at the airport would also be resolved expeditiously.

The Bench, during the course of the hearing, was also told that the Chandigarh international airport was already receiving offers from some airlines willing to start Chandigarh-Delhi flights till 11.45 pm and at 6 am.

Giving details, Mittal added that the airlines had shown interest in late-night and early-morning flights after the airport decided to extend the airplane parking facility at the Chandigarh airport.

The High Court has already been told that several new flights from Chandigarh to Delhi, Mumbai and the Middle East were on the cards.

The flights to Mumbai would further connect to international destinations such as London, Manchester, Paris and Amsterdam.

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Is Air Travel Taking Longer Than Before?

AirWhizzJan 28, 2019 No Comments

Is Air Travel Taking Longer Than Before?

Aviation Insider

As we get older, it’s common to feel like the passage of time is speeding up. Events that used to take much longer now seem to fly past.

When it comes to air travel though, the opposite is actually happening. Flight times are getting slower, it’s a fact.

Shorter flights take longer than they used to as well. For instance ,In 1995, London to Edinburgh took 1 hour 15 minutes instead of the 1 hour 25 it takes now.

With the technological advancements of the last few decades, it seems bizarre that flight duration should slow and not speed up.

So why is this happening? Well, we’ve got some answers. We’ve compiled a list of reasons why air travel might be taking longer than it did in previous years.

Airlines Have A Huge Part To Play In This

So we can all agree that flight times are increasing. But are planes spending more time in the air, or are they adding extra time at the start and end of each journey?

In reality, it’s both. There’s a technical word for this in the aviation industry, ”Schedule Padding”.

Airlines often alter their flight schedule to give each flight a bit more margin for error regarding flight delays.

This extra time might explain why pilots often proudly announce ‘making up time in the air’ — even after lengthy delays have occurred before take-off.

By giving themselves a bit more time in the schedule, airlines can report better on-time performances.

Money Saving Tactics

Another reason why passengers experience longer flight times is that of fuel efficiency and money saving on the part of airlines.

A plane traveling at a slower speed will consume less fuel, so airlines are able to save millions each year by extending flight times.

The price of fuel rose dramatically between 2002 and 2012 from $0.70 per gallon to $3 globally, so you can see why airlines might want to cut back.

Bigger Airports, More Airplanes In The Sky

It’s no surprise that busier air traffic can have a significant effect on the punctuality of flights.

Flight routes are getting much busier, and new runways and terminals (such as the gigantic Mumbai Airport Terminal 2) are all factors airlines consider when publishing their schedules.

Air traffic control congestion also plays a large role. With skies now much busier than 10 years ago, sticking to previous flight times might be too optimistic.

All that said, it’s the job of airlines to offer paying passengers the most convenient and quick way to reach their destination. So blaming busier schedules for poor service isn’t going to fool anyone.

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New Domestic & International Services To Start At Kannur International Airport!

AirWhizzJan 28, 2019 No Comments

New Domestic & International Services To Start At Kannur International Airport!

Aviation Insider

Five airlines announced new domestic and international flights from the Kannur International Airport at a meeting set up by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan last week.

Low-cost airline IndiGo will start operations to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Hubli and Goa, starting January 25.

It will launch a service connecting Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram by March-end. Services to Kuwait and Doha will be started in March and those to Jeddah and Dammam in two months.

GoAir representatives said the airline would start a Mascot flight. It also plans to start flights connecting Kannur with Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.

The SpiceJet representatives said the airline would start services to Bangalore and Chennai.

Air India Express will start services to Bahrain, Kuwait and Muscat by March. At present, Air India Express operates services to Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha from Kannur.

In response to a request by the Chief Minister, Air India CMD Pradeep Singh Kharola said that flight fares from Kannur would be reduced. The Chief Minister, in his opening address, had pointed out that the AI was charging exorbitant rates for flights from Kannur when compared to nearby airports.

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Paperless Boarding Is Finally Coming To India In 2019!

AirWhizzJan 23, 2019 No Comments

Paperless Boarding Is Finally Coming To India In 2019!

Aviation Insider

A smile is all that you’ll need to board your next domestic flight.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has notified rules for its ambitious project ‘Digi Yatra (DY)’ wherein a domestic flyer will be able to board a flight with biometric-based verification.

Travellers will be required to generate a unique DY ID number through the aviation ministry’s website. According to DGCA chief BS Bhullar, passengers can create their unique DY ID using any of the government-issued identification cards.

After a mandatory initial physical security check, passengers will be required to give the unique number while booking tickets in the future.

After this, passengers will be able to go paperless for flights to domestic sectors at airports which are equipped with biometric-based verification.

Facial recognition (voluntary biometrics) access system will be a reality soon in the next two to three months.

The system will kick off first at the Hyderabad and Bangalore airports. Varanasi, Kolkata, Pune and Vijaywada will be the next set of airports to follow suit.

However, if passengers don’t want to opt for the paperless and voluntary method, they may decide to go for the existing system of showing electronic tickets (e-tickets) to the airport staff.

Such reforms will surely enable domestic flyers to have a smooth journey in the coming months.

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Bengaluru Airport To Remain Partially Closed For 10 Days From 14th Feb!

AirWhizzJan 22, 2019 No Comments

Bengaluru Airport To Remain Partially Closed For 10 Days From 14th Feb!

Aviation Insider

To ensure the safety of passengers and success of the Bengaluru air show, the Kempegowda International Airport will be partially closed for commercial flight operations during the days of practice and the main show.

Aero space exhibition “Aero India 2019” will be held in Bengaluru from February 20 to Feb 24.

KIA will be shut for commercial flights during particular hours from February 14 to February 24, which includes practice days, full dress rehearsal, inauguration ceremony and air display, among others.

BIAL is working with airlines, whose services will be impacted during this period, to ensure minimal disruption to their existing schedule during the reduced operating hours.

Passenger convenience will be ensured with the respective airlines sharing all information on the change in airport operations and the cancelled/revised flight timings during the show.

The 12th edition of the trade event will showcase technologies and products of global and Indian aerospace and defence firms, with static and flying display of military and civil aircraft, including fighters, jets, helicopters and air weapons.

Besides global leaders and investors in the aerospace industry, think-tanks from the world over are expected to participate in the event, organised by the Defence Ministry along with other related organisations.

Here are the details of the closure timings:

  • Feb 14th –  Feb 17th (1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)
  • Feb 18th – Feb 19th (10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
  • Feb 20th (09:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
  • Feb 21st – Feb 24th (10:00 a.m. & 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
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Everything You Need To Know About The UDAN Scheme!

AirWhizzJan 21, 2019 No Comments

Everything You Need To Know About The UDAN Scheme!

Aviation Insider

There was a time when air travel was only for the rich or businessmen.

With the introduction of low-cost airlines a few years back and the government of India taking initiatives, air travel has become cheap enough to reach the common man.

One such initiative is called UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik)!

Here are all the details you need to know about the UDAN scheme.

What Is UDAN?

UDAN is a first-of-its-kind government scheme in the world, which is aimed at bringing together different regions of India which were not accessible through air before.

The scheme also aims at bringing airfares down and making air travel accessible to people from all walk of life.

The scheme was launched on 27th April 2017 and has been a success ever since.

The key Components Of UDAN

The UDAN Scheme has two key components. The first being the development of new and enhancement of the existing and operational airports in the country.

This will be aimed at equipping these airports to handle civilian domestic flights. Under this over 100 underserved and unserved regional airports will be developed by December 2019. This will be done at an initial funding of Rs 45,000 million for 50 airports.

In the second component, several hundred financially-viable capped-airfare regional air routes will be operated to connect over 100 underserved and unserved airports in smaller towns. Each of these towns will be connected to airports of bigger cities.

This will be done in three rounds of bidding that will be completed by the end of this year.

Number of Airports Under The Scheme

The government of India is looking to build and connect Indian airports in different regions to handle the growing domestic air traffic in the country.

The UDAN scheme aims to connect as many as 70 airports of India. These airports include 27 served airports, 12 under-served airports and 31 unserved airports.

As many as 17 out of the 70 airports are located in the North, 12 in East, 6 in North-East, 11 in South and 24 in West.

How cheap are the flights in UDAN?

The price for UDAAN flights will be very cheap.

The scheme has been designed to help the less connected people of the country to reach the major cities with ease.

The cost of living is cheaper in these areas and hence the income is lower too, which is why the government wants to price the ticket for Rs 2,500 on a 1-hour flight.

However, the caped fares are for now based on distance. For instance, Rs 1,420 will be the ticket price for a distance of 151–175 km, Rs 1,500 for a distance of 176–200 km, with a ceiling of maximum Rs 3,500 fare for a total distance of 800 km or more.

Why Are The Flights Cheap In UDAN?

The question that has left everyone’s mind boggling, is how is UDAN going to work?

Taxpayers are worried if the government is going to fund it with their money or if hidden costs are involved.

To put everyone’s mind at ease and help the airlines involved in UDAN, the government has allowed them to levy up the flight cost for passengers on major routes.

This in return will generate Rs.205 crore per annum, which can be translated to Rs.30 per passenger, on major routes like Delhi to Mumbai. This extended viability gap funding will be operational in coming three years.

States To Be Aided By UDAN

20 states and Union Territories are going to be served under UDAN.

The states are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.

Airports in Bhatinda, Bilaspur, Cooch Behar, Kadapa, Nanded, Neyveli, and Shimla are also going to benefit from this scheme.

The Future of UDAN

The Regional Connectivity Scheme is aimed at increasing flight operations for more than 100 airports by the end of 2018-2019.

New routes and airports are to be operationalized in near future. The government will open bids for the new projects soon.

For now, the airlines, which won the bid for 128 routes are Alliance Air, SpiceJet, Turbo Megha, Air Odisha, and Air Deccan.

This is one of the best initiatives in the aviation sector that has been taken by the Indian government. It will not only help the people from rural areas to travel with ease but will also connect urban India to the remote places. UDAN is a milestone in the shaping of new India.

*The Report Is Based On The Data Released By The Government In 2018

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Soon Passengers May Leave & Re-Enter Airport If Flight Gets Delayed!

AirWhizzJan 21, 2019 No Comments

Soon Passengers May Leave & Re-Enter Airport If Flight Gets Delayed!

Aviation Insider

A new proposal under consideration might allow fliers to leave the airport if their flights are delayed, and return to board them without any hassles.

The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) raised this issue during a meeting with Bureau of Civil Aviation Security of India (BCAS), that takes care of security at the airports across the nation.

As of now, passengers can’t leave the airport until they inform the airline and their name is dropped from the flight manifest. Further, the fliers need to be escorted by airline officials and handed over to security.

But soon this ‘tedious’ process will be modified and they can head out in the city or even go back home if the flight is delayed.

About the current process, Hemendra Singh, an assistant inspector general of the Central Industrial Security Force said, “We allow passengers to exit the terminal on directions of the airline. In such cases, the passenger leaves the airport with his luggage”

If the passenger has completed check-in and wishes to return, a new boarding pass is issued and airlines takes a call on luggage.

But the new proposal hopes to do away with the new boarding pass. One way to do that would be an option of leaving through a separate gate.

However, the proposal could take a few months before it is implemented. The facility will be available for both domestic and international fliers but not to those whose visa is expiring or those who have single-entry visas.

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