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The Worst Airports In The World In 2018!

AirWhizzDec 10, 2018 No Comments

The Worst Airports In The World In 2018!

Aviation Insider

Your flying experience doesn’t just depend on what airline you’re flying with, but also what airports you’re flying from.

AirHelp, a famous travel website which helps passengers to claim compensations, recently announced its ranking of 141 airports across the world.

The top airports on the list all earned praise for their friendly service, timeliness and clean, modern amenities. Unfortunately, not every airport came out looking so good.

The following 10 airports earned the lowest marks based on data assessing on-time performance, public reviews of quality of service and passenger sentiment on social media.

It’s fair to say that these airports have provided passengers plenty to complain about.

10. Eindhoven Airport

On Time Performance: 5.9

Service Quality:7.2

Passenger sentiment: 5.1

TOTAL: 6.39 (out of 10)

Eindhoven Airport in Netherlands is not the worst rated airport on this list, but it’s certainly not the best either.

If you go through the Facebook page of the Dutch airport you will find countless complaints about bad customer service, long security linesand general disarray.

Here’s an example of one of the thousand bad reviews on Facebook:

“After being dismissed by every staff member with the response of ‘That’s not my problem!’, it was nearly impossible for us to speak to someone in charge and when we finally got contact info they responded with a generic email just giving their condolences. Your condolences don’t give me back my money for the flight I missed because the airport security was such a train wreck.”

9. Bordeaux-Merignac Airport

On-time performance: 7.4

Quality of service: 5.6

Passenger sentiment: 5.1

TOTAL: 6.37

The Bordeaux-Merignac Airport is located seven miles outside the city center of Bordeaux in southwestern France.

While it received decent marks for on-time performance, the airport lost points for passenger sentiment and quality of service.

Complaints about this airport frequently target unclean restrooms, long security lines, rude staff members and an overall unwelcoming feeling.

8. Edinburgh Airport

On-time performance: 6.6

Quality of service: 7.0

Passenger sentiment: 1.8

TOTAL: 6.29

Even Though Edinburgh Airport tagline is “where Scotland meets the world,” some travellers were thoroughly unimpressed with this airport.

According to AirHelp’s analysis, the airport received pretty awful marks for passenger sentiment, which dragged down its overall score.

People who have flown through Edinburgh say it’s difficult to navigate, mismanaged and chaotic.

Travelers also point out that the airport is severely lacking in seats to accommodate passengers as they wait, so many people end up sitting on the ground which is definitely not ideal.

7. Boryspil International Airport

On-time performance: 4.3

Quality of service: 8.0

Passenger sentiment: 4.9

TOTAL: 6.03

If you’re planning to visit Kiev, Ukraine, chances are you’ll be flying into the No. 7 worst airport in the world, Boryspil International Airport.

Travellers have complained about the fact that it’s difficult to connect to this airport’s Wi-Fi and to find drinking fountains to fill up their water bottles.

Another common complaint is the state of the toilets at the airport which have been described as “Dirty & Smelly”.

6.Manchester Airport

On-time performance: 6.1

Quality of service: 6.6

Passenger sentiment: 2.6

TOTAL: 5.95

People really like to complain about Manchester Airport on social media and that negative passenger sentiment is one of the main reasons the airport is No. 6 on this list.

Most recently, people have been grumbling about the fact that Manchester now charges a fee for passenger drop-offs, so even those who aren’t actually stepping foot inside the airport have something bad to say about it.

Other travellers say the airport doesn’t have enough staff to keep up with the number of passengers traveling through it, which creates long lines and lots of frustration.

5. Stockholm Bromma Airport

On-time performance: 4.4

Quality of service: 7.6

Passenger sentiment: 5.1

TOTAL: 5.91

Despite Sweden regularly being named one of the happiest countries in the world, the country’s Stockholm Bromma Airport, located a few miles west of the city center, has caused quite a lot of headaches for recent travellers.

Though it’s much closer to the center of Stockholm than Sweden’s largest airport, Arlanda, travellers complain that the airport is tiny, which means there are few places to sit when things get busy.

The quality of service, however, has been rated higher because of the same reason, since a smaller airport also means quicker check-in and security procedures.

4. Paris Orly Airport

On-time performance: 5.3

Quality of service: 6.8

Passenger sentiment: 4.1

TOTAL: 5.83

If you aren’t flying into Paris’s main international airport, Charles de Gaulle, you’re likely flying into Orly Airport, south of the city center.

And chances are, this will lead to a not-so-pleasant experience!

In addition to the airport’s low marks from AirHelp, travelers don’t hold back on its Facebook page. Some of the most common complaints about Orly include that it’s crowded, not welcoming, disorganized and somewhat difficult to navigate.

3. Lyon-Saint-Exupery Airport

On-time performance: 6.1

Quality of service: 5.8

Passenger sentiment: 4.2

TOTAL: 5.78

Located on the eastern outskirts of Lyon, France, Travellers love the design and architecture of Lyon-Saint-Exupery, but that’s about where their compliments stop.

Travelers have complained about the lack of technology during the check-in process, long lines and unhelpful French staffers.

2.London Stansted Airport

On-time performance: 6.2

Quality of service: 5.8

Passenger sentiment: 1.1

TOTAL: 5.53

When you think of London Airports you typically picture Gatwick or Heathrow.

But don’t leave out London Stansted Airport, which is roughly 40 miles northeast of the city center.

The airport also happens to be the second worst in the world, according to AirHelp’s findings, due to an abysmal score for passenger sentiment (though surprisingly not as low as London Gatwick Airport) and mediocre marks elsewhere.

What do travellers have to say about Stansted?

Well, for starters, they complain that the lines for check-in and security are always incredibly long and that it takes forever to get your bags once you land.

1.Kuwait Airport

On-time performance: 4.1

Quality of service: 7.0

Passenger sentiment: 3.9

TOTAL: 5.40

Coming in at “No. 1” on the list of the worst airports in the world? Kuwait Airport.

Travelers flying through here noted that it was disorganized and not as clean as they would have liked, and that they felt the staff was not very friendly.

As one disgruntled passenger expressed: “This airport is a total disgrace.”

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Mumbai Airport Sets World Record For Handling Maximum Flights In 24 Hours!

AirWhizzDec 10, 2018 No Comments

Mumbai Airport Sets World Record For Handling Maximum Flights In 24 Hours!

Aviation Insider

By operating the maximum number of aircraft in 24 hours, Mumbai Airport broke its own record on Saturday.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) handled a record 1004 flight movements in a day, exceeding its own record of operating 1003 flights in June this year.

Part of the credits for this accolade goes to the incoming of guests for the pre-wedding bash of Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal in Udaipur.

The spike in flight operations is mainly due to the excess demand for flights and charter aircraft to Udaipur by several VVIPs attending the wedding function.

As many as 903 scheduled, 59 non-scheduled, 8 charter, 31 freight and 3 military flights were handled by the airport.

Similarly, the Maharana Pratap airport in Udaipur saw over 200 chartered flights fly into the city for the pre-wedding bash. The Ambani family has, apparently, booked 20 aircraft from commercial airlines for their guests. 

According to Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) spokesperson, they have ferried 1004 flights on a single runway within 24 hours. If they compare even internationally, then the busy Gatwick airport too, falls behind as they do not ferry these many flight movements.

The GVK consortium-led Mumbai Airport handled 48.49 million passengers in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, registering a 7.4 percent growth over FY17.

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Air Italy, Wow Air Start Direct Flights From Delhi!

AirWhizzDec 08, 2018 No Comments

Air Italy, Wow Air Start Direct Flights From Delhi!

Aviation Insider

In a bid to boost international air connectivity, European carriers Air Italy and WOW Air have commenced their direct flights from Delhi.

Both these airlines offer direct flights to destinations in North America & Europe.

Air Italy’s Chief Operating Officer Mr. Rossen Dimitrov said the launch of its India-Italy sector represents another major step forward for the airline and reinforces its commitment to network expansion in Asia.

Kiran Jain, Managing Director, WOW air, said that the launch of the flight meant that passengers from India will be able to connect to 13 destinations in North America including Chicago, Washington DC, Orlando and NewYork within 145 minutes of arriving in Reykjavik.

Here are all the details about the flight schedules of both the airlines:

Air Italy

  • Air Italy will fly between Delhi and Milanthrice a week.
  • From next Friday, it will operate on Mumbai-Milan route 3 times using its 252-seater Airbus A-330 with 24 business and 228 economy seats
  • The aircraft has onboard Wi-Fi which will needto be switched off in Indian airspace as India is yet to allow the same
  • Economy passengers wishing to use onboard Wi-Fiwill, however, need to pay for the service

WOW Air

  • WOW Air will fly thrice a week between Delhi and Reykjavik(Iceland)
  • It also offers hopping flights from Iceland toNorth America and Europe.
  • The airline will be flying to 15 North American destinations which include Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Boston, Toronto andSan Francisco
  • European destinations include Paris & London

WOW Air is the first airline which will allow direct connection between India and Iceland ever. Italy, on the other hand, has regular direct flights to and from India with Air India and Alitalia operating on these sectors.

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8 Food Items You Should Avoid Before A Flight!

AirWhizzDec 07, 2018 No Comments

8 Food Items You Should Avoid Before A Flight!

Travel Like a Pro

With good inflight-food scarce or expensive, passengers have learned to bring their own snacks to keep away hunger during a flight.

But not everyone can pack homemade healthy snacks for their trip, and bank upon the greasy fast food burgers, oily pizza and heavy snacks like samosas or patties.

Put in a long layover or a flight delay in the mix and you’re surely tempted to go to the airport lounge and have a nice hearty meal with a tasty alcoholic beverage to go with it.

But the problem is that they are not very travel friendly and cause some serious health problems when you fly.

So, before you board your next flight, avoid these foods and beverages to fly stress-free.

1.Fast Food

As we’ve mentioned before, burgers and pizza are easy options to fill your stomach, but they’re definitely not viable when you’re travelling.

According to the medical studies, the body doesn’t do so well digesting foods filled with sodium and saturated fats in the first place and digestion at 35000 feet proves even more difficult.

So it’s common sense to avoid these worst offenders before flying.

But beyond the digestion problems, there’s also the issue of in-flight blood circulation. Eating greasy food  can cause an almost immediate restriction ofblood flow.

And because we’re inactive during a flight, the chances of getting health related problems can increase.

Alternative: Plan ahead and pack a light sandwich or a wrap.

2.Crusifirous vegetables

“Always Eat Your Vegetables” is something we’ve always heard growing up , but it isn’t the best advice before a flight.

Things like onions, cauliflower, cabbage, beans and lentils are difficult to digest, which can lead to bloating, cramps and gas in a pressurised environment.

This is because these vegetables contain high-sodium foods which retain water, contributing to that bloated feeling.

Avoid consuming them before or during your flight.

Alternative: Munch on sliced capsicum, carrot, cucumber and snow peas.

3.Salty Snacks

Chips, pretzels, instant noodles etc at the airport can curb your hunger in a jiffy but they’re very high in salt content.

Excessive salt is bad for everyone, but it is worse for frequent flyers since foods with high amount of salt increase the chances of high blood pressure and retains fluid in your body making you feel bloated when you fly.

Alternative: Opt for protein-rich snacks like dry fruits to keep you full for longer. You can also eat a freshly prepared meal at one ofthe airport restaurants and request the chef to add less salt to your food.

4.Caffine

Coffee or tea? The answer is neither.

It is said that you loose 1/3rd of water from your body when you’re flying and caffeine in itself causes dehydration.

Plus, even though you’ll be fresh for a while, but by the time your flight will land you’ll start feeling sluggish.

So, save your coffee fix for later since a fresh brew tastes far better on land.

Alternative: Herbal or Green Tea. Try peppermint to help digestion and ginger to eliminate motion sickness.

5.Carbonated Beverages

Sweetened fizzy drinks are a recipe for digestive disaster when on an airplane.

Since you’re sitting in one place it can cause gastro-intestinal problems leading to bloating up of your stomach.

Not the most comfortable feeling in the world!

Alternative: Fruits are a great source of vitamin C to boost your immune system and keep you hydrated. Oranges and watermelons can be easily found around the airport Or you can pack it yourself.

6.Chewing Gums

Gum seems like the best choice for an airplane since you’re not eating heavy, indigestible food.

While this might be true, chewing too much gum can actually wreak havoc on your system, causing bloating, gas, and Diarrhoea. 3 things you most definitely don’t want to battle while flying.

Artificial sweeteners in chewing gums can cause Diarrhoea and when you chew gum you swallow a lot of air, which causes gas and bloating.

Alternative: There aren’t many great alternatives but you can chew on mint leaves or use mint sprays to keep your mouth fresh.

7.Alcohol

You’re not going to like this but the fewer alcoholic beverages you have, the better your body copes with the flight.

Alcohol is extremely dehydrating, and the low humidity and high pressure in the aeroplane cabin causes further loss of water.

And in case you do feel like having a beverage make sure that you drink lots of water.

Alternative: Have a fruit juice or lots of water. Make sure you keep your hydration up.

8. Meaty Salads

Do not eat the tuna salad, chicken salad etc available at the airport. No, they aren’t healthy! They contain lots of mayonnaise, cheese,and other fatty dressing.

These so-called salads are quite deceiving. They make you feel bloated and uncomfortable on the flight and don’t really help with that diet you have been following to stay fit.

Alternative: A vegetable or fruit salad.

Conclusion

Even though we’ve mentioned some alternatives, many must be wondering what exactly should we have before a flight.

Well, the answer is ‘Nothing’!

According to a study published in the journal “Science”, researchers suggested that fasting for about 16 hours before a long flight may actually help to fend off jet lag.

In a nutshell, if you make your body think it’s starving,you’ll be able to remain awake and alert until it’s dinner time in your new destination, resetting your body clock.

It really tough to follow this but if you want to fly comfortably it’s definitely doable.

* The next time you fly and want to know where to eat at the airport, download the AirWhizz app. It gives you information about airport restaurants and their location at your airport terminal. You also get great deals and discounts at the airport, live flight updates and a whole bunch of services for your trip.

#FLYSTRESSFREE with AirWhizz.

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Authorities Preparing To Make Delhi Airport Emergency Ready!

AirWhizzDec 07, 2018 No Comments

Authorities Preparing To Make Delhi Airport Emergency Ready!

Aviation Insider

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport will now have increased safety and rapid response against threats and emergency.

In a bid to do this about 50 officials from   Delhi Police, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), cargo workers, airlines staff and firefighters will be trained at the Delhi airport to handle Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear (CBRN) emergency situations.

This programme was initiated after the National DisasterManagement Authority (NDMA) carried out a survey at airports across country to find out preparedness against CBRN threats and identified gaps.

Here’s how the training will take place:

  • The training will be conducted by the NDMA officials along with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Airports Authority to India (AAI)
  • They are focusing on training these officers and enabling them to be able to manage the emergency situation until the experts reach the site to contain the situation
  • The programme will have various aspects of the CBRN emergency including safety, detection of CBRN threat, precautions against it and then how to manage such an emergency
  • The training will start on December 10 and will go on for five days

The programme will be led by Mr. S.K.Mishra, Senior consultant to NDMA & a former scientists at Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

Experts from DAE, Institute of Nuclear Medicine Allied Sciences (INMAS), Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will also cover the lecture sessions and field exercises.

In case you didn’t know, isotopes used for medical purposes are often stored in cargo terminals at airport, along with other hazardous chemicals. This is very hazardous and can lead to an unwanted emergency situation, making airports  vulnerable to radiological threats.

Airport authorities will be trained on what to do and what not to do in such situations.

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Vijayawada Airport To Soon Get A Modern Makeover!

AirWhizzDec 06, 2018 No Comments

Vijayawada Airport To Soon Get A Modern Makeover!

Aviation Insider

A new state-of-the-art Airport Terminal Building is all set to be constructed at the Vijayawada Airport.

The terminal will have modern facilities like such as Baggage Handling System, Arrival Baggage claim Carousels, Central Air-conditioning , Public Address System, Flight Information Display System(FIDS), and Check-in Counters with Common Use Terminal Equipment(CUTE) will be available.

The building boasts of a peak hour handling capacity of 1200 passengers (800 Domestic +400 International). The annual passengers handling capacity will be around 3.33 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA).

Here are a few other details of the new Vijayawada Airport’s Integrated Terminal :

  • The building will have 24 check-in counters, 1 baggage conveyor belt in the departure area and 5 baggage claim carousels
  • Since the airport is international, it will have a total of 14 immigration counters, 10 for arrivals and 4 for departure
  • There will be 4 customer redressal counters, 3 for arrival and 1 for departure
  • It can hold up to 1200 cars out of which 200 parking slots will be for taxi
  • The total cost of the new building is Rs 611 crores.
  • The terminal building will be spread across 35000 sqm

The design is inspired by the rural-urban blend of Vijayawada’s culture. the exteriors and interiors of the airport have been designed to show the uniqueness of this region.

The local environment and cultural reference, as well as the historical art and architecture of the region, are interpreted in a modern way to add life to the building.

Construction of the new facility is being done by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). It manages over 100 airports in India and has been taking major initiatives to improve air connectivity and enhance infrastructure at the airports by providing world-class facilities to passengers.

The Bhoomi Pujan of the new building was performed on Tuesday by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.

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Turkish Airlines To Soon Expand Its Operations In India!

AirWhizzDec 05, 2018 No Comments

Turkish Airlines To Soon Expand Its Operations In India!

Aviation Insider

Turkish Airlines is planning to expand its operations in India with direct flights to Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Amritsar and Bengaluru.

It is also planning to double its operations in Delhi & Mumbai. Regarding this, the airline has written a letter to the Civil Aviation Ministry.

Currently, the airline is flying directly from Istanbul to Mumbai and New Delhi along with hopping flights from the 2 Indian cities to Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Amritsar.

While there is no clarity on when the deal is likely to materialise, news reports are saying that the negotiations between the ministry and the airline are on.

The airline has a fleet of 33 Boeing 777 aircraft, and three of those are 400 seaters which are being used for Indian routes. Turkish Airlines currently is flying 14 times a week and it wants to increase the frequency to 70 times a week.

Foreign tourist arrivals to Turkey from India increased by approximately 9 percent in 2017 to 86,996. In 2018, the number went up to 1,20,897.

With over 150 Indian-origin registered companies in Turkey as of 2016, bilateral trade between India and Turkey stood at $6.409 billion. With the New Istanbul international airport in “Arnavutköy” district, the trade possibilities will see a rise leading to more tourists to Turkey.

Turkey is also seen as a popular choice for weddings according to Mr. Karan Anand, Head-Relationships at Cox & Kings. He said that more than 200 Indian weddings have taken place in the past 2 years in Turkey.

These are opportunities that the national carrier does not want to miss out on, which is why they are planning to expand their operations.

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Punjab To Soon Get Its 3rd International Airport!

AirWhizzDec 04, 2018 No Comments

Punjab To Soon Get Its 3rd International Airport!

Aviation Insider

After Mohali and Amritsar, Halwara near Ludhiana will be the 3rd city in Punjab to have an international airport.

The Punjab cabinet on Monday approved the setting up of an international civil terminal at the Indian Air Force station in Halwara, which is 32 Kms away from Ludhiana.

The Cabinet has also given a go-ahead to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Airports Authority Of India(AAI) for the project.

AAI would have a majority stake of 51% in the joint venture company while the state government, through Greater Ludhiana Development Authority, will have 49% stake.

The state government as provided 135. 54 acres of land for the project. The expenditure for the development of the airport will be taken care of by AAI while the expenditure on operations, maintenance and repairs would be taken care of by the Joint venture.

Here are the details of the project:

  • The 1st phase will include the development of the international terminal, which is expected to be completed in 3 years
  • The terminal will be able to accommodate bigger airplane models like the Boeing 737-700 and Airbus A-320
  • The project is aimed at boosting the economic development of Punjab’s business and industrial hub Ludhiana

At present Ludhiana is serviced by a small domestic airport at Sahnewal under the operational control of AAI, which runs regional airplanes to Delhi. Ludhiana also has the advantage of being at the geographical center of Punjab, so this move will surely be beneficial for them.

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