Archives for 2018

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New Visa Rules Every Indian Passport Holder Must Know!

If you have an Indian Passport and travel abroad frequently, chances are that you’ve had to go through the, troublesome but compulsory, visa process for more than once.

As of 2018, 59 countries offer visa on arrival or visa-free travel to Indian passport holders. But that is hardly any consolation, given that most countries in Europe and North/South America still require you to get that visa stamped on your passport.

However, in what comes as slight relief, visa rules have been relaxed for some major countries where many Indians often like to travel to or live.

There is a new set of visa rules in place and if you hold an Indian passport, this might ease your travel a bit.

Let’s Take A Look At The New Rules:

1.Japan

Japan is one of those Asian countries whose visa rules for Indians used to be at par with probably the US or European countries.

But Japan has now relatively eased travel to the country for holders of Indian passport.

Travellers who want to visit ‘The Land Of The Rising Sun’ for a short while or are applying for a multiple-entry visa, you don’t need to show an employment certificate or explanation letter stating the reason for your visit.

You need your visa application form along with a valid/recent photograph and proof of your financial stability if you are travelling for tourism.

If your trip to Japan is business-related, you need documents to prove your affiliation to the enterprise.

2.France

You do not need to apply for an airport transit visa if you’re travelling through any of the international airports in France.

What this means is that if you have a connecting flight from India to somewhere via an airport in France, you do not need to apply separately for a French visa.

3.Oman

If you are travelling to Oman, you can now get a month-long tourist visa on arrival in the country for an amount of 20 Omani Riyal (Rs 3,700).

However, this rule holds only if you reside or hold an entry visa to the US, Canada, Australia, UK, Japan or Schengen states.

Your spouse and children accompanying you can also get a visa on arrival.

4.United Arab Emirates (UAE)

If you are a specialist in medicine, science and research, or even an exceptional student or investor, the UAE will grant you a 10-year-long work visa if you want to visit the country.

UAE wants to encourage highly skilled professionals and potential investors to visit them so that they can boost their economy.

Travellers will also be allowed to fly between India and the rest of the world through Dubai and Abu Dhabi on a free transit visa valid for 48 hours. This validity can be extended up to 96 hours by paying a small fee.

Another ruling is, that between July 15th and September 15th every year, dependents under the age of 18 can get free visas.

5.Myanmar

You can now drive into Myanmar without any hassle, as Indian travellers don’t need a special land route permit to enter into the country.

You can apply for an e-visa prior to your departure and present it at the check-post, which you will receive, in less than 24 hours and is valid for 28 days after your entry.

6.Kazakhstan

Travelling to a country on Kazakhstan‘s national carrier Air Astana or any other Kazakh airline?

You can get a 72-hour transit visa for Kazakhstan, that too for free. If you plan to stay in Astana or Almaty, book your hotel in advance and make sure to inform the airline before departure.

They have also started issuing 30-day e-visas to Indian travellers.

7.Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia will issue tourist visas to women aged 25 and above, even if they visit the country without being accompanied by a man.

This is thanks to Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, who wants a ‘moderate, open Islam’ system in his country.

This is the first time Saudi Arabia has relaxed visa rules on this front.

Other New Visa Rules You Should Know About:
  • Israel has now cut down its visa fee for Indian passport holders from Rs 1,700 to Rs 1,100. You need to apply for a visa in the B2 visa (business, tourism or meeting or conference) category in order to avail the new price.
  • Travelling to Uzbekistan from India is also easier now. Submit your e-visa application three days before your trip. You can get a single-entry e-visa for a 30-day period.
  • Indian passport holders can now get a visa on arrival in Zimbabwe. India is among the 28 countries that Zimbabwe has relaxed visa rules for.

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Sikkim’s 1st Airport To Be Inaugurated Today!

Pakyong Airport In Sikkim is all set to open today, nine years after the foundation stone was laid.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will be present to inaugurate the airport which is Sikkim’s, first and only aerodrome.

He took to social media and tweeted saying that after Jharkhand he will be leaving for Sikkim to inaugurate the Pakyong Airport. The tweet also mentioned that the airport will improve connectivity and benefit the people of Sikkim.

Here are a few interesting facts about Sikkim’s new airport :

  • The airport is spread over 201 acres and is located on top of a hill about two km from Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level.
  • It is constructed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at an estimated cost of Rs 605 crore.
  • the airport is seen as an engineering marvel for its soil reinforcement and slope stabilisation techniques, keeping in view the altitude it was built at.
  • The airport comprises of an ATC tower-cum-fire station, a terminal building for passengers, high-intensity runway lights and parking for over 50 vehicles.
  • Apart from this, the reinforcement wall of the project is 80-meter-high and is one of the tallest in the world.
  • The airport has a 1.75 km runway with a width of 30 meters. It has a 116-meter-long taxiway connecting it to a parking bay that can accommodate 2 ATR (Regional) Aircraft.
  • The airport has a 3,000 sq meter terminal building and has a capacity to handle 50 inbound and outbound passengers.
  • The first commercial flight from Pakyong would begin from October 4.
  • Initially, the airport would only cater to domestic flights, but later it will also provide international flight services connecting Sikkim with other countries like Paro in Bhutan, Kathmandu in Nepal and Dhaka in Bangladesh.
  • There is also plan to construct another 75-meter stretch adjacent to the main runway in the coming days, which would allow the Indian Air Force (IAF) to land various types of aircraft on the airport’s runway
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Kannur International Airport In Kerala Is Set To Open This Month!

Kannur International Airport in Kerala is all set to become operational from this month after Air India successfully conducted a test flight to what is to be, Kerala’s 4th airport.

The announcement was made via a tweet by the Chief Minister Of Kerala, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, which stated that the trial was carried out by Air India Express aircraft IX 555. The tweet also said that it is part of the final procedures for getting clearance in order to commence commercial operations.

He further informed that the operations on the Kannur International Airport would begin this month.

The test flight took-off at 9.45 AM from Thiruvananthapuram and landed at 11.38 AM at Kannur. Apart from the aircraft, the aerobridge and other airport facilities for passengers were also tested.

The international airport has been built at a cost of Rs 2,292 crore and is spread over 2,300 acres of land. It is expected that the airport is likely to serve over one million passengers annually and authorities estimate the number will increase to five million by 2025.

Kannur International Airport has a runway that is suitable for aircraft, like the Boeing B-777 as well as Airbus A-330.The airport runway will be later expanded so that it can handle bigger aircraft like the Airbus A-380 (The largest passenger aircraft in the world).

The terminal building of the airport is spread across 95,000 sq.m and is said to be the 8th largest terminal in India. It has all state of the art facilities installed for passenger’s convenience.

The domestic destinations will be connected by SpiceJet & IndiGo Airlines. These destinations include  Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Goa, Hubballi, Solapur as well as Hindon in Ghaziabad.

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10 Tips To Save On Your Next Flight Ticket!

Air travel has become really cheap in India if you compare it with the international market.

We can appreciate the government of India for its efforts in making flights economic and taking initiatives like UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik), which has led to the reason for flights becoming inexpensive.

All seems good but, there is another side to all this.

The tickets are expensive on major routes and are super expensive if you need it urgently. So, let’s check out some tricks that can help you land a cheap ticket the next time you fly.

1. Decide The Days You’ll Fly

Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the three most important days in a week for most of us. After all, Friday marks the beginning of our much needed weekend breaks!

However, things turn upside down when it comes to booking flight tickets on these three days.

Usually, most people fly on these three days, which obviously causes the airline to raise those airfares.

However, travel experts say that if you travel during mid-week, say between Monday-Thursday, you can easily get a discount of Rs 500 – Rs 2,000 on your booking.

2.Book Your Flight In Advance

Booking a flight ticket has become easy these days. A few minutes on the internet and your booking will be confirmed in seconds!

But have you ever thought about the best time to book a flight?

Ideally you should book a domestic flight 7 weeks prior and an international flight around 12 weeks prior to your date of travel.

This can save you as much as Rs 3000 on your next flight ticket.

3.Keep A Track Of Your Flight Schedules & Fares

Airlines often use the term ‘Airfares are subject to change’. So why not make the most of it!

Before making your next booking, keep a regular track on the flight schedules and fares.

Since the airfares are subjected to change, there is every possibility that you might get your tickets at the best possible price.

In fact, you can even get it at half of the actual price.

4.Keep Your Travel Plan Flexible

Sometimes taking a direct flight is much more expensive than taking a flight to an airport near your final destination and then travel by land or water.

It is observed that the flights to the major cities or the airports usually comes with a hefty price tag.

If you aren’t too rigid on traveling on a direct flight to your destination and are ok with a little detour then you should definitely try this.

This will not only help you save on your flight ticket but will also allow you time for a trip within a trip.

5. Try Different Airlines

Most frequent flyers prefer this, especially those who fly internationally.

As mentioned above, direct flights might be very expensive, however, if you break your journey into multiple parts, your flight cost might reduce to a certain limit.

For instance, if you’re travelling to New York from New Delhi, a direct flight might cost you more than taking a detour to a European country and booking a flight from there to New York on a different airline.

Also, considering the fact that not all the airline carriers offer the same price from a particular destination, you can always opt for the most reasonable flights and complete your journey.

6.Split Your Travelling Group Into Multiple Small Groups

It’s a common myth that booking flight tickets in bulk always results in low cost or an added amount of discount!

But sometimes airlines do offer group booking discounts on certain occasions, that too for smaller groups.

In case, you’re travelling in a large group, split it into smaller groups and book tickets individually for those groups.

Sounds a bit complicated, but it definitely does the trick and helps you save money.

7.Use The Right Website/App To Book your Flight

With the evolution in the digital world, things are now only a click away from us.

Even when it comes to booking flights, a small application in your mobile phone can help or guide you through the entire process.

On top of this, these applications and websites not only help you in booking, but also analyses the cost of the flights from different airlines and offer you the most reasonable price.

Sites and apps such as Skyscanner, MakeMyTrip and GoIbibo can get you the best flight deals from across the globe.

8.Subscribe To An Airline’s Newsletter/Website

Airlines, quite often come up with some early-bird offers, off-season sale and discounts.

Though these offers come for a short duration, they do allow the flyers to book their tickets at a discounted price.

Do subscribe to all these promotional offers and newsletters, and get the right offers at the right time!

9.Use The Right Card To Pay For Your Ticket

Debit or Credit Cards have  replaced the common trait of dealing with cash. Even while booking flight tickets online, we now prefer using our cards.

In case you didn’t know, now a days credit/debit card companies offer special travel offers exclusively to their customers.

So keep an eye out for this or you can simply ask your bank’s representative what all offers do they have for frequent flyers .

10.Join Frequent Flyer Programmes

Whether you are a frequent flyer or fly just twice a year, sign up with different frequent flyer programs.

Join rewards programs with different airlines. You can use your accumulated points to save up on your airplane seat or better, upgrade it.

Airlines always have discounts and promotional offers for their frequent flyer program members.

Use those saved up miles to travel to that destination in first class or a business class seats on long, expensive flights and fly stress-free.

If you want to know more about different airline policies, look no further. Simply download the AirWhizz App to get all the information about you airline and airport, along with real-time weather and flight updates on the move.

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Mid-Air Horror: Drop In Cabin Pressure Injures 30 Passengers!

Passengers on the Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Jaipur had to suffer a nightmarish situation when the cabin pressure suddenly dropped mid-air.

More than 30 passengers felt dizzy, suffered nosebleeds and headaches. According to reports, the crew forgot to flick a switch that helps regulate cabin air pressure causing injury to passengers.

During a climb, the crew forgot to switch on the ‘Bleed Switch’ due to which cabin’s pressure could not be maintained. As a result, oxygen masks got deployed.

The Boeing 737 aircraft returned to Mumbai due to “loss of cabin pressure”. The pilots have been taken off duty and are  pending investigation.

There were 166 passengers and 5 crew members on board flight 9W 697. Of these, 144 passengers of the original flight travelled to Jaipur via an alternative flight of Jet Airways, while the other 17 refused to travel with them.

Five guests, who were referred to a hospital for additional medical check-up accompanied by the Jet Airways’ Care team, have since been released following a medical examination.

Why Cabin Pressure Matters

When at higher altitudes, it is important to maintain certain parameters within the cabin for passenger comfort. These include temperature, humidity, air circulation and cabin pressure.

The human body cannot endure an environment above certain altitudes and start reacting above 10,000 ft. It leads to various effects. Gases in the ear, sinuses and digestive tracts start to expand, causing bleeding from the ears and nose.

If cabin pressure is not stabilized it can cause catastrophic damage to the human body. Thankfully, all passengers are free from harm and are safe.

The airline will continue to offer necessary medical care and attention to the concerned guests as required. Jet Airways is also extending full cooperation to the Directorate General Of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the ongoing investigation of the event.

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Chennai Airport To Introduce ‘E-Gates’ From 2020!

In the near future, air passengers flying out of the Chennai airport may not have to stand in long queues at the entrance to get their tickets and ID proof checked to enter the terminal.

Airport authorities are all set to introduce camera-enabled ‘E-Gates’ which use facial recognition technology to verify a passenger’s identity.

As part of the government’s “DigiYatra” initiative, Chennai airport will have these gates from the entrance of the terminal to the boarding gate. The scheme aims to develop a digital ecosystem that will offer a seamless, consistent and paperless service experience at airports.

Here are all the details about it:

  • E-gates with cameras and scanners will be installed at entry gates of the terminals, check-in area, security check gates and boarding gates where passengers will be allowed, based on face recognition technology.
  • The e-gate at the entry gate of the terminal will capture the QR code of tickets and face of the passengers.
  • It will then match it with the database to allow entry through the gates at check-in, security and boarding.
  • Passengers will have to register in DigiYatra to use these gates.
  • They will get an ID number, which they have to submit when they travel for the first time through these e-gates.
  • Passengers can then travel paperless through the airport after that.
  • The system should be in place and ready to use by end of 2019.

According to a senior official at Airports Authority Of India (AAI), the technology will be introduced in two phases at various airports and Chennai will get it in the second phase. A tender will be floated in a month to install this technology at airports in Pune, Varanasi, Kolkata and Vijayawada as a pilot project.

If the trial run is successful, this technology will be implemented at other airports across India.

This system has many benefits. Passengers can beat the queue and it will be easy for airline authorities to locate passengers inside the terminal. It will also improve the security system at the Chennai airport.

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Air India Pilots Avoid Crisis Situation At New York’s JFK Airport!

On 11th September 2018, pilots of the Air India’s flight AI-101, from Delhi to New York, were caught in a nightmarish situation. Multiple system failures, bad weather conditions and low fuel made it a struggle for the pilots which were supposed to land the airplane in New York’s JFK Airport.

The flight was in a very bad situation however, the two pilots and an Air Traffic Control (ATC) operator were able to overcome this situation and saved the lives of 370 passengers onboard.

Here are all the details about the incident:

  • Air India’s Senior Commander Mr. Rustom Palia and Second-in-Command, Captain Sushant Singh, reported to the ATC operator at JFK Airport that the flight experienced multiple system failure while approaching the airport for landing.
  • Apart from these, the flight also witnessed the malfunctioning of all three of its Instrument Landing System (ILS) receivers on board. This meant that the pilot of the aircraft needed to manually land the flight.
  • They had to abort landing at JFK and spent close to one and a half hours in the air, trying to figure out to land at an airport in New York or a nearby city with good visibility.
  • Running low on fuel, they quickly needed a decent chance of sighting a runway early enough to make approach due to the failed ILS.
  • After help from the ATC tower operator they weighed various options to solve that situation and decided to land at Newark Airport.
  • The AI pilots skillfully managed to land the airplane safely, 38 minutes after hovering over JFK Airport.

According to reports, the Air India’s B777 aircraft had flown over 36,985 hours and had been in service for almost 9 years. While the incident was transpiring, there was panic among passengers as the aircraft managed to land.

A pilot can fly an aircraft without the onboard navigation system, however, the accuracy often suffers.

Mr Palia and Mr. Singh defied all the odds and used their experience and skills, with the help of the ATC operator, to avoid a disaster situation and saved the lives of all passengers.

Air India has set up an inquiry on aircraft and constituted an internal inquiry under the airline’s ‘Flight Safety Department’.

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Delhi Airport Bags Top Honour At ‘Airport Service Quality’ Awards!

Delhi Airport has bagged the title of ‘Best Airport to handle over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA)’ at the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards 2017.

The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates and manages the Indra Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) announced this good news on Monday. The award was given by the Airports Council International (ACI).

Delhi Airport has seen a tremendous growth in air passenger traffic in the past few years. It handled 63.5 million passengers, which was more than Singapore’s Changi Airport, Seoul’s Incheon Airport and Bangkok airport in terms of passenger growth. This was one of the main reasons why IGIA has won this award.

Mr. I. Prabhakara Rao, Executive Director Of GMR Airports, released a statement saying that as the airport witness’s robust growth, GMR looks forward to a strong collaboration and support of all airport stakeholders and their esteemed passengers.

Delhi airport is now officially the 7th busiest airport in Asia and among the top 20 busiest airports in the world.

This is very good news for Indian Aviation especially after Hyderabad Airport was ranked No.1 in terms of Service Quality at the ASQ awards in the 20 MPPA category.

ASQ is a worldwide programme to survey passengers at the airport on their day of travel. Every year the programme delivers around 600,000 individual surveys in 41 languages in 84 countries.

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