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Everything You Need To Know About The Bangalore Airport!

AirWhizzJun 25, 2018 No Comments

Everything You Need To Know About The Bangalore Airport!

Aviation Insider

Since its inauguration in 2008, Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport(KIA) has made travel easy for passengers passing through the city.

With its efficiency and infrastructure quality, KIA has become one of the best airports in India and a recognised name globally.

Yet, many of us are unaware of the years of dedication and planning that has gone in making this modern marvel.

So, let’s take a look at this airport’s journey and what it has achieved over the years.

History

Bangalore’s main airport till 2008 was the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL) airport, which was built in 1942.

During early 2000’s ,as Bangalore grew into the ‘Silicon Valley’ of India and the air passenger traffic continued to increase, HAL airport traffic started rising at the rate of roughly 35% per year.

In fact, between 2006-2007 the airport received 8.2 million passengers, well above its capacity of 3.6 million. Airport authorities had predicted that they would have to face such a situation in the future and were well prepared for it.

In 1999, Airports Authority Of India(AAI) and the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) signed a Memorandum Of Understanding(MoU) for the development of a new airport in Bangalore. The project, however, kept on getting postponed due to delays in government approval.

Finally on January 2001,the state government set up the Bangalore International Airport Limited(BIAL) with AAI and KSIIDC. Unique Zürich Airport, Siemens Project Ventures and Larsen & Toubro were attracted to this project and invested in it.

After a lot of government delays and other complications, the airport’s construction finally started on 2nd July 2005. It took 32 months to construct the airport and after a few minor hiccups the Bangalore International Airport was inaugurated in May 2008. The HAL airport was closed down immediately.

In 2009 the State Government sent a proposal to the Union Government to rename the airport. This proposal got accepted in 2013 and the name of the airport was changed from Bangalore International Airport to Kempegowda International Airport.

Awards & Recognition

1.Bangalore Airport was given the honour of the “Best Airport in India” at the Skytrax ‘World Airport Awards’ in 2011.

2.The airport received a ‘Gold’ rating in Leadership in Energy And Environmental Design(LEED) from Indian Green Building Council(IGBC) in 2013

3.BIAL received the prestigious “STAT Times International Award” for Cargo excellence in 2014

4.KIA was recognised as the “Best Regional Airport in Central Asia” at the Skytrax ‘World Airport Awards’ In 2015

5.Bangalore Airport won the award for “Best Regional Airport in India and Central Asia” at the Skytrax ‘World Airport Awards’ in 2017.

Interesting Facts About The Bangalore Airport

1.The HAL airport was used by the British Royal Navy to protect India from Japan during World War II.

2.Bangalore airport was the first airport in India to be developed under a “Public-Private Partnership”.

3.The airport has been named after the founder of Bangalore, Nadaprabhu Hiriya Kempe Gowda.

4.It is the busiest airport in South India and the 3rd busiest airport in India, serving more than 20 million passengers annually.

5.Terminal 1 of the airport has been designed by Global architectural leaders “HOK”.

6.Bangalore Airport will be the first airport in India to use a humanoid robot called ‘Kempa’, to assist passengers travelling to the airport.

7.Authorities are planning to make KIA a fully solar-powered airport by 2020.

8.BIAL is going to expand the airport by adding a new ‘Terminal 2’, by 2021. The construction of T2 is already underway and it is said that once this terminal is built, Bangalore airport will be able to handle 65 million passengers annually.

If you want to know about things to do at the Bangalore Airport, look no further. Download the AirWhizz app and get information about different places to eat, shop & relax at KIA along with real-time flight updates the next time you fly.

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Airlines In India Hike Excess Baggage Fees!

AirWhizzJun 25, 2018 No Comments

Airlines In India Hike Excess Baggage Fees!

Aviation Insider

Make sure you double check the weight of your luggage the next time you fly!

Airlines in India announced on Saturday that they have hiked the fees for excess luggage.

IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir will now charge Rs 400 per kg extra for every kilo beyond 15 Kg, which was previously priced at Rs 300 per kg. These airlines have also increased their charges for pre-booked excess baggage by almost 33%.

Here are the details of the price hike for different airlines –

IndiGo/GoAir –  The 2 airlines will now charge Rs 1900 for extra 5kg , Rs 3800 for extra 10kg, Rs 5700 for extra 15Kg and Rs 11,400 for extra 30 kg ‘pre-booked’ luggage.

SpiceJet – The airline has increased the price to Rs 1600 for extra 5kg , Rs 3200 for extra 10kg, Rs 4800 for extra 15kg, Rs 6400 for extra 20 kg and Rs 9600 for extra 30 kg ‘pre-booked’ luggage.

Air India – The airline, which allows passengers to carry up to 25kg of free luggage, had earlier this month increased excess baggage charges from Rs 400 to Rs 500 per kg.

Jet Airways – The airline announced last week that they will be changing their baggage policy from the ‘Weight’ concept to ‘Piece’ concept for check-in luggage on all their domestic flights.

* Read More About The Revised Excess Baggage Rules For Jet Airways.

Aviation experts say that since airlines cannot increase the price on their tickets, they have to increase their ancillary revenue.

Ancillary revenue is the airline’s earning from non-ticketing resources such as excess baggage fees, onboard sale of food and beverages, cancellation fees etc.

Experts also suggest that the hike in excess baggage fee is a way of discouraging passengers from carrying more luggage, as a lighter load would mean less fuel burn for airplanes.

With the increase in jet fuel prices globally and the value of rupee going down, airlines are finding it difficult to maintain their profits. While airfares have largely remained the same, the price of jet fuel has risen by 22% and the rupee has depreciated by 6% since January 2018.

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Delhi Airport Will Install New ‘E-Visa’ Desks To Reduce Immigration Time!

AirWhizzJun 23, 2018 No Comments

Delhi Airport Will Install New ‘E-Visa’ Desks To Reduce Immigration Time!

Aviation Insider

There is some good news for international travellers flying in with ‘E-Visa’ at the Delhi Airport!

Authorities at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, will be setting up new e-visa counters to reduce the waiting time for passengers at the immigration desks.

Here are all the details about it –

  • Currently there are 32 e-visa counters at the arrivals section of the Delhi Airport.
  • 14 more counters will be added to these.
  • To accommodate them, the airport will be shifting the domestic-to-international transfer hall to the arrivals terminal.
  • Additional staff has been employed to manage these counters and are currently undergoing training to do so.
  • These counters will become operational by September 2018.

Airport authorities have taken this decision to cater to the increasing number of foreign tourists which arrive at the international airport daily.

Every day, at least 2500 foreigners fly into Delhi and around 45% of them are e-visa holders. Processing of e-visa takes about 2-3 minutes per passenger which includes biometric checks.

During peak hours, passengers have to form long ques and wait for about 30 minutes to clear immigration. With the addition of these 14 counters, authorities are hopeful that this waiting time will reduce to just 15 minutes.

Delhi International Airport Limited(DIAL) has said that immigration process is the first thing that foreigners experience when they arrive and for making things convenient for them, DIAL has taken this decision.

DIAL also plans to install e-immigration gates at the arrivals terminal of the airport. With these gates there will be no need for manual intervention and the clearance time per passenger will reduce further.

They will introduce this system on trial basis. If it’s a success, DIAL will install e-gates at the departure terminal as well.

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10 Tips To Work Efficiently On An Airplane!

AirWhizzJun 22, 2018 No Comments

10 Tips To Work Efficiently On An Airplane!

Travel Like a Pro

For many travellers, flying means going on a trip to get away from all things related to work.

But for some, in-flight time is just another day at the office!

Business travellers get their work done faster on an airplane because there are no office distractions.

But what about the lack of space or the constant chatter inside the airplane?

To tackle these things, here are some useful tips that will help you get your work done on an airplane, the next time you fly!

1.Choose Your Seat Wisely

With airlines increasing the number of seats and decreasing the passenger’s space to sit these days, it’s important to choose the right seat.

If you’re flying business or first class then its fine, but it can get really cramped up if you are working on an economy class seat.

Choose a seat in the emergency exit row or a bulkhead seat. These seats used to be free but now they cost extra unless you’re an elite frequent flyer with the airline.

So go ahead and start saving for your next business trip!

2.Have A Work Plan

Well before your flight takes-off, set a game plan for the work you’re about to attempt on the flight.

This means creating a timeline of what tasks you’ll do, what information you’ll need to complete that task and what end goals you’ll want to meet by the time the flight is over.

Trust us, this sounds like a hectic task but it will help you work efficiently and will make things easier for you on the flight.

3.Download Your Work

If you’re flying internationally, there will be huge possibility that your airline will offer wi-fi.

But if you’re flying in India, make sure you download your work well in advance since inflight wi-fi is not available on domestic flights for now .

Download all your important emails, spreadsheets, web page links for research work and store them in a separate folder. This way it will help you keep things organised.

4.Use A Tablet/Mini Laptop

One of the biggest challenges of getting work done on an airplane is not having adequate room for typing.

Rather than carrying a normal laptop, invest in a mini laptop which is light to carry and easy to use on an airplane.

You can also carry a tablet with an external keyboard which you can grab at your local computer store.

5.Carry An Extra Battery/Power Bank

There’s nothing worse than receiving a pop up in the middle of your work, saying that you have only 10% battery left.

This problem is being solved by power outlets installed in your airplane seat but many airlines don’t have this facility.

Airlines allow you to carry laptop batteries and power banks in your carry-on luggage. So take advantage of this and keep your device charged up.

6.Use A Screen Protector

Many people have this habit of prying into your laptop on an airplane. Who can blame them, sometimes flights can get a bit boring!

But if you don’t want people staring at that next best-selling book you’re writing or your top-secret spreadsheet, then invest in a screen protector for your laptop or tablet.

Screen protectors are designed in such a way that only the person sitting right in front of the device can see the screen clearly.

You won’t be distracted by your fellow passengers and can get your work done in peace.

7.Watch Out For Front Seats

If you’re not sitting in a bulkhead seat or emergency exit row, be aware of person sitting in front of you.

Passengers are mostly oblivious and tend to recline their seat without giving a warning.

If your laptop is pressed against their seat, chances are that your screen might crack or even break if they recline quickly.

To avoid this, let the fellow passenger in the front seat know that you’re working and request them politely to let you know whenever they plan to recline their seat.

8.Be Careful Of  Your Drink

When using your laptop on the airplane, be careful of accidental drink spills.

Whenever the cabin crew comes with the pantry tray, make sure that you close the laptop screen so that nothing will spill or splash on your device.

Also, power off and keep your device aside while you take a break and sip on your coffee. You’ll avoid any drink-related accidents and can give your eyes some rest.

9.Carry Noise Cancelling Headphones

When you have a lot of work to do and need to focus, noise cancelling headphones can be your perfect companion.

They help drown out the ambient noise and conversations happening around you. It’s also a subtle way of letting people know that you don’t want to be disturbed.

So go ahead and listen your favourite ‘work-mode’ tune or work in silence with those headphones on. The choice is yours!

10.Rest Before Your Flight

Everyone knows that travelling can be an exhausting task.

If work needs to be completed on the airplane, make sure you’re well rested before you start your journey.

If you do this, you’ll be productive throughout your flight and won’t be tempted to take a nap during your important work.

Working outside your office can be really hard and working on an airplane adds to that challenge. Hopefully, with these tips you’ll be able to get your work done efficiently the next time you fly.

If you’re looking for travel accessories like headphones, download the AirWhizz App. Avail exclusive discounts on Swiss Military accessories as an app user and get information about airport shops along with real-time flight updates on the move.

Switch your work-mode on and Fly Stress-Free!

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Government Asks Air India To Submit A Plan To Fund Their Debt!

AirWhizzJun 22, 2018 No Comments

Government Asks Air India To Submit A Plan To Fund Their Debt!

Aviation Insider

The government has asked Air India to submit a plan of funds needed to support the airline, after the sale of the national carrier failed last month.

A committee of airline directors has been set up within Air India to make this plan, which will be headed by Air India Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. Pradeep Singh Kharola.

This committee, will also take a call on the airline’s fleet requirement for the future. For now, all the existing orders have been fulfilled and the airline does not have any pending orders for airplanes.

The airline has recently received a short-term loan of Rs 2200 crores from the government to meet its working capital requirements after Air India failed to pay its employees for the 3rd month in a row in May.

Apart from this, Air India-Specific Alternate Mechanism(AISAM) has been set up by the government to review the airline’s operations and its disinvestment process. This committee will be headed by Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley.

Mr Jayant Sinha, Minister Of State For Civil Aviation, told the reporters on Wednesday, that they will not be selling the airline for now, however, the government is dedicated to the strategic disinvestment of the airline, which may happen in the future.

This was the first time since May 31st , that a minister had spoken in an open forum about the status of Air India disinvestment.

Both, Mr. Sinha and Union Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Suresh Prabhu, felt that the airline is suffering from legacy issues in terms of the huge debt burden that the airline has to cater to.

Pointing out that Air India is the national flag carrier and has an important role to play in the nation’s aviation sector, Mr. Prabhu said that the government will do everything to ensure its success and progress.

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Authorities To Speed Up Development Of Navi Mumbai International Airport!

AirWhizzJun 21, 2018 No Comments

Authorities To Speed Up Development Of Navi Mumbai International Airport!

Aviation Insider

Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) may become operational sooner than expected.

City and Industrial Development Corporation(CIDCO) has said that the development of the runway and the construction of the terminal building at Ulwe Hills will go hand in hand to speed things up.

Here are the details of the ongoing project –

  • The main runway will be made on the south side of the NMIA. It will cover around 260 hectares of land and the area has been levelled by 5.5 meters.
  • The next 2.5 meters of levelling will be done to construct the other runways, taxiways and the ‘H’ shaped terminal building for the airport complex.
  • Most of the villages around the airport have already been vacated for construction.

The airport project has been sanctioned Rs 16000 crores out of which Rs 5514 crores will be used to develop the 3.4 Km south runway and the terminal building. The north runway will be developed later as per air traffic growth and requirement.

A concession agreement has been signed between CIDCO, the nodal airport development authority and Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) which states that a total of 1600 hectares of land will be dedicated for the development of the airport.

There are some issues with the villagers in Ulwe Village and 3 other villages where CIDCO expects to build the north runway and the terminal building. They are reluctant to vacate the land, however, CIDCO has assured that they will solve this problem soon. Their main priority right now is to start the development work of the runway on the south side.

With development work of the runway and terminal building happening simultaneously, it is expected that the new airport will be operational by 2020. This project will lower the pressure of the Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport.

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Kingfisher Airlines Staff Raise Issue Of Unpaid Salaries In A Letter To PM Modi!

AirWhizzJun 20, 2018 No Comments

Kingfisher Airlines Staff Raise Issue Of Unpaid Salaries In A Letter To PM Modi!

Aviation Insider

Former employees of the inoperative carrier, Kingfisher Airlines, have sent an ‘open’ letter to the Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, to compensate them for their unpaid salaries.

The letter also questions why dues owed by the owner of Kingfisher Airlines, Vijay Mallya, to banks were given preference over the unpaid salaries of the airline employees.

In the letter, they have written that Vijay Mallya hasn’t paid salaries, gratuity or compensation to his Indian employees but has compensated his employees based in London and other foreign countries.

Stating that the system has failed them, they have written that they still get notices from the Income Tax Department. They also said that they are unable to withdraw their Provident Funds (PF) due to the ongoing liquidation process of the airline.

Referring to the government’s attempt to bring back Mr.Mallya to India, the letter pointed out that non-payment of salaries is a crime in London. It also said that a Kingfisher employee’s wife had committed suicide over unpaid salaries, and that should be enough grounds for his extradition.

The letter was sent a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a charge sheet against Mr. Mallya in a special court in Mumbai.

The charge sheet has alleged that he used his Force India Formula 1 team and IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore for laundering money. It is estimated that he laundered over Rs 3700 crores worth of bank loans.

With ED’s charge sheet, there is a huge possibility that the Indian government may declare Mr.Mallya a fugitive.

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Bangalore Airport Will Be Fully Solar-Powered By 2020!

AirWhizzJun 19, 2018 No Comments

Bangalore Airport Will Be Fully Solar-Powered By 2020!

Aviation Insider

Following Cochin Airport’s footsteps, Bangalore Airport is planning to become a fully solar-powered airport by 2020.

According to airport authorities, there is a power demand of 11 MW per day at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). Once the second terminal is completed, they estimate that the power demand will go up to 20 MW per day.

The airport currently generates around 3.44 MW from solar panels. Bangalore International Airport Limited(BIAL) has proposed an expansion of its solar panel system which will add another 8.35 MW, bringing the total to around 12 MW.

To cater to the future 20MW demand, BIAL will source another 8 MW of solar energy from off-site.

Mr. S Lakshminarayanan, Vice President (engineering & maintenance) of BIAL, has said that the solar energy at the airport is harnessed from roof-top and ground-mounted solar panels. BIAL aims to make the airport 100% powered by renewable energy by increasing this capacity and adding more solar panels.

He also said that energy conservation efforts have been taken up and implemented at the airport.

BIAL plans to convert all lighting, except the airfield lighting system, to LED for energy conservation. As of now all streetlights outside the airport and 50% of the lights in the terminal are LED. The airport can save 1.7 Million units of energy per year because of LED lights.

Mr.Hari Marar, CEO of BIAL, has said that a combination of solar power, water management system and LED lighting can ensure that the airport achieves a “3+ Carbon Rating”, which is the highest level of achievement in the field of environmental impact, for airports.

He also said that a ‘Solid Waste Management’ plant is under construction, which will be operational by 2019.This will make KIA the first airport in Asia to have an in-house solid waste management facility.

Cochin Airport is the only airport in India which is fully powered by solar energy. In fact, it was the first airport in the world to implement this system.

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