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Top Low-Cost Airlines That Fly Out Of India!

AirWhizzJun 11, 2018 No Comments

Top Low-Cost Airlines That Fly Out Of India!

Travel Like a Pro

We all have, at some point, dreamt of travelling abroad, but expensive international airfares make us turn our heads to the beaches of Goa or the mountains in Himachal instead.

But, what if we told you that you can fly out of India at a price which costs less than your mobile phone?

Unbelievable right!

To help you plan your next holiday, we bring to you a list of airlines which offer international travel that suits your wallet!

1.AIR ASIA

Operates From: Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad

Popular Holiday Destinations It Flies To: Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Australia

Price: Starting at Rs 6990*

Started in 2001, this Southeast Asian airline has been named the best low-cost airline in the world by Skytrax for the last 9 years.

AirAsia offers you a very comfortable flying experience with exceptional service at an affordable rate.

They offer a wide selection of food & beverages onboard and have an amazing in-flight entertainment system which you can view on your personal tab.

2.MALINDO AIR

Operates From : Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Amritsar, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchirappalli

Popular Holiday Destinations It Flies To : Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Hong Kong, Singapore, Colombo, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Perth.

Price : Starting at Rs 10000*

Malindo Air flew its inaugural flight in 2013 and is headquartered in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

The airline offers a personal TV with a wide selection of in-flight entertainment on every seat, free wi-fi, light snacks, free meal and a lot of leg room for passengers in economy as well as business class.

Another benefit of flying with Malindo is that you can avail discounts at Malindo Air’s partner outlets by showing them your boarding pass.

3.FLY DUBAI

Operates From : Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Goa, Kochi and Lucknow

Popular Holiday Destinations It Flies To : Istanbul, Zanzibar, Moscow, Vienna, Prague, Amman, Doha and Beirut

Price : Starting from Rs 6500*

People don’t generally associate Dubai with anything that is low-cost, thanks to its reputation as a luxurious city.

But you will be surprised about the fact that it offers affordable travel to almost 90 destinations across Asia, Africa and Europe from India.

A full meal service is offered on long-haul flights with the option to purchase alcoholic beverages and additional snacks.

You will also be pampered with In-flight entertainment with a wide selection of movies and Tv shows which is available for pre-purchase.

4.SCOOT

Operates From : Jaipur, Amritsar, Lucknow, Kochi, Hyderabad and Chennai

Popular Holiday Destinations It Flies To : Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Macau, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Gold Coast

Price: Starting from Rs 10000*

This award-winning budget carrier, is a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, which has recently started operating in India.

Previously, Tigerair used to operate flights from India to more than 41 destinations in Asia and Australia till 2017, however now it flies as Scoot.

They have an In-flight entertainment system called “Scoot TV” which is the most unique service offered by the airline.

You get to choose from over 100 movies and Tv shows, which you can watch on your personal laptop, tablet or mobile using free wi-fi.

5.AIR ARABIA

Operates From : Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kochi

Popular Holiday Destinations It Flies To : UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Russia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Turkey, Qatar and Kenya

Price : Starting from Rs 6000*

The Sharjah based airline offers great deals on flights from India to holiday destinations in Asia, Africa and Europe.

The airline has one of the best loyalty programs amongst other airlines in the region and offers you maximum value for the points earned.

They also have a very unique program known as ‘Fun Onboard’ where passengers can showcase their talents on the flight.

6.INDIGO

Operates From: Mumbai ,Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata

Popular Holiday Destinations It Flies To : Singapore, Kathmandu, Muscat, Dubai, Doha, Colombo, Bangkok and Sharjah

Price : Starting from Rs 7500*

IndiGo was one of the first low-cost airlines in India to ferry passengers abroad and is the biggest airline in the country.

Being a low-cost carrier it offers only economy class seats.

There is no wi-fi or Inflight entertainment, however, it has one of the best on-time performances and is very pocket-friendly.

You can get your snacks along with you onboard but you also have the option to buy food if you are in a mood to spend.

So if you’re looking to reach your destination without major delays and don’t really care about the fancy amenities that airlines generally provide, IndiGo is a very good option.

7.SPICEJET

Operates From : Mumbai, Delhi, Amritsar, Guwahati, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad

Popular Holiday Destinations It Flies To : Male’, Muscat, Colombo, Bangkok, Dubai, Dhaka And Kabul

Price: Starting from Rs 7500*

The second biggest Low-cost airline in India has been flying internationally since 2010 and is different from traditional budget carriers.

The airline offers Its “SpiceMax” members premium services such as pre-assigned seats with extra leg-room, priority check-in/boarding/baggage handling and complimentary meals.

8.AIR INDIA EXPRESS

Operates From :Kochi, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Amritsar, Lucknow, Jaipur, Varanasi, Kolkata and Chandigarh

Popular Holiday Destinations It Flies To : Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Kuwait, Muscat, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Riyadh and Dhaka

Price: Starting from Rs 7000*

Air India Express is the low-cost subsidiary of Air India and is known for connecting Tier 2 cities to international destinations with their flights.

You have a choice between Indian and continental cuisine onboard with complimentary liquor/wine, which you can have while watching your choice of in-flight entertainment.

If you want to know more about the different services offered by your airline, look no further. Simply download the AirWhizz App to get information regarding different airline rules, policies and services on your fingertips and fly stress-free!

* Please note that all prices mentioned here are only indicative. They are meant to give you a general idea. For the actual price and service details please refer to the information displayed on the airline’s official website or online travel portals.

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Surat Airport All Set To Get International Status!

AirWhizzJun 11, 2018 No Comments

Surat Airport All Set To Get International Status!

Aviation Insider

People in Surat will be able to fly directly to international destinations in the coming few months.

Surat Airport is all set to become an international airport thanks to the central government giving the airport a customs notified status.

On 8th June 2018, The Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs gave Surat Airport the status of a customs airport, which allows an airport to operate international flights, under the Customs Act 1962.

Back in 2016, the Airports Authority of India(AAI) had asked the central government to give Surat Airport a customs notified status and finally after 18 months they have gone ahead and agreed upon it.

Recently the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujrat, Mr. Nitin Patel, in his budget speech said that he has set aside Rs 1 Crore for setting up immigration facilities at the airport. The home department of the Gujrat Government has already asked the Director General of Police(DGP) to allot 68 immigration staff members at the airport for the financial year 2018-19.

Air India Express has shown interest in starting flights from Surat to Dubai. In fact, Mr. K Shyam Sundar, CEO of Air India Express, had visited the airport last year to inspect the terminal building, runway and other facilities available at the airport.

He said that the airline is keen to launch its flights to Dubai, provided they extend their runway to 2905 meters and get a customs notified status from the government.

Mr Sundar and his team also met members of the social group(working towards increasing connectivity at the airport) and tours & travel association to discuss about the potential of international flight services from Surat.

According to the association, almost 5 lakh people have travelled from Surat and south Gujrat to international destinations in 2017-2018.They also said that the air passenger traffic at the airport has been on the rise and is continuously increasing by 20-25 percent every year.

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Second Heli-Taxi Service To Be Launched In Bangalore To Ferry Air Passengers

AirWhizzJun 09, 2018 No Comments

Second Heli-Taxi Service To Be Launched In Bangalore To Ferry Air Passengers

Aviation Insider

Bangalore is all set to get a second Heli-Taxi service that will ferry passengers between the 2 airports within the city.

Here are the details about the 2nd Heli-Taxi service–

  • The service is likely to start by 23rd June 2018.
  • The helicopter will fly between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Airport and Kempegowda International Airport(KIA).
  • The Heli-Taxi fare for this will be steeper than the Electronic City – KIA route.
  • Thumby Aviation Pvt Ltd will be handling the operations of the Heli-Taxi Service.
  • The company will be purchasing special performance ‘Class-I’ helicopters that are mandatory for such rooftop services.

The prices are going to be higher for the second Heli-Taxi service because Thumby Aviation does not have a helipad of its own at the HAL airport. They will have to pay a high rent in the form of ground handling charges, landing charges and parking charges to HAL authorities.

According to Captain K.N.G Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of Thumby Aviation, the company will do their best to reduce the cost per ticket so that the passengers don’t bear a big burden. They will be ready within two weeks to start this service.

The first Heli-taxi service started on 5th March 2018 and was a huge success since it took only 15 minutes to take passengers from the electronic city to KIA, which on-ground takes around 2 hours. The service operates 3 round trips in 2 slots, between 6:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

The tickets cost Rs 4130 (Including GST) per person and there is a 15 kg baggage limit. If a person has more than 15kg of luggage, they can opt to transport it through CarterPorter, which is a third party service.

4 hotels in Bangalore are keen to jump in on this opportunity and want to offer their helipads for ferrying their guests to the airport. However, this could take a few more months since a permission has to be taken from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

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10 Ways You Can Upgrade Your Seat To First-Class!

AirWhizzJun 08, 2018 No Comments

10 Ways You Can Upgrade Your Seat To First-Class!

Travel Like a Pro

Personalized service, free-flowing champagne, specially prepared cuisines by Michelin star chefs and enough leg room to stretch your tiredness away.

These are some things that come to mind when you think about first-class travel on an airline.

Flying first-class is a luxury, no doubt about it, but it’s often expensive and not worth the money if you are travelling a short distance.

But, you’ll be happy to hear that, like most things, there are some loopholes you can use to your advantage.

So, if you want to travel in luxury, follow these simple travel hacks that can help you jump to the first-class cabin for FREE!

1.Travel At Non-Peak Days

If you have a flexible travelling schedule, try to book your flight on a day when people are less likely to travel.

For instance, try to book flights during the middle of the week and fly during dawn or dusk.

First-Class seats are usually empty during this time and you have better chances of scoring an upgrade.

Also, if you travel on holidays such as Holi or Diwali, most of the seats on the flight will be empty and if the cabin crew is in a festive mood they will upgrade you to the first-class.

2.Arrive Early

Airlines encourage you to be at the airport 45 minutes before the scheduled flight departure.

But if you have some spare time on the day you’re travelling, reach the airport early. It will give you ample time to chat with the gate agent.

The agent will have no queue or angry passengers to worry about and you can sweet talk your way to first-class.

3.Join The Frequent Flyer Program

Be loyal to one frequent flyer program of an airline and you will see what wonders it will do.

It may seem costly at first, but if you stack up your miles with one airline, it will help you get free upgrades to the first-class in the future.

4.Book Through The Airline’s Website

Try to book tickets on your airline’s official website, rather than using online travel agents.

During check-in, the airline system will know that you have booked on their website.

When its time to ask for your upgrade, chances are you’ll be treated as if you’re loyal to that specific airline.

Also, airlines send huge discount offers via email to people who book their tickets on the official site.

5. Check Your Emails

Building on the above point, many of us don’t check the follow-up emails that airlines send, once we book a ticket.

Airline companies know well ahead of time that the flight is going to be overbooked and try to offer huge discounts via email.

Since they don’t send these offers to people who book with online travel agents, chances are you’ll be part of a small minority of people receiving these emails for your specific flight.

So, the closer an overbooked flight gets to departure time, the more offers you get including first-class upgrades.

6. Use Your Connections

Know the pilot or a cabin crew member who works with the airline you are travelling with?

If so, then use that connection for all it’s worth.

Airline employees get amazing perks which they can share with their family and friends.

7.Travel Solo

Since you’re just one person, the airline will have a much easier time moving you up to first-class than they will with a couple or a family.

If you’ve got a preference and are travelling alone, it’s worth asking about an upgrade for any empty seats that might still be available in first-class.

Travelling by yourself may seem lonely at first but all that will go away when you’re flying first-class.

8.Fly On An Occasion

Whether it’s your birthday or your anniversary, let the gate agents know about it.

With competition increasing these days, airlines want their guests to have the best possible experience.

You may have a very good chance of getting a free upgrade to the first-class if you travel on or around the time of your special occasion.

9.Dress Up Smartly

Leave the cargo shorts and tank tops at home. Dress as if you’ve reached the airport from a business meeting and have been waiting for the flight in the executive lounge.

Chances are slim, but if you dress the part, business suits have done the trick for many people in the past.

10. Try Your Luck

Don’t be afraid to ask for an upgrade, of course they could always say no but what have you got to lose?

Dress well, be nice, talk sweetly and a “please” might just do the trick.

Can’t wait to experience the luxury of first-class?

Download the AirWhizz App and get real-time flight updates to track your flights on the move. So go ahead, travel in style and fly stress-free.

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Air India Seeks Rs 1000 Crore To Manage Day To Day Operations!

AirWhizzJun 08, 2018 No Comments

Air India Seeks Rs 1000 Crore To Manage Day To Day Operations!

Aviation Insider

With the Air India disinvestment falling into shambles, it seems like the debt-ridden airline can’t catch a break.

The airline is looking for a 1000 crore short-term loan to manage its day to day operations. The airline is cash-strapped and has not paid its 11000 employees their salaries for the last 3 months.

The airline has released a bid document, requesting banks to provide them with a loan and put their financial bids by 13th June. The short-term loan will be for a duration of one year from the date of availing the loan but, they can renew their loan after this period.

The airline has borrowed a total of Rs 6700 Crore from various banks between September 2017 and January 2018 to manage their working capital requirements and other needs.

Air India till now has received Rs 26000 Crore under the bailout package which was announced by the former UPA government back in 2012. The bailout clause said that Air India will get a total of Rs Rs 30,231 crore till 2021 if they can achieve their targets set by the UPA government.

The airline has been getting this money despite not achieving its targets. In 2016-2017 Air India recorded a loss of Rs 3643 crore and it is projected that in 2017-2018 it will suffer losses of Rs 3579.

The Government had agreed to sell 76% stake in Air India last year in June, but they received no bids for the national Carrier despite the fact that the date for submitting bids had been extended to 31st May 2018.

According to Civil Aviation Minister, Mr. Suresh Prabhu, the future course of action for the Air India disinvestment will be decided by Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM), a group of ministers headed by Union Minister Arun Jaitley, in due course of time.

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List Of Flights Which Will Be Delayed Or Diverted At The Mumbai Airport Today!

AirWhizzJun 07, 2018 No Comments

List Of Flights Which Will Be Delayed Or Diverted At The Mumbai Airport Today!

Aviation Insider

Due to heavy rains in Mumbai, several flights may be delayed and diverted today at the Chattrapati Shivaji InternatiAirport.ort .

Here is a list of flights that have been delayed at the Mumbai Airport –

Arrivals

Airline Flight No. Origin Date Scheduled Time Actual Time Terminal
Air India AI 646 Jodhpur 25/06/2018 13:45 14:10 T2
Air India AI 648 Jamnagar 25/06/2018 14:00 16:00 T2
Air India AI 863 Delhi 25/06/2018 15:10 16:10 T2
GoAir G8 348 Kochi 25/06/2018 15:30 16:05 T2
Air India AI 651 Vishakhapatnam 25/06/2018 16:20 18:20 T2
Air India AI 670 Bhubaneswar 25/06/2018 17:15 18:35 T2
Air India AI 644 Udaipur 25/06/2018 18:10 18:30 T2
IndiGo 6E 459 Mangalore 25/06/2018 19:45 20:35 T1
IndiGo 6E 5449 Bengaluru 25/06/2018 19:55 20:40 T1
Jet Airways 9W 468 Chennai 25/06/2018 20:05 20:50 T2
IndiGo 6E 231 Hyderabad 25/06/2018 20:35 21:25 T1
Jet Airways 9W 470 Chennai 25/06/2018 21:20 22:01 T2
IndiGo 6E 566 Bengaluru 25/06/2018 21:25 22:20 T1
Air India AI 441 Delhi 25/06/2018 21:35 21:55 T2
Jet Airways 9W 354 Delhi 25/06/2018 22:05 22:55 T2
Jet Airways 9W 438 Mangalore 25/06/2018 22:45 23:10 T2
Air India AI 668 Thiruvananthapuram 25/06/2018 22:35 22:55 T2
Air India AI 630 Nagpur 25/06/2018 23:05 23:30 T2

Departure

Airline Flight No. Destination Date Scheduled Time Actual Time Terminal
Air India AI 643 Udaipur 25/06/2018 14:35 15:00 T2
Air India AI 661 Goa 25/06/2018 16:15 16:30 T2
Ai India AI 667 Thiruvananthapuram 25/06/2018 17:20 17:40 T2
Air India AI 660 Delhi 25/06/2018 18:00 18:45 T2
Air India AI 629 Nagpur 25/06/2018 19:00 19:30 T2
Vistara UK 940 Delhi 25/06/2018 19:40 20:40 T2
IndiGo 6E 254 Hyderabad 25/06/2018 20:05 20:20 T1
IndiGo 6E 639 Ahmedabad 25/06/2018 20:05 20:25 T1
Jet Airways 9W 383 Indore 25/06/2018 20:15 20:50 T2
IndiGo 6E 6433 Ahmedabad 25/06/2018 20:45 21:25 T1
IndiGo 6E 248 Delhi 25/06/2018 20:55 21:20 T1
SpiceJet SG 154 Delhi 25/06/2018 21:40 23:15 T1
IndiGo 6E 565 Bengaluru 25/06/2018 22:30 23:05 T1

If you want to know more about your flight status, simply download the AirWhizz App. You will get real-time flight and weather updates on the move to help you plan your trip better.We will update this list every hour and keep you informed in case more flights get delayed or diverted.

*The information has been collected from Mumbai Airport’s official website

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Mumbai Airport Breaks Its Own Record,Handles Over 1000 Flights In A Day!

AirWhizzJun 07, 2018 No Comments

Mumbai Airport Breaks Its Own Record,Handles Over 1000 Flights In A Day!

Aviation Insider

Mumbai Airport, the world’s busiest single-runway airport, has broken its own record by handling 1003 flights in a single day.

In January 2018, Mumbai Airport handled 980 landings and take-offs, breaking the record for handling the most amount of flights in a single day, which was previously held by  UK’s Gatwick International Airport.

Here are the details of how Mumbai Airport managed this –

  • On Monday evening, due to pre-monsoon showers and heavy winds, 19 flights were diverted and many were delayed.
  • As soon as the weather cleared up around midnight, these flights were accommodated at the airport.
  • These delayed flights landed and took off past midnight on Monday, adding to Tuesday’s data.
  • Between midnight of Monday and Tuesday, the airport handled 506 arrival and 497 departure flights.
  • Domestic airlines recorded an on-time performance of 82%- 83%.

The Mumbai airport has 2 intersecting runways, however, only one runway is operational at a given point of time. The main runway can handle 46 flight movements per hour, while the secondary runway can handle 35 aircraft movements per hour.

According to Mumbai International Airport Limited(MIAL) spokesperson, this record is an acknowledgment of the airport’s effort to set a high benchmark in the global aviation industry. He also said that MIAL is committed and hope that they continue to bring greater efficiency, safety and reliability to their work in the future.

In 2006, when MIAL (A joint venture between GVK & Airports Authority Of India) took over the Mumbai Airport, it was handling up to 584 landings and take-offs in a day. As the years went by, the Indian aviation market continued to grow and the airport started to handle over 900 flights a day with airplanes arriving every 42 seconds at the airport.

In March 2018, Mumbai Airport, along with the Delhi International Airport, was given the award for the ‘World’s Best Airport For Customer Experience’ in the above-40 million passenger category by Airports Council International.

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Pakyong Airport Will Start Operations From This Month!

AirWhizzJun 06, 2018 No Comments

Pakyong Airport Will Start Operations From This Month!

Aviation Insider

The much awaited, Pakyong Airport in Sikkim, is all set to become operational this month.

Civil Aviation Minister, Mr. Suresh Prabhu, has finally received the license to operate the Sikkim Airport, which is located 30 km from the state’s capital, Gangtok.

SpiceJet is the only airline till now which has received the permission to operate flights from Kolkata Airport to Pakyong Airport.

On 10th May a test flight was carried out, where SpiceJet used its 78 seater Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 to successfully land at the airport.

Here are some interesting facts about the airport-

  • It is the first Greenfield Airport in Northeast India and is spread across 990 acres.
  • Located at a height of 4590 ft, this airport is considered as one of the 5 highest altitude airports in India.
  • The airport is often called an engineering marvel owing to the extremely rough terrain it has been built on.
  • The airport is built roughly 60 km away from the Indo-China border, giving it a huge strategic advantage. Indian Air Force(IAF) has already done test runs and will use the airport once it’s operational.
  • The project for constructing this airport was sanctioned 11 years ago, however, due to land acquisition problems, the project was delayed. It has been built at an approximate cost of 350 crores.

Sikkim was the only state in India to not have a functional airport, but all that is about to change this month.

As of now, the nearest airport to Gangtok is in Bagdogra, West Bengal, which is 150 Km away. Travellers have to first fly to the Bagdogra Airport and then take a 4.5 hour cab ride to reach the place.

With opening of the Pakyong Airport, it is expected that it will boost tourism, which will help in the economic development of the state and connect it to the rest of India.

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