Aviation Insider

Articles giving aviation insights

Singapore Airlines Successfully Conducts The World’s Longest Flight!

AirWhizzOct 13, 2018 No Comments

Singapore Airlines Successfully Conducts The World’s Longest Flight!

Aviation Insider

Singapore Airlines has successfully carried out the world’s longest flight!

The airline’s Flight SQ22 departed at approximately 11:35 p.m. yesterday for New York with 150 passengers and 17 crew on board. The flight had a journey time of 19 hours.

This journey was made possible by the aircraft, an Airbus A350-900ULR, which has a twin-engine with a modified system that burns 25 percent less fuel. It can carry up to 161 passengers – 67 in business class and 94 in premium economy.

The flight can take up to 18 hours and 45 minutes but the pilots have reserve fuel in the aircraft to make it capable of flying more than 20 hours non-stop, in case of an emergency.

Two pilots, a special “wellness” menu and more than seven weeks’ worth of film and television entertainment accompanied the passengers on the 16,700-kilometre (10,400-mile) journey to the Big Apple.

The cabin has higher-than-normal ceilings, larger windows and lighting designed to reduce jet lag. This has been done to lessen the stresses that can accompany any passenger after spending almost a day on an airplane.

To promote healthy eating, the airline offered a special menu which included organic dishes.

Singapore Airlines originally flew the route for nine years using the four-engine A340-500 before abandoning it in 2013 because high oil prices made the service unprofitable.

Previously the record for the world’s longest flight was held by Qatar Airways Flight 921 from Auckland to Doha, which takes 17 hours 40 minutes. However, Singapore Airlines has now officially broken that record.

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GoAir Has Officially Become An International Airline!

AirWhizzOct 12, 2018 No Comments

GoAir Has Officially Become An International Airline!

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Low-Cost carrier GoAir has become the 6th domestic airline to fly international skies with the launch of its inaugural flight from New Delhi to Phuket.

The inaugural flight (G8 031), with 182 passengers on board, was given a ceremonial flag off for Phuket in Thailand at 1 a.m. on Thursday from Indira Gandhi International Airport.

GoAir’s first international service took place on an Airbus A320 Neo aircraft. The airline will provide direct flights, two times a week between New Delhi – Phuket and three times a week between Mumbai – Phuket.

According to the CEO of GoAir, Mr. Cornelis Vrieswijk, The launch of their first service to Phuket represents another step of transition from a domestic carrier to a global airline for GoAir.

He went on to say that Phuket is a key market in India and holds a significant base for business and tourism and they are delighted to include Phuket in GoAir’s new global network.

Besides the national carrier Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express, private carriers Jet Airways, IndiGo and SpiceJet also fly internationally.

GoAir became eligible to fly overseas two years ago when it took delivery of its 20th aircraft, which was also the first Airbus A320 Neo for the airline.

The airline currently operates over 1,544 weekly flights across 23 domestic destinations with a fleet of 38 Airbus A320 planes, including 19 A320 Neos.

GoAir, which launched its domestic operations in November 2005, was granted rights in August 2016 to operate to nine countries, including China, Vietnam, Maldives, Kazakhstan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, among others.

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Hyderabad Airport Gets A Brand New International Terminal!

AirWhizzOct 11, 2018 No Comments

Hyderabad Airport Gets A Brand New International Terminal!

Aviation Insider

Hyderabad Airport is all set to handle the demands of its increasing passenger traffic!

In a move to decongest the airport, a new international terminal will be opened on 23rd October 2018. Spread over an area of 1 lakh square feet, the temporary terminal will exclusively cater to international passengers.

Due to the ongoing expansion work at Hyderabad Airport, which will take about three years to be completed, this interim terminal will be operational.

According to the  CEO of Hyderabad International Airport Limited, Mr. S.G.K Kishore, this arrangement has been done keeping the growth of passenger traffic in mind. It has spiked from 10 million in 2015 to  20 million passengers in 2018.

He expects that this traffic will further increase to 40 million in the next three years. This interim terminal will reduce inconvenience to passengers due to increase in volume.

Here are a few interesting facts about the new international terminal:

  • With a total budget of Rs 50 crore, the interim facility was built within just six months.
  • It has 40 check-in counters, 30 immigration points and an exclusive checkpoint for business class passengers.
  • It will also have India’s first remote hand baggage screening facility
  • The terminal is also unique in a way that it uses Pre Engineering Building Technology, which means it can be dismantled and taken elsewhere.
  • A total of 22 airlines will operate from the terminal
  • The terminal will have 32 international flights daily which will connect the city to 29 different global destinations.

The new terminal which is adjoining the existing airport was built in place of the Aerobridge that was present there.

Mr. Kishore has also said that once the main airport’s expansion is over, this terminal will be used as a Haj Terminal, a VIP terminal or may be dismantled altogether.

The exclusive interim international departure terminal facility is located close to the Haj Terminal facility and is adjacent to the international section of the main passenger terminal building.

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Delhi Airport Plans To Become Plastic Free By 2019!

AirWhizzOct 10, 2018 No Comments

Delhi Airport Plans To Become Plastic Free By 2019!

Aviation Insider

Single-use plastic items, like straws and containers, may soon become a thing of the past at Delhi airport.

Delhi International Airport Limited(DIAL) has decided to make India’s busiest airport plastic free by the end of 2019

DIAL, which operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport has said that it has they have taken steps to eliminate the possible use of single-use plastic. This includes creating awareness, enhancing waste management systems and promoting the use of eco-friendly sustainable alternatives

They have also said that they are collectively working with all the stakeholders to put a ban on single-use plastic at the airport.

Single-use plastic, also called disposable plastics, including grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups and cutlery.

In place of plastic, DIAL is planning to use smart and bio-friendly packaging for food takeaways & beverages as well as paper or environmentally friendly bags for retail shopping.

Among other efforts, DIAL will also look to minimise generation of wastes by way of recycling opportunities and enhance segregation and collection of waste at sources.

A few months back, due to ban of plastic in Maharashtra, airports across the state stopped using single-use plastic, which has benefitted both the environment and the airport operators.

Plastic and garbage dumped around the airport is the major cause for attracting animals and birds. There have recently been a lot of complaints at many Airport about the growing number of stray dogs in the airport vicinity.

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Bengaluru Airport To Put An End To Long Security Queues!

AirWhizzOct 09, 2018 No Comments

Bengaluru Airport To Put An End To Long Security Queues!

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Passengers flying from Bengaluru Airport will no longer need to wait in long security queues!

Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL), which operates the Kempegowda International Airport, will soon introduce Smart Security Line with Automated Tray Retrieval System (ATRS).

BIAL has signed an agreement with a UK based technology developer, L3 Macdonald Humfrey (Automation) India Pvt. Ltd. to develop and implement this tech.

ATRS will reduce the waiting time for passengers at the security checkpoint and significantly improve passenger experience and efficiency.

The new system will accelerate the process of passenger and carry-on luggage screening, which is faster than the regular methods, while reducing waiting time and congestion at the same time.

Once fully operational, the passenger screening capacity will significantly increase by over 50%.

Here’s how it works:

  • The smart lanes with ATRS will automatically return empty trays to the preparation area for passengers to place their bags and belongings, ending the hassle of looking for trays and also prevent empty trays from piling up.
  • Automated rollers will enable the trays to automatically move into the screening machine, without the need for passengers or staff to push their trays/ bags into the X-Ray machines.

According to Mr Javed Malik, COO of BIAL, with the new system, security personnel can now process more passengers in a secure and controlled environment, improve overall operational efficiency and enhance safety and security. Passengers will benefit from a quicker passage through security checkpoints

The installation of this system will begin from December 2018 at both domestic and international terminals. Replacement of existing manual lanes will be undertaken in a phased manner to ensure minimal disruption to Airport operations.

The project is expected to be fully implemented by March 2019.

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Everything You Need To Know About Mumbai Airport!

AirWhizzOct 08, 2018 No Comments

Everything You Need To Know About Mumbai Airport!

Aviation Insider

Mumbai is famous for many things, the Gateway Of India, the Elephanta Island, the Marine Drive and of course Bollywood.

But, amongst all these things, there is one which stands out and is the first thing that most tourists and foreigners visit, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport(CSMIA)!

Mumbai airport has been the second home to most frequent flyers in India and has made air travel easy for passengers passing through the city.

With its efficiency and infrastructure quality, CSMIA 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

‘Juhu Aerodrome’ was India’s and Bombay’s (now called Mumbai) first airport which was built in 1932. It was used by mail delivery airplanes and was located less than 2 Km from the actual site of CSMIA.

In 1940, authorities decided to find an alternative site and a spot was chosen at Santa Cruz where Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport was born.

Used by the military during World War ll by the British Royal Air Force, Mumbai Airport was managed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation after Independence and in 1958, a new terminal was opened.

In 1972, the operation of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM) was taken over by the International Airports Authority of India and expansion plans were soon implemented over the next three decades.

By the turn of the new millennium, the airport had grown to become one of the busiest airports in India and the world.

Awards & Recognition

Mumbai airport has transformed into a world-class airport over the years. For its efforts to modernize and upgrade the airport to meet world standards, CSMIA has won many national and international accolades. Here are a few honourable mentions:

  1. It won the ‘Best Airport In India’ Award by Air Passengers Association of India in 2007 & 2008
  2. It was the first international airport to win the prestigious ‘Airport of the Year’ Award by Frost & Sullivan Aeronautical Excellence in 2008
  3. It won the “Autodesk Hong Kong Building Information Modelling (BIM) Award” for its unique Air Traffic Control tower in 2009
  4. It also won the ‘Best Managed Airport’ award from CNBC AWAAZ in 2009 & 2014
  5. It bagged the prestigious Golden Peacock National Quality Award 2012.
  6. It received “Gold rating” in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for energy efficient, eco-friendly and sustainable terminal building design.
  7. It received the Forbes India Art Award under the “Corporate Commitment to Art” category in 2014 for its unique and beautiful airport museum “Jaya He”
  8. It bagged the prestigious ‘Golden Peacock Innovative Product/Service Award’ in 2014 for its ‘Pranaam GVK Guest Services’.
  9. CSMIA’s Terminal 2 has been awarded the “Platinum Design Award” in 2015 for Architecture, Building and Structural Design.
  10. It has been awarded the prestigious ‘National Tourism Award 2014-15’ under the category of Best Airports in Class X (metro) Cities.
  11. It was rated as the best airport in the 25-40 million passengers per year category by ACI in the Airport Service Quality Awards 2015.
  12. It has been voted as the ‘Best Airport in India and Central Asia’ by Skytrax World Airport Awards in 2016 & 2018.
  13. It has been awarded as “Best Metro Airport 2015-16” by Air Passenger Association of India.
  14. It has been in the Top 10  ‘Best Airport Terminals’ and was awarded the ‘Best Airport Staff’ award in India & Central Asia at the Skytrax Awards in 2017.
  15. It received World’s Best Airport at the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards 2017.

Interesting Facts About Mumbai Airport

  • Majority of the people won’t know this but, Mumbai Airport is also known as the Sahar International Airport.
  • The airport is the 2nd busiest airport in the country on the basis of a total number of international passenger traffic.
  • Mumbai Airport is the primary hub for many airlines. This includes airlines like Air India, SpiceJet, Jet Airways, GoAir, Blue Dart Aviation, JetConnect, and IndiGo
  • The airport is named after the 17th-century Maratha Emperor, Chhatrapati Shivaji
  • You will find 4 levels in total at Terminal 2 of the airport. It includes the first level as the ground transport, Level 2 for arrivals, Level 3 for domestic departures, and Level 4 for international departures
  • Mumbai Airport’s art museum ‘Jaya He’ is the largest art project in the world which consists of more than 6,000 artworks in total
  • The Terminal 2 area of the airport supports more than 2300 CCTV camera and over 70,000 detection devices for fire. The airport also has a multi-level car park which can support more than 5,000 vehicles
  • It is one of the best airports for shopping. The retail space in the airport is about 21,000 sq. Meters, which has many national and international branded stores in it
  • The airport has achieved a lot in the field of environmental sustainability. In fact, it was the 1st Indian and 2nd Asian airport to be accredited with the prestigious ISO 14064 certification for Carbon Emissions Accounting

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

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Exhibition Organized At Delhi Airport To Educate First-Time Flyers!

AirWhizzOct 08, 2018 No Comments

Exhibition Organized At Delhi Airport To Educate First-Time Flyers!

Aviation Insider

With the aim of removing fear and reluctance from first-time flyers, Airports Authority Of India(AAI) organized an international exhibition at the Indira Gandhi International Airport(IGIA) in New Delhi.

The exhibition was conducted between 5th and 7th October as part of the 21st India International Security Expo, to make people aware of different security protocols and security drills that flyers have to go through.

They did this by displaying a replica of the airport security area with metal detectors, baggage scanning machines and explosive trace detectors so that visitors are familiar with the security protocols that are followed at the airport.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel from IGIA were in charge of the security drill, who explain patiently to the visitors, the list of things to be kept in mind while flying.

With a surge in air traffic, people from all walks of life are now travelling by air thanks to the government’s UDAN scheme. To help these new flyers this expo was organised.

Capt. R.K.Malik, General Manager of Security at AAI, released a statement in the media saying that, “Hawai chappal waale log hawai jahaj mein safar karein (people in slippers should be able to travel in flights)” has been the moto of the UDAN scheme. AAI’s endeavour through this exhibition is to simulate the airport experience for these first-time flyers, so when they visit an airport they are neither nervous nor confused.

He also said that through this they will be more co-operative thereby, helping them to enhance security at Indian airports.

AAI also displayed a full-body scanner, which is yet to be introduced at Indian airports, to prepare people for airports of the future.

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Kannur International Airport To Open On 9th December 2018!

AirWhizzOct 06, 2018 No Comments

Kannur International Airport To Open On 9th December 2018!

Aviation Insider

Kerala’s fourth international airport at Kannur is all set to open on 9th December 2018, following an approval by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL) Managing Director, V. Thulasidas confirmed the launched date, saying that “we are ready for operations”.

KIAL authorities are trying their best to see that commercial operations commence soon after the inauguration, but the Airport Authority of India will be deciding on that.

11 international carriers and 6 domestic airlines have already confirmed their decision to fly into KIAL.

The first trial operations were undertaken successfully at the airport on 20th September and a repeat rehearsal the following day, after which the DGCA finally gave their approval.

Here are some key features of the new greenfield airport:

  • The Rs 1,892 crores airport is located at Mattanur, near Kannur. It is spread over 2,000 acres of land.
  • At present, the length of the runway is 3,050 meters and work to extend the length of the runway to 4,000 meters has already begun.
  • The swanky new airport has 24 check-in and 32 immigration counters.
  • The Central Industrial Security Force will be in charge of the airport’s security operations.
  • Kerala will be the only state in the country to have four international airports with the others at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode.
  • It will also be the state’s largest international airport.
  • the airport will be able to handle 2,000 passengers at a time and it is anticipated that KIAL will serve more than 1.5 million international passengers annually.
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