Aviation Insider

Articles giving aviation insights

Face Recognition Technology To Soon Be a Reality At Indian Airports!

AirWhizzOct 05, 2018 No Comments

Face Recognition Technology To Soon Be a Reality At Indian Airports!

Aviation Insider

Indian flyers will soon be able to leave their identification cards and boarding passes at home!

By February 2019, airport authorities will roll out facial recognition-based access system at various Indian Airports to make air travel more streamlined and paperless.

Hyderabad and Bangalore airport will start with Biometric based facial entry by February end, while airports in Varanasi, Kolkata, Pune and Vijayawada will get this technology by April 2019.

According to Aviation Secretary, R.N. Choubey, these airports will be the first airports in India to have this system. If it’s a success they will look to implement this technology at other airports across India.

After these six, India’s biggest hubs of Delhi and Mumbai and then other Airports Authority of India (AAI) run Indian Airports will get the system under which paperless boarding of domestic flights will be a reality.

Passengers on domestic flights will be able to choose whether they want to use the biometric authentication system and go paperless. They will have to generate a unique Digi Yatra(DY) ID by registering at the aviation ministry portal and give the details required.

After this, DY ID will verify the identity using face recognition. Once confirmed, e-gates will open and allow domestic passengers access to various points such as terminal entry point, entry to security check and aircraft boarding.

Here are the benefits of this initiative:

  • Airports will know what was the last point cleared by a flyer in case the airline needs to search for a passenger.
  • It will accelerate the passenger’s airport journey
  • Will reduce costs and airfares as lesser manpower deployment will be required for verifying ID’s
  • The system has the capability of reducing long queues

India has witnessed a six-fold increase in passenger numbers over the past decade as citizens take advantage of better connectivity and cheaper fares thanks to a host of low-cost airlines.

Hopefully, with the implementation of this system, airports will be able to tackle the problem of congestion and long ques, especially during peak hours and make a passengers airport trip much smoother.

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Runway Repair To Cause Major Flight Disruptions At Delhi & Mumbai Airport!

AirWhizzOct 04, 2018 No Comments

Runway Repair To Cause Major Flight Disruptions At Delhi & Mumbai Airport!

Aviation Insider

Air passengers should brace for flight delays and disruption, as India’s 2 busiest airports, Mumbai and Delhi Airport, will close their runway for maintenance at different periods starting next month and stretching through the first quarter of 2019.

While one runway at Delhi airport will be closed for 13 days starting 15 November 2018, the airport in Mumbai will remain shut for 6 hours, thrice a week, between 7 February 2019 and end of March.

It is expected that more than 2000 flights will be cancelled or rescheduled during this period. According to the Delhi airport, 1300 flights will be affected. More than 700 flights will be affected in Mumbai according to airline executives.

Airport operators, Delhi International Airport Limited(DIAL) & Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) have said that the runways need repair and that they have planned the maintenance with proper coordination with all stakeholders, including airlines.

Delhi airport, with three runways, will close its Runway 27, the oldest runway at the airport that is used primarily by flights using Terminal 1D, starting November 15.

According to MIAL, this closure is to strengthen the intersection in the runway at Mumbai airport. Since the repair work is to be done at the intersection, they will have to close the runway completely.

The runway at the Mumbai airport will be closed from 11 am to 5 pm during a 52-day period starting February 7, 2018. It will also be closed for a few hours for runway maintenance on 23 October 2018 which is set to impact at least 32 flights.

According to Air India, around 200 domestic flight departures and arrivals are likely to be affected by the runway closure.

A spokesperson from Vistara has said that the airline has decided to cancel as well as re-schedule some flights during the runway closure period.

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Airfares Expected To Increase This Festive Season!

AirWhizzOct 03, 2018 No Comments

Airfares Expected To Increase This Festive Season!

Aviation Insider

Air passengers should expect an increase in airfares in the coming festive season!

According to the data presented by Indian Oil Corporation, prices of Aviation Turbine Fuel(ATF) increased at an all-time high on Monday. It has never been this high since March 2014.

Jet fuel prices as on October 1, 2018, surged to Rs 74,567 per kilolitre in Delhi, Rs 79,736 per kilolitre in Kolkata, Rs 74,177 per kilolitre in Mumbai and Rs 75,521 per kilolitre in Chennai. Jet fuel prices have been the highest in Kolkata and lowest in Mumbai.

The main reasons behind the surge in fuel prices is the increase in crude oil prices in the international market and falling rupee against US dollar.

Also, the government hiked import duty or tax on ATF to 5%, but the import duty hike is expected to have a marginal effect on the airline’s cost. This is because the amount of jet fuel imported by the airlines accounts to only 4 % of their total cost.

Owing to the stiff competition in the domestic aviation sector, airlines are propelled to keep the rates intact even on increasing jet fuel prices and falling rupee.

But, now the airlines, which are facing huge losses, are expected to pass on the burden of increasing jet fuel prices to consumers.

The domestic airlines are under tremendous pressure to curb expenses as the earning has gone down drastically.

Jet Airways had reported a quarterly loss of Rs 13.23 billion, while IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, in July, reported its lowest quarterly profit in three years, with earnings down 97 percent due to rising fuel costs and foreign exchange losses.

The airlines hope that airfares would increase in the month of October, citing festive season ahead and a surge in demand.

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Itanagar In Arunachal Pradesh All Set To Get Its 1st Airport!

AirWhizzOct 02, 2018 No Comments

Itanagar In Arunachal Pradesh All Set To Get Its 1st Airport!

Aviation Insider

Despite becoming a state 29 years ago, an airport for Arunachal Pradesh’s capital has remained a distant dream for residents of Itanagar.

However, all this is about to change!

Union Minister, Mr Jayant Sinha has announced that the foundation stone for the proposed greenfield airport at Hollongi, will be laid in December 2018 and its construction will start thereafter.

About Rs 1,200 crore will be spent on developing the airport, which will have a better layout and a larger runway, compared to most airports in India.

According to Mr. Sinha, the 2,200-metre runway at the greenfield airport will handle jet aircraft that can provide direct flights to metro cities. He also went on to say that international flight operations may also start when the airport is complete.

The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region will spend about Rs 350 crore for the initial phase of work in the Hollongi airport.

Arunachal Pradesh already has airports at Tezu and Pasighat. The first commercial flight to Arunachal Pradesh landed at Pasighat airport in East Siang district with 25 passengers on May 22 this year.

The plan to build an airport for Itanagar was conceived as early as 2007 but the differences between the Airports Authority of India and the state government resulted in the project getting delayed.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) eventually stepped in to put an end to the dispute in July 2012 and the Hollongi site was finalised.

The government plans to connect the entire state with helicopter, seaplanes and passenger drone services by connecting small and big towns in the next 10 years.

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Airfares: How Airlines Price Your Flight Ticket!

AirWhizzOct 01, 2018 No Comments

Airfares: How Airlines Price Your Flight Ticket!

Aviation Insider

Looking for flights can be great fun, especially when you land a good deal. But sometimes it’s rather frustrating.

You can spend hours on the internet, trying different websites, but reasonable airfares are nowhere to be found.

Trying to figure out an airfare pricing system can seem completely random. But what seems random, is actually the airline’s dynamic pricing, using a strategy called Airline Revenue Management.

The system uses an algorithm that adjusts fares by using information like past bookings, remaining seats, average demand for certain routes and the probability of selling more seats later.

But before we get into the details of how exactly your ticket is priced, let’s take a look at how this system came into being.

The Evolution Of Airfare Pricing

Today’s pricing system is a far cry from the initial years of commercial airline pricing which was tightly regulated by the government.

Most international routes were operated by a single national carrier and the lack of choice resulted in uncompetitive fares for consumers.

Deregulation, however, changed all that, removing government controls over routes, airfares and market entry for new airlines.

As years went by, technology started coming into play and eventually, all airlines started using it to price their tickets according to the data available.

Artificial Intelligence is today the major driving force that airlines use to price tickets, based on the buying behaviour of different types of air travellers (Leisure Travellers & Business Travellers).

Basic Price Of Your Ticket

The price of your ticket consists of a number of things:

  • Base Fare
  • Taxes and airport fees
  • Fuel surcharge
  • Service fee to issue
  • Food
  • Seat selection
  • Baggage

The last four are sometimes optional (especially for low-cost airlines) where you pay for them on top of the ticket price if you want them included.

With the traditional airlines, and for long-haul flights, these things are usually included in the ticket price.

Factors Affecting Your Airfare

1.Time

If you’ve travelled a few times by air, you must have noticed how airfares are usually at the low end, 3 to 4 months before the flight’s departure.

However, that price increase as the departure date approaches.

Leisure Travellers are flexible on dates but not on prices, while it’s the complete opposite for Business travellers.

Airlines try to attract leisure travellers by pricing the ticket at a cheaper rate so that they can fill up as many seats as possible.

The airline knows that as the departure date gets closer, business travellers will buy tickets at the last moment regardless of the price because they have to reach their destination at a specific date and time.

This is where airlines play it smart and price the seats higher.

For example, A Delhi-Mumbai flight ticket that normally costs Rs 6,000-8,000 could go up to nearly Rs 15,000 if you purchase it two days from the date of departure.

2.Competition

Fares to smaller cities with little airline competition are typically more expensive than fares to big cities with lots of different carriers.

3.Distance

The distance between two places plays a major part in deciding the airfare. The farther you fly, the more you’ll pay!

This is often true in most cases, however, on some routes this may be applicable.

The popularity of the route plays a huge part in this.

4.Demand/Supply

Airlines know when people want to fly, such as summer and major holidays. Which is why they raise prices during these peak travel periods, knowing people will pay.

Also, since there are more seats available in the start the prices are cheaper. But as the seats fill up , the supply of the seats reduces and the prices are kept high.

5.Load Factor

Airlines want to fill their planes and maximize profits. They do this by calculating a plane’s load factor.

Essentially, this is the percentage of seats sold on a flight!

Airlines don’t want to fly empty seats so they’ve become extremely efficient in calculating this load factor which helps them determine the price of a ticket.

They exactly know when and where we will fly, round the year.

6.Day/Timing Of The Flight

You’ll usually find a cheap ticket on the days when people are less likely to travel during the week. The least popular days to fly are usually Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Using the same concept, airlines price their tickets at a lower rate at not peak timings. Which means that if you want a cheap ticket you should choose a flight taking off at dawn, during meal times or overnight flights.

7.Flight Route

Sometimes, a connecting flight can be a lot cheaper than a nonstop flight.

For the airlines, nonstop routes are a gamble, as they require a consistent demand for travel on that exact route.

This isn’t a problem on popular routes or for flights to major cities, but usually on less compelling routes where demand could be an issue.

However, connecting flight routes solve this problem by funnelling all that traffic.

Instead of flying a half-empty plane, airlines fly a full plane to the connecting cities through the connecting flight, where they either join other passengers to fly to their destination or board a tiny regional jet for a short flight.

8.Oil Prices

As oil prices rise, so do jet fuel prices.

30% of the airline’s cost goes on fuel expenditure, which airlines cover by adding  ‘fuel surcharge’ on our airfares.

For now, it hasn’t affected us that much (Due To Competition From Low-Budget Carriers) however, airlines do feel the sting of rising oil prices.

Now that you know how air tickets are priced, Read more about “How To Save On Your Airfare”!

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17 Airlines Keen To Operate From Kannur International Airport In Kerala!

AirWhizzOct 01, 2018 No Comments

17 Airlines Keen To Operate From Kannur International Airport In Kerala!

Aviation Insider

According to the Chief Minister of Kerala, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, 11 international and 6 national airlines have expressed their willingness to conduct services from Kannur International Airport.

The international airlines include Emirates, Etihad, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Saudia, Silk Air, Air Asia and Malindo Air. Domestic carriers such as Air India, Air India Express, Jet Airways, Indigo, SpiceJet and Go Air will operate out of Kannur International Airport.

Mr Vijayan was speaking at the annual public meeting of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, where other issues related to the Kannur airport were also discussed.

Here are the key points from the meeting-

  • Authorities are planning to increase the length of Kannur airport’s runway from 3050 meters to 4000 meters. The formalities of acquisition of lands are in progress. The CM said that Kannur Airport will become the largest airport in Kerala.
  • The Kerala police will have the temporary responsibility of immigration. Air India Services Limited and Celebi Ground Handling have the responsibility of ground handling services.
  • Construction of terminal building and arranging facilities inside terminal have been completed.
  • Monti Carlo Limited has been given Rs 113 Crore to construct the International Air Cargo Complex, 4 storeyed airport office building, 5 storeyed CISF residence building and the approaching roads to the airport. They have also been given the task of lighting and decorating the airport.
  • 29 people in the families who lost houses when the government acquired lands were appointed in different positions. The remaining people in this category will be appointed through Air India ITSL, ground/cargo handling agency of the airport.
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Airlines Set To Connect Mumbai With 6 New Global Destinations!

AirWhizzSep 29, 2018 No Comments

Airlines Set To Connect Mumbai With 6 New Global Destinations!

Aviation Insider

There is some good news for air travellers flying from Mumbai!

Passengers travelling from the city will now be able to experience a seamless connectivity to at least 6 new destinations across the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom starting next month.

America’s third largest carrier, United Airlines will be offering US-bound passengers from Mumbai more seats, as it plans to deploy a bigger aircraft as part of the airline’s winter schedule in India

Air India, Jet Airways and GoAir will be starting new flights to international destinations from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport from October.

Apart from this, foreign airlines such as Air Italy and Uzbekistan Airways will be entering the Mumbai aviation market for the first time ever.

Here are all the details about it:

  • Air Italy will start five-times-a-week non-stop service from Mumbai to Milan from 31st October 2018
  • Uzbekistan Airways will have three direct flights in a week between capital city Tashkent and Mumbai from 30th October 2018.
  • Air India, which is the only Indian carrier flying directly to the US, will commence its direct flight services from Mumbai to the German city Frankfurt and New York’s JFK Airport from 1st October 2018 and 4th October 2018.
  • Mumbai will also get direct connectivity to Phuket in Thailand and Male in Maldives with the budget carrier, GoAir, set to fly to these destinations from 12th October 2018 and 14th October 2018.
  • Jet Airways will be connecting Mumbai with Manchester in the UK with five-times a week flight services starting 4th November 2018. It will be the airline’s 21st international destination and fifth non-stop service to and from the UK.
  • United Airlines will operate its latest higher seating capacity aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER, between Mumbai and New York/Newark route from 1st October 2018, replacing the 777-200ER, which is currently being operated on the route.
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10 Best Airports In The World For Shopping!

AirWhizzSep 28, 2018 No Comments

10 Best Airports In The World For Shopping!

Aviation Insider

For some travellers airport shopping may mean discounted foreign liquor or high-end chocolates and sweets, but frequent international fliers know well that hubs around the globe are stepping up their retail game.

A little retail therapy can make hours spent waiting at an airport fly by.

Why waste valuable time dragging heavy bags around the city when all of your shopping needs can be fulfilled at the airport on your way home?

To intrigue the inner shopaholic in you, here are the 10 best airports in the world for shopping

1.London Heathrow Airport, England

Europe’s busiest airport boasts of a 42000 square feet shopping space which is spread over 4 terminals.

You will find everything from pocket-friendly goods to premium products from world-renowned brands.

Things like perfumes, skin care products, alcohol and chocolates are available at all terminals but if you’re looking for items from brands like Burberry, Dior, Gucci and Cartier visit the airport’s Terminal 3.

Terminal 5 of the airport showcases the best of British design and craftsmanship with brands like Mulberry, Paul Smith, Links of London, and Smythson showcasing their products to departing passengers.

2.Singapore Changi International Airport, Malaysia

Singapore’s Changi Airport has been awarded the best airport in the world for the past 6 consecutive years, thanks to its beautiful architecture, efficient operation, luxurious amenities, dining and shopping.

You’ll get to enjoy products with prices which are comparatively cheaper than most airports around the world.

If you have time to spare, you can indulge yourself at the duty-free shops which are located in Terminal 1.

It has the widest range of beauty and skincare products amongst Asia Pacific airports, with more than 190 international brands on display.

You can buy electronic items like printers, laptops ,computer accessories from renowned brands and is a paradise for gamers with an extensive range of software and hardware from Sony PlayStation on display.

A wide selection of the world’s most premium wines and spirits is available, with an alcohol sampling bar where you can taste and buy.

3.Hong Kong International Airport, China

The city has a culture of shopping, which you can experience at the airport as well.

‘SkyMart’ in Terminal 1 and ‘SkyPlaza’ in Terminal 2 have the kind of retail space which would make any shopaholic jump with joy.

SkyMart has a “Downtown Pricing Guarantee,” so the price you pay at the airport will not be higher than what you would pay in the city.

The airport is not only about high-end products either. There’s a good mix of both premium and locally branded products on display.

4.Hammad/Doha International Airport, Saudi Arabia

If you have a long-haul flight with a layover in Doha, time will fly by thanks to the wide array of restaurants and shops in ‘Qatar Duty-Free’ located inside the airport.

It consists of a shopping plaza spanning over 40.000 square meters and comprising more than 30 fine dining establishments and 70 luxury retail stores.

Products like leather goods, designer bags, watches, jewellery, perfumes, souvenirs, travel gifts etc are available apart from the usual tax-free tobacco and liquor.

Luxury brands like Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Giorgio Armani, Godiva, Harrods, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren & Rolex have their goods displayed for passengers.

It’s a bit on the expensive side but the experience is defiantly worth it!

5.Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Netherlands.

Schiphol airport in Amsterdam is the perfect paradise for shoppers on a tight budget.

It is regarded as one of the best airports for shopping because of its unique offers which run mostly round the year.

With discounts and promotions such as ‘Buy 2 Get 3 Free’ on premium products, it can make any passenger think twice before moving to the boarding gate.

You can check out the latest offers and discounts at Schiphol Airport’s Official Site.

6.Incheon International Airport, South Korea

South Korea’s main international gateway in Seoul, the Incheon International Airport, is most popular for items such as perfumes, cosmetics, alcohol and cigarettes.

It’s regarded as the best one-stop shopping place for world travellers.

The shopping plaza is located in Terminal 1 and has more than 200 popular brands located in one place.

It offers reliable products at reasonable prices and the best quality services.

7.Dubai International Airport, UAE

Dubai International Airport has been one of the top three (based on total sales) duty-free retailer for a couple of years now.

Alcohol, perfumes and gold are the must-buys in the Sheikh Rashid Terminal (also known as the Concourse) which is home to majority of the shops.

Open 24/7, there’s 58,125 square feet of retail heaven with products from premium brands up for grabs.

8.Zurich International Airport, Switzerland

Zurich Airport calls its shopping area ‘Paradise’, and it might well be, based on the reviews from frequent flyers around the world.

Switzerland is one of the last places in Europe where fliers can still buy duty-free goods.

Perfumes, cosmetics, alcohol, tobacco and, of course, fine Swiss chocolates can all be pre-ordered via their website if you’re all about the bargains.

If you’re in the mood for browsing, you’ll be in for a treat, with various Swiss brands displaying their products.

Also, if you purchase stuff worth 250 Swizz Franc or more, you can check-in through their ‘Fast Track’ security queue.

9.Vancouver International Airport, Canada

Vancouver International Airport has often been voted the best airport in North America.

And one of the main reasons the airport is so highly regarded is the nearby designer outlet mall – McArthurGlen Designer Outlet.

Fashion savvy travellers can browse designer names like Armani, Coach and Banana Republic along with world-famous brands which are situated alongside top-notch restaurants and stylish coffee houses.

Prices are also reduced (up to 70%), making Vancouver Airport all the more attractive to the savvy spender. The outlet is currently being expanded to house another 35 new premium lifestyle brands.

10.Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, France

Being one of the largest airports in Europe, Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport may not be the most attractive, but it does house a sea of shops.

And this being Paris, the fashion capital of the world, exclusive brand names and designer boutiques that can be seen on the streets can also be found on the airport’s three terminals.

However, Terminal 2 is perhaps best if it’s luxury you’re after. It is home to upmarket brands such as Hermès, Salvatore Ferragamo and Longchamp.

Now that we’ve got you excited about shopping at the airport, why not install the AirWhizz App. Get all the information about different airport shops along with real-time flight updates, airline information and much more on your fingertips and Fly Stress-Free!

 

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