Aviation Insider

Articles giving aviation insights

Mumbai Airport’s “GVK Lounge” Awarded The World’s Best Airport Lounge!

The “GVK Lounge” at Terminal 2 in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has been given the award for  the best “Business Class Airport Lounge” in the world.

The award was given at the prestigious ‘World Travel Awards 2018” which was held in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday.

The GVK Lounge, operated by Travel Food Services (TFS) and Zurich based firm, Performa, was among the 14 nominees for the “World’s Leading Airport Lounge – Business Class 2018” and was declared the winner.

It also won the award for “Asia’s Leading Airport Lounge” and “Asia’s Leading Domestic Airport Lounge”.

The GVK Lounge beat stiff competition from business class lounges from around the world, including lounges like Air Mauritius lounge at Mauritius airport, British Airways Galleries Lounge at Heathrow airport in London, Emirates lounge at Dubai airport, Etihad Airways lounge at Abu Dhabi airport, Qatar Airways’ lounge at Doha and Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse at Heathrow airport.

The management team from TFS and Performa, including Managing Director of Performa Beat Ehlers, Director of TFS Varun Kapur, Director Operations Methilda Pary and General Manager of Commercial of Mumbai Airport Lounge Services Kerrsi Rusi Mistry, were among those who were present at the awards ceremony.

This is the first time that GVK Lounge has won the award in “ Business Class” category. However, It has won awards for the World’s Leading Airport Lounge (First Class) & Asia’s Leading Airport Lounge for the last four consecutive years.

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Kannur International Airport To Start Operations From 9th December!

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the newly-constructed Kannur International Airport (KIA) on December 9.

The airport, to be operated by Kannur International Airport Ltd. (KIAL), is the second greenfield airport to be built under public-private partnership (PPP) model in Kerala after Kochin International Airport.

According to Mr. V. Thulasidas, Managing Director of KIAL, more airlines are expected to start services to and from Kannur in January.

GoAir, Indigo, and SpiceJet are awaiting final clearance from the director general of civil aviation (DGCA). If clearance is received, GoAir is likely to operate its first service on December 9 itself. IndiGo will start services by the middle of January 2019

Mr. Thulasidas has also said that some foreign airlines have already submitted proposals to the DGCA for beginning services connecting Kannur

The inaugural flight will be Air India Express to Abu Dhabi, which will be flagged off on December 9.

The airport will have 24 check-in counters initially, which can be increased up to 48 as per requirement. The airport is provided with six passenger boarding bridges, which can also be increased in future.

The length of the runway, which is at present 3050 metres, will be soon increased to 4000 metres. Though the airport was developed with the facility to handle 2000 passengers, the present facility allows handling of more than the estimated capacity.

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Get Ready To Fly Abroad From Hubballi Airport!

Airlines in India will soon allow passengers to fly from Hubballi to international destinations in the coming few days.

It is reported that IndiGo, which operates daily flights from Hubballi to Bengaluru, Cochin , Ahmedabad and Chennai, will be the first to do so.

After the airport was developed to international standards at a cost of Rs 130 Crores, the city was chosen under the regional connectivity scheme, UDAN.

At present, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India are operating direct flights to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Goa, Mumbai, Kochi, and Mangaluru from Hubballi airport, which has resulted in an increase in the number of flyers from the city.

IndiGo is planning to provide connectivity to Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Doha, Singapore, Hong Kong & other international destinations from Hubballi for the convenience of fliers.

Currently, there are no direct flights to any international destination from Hubballi.

According to reports, IndiGo may start international operations from 1st December. Here are all the details about it:

  • Indigo will offer three connecting flights to Bangkok and Singapore via Chennai every day except Sunday
  • Three flights to Dubai via Ahmedabad on every Sunday
  • Five flights to Hong Kong via Bengaluru
  • Four flights to Male via Cochin
  • Six flights to Singapore via Bengaluru will also be run out of which three will be operated every day of the week except Sunday, while three flights will operate on Sundays
  • Of the six flights to Abu Dhabi via Cochin three will operate on every Tuesday and the other three will run on every day of the week except Tuesday
  • The three flights to Colombo via Chennai will be run every day of the week except Wednesdays and Sundays

Connecting Hubballi with international destinations will definitely help the city grow at a fast pace and may also attract big investors to Hubballi and other surrounding districts.

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Runway Closure At Mumbai Airport From 7th Feb To 30th March 2019

Fliers travelling to and from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai, are likely to face delays and see a rise in airfares if they are scheduled to travel between February 7th  and March 30th , 2019.

Senior airport officials said re-carpeting and overlay work of the runway intersection could lead to flight disruptions. Officials said the runway work is done every seven years and was last done in 2012.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) has confirmed this development and said a Notice To Airmen (NOTAM, notice filed to let pilots know about the schedule change) has been issued.

This information has been communicated to all the stakeholders(airports, airlines etc) so that passengers can be kept informed about their flight status on these days.

The runways will be shut for six hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 11 am to 5 pm and all the flights will be cancelled during this period.

Mumbai airport that has two cross runways that on an average handle 950 aircraft daily. The main runway (09-27) handles maximum flight operations, while the secondary runway (less efficient than the main runway) is used when the main runway is not available for flight operations.

Delhi Airport had been closed for a few hours every day between 16th & 25th November due to repair work of the runway. This caused around many flight delays and the airfares to/from Delhi Airport to go up exorbitantly.

So make sure that you book your ticket early and keep yourself regularly updated for any changes in your flight’s schedule to/from Mumbai Airport.

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Hassle-Free Security Checks Now At Delhi, Mumbai & Hyderabad Airports!

Soon, air passengers will not have to take out laptops and small bottles of liquid for separate security checks.

In a big relief to flyers, India is all set to join the league of countries like the United States, United Kingdom and Netherlands to test new-age handbag scanners.

These scanners are based on a new technology that does not require air passengers to take out items such as laptops and small bottles of liquid at the airport for checking.

Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) gave its nod for a pilot project on this 3D-based computed tomography scanner at Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad airports.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), had sought BCAS’ approval to do a trial of this machine at the security hold area at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

Once the trials are successfully conducted and the move is approved by BACS, the machine will likely be installed by airports in India.

If implemented on a permanent basis, this project will lend a hand to both passengers and security forces in saving time and ease up the security procedure.

Given the acute airport infrastructure crunch in India, the use of technology to speed up passenger movement is becoming vital.

Another thing that all the major airports across the country are introducing in a phased manner is hi-tech Automatic Tray Retrieval System (ATRS), hand baggage belts at security checks.

The system can scan the boarding cards of flyers when they put their bags in trays for scanning. After they have been frisked, passengers can pick the cleared handbags from the other side.

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Airlines Decision To Charge For Web Check-In Under Scanner!

Low budget carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet had recently announced that they will now charge passengers for web check-in services. Due to this customers have been raising their concerns on various social media platforms.

However, the Ministry of Civil Aviation(MoCA) announced yesterday that they will now review the airline’s decision to charge passengers for any of the seats selected at the time of web check-in, to ascertain whether the move is in compliance with existing rules.

According to the MoCA’s twitter handle, the government has noted that airlines are now charging for web check-in for all seats and are reviewing these fees to see whether they fall within the unbundled pricing framework.

Earlier, the airline charged only for particular types of seats like a window or aisle seat or seats having extra legroom when passengers opted for online selection.

IndiGo will now charge Rs 100-800 for such selection online, depending upon the seat. For web check-in of a first-row seat, a passenger will have to pay as much as Rs 800 extra, while a non-reclining seat in row 12, which is next to the emergency exit, will cost an additional Rs 600 when selected online. A middle seat in the last row will cost Rs 100 more.

However, if you go directly to the airport and check-in on the spot you can select your seat for free, depending on the availability.

Web check-in provides convenience to travellers allowing them to opt for preferential seats.

However, making all seats chargeable will deter individuals from web check-in prior to their departure, resulting in longer airport queues both at the boarding desk as well as self-check-in kiosks.

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Let Your Dreams Take Flight:10 Career Options In Aviation!

The aviation industry has some of the most lucrative and glamorous jobs anyone can think of.

The most attractive parts of working in the airline industry are the salaries, the lifestyle, and the prestige that comes along when representing an airline.

It’s like a family and everyone involved in it works together to make your air travel as comfortable and safe as possible.

When people think about jobs in aviation they think about being a pilot or a cabin crew member. But, there is more than what meets the eye.

But before we discuss how you can be a part of this industry lets discuss how to get a professional degree for it.

BBA In Aviation Management

If you’ve passed your 12th standard, go for a BBA in Aviation Management

Learn the fundamentals of Aviation, Travel and Tourism, business communication, aviation operations, safety & security along with role of human resource management in this sector.

MBA In Aviation Management

Airlines & aviation companies are expanding at a phenomenal rate in India.

Which means that they will require people to plan infrastructure modernisation, investment analysis, scope of fleet expansion and many such management functions.

Getting a unique & structured MBA programme in aviation management will lay the foundation for a great career graph in the industry.

You will be able to learn about things like fleet management, ground handling, cargo, customer service, medical tourism, crew management & ticketing.

Where You Should Pursue These Degrees From

The Institute of Logistics And Aviation Management (ILAM), with its state of the art campuses in major cities, offers specialised BBA & MBA programmes in partnership with airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet & Jet Airways as recruiters.

These programs are very unique and come with inbuilt live practical sessions pertaining to aircraft ground handling, safety training and Galileo software training to name a few.

These courses provide a blend of practical and theoretical knowledge which will make you stand apart for your future employees.

Now that we’ve discussed how to get a professional degree, let’s see some amazing ways in which you can become a part of this industry.

Pilot

This one is obvious. All you have to do is to attend a course or academy to get your Air Transport Pilot License (ATPL).

Once you have the flying license, you’ll have to get some flying hours on your record for the experience.

Being a pilot is great! You get to travel to different places, fly an airplane and enjoy the view at 30000 feet in the air.

Cabin Crew

20% of all the employees in the aviation industry are working as cabin crew members.

The major part of the job as a cabin crew member is to make sure that air passengers are feeling comfortable and safe while flying in an airplane or in emergency situations.

To become a cabin crew member you can go for small courses or join institutes and academies which train and teach you how to be a part of an airline’s cabin crew.

Airport Station Attendant/Airport Assistant

The name of this job describes its role.

If you want to work as an airport assistant, you’ll be responsible for assisting customers with general queries and support.

The support can vary from assisting physically abled or elderly with wheelchairs to help a customer with directions. An Airport assistant is always there when it comes to assisting passengers on the ground.

Flight Ticket Agent

These agents are the people you will see assisting passengers at the ticket counter.

The job requires them to issue boarding passes, giving information about the flights, helping in reservations or changes, and receiving the check-in luggage.

They are the face of the airline they are representing and are first people to greet the passengers when they arrive at the airport.

Administrative Support

All airlines require administrative support for the smooth operation.

Administer support is a general word used for job profiles such as receptionists, data entry workers, communications, PR specialist, secretaries, I.T. administrator etc.

Administrative support also includes a human resource department who are responsible for hiring, labor relations issues, and training of employees.

Aviation Meteorologist

Aviation meteorologists provide information about weather conditions to flight dispatchers and pilots.

They have a huge responsibility and have to make sure that the airplane is safe.

They have to calculate the current and the forecasted weather conditions at all altitudes, by determining the direction and speed of the wind, the intensity of lightning and rain conditions.

Flight Dispatcher

They are responsible for the safety of the aircraft’s flight.

They do this by preparing a flight plan, which is a detailed schedule of destinations, layovers, distance, expected fuel consumption, weather conditions, altitude, compass bearing, and alternate destinations in case problems arise.

Avionics  Technicians/Mechanics

They are the specialized technicians and mechanics who look after servicing and maintaining the aircraft on the ground.

Aircraft mechanics make sure that the aircraft has no mechanical related issues by conducting routine maintenance and safety checks.

Avionics technicians service the electronics systems of an aircraft by repairing, installing, and troubleshooting avionic equipment.

Crew Schedule Coordinator

An airline’s crew schedule coordinator looks after the staffing of the air and ground support crew.

If there are any troubles with the flight taking of due to weather conditions or technical issues, it is their responsibility to make adjustments in the scheduling plan of the cabin and ground crew.

Aviation Attorney

Aviation attorneys specialize in civil or general aviation-related cases.

Many aviation attorneys represent government organisations such as the DGCA, while others may be on staff or on a contractual basis by large corporations who own airplanes or deal with airlines

Conclusion

There are many other ways in which you can join the aviation industry. You can look online for the openings in airline industry or airports. This industry also offers jobs indirectly to professions like travel agents, insurance agents etc.

It is estimated that by 2025 India will be the 3rd largest aviation market in the world.

Areas such as customer service, operations, logistics, airport management, retail, medical tourism, and many more sectors will see huge prosperity and growth. So if you’ve had a dream of living the lifestyle called aviation, then now is the time to be in it or think about being a part of it.

So go ahead and let your dreams take flight!

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IndiGo & SpiceJet To Now Charge For Web Check-in!

Low-Cost Carriers, IndiGo & SpiceJet, will now charge you a fee to use their online check-in services!

Passengers earlier had to pay a fee for selecting a seat with the 2 airlines however, the budget airliners have announced that they will charge for online check-in services as well, to make up for high cost of operations.

Mumbai-based low-cost carrier GoAir is still offering some seats for free. Full-service airlines like Jet Airways, Vistara don’t charge for seat selection.

IndiGo and SpiceJet’s decision comes at a time when airlines are struggling with rising costs but can’t afford to raise ticket fares due to competition.

Such charges will help to boost ancillary revenue of the airlines. Ancillary revenue consists of charges like baggage fees, seat selection fees, cancellation charges.

Experts said that airlines were free to charge for the online check-in service as aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) has allowed unbundling of services.

The move of the airlines was, however, received with shock and anger from flyers who tagged civil aviation minister Mr. Suresh Prabhu and his deputy Mr. Jayant Sinha on Twitter and urged to stop the practice.

Flyers have said that this will lead to increased congestion at major airports like Delhi and Mumbai as more people will now turn up in airport counters for check-in.

This, in turn, will also increase the burden for airlines at airports forcing them to increase check-in counters and hire more people.

Another major problem that people pointed out was that there will be no guarantee that tickets bought at the same time(Same PNR)  will allow passengers to sit together. To get the seats together, one will have to do it through the web check-in. Else, they will have to go for the free seats, which will be allotted as per availability.

However, web check-in for the seats booked for corporate use are still available free of cost.

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