Airline

IndiGo Becomes 1st Indian Airline To Fly 5 Million Passengers In A Month!

AirWhizzNov 24, 2018 No Comments

IndiGo Becomes 1st Indian Airline To Fly 5 Million Passengers In A Month!

Aviation Insider

India’s leading airline, IndiGo,  has achieved a new feat in the month of October 2018 becoming the first domestic airline to fly more than five million passengers in a particular month.

According to Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) monthly performance report for October 2018, IndiGo has flown 50.75 lakh passengers in October.

Between January to October 2018, IndiGo carried 11.5 crore passengers, 21.1% higher than the last year’s figure.

It will also become the 1st airline in India to have 200 airplanes. For now it has 196 aircraft but will soon cross the 200 mark by next year.

India’s second-biggest airline Jet Airways flew 15.72 lakh passengers in the month of October, which was the second highest followed by Air India and SpiceJet.

Compared to the year so far, passenger traffic growth slowed down last month as domestic airlines increased spot fares on the back of higher fuel prices and a weaker rupee.

In terms of aircraft occupancy, Spicejet bagged the top spot in October recording an occupancy rate of 90.8%. GoAir stood second in the list with 84.1 % occupancy followed by IndiGo, which recorded 83.1 % occupancy.

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10 Things You Can Get For Free On An International Flight!

AirWhizzNov 23, 2018 No Comments

10 Things You Can Get For Free On An International Flight!

Travel Like a Pro

The competition in the airline industry has increased a lot recently and this has helped customers in return. Flights have become cheaper than before and Airlines are offering a variety of services to the flyer.

Some of these services include free stuff that is being provided to make our long air travel easy.

So, go ahead and enjoy these free services that you can get when you fly with an International Airline

1.Basic Medical Facilities

This is an important service, which is mandatory for airlines to provide, by law. All commercial airlines have bandages for minor cuts, painkillers, antacids and other medical kit items.

So, in case you feel sick contact any member of the crew to get assistance. The crew is also well trained to tackle such situations and can help you.

You don’t need to worry during a medical emergency. All you need to do is to reach out to the crew.

2.Extra Snacks & Seconds

The small packets of snacks always leave us wanting for more. There is a common misconception that if you had your snacks once, you can’t have them again.

The good news is that you can ask for it the second time as well!

The flight crew will be more than happy to serve you with extra snacks, but they can do it only when they are done serving snacks to all the passengers.

The chances of having extra snacks increase at late night flights because many passengers avoid munching at that time.

3.Kid’s Essentials

Airlines care about their little flyers and do their best to keep babies and Kids at ease.

Many airlines provide parents with facilities like kid’s diapers, reheating the baby’s bottle or food, and baby bassinets for an infant.

The crew members are trained for short-term babysitting, which can be availed by parents during tiring moments on a flight.

4.Grooming kits

Airlines know the importance of looking sharp.

That’s why most of them are equipped with grooming accessories like hairbrushes, combs, toothbrushes, socks, shaving items, mouthwash, and moisturizers.

So, in case, you forget any of these items, ask the crew politely and avail the facility.

5.Cockpit Tours

This may seem a bit confusing, given the security inside an airplane cockpit, but if you ask, many pilots are more than willing to give mini cockpit tours before or after the flight.

The best time for a visit is usually after a flight has landed, since that’s when pilots tend not to be as rushed.

Many pilots love to get visitors, especially wide-eyed children. It makes their day to have the chance to show off their office.

6.Sanitizing Wipes/Tissues

The stream of passengers passing through airplanes each day turns tray tables, armrests, and entertainment-system buttons into germ factories.

If you’d like to clean your area before settling in, ask a flight attendant for a few sanitizing wipes. They often have them on hand, though it’s not something most passengers know they can ask for.

7.Water Bottle Refills

If onboard supplies allow it, flight attendants are usually willing to refill your empty bottle of water for you.

Since passengers who carry their own water bottles must empty them before going through security at the airport, this added service can come in extra handy for the hydration-conscious.

8.Help Switching Seats

Have a seat assignment that’s got you sitting far from a travel companion?

Flight attendants are often willing to help negotiate seat switches so you can sit together. They can help if there’s time, so if you’re going to ask for help, do it soon after boarding.

They may ask you to wait until everyone has taken their seats (or until you’re at cruising altitude), but it’s better to have your polite request on their mind for whenever they have a second.

9.Alcohol

Cheers! Most airlines offer free alcoholic beverages in first and business class and a selection of free wine/beer on international flights.

So if you need something to calm your nerves down at 30000 feet or just want to kick back and relax on your seat, don’t hesitate to go for that extra pint of beer, cause its free!

10.Wing Pins For Kids

Most airlines have cut free food and snacks for adults and kids, but many still offer little flyers wing pins to commemorate their flight.

Not all flights will have them, but there’s no harm in asking. Usually, flight attendants have them stashed somewhere in the cabin itself.

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Indian Airlines Seek Government’s Help To Get Out Of Financial Instability!

AirWhizzNov 22, 2018 No Comments

Indian Airlines Seek Government’s Help To Get Out Of Financial Instability!

Aviation Insider

Airlines are asking the government to help them obtain unsecured credit from oil companies and airports to help them get over operational difficulties, as rising oil prices have threatened their financial stability.

Competition and high demand for air travel is forcing airlines to keep airfares low, which in turn is having a drastic effect on their day to day operational costs.

The Federation Of Indian Airlines (FIA), which consists of Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, have sent a letter to the government addressing this issue saying that “Airlines are facing challenging times and substantial losses in the domestic environment”.

In the letter, airlines have asked the government to assist them to acquire a penalty-free, one-month unsecured credit from oil companies, as well as state-run Airports Authority of India and private airports.

The plea is the latest signal of the crisis facing airlines in India, where the world’s fastest growth in air travel has created a capacity shortage, while high fuel prices and a weaker rupee squeeze them further.

Base airfares can be as low as Rs 1 in India, while states charge taxes as high as 30% on jet fuel. The rupee has weakened almost 11% this year against the dollar, driving up financing costs on overseas borrowings. Airlines are unable to pass on those costs to the customer to keep their market share.

CRISIL, a renowned global analytics firm, has suggested that airlines will have to increase their current airfares by 12 % if airlines want to recover their losses and have enough to operate their day to day functions.

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Airlines May Soon Be Ranked On The Basis Of Customer Feedback!

AirWhizzNov 20, 2018 No Comments

Airlines May Soon Be Ranked On The Basis Of Customer Feedback!

Aviation Insider

India citizens may soon rank its airlines based on the quality of service they provide to flyers. If this concept is implemented it will be the first country in the world to do so.

The quality will be determined by the ratio of passengers flying with a particular airline and the number of complaints registered against it.

Aviation Minister, Mr. Suresh Prabhu, said this on Monday while launching an upgraded version of the ministry’s aviation portal “Air Seva 2.0”, which promises to make registration of grievances and their redressal faster.

According to Mr. Prabhu, the ministry with the help of the portal will categorise airlines. For this, they will take the help of Quality Council Of India to determine the parameters for ranking airlines.

Airlines ranked lower will have to work to improve their standings as passengers will choose the airlines which are more customer friendly. This way the overall service from airlines is bound to improve.

Mr. Prabhu and his deputy in the ministry, Mr. Jayant Sinha, have always been very proactive on social media. They say that their social media accounts are flooded with complaints from various flyers across the country which made them think about a more systematic process for registering grievances and redressing them.

The next version of the portal, “Air Seva 3.0”, will be launched in a couple of months. It will allow passengers to register for Digi-Yatra, which offers paperless boarding for domestic passengers.

It will kick off in Bangalore and Hyderabad by February, followed by Varanasi, Kolkata, Pune and Vijayawada some months later. Other airports will soon follow suit.

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Reasons Why Flying Is Still The Best Way To Travel!

AirWhizzNov 19, 2018 No Comments

Reasons Why Flying Is Still The Best Way To Travel!

Aviation Insider

At times, Flying has been perceived very wrongly or unsafe which is not true!

There’s a whole new experience to discover while you’re sitting comfortably in your seat and travelling thousands of feet in the air.

Beautiful views, great service, decent food and accessibility are a few words you can associate with flying, but there’s much more to it.

Here are 9 reasons why flying is still the best way to travel.

1.Its The Fastest Way To Get Anywhere

Flying has always been faster than taking the bus, boat, or train!

For instance, if you travel via road from Delhi to Bombay it takes around 8 hours 11 minuets and whereas it takes on 1 hour 55 minuets by a flight on the same route.

Plus, when you’re to go back at the end of your trip, a flight is able to get you there in a matter of a few hours while a return trip by car or a train can seem painful.

2.Flights Are Surprisingly Affordable

It may seem like it due to inflation but airline ticket prices are actually near an all-time low. In fact they have been declining for the past 30 years, allowing more of us to fly than ever before.

More efficient airplanes, increased competition, and the amenity to bargain shop for flights online have all played a role in this trend.

And while we may frown when we see the ticket prices online, we are lucky enough to live in an era when the cost of flying is affordable.

3.It’s Safe

On a daily basis, there are more than 93,000 scheduled commercial aircraft flights across the world, and yet we can go weeks, months or even years without a fatal crash.

When you crunch the numbers, the chances of you being onboard an aircraft that crashes is really small. In fact, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than to be in an airplane crash.

But should your flight actually go down, you’re also likely to still survive. A study of all the air crashes that took place in the U.S. between 1993 and 2000 showed that more than 90% of passengers and crew survived.

Read more about “Why Flying Is The Safest Way To Travel”

4.It Opens The World To You

Want to visit Paris Or have dreams of chilling on the beaches of Hawaii? Then flying is really the best option you have.

The days of taking a slow boat to anywhere else in the world are long gone.

For international travellers, flying opens up nearly an unlimited number of possibilities, allowing us to visit distant lands, experience unique destinations, and explore our planet to the fullest.

5.In-Flight Entertainment

Modern airplanes are often equipped with state-of-the-art entertainment systems that put a selection of movies, television shows, music, and games right at our fingertips.

This can help time to pass more quickly while on a flight and allow us to relax more in the process.

But even if your aircraft doesn’t have a built-in entertainment system, chances are you brought one with you. Most travellers now come equipped with smartphones and tablets, which can fill the entertainment void nicely.

6.You Can Be Productive

Carrying a laptop with you when traveling, plus having some free time aboard the aircraft while in flight, can give you the opportunity to be more productive than if you were driving to your destination.

If you have a long flight, it can be the perfect time to pull out the computer and get some work done.

7.Instagram Worthy Views

If you’re lucky enough to get a window seat, you are often treated to some great views.

There is nothing quite like soaring over the countryside while lakes, rivers, mountains, and other beautiful landscapes pass beneath.

Even at night, when darkness shrouds the sky, it is fun to look out and see the islands of light that spread across the world below.

Sure, you can get good views from other forms of transportation as well, but there is nothing that compares to the bird’s eye view you get from an airplane.

8.A Sense Of Community

Flying, particularly in economy class, can create a sense of community amongst passengers.

There is often this feeling that everyone on the aircraft is traveling together, even if just for a brief time.

This can in turn knock down barriers and create good conversations between passengers. People are generally very excited about the journey they are about to undertake and they often want to share that excitement with others.

9.Amazing Services

Beautiful airports, friendly flight attendants and the amenities they provide to ease us flyers are unparalleled as compared to other modes of transport.

Aviation industry provides its guests with the most amazing services. For instance, mostly you won’t find celebrity chef restaurants or world-class spas at train or bus stations.

Airlines and airports work hard to make our journey as comfortable as possible and in return, we have to pay a comparatively small fee for it, which is definitely worth it.

If you want to know more about these amazing services, look no further. Simply download the AirWhizz app and get information about different airport amenities, airline policies along with real-time flight updates on the move and Fly Stress-Free.

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8 Amazing Destinations You Can Fly To From India!

AirWhizzNov 16, 2018 No Comments

8 Amazing Destinations You Can Fly To From India!

Travel Like a Pro

There was a time when explorers and travelers spent years to reach new places and see new cultures.

Now the whole world is a global village. With airplanes being the fastest mode of travel, global connection of flights makes it possible for travellers to fly around the world in a matter of hours.

In case you are planning to travel and are looking for a place to unwind, here is a list of exciting destinations you can look forward to travelling to.

Siem Reap (Cambodia)

Nearest Airport- Siem Reap International Airport

Airlines In India That Fly To The Destination – Air India, SpiceJet, Jet Airways, Malaysian Airlines, Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines

Sunrise over the temples and ruins of Angkor Wat can leave any traveler in awe.

Cambodia recently became a free country and is now considered a safe place to travel. Travellers from around visit Siem Reap to see the 12th century Angkor Thom royal city.

You can learn about the cities history at the Cambodian Cultural Village and visit the Angkor night market to get a feel of the local culture.

Hanoi (Vietnam)

Nearest Airport – Noi Bai International Airport

Airlines In India That Fly To The Destination – Jet Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air Asia, Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Malaysian Airlines

Apart from beaches, amazing food and lively streets, Hanoi will give you a taste of South East Asia.

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam with a mix of French and Chinese culture. It is a country of a cultural mix with its own way of life.

Don’t forget to visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and Hoa Lo Prison which is a crowd favorite. Lakes, parks, shady boulevards and more than 600 temples add to the appeal of this city, which can be easily explored by taxi.

Istanbul (Turkey)

Nearest Airport – Istanbul Atatürk Airport

Airlines in India That Fly To The Destination –  Air India, Air Astana, Turkish Airlines and Kuwait Airways

If you haven’t traveled to Turkey, you shouldn’t wait any longer. It is a perfect combination of past and present cultures.

European and Asian cultures meet in Istanbul and is a city of turbans, spices, and progressive culture with a lot of beautiful ancient and modern architecture.

In this city you will find centuries-old mosques, churches and markets happily co-existing with modern restaurants, galleries and nightclubs.

Prague (Czech Republic)

Nearest Airport – Václav Havel Airport

Airlines In India That Fly To The Destination –  Air India, Turkish Airlines, Jet Airways, Emirates and Lufthansa

Awesome beer, great food, crazy nightlife, and a lot of sights to see makes this small town in Czech Republic an amazing destination to travel to.

In Prague, don’t forget to see ancient architecture like the rebuilt Prague Castle that has overlooked the city since the 9th century, the synagogues and cemetery of the Jewish Quarter.

Marrakech (Morocco)

Nearest Airport – Marrakesh Menara Airport

Airlines in India That Fly To The Destination –  Air France, Emirates, Etihad, Lufthansa and Qatar

This Moroccan city in North Africa offers a maze of souks, amazing gardens, plenty of beautiful mosques to travelers from around the world.

Marrakech is a colorful city but make sure you don’t travel during summer as it gets really hot. Snake charmers aren’t difficult to find in Djemaa el-Fna.

Find inner peace at the serene Jardin Majorelle or take in the beauty of one of the city’s historic mosques.

London (England)

Nearest Airport –  Heathrow Airport, London City Airport, London Biggin Hill Airport

Airlines in India That Fly To The Destination –  Jet Airways, Air India, British Airways, Emirates, Air France and KLM

Who doesn’t want to go to London? It is the world’s most visited city.

Major sights like the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace are on most visitors’ itineraries, but no matter what your interests, you’ll probably find something here.

Art lovers can visit the National Gallery and the Tate Modern. If military history’s your thing, don’t miss the Cabinet War Rooms.

Rome (Italy)

Nearest Airport –  Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport

Airlines in India That Fly To The Destination –  Alitalia, Aeroflot, Etihad, Jet Airways, Emirates and Qatar Airways

This city has been nicknamed the Eternal City for a reason.

In Rome, you can drink from a street fountain fed by an ancient aqueduct Or the statue in the Capitoline Museum.

Also, you can travel to see Pope but can’t guarantee if he would to see you, maybe you’ll get lucky. Apart from that the whole architecture of Rome is mesmerizing and will leave you with an architectural beauty hangover.

Paris (France)

Nearest Airport – Charles de Gaulle Airport,Orly Airport

Airlines in India That Fly To The Destination –  Alitalia, Aeroflot, Etihad, Jet Airways, Emirates and Qatar Airways

Everyone who visits Paris for the first time probably has the same list of major attractions to hit: The Louvre, Notre Dame, The Eiffel Tower, etc.

Just make sure you leave some time to wander the city’s grand boulevards and eat in as many cafes, bistros and brasseries as possible.

And don’t forget the shopping—whether your tastes run to Louis Vuitton or Les Puces (the flea market), you can find it here.

There are many other places that should be on a traveller’s list apart from the above-mentioned list, which we will cover in our future articles, however, for the time being, we would recommend you to go these places and have an amazing time.

 

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Tata Looks To Reclaim The Skies With Jet Airways Merger!

AirWhizzNov 15, 2018 No Comments

Tata Looks To Reclaim The Skies With Jet Airways Merger!

Aviation Insider

Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata group of companies, is in advanced talks to acquire a significant stake in the troubled airline, Jet Airways

The airline, promoted by entrepreneur Naresh Goyal, has been scouting for investors to tide over its financial difficulties.

According to news reports , The Tata group and Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways are inching towards a two-step transaction the first leg of which could see the merger of Jet with Tata Singapore Airlines. The second step of the deal could involve the purchase of the Goyal family’s stake in the combined entity by Singapore Airlines

The talks between representatives of Tata group, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and the Jet Airways management gathered pace after US private equity giant TPG Capital opted to go slow on its talks to buy a stake in Jet. As per the terms under discussion, Jet Airways will first merge with Tata SIA through a share swap.

The Naresh Goyal family, Etihad, Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines will all become partners in the new company. In the second stage, Singapore Airlines will buy out the shares of the Goyal family, giving them a complete exit. Goyal’s partner Etihad may continue with the venture as minority shareholder.

Buying Jet, with its fleet of 124 aircraft, would return Tata to the forefront of Indian aviation in terms of size, almost 70 years after its first airline was nationalised, and six years after it re-entered the market with two joint ventures, Vistara & Air Asia.

Should a deal with Jet succeed, Tata would gain access to hard-to-get parking slots at Mumbai’s congested airport, most of which are occupied by the 25-year-old airline.

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Why Do Commercial Airplanes Fly At High Altitudes?

AirWhizzNov 12, 2018 No Comments

Why Do Commercial Airplanes Fly At High Altitudes?

Aviation Insider

It would be safe to say that most passengers have never thought about why airplanes fly at a specific height of 35000 feet.

We all assume that since its an airplane it will fly 10600 meters above in the sky, but have you ever wonder why exactly that height?

Well, we did some digging and found out there are some pretty interesting reasons why most airplanes around the world fly so high.

Why Do Airplanes Fly So High?

1.The Higher The Better

One of the central reasons behind an aircraft’s altitude is that, as the air gets thinner with every foot climbed, airplanes can travel more easily and therefore move faster and burn less fuel, saving money.

The “sweet spot” of flying is regarded as between 35,000 and 42,000 feet.

If the airplane flies above this limit the oxygen becomes too sparse to fuel the engines. If it ’s too low, the airplane will experience greater air resistance.

2.Weather Conditions

Flying thousands of feet above the ground also means airplanes avoid much of the bad weather people on the ground are subjected to.

You know the feeling when you see nothing but blue skies from your window seat, only to descend into your destination airport to a dull drizzle.

3.Avoid Heavy Traffic

We aren’t talking about our usual road traffic!

Of course, it does avoid the hectic city traffic, but what we mean is the airborne traffic such as light aircraft or helicopters, which fly lower, as well as insects and birds.

Light aircraft do not have pressurised cabins, therefore stick below 10,000 feet.

4.In The Event Of An Emergency

Should something bad happen to an aircraft at 35,000 feet, like losing power in its engines, the pilot has much longer to deal with the situation, than if the aircraft was just at 10,000 feet.

This may sound silly, but remember that planes can still land safely even if both engines fail

How Low can Airplanes Fly?

The lowest an airplane can fly is a 1000 feet, but this is not applicable to airliners.

Known as the Lowest Safe Altitude (LSALT), this value has been applied by aviation bodies around the world, including Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), the British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration.

Airlines can fly at this low but there are safety standards and rules that don’t allow this. In fact, its illegal for any aircraft to fly lower than a 1000 feet.

Aircraft must not fly less than 1000 feet above the “highest fixed object” beneath them and pilots must make sure that they are high enough to clear the congested area below in the event of engine failure.

Obviously, this doesn’t apply to take-off and landing for an aircraft as it’s done in a controlled flight path.

Is There A Maximum Height?

There is no maximum altitude for flying, however, engines will struggle as the oxygen levels fall, and communication with the ground will become a greater challenge.

The record altitude for a jet plane is 123,520 feet, set by Alexandr Fedotov in 1997 flying a military Soviet MiG-25M.

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