airlines

Flights Diverted At Kolkata Airport Due To Bad Weather!

AirWhizzMay 01, 2018 No Comments

Flights Diverted At Kolkata Airport Due To Bad Weather!

Aviation Insider

Heavy rains and crosswinds caused Kolkata airport to shut its operations on Monday morning. This resulted in flights hovering over the airport for half an hour or getting diverted.

No aircraft could take off or land between 10.18 a.m. and 10.51 a.m. because of the bad weather. The wind’s speed juggled between 62Kmph and 32Kmph, which is not ideal for aircrafts to fly in. If an airplane were to take off or land in such high wind speeds, the aircraft might skid off the runway or suffer a tyre burst.

More than 10 flights hovered over the city, waiting for the wind speed to come down. Seven of them had to be diverted to other cities.

Here are the details of the flights which were diverted –

  • Flights from Jaipur and Chennai of IndiGo airline were diverted to Bhubaneswar.
  • A flight from Mumbai and another from Bangalore, both of IndiGo, were diverted to Raipur and Patna respectively.
  • A Vistara flight from Chennai, an Air India flight from Bagdogra and a Jet Airways flight from Bangalore were diverted to Bhubaneswar.

No flight could take off during that period. A Dubai-bound flight of Emirates and an Air India flight to Delhi had to abort there take off. They both left once the weather improved.

This is the second such incident in the past few days, where flights from the Kolkata airport had to be diverted due to bad weather. Last week, strong winds and lightning at night caused seven Calcutta-bound flights to be diverted to Bhubaneswar and Guwahati. 10 other flights had to hover over Calcutta for more than 30 minutes before they could land.

If you want to know whether your flight has been delayed by bad weather the next time you fly, look no further. Simply Download the AirWhizz app and get real-time flight updates, weather updates and track your flight on the move.

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Passengers Can Now Bid For An Upgrade On Jet Airways!

AirWhizzApr 26, 2018 No Comments

Passengers Can Now Bid For An Upgrade On Jet Airways!

Aviation Insider

Jet Airways passengers travelling in economy and premier class will now be able to bid for an upgrade to a higher class of travel. This offer is called ‘JetUpgrade’ and is being introduced for the first time amongst airlines in India.

Here are the details about ‘JetUpgrade’ –

  • This offer allows all guests holding confirmed economy or premiere tickets of the airline to bid for an upgrade to premiere or first class, respectively.
  • To avail an upgrade, interested guests can place a bid on the Jet Airways website under the ‘manage my booking’ section, stating the amount they’re willing to bid for the upgrade.
  • The bidding will open at least seven days prior to the flight’s departure date and will close 24 hours before scheduled departure time.
  • Guests can modify, or even cancel their bids. However, they will not be able to withdraw their bid, once the bid is accepted as per the defined timelines.
  • All bidders will need to submit their credit card details during the bidding process but only the card of the winning bidder will be charged.
  • A revised e-ticket will be sent to the winning bidder. The original booking of all other guests will remain unaffected.
  • Jet Airways will notify the guests about the bids and their status via email well in advance of the flight’s departure.

The ‘JetUpgrade’ is an ‘industry first’ and with this service, Jet Airways looks to raise the industry benchmark for passenger experience by giving passengers the choice to upgrade to a better seat.

Launched in collaboration with ‘PlusGrade’, market-leading provider of upgrade solutions, ‘JetUpgrade’ has been made available across the airline’s entire network of 65 domestic and international destinations, and on all flights operated by it. The Jet Airways Group currently operates a fleet of 120 aircrafts domestically and internationally.

If you want to know more about the offer’s available to you on your airline, simply download the AirWhizz App. Get information about airline policies and offers on the app itself and plan your trip on the move.

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Government Receives 150 Queries For Air India Sale!

AirWhizzApr 26, 2018 No Comments

Government Receives 150 Queries For Air India Sale!

Aviation Insider

Air India can breathe a sigh of relief. The government has received around 150 queries about Air India sale from companies, which include foreign and Indian carriers, as well as non-aviation entities.

The queries that the government has received from these companies are mostly about the value of debt, employees future and the management of the national carrier. Business Consultants, Ernst And Young(EY) are acting as transaction advisors for the government and will respond to these queries. They will also seek clarification from the government in case there are any changes in the terms of sale.

This comes as a great news for the airline and government, as major players such as Indigo, Jet Airways and Tata Group ruled themselves out for acquiring stake in the airline. However, there is a chance that IndiGo might rethink their decision in case the government changes its policies regarding the airline sale.

Last week the government announced that firms not related to the aviation industry can also bid for Air India as long as they have the financial capability to take over and run the airline. Foreign airlines such as Lufthansa, Air France, KLM and Private equity firms BlackRock and Temasek are amongst the entities which have expressed interest and sent queries about the airline.

According to the terms of the deal, the government has to sell 76 percent stake in Air India along with its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express. 50 percent stake of AISATS is also up for sale.AISATS is a joint venture between Air India and SATS Limited, who is a leading airport service and food solutions provider in Asia.

The last date of submitting queries by interested parties was April 16th 2018. EY will respond to the queries by April 30th 2018. The Last date for submitting the formal Expression of Interest(EoI) by prospective buyers is May 14th 2018 and qualified bidders will be informed by the government by May 28th 2018.

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Pilot Flying Schedules Are Compromising Safety Of Passengers!

AirWhizzApr 25, 2018 No Comments

Pilot Flying Schedules Are Compromising Safety Of Passengers!

Aviation Insider

Did you know? Pilots are hired on a minimum hour contract, which means, every month they get paid for the number of hours they are on the flight and if they fly above that they get an overtime bonus.

In India, pilots have to follow a very rigid and tight schedule. According to a news article published by the Financial Express, here’s what a pilot’s schedule on an Indian Carrier looks like –

  • The pilot starts his day by flying from Delhi at 8.15 a.m. for Amritsar and lands there by 9.30 a.m.
  • The pilot then takes off from Amritsar at 10.10 a.m. for Delhi and lands at 11.30 a.m.
  • After a short break, the pilot takes off for Bangkok from Delhi at 1.55 p.m. and lands in Bangkok at 6.25 p.m. (IST)
  • Next day, the pilot takes off from Bangkok at 1.45 p.m. and lands in Mumbai at 6.25 p.m.
  • The pilot again takes off from Mumbai for Chennai at 8.50 p.m. and lands there at 10.55 p.m.
  • Next day, the pilot finally flies back to his home base, Delhi, at 6.20 p.m. and lands there at 9.15 p.m.

It is over this nature of the scheduling that the pilot fraternity has locked horns with the management teams of airlines, saying they are fatigued. They complain that airlines are extracting more work out of them as they expand their fleet, without recruiting enough new pilots.

The problem with scheduling of a pilot’s flight is that even though it is within the Flight Duty Time Limitation(FDTL) and the pilot gets the rest period allowed the airlines have found a way around the limitations.

Airlines in India are allowed ‘exemptions’ to the Aircraft Rules of 1937 and Civil Aviation Requirement(CAR). This allows them to manipulate it for maximum duty hours and minimum rest period for pilots. They use variations to increase the duty hours as well. The country’s civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has allowed airlines to use this as an operating norm.

A Delhi High Court order which was released on April 18th, asked the airlines and the DGCA to stop this practice. The Court cited five recent incidents that have resulted in both losses of life and aircraft, because of pilot fatigue from constant flying. The court added that the practice is driven by a profit motive and airlines are endangering people’s lives.

According to experts and professionals, this problem is caused by rapid growth in air traffic in India. It has been the highest in the world for the past five years and continues to rise. Airlines in India are falling short of the acceptable pilot-to-aircraft ratio.

It isn’t just flying time that is causing fatigue among pilots. Here are some other factors that contribute to a pilot’s fatigue –

  • One reason is the amount of time a pilot has to sit at the airport waiting or the amount of time he takes to exit an airport post flight, which are both not counted as his duty hours.
  • The second reason is Dead-Heading, a term used by IndiGo airlines which essentially means, the travel a pilot has to do to report for flight duty which is not located at the home base of the pilot.

Pilot fatigue has been an issue for a long time with both airlines and pilots agreeing that fatigue is an issue posing a very troubling threat to millions of passengers as well as valuable cargo supplies that are carried by air transport each day. Here’s are a few examples –

  • Exhaustion in the cockpit can be deadly. In 2009 an American commuter plane crashed taking the lives of everyone on board. The incident occurred when the pilot took a nap and the autopilot system failed.
  • 16 people were injured on an Air Canada flight as a result of pilot fatigue. The co-pilot woke up disorientated from a nap believing that the planet Venus was an airplane and that their aircraft was going to collide with it. In order to avoid the imaginary aircraft, he put the jet into a dive, injuring passengers in the cabin.

We can only hope that airlines take this issue seriously and not overwork pilots for increasing their profits.

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Air India Aircraft Sitting Idle Owing To Cash Crunch Of Rs 250 Cr Monthly!

AirWhizzApr 24, 2018 No Comments

Air India Aircraft Sitting Idle Owing To Cash Crunch Of Rs 250 Cr Monthly!

Aviation Insider

The Airline’s list of problems seem to keep increasing every week. Air India is facing a cash crunch on a monthly basis, which is affecting the maintenance work of its aircrafts. As a result, several aircrafts are lying unutilized.

According to the civil aviation ministry, due to lack of funds, Air India is not being able to purchase all the spare parts it needs. The airline has been showing a deficit in cash on a monthly basis, which equals to Rs 200 Crore to Rs 250 Crore.

The ministry informed the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee(PAC) that shortage of cash has been responsible for aircrafts not being operational despite a Turnaround Plan (TAP) which was implemented in 2011. Fleet expansion has also been hit by viability issues and an ongoing CBI probe into previous acquisitions on the airline.

The PAC is the governing body which is looking into Air India’s functioning after the government decided to disinvest 76 percent stake in the airline.

Replying on the measures taken by the airline to smoothen maintenance of its aircraft, the ministry told PAC that earlier the aircraft engines were sent abroad for overhaul and repair, but now these functions are performed domestically. The airline is also regularly talking to its suppliers to remove the credit hold so that a smooth supply of spares is maintained.

The ministry also stated that aircrafts acquired on lease were grounded for around two months at the time of redelivery as a number of conditions had not been satisfied by the airline.

Air India’s cash flow remains tight as total debt in the airline’s books stands at around Rs 49,000 crore. One of the objectives of the turnaround plan was to accumulate Rs 5,000 crore by selling properties, which has not happened and is a reason behind Air India’s debt remaining too high.

Though Air India’s turnover has been increasing, and the TAP and financial reconstruction plan have helped improve on-time performance, load factor and aircraft utilisation, cash losses remain high despite a declining trend. The national carrier was also planning to offer a VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme) to its employees. The plan was dropped as it was not financially feasible.

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Turbulence On Air India Flight Injures Three Passengers And Damages Airplane!

AirWhizzApr 23, 2018 No Comments

Turbulence On Air India Flight Injures Three Passengers And Damages Airplane!

Aviation Insider

A turbulent Air India flight from Amritsar to Delhi injured three people and caused a window panel inside the aircraft to break on Thursday.

Here are the details of the incident-

  • Air India’s AI 462 had a turbulent flight for 10 to 15 minutes during climb phase from 8,000 feet to 21,000 feet.
  • The turbulence on the flight was such that the head of a seated passenger, who possibly did not have his seatbelt fastened, hit the overhead cabin because of a bump. The person suffered injuries.
  • The inside of a window panel on Seat 18A came off. However, the outside window did not break and there was no de-pressurization.
  • Some oxygen masks also dropped during the severe turbulent phase of the flight.
  • The overhead panel cover of a seat got cracked during the incident.

On landing in Delhi, the emergency response team took three passengers to the hospital. According to the officials, the passenger whose head hit the overhead panel got stitches. Two passengers suffered minor injuries. They took their connecting flights after getting the treatment.

Besides Air India, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) are looking into the incident as to why it happened.

In 2014, a Singapore Airlines flight faced a similar situation while it was landing in Mumbai. About 22 passengers were injured.

A 50-second long video clip of happenings inside that flight showed an air hostess trying to fix the window panel that came off and helping an elderly passenger seated on that seat.

Here is the link to the video

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Air India Sale Now Open To Firms Beyond Aviation Industry!

AirWhizzApr 20, 2018 No Comments

Air India Sale Now Open To Firms Beyond Aviation Industry!

Aviation Insider

The government has opened the sale of Air India to firms outside the aviation sector, stating that companies having sufficient financial backing and the ability to run the airline could buy the 76% stake on sale.

This announcement was made yesterday by Ministry of Finance after many airlines in India developed cold feet to bid for Air India due to the tough conditions laid down by the government and doubts about how much the airline is actually worth. Domestic carriers IndiGo and Jet Airways have indicated they won’t be bidding for the airline unless the current bidding conditions are changed.

According to the secretary of Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), Mr. Neeraj Gupta, the eligibility of any potential bidder is based on its financial capability and does not require any prior experience in the aviation industry. The main criteria is to have the financial backing and the capability to turn the airline around.

There have been several queries from foreign airlines, private equity and venture capital investment firms for the privatisation of Air India. The VC and PE firms have the option of partnering up with other domestic companies to bid for the 76% stake in the airline.

According to the bid document released last month –

  • The investor’s net worth should be more than Rs 5,000 crore
  • The investor should have a track record of reporting profit after tax (PAT) in three of the previous five financial years
  • The government would retain 24% in the airline and the prospective investor is obligated to list the airline within a specified time-frame.
  • The last date for submission of expression of interest for Air India is May 14.
  • Of the Rs 60,000 crore liability of the airline, the investor would have to take over about Rs 33,000 crore debt

Employee unions are concerned over the job security of its employees’ once the deal is done and the airline is privatised. The government has assured them that the company which will take over the airline will follow the ‘best industry practices to ensure that the jobs of the employees are safeguarded. Air India and its two other units up for sale have 11000 employees working for them.

Allowing investors from other industries to partner with business in India for bidding, will widen the pool of potential bidders for the airline and may lead to an intense bidding war in the future. But, we will surely be able to know who has control over the 76% stake in Air India, 100% stake in Air India Express Ltd and 50% stake in Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt. Ltd by next month.

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Air India To Charge “Family Fee” For Middle Seat On Their Flights!

AirWhizzApr 18, 2018 No Comments

Want to sit with your family or friends on the flight together? Then, in that case, be ready to pay more as Air India will now be charging more for seat selection, according to a circular issued by Air India which tells you about the seat-selection fee on various routes.

Previously, the airline only charged for front-row seats on long-haul flights. With the new seat selection fee, you will have to pay an extra for the selecting a middle, window and aisle seat on domestic and international flights.

This extra charge for the middle seat is known as ‘family fee’ in some countries. In this, you have to pay extra for the seat, to make sure that your kid sit does not sit with a stranger.

According to the new rules –

  • You will have to pay Rs 100 for middle seats on domestic flights
  • If you choose a window or an aisle seat, you have to pay Rs 200
  • The seat-selection fee is Rs 200 on most international routes, except if you are travelling to Kathmandu, where it is kept at Rs 100
  • You will have to pay anywhere between Rs 800 and Rs 1,500, if you want to sit in the emergency exit row, depending on the route.
  • Choosing the window/aisle seat can set you back by anywhere from Rs 240 to Rs 1,500 for international flights.

Air India is, however, asking passengers to pay a whopping Rs 3,282 extra for the emergency exit row seats on flights flying on the US-India route. They will charge Rs 985 extra for the window and aisle seats. Thankfully, the middle is more wallet-friendly and costs Rs 197.

Seat fees also varies depending on the currency used at the of the airport of origin, on flights that fly from other countries to India. The extra fee will be charged when a passenger has to choose their seat during online booking or web check-in.

So, if you are going to book your seat in advance to enjoy extra-leg space, be mesmerised by the view from the window or sit with your family, you will have to pay a few extra bucks and get your favourite seat on an Air India flight.

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