airport

Authorities In Talks To Reopen Old Bangalore Airport For Commercial Use!

AirWhizzNov 03, 2018 No Comments

Authorities In Talks To Reopen Old Bangalore Airport For Commercial Use!

Aviation Insider

A decade after commercial flights moved from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) airport to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), authorities are in talks with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to reopen the airport for commercial operations.

The HAL airport was shut down in 2008 in the wake of a concessional agreement between the ministry of civil aviation and BIAL that no commercial airport would function within a radius of 150 km from the Greenfield airfield(KIA) for a period of 25 years.

HAL airport currently handles military aircraft and test flights besides chartered and VIP jets.

Managing Director and chairman of HAL, Mr. V Madhavan, has initiated talks with BIAL to reopen the airport. HAL plans to lease it out to a private bidder but will continue to operate the Air Traffic Control.

He also said that reopening of the old airport for commercial flights would not affect flight tests of military aircraft by the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) and DRDO’s Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS).

Reopening of the old airport would mean a revisit of the concessional agreement signed between BIAL and ministry of civil aviation.

When it closed, HAL airport had reported revenue of around ₹150 crore. It is small in HAL’s overall current revenue of around ₹18,000 crore which mainly comes from selling fighters, transport planes and helicopters to the Air Force.

KIA started operating in 2008 at Devanahalli, about 40 km north of the city’s old central hub. It is the country’s third busiest after Delhi and Mumbai’s airports. In almost ten years, its annual passenger traffic has doubled to 25 million during 2017, about 19% being regional or short-haul travellers.

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Turkey Unveils The World’s Largest Airport In Istanbul!

AirWhizzNov 01, 2018 No Comments

Turkey Unveils The World’s Largest Airport In Istanbul!

Aviation Insider

Turkey is all set to assert itself as the global hub for travel, as it inaugurates the “Istanbul New Airport”, which is the world’s largest airport to be built from scratch.

The airport, which will be fully functional over the next decade, has six runways and the whole airport is larger than all of Manhattan put together.

Not just that, it will be able to handle 200 million passengers per annum when fully operational, which is almost double of Hartsfield Jackson International Airport (The Busiest Airport In The World) located in Atlanta which handled 103 million passengers in 2017, with over 2,500 flights operated every day.

There are currently three terminals planned for Istanbul’s New Airport.

The Istanbul New Airport’s architecture reflects the rich cultural heritage of Istanbul, with the design inspiration coming from Istanbul’s various mosques, baths, domes and other historic structures. As you land, you will notice the ATC tower, which has been designed in the shape of a tulip, Turkey’s national flower.

The first flight took of yesterday from the newly inaugurated airport. Turkish Airlines flight TK2124 with 340 people on board completed its maiden flight from Istanbul to Turkey’s capital, Ankara.

For now, only 1 terminal is open as part of its 1st phase of operations. This terminal is the world’s largest airport terminal under one roof, with a capacity to handle 90 million passengers per day.

Turkish Airlines will operate 5 flights a day from this airport November 1 onwards, which will include three domestic and two international flights. For the next couple of months, it will use the airport code ISL and will use these five flights as a test case to complete the 1st phase by the end of 2018.

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Delhi Airport Now Among The Top 20 Busiest Airports In The World!

AirWhizzOct 31, 2018 No Comments

Delhi Airport Now Among The Top 20 Busiest Airports In The World!

Aviation Insider

Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi, which is one of the fastest growing major airports over the last four years, is now on the list of the 20 busiest airports in the world.

According to Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), it was expected and also predicted that the passenger traffic will reach 95 million in the year 2023 because the airport’s expansion plan is on schedule.

Here are a few interesting figures that make Delhi one of the fastest growing airports in the world:

  • As per the data reported by Airports Council International (ACI), the global body that is responsible to monitor global airport traffic, Delhi airport’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between the years 2014 and 2017 is 14.3%.
  • This growth rate is the highest amongst the airports handling minimum 40 million passengers per annum, which includes famous international airports like Incheon airport in South Korea (10.5%), Pudong Shanghai airport in China (10.4%), and Dubai airport in UAE (7.4%).
  • In fact, since 2014, IGIA has been among the top three in the world when it comes to passenger traffic growth.
  • In the year 2016, the highest growth of 21% was registered by IGIA as against global annual average passenger growth of 6.5%. This is due to the huge growth in domestic passengers, which is almost 20% in the last five years.
  • According to a report by DIAL, over the last four years, 12 new scheduled airlines and over 10 international sectors have been introduced.

The report added that now the focus of DIAL is on airport capacity enhancement, terminal infrastructure, increase in flights per day and addition of new domestic as well as international sectors.

To do this, DIAL is expected to get an investment of Rs 9000 Crores. This investment will enable Delhi airport to boost its capacity and handle 100 million passengers in a year.

Soon, IGIA will also become the first airport in India to have four runways. The construction of the fourth runway is expected to begin this year and the airport officials are expecting to commission the runway by next year. Interestingly, this new move will increase the capacity of the airport from 75 flights to 105 flights an hour.

 

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10 Longest Non-Stop Flights In The World!

AirWhizzOct 29, 2018 No Comments

10 Longest Non-Stop Flights In The World!

Uncategorized

Each year, airlines are pushing boundaries when it comes to how far and how long we can stay in the air.

In a bid to connect us to this global village called earth, airlines have started operating to far and offbeat places to help us discover new destinations.

Earlier this month, Singapore Airlines relaunched the world’s longest non-stop flight which got us wondering which are the world’s longest non-stop flights.

Well, we did some digging and found out which are the top 10 longest non -stop flights in the world

10.Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles (Etihad Airways)

Scheduled flight time: 16 hours, 30 minutes
Flight number: EY 171
Distance: 8,390 miles

Etihad has many non-stop flights flying from the United Arab Emirates to the United States, however, this one takes the longest amount of time.

This 8,390-mile flight clocks in at 16.5 hours long, but that time will go by in a snap if you’re travelling in Etihad’s sweet first-class cabins.

9.San Francisco to Singapore (United/Singapore Airlines)

Scheduled flight time: 17 hours, 5 minutes/16 hours, 40 minutes
Flight number: UA 1/SQ 31
Distance: 8,446 miles

Singapore Airlines is one of the 8 airlines in the world to get a 5-star rating, thanks to its impeccable service and award-winning in-flight entertainment. It will be a breeze for you to cover this  16 hours and 40 minute journey from San Francisco, California to  Singapore with this airline.

On the other hand, United, an American Airline also makes the trip from San Francisco to Singapore. The only difference is that they add an additional 25 minutes to the trip, bringing it up to 17 hours and 5 minutes.

And the best part about this journey, you get to visit the best airport in the world for the past 6 consecutive years, The Singapore Changi Airport.

8.Manila To New York (Philippine Airlines)

Scheduled flight time: 15 Hours
Flight number: PR 126
Distance: 8,519 miles

The gorgeous Southeast Asian city of Manila is 8,519 miles away from New York, making it one of the farthest non-stop flights, distance-wise. But time-wise, the 15 hour flight is on the shorter end (if you can call 15 hours short).

Because Philippine Airlines only recently earned four stars, their flights run cheaper than some of the others on this list.

You can expect to pay around $1,000 for a round-trip flight from Manila, the capital of the Philippines, to New York.

8.Sydney To Dallas (Qantas)

Scheduled flight time: 17 hours, 15 minutes
Flight number: QF 8
Distance: 8,578 miles

Australia is pretty far from many places. But its travel-hungry people are eager to get out and explore the world because being from a giant island in the middle of the ocean, it’s hard to get around.

The way North Americans dream of backpacking through Europe, Australians dream of backpacking across North America, visiting as many states as possible.

That’s why a direct flight from Sydney to Dallas makes so much sense.

6.Houston To Sydney (United Airlines)

Scheduled flight time: 17 hours, 30 minutes
Flight number: UA 101
Distance: 8,596 miles

When it comes to flying long distances within a budget, United Airlines is one of the best.

Normally when you’re flying with a low-cost airline internationally, you’re limited to flights with countless stopovers, long wait times at airports, and the horrible luggage pickup and check-in between airplanes, among other hellish airport rituals.

However, this flight only has one stopover, that to at Singapore Changi Airport.

5.Los Angeles To Singapore(United Airlines)

Scheduled flight time: 17 hours, 50 minutes
Flight number: UA 37
Distance: 8,770 miles

The 8,770-mile flight is United Airline’s longest flight route.

In about $700 you can fly from the sunshine state of Los Angeles, California to the spectacular city of Singapore.

Just make sure you bring snacks, drink water, and pack a book because it’s going to be a long hard day of travel.

Read more about “10 Travel Essentials To Bring On a Long Haul Flight”

4.Dubai To Auckland (Emirates)

Scheduled Flight Time: 17 hours 5 minutes
Flight number: EK 449
Distance: 8,824 miles

It’s never easy to fly to New Zealand, a thrill-seeker’s paradise near Australia.

It’s also never easy to fly for an extended period of time. So, a 17 hour and 5 minute flight to Auckland, New Zealand won’t be a walk in the park, by any measure.

Luckily Emirates is an airline designed to help you pass the time, winning the Skytrax award for best entertainment year after year.

Those 14,200 kilometres may drag on, but at least you’ll be able to cross off a few movies from your must-watch list.

3.London To Perth (Qantas)

Scheduled flight time: 17 hours, 20 minutes
Flight number: QF 9
Distance: 9,010 miles

It’s always easier to fly direct. You don’t have to worry about changing planes, waiting around in airports, and possibly missing your connecting flight.

But if your direct flight is upwards of sixteen hours, maybe that stop-over in between flights would be a welcome break.

However, it is now possible to fly directly between Australia and the UK, thanks to Qantas launching their Perth to London flight in  early 2018.

2.Auckland To Doha (Qatar)

Scheduled flight time: 17 hours, 40 minutes
Flight number: QR 921
Distance: 9,032 miles

The flight from Auckland, New Zealand to Doha, Qatar was once the longest non-stop flight, both in terms of distance (covering 14,536 kilometres) and time (18 hours and five minutes).

If you’re gearing up to make the trip, you better be prepared. And we aren’t talking about bringing a crossword. Get ready to hydrate yourself regularly and to get up and stretch those tired legs every now and then.

18 hours in the air is no joke on your body and mind. However, Qatar Airways does everything they can to keep you from going insane, including giving you ice cream (along with other meals and drinks).

1.Singapore To New York (Singapore Airlines)

Scheduled flight time: 17 hours, 50 minutes
Flight Number: SQ 22
Distance: 9,540 miles

The airline is one of the best in the world, and its main airport hub, Changi International Airport, has been named #1 for more than five years.

Singapore Airlines previously flew this route with their Airbus A340-500 aircraft with a scheduled flight time of 18 hours, 50 minutes. However, the route was discontinued in 2013 due to rising fuel costs.

To solidify their place as innovators, Singapore Airlines Relaunched Its Singapore To New York flight in October of 2018.

The competition for top spot on the World’s Longest Flight list won’t be ending any time soon. The only question is, how will the airlines choose to get there?

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Soon Assistants Will Help You Sail Through The Airport!

AirWhizzOct 29, 2018 No Comments

Soon Assistants Will Help You Sail Through The Airport!

Aviation Insider

Air travellers in India will soon be able to avail airport service packages in which they can hire assistants to help them complete their airport journey.

These assistants will help passengers complete check-in formalities, speed them through security check and immigration, wait for their flight with them at airline lounges, and take to the boarding gate in a golf cart, even if they are travelling economy class.

Government officials have said that the Union civil aviation ministry is set to approve this new ‘meet and greet’ plan, under which airports across the country will hire a company for helping passengers, for a price that entitles them to these additional services.

Departing passengers will be received in the parking area and will be provided with assistance at every point till they board the plane. Similarly, those arriving will be received at the aerobridge.

Currently, there is no procedure to issue an airport entry pass to an outside person to facilitate passengers. Commercial entities, mostly hotels, are given commercial passes, but even then, they are allowed to receive passengers only from the Customs area. This proposal is to give all-area passes to employees of the ‘meet and greet’ company.

Only one company per airport will be given a license for the service, and the airport operator will have to set its own rates. The average cost is expected to be Rs 5000.

The porter service will continue, so will the wheelchair service provided by airlines for old or physically challenged. Many passengers opt for the wheelchair to avoid walking at long terminals. Those who can afford it will now be able to pay and use these add-on services

This service will not compromise security since the background of the employees hired by the company will be thoroughly checked.

This service will be helpful for those passengers who are old, first-time flyers or differently abled and are traveling alone.

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Bangalore Airport All Set To Add New Flight Routes This Winter!

AirWhizzOct 27, 2018 No Comments

Bangalore Airport All Set To Add New Flight Routes This Winter!

Aviation Insider

There is some good news for people flying from Bangalore Airport!

Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), operated by Bangalore International Airport Ltd(BIAL), will expand its flight connections with the launch of new domestic and international routes plus the addition of two airlines in the winter schedule, beginning from today. The five-month schedule will be in effect till March 30, 2019.

Budget carriers IndiGo and GoAir along with Air India will launch additional flights from Bangalore to eight international destinations.

Here are all the details about it:

  • IndiGo will operate daily flights to Male, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Kathmandu internationally and to Udaipur and Prayagraj (Allahabad) domestically
  • Air India is set to commence services to Bangkok and London from the Bangalore airport
  • GoAir, which commenced its international operations this month, will also connect Bangalore with Phuket in Thailand during the winter schedule
  • Air India Express will launch a round-trip flight to Singapore from Bengaluru, flying four times a week, from October 29
  • SpiceJet has plans to connect Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Udaipur with the city
  • Jet Airways will operate flight services from Bengaluru to Aizawl through Guwahati
  • Air India’s regional arm, Alliance Air, will fly to Kolhapur from KIA during the winters
  • The new Airlines set to make their Bangalore debuts are Turkish Cargo and Air India Express

Airlines’ winter schedule in India this year will commence from Saturday mid-night and will go on till March 30 next year.

With this, Bangalore will now connect to 82 destinations (53 domestic and 29 international). BIAL expects Bangalore airport to achieve about 744 aircraft movements per day (659 domestic, 85 international) at the start of winter this year.

It has also said that international flight movements will go up by 17 % while domestic flight movements will grow by 10 %.

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10 Surprisingly Cool Airport Attractions Around The World!

AirWhizzOct 26, 2018 No Comments

10 Surprisingly Cool Airport Attractions Around The World!

Travel Like a Pro

Airports can sometimes be a boring place.

At many of them, the most exciting thing can be looking at airplanes flying through the big terminal windows.

But a few airports want passengers to have an exciting experience by offering fascinating, fun, or relaxing amenities.

Museums, thrill rides, dental surgeries and swimming pools are just some of the attractions you’ll find at the world’s busiest airports.

To give you more insight into how airports are making air travel unique, here are 10 super cool airport attractions that will make you wish your flight gets delayed.

1.Four Story Indoor Slide, Changi International Airport, Singapore

Getting around the world’s best airport is pretty easy, thanks to a 12 meter tall, steel tube slide, known as “Slide@T3”.

It is spread vertically across the 4 stories of the airport’s terminal 3 and you can slide down and check out the many other airport attractions on each floor like the fantastic shopping options, restaurants, cactus garden or the movie theatre.

The best part about this slide that it is suitable for both kids and adults.So go ahead and take a trip down the memory lane while you slide away at Changi Airport.

2.Beer Garden, Munich Airport, Germany

You can experience the Bavarian culture while sitting at the famous beer garden at the Munich Airport.

But this is no ordinary beer garden, it’s Europe’s largest roofed-in beer garden, complete with traditionally dressed waitresses and authentic German food including pork knuckles and beef goulash.

So enjoy the German way of life while you sit on your wooden tables , sipping on some freshly brewed beer while listening to some local live music.

You can even pre-book and reserve a table if you’re planning to transit through Munich Airport.

3.An Aquarium, Vancouver International Airport

If you’re flying to Vancouver, make sure you check out the airport’s enormous 114,000 litre aquarium, which contains a number of species native to Canada’s coastline.

These include rainbow-hued starfish, crimson anemones, wolf eels, jellyfish and giant kelp. In fact, its home to one of the rarest of Jellyfish species, the Pacific sea nettle jellyfish.

This  15cm thick and 5.2m deep beautiful aquarium is located in the international terminal of the airport.

4. Behind The Scenes Tour, Zurich International Airport

At Zurich Airport, you’re invited to take a sneak peak behind how exactly an airport functions.

“Airport Tours” offer a memorable way to see what it takes to move more than 2 million passengers a month.

Hop a bus on a sightseeing tour to see the runways, hangars, cargo areas, and even a nature conservation area between runways. You’ll also get a close-up of airplanes landing and taking off.

Additional guided tours take visitors through the check-in process and on a tour of the aircraft parking areas.

5.Live Concerts, John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York

Since its debut in 2009, JetBlue’s free “Live From T5” concert series has welcomed acts including Taylor Swift, Sarah McLachlan, and The Wanted.

Performances take place post-security at JetBlue’s terminal at JFK Airport and are exclusively for JetBlue passengers and contest winners.

A concert before take-off is a pretty good reason to hope for a flight delay!

6.“ Jaya He” Art Museum, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai

If you have travelled to the Terminal 2 of Mumbai airport, you must have come across the beautiful paintings and sculptures that are displayed at the ‘Jaya He’ Museum.

The museum has won many awards and is the largest airport museum art project in the world with more than 6,000 artworks.

The Jaya He museum spreads across 4 levels of the Terminal 2 and  displays Indian culture through beautiful paintings, arts & crafts and sculptures.

7.Full Size Dinosaur Skeleton, Chicago O’Hare International Airport

If you visit Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, you will come across a 72 foot long fibreglass dinosaur skeleton.

It’s a replica of the Brachiosaurus dinosaur skeleton excavated in 1900 by palaeontologist Elmer Riggs, who was working in Chicago’s Field Museum at the time.

For years its home was the entrance hall of the Field Museum of Natural History but was donated to the airport in 1999.

8.Ice Skating, Seoul Incheon Airport, South Korea

Apart from a 18 hole golf course, movie theatre and a casino , Incheon’s most unique airport amenity is the all season ice skating rink.

Lace up your white boots at the “Ice Forest” ice skating rink, ideal for kids, families, couples and anyone just looking to have some fun.

It is located in Terminal B1, and is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

9.Nap Rooms, Heathrow Airport, London

Airports have started proving napping pods and sleeping couches for weary passengers, but the Napping Rooms at London’s Heathrow airport are quite unique.

Located before the security checkpoint in Terminal 4, Yotel offers “cabins” complete with in suite bathrooms and comfy beds from £25 (about Rs 2400) for four hours of blissful sleep.

Post-security in Terminal 3, you’ll find twin and single in suite napping rooms with showers.

10.Wave Pool, Munich Airport

Between Terminal 1 & Terminal 2 of the Munich Airport, lays a giant pool that produces the world’s biggest stationary wave.

And the best part, It’s completely FREE !

Plus you don’t need to get your own gear. Complimentary loaner boards, helmets and wetsuits will be provided and surf instructors will be on duty offering encouragement and surfing tips.

Each year about 4,000 guests, locals and passengers alike, go for the wave , with plenty of spectators hanging out in deck chairs and at the makeshift beach bar near the pool.

So, the next time you happen to travel to one of these airports, spare some time to explore the spot by using the AirWhizz App. Get all the information about things to do and places to visit at the airport along with airline information and real-time flight updates on the move.

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You Can Now Take A Direct Flight To Singapore From Guwahati!

AirWhizzOct 24, 2018 No Comments

You Can Now Take A Direct Flight To Singapore From Guwahati!

Aviation Insider

Changi Airport in Singapore has announced the launch of its 16th city link to India with the introduction of a new non-stop service between Guwahati and Singapore.

This new route marks the first direct connection between the Northeast and Singapore.

Druk Air, also known as the Royal Bhutan Airlines, has already started to operate two weekly flights from 29th September.

The introduction of this new service is expected to reduce travel time from almost 10 hours, including transfers, to 4 and a half hours.

Lim Ching Kiat, the Managing Director of Air Hub Development, Changi Airport Group, released a statement on Tuesday saying that they are pleased to launch the first non-stop service between Northeast India and Singapore with Druk Air.

He also went on to say that India is the third largest tourism source market for Singapore and one of Changi Airport’s key growth markets. The new link is expected to strengthen not only cultural and socio-political ties between the countries but also facilitate opportunities to enhance travel and trade practices.

Travellers from the Northeast can now tap into to expensive network of Changi airport which includes destinations in Asia such as Australia, China, Indonesia and Japan.

Last month, IndiGo Airlines launched direct flights from Calcutta and Tiruchirapalli to Singapore. Air India Express will also launch additional four-times-a-week services from Bangalore, starting from October 29.

India is Changi’s sixth largest market, registering more than 4.5 million passenger movements in the past 12 months, growing at 14% every year.

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