airport

Bengaluru Airport To Put An End To Long Security Queues!

AirWhizzOct 09, 2018 No Comments

Bengaluru Airport To Put An End To Long Security Queues!

Aviation Insider

Passengers flying from Bengaluru Airport will no longer need to wait in long security queues!

Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL), which operates the Kempegowda International Airport, will soon introduce Smart Security Line with Automated Tray Retrieval System (ATRS).

BIAL has signed an agreement with a UK based technology developer, L3 Macdonald Humfrey (Automation) India Pvt. Ltd. to develop and implement this tech.

ATRS will reduce the waiting time for passengers at the security checkpoint and significantly improve passenger experience and efficiency.

The new system will accelerate the process of passenger and carry-on luggage screening, which is faster than the regular methods, while reducing waiting time and congestion at the same time.

Once fully operational, the passenger screening capacity will significantly increase by over 50%.

Here’s how it works:

  • The smart lanes with ATRS will automatically return empty trays to the preparation area for passengers to place their bags and belongings, ending the hassle of looking for trays and also prevent empty trays from piling up.
  • Automated rollers will enable the trays to automatically move into the screening machine, without the need for passengers or staff to push their trays/ bags into the X-Ray machines.

According to Mr Javed Malik, COO of BIAL, with the new system, security personnel can now process more passengers in a secure and controlled environment, improve overall operational efficiency and enhance safety and security. Passengers will benefit from a quicker passage through security checkpoints

The installation of this system will begin from December 2018 at both domestic and international terminals. Replacement of existing manual lanes will be undertaken in a phased manner to ensure minimal disruption to Airport operations.

The project is expected to be fully implemented by March 2019.

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Everything You Need To Know About Mumbai Airport!

AirWhizzOct 08, 2018 No Comments

Everything You Need To Know About Mumbai Airport!

Aviation Insider

Mumbai is famous for many things, the Gateway Of India, the Elephanta Island, the Marine Drive and of course Bollywood.

But, amongst all these things, there is one which stands out and is the first thing that most tourists and foreigners visit, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport(CSMIA)!

Mumbai airport has been the second home to most frequent flyers in India and has made air travel easy for passengers passing through the city.

With its efficiency and infrastructure quality, CSMIA has become one of the best airports in India and a recognised name globally.

Yet, many of us are unaware of the years of dedication and planning that has gone in making this modern marvel.

So, let’s take a look at this airport’s journey and what it has achieved over the years.

History

‘Juhu Aerodrome’ was India’s and Bombay’s (now called Mumbai) first airport which was built in 1932. It was used by mail delivery airplanes and was located less than 2 Km from the actual site of CSMIA.

In 1940, authorities decided to find an alternative site and a spot was chosen at Santa Cruz where Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport was born.

Used by the military during World War ll by the British Royal Air Force, Mumbai Airport was managed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation after Independence and in 1958, a new terminal was opened.

In 1972, the operation of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM) was taken over by the International Airports Authority of India and expansion plans were soon implemented over the next three decades.

By the turn of the new millennium, the airport had grown to become one of the busiest airports in India and the world.

Awards & Recognition

Mumbai airport has transformed into a world-class airport over the years. For its efforts to modernize and upgrade the airport to meet world standards, CSMIA has won many national and international accolades. Here are a few honourable mentions:

  1. It won the ‘Best Airport In India’ Award by Air Passengers Association of India in 2007 & 2008
  2. It was the first international airport to win the prestigious ‘Airport of the Year’ Award by Frost & Sullivan Aeronautical Excellence in 2008
  3. It won the “Autodesk Hong Kong Building Information Modelling (BIM) Award” for its unique Air Traffic Control tower in 2009
  4. It also won the ‘Best Managed Airport’ award from CNBC AWAAZ in 2009 & 2014
  5. It bagged the prestigious Golden Peacock National Quality Award 2012.
  6. It received “Gold rating” in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for energy efficient, eco-friendly and sustainable terminal building design.
  7. It received the Forbes India Art Award under the “Corporate Commitment to Art” category in 2014 for its unique and beautiful airport museum “Jaya He”
  8. It bagged the prestigious ‘Golden Peacock Innovative Product/Service Award’ in 2014 for its ‘Pranaam GVK Guest Services’.
  9. CSMIA’s Terminal 2 has been awarded the “Platinum Design Award” in 2015 for Architecture, Building and Structural Design.
  10. It has been awarded the prestigious ‘National Tourism Award 2014-15’ under the category of Best Airports in Class X (metro) Cities.
  11. It was rated as the best airport in the 25-40 million passengers per year category by ACI in the Airport Service Quality Awards 2015.
  12. It has been voted as the ‘Best Airport in India and Central Asia’ by Skytrax World Airport Awards in 2016 & 2018.
  13. It has been awarded as “Best Metro Airport 2015-16” by Air Passenger Association of India.
  14. It has been in the Top 10  ‘Best Airport Terminals’ and was awarded the ‘Best Airport Staff’ award in India & Central Asia at the Skytrax Awards in 2017.
  15. It received World’s Best Airport at the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards 2017.

Interesting Facts About Mumbai Airport

  • Majority of the people won’t know this but, Mumbai Airport is also known as the Sahar International Airport.
  • The airport is the 2nd busiest airport in the country on the basis of a total number of international passenger traffic.
  • Mumbai Airport is the primary hub for many airlines. This includes airlines like Air India, SpiceJet, Jet Airways, GoAir, Blue Dart Aviation, JetConnect, and IndiGo
  • The airport is named after the 17th-century Maratha Emperor, Chhatrapati Shivaji
  • You will find 4 levels in total at Terminal 2 of the airport. It includes the first level as the ground transport, Level 2 for arrivals, Level 3 for domestic departures, and Level 4 for international departures
  • Mumbai Airport’s art museum ‘Jaya He’ is the largest art project in the world which consists of more than 6,000 artworks in total
  • The Terminal 2 area of the airport supports more than 2300 CCTV camera and over 70,000 detection devices for fire. The airport also has a multi-level car park which can support more than 5,000 vehicles
  • It is one of the best airports for shopping. The retail space in the airport is about 21,000 sq. Meters, which has many national and international branded stores in it
  • The airport has achieved a lot in the field of environmental sustainability. In fact, it was the 1st Indian and 2nd Asian airport to be accredited with the prestigious ISO 14064 certification for Carbon Emissions Accounting

If you want to know about things to do at the Mumbai Airport, look no further. Download the AirWhizz app and get information about different places to eat, shop & relax at CSMIA along with real-time flight updates the next time you fly.

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Exhibition Organized At Delhi Airport To Educate First-Time Flyers!

AirWhizzOct 08, 2018 No Comments

Exhibition Organized At Delhi Airport To Educate First-Time Flyers!

Aviation Insider

With the aim of removing fear and reluctance from first-time flyers, Airports Authority Of India(AAI) organized an international exhibition at the Indira Gandhi International Airport(IGIA) in New Delhi.

The exhibition was conducted between 5th and 7th October as part of the 21st India International Security Expo, to make people aware of different security protocols and security drills that flyers have to go through.

They did this by displaying a replica of the airport security area with metal detectors, baggage scanning machines and explosive trace detectors so that visitors are familiar with the security protocols that are followed at the airport.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel from IGIA were in charge of the security drill, who explain patiently to the visitors, the list of things to be kept in mind while flying.

With a surge in air traffic, people from all walks of life are now travelling by air thanks to the government’s UDAN scheme. To help these new flyers this expo was organised.

Capt. R.K.Malik, General Manager of Security at AAI, released a statement in the media saying that, “Hawai chappal waale log hawai jahaj mein safar karein (people in slippers should be able to travel in flights)” has been the moto of the UDAN scheme. AAI’s endeavour through this exhibition is to simulate the airport experience for these first-time flyers, so when they visit an airport they are neither nervous nor confused.

He also said that through this they will be more co-operative thereby, helping them to enhance security at Indian airports.

AAI also displayed a full-body scanner, which is yet to be introduced at Indian airports, to prepare people for airports of the future.

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Kannur International Airport To Open On 9th December 2018!

AirWhizzOct 06, 2018 No Comments

Kannur International Airport To Open On 9th December 2018!

Aviation Insider

Kerala’s fourth international airport at Kannur is all set to open on 9th December 2018, following an approval by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL) Managing Director, V. Thulasidas confirmed the launched date, saying that “we are ready for operations”.

KIAL authorities are trying their best to see that commercial operations commence soon after the inauguration, but the Airport Authority of India will be deciding on that.

11 international carriers and 6 domestic airlines have already confirmed their decision to fly into KIAL.

The first trial operations were undertaken successfully at the airport on 20th September and a repeat rehearsal the following day, after which the DGCA finally gave their approval.

Here are some key features of the new greenfield airport:

  • The Rs 1,892 crores airport is located at Mattanur, near Kannur. It is spread over 2,000 acres of land.
  • At present, the length of the runway is 3,050 meters and work to extend the length of the runway to 4,000 meters has already begun.
  • The swanky new airport has 24 check-in and 32 immigration counters.
  • The Central Industrial Security Force will be in charge of the airport’s security operations.
  • Kerala will be the only state in the country to have four international airports with the others at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode.
  • It will also be the state’s largest international airport.
  • the airport will be able to handle 2,000 passengers at a time and it is anticipated that KIAL will serve more than 1.5 million international passengers annually.
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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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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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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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