Fog continued to grip the Delhi-National Capital Region
(NCR) with the temperature dipping to 3.7 degrees on Sunday morning. The dense
fog also disrupted air and train service across the country.
Five international and 16 domestic flights have been delayed
at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Around 29 international and
domestic flights were delayed at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport.
A major disruption was reported from Amritsar airport as
well where 13 flights were delayed due to foggy conditions. Visibility in some
areas such as Patiala was mere 25 meters.
Rail service was also affected due to the weather
conditions. According to official figure, at least 131 trains in several routes
were cancelled due to fog. Six trains were running late and 11 were been
partially cancelled.
According to reports, several passengers were stranded for
hours. Frustrated commuters also took to social media platforms to complain.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD),
shallow to moderate fog is likely to prevail in isolated places in morning
hours over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha during the next 3-4 days.
Minimum temperatures might drop to 2-3°C over parts of
northwest, west, central and east India during the next 2-3 days. However,
there might not be any significant change in the minimum temperatures in the
rest of the country for the next 3-4 days.
Keeping in mind the rising passenger demand, construction
has begun on a new 40,000 square metre (sqm) terminal for the Pune airport in
Lohegaon.
According to a Pune Airport official, the deadline for
building the terminal building is August 2021 but they are going to fast track
the project so that it can become functional by December 2019 or January 2020.
Earlier, it was announced that the bhoomi puja for the terminal
building would be performed on October 20 after which the construction work
would start.
Pune MP Anil Shirole’s statement that top ministers of the
Union government were invited for the event had cast a shadow on the beginning
of the construction work.
However, the issue has been resolved. According to the
official, the invitations have been sent and the ceremony will happen according
to the appointments given. But they decided to start the construction because
the project is important and should not be delayed. Most of the big projects of
the Pune airport’s expansion are on the right track.
Dhairyashil Vandekar, an aviation expert and analyst,
speaking about various challenges the airport can face next year said that the
airport would have to match the capacity with increasing demand for flights. Another
sore area that needs to be tackled effectively in 2019 is the chaotic traffic
situation on roads inside and outside the airport.
Once the construction of the new terminal is completed, the
airport’s size would increase to 64,300 sqm. The total cost of building the new
terminal building is pegged at Rs 400 crores. Over 12 million users are
expected to use the airport in 2019-20. This new terminal building would be
integrated with the existing one.
Winter is upon us, and in fact it seems like it’s arrived early. That means flight delays and cancellations.
Air travel is something of a gamble during winters, especially
if its foggy outside.
During this holiday season if you’re planning to fly , just
make sure you keep one simple thing in mind, which is “Anticipate”.
To make sure your vacation gets off to a good start, here
are 10 essential winter air travel tips that you must know.
1.Cushion Your Travel Schedule
Balance the possibilities of delays or cancellations against
the importance of your arriving on time.
If you have a can’t-miss meeting or famiy celebration pad your schedule to allow for a major air-travel mishap.
That may even mean travelling a day earlier. Recovering from
delays or cancellations can involve extra hours, and an extra day of travel
should be kept in mind while booking a flight.
2.Try To Book Non-Stop Flights
This is a must during winters!
Even if most flights to or from your home airport or
destination airports require connections, consider combining different modes of
transport.
For Instance, if you only have connecting flights from your
city airport to you destination, you can drive to an airport near your city
which has direct flights to your destination.
3.Startegize To Minimize Risk
Delays and cancellations have a domino effect throughout the
day.
On most routes, book yourself on flights as early as possible
since the later in the day, the worse the situation gets.
However, do this according to the weather pattern of your
city. For instance Delhi is prone to early morning fog, in which case you
should book yourself on mid-morning or midday departures.
4. Get to The Airport Earlier Than Usual
Heavy fog and traffic
jams as a result of bad weather mean potential delays as you travel to the
airport, and you don’t want to arrive too late to check-in or be stuck in a
line at security.
Because cooler temperatures mean that everyone will be
wearing more layers which also means longer lines at security, as it will take
each person a few minutes more than normal to get themselves and their belongings
through security.
5. Check-In Online
Almost all airlines now allow online check-in either through
a website or an app at least 24 hours before your flight time.
You will be able to select your seat, pay any baggage fees,
and provide contact information where you can be reached if there are any
disruptions to your flight.
Plus, checking in online allows you to skip the check-in
lines altogether and head right for security when you arrive if you don’t have a
check-in bag.
6.Keep In Touch With You Airline
Blizzards, fog, freezing rain- there are so many
winter-related events that can cause flight delays or cancellations.
Avoid waiting at the airport, or arriving for no reason, and
check the status of your flight about an hour before you plan on leaving for
the airport.
Also, make sure the contact info you have provided can be
checked regularly or easily accessed. That way you will receive any flight
status updates as soon as they happen and not only when you are in front of the
screens at the airport.
7. Check The Forecasts
You can sometimes spot delays before your airline officially
lets you know about them.
That means keeping tabs on weather forecasts several days in
advance for any airport you plan to use—departure, hub, or destination.
8.Have A Plan B
No matter what, you can’t avoid all problems!
Figure that something might go wrong, and be ready with your
own alternative schedule rather than waiting to see what your airline offers.
The earlier you start to change, the more likely you are to
avoid extended delays. In any major weather event, you airline is likely to
waive re-ticketing fees, so be ready.
9. Be Ready To Ask For A Refund
If your flight is severely delayed and no longer want to
make the trip, or your flight has been cancelled, you can ask for a full
refund.
Airlines often allow you to change your flight to when the weather clears, though if you’re so delayed that there’s no point going, get a full refund instead.
10.Buy Travel Insurance
People don’t realize this, but travel insurance offers free compensation for weather delays and cancellations.
It also covers your emergency medical care (in case you fall
sick during your travel) and loss of belongings while travelling.
If you didn’t buy travel insurance, check your credit card rewards. Apart from providing airline miles, they also do cover you during your air travel snarls.
So, the next time you book your ticket, Download the AirWhizz app and apply for a travel insurance with us. We at AirWhizz have partnered with prestigious travel insurance companies such as HDFC Ergo to help you plan for any unforeseen changes that might occur.
Delhi International Airport Limited(DIAL) released a
statement saying that Indira Gandhi International Airport will be better
equipped to tackle dense fog this winter.
According to DIAL officials the national capital is expected
to witness three to four spells of dense fog in the coming weeks.
The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the busiest
in the country, handles around 1,300 flight movements every day , which is around
74 flight movements every hour. But On account of fog, the airport capacity
reduces by around 40 % of the normal capacity in terms of flight movement per
hour.
To handle peak hour holiday traffic, DIAL has made sure that
there is sufficient food & beverage at all terminals, better system to display
updated flight information & other such facilities that the passengers and
airlines may require.
Also, IGIA is well equipped to handle aircraft operations
safely during the periods of poor visibility. For this, the low visibility
procedures (LVP) for handling air traffic during fog have been put into place
for all air traffic controllers.
Operations are closed if the runway visibility range drops
below 50 metres. However, There are 139 parking stands equipped with
aeronautical ground lighting (AGL) system which helps aircraft to operate in
CAT IIIB* conditions. In addition there are 89 parking stands available under manual
guidance.
Dense fog is expected in the last week of December and there
are likely to be three to four spells in the coming weeks, so plan your trip accordingly.
*CAT IIIB refers to flight operations when the runway
visibility range is 175 metres and not less than 50 metres.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the United States (US) aviation regulator, has retained India’s aviation rating at Category 1, after conducting an audit of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
This rating certifies that DGCA, India’s apex aviation
agency, adheres to the standards laid down by the International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO) and undertakes adequate oversight of Indian airlines.
Category-1 rating means that carriers from the assessed
country may initiate or continue services to the USA and also take part in
reciprocal code-share arrangements with American airlines.
The IASA (International Aviation Safety Assessment Program)
programme is conducted by the American regulator to assess each country that
has carriers operating to the US.
The ICAO looks at eight areas during an audit. They include
Primary Aviation Legislation and Civil Aviation Regulations, Civil Aviation
Organisation, Personnel Licensing and Training, Aircraft Operations and
Airworthiness of Aircraft.
In January 2014, the FAA downgraded India’s aviation safety
ranking and it was upgraded to ‘Category 1’ in April 2015.
International Air Transport Association (IATA) has stated
that India’s air connectivity has grown the fastest in the last five years
(2013-18). Also, despite infrastructural hurdles, India’s aviation market has
demonstrated strong growth potential for the next few years.
Passengers arriving at the IGI airport here will be able to avail services of the Delhi Police, such as lodging e-FIRs, through an interactive kiosk at the Terminal-3.
The kiosk was launched on Tuesday by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik.
Services of the hi-tech police facilitation kiosk will be available round-the-clock and dedicated police facilitation officers will man it.
The facility will soon be extended to Terminal 1 & Terminal 2 of the Delhi Airport as well.
Mr Baijal also launched the ‘Prahari Scheme’ of the Delhi Police for its IGI airport Unit. The scheme serves as a force multiplier and a community-policing system by ensuring active participation of private security guards and chowkidars in strengthening police intelligence network.
The IGI Airport Unit has en-rolled 600 Praharies from 11 hotels and three commercial centres of aerocity and other establishments at the airport complex.
The Praharis trained by IGI Airport police have been issued identity cards supporting Delhi Police personnel in checking and frisking, self defence, keeping watch on doubtful elements, information gathering among other activities.
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the busiest airport in India and the 7Th busiest airport in the world. This decision taken by Delhi International Airport Limited will surely help strengthen the security at IGIA and make sure that travellers can fly safely.
Infrastructure developer Tata Projects Ltd has completed building a swanky new complex at Prayagraj’s Bamrauli Airport in a record time of 11 months.
Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi , was there to inaugurate the airport, complementing the builders and AAI for making such a world-class facility in a record time of 11 months.
The New Airport Complex of Bamrauli Airport has been developed by the Airports Authority of India, at a cost of ₹164 crore.
The airport belongs to the Indian Air Force and the AAI maintains a civil enclave there. The previous civil enclave had an area of 0.8acres with limited operations through a small Terminal Building. There was no scope for expansion of the terminal building at the present location.
Hence, a New Airport Complex with a modern terminal building has been constructed. The Uttar Pradesh Government acquired and handed over 50acres to the Airports Authority of India for the development of the New Airport Complex.
The New Passenger Terminal Building, centrally air-conditioned, with an area of 6,700 sqm, is planned to handle 300 peak hour passengers at a time. The terminal building is equipped with all essential passenger-friendly amenities.
One of the most recent additions at the city airport is a posh business lounge at the domestic terminal i.e Terminal 1. The lounge can accommodate some 108 persons and has multiple charging points, WiFi connectivity, a multi-cuisine menu & shower facilities also.
Since Ahmedabad has been conferred upon with the World Heritage tag, the interiors of the airport have been redone based on Prayagraj’s rich heritage.
The airport has been constructed under UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme that the Government introduced to enable air operations to unserved routes, connecting regional areas, to promote balanced regional growth and to make flying affordable for the masses.
The airport will surely boost tourism to the region and create employment opportunities.
For the 1st time this winter, more than a 100 flights were delayed & 9 other flights were diverted at the Delhi Airport owing to bad weather conditions.
According to officials the visibility on the runway was just 50 m between 5 am and 9 am. Adding to this they said that The diversions weredue to reasons like the aircraft or pilot not being CAT compliant. Others include flights low on fuel or congestion due to poor visibility.
Conditions started improving from 9.30am, and there was no problem in the evening. The runway visual range (RVR) gradually started to improve to 300m by 10 am.
Meanwhile, the airlines sent out alerts to the passengers to check their timings before coming to the airport.
IndiGo and Vistara were among many that alerted customers in the morning, asking them to check their departure/arrival timings in advance.
Of the nine flights that were diverted, one was of IndiGo, two of Air India and three each of SpiceJet and GoAir.
Most of the airlines had informed passengers through social media on the possible impact of the weather conditions around Delhi airport.
It seems like flight disruption due to fog and bad weather have started so in case you have an early morning flight this month, make sure you keep yourself updated about the flight timings and schedules.
