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Commercial Flight Operations To Start From Hindon Air Force Base!

AirWhizzSep 27, 2018 No Comments

Commercial Flight Operations To Start From Hindon Air Force Base!

Aviation Insider

There is some good news for air travellers in and around New Delhi!

Airports Authority Of India (AAI) has allowed commercial airplanes to operate at the Hindon Air Force Base in Ghaziabad from January 2019.

AAI has not only finalised plans for the Rs 45 crore civil terminal at the air force base but has also subsidised the regional flights that will operate from Hindon. They have put a cap of Rs 2500 per hour on the airfare.

All regional aircraft (seating capacity is less than 80) which operate from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport(IGIA) will be shifted to the new terminal in Hindon, to free up the slots for regular flights.

Flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) & small private jets will operate from Hindon until the expansion of IGIA which is supposed to be completed by September 2022.

Here are all details about the new airport terminal at Hindon Air Force base:

  • The terminal is spread across 3500 square meters.
  • It will have the capacity to handle 300 passengers and 150 arrivals /departure flights per hour.
  • The terminal will have all modern facilities like a huge check-in area, security-hold area, baggage handling system and commercial shops.

Altogether AAI will be 42,069 square meters of land will be taken on lease for the development of the airport.

As of now, major airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, Jet and Air India operate RCS flights and will operate from Hindon as well.

It has not been easy for AAI to make this a success. There were a lot of issues with the farmer unions for acquiring the land to build the terminal facilities.

After many months of negotiations with the unions, AAI has finally come to an agreement on their terms and the project has started in full flow.

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Liquids Over 100ml Limit Might Soon Be Allowed In Hand Baggage!

AirWhizzSep 26, 2018 No Comments

Liquids Over 100ml Limit Might Soon Be Allowed In Hand Baggage!

Aviation Insider

Air travellers in India may soon be able to carry liquids, such as shampoo, in their hand Baggage on Indian flights.

Ministry of Civil Aviation might soon test liquid bomb detectors at Indian airports, which will allow passengers to carry liquids more than 100 ml, which is currently the limit.

However, the move is still in the initial stage and might be implemented 6 months from now. Recently the civil aviation ministry reviewed presentations by some European firms on the latest technologies that are being used in order to scan liquids at airports.

According to reports, the ministry will conduct the trial at major Indian airports once the technology provider has been shortlisted. After completing the trial, the ministry will issue a list of liquids that are allowed in the hand baggage. However, liquor will not be allowed in hand baggage.

Any air passenger carrying liquid will have to put the container in the detector and, within five seconds, the system will be able to detect the percentage of explosives in it. The detector gives 4-5 levels of threat scenario, and on the basis of that, liquids will be allowed to be carried in the hand baggage.

The concept of carrying liquids in hand baggage is not new as some airports in Europe and in the US have been testing bottled liquid scanners, even though they still restrict passengers on the quantity of liquid that can be carried.

Moreover, in order to save time, now some airports are also experimenting with scanners that can check liquids in bottles inside the carry-on baggage.

Once the ministry of civil aviation decides to use this technology, the Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) will have to frame the guidelines.

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Quick Baggage Scanning Will Soon Be Implemented At Chennai Airport!

AirWhizzSep 25, 2018 No Comments

Quick Baggage Scanning Will Soon Be Implemented At Chennai Airport!

Aviation Insider

Passengers flying out of the domestic terminal at the Chennai Airport will soon be relieved of the tiring task of scanning their baggage through standalone machines.

From December 2018, a passenger entering the domestic terminal will have to just drop off their baggage at the airline check-in counters and the ‘Inline Baggage Scanner’ will examine them.

According to Airports Authority Of India (AAI), they will do away with the existing standalone machines in three months as the installation of four new inline scanners has begun.

For now, passengers at the domestic terminal have to stand in queues, carry their suitcase and put them in the standalone baggage scanners, after which they are allowed to go in the Check-in queue. However, with the new system in place they can directly go to the counter and drop of their bags.

The new inline scanners have a capacity to scan 1,200 bags an hour. Also, they are the latest ones, which are equipped with CT X-ray and CT Scan systems which can easily detect explosives. There will be various levels of scanning in these new machines, which will ensure better security.

There are 14 screeners certified by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) who will monitor the screening of baggage.

The four inline scanners in the international terminal will also be upgraded in the next three months, as per the latest requirements by the BCAS.

AAI officials expect the new system to ease operations at Chennai Airport’s domestic terminal that chokes with thousands of passengers, especially during peak hours.

Chennai Airport handles nearly 33,000 people and about 500 aircraft movements on a daily basis.

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Sikkim’s 1st Airport To Be Inaugurated Today!

AirWhizzSep 24, 2018 No Comments

Sikkim’s 1st Airport To Be Inaugurated Today!

Aviation Insider

Pakyong Airport In Sikkim is all set to open today, nine years after the foundation stone was laid.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will be present to inaugurate the airport which is Sikkim’s, first and only aerodrome.

He took to social media and tweeted saying that after Jharkhand he will be leaving for Sikkim to inaugurate the Pakyong Airport. The tweet also mentioned that the airport will improve connectivity and benefit the people of Sikkim.

Here are a few interesting facts about Sikkim’s new airport :

  • The airport is spread over 201 acres and is located on top of a hill about two km from Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level.
  • It is constructed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at an estimated cost of Rs 605 crore.
  • the airport is seen as an engineering marvel for its soil reinforcement and slope stabilisation techniques, keeping in view the altitude it was built at.
  • The airport comprises of an ATC tower-cum-fire station, a terminal building for passengers, high-intensity runway lights and parking for over 50 vehicles.
  • Apart from this, the reinforcement wall of the project is 80-meter-high and is one of the tallest in the world.
  • The airport has a 1.75 km runway with a width of 30 meters. It has a 116-meter-long taxiway connecting it to a parking bay that can accommodate 2 ATR (Regional) Aircraft.
  • The airport has a 3,000 sq meter terminal building and has a capacity to handle 50 inbound and outbound passengers.
  • The first commercial flight from Pakyong would begin from October 4.
  • Initially, the airport would only cater to domestic flights, but later it will also provide international flight services connecting Sikkim with other countries like Paro in Bhutan, Kathmandu in Nepal and Dhaka in Bangladesh.
  • There is also plan to construct another 75-meter stretch adjacent to the main runway in the coming days, which would allow the Indian Air Force (IAF) to land various types of aircraft on the airport’s runway
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Kannur International Airport In Kerala Is Set To Open This Month!

AirWhizzSep 22, 2018 No Comments

Kannur International Airport In Kerala Is Set To Open This Month!

Aviation Insider

Kannur International Airport in Kerala is all set to become operational from this month after Air India successfully conducted a test flight to what is to be, Kerala’s 4th airport.

The announcement was made via a tweet by the Chief Minister Of Kerala, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, which stated that the trial was carried out by Air India Express aircraft IX 555. The tweet also said that it is part of the final procedures for getting clearance in order to commence commercial operations.

He further informed that the operations on the Kannur International Airport would begin this month.

The test flight took-off at 9.45 AM from Thiruvananthapuram and landed at 11.38 AM at Kannur. Apart from the aircraft, the aerobridge and other airport facilities for passengers were also tested.

The international airport has been built at a cost of Rs 2,292 crore and is spread over 2,300 acres of land. It is expected that the airport is likely to serve over one million passengers annually and authorities estimate the number will increase to five million by 2025.

Kannur International Airport has a runway that is suitable for aircraft, like the Boeing B-777 as well as Airbus A-330.The airport runway will be later expanded so that it can handle bigger aircraft like the Airbus A-380 (The largest passenger aircraft in the world).

The terminal building of the airport is spread across 95,000 sq.m and is said to be the 8th largest terminal in India. It has all state of the art facilities installed for passenger’s convenience.

The domestic destinations will be connected by SpiceJet & IndiGo Airlines. These destinations include  Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Goa, Hubballi, Solapur as well as Hindon in Ghaziabad.

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Chennai Airport To Introduce ‘E-Gates’ From 2020!

AirWhizzSep 20, 2018 No Comments

Chennai Airport To Introduce ‘E-Gates’ From 2020!

Aviation Insider

In the near future, air passengers flying out of the Chennai airport may not have to stand in long queues at the entrance to get their tickets and ID proof checked to enter the terminal.

Airport authorities are all set to introduce camera-enabled ‘E-Gates’ which use facial recognition technology to verify a passenger’s identity.

As part of the government’s “DigiYatra” initiative, Chennai airport will have these gates from the entrance of the terminal to the boarding gate. The scheme aims to develop a digital ecosystem that will offer a seamless, consistent and paperless service experience at airports.

Here are all the details about it:

  • E-gates with cameras and scanners will be installed at entry gates of the terminals, check-in area, security check gates and boarding gates where passengers will be allowed, based on face recognition technology.
  • The e-gate at the entry gate of the terminal will capture the QR code of tickets and face of the passengers.
  • It will then match it with the database to allow entry through the gates at check-in, security and boarding.
  • Passengers will have to register in DigiYatra to use these gates.
  • They will get an ID number, which they have to submit when they travel for the first time through these e-gates.
  • Passengers can then travel paperless through the airport after that.
  • The system should be in place and ready to use by end of 2019.

According to a senior official at Airports Authority Of India (AAI), the technology will be introduced in two phases at various airports and Chennai will get it in the second phase. A tender will be floated in a month to install this technology at airports in Pune, Varanasi, Kolkata and Vijayawada as a pilot project.

If the trial run is successful, this technology will be implemented at other airports across India.

This system has many benefits. Passengers can beat the queue and it will be easy for airline authorities to locate passengers inside the terminal. It will also improve the security system at the Chennai airport.

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Delhi Airport Bags Top Honour At ‘Airport Service Quality’ Awards!

AirWhizzSep 18, 2018 No Comments

Delhi Airport Bags Top Honour At ‘Airport Service Quality’ Awards!

Aviation Insider

Delhi Airport has bagged the title of ‘Best Airport to handle over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA)’ at the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards 2017.

The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates and manages the Indra Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) announced this good news on Monday. The award was given by the Airports Council International (ACI).

Delhi Airport has seen a tremendous growth in air passenger traffic in the past few years. It handled 63.5 million passengers, which was more than Singapore’s Changi Airport, Seoul’s Incheon Airport and Bangkok airport in terms of passenger growth. This was one of the main reasons why IGIA has won this award.

Mr. I. Prabhakara Rao, Executive Director Of GMR Airports, released a statement saying that as the airport witness’s robust growth, GMR looks forward to a strong collaboration and support of all airport stakeholders and their esteemed passengers.

Delhi airport is now officially the 7th busiest airport in Asia and among the top 20 busiest airports in the world.

This is very good news for Indian Aviation especially after Hyderabad Airport was ranked No.1 in terms of Service Quality at the ASQ awards in the 20 MPPA category.

ASQ is a worldwide programme to survey passengers at the airport on their day of travel. Every year the programme delivers around 600,000 individual surveys in 41 languages in 84 countries.

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Hyderabad Airport To Introduce “Face Recognition Facility” For Passengers!

AirWhizzSep 17, 2018 No Comments

Hyderabad Airport To Introduce “Face Recognition Facility” For Passengers!

Aviation Insider

Following Bangalore Airport’s example, Hyderabad Airport will soon introduce ‘Face Recognition Facility’ for air travellers.

Passengers flying from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) can get past all security checks and board the airplane by simply looking into the camera.

Here’s how it will work:

  • After a one-time registration at the entry gate, passenger details will be stored and facial features will be captured by the ‘Hi-Tech’ Cameras. The details will be the passenger’s unique signature
  • The next time that passenger has to board a flight, they won’t have to show the boarding pass. They’ll just have to stand in front of the camera
  • The camera will analyse and match the details and the passenger can gain entry
  • This technology will also be used at the security checks and the passenger won’t need to show the boarding pass there as well.
  • The boarding pass information will be integrated into the new system. It will automatically verify the information with the Airline DCS (Departure Control System).

This process will not only help the passengers but the airport staff as well.

The technology has already been tested for staff entry and will go live for passengers once the airport gets all the necessary approvals from regulatory authorities. It is said that this process will be implemented by the end of 2018.

E-boarding has already been introduced by Hyderabad Airport, therefore, it will be easy to implement this technology.

In the coming few days the airport will be rolling out a pilot project to make an airport journey completely paperless. They will do this by using biometric identification of a passenger to replace tickets and boarding passes.

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