Mumbai airport

Authorities To Speed Up Development Of Navi Mumbai International Airport!

AirWhizzJun 21, 2018 No Comments

Authorities To Speed Up Development Of Navi Mumbai International Airport!

Aviation Insider

Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) may become operational sooner than expected.

City and Industrial Development Corporation(CIDCO) has said that the development of the runway and the construction of the terminal building at Ulwe Hills will go hand in hand to speed things up.

Here are the details of the ongoing project –

  • The main runway will be made on the south side of the NMIA. It will cover around 260 hectares of land and the area has been levelled by 5.5 meters.
  • The next 2.5 meters of levelling will be done to construct the other runways, taxiways and the ‘H’ shaped terminal building for the airport complex.
  • Most of the villages around the airport have already been vacated for construction.

The airport project has been sanctioned Rs 16000 crores out of which Rs 5514 crores will be used to develop the 3.4 Km south runway and the terminal building. The north runway will be developed later as per air traffic growth and requirement.

A concession agreement has been signed between CIDCO, the nodal airport development authority and Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) which states that a total of 1600 hectares of land will be dedicated for the development of the airport.

There are some issues with the villagers in Ulwe Village and 3 other villages where CIDCO expects to build the north runway and the terminal building. They are reluctant to vacate the land, however, CIDCO has assured that they will solve this problem soon. Their main priority right now is to start the development work of the runway on the south side.

With development work of the runway and terminal building happening simultaneously, it is expected that the new airport will be operational by 2020. This project will lower the pressure of the Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport.

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Bangalore Airport Will Be Fully Solar-Powered By 2020!

AirWhizzJun 19, 2018 No Comments

Bangalore Airport Will Be Fully Solar-Powered By 2020!

Aviation Insider

Following Cochin Airport’s footsteps, Bangalore Airport is planning to become a fully solar-powered airport by 2020.

According to airport authorities, there is a power demand of 11 MW per day at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). Once the second terminal is completed, they estimate that the power demand will go up to 20 MW per day.

The airport currently generates around 3.44 MW from solar panels. Bangalore International Airport Limited(BIAL) has proposed an expansion of its solar panel system which will add another 8.35 MW, bringing the total to around 12 MW.

To cater to the future 20MW demand, BIAL will source another 8 MW of solar energy from off-site.

Mr. S Lakshminarayanan, Vice President (engineering & maintenance) of BIAL, has said that the solar energy at the airport is harnessed from roof-top and ground-mounted solar panels. BIAL aims to make the airport 100% powered by renewable energy by increasing this capacity and adding more solar panels.

He also said that energy conservation efforts have been taken up and implemented at the airport.

BIAL plans to convert all lighting, except the airfield lighting system, to LED for energy conservation. As of now all streetlights outside the airport and 50% of the lights in the terminal are LED. The airport can save 1.7 Million units of energy per year because of LED lights.

Mr.Hari Marar, CEO of BIAL, has said that a combination of solar power, water management system and LED lighting can ensure that the airport achieves a “3+ Carbon Rating”, which is the highest level of achievement in the field of environmental impact, for airports.

He also said that a ‘Solid Waste Management’ plant is under construction, which will be operational by 2019.This will make KIA the first airport in Asia to have an in-house solid waste management facility.

Cochin Airport is the only airport in India which is fully powered by solar energy. In fact, it was the first airport in the world to implement this system.

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Airports Authority Of India May Ban Plastic At All Its Airports!

AirWhizzJun 18, 2018 No Comments

Airports Authority Of India May Ban Plastic At All Its Airports!

Aviation Insider

Indian airports managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) may soon put a ban on plastic by the end of 2018.

The main focus of this move is to stop the use of plastic which is used to wrap or pack food items served at the airport.

AAI currently manages 125 airports and discussions to implement this rule at these airports have already started. Authorities are consulting other departments of the government to find alternative packaging solutions.

Ready-To-Eat food is one of the primary products which is sold at airports and they are generally wrapped in thin plastic covers. The main focus is to stop that practice and find alternative solutions like using ‘Bagasse’ as packaging material.

From 23rd June 2018, the use of plastic bags will be banned in Maharashtra and AAI airports like the Pune Airport are gearing up for it.

All the instructions have been passed on to the necessary stakeholders, such as food stall owners, by the Pune Airport authorities. They will be keeping an eye on the facilities inside the airport to make sure that this practice is implemented.

Plastic and garbage dumped around the airport is the major cause for attracting animals and birds. There have recently been a lot of complaints at the Pune Airport about the growing number of stray dogs in the vicinity. In fact, in 2017, there were 2 incidents of airplane bird strikes which were reported.

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Airports May Soon Stop Stamping Of Boarding Pass For Domestic Passengers!

AirWhizzJun 15, 2018 No Comments

Airports May Soon Stop Stamping Of Boarding Pass For Domestic Passengers!

Aviation Insider

Passengers flying on domestic routes from Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore Airport may not have to get their boarding pass stamped with “Security Checked” in the near future.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has approached Delhi and Bangalore Airport to carry out this pilot project. Mumbai Airport will also start this practice within the next 3 months.

CISF and airport authorities have already stopped stamping hand baggage tags at several airports in the past one year.

Hyderabad Airport was one of the first major airports to carry out this pilot project and now have an E-Boarding gate. Airports Authority of India(AAI) plans to start the e-boarding system at 3 airports by the end of 2018.

Mumbai Airport is replacing its old cameras with ‘High Definition’ ones as a part of this project. They are replacing their CCTV cameras at the domestic departure terminal. Authorities will be able to get ‘crystal clear’ pictures of passengers right from the time they enter the terminal to when they board an airplane.

Stamping of the boarding pass is done to find out who frisked the passengers and also to ensure that everyone is frisked before being allowed to board the aircraft. This information is used if an incident occurs on a flight due to a security-lapse. These HD cameras will allow authorities to do the same without ever needing to stamp a boarding pass.

CISF’s new Director General, Mr. Rajesh Ranjan, had recently said that he wanted to enhance an air passengers experience by taking steps such as putting a stop to boarding pass stamping.

He said that there have been instances where a security personnel has forgotten to stamp a boarding card and then the passenger has had to return from the boarding gate, which often led to them getting frisked again. If stamping is done away with, passengers will be able to have a seamless travel experience at airports.

Delhi and Bangalore Airport authorities have agreed to this request made by CISF. Bangalore Airport’s spokesperson, Archana Muthappa, has said that they will work closely with regulatory authorities to ensure that the airport uses the most current, cutting-edge technologies in security checks.

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Regulatory Body Proposes 74% Cut In UDF At Bangalore Airport!

AirWhizzJun 14, 2018 No Comments

Regulatory Body Proposes 74% Cut In UDF At Bangalore Airport!

Aviation Insider

Passengers flying from the Bangalore Airport may soon have to pay less for their flight ticket.

The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has proposed a 74% cut in the User Development Fee (UDF) on both domestic and international flights.

User Development Fee is the tax that is levied on the passenger by the airport operator, to receive a fair share of return on the investment done for development of the airport.

Passengers currently pay a UDF of Rs 1226 for international flights and Rs 306 for domestic flights. AERA has proposed, that this fee should be reduced to Rs 316.8 and Rs 79.2 for international and domestic flights respectively.

AERA will conduct a stakeholder’s consultation meeting with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), various airlines and government officials on 18th June 2018.

The meeting will be held to discuss about reducing the UDF for passengers, as well as reducing the landing, parking and housing charges imposed on airlines by 90%.

Reduction of landing and parking charges will result in lower costs for airlines, a benefit they may pass on to the passengers by reducing the airfare. However, aviation experts say that this may not happen immediately due to rising oil prices.

UDF is revised every 5 years by the AERA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The fee was last revised at the Bangalore Airport in 2015 and this is the first time that the UDF is being reduced. Currently, Bangalore Airport charges the highest UDF in India.

If all the stakeholders agree to the terms proposed by AERA, the new rates will be applicable up to 31st March 2020. However, from April 2020 the UDF may increase to Rs 416.22 and Rs 104 for international and domestic flights respectively.

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Varanasi Airport To Get Facial Recognition Security System!

AirWhizzJun 12, 2018 No Comments

Varanasi Airport To Get Facial Recognition Security System!

Aviation Insider

Passengers flying from Varanasi Airport will soon experience a hassle-free journey from the airport’s entry to the boarding gate.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi is all set to become the first Indian airport to install an automated Facial Recognition Security System.

Here are the details of the new system being implemented –

  • Installation of the automated security system has already started at the airport.
  • The walkthrough security scanners will be equipped with facial recognition technology.
  • They will be installed at the entrance, security checkpoint and the boarding area inside the airport.
  • The system will be put into service over the next four months.
  • This system is being implemented, thanks to the ‘DigiYatra’ initiative started by the government.
  • This system will soon be implemented at airports in Vishakhapatnam and Kolkata.

These walkthrough security scanners will make entry for passengers into the Varanasi Airport faster. It will enable them to automatically check-in and travel paperless.

Once the system is in place, security checks will be done through facial recognition as soon as travellers walk through the scanner. Passenger details will be examined digitally by comparing their Aadhar information with the information given by them while booking the flight.

However, there will be no change in the way luggage is being checked.

DigiYatra is a great initiative by the government. It aims at developing a digital ecosystem to provide a smooth paperless travel experience to air passengers at every stage of their journey.

In addition to automated security system, the scheme also aims at providing real-time notifications on air traffic congestion, price trends and calculating future airfares in the coming few months.

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Surat Airport All Set To Get International Status!

AirWhizzJun 11, 2018 No Comments

Surat Airport All Set To Get International Status!

Aviation Insider

People in Surat will be able to fly directly to international destinations in the coming few months.

Surat Airport is all set to become an international airport thanks to the central government giving the airport a customs notified status.

On 8th June 2018, The Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs gave Surat Airport the status of a customs airport, which allows an airport to operate international flights, under the Customs Act 1962.

Back in 2016, the Airports Authority of India(AAI) had asked the central government to give Surat Airport a customs notified status and finally after 18 months they have gone ahead and agreed upon it.

Recently the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujrat, Mr. Nitin Patel, in his budget speech said that he has set aside Rs 1 Crore for setting up immigration facilities at the airport. The home department of the Gujrat Government has already asked the Director General of Police(DGP) to allot 68 immigration staff members at the airport for the financial year 2018-19.

Air India Express has shown interest in starting flights from Surat to Dubai. In fact, Mr. K Shyam Sundar, CEO of Air India Express, had visited the airport last year to inspect the terminal building, runway and other facilities available at the airport.

He said that the airline is keen to launch its flights to Dubai, provided they extend their runway to 2905 meters and get a customs notified status from the government.

Mr Sundar and his team also met members of the social group(working towards increasing connectivity at the airport) and tours & travel association to discuss about the potential of international flight services from Surat.

According to the association, almost 5 lakh people have travelled from Surat and south Gujrat to international destinations in 2017-2018.They also said that the air passenger traffic at the airport has been on the rise and is continuously increasing by 20-25 percent every year.

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Second Heli-Taxi Service To Be Launched In Bangalore To Ferry Air Passengers

AirWhizzJun 09, 2018 No Comments

Second Heli-Taxi Service To Be Launched In Bangalore To Ferry Air Passengers

Aviation Insider

Bangalore is all set to get a second Heli-Taxi service that will ferry passengers between the 2 airports within the city.

Here are the details about the 2nd Heli-Taxi service–

  • The service is likely to start by 23rd June 2018.
  • The helicopter will fly between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Airport and Kempegowda International Airport(KIA).
  • The Heli-Taxi fare for this will be steeper than the Electronic City – KIA route.
  • Thumby Aviation Pvt Ltd will be handling the operations of the Heli-Taxi Service.
  • The company will be purchasing special performance ‘Class-I’ helicopters that are mandatory for such rooftop services.

The prices are going to be higher for the second Heli-Taxi service because Thumby Aviation does not have a helipad of its own at the HAL airport. They will have to pay a high rent in the form of ground handling charges, landing charges and parking charges to HAL authorities.

According to Captain K.N.G Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of Thumby Aviation, the company will do their best to reduce the cost per ticket so that the passengers don’t bear a big burden. They will be ready within two weeks to start this service.

The first Heli-taxi service started on 5th March 2018 and was a huge success since it took only 15 minutes to take passengers from the electronic city to KIA, which on-ground takes around 2 hours. The service operates 3 round trips in 2 slots, between 6:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

The tickets cost Rs 4130 (Including GST) per person and there is a 15 kg baggage limit. If a person has more than 15kg of luggage, they can opt to transport it through CarterPorter, which is a third party service.

4 hotels in Bangalore are keen to jump in on this opportunity and want to offer their helipads for ferrying their guests to the airport. However, this could take a few more months since a permission has to be taken from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

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