SpiceJet

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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Mid-Air Horror: Drop In Cabin Pressure Injures 30 Passengers!

AirWhizzSep 21, 2018 No Comments

Mid-Air Horror: Drop In Cabin Pressure Injures 30 Passengers!

Aviation Insider

Passengers on the Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Jaipur had to suffer a nightmarish situation when the cabin pressure suddenly dropped mid-air.

More than 30 passengers felt dizzy, suffered nosebleeds and headaches. According to reports, the crew forgot to flick a switch that helps regulate cabin air pressure causing injury to passengers.

During a climb, the crew forgot to switch on the ‘Bleed Switch’ due to which cabin’s pressure could not be maintained. As a result, oxygen masks got deployed.

The Boeing 737 aircraft returned to Mumbai due to “loss of cabin pressure”. The pilots have been taken off duty and are  pending investigation.

There were 166 passengers and 5 crew members on board flight 9W 697. Of these, 144 passengers of the original flight travelled to Jaipur via an alternative flight of Jet Airways, while the other 17 refused to travel with them.

Five guests, who were referred to a hospital for additional medical check-up accompanied by the Jet Airways’ Care team, have since been released following a medical examination.

Why Cabin Pressure Matters

When at higher altitudes, it is important to maintain certain parameters within the cabin for passenger comfort. These include temperature, humidity, air circulation and cabin pressure.

The human body cannot endure an environment above certain altitudes and start reacting above 10,000 ft. It leads to various effects. Gases in the ear, sinuses and digestive tracts start to expand, causing bleeding from the ears and nose.

If cabin pressure is not stabilized it can cause catastrophic damage to the human body. Thankfully, all passengers are free from harm and are safe.

The airline will continue to offer necessary medical care and attention to the concerned guests as required. Jet Airways is also extending full cooperation to the Directorate General Of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the ongoing investigation of the event.

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Air India Pilots Avoid Crisis Situation At New York’s JFK Airport!

AirWhizzSep 19, 2018 No Comments

Air India Pilots Avoid Crisis Situation At New York’s JFK Airport!

Aviation Insider

On 11th September 2018, pilots of the Air India’s flight AI-101, from Delhi to New York, were caught in a nightmarish situation. Multiple system failures, bad weather conditions and low fuel made it a struggle for the pilots which were supposed to land the airplane in New York’s JFK Airport.

The flight was in a very bad situation however, the two pilots and an Air Traffic Control (ATC) operator were able to overcome this situation and saved the lives of 370 passengers onboard.

Here are all the details about the incident:

  • Air India’s Senior Commander Mr. Rustom Palia and Second-in-Command, Captain Sushant Singh, reported to the ATC operator at JFK Airport that the flight experienced multiple system failure while approaching the airport for landing.
  • Apart from these, the flight also witnessed the malfunctioning of all three of its Instrument Landing System (ILS) receivers on board. This meant that the pilot of the aircraft needed to manually land the flight.
  • They had to abort landing at JFK and spent close to one and a half hours in the air, trying to figure out to land at an airport in New York or a nearby city with good visibility.
  • Running low on fuel, they quickly needed a decent chance of sighting a runway early enough to make approach due to the failed ILS.
  • After help from the ATC tower operator they weighed various options to solve that situation and decided to land at Newark Airport.
  • The AI pilots skillfully managed to land the airplane safely, 38 minutes after hovering over JFK Airport.

According to reports, the Air India’s B777 aircraft had flown over 36,985 hours and had been in service for almost 9 years. While the incident was transpiring, there was panic among passengers as the aircraft managed to land.

A pilot can fly an aircraft without the onboard navigation system, however, the accuracy often suffers.

Mr Palia and Mr. Singh defied all the odds and used their experience and skills, with the help of the ATC operator, to avoid a disaster situation and saved the lives of all passengers.

Air India has set up an inquiry on aircraft and constituted an internal inquiry under the airline’s ‘Flight Safety Department’.

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In-Flight Connectivity: Here’s What You May Have To Pay!

AirWhizzSep 12, 2018 No Comments

In-Flight Connectivity: Here’s What You May Have To Pay!

Aviation Insider

It will soon be possible for Indian travellers to use Wi-Fi and make calls while flying as the Department of Telecom(DoT) is set to allow In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) services from October.

As per the existing rules, no person can use any electronic device which intentionally transmits radio signals while aboard an aircraft. However, with the advancement in technology, it is not very difficult for Indian carriers to launch this facility after they get the licence.

How Much Will It Cost The Airline

According to experts, it would be a herculean task to provide IFC services since the cost of installation and the turnaround time to do so will be quite high.

It is estimated that the cost of installation will be around $100,000 per aircraft and turnaround time would be about eight days. However, this estimate depends on the aircraft type, fleet size, bandwidth, other technical specifications and regulatory requirements.

Estimates may vary, but the cost of providing IFC is certainly going to be high.

How Much Will You Have To Pay

Given the cost and turnaround time, it shouldn’t be a surprise if IFC services are expensive, at least in the initial stages.

Airlines across the world use different pricing strategies for connectivity services. The charges for net connection might range from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for 30 minutes to an hour as per international standards.

However, a lot would depend on the packaging of the IFC services being offered by the airlines. To differentiate their product experience from other airlines, they may offer special packages to frequent fliers and premium customers or may even base pricing on the time of the flight (early morning flights generally have more corporate travellers).

Aviation experts believe that within a couple of years of the launch, one can expect these services to become free.

Airlines such as  Emirates, JetBlue and Turkish Airlines already offer free IFC. In two-three years, we can expect IFC services in India to become free of cost like in hotels, restaurants and malls.

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Flight Operations At Sikkim’s Pakyong Airport To Start From October!

AirWhizzSep 08, 2018 No Comments

Flight Operations At Sikkim’s Pakyong Airport To Start From October!

Aviation Insider

The beautiful state of Sikkim is all set to join the aviation map of the country on 4th October 2018. SpiceJet will be launching the first ever flight from Pakyong Airport to different cities across India.

The no-frills carrier will operate daily direct flights on the Pakyong-Kolkata route from 4th October and the Pakyong-Guwahati route from 16Th October.

SG 3324, operating on the Kolkata-Pakyong route, will depart from Kolkata for Pakyong at 9:30 am, whereas SG 3325 operating on the route of Pakyong-Guwahati route will depart at 11.15 am.

A memento of the first flight ticket and boarding pass was presented to the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Mr. Shri Pawan Chamling, by representatives of the airline.

On 1st March 2018, SpiceJet had successfully operated a test flight to Pakyong, making it the first civil aircraft to land at the airport

The greenfield Pakyong airport, close to Sikkim’s capital Gangtok, had received the aerodrome license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in May 2018 for commercial operations.

Here are some interesting facts about the airport-

  • It is the first Greenfield Airport in Northeast India and is spread across 990 acres.
  • Located at a height of 4590 ft, this airport is considered as one of the 5 highest altitude airports in India.
  • The airport is often called an engineering marvel owing to the extremely rough terrain it has been built on.
  • The airport is built roughly 60 km away from the Indo-China border, giving it a huge strategic advantage. Indian Air Force(IAF) has already done test runs and will use the airport once it’s operational.
  • The project for constructing this airport was sanctioned 11 years ago, however, due to land acquisition problems, the project was delayed. It has been built at an approximate cost of 350 crores.

It will be the 100th functional airport in the country. Sikkim is the only state without a functional airport at present.

With the opening of Pakyong Airport, it is expected that it will boost tourism, which will help in the economic development of the state and connect it to the rest of India.

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Budget Airlines In India Offer Heavy Discounts This Festive Season!

AirWhizzSep 04, 2018 No Comments

Budget Airlines In India Offer Heavy Discounts This Festive Season!

Aviation Insider

In a bid to attract customers in this competitive aviation market, several low-cost airlines in India are offering heavy discounts on airfares this festive season.

No frill airlines IndiGo, GoAir and AirAsia India on Monday launched several discount schemes.

Here are all the details about it-

IndiGo

  • The market leader in the Indian aviation sector, IndiGo, is offering discounts on 10 lakh seats across 59 destinations in its network, for all-inclusive one-way fares starting at Rs 999.
  • Bookings of flight tickets for the four-day “festive sale” offer started on Monday for travel between 18th September 2018 and 30th March 2019.
  • The airline has also offered a super cash amount of up to Rs 600 or 20% refund on booking the ticket through MobiKwik.

Air Asia India

  • The airline is offering tickets to over 120 domestic and international destinations starting at Rs 999 for domestic travel and Rs 1,399 for international travel.
  • Domestic destinations include Bengaluru, New Delhi, Kolkata, Kochi, Goa, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Pune, Guwahati, Imphal, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Srinagar, Bagdogra, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, Indore, Surat, Amritsar and Chennai.
  • International destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Krabi, Sydney, Auckland, Melbourne, Singapore, Bali.
  • The offer, which will run for 8 days, is known as the ‘Big Sale’ and will be applicable on air travel between 19th February and 26th November 2019.

GoAir

  • The airline is offering tickets across its domestic network starting at Rs 1,099.
  • The discounts will be applicable on air travel between 3rd September 2018 and 31st March 2019.
  • The sale will go on for 3 days.

The various discounts come at a time when airlines in India have been hammered by higher jet fuel prices, a weaker rupee and intense competition, restricting their ability to raise airfares to cover higher costs.

However, this decision by these airlines will surely help them attract more customers and in the bargain, make air travel more reachable for the general public of India.

 

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India’s 1st Biofuel Powered Aircraft Completes Maiden Flight!

AirWhizzAug 28, 2018 No Comments

India’s 1st Biofuel Powered Aircraft Completes Maiden Flight!

Aviation Insider

India’s first biofuel-powered aircraft landed yesterday at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

Last week it was announced that Indian carrier SpiceJet would first test fly it over Dehradun, and if a success, would again fly it from the hill station to the national capital.

Union Ministers Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan,Civil Aviation Minster Mr. Suresh Prabhu and other top officials were at the airport when the SpiceJet flight,arrived in the capital. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat flagged off the flight in Dehradun.

For the test flight, which carried 28 people, including five crew members, the aircraft’s right engine was filled with 75% Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) and 25% of biofuel, made from Jatropha plant. The 45 minuet flight was completed with a Bombardier Q400 aircraft.

The fuel was prepared by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), Dehradun. The institute’s Director, Mr. Anjan Ray, said around 330 kg of biofuel was made for flight.

According to SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. Ajay Singh, it was a “historic occasion” to operate the test flight and said that India is the first among developing countries to fly an airplane powered by biofuel.

Science and Technology Minister, Mr Harsh Vardhan has said that bio-jet fuel is carbon neutral and that only three to four nations are using it. He also emphasised that ways should be explored to scale up production of such fuels.

Biofuel is low cost and helps in significantly reducing carbon emissions. It has the potential to reduce the dependence on traditional aviation fuel by up to 50% on every flight and bring down fares

It also comes at a time when the airline industry is grappling with spiralling fuel prices that are impacting their profitability. However, use of biofuel for regular flights would take some time.

International authorities such as International Air Transport Association(IATA) & American Standard Testing Method (ASTM) have been looking into using bio-jet fuel for some time now.

IATA has also set out a target for one billion passengers to fly on aircraft using a mix of clean energy and fossil fuels by 2025.

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India’s First Biofuel Run Airplane To Fly On Monday!

AirWhizzAug 25, 2018 No Comments

India’s First Biofuel Run Airplane To Fly On Monday!

Aviation Insider

India is all set to create history. It may become the first developing nation to test a biofuel-run aircraft!

Indian carrier, SpiceJet, announced that it will fly a passenger aircraft which will solely run on biofuel.

The aircraft will take-off from Dehradun on Monday and fly around the city. If it’s a success, SpiceJet will make the airplane fly again from Dehradun to Delhi. Senior officials from the government and airline will be on board the flight to see the results.

The main purpose is to make air travel economical and bring some respite to airlines in India who are fleeing the pressure of rising fuel prices globally.

Biofuel, produced from vegetable oils, recycled grease, algae, and animal fat, is an alternative fuel that can be used in place of fossil fuels. According to some estimates, biofuel has the potential to reduce the aviation carbon emissions by up to 80 percent.

Global association of airlines, International Air Transport Association (IATA), has set a goal to cut carbon emissions for the industry by 50 percent by 2050.

Till now, no developing nation has tested a biofuel-run flight. However, some developed nations like Australia and the US have flown commercial flights on the sustainable fuel. Australian airline Qantas had flown a Dreamliner between Los Angeles and Melbourne in January this year.

Alaska Airlines and KLM had also tested flights using biofuel. Many nations are testing biofuels for flight operations to get independence from Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) which is a non-renewable fossil fuel and costly.

If the test flight on Monday is a success, we may soon have ‘Green’ airplanes flying us from one place to another. Biofuels will definitely be a cost-effective and pollution-free substitute for ATF

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