Technology

Bengaluru Airport Launches Fully Automated Self Bag Drop System!

AirWhizzNov 16, 2018 No Comments

Bengaluru Airport Launches Fully Automated Self Bag Drop System!

Aviation Insider

There is some great news for passengers flying from Bengaluru Airport!

For the first time at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), automated baggage check-in facility will be open to air passengers from today. Following a three-month trial, 16 check-in counters will implement this system.

Here’s how the system will work:

  • The passenger will first have to print a boarding pass and an eezee-tag (bag tag) at a self-check-in kiosk.
  • Once Tagged, travellers need to go to these machines placed at the counters of the specific airline and place the check-in luggage on the conveyer belt near the counter
  • The weight of the luggage is digitally displayed
  • If it tallies with the luggage specifications of the airline, then a slip bearing the bar code for the luggage is printed and tagged to the luggage by the machine
  • Then the passenger has to feed in the PNR number from the ticket or mobile into the boarding pass kiosk, which automatically issues the boarding pass
  • The baggage will automatically head to the cargo hold

With this system, passengers will be able to check-in their luggage within an estimated time of 45 seconds.

This automated system will help airlines reduce its staff strength in the long run as presently two individuals are deployed by every airline to complete the check-in system. A person seated at the counter issues a boarding pass after verifying the ticket and another staffer tags the baggage to be checked in.

The fully-automated Self Bag Drop machines would initially be available for passengers flying with Air Asia and Spice Jet. This facility would be expanded to more airlines in the near future.

After terminal 1 of Mumbai airport got this facility in June 2018, KIA will be the second airport in India to have this system

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Government Approves Privatisation Of 6 Indian Airports! !

AirWhizzNov 10, 2018 No Comments

Government Approves Privatisation Of 6 Indian Airports! !

Aviation Insider

Aviation in India is about to get a big boost!

Union Cabinet this week approved the privatisation of airports in Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru.

The airports will be operated under a Public-Private Partnership(PPP). This will include operation, management as well as the development of these airports and would be done through Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC).

The Cabinet has said that the move is expected to enhance the revenue to the Airports Authority of India and increased economic development in these areas in terms of creation of jobs and related infrastructure.

Here’s why the PPP model will benefit us in the future:

  • In airport infrastructure projects, PPP brings efficiency in service delivery as well as professionalism
  • With PPP model, many airports have been provided with world-class infrastructure. Moreover, the PPP has also contributed to the delivery of efficient and timely services to air passengers.
  • Other than creating world-class airports, the PPP model has also helped the Airports Authority of India in enhancing its revenues as well as focusing on airports development and boosting air navigation infrastructure across the nation.

At present, the Indian airports that are being managed under PPP include Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Cochin airports.

Interestingly, the above-mentioned airports have been ranked among the top 5 in their respective categories by the Airports Council International in terms of Airport Service Quality.

According to the Cabinet, the airport sector is the top contender among infrastructure sectors in terms of international interest. Therefore, by adoption of PPP model, the airport sector may provide an immediate opportunity to attract foreign direct investment.

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Lion Air Under Investigation After Last Week’s Airplane Crash!

AirWhizzNov 05, 2018 No Comments

Last week, an unfortunate disaster hit Indonesia, where a Lion Air crashed plunged into the Java Sea just minutes after taking off from Jakarta, killing all 189 onboard.

Authorities are conducting a review of the operations of Lion Air, as the search for the main wreckage and cockpit voice recorder of the crashed Boeing jet continues into the seventh day.

The “special audit” will cover the standard operating procedures of the airline, the flight crew qualifications and coordination with industry stakeholders.

Indonesia’s aviation ministry is coordinating with institutions such as the European Union, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Federal Aviation Administration. Corrective steps will be taken on the basis of the review.

The government had already ordered a review of Lion’s repair and maintenance unit and suspended several managers after the airline had reported some technical issues a day before the crash.

Even after a week-long search involving dozens of ships and hundreds of specialists, the plane’s main wreckage and the cockpit voice recorder that’s key to unravelling the mystery, are yet to be recovered.

However, search crews have recovered a flight data recorder, both the engines, a part of the landing gear, body parts of victims and personal belongings since the flight carrying 189 people plummeted into the sea.

Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee recovered about 69 hours of flying data from the flight data recorder. The agency will begin analyzing the information from Monday to find out the reasons for the crash.

The Lion Air crash is the worst airline disaster in Indonesia since 1997, when 234 people died on a Garuda flight near Medan. In December 2014, an AirAsia flight from Surabaya to Singapore plunged into the sea, killing all 162 on board.

Indonesian airlines were barred in 2007 from flying to Europe because of safety concerns, though several were allowed to resume services in the following years.

 

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Airport Authorities To Set Up “DigiYatra” Kiosks At City Centers!

AirWhizzOct 19, 2018 No Comments

Airport Authorities To Set Up “DigiYatra” Kiosks At City Centers!

Aviation Insider

There is some good news for air travellers who want to make the use of Government’s “DigiYatra” initiative.

Air passengers who want to gain hassle-free and smooth access to airports will soon be able to verify their Digi Yatra ID at city centers & common marketplaces.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation is planning to set up kiosks at various city centers, Indian Railways stations and at other crowded places where passengers can verify the Digi Yatra ID.

These kiosks will help passengers verify their identity at the city centers and walk straight to the departure terminal.

To start using their DigiYatra ID at the kiosks, passengers will be required to undergo a one-time verification process to ensure that the ID is original.

According to an Airports Authority Of India (AAI) official, multiple checkpoints and separate facilities will be created by the AAI at crowded tourist areas, where the frequency of air travellers will be more.

Passengers travelling via air can get themselves an ID under the DigiYatra by providing details like their name, e-mail ID, mobile number and details of one approved identity proof. This ID can be then shared by the travellers while booking tickets. The airline company will then share the information, along with the Digi Yatra ID.

Passengers with a DigiYatra ID will have to undergo a one-time facial verification during his/her first travel. This verification will take place at the departure terminal of the airport. A security official or an airport authority will be present during the verification, in order to ensure that the traveller is not using a fake ID.

One the verification is completed successfully, the passenger’s facial biometric will be captured and stored in his/her DigiYatra ID profile. So the next time the passenger travels, their face will act as a boarding pass and they can complete their airport journey without ever taking out a ticket or ID proof.

If the passenger has chosen Aadhaar as an ID proof for creating the Digi Yatra ID, their verification will be valid for five years, else it will be valid for one year only.

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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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Cochin International Airport Bags UN’s Environment Award!

AirWhizzSep 28, 2018 No Comments

Cochin International Airport Bags UN’s Environment Award!

Aviation Insider

Cochin International Airport has once again made India proud!

Indian airports have been bagging international awards for the past few years and the latest to join that list is Kerala’s Cochin International Airport.

The Airport has been awarded for Entrepreneurial Vision by United Nations (UN) at the “Champions Of Earth” award ceremony for its leadership in the use of sustainable energy.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Cochin International Airport is showing rest of the world that the ever-expanding network of global travel does not have to harm the environment. UNEP further stated that the first fully solar-powered airport of the world is proof that green business is good business.

UN environment Executive Director Erik Solheim along with his team had visited the international airport and seen the solar power plant and called it a leading example among global airports.

In 2015, CIAL became the first airport in the world to be completely powered by solar energy. They started with a 100 kilowatts pilot project in 2012. Today, the capacity of CIAL is 29.5 megawatts of solar energy, providing 120,000 units of power every day.

The airport is 100 % reliant on solar energy, from powering conveyor baggage belts to digital systems installed at the airport.

Kochi airport is the biggest and busiest airport of Kerala and the fourth busiest airport in India in terms of international traffic.

A lot of its international passengers come from the Gulf countries. Around 10 million people passed through Kochi airport last year. Of these, 5.5 million were international passengers.

The Champions of the Earth award is the highest environmental recognition of United Nations, celebrating exceptional figures from the public sectors as well as private sectors and also from civil society, whose actions have had a positive impact on the environment.

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Bangalore Airport’s Second Runway To Be Powered By LED Lighting!

AirWhizzSep 13, 2018 No Comments

Bangalore Airport’s Second Runway To Be Powered By LED Lighting!

Aviation Insider

In a bid to become more environmentally friendly and save energy, Bangalore Airport will be using LED lighting system to illuminate its second runway.

The runway, which is scheduled to become operational in 2019, will be the first airport runway in the country to have LED lighting.

With this facility, Kempegowda International Airport, which is the 3rd busiest airport in India, will improve runway safety & efficiency while saving energy and cost.

The runway will be powered by a US-based firm, ‘ADB Safegate’ who are responsible for designing and supplying the Airfield Lighting (AGL) as well as Advanced Visual Docking Guidance Systems(A-VDGS).

The Company will provide the ‘SafeLED’ lights, Constant Current Regulators (CCR) for power management, cables and control systems.

According to Chief Project Officer Of Bangalore Airport, Mr. Tom Shimmin, this system will help the airport gear up to support the 55 aircraft per hour movement at the second runway in an efficient way and ensure safety.

The new runway will have an Advanced CAT III instrumental landing system that will cater to all types of airplanes including the Airbus 380 (The Largest Aircraft In The World) and Boeing 747/748.The runway is expected to become functional from October 2019.

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Everything You Need To Know About Hyderabad Airport!

AirWhizzSep 10, 2018 No Comments

Everything You Need To Know About Hyderabad Airport!

Aviation Insider

Since its initiation back in 2008, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad has delivered world-class services making it one of the most sought-after airports in the world.

With its technological prowess and magnanimous infrastructure, it has served and wooed weary air travellers who travel to the beautiful city in Telangana.

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

In the 1930’s Hyderabad had its first airport known as the Begumpet Airport. It was used by the Nizam of Hyderabad for international and domestic travel and later was opened to commercial operations.

With the rise in popularity of air travel in the late 1990’s, Begumpet Airport was unable to handle the rising passenger traffic. The state government considered converting the Air Force Base in Hakimpet for civilian use, but the defence forces refused.

However, the Ministry Of Defence suggested three locations south of the Begumpet Airport, which were Bongloor, Nadergul and Shamshabad.

Due to its convenient location near two highways (NH 44/NH 765) and a railway line, Shamshabad was selected in December 1998.

In November 2000, the State Government and Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) on the greenfield airport project, establishing it as a public-private partnership. The State and AAI together would hold a 26% stake in the project, while the remaining 74% would be allotted to private companies.

Through the bidding process, GMR group and  Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) were chosen as the holders of the 74% stake. In December 2002, Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (HIAL), later renamed GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), was created as a special purpose entity, into which the State, AAI and GMR–MAHB placed their stakes.

Construction of the new airport started on 16th March 2005 when Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone. Roughly three years after the foundation stone laying ceremony, the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGAI) was inaugurated on 14th  March 2008 amid protests.

The ‘Telugu Desam Party’ wanted to change the name of the airport. In addition, on 12th and 13th  March, 20,000 AAI employees had conducted a strike against the closure of Begumpet Airport, as well as that of HAL Airport in Bangalore, fearing they would lose their jobs.

RGIA was originally scheduled to open for commercial operations on 16th  March 2008, however, the date was delayed due to protests from some airlines over the high ground handling rates at the airport. Once the rates were reduced, operations commenced on 23rd  March 2008.

Awards & Recognition

  1. It won the ‘CNBC Infrastructure Excellence Award’ for Airports in 2009.
  2. In 2009, it also bagged the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation’s (CAPA) award in the category, “Best Airport Environmental Performance of the Year”.
  3. Since 2010, RGIA has been in the Top 3 Rankings of Airports Council International’s (ACI), Airport Service Quality(ASQ) awards in the 5 to 15 Million Passengers Per Annum(MMPA) category. It has bagged the number 1 spot 4 times.
  4. RGIA was awarded the prestigious National Tourism Award in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 under the ‘Best Airport’ category.
  5. In 2011, GHIAL was awarded a ‘Certificate of Merit’ in the General Category Sector at the National Energy Conservation Awards, in recognition of the initiatives taken by them to conserve energy
  6. RGIA has been honoured with the ‘Best Cargo Airport & Best Cargo Terminal of the Year’ in 2012 & 2013, by the Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI).
  7. In 2013, RGAI had been judged as the ‘Best Emerging Airport’ in Indian Sub-Continent at the ‘Emerging Airports Awards’.
  8. RGIA was given the title of ‘Favourite Indian Airport’ at the Condé Nast Traveller India Awards.
  9. GHIAL received the “Quality Excellence Award for Best Customer Service Result” at the National Quality Excellence Awards in 2013.
  10. RGAI received the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) Award for “Excellent Energy Efficient Unit” in 2014 and 2018.

Interesting Facts About Hyderabad Airport

  • The GMR Aviation Academy & Asia Pacific Flight Training Academy are located inside the airport premises.
  • GHIAL has been awarded the 5-star rating for its Health and Safety Management System from the British Safety Council.
  • In fact, It was the first airport in the world to get a 5-star rating.
  • It was the first airport in Asia Pacific to become Carbon Neutral by getting a ‘Level 3+’ certification from the Airports Council Of India, in recognition of their efforts to manage and reduce CO2 emissions.
  • It’s the largest airport in India by the area covered. It is spread across 5459 acres.
  • RGIA was the 1st airport in India to introduce E-Boarding for all domestic passengers.

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

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