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Tag: Flight

  • MakeMyTrip Launches New Feature To Look For Most Economical Flight Airfare

    MakeMyTrip Launches New Feature To Look For Most Economical Flight Airfare


    MakeMyTrip has launched a new feature ‘Incredible India Incredible Prices’ offering results based on the most economical airfare to multiple destinations within India from the city for the next six months. One can filter the most economical flight, according to the month of travel and theme-based travel categories such as – Adventure, Heritage, Religious, Romantic, Wildlife, Beach, Hills & Mountains, Honeymoon, etc. As per MMT, the ‘Incredible India Incredible Prices’ feature is also catalysing a behaviour shift in the advance purchase patterns for flight bookers in the leisure category.

    A report by MMT shows that more than 60% of consumers exploring destinations in India book tickets at least 30 days in advance as opposed to less than 30% on the regular flight listings funnel thereby benefitting from cheaper fares. The feature also highlights the top things to do in each destination, thereby offering a 360-degree view to the traveller about varied destinations in just a few clicks.

    According to data, leisure segment bookers take almost twice the number of searches to book their flights compared to the business segment. This indicates that flight bookers sift through prices for multiple destinations in various combinations before finally making their final pick of leisure travel reservations. From a research standpoint, this takes time and mental bandwidth before fully firming up a trip.

    Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, added – “The new feature has been developed from a user lens and attempts to fuel interest in the hidden gems of India by offering results based on price, timeline, and the theme of travel. The early results are encouraging as we have observed 2.5 times increases in searches for leisure destinations on the Incredible India funnel as compared to the regular flight funnel.”

    MakeMyTrip is a leading third party ticketing platform with access to all major domestic full-service and low-cost airlines operating in India and all major airlines operating to and from India.





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  • Air India Passenger Arrested For ‘Defecating, Urinating, Spitting’ On Mumbai-Delhi Flight

    Air India Passenger Arrested For ‘Defecating, Urinating, Spitting’ On Mumbai-Delhi Flight


    A male passenger travelling on a Mumbai-Delhi Air India flight was arrested for allegedly defecating, urinating and spitting in the aircraft. As per a report on ANI, the incident took place on June 24, 2023 when a male passenger travelling on Air India Flight AIC 866 (AI-866) from Mumbai to Delhi, misconducted in the aircraft on row 9 of the aircraft. The passenger, a cook from Africa was seated on 17F, officials said. According to the FIR filed by the flight captain at the Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport police station, on June 24, the flight was in the air when the passenger seated on seat no. 17F defecated, urinated and spat in the aircraft.

    The FIR further stated that this misconduct was spotted by the cabin crew and, subsequently, a verbal warning was issued by the cabin supervisor of the flight. Later, the flight captain was also informed of the misconduct. According to the complaint, fellow passengers were incensed and agitated over the misconduct and as the flight touched down at the Delhi airport, the head of Air India security attended to and escorted the accused passenger to the IGI Airport police station.

    Further, according to the FIR filed after the incident, a message was sent to the company immediately and airport security was requested to escort the passenger on arrival. The accused passenger is a cook working in Africa and was travelling to Delhi on the Air India flight AIC 866 on June 24.

    Speaking to ANI, a senior official of Delhi Police said, “On the complaint of the flight captain, Delhi Police registered a case — u/s 294/510 — at IGI police station and arrested the accused passenger. We produced him before a court which granted him bail. Further investigation is underway.”

    As seen on the flight tracking website FlightAware, the airline operates the Flight AI866 on a daily basis from Mumbai to Delhi. The flight originates from Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport at 9 AM and lands at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 11.10 AM. The airline has deployed an Airbus A321 aircraft for the flight.





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  • Air New Zealand To Weigh Passengers Before Boarding Flights To Gather Weight Load Data

    Air New Zealand To Weigh Passengers Before Boarding Flights To Gather Weight Load Data



    As part of the programme, Air New Zealand passengers will be asked to stand on a digital scale when they check in for their flight.



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  • Asiana Stops Selling Emergency Seats After Passenger Opened Flight’s Door Mid-Air

    Asiana Stops Selling Emergency Seats After Passenger Opened Flight’s Door Mid-Air


    Asiana Airlines, South Korea’s second-biggest carrier, said on Sunday it has stopped selling certain emergency seats of A321-200 passenger jets following a recent incident in which a passenger opened a door of the same aircraft model just before landing. Asiana Airlines halted the sale of the 26A seat of 11 A321-200s, which can carry 174 passengers, and that of the 31A seat of three A321-200s, which can accommodate 195 passengers, the company said in a statement. The seats right beside the emergency doors in A321-200s will be excluded for reservation even if all seats on the planes are fully booked, the statement said, without providing any specific timeframe for the suspension, reports Yonhap news agency.

    The incident took place on an A321-200 aircraft heading to the city of Daegu, 237 kms southeast of Seoul, from the southern Island of Jeju on Friday. A man sitting in the emergency seat row opened the door when the 195-seat A321-200 aircraft was about 213 meters from the ground right before landing at Daegu International Airport.

    None of the 194 people aboard the plane fell out or were hurt in Friday’s incident, but 12 panicked passengers showed symptoms of breathing difficulty and some of them were taken to a hospital. A court issued an arrest warrant on Sunday for Lee for an alleged violation of the aviation security law, citing the seriousness of his case and the risk of flight.

    Under the act, a passenger who operates the doors, emergency exits or devices of an airplane could face a prison term of up to 10 years. During questioning, the man said he had been under a lot of stress after losing his job recently and that he opened the door because he wanted to get off quickly after feeling suffocated, according to police officials.

    The company also began accepting customer complaints over the incident at its Flight Irregularity Claim Center at the Daegu airport. The company said it has so far received two complaints regarding the plane accident. Meanwhile, all the emergency seats in other passenger jets operated by Asiana are available for reservation.

    Another Asiana low-cost carrier unit Air Busan said it is also considering stopping the sale of emergency row seats. Budget carrier Air Premia said it is mulling suspending the sale of seats near the emergency doors. Other carriers, such as Jin Air Co., the budget carrier unit of Korean Air Co., are considering a similar move.

    The transport ministry said taking such a measure depends on airlines’ own decisions and is not based on the aviation authorities’ regulations. An official at an airline company said Asiana appears to be overreacting to the incident, given that passengers in the emergency seat rows are required to assist flight attendants in helping other passengers escape the plane in case of an emergency.





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  • IndiGo Airline Operates Maiden Goa-Dehradun Flight With Goan Woman As Pilot

    IndiGo Airline Operates Maiden Goa-Dehradun Flight With Goan Woman As Pilot



    Shasha Saldanha, a pilot with IndiGo Airline, was specially requested by the state government to co-pilot the aircraft as a sign of women empowerment.



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  • Asiana Passenger Opens Plane’s Emergency Door During Flight, Several Injured

    Asiana Passenger Opens Plane’s Emergency Door During Flight, Several Injured



    The Asiana Airlines plane with 194 people aboard was heading to the southeastern city of Daegu from the southern island of Jeju.



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  • Submit Revival Plan Within 30 Days: DGCA Advises Go First Airline

    Submit Revival Plan Within 30 Days: DGCA Advises Go First Airline



    Indian aviation watchdog DGCA has advised Go First to submit a comprehensive restructuring/revival plan for a sustainable revival of operations, within a period of 30 days.



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  • Exclusive: Cabin Crew Debunks Aviation Myths, Explains Key Points For A Safe Flight

    Exclusive: Cabin Crew Debunks Aviation Myths, Explains Key Points For A Safe Flight


    Air travel is one of the safest and most convenient modes of transportation available today. This is due to the strict safety regulations and procedures that are followed by airlines and aviation authorities. Before takeoff, pilots and ground crew perform a series of checks to ensure that the aircraft is in proper working order. These include various instructions, from switching off phones to keeping your seats in an upright position, but how do these things make air travel safe? How is keeping your window shades up and dimming airplane lights while taking off and landing related to the safety of passengers and aircraft?

    To answer all these questions and explain the relevance behind these strict rules, we got in touch with Ashish Arora, Flight Attendant with Swiss International Airlines to discuss some of these common safety myths, interesting facts, and other details that will help you fly with a peaceful mind next time you board any of the aircraft.

    Why Can’t You Put Laptops In Check-In Baggage?

    Ashish explains that this regulation came a few years ago when a few power banks blasted in cargo flights and as a result, aircraft had to make an emergency landing. However, if the same battery blasts in the passenger plane then we the cabin crew can take the required action for it. From extinguishing the fire to alerting the pilot about it in case an emergency landing needs to be done. But in cargo flights, you cannot do anything about it, hence these electronic items are not advised to be put in check-in baggage.

    Also read: Lufthansa Airlines Cites Problem With Pratt & Whitney Engines, Grounds One Third Of Airbus A220 Fleet

    Why Is the Tray Table Closed During Takeoff, Landing?

    “Keeping tray tables up during take-off and landing is definitely related to safety rules,” Arora said. He explains while the aircraft is on the runway and if takeoff needs to be aborted, and in that case the tray table is open, the passenger will not be able to get up from his seat as the tray table is open. This way another 2-3 seconds will get wasted and it will delay the evacuation process.

    Why Are Electronic Devices Kept In Airplane Mode?

    “The mobile networks have radio waves (GSM) and these radio waves might interfere with cockpit instruments and this is the reason we ask passengers to either switch off or put their phones on airplane mode so that these radio waves do not interfere with the cockpit instruments,” Arora said.

    Why Are Window Shades Open During Take-off, Landing?

    Arora explains that keeping window shades up during take-off and landing is essential and is directly linked with the safety of the passengers and the aircraft as it should be visible what is happening outside the aircraft. He explains it with an instance where Arora said that “During landing or taking off, if the engine of the aircraft catches fire and the window shades are down, then it will be impossible to alert the pilot about it. Hence, we need to keep an eye on what’s happening around the aircraft in case of any fire or structural damage, to keep us and the pilot alert and well aware of the situation.”

    Why Passenger Seats Are Kept In Upright Position?

    “Why seatbacks have to be upright is associated with the evacuation process. If an emergency happens and we have to evacuate the aircraft but the seatback is reclined, the passengers behind will not be able to stand from their seats,” Arora said.

    He further explained that the evacuation process needs to be completed within 90 seconds but if seats are not in an upright position then it may delay the evacuation process and can turn unsafe for the passengers.

    How Dimming Lights Help In Taking Off And Landing?

    Arora shares that it takes a while for our eyes to fully adjust to a dark environment. Dimming the lights helps passengers in adapting to low light. This can make a significant difference in case of an emergency at night if everyone is required to evacuate. Eyes should be comfortable in the environment to see what is happening outside the aircraft as a safety measure.

    Explain The 100 ML Liquid Rule In The Cabin?

    Arora explains that if there is a liquid containing more than 100 ml then passengers have to throw it. The reason is if any passenger claims it’s water but it turns out to be transparent fuel then it may turn hazardous in flight. 





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  • Manipur Unrest: Air Ticket Prices For Imphal-Kolkata Flights Touch Rs 20,000

    Manipur Unrest: Air Ticket Prices For Imphal-Kolkata Flights Touch Rs 20,000


    The air ticket on the Imphal-Kolkata route has spiralled almost 5-6 times to Rs 20,000 per ticket. Debjit Dutta, chairman, Indian Association of Tour Operators, West Bengal Chapter, said, “As the situation in Manipur remains tense and people are rushing to leave Imphal to go to Kolkata and as well as their hometown. In this tense situation, they are facing a big problem of Air ticket which is almost high with nominal fare.” The chairman said this was because of the situation in Manipur which is likely to remain the same in the coming few days.

    “If we talked about flights from Imphal to Kolkata, Air India operated daily one flight in the morning. IndiGo operated four flights from Imphal to Kolkata including connected and direct flight. All flights were packed to capacity for the next two days,” Dutta said. Dutta said Air India’s fare from Imphal to Kolkata is approximately Rs 17,000 for business class on Tuesday and Rs 14,000 for May 11 on economy class.

    He also mentioned that Air Asia has one flight from May 15 whose fare is Rs 4,000. “IndiGo’s direct flight on May 10 from Imphal to Kolkata is Rs 11,000 and connected flight have charged Rs 20,000 per head,” the chairman said.

    AirAsia, Flybig, and Alliance Air on Monday scheduled eight relief flights for the stranded people during the prevailing situation in Manipur. These operating relief flights are part of a central government initiative to ensure the evacuation of stranded people from the trouble-torn spots of the Northeast state at the earliest.

    Meanwhile, AirAsia, on Monday, operated one additional commercial relief flight to Imphal from Guwahati, according to Guwahati Airport Authority. Flybig scheduled two relief flights on Monday, according to Guwahati Airport Authority. One operated in the morning and the second one is scheduled to fly out of Imphal at 18.40 hours in the evening.

    According to Guwahati Airport Authority, Flybig flight brought 70 students to Guwahati airport on the morning flight. It also said Alliance Air has operated a total of five relief flights as of today.

    Air India on Monday said it started operating special flights to and from Imphal on Saturday and Sunday, to facilitate people stranded amid the ongoing violence and ethnic strife in Manipur.

    The violence in Manipur between the Hindu Meiteis and the tribal Kuki, who are Christians, erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3. Violence gripped the entire state for several days, prompting the Central government to deploy paramilitary forces to bring the situation under control.





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  • NCLT To Hear Go First’s Insolvency Plea Today

    NCLT To Hear Go First’s Insolvency Plea Today


    New Delhi: The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) will hear cash-strapped carrier Go First’s insolvency plea on Thursday (May 4).

    On Tuesday, the airline had said that it has filed for insolvency resolution as it can no longer continue to meet its financial obligations, blaming US company Pratt & Whitney’s “faulty engines” for grounding of 50 per cent of its fleet.

    Go First had also announced suspension of all its flight operations from May 3 to May 5.

    Its CEO Kaushik Khona had confirmed on Tuesday that the airline has filed an application for voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings before the NCLT.

    Go First owes financial creditors Rs 6,521 crore, its bankruptcy filing showed.

    The voluntary bankruptcy petition filed by the Go Airlines will be impacting its lenders, i.e., banks. However, private lender Axis Bank said on Wednesday in a regulatory filing that it has no funded or non-funded exposure to the financially-troubled Go Airlines.

    According to reports, banks like Bank of Baroda, IDBI Bank, and Central Bank of India have exposure to the private airline.

    While the airline had said that its promoters had infused Rs 3,200 crore in the last three years and their total investment in the venture is approximately about Rs 6,500 crore, it is silent on its dues when queried by IANS.

    As per reports, the airline has a total liability  dues to banks, other creditors, vendors etc. – of about Rs 11,463 crore.

    “Go First (the brand of Go Airlines) has a lengthy history of missing its financial obligations to Pratt,” a spokesperson for aircraft engine supplier Pratt & Whitney said in response to IANS’ list of questions.

    The Wadia group’s airline had blamed Pratt & Whitney for its decision to file a voluntary bankruptcy petition with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

    Pratt & Whitney, the exclusive engine supplier for its Airbus A320neo aircraft fleet, refused to comply with an award issued by an emergency arbitrator appointed in accordance with the 2016 Arbitration Rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Go Airlines had alleged.

    “Pratt & Whitney is committed to the success of our airline customers, and we continue to prioritise delivery schedules for all customers. P&W (Pratt & Whitney) is complying with the March 2023 arbitration ruling related to Go First. As this is now a matter of litigation, we will not comment further,” the P&W spokesperson said.

    Perhaps Go Airlines is the first Indian airline to blame an engine-maker for its financial troubles and for grounding operations.

     





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