A close up look of this beautiful with striking colors behind tempted me to click this photo at changi airport butterfly garden singapore .recently
K.Natarajan
06/07/2019
airlines
World’s longest non-stop flight takes off…..
The Singapore Airlines flight between Singapore and New York covers a distance of more tha
n 15,000 kms.
Alm ost five years after stopping the service, Singapore Airlines (SIA) has retaken the crown as the operator of the world’s longest commercial flight.
The Airbus A350-900ULR service between Singapore and New York Newark (EWR) covers a distance of approximately 15,336 km with a block time of 18 hours 45 minutes.
It will initially be served three times a week, departing Singapore on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Daily operations will commence from 18 October after an additional A350-900ULR aircraft enters service.
The previous longest flight in the world was Qatar Airways’ service between Auckland and Doha, which covers a distance of approximately 14,526 km and takes about 17 hours 30 minutes.
SIA is the world’s first customer for the new A350-900ULR, with seven on firm order with Airbus. The aircraft will be configured in a two-class layout, with 67 Business Class seats and 94 Premium Economy Class seats.
With a maximum take-off weight of 280 tonnes, the A350-900ULR is capable of flying more than 20 hours non-stop.
SIA served the Singapore-Newark until November 2013, when services were suspended after the aircraft used at the time, A340-500s, were returned to Airbus. By the time it was discontinued, the route was a 100-seat all-Business Class flight.
According to figures from Sabre Market Intelligence, the O&D market size between Singapore and New York is about 120,000 passengers annually. In the 12 months to the end of June 2018, Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Tokyo Narita were the top three connecting hubs for passengers travelling between the two cities.
Source….David Casey in https://www.routesonline.com
Natarajan
Sikkim’s Pakyong Airport Starts Operations: 5 Reasons Why It’s an Engineering Feat!
The Pakyong airport, finally puts Sikkim on India’s aviation map and is an example of stellar engineering.
If you’re flying to Sikkim, the nearest airport is at Bagdogra, in West Bengal, nearly 124 kms from the state capital, Gangtok.
The Pakyong airport now puts Sikkim on India’s aviation map. It is one of the five highest airports in the country and was built over several years, costing an estimated Rs 350 crore.
“The Pakyong (Gangtok) Airport at Sikkim got a license today for scheduled operations. It’s an engineering marvel at a height of more than 4,500 ft in a tough terrain. Will pave way for direct air connectivity to our lovely state of Sikkim, giving a boost to tourism & economic growth,” tweeted Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu.
Tourists, migrant workers and locals will soon fly on the low-cost airline SpiceJet, after it was granted permission to fly to Pakyong from Kolkata under the Centre’s regional connectivity scheme.
The picturesque runway of the Pakyong Airport in Sikkim. Image Credit: Soumen Mukherjee
1. The Pakyong airport in Sikkim is spread over 990 acres and is the first greenfield airport to be constructed in the north-east region of the country.
2. Over the years, several landslides near the runway resulted in work being suspended twice, but it was finally constructed and earlier this year, a fixed-wing 19-seater Dornier 228 IAF aircraft landed on the runway.
3. The airport is considered an engineering marvel because of its terrain. It is stationed at more than 4,500 feet and lies snugly between the Himalayas.
4. It is around 30 km from Sikkim’s state capital, Gangtok, and is located around 60 km away from the Indo-China border, giving it strategic importance. It is believed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be able to land various types of aircraft on the airport’s runway.
5. Until now, Sikkim was the only state in the country which did not have an airport. The Pakyong airport is the 100th functional airport in India.
According to MoneyControl, as per a previous proposal by the Ministry of Home Affairs, due to its “strategically important” location, the security of the Pakyong airport should be handled by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The CISF is a professional aviation security force that handles 59 airports across the country.
The new airport will be an excellent opportunity for those of you who haven’t yet experienced this beautiful mountainous abode.
Source………Rayomand Engineer in http://www.the betterindia.com
Natarajan
Death of Padma Scientist at Airport Spurs Son To Demand Medical Aid at All Airports…
In December last year, Prof Lalji Singh, known as the Father of DNA Fingerprinting in India, died after he suffered a major heart attack while at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Babatpur in Varanasi.
Death is inevitable. But nothing shocks us more than when a death, which could have been prevented or avoided, occurs due to sheer negligence. Human apathy makes death painful and stark, making us question everything – medical advances, the quality of healthcare, laws, regulations, and the value of life in our country.
In December last year, Prof Lalji Singh, known as the Father of DNA Fingerprinting in India, died after he suffered a major heart attack while at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Babatpur in Varanasi.
The airport was not equipped to handle this medical emergency, and by the time he was taken to the hospital – a good few hours later – he had breathed his last. The doctors who examined him say that had he been provided with oxygen supply during the “Golden Hour”, he could have been saved.
What makes it even harsher is that precious time was lost in getting formalities like an “Exit Pass” organised for him due to security reasons. What good are processes that are supposedly put in place to keep people safe when they end up killing them?
Up until I started my research for this piece I had assumed that all airports across the country would be equipped to handle emergency medical situations and would also have an ambulance on call.
My assumption was wrong.
If they did then perhaps Prof Lalji could have been saved.
Airports have become a place to shop and eat. They are all well equipped with restaurants serving a variety of cuisines, every brand that you can think of has a presence here, and liquor outlets thrive – and yet one of the most basic requirements of having a medical room with functional facilities is missing.
We, at the Better India, spoke to Late Prof Lalji’s son, Abhisekh Singh, who is asking some pertinent questions.
Abhishek is asking the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airport Authority of India to mandate the availability of a doctor, ambulance, minimum medical support, trained medical personnel and standard operating procedures at all civilian airports in India.
You can support his cause by signing the petition here.
On December 10, 2017, Prof Lalji was travelling from Varanasi to Hyderabad on an Indigo flight. Hailing from a village in Varanasi, Prof Lalji started Genome Foundation, a non-profit organisation that aims to diagnose and treat genetic disorders affecting the underprivileged, especially from rural India.
Having reached the airport well in time, Prof Lalji enquired about the wheelchair he had asked for while making his booking. He had nagging knee pain and hence wanted the wheelchair.
Unfortunately, the staff at the airport told him that there was no request and they couldn’t provide him with one. Since he was travelling alone, he went in to the airport and checked in.
Abhisekh says, “Since I was not present there at that time, I have requested the airport to provide me with the CCTV footage from that day. However, so far I have not received it. I can only, therefore, corroborate what I am saying with what people present there have said to me.”
After he checked in, a wheelchair was provided. Abhisekh also mentions that around this time he called his father to check on him.
A little after that Prof Lalji faced some difficulty in breathing and went to the counter to ask for help. He was taken to the medical inspection room where the compounder after checking him insisted on having him taken to a hospital for immediate medical intervention.
“While the airport had a medical intervention room there was no doctor or medical supplies there. Looking back they did not even have an oxygen cylinder in the airport,” says Abhisekh.
An ambulance was asked for but since did not arrive Prof Lalji had to be taken in a private car to the nearest hospital which was also quite a distance away. Given the strict security, once a passenger enters the airport, they are not allowed to leave until an exit pass is shown.
Despite being in great distress, Prof Lalji had to wait to have that pass made and only then was allowed to leave the airport.
The doctor who checked Prof Lalji mentioned how he could have been saved if he had been administered with oxygen during the ‘Golden Hour’. Prof Lalji was alive even after the heart attack, but the delay in getting him medical treatment cost him his life.
Here are some of the questions raised by Abhisekh:
1. While there is a medical intervention room, it is virtually of no use.
What is the point of having a designated room in the airport and calling it medical intervention room if there are no trained medical professionals there? In places like Varanasi where even the nearest hospital is quite a distance away, what happens in cases of medical emergencies?
Are these airports waiting for such incidents to occur to act?
2. Should airports not be equipped with basic medical infrastructure?
Unfortunately for us in India, heart disease is still the leading cause of death.
Knowing this should we not be working towards equipping the airports and railway stations, places that see thousands of people day in and day out, with basic medical infrastructure?
An oxygen cylinder, a defibrillator, an ambulance on call?
3. Is there a standard operating procedure in cases of medical emergencies?
Are our airports equipped to handle medical emergencies? Manuals like the Airports Authority of India, Terminal Management clearly states the need to have a well-equipped first aid box ready. This includes a small oxygen cylinder with delivery accessories and a facemask.
The manual also states that it is desirable that an updated list of Telephone numbers and addresses of the hospitals and nursing homes ( indicating the specialised Treatment rendered) in the vicinity of the Airport should always be available with the Terminal Manager.
If these are guidelines then why were none of them implemented on December 10, 2017? Are these guidelines just printed because they look good on paper? Does the DGCA ever audit the airports to ensure that all the norms are being followed?
So important questions for us all.
Abhishek is asking the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airport Authority of India to mandate the availability of a doctor, ambulance, minimum medical support, trained medical personnel and standard operating procedures at all civilian airports in India.
You can support his cause by signing the petition here.
(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)
Source……. Vidya Raja in http://www.the better india .com
Natarajan
Phenomenal domestic growth fuels India’s aircraft demand…
India’s exponential rise in both passenger and freight traffic means the country will need 1,750 new aircraft over the next 20 years, according to estimates from Airbus.
With air traffic growth driven by a fast expanding economy, rising wealth and urbanisation, and government-backed regional connectivity programmes, India will require 1,320 new single-aisle aircraft and 430 widebody aircraft over the next two decades.
That’s according to European aircraft manufacturer Airbus in its latest India Market Forecast. It said the total value of the aircraft would be $255bn.
The report predicted that by 2036, Indians will each make four times as many flights as today. As a result, traffic serving the Indian market is forecast to grow 8.1 percent per year over the next 20 years, almost twice as fast as the world average of 4.4 percent.
Domestic Indian traffic is expected to grow five-and-half times over by 2036, reaching the same level as US domestic traffic today.
According to figures from OAG Schedules, domestic air capacity in India rose from 74.2 million available seats in 2008 to 143.2 million in 2017. In the last calendar year alone, domestic capacity increased by 13.8 percent after adding more than 17 million available seats.
The domestic growth comes as India’s government pushes its regional connectivity scheme (RCS), also known as UDAN, which aims to make air travel affordable and widespread.
The programme seeks to develop new and enhance the existing regional airports, as well as connecting more than 100 underserved and unserved airports in smaller towns.
Source…..David Casey in https://www.routesonline.com
Natarajan
Elon Musk, on Falcon Heavy’s Triumphant Launch …
This Pilot Loves Nothing Better Than Flying with Birds…!!!
Birds of a feather flock together, and these birds are no exception as they take to the skies with a microlight pilot that they believe to be their mother. Christian Moullec, as this breathtaking video shows, has an extraordinary relationship with birds and loves nothing more than to share his passion with others. Since 1995, Moullec has dedicated his life to raising orphaned geese and helping birds on the brink of extinction. See him in action here:
Source….www.ba-ba mail.com
Natarajan
India”s Air Traffic Doubles to 117 Million Passengers in 6 Years …
World’s busiest air route is right here in India!…
In 2017 only the Jeju-Seoul Gimpo route (with over 64,991 flights) and Melbourne-Sydney (54,519 departures and arrivals) were busier than Mumbai-Delhi.
It is the third-busiest air route in the world, with as many as 47,500 departures and landings last year.
Yet despite reaching this position, the Mumbai-Delhi route could face serious challenges in sustaining or improving it this year.
The reason? Hardly any additional capacity is now available at Mumbai airport to deploy more flights on this route.
But with the demand growing by 10-12 per cent annually, and with no possibility of adding more flights, flyers will soon face a hike in air fares this year.
According to OAG, an air travel intelligence firm based in the UK, the Mumbai-Delhi air route was the third-busiest in the world last year, with an average of 130 flights between the two cities every day.
In 2016, India was number six in the pecking order of the busiest routes, and this calculation was based on the capacity deployed on the route one way.
In 2017 only the Jeju-Seoul Gimpo route (with over 64,991 flights) and Melbourne-Sydney (54,519 departures and arrivals) were busier than Mumbai-Delhi.
Airlines say the route makes up about 10 per cent of their capacity and revenues, making it by far the biggest market.
And, at an average passenger load factor on this route of 80-90 per cent, this is a lucrative route, on which the demand is growing.
It also reflects the skew that these two markets have in the aviation business in the country as it constitutes more than 35 per cent of the domestic traffic.
Over 10,000 passengers depart every day from Mumbai for Delhi and vice versa and 70 per cent of them are corporate travellers, and this makes the situation even worse as they travel only during the peak hours (6am-8am and 5pm to 7pm).
That is why IndiGo and Jet Airways, each of which has 17 departures from Mumbai, top the list, followed by Air India (11), Vistara (10), GoAir (7), and SpiceJet (4). Yet the writing is on the wall. While most airlines are pushing for more capacity on the route, none is available.
Says a senior executive of a leading airline: “If slots are available, we can achieve a growth rate of 10-12 per cent on this route every year.
“But as slots are not available, the only possibility is to deploy bigger planes. But everyone does not have that flexibility, especially the LCCs. What you will see is fare increases”.
Last year, for instance, only Vistara and IndiGo were given additional slots on the route.
According to estimates of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, the airport, which has a maximum capacity of 50-52 million per annum, is handling 46-50 departures an hour, which pretty close to the global best of around 55.
Currently the airport handles over 45 million passengers a year.
The agency says that the airport would reach its full capacity either by FY18 and surely by 2019, which makes the development of the new airport in Navi Mumbai so important.
Source…www.rediff.com
Natarajan
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