The foundation stone for the INR 16,700-crore Navi Mumbai International Airport project was laid nearly two decades after it was conceived. An ambitious dream of Mumbai City, the project will be completed in a phased manner by 2032. Intended to ease the increasing load of passenger traffic on Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Navi Mumbai International Airport’s Terminal 1 will be operational in 2024. The second terminal will be completed by 2028 and Terminal 3 in 2032. Below are some of the interesting facts about Navi Mumbai Airport project, which is part of India’s largest planned city, Navi Mumbai.

PC: Adani Group

Navi Mumbai Airport Project Cost

INR 16,700 crore is the total cost estimate for the construction of Navi Mumbai International Airport. The ongoing construction of the first phase of the NMI airport would cost INR 6000 crore, which is anticipated to be completed and functional in 2024. The City & Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) allocated INR 3,420 crore for the pre-construction work. The compensation package for rehabilitation of nearly 3500 families in ten villages in and around Navi Mumbai, which have been affected due to the land acquisition, is estimated at INR 520 crore.

Navi Mumbai Airport Infrastructure

Unlike Mumbai CSI Airport, the second Mumbai International Airport will have two parallel runways measuring 3810m x 60m each. The runways will be 1550 meters apart from each other and have full-length taxiways on both sides. The terminal building of Navi Mumbai Airport will be built over an area of 2,700,000 square feet. The cargo area of the airport will spread over 1,000,000 square feet. A 90-m tall hillock at the Navi Mumbai Airport site has been demolished to prepare the land for runways and terminals. Major international airlines’ new-gen aircraft, such as Emirates’ A380 with Premium Economy and Lufthansa’s A350, operating business flights to Mumbai will be able to land and take off here as per the Navi Mumbai Airport plan.

Navi Mumbai Airport Design and Architecture

Inspired by lotus, India’s national flower, the design of Navi Mumbai International Airport has taken the aviation world by storm since the first look was unveiled on social media. Reportedly, a water terminal is being planned with high-speed ferry service from the Gateway of India, among the stunning features of the upcoming multimodal travel facility. The airport will be as eco-friendly as Cochin International Airport, the world’s first aviation facility powered by solar energy. Navi Mumbai Airport will be running on solar power.

PC: Adani Group

Navi Mumbai Airport: Traffic-handling Capacity 

Unlike Mumbai CSI Airport (BOM) which handles over 900 flights a day, the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport is supposed to handle 80 flights an hour and nearly 1900 flights in 24 hours. Currently, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, which is the main gateway for flights to Mumbai from USA and other countries, is the world’s busiest single-runway facility.  

On completion of all four phases of the Navi Mumbai Airport project by 2032, the airport’s traffic-handling capacity will be more than 90 million passengers. With one runway and one terminal building which are expected to be built at the first phase in 2024, the airport will handle 10-million air passenger traffic which will go up to 25 million at the second phase in 2023 and 40 million at the third phase in 2027 and 60 million in 2031. Mumbai International Airport (BOM) has been handling over 40 million passengers per annum beyond its capacity since 2016.

Navi Mumbai International Airport: Location

The area around mainland Navi Mumbai across the Mumbai Harbor is the location of Mumbai’s second international airport (NMIA). Deemed as a Greenfield airport, Navi Mumbai Airport will spread over nearly 2900 hectares (7200 acres), including an area of 1160 hectares for the construction of airport terminals. Navi Mumbai Airport’s distance from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is 35kms along the National Highway 4B which will facilitate primary access to the airport in the east. There is supposed to be a 10-lane road to the new airport terminal building. The Mumbai Trans Harbor Link (MTHL), a 22-km 6-lane road bridge under construction, will connect the new airport in Navi Mumbai with the mainland of Mumbai City.

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October to April is the best time to visit Dubai. Booking Emirates flights to India or USA this holiday season or for the upcoming summer travel is a good opportunity to see Dubai during a layover and, that too within your budget. Additionally, Emirates Airlines’ flights with a long transit time cost lesser than itineraries with short layovers. If you are traveling alone or with a family, you can make the most of your connection time at Dubai Airport or in downtown Dubai. Hope this guide on what to do at Dubai DXB Airport or things to do in Dubai during a transit layover comes in handy to you.

Picture Credit: Arabianbusiness.com

My Emirates Pass for passengers of Emirates flights

My Emirates Pass is a key to unlock the deals and offers at tourist attractions in Dubai and the UAE for international passengers of Emirates flights. You can use ‘My Emirates Pass’ to experience the best of Dubai Airport, Dubai City, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Palm Jumeirah, or All Emirates availing attractive discounts on dining, shopping, and leisure activities during your long connective time in Dubai. For instance, you will get 20% discount on general admission to Burj Khalifa.

My Emirates Pass is valid from November 1 until March 31, 2024, irrespective of your travel class on Emirates flights between India and USA. To be precise, your Emirates boarding pass will work as ‘My Emirates Pass’ at the restaurants, stores, brands, and tourist sites participating in the program during this period. Your photo ID may be required along with the boarding pass, printed or digital.

Dubai Connect Service for international transit passengers 

Emirate Airlines’ Dubai Connect Service is a complimentary package for international transit passengers with a stopover of 8 to 26 hours in itineraries booked on or after October 11, 2022. The Dubai Connect Service for Emirates flights between USA and India comes with complimentary hotel stay, meals, airport transfers, and a complimentary visa to Dubai. Travelers under 18 years are also eligible for Dubai Connect as long as they are accompanied by an adult traveler over 18. This complimentary transit service must be booked at least 24 hours prior to your flight to Dubai from India or the USA. A representative of Emirates Airlines will guide you at the Dubai Connect desk in Arrivals at the airport.

A complimentary visa that the Dubai Connect booking provides can be a visa on arrival or a prearranged visa prior to arrival. If you have a normal Indian passport with a US visitor visa or a Green Card valid for minimum 6 months, you are eligible for Dubai’s visa on arrival. If you are on a US student visa or H1B/H4/any other US visa, you need to apply for a transit visa to Dubai in advance. The UAE’s visa on arrival allows Indian passport holders to stay 14 days in or outside Dubai, whereas a prearranged transit visa can be used for up to 96 hours of a stopover in Dubai. The US passport holders traveling to/from India via Dubai or Abu Dhabi are eligible for the free UAE visa on arrival.

What to do at Dubai Airport during a layover

If the connection time in your itinerary via Dubai does not permit a city sightseeing tour, you can spend the layover exploring the airport. We must say Dubai International Airport itself is a very happening place sans the city center. Being one of the world’s busiest transit hubs, DXB has entertainment options and recreational facilities aplenty. There are fine-dining restaurants to duty-free shopping zones. Dubai Airport lounges including the Plaza Premium Lounge indulge travelers in a lagoon of luxuries.

Saddled with jet lag? You can take a refreshing shower during the layover. Terminals 1 and 3 have free shower facilities, according to the Dubai Airport layover guide. Since the connection between two Emirates flights takes place at T3, you can locate a complimentary shower facility between the gates B13 and B19 in T3. If you have doubts about the hygiene of free showers, there are paid facilities offering shower-only packages.

Dubai being a shoppers’ paradise, the airport has vibrant retail areas across its three terminals. Emirates Airlines’ T3 has tens of duty-free brand outlets that operate round the clock. You can buy a box of chocolates or dry fruits as a souvenir for your family in the US. Dubai Airport Duty Free is a dedicated area for international transit passengers to on a shopping spree. You can browse product categories and check prices on the Dubai Duty Free website before you actually travel to or transit through Dubai Airport.

Unwinding in a quality lounge is one of the best things to do at Dubai International Airport during a transit layover. Located on Level 4 Concourse A of Terminal 3, Plaza Premium Lounge Dubai offers free Wi-Fi, cozy seating, quality food, relaxing showers, and USB charging stations at hourly rates. There are private family suites, a kids’ play area, a prayer room, a bar, and a smoking zone in the lounge. A family suite is spacious enough for 6 guests including children who prefer to relax in privacy, and comes with butler service. You can grab economical deals for the Dubai Plaza Premium Lounge service while booking Emirates Airlines’ cheap business class flights or economy class travel through IndianEagle.com.

You can relax at Zen Gardens while in transit at Dubai Airport DXB. Located near gates B7 and B27 in T3, Zen Gardens offer an indoor retreat to lush greenery and tranquility. You can do meditation, read a book, take a leisurely walk, soak in the sun, or connect with the virtual world on your mobile device using free Wi-Fi available at the airport.

You can take a power nap while in transit at Dubai Airport Terminal 3. Among various facilities for quality sleeping at DXB, the Sleep n Fly Lounge in T3 has igloo-style pods and double-bed cabins which you can rent on hourly basis. This lounge offers showers too. You can check in at Dubai International Hotel, a world-class transit hotel in T3, and relax for up to 18 hours during a layover. The Dubai Airport layover guide includes other hotels with free shuttle service between the terminals.

Dubai Airport layover sightseeing: Things to do and see  

There is no dearth of things to do and see during a layover at Dubai International Airport. The longer the layover or connection time at DXB Airport, the more you get to explore the city. You can choose to buy one of the Dubai Airport transit layover tour packages from Emirates Airlines, according to your itinerary. The guided Dubai sightseeing tours are meticulously planned and organized by the airline for varying lengths of airport layover. You can spend the long connection time without worrying about your connecting international flight.

Having a layover of 5 to 8 hours in Dubai? With a little homework on how to commute between the airport and the city center, you can make the most of this time. DXB Airport Terminal 1 and 3 have Dubai Metro stations. The Metro provides seamless connection from the airport to the city center nearly every 10 minutes. Downtown Dubai where the most popular tourist attractions including the world’s tallest building – Burj Khalifa – is located is 3 miles from the airport.

Undoubtedly, you can tick Burj Khalifa and the nearby Dubai Fountain on your list of the best things to see during a transit layover in Dubai. It is an adrenalin-pumping thrill to ride the high-speed elevator to the 124^th, 125^th and 148^th floors where there are observation decks to give you breath-taking views of the city landscape sprawling from the desert to the ocean. A twilight view from that stupendous height of the world’s tallest building is more wonderful. A visit to Burj Khalifa takes 1.5 to 2 hours including the commute from and to the airport, according to our customers who recently travelled on Emirates flights booked by Indian Eagle, a most trusted air-ticketing partner of Indians in USA.

You can easily extend your Dubai Airport layover sightseeing tour to Dubai Fountain at a stone’s throw from Burj Khalifa. Among the world’s largest and most expensive choreographed fountains, this tourist site evokes awe with the vertical shooting of water up to 125 meters. 6600 lights and 25 color projectors make it a must-see extravaganza during a light and sound show that plays every five minutes during peak hours of the day.

If you are a shopping freak or brand connoisseur and wondering what to do during a Dubai Airport transit layover as short as 5 hours, you can visit the Dubai Mall located near the base of Burj Khalifa. Spread over 13 million square feet equal to the total area of 50 football grounds, the mall has 1200 shops, 22 multiplex screens, 120 restaurants and cafes. The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo housing over 300 species of marine animals, is a must see at the mall. There is an indoor amusement park with an array of thrill rides and games. With 84 million visitors in 2019, the Dubai Mall is one of the few most visited manmade wonders in the world. The best thing is that Dubai Metro connects the airport to the mall.

Is shopping not your cup of tea? You can spend time in Dubai Miracle Garden, among the tourist places to visit during a layover of 5 hours or more at Dubai International Airport. One of the options to travel to Dubai Miracle Garden from the airport is the Metro that halts at the Mall of Emirates; from there you can take a public or private transport to reach the garden in 15 minutes. Spread over 72,000 sqm, this is the world’s biggest natural garden featuring more than 250 million plants and 50 million flowers. Dubai Miracle Garden holds three Guinness World Records, including the one for an Airbus 380 flower structure. You can visit this place only from October to April.

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Wall Street Journal, a leading international daily, named San Francisco International Airport as the best of 50 major airports across the US in its 2022 report on airport rankings. SFO Airport beat most of the biggest and busiest US airports, such as Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson, Denver International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth DFW, Chicago O’Hare ORD, George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Orlando International Airport, and New York JFK in the race for the “Best Large US Airport of 2022” title.

PC: Esri.com/about/newsroom/blog

Wall Street Journal’s ‘2022 airport rankings’ report categorized 50 major US airports into two groups: one group of 20 largest airports and one group of 30 midsize airports. Reliability, convenience, and value were primarily factored in for the ranking of the 50 US airports against as many as 19 parameters. SFO Airport earned 72, the highest ‘reliability’ score; whereas Newark EWR Airport got the lowest ‘reliability’ score 7 among the 20 largest airports in the first group. On-time arrivals, on-time departures, average arrival delay, average departure delay, flight cancellations, and security checkpoint waiting times are among the 9 metrics of reliability on Wall Street Journal’s airport-ranking scale.

With the third highest reliability score, that is 65, the world’s busiest Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is next to SFO Airport in Wall Street Journal’s ‘2022 airport rankings’ report. Minneapolis (MSP), Detroit (DTW), Phoenix (PHX), Los Angeles (LAX), Houston (IAH) are ranked third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh respectively in the first group.

San Francisco Airport achieved the highest score, 69, in convenience being the second important ranking factor. Passenger satisfaction from check-in to baggage claim, walking distance from the terminal curb to the farthest gate, yelp rating of airport restaurants, and nonstop flights to/from the airport are among the ‘convenience’ metrics impacting the airport rankings in 2022. The total number of nonstop flights from San Francisco to India and other destinations put weight on the ‘convenience’ score of SFO Airport in the Wall Street Journal report.

A wide range of services and facilities define the best airport experience at SFO. Some of them are free, while some are payable. With nonstop Air India flights connecting San Francisco to Mumbai and Bengaluru starting this December, you should be in the know of the below five services that can make your travel to/from San Francisco a great experience.

SFO Airport Medical Clinic: Among the services available at SFO Airport, the Medical Clinic offers travel medicine, provides urgent care, and conducts medical immigration exams. It is a state-of-the-art facility with diagnostic, pharmacy and clinical therapy services. Reportedly, it provides the best travel medicine to help passengers stay healthy during departure from and on arrival to San Francisco Int. Airport. In the wake of a medical emergency, you can seek urgent care at the Medical Clinic, SFO Airport.

SFO Airport Butler Service: Similar to the Meet and Greet service at Indian airports, the butler service at San Francisco Airport is a paid service that Indians can hire for the convenience of their visiting elderly parents flying in or out unaccompanied. Non-English-speaking travelers can have the best airport experience with the butler service. The SFO Airport Butler helps with check-in, boarding, retail shopping, baggage, ground transportation, etc. You can also hire a butler for assistance with a connecting flight or during flight delay/cancellation. The airport butler service can be booked by calling 855.822.9868.

SFO Airport Yoga Room: Located in the post-security areas of Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 at SFO Airport, the yoga rooms are among the few best kept secrets for travelers. Available for free from 7:30 am to 10:30 pm, the yoga rooms offer a retreat to rejuvenation and tranquility at the busiest airport in the Bay Area. You can practice yoga prior to boarding and breathe out your anxiety of traveling by air. The yoga rooms are dimly lit and steeped in silence.

Also Check: India Removes All Pandemic-era Rules for International Arrivals

SFO Airport SkyTerrace: Among the free facilities at San Francisco Airport, SkyTerrace is a newly opened outdoor observation deck located in the pre-security area of Terminal 2. You can access SFO Airport’s SkyTerrace without a ticket or boarding pass and take in 180-degree views of the airport’s busiest intersection of four runways to kill your time gently during a flight delay or after seeing off your family or friends flying out. The SkyTerrace is open from Friday to Monday. You can enjoy food and beverages while spotting planes at the open-air vantage point.

SFO Airport Museum: Named Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum and Library, the museum offers an insightful walk through the history of commercial aviation and the chronicles of San Francisco Airport. Interestingly, one of the museum galleries features a portrait of Captain Zoya Agarwal; the first Indian pilot to be honored by a foreign airport museum for her phenomenal accomplishments in the skies. Located before security checkpoints at the International Terminal Departures Level, the SFO Airport Museum offers free entry to its enlightening exhibitions on various subjects, from 10 am to 4;30 pm daily. There is a video arts room where you can watch a great selection of short films.

This exclusive article is brought to you by Travel Beats, a one-stop portal for all US to India travel news and stories. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of IndianEagle.com, a most trusted travel-booking partner of Indians in America. You can grab low fare deals for Air India flights to India, and cheap one-stop flight tickets to India from USA on Indian Eagle.

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With the beginning of summer travel on the Memorial Day Weekend, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has introduced new guidelines to be aligned with the airport security screening process across the COVID19-hit USA. Ensuring minimum physical contact and maximum physical distance is the objective of the changes that TSA has started implementing to the way security screening is done at US airports.

Given the COVID19 proliferation in the US, the TSA screening procedures at airport checkpoints continue to be upgraded in the interest of health and safety of both TSA frontline workers and travelers. As a steady growth in the movement of travelers over the past few weeks exposes the TSA workers to contracting the viral disease, US airports’ anti-COVID19 preparedness for summer travel will be in full swing by mid-June.

Picture Credit: USAtoday.com

The new TSA rules for screening amid the COVID19 crisis require travelers to scan their own boarding passes, paper or electronic, on the reader instead of handing them over to the TSA officer. Once the boarding passes are scanned, they should hold up them to the TSA officer for visual inspection. This change to the screening procedure at airport checkpoints facilitates contactless inspection of boarding passes and reduces chances for cross-contamination.

In view of safety protocols against COVID19, TSA calls for separate X-ray screening of food at US airports. The new changes to the airport screening procedure require passengers to take their carry-on food items out of the cabin bags and place those on a tray for the X-ray machine. “Food items often trigger a security alarm during the screening process,” a TSA frontline worker says. With food items separated from carry-on bags during screening, TSA officers need not touch cabin bags and food items. It leaves little room for cross-contamination.

In response to COVID19, TSA recommends smart packing to travellers. Keys, phones, wallets and belts should be put in carry-ons or handbags. Unlike normal times, travellers should be conscious enough to make sure that they do not carry prohibited items including liquids in more than permissible quantities in their handbags. However, one bottle or pouch of hand sanitizer up to 12 ounces is allowed in cabin handbags, considering it an essential requirement for prevention of COVID19. Travellers need to remove the hand sanitizer before pushing their carry-on bags through the X-ray machine. If an alarm is triggered due to some prohibited item in the carry-on bag, the traveller will be asked to remove the item from the bag and resubmit the bag for the X-ray screening.

Temperature screening of travelers is one of the ‘new normal’ TSA rules for airport security checkpoints during summer travel 2020. TSA is gearing up with a plan to implement specific health screening measures at major airports in view of the Coronavirus pandemic. TSA is planning to deploy its officers to perform a temperature check on travelers at airport entry gates and during boarding just the way the passengers of Air India flights for repatriation from USA to India are being screened. Major airlines including Delta, United and American Airlines have called for the TSA to allow their own personnel for passengers’ temperature screening.

Passengers’ temperature check has become part of the airport check-in procedure and the airline boarding process across India. Air Canada’s temperature screening policy requiring travelers to undergo a touch-less temperature check was implemented with effect on May 15. Any flyer reporting a temperature of 99.6 degrees or higher will be barred from boarding Air Canada flights. Singapore Airlines and Air France have also implemented the same policy for their passengers. London Heathrow and some of the major airports in the US are being equipped with thermal cameras to scan people for feverish temperature.

Social distancing and face covering are the new mandates among the current TSA rules for air travelers. Travelers might be requested to adjust their face masks or facial covering to help verify their identity at airport security checkpoints.

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Indira Gandhi International Airport is gearing up for an infrastructural boost to match the heights of New York JFK Airport, London Heathrow Airport, Hong Kong International Airport and Singapore Changi International Airport. Like these leading international airports, New Delhi IGI Airport is all set to get an air train to interconnect the terminals for smooth passenger transit. Yes, you read it rightly. Delhi International Airport is the first Indian airport to have a dedicated Metro line between the terminals.

At present, buses transport passengers between the terminals of New Delhi IGI Airport. The proposed automated people mover (APM) between T1 (low cost domestic), T2 (old international terminal which will be converted into T4 by 2020) and T3 will make passenger transit faster and more convenient than the existing inter-terminal transit system. The project, which was supposed to begin in 2020, will be expedited given the increasing passenger traffic to the airport.

The upcoming automated people mover or air train at Delhi IGI Airport will be a 5.5-km-long transit line including 3km underground and 2.5km on ground. It will have four stopovers: T1, cargo terminal, Aerocity (the hospitality section), and a common station for T3 and T4. A technical study on the routing and an estimated costing of the project are in process.

With two terminals and three runways, New Delhi IGI Airport recorded whopping passenger traffic of 6.9 million in 2018. With the proposed expansion of Terminal 1 and the construction of the fourth runway, the annual volume of passenger traffic is supposed to be 10 million by 2020. With the increasing passenger traffic volume, the number of travelers transiting between T1 and T2/3 for flight arrival and departure will be growing. The annual passenger traffic will rise to 15 crore by 2025 when Terminal 4 will be operational.

Air train for New Delhi IGI Airport is an ambitious project. The construction of automated people mover under and on ground will cost up to INR 400 crore on an average per kilometer. The entire project will cost INR 2,000-2500 crore.

Recently, Delhi IGI Airport has been rated better for its security system than several other international airports, including London Heathrow, in the Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality Survey. Delhi airport is the world’s second best airport, according to the same survey.

Delhi has good air connectivity with major cities in the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. There are nonstop flights to Delhi from Chicago, Newark, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Sydney, Hong Kong, London, Singapore and others. Indian Eagle, a leading international travel organization, books cheap flight tickets to Delhi from USA for economy class, business class and last-minute travel.      

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Gone are the days when the differently-abled were marginalized and treated as untouchables in the mainstream Indian societies. India is opening up the gradual inclusion of the specially-abled into different walks of life. Restaurants and cafes from a tourist place like Agra to a megalopolis like Mumbai are employing sex workers, HIV victims, acid attack survivors and differently-abled individuals to level the playing field for the neglected.

What was unthinkable at an international airport until this August 15 has been made possible by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). In a latest initiative to promote inclusion and diversity, AAI launched a unique café which is entirely run by differently-abled individuals at Chennai International Airport. The opening of Coffee Box at Chennai Airport coincided with the 73^rd Independence Day 2019.

Employment is the most dignified way the differently-abled can be empowered. Having this philosophy as the foundation of Coffee Box at Chennai Airport (MAA), the Airports Authority of India aims at generating employment opportunities for individuals with speech and hearing impairment. One of the busiest airports in India, Chennai Airport handled nearly 23 million passengers in the fiscal 2018-19.

Coffee Box at Chennai Airport features a meticulously designed menu that includes filter coffee, idli sambar, samosa, slice cake and sandwich. What is unique to the airport café is its atmosphere full of positive vibes and warm hospitality that gives visitors an insight into the lives of the Speech and Hearing Impaired community (SHI). The way the specially-abled provide service with an artless smile is sure to spellbind you.

Chennai International Airport’s staffs including managers and HR professionals have undergone a special sign language training, so that they can impeccably communicate with the specially-abled employees of Coffee Box.

Also Read: Chennai’s Auto-rickshaw Driver who Makes 2000 Idli Varieties 

Commenting on the opening of Coffee Box at Chennai Airport, S. Sreekumar, the airport director said, “We always strive to help all segments of society with thought-provoking initiatives as part of our continued redevelopment programs at the airport aiming at humanizing the landscape of aviation.

Truly, Chennai Airport is not just the gateway to Chennai, the Detroit of India that commemorated its 380^th anniversary today (August 22), but also an environment-friendly air travel hub. On the eve of the Independence Day this year, seed balls were distributed to passengers at the airport, with the message of preserving environment for the future generation. The initiative was named, “With freedom comes responsibility.”

The differently-abled run Coffee Box at Chennai Airport will have its outlets at other major airports including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Coffee Box is a joint initiative by the Airports Authority of India and Travel Food Services (TFS), a leading travel F&B company, to uplift the individuals with speech and hearing disability.

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The US Department of Homeland Security is plugging even the tiniest holes in the security infrastructure of major airports across the country, using the latest technologies such as biometric screening and face scanning to leave no room for any concern about airport safety. Major airlines’ interview of their US-bound passengers before boarding at origin airports, rigorous changes to the policy for visitor visas to the US, and several other mandates to cut visa overstay in the US are some of the measures taken to keep the US border safe in the past few months.

Surprisingly, the Transportation Security Administration, a Department of Homeland Security agency is planning to eliminate passenger screening at medium and small airports across the United States. Founded to enhance the US aviation safety post the September 11 attacks, the TSA has been responsible for the overall security of US airports and the traveling public for about two decades.

The proposed elimination of passenger screening at more than 150 small airports in the United States is a cost-cutting measure, according to a CNN report and some senior TSA officials. The internal documents obtained by CNN indicate that the proposal, in implemented, would make it possible to save as much as USD 115 million annually. Only the small and medium-size airports operating commercial aircraft with max 60 seats are the target of the proposal.

Reportedly, millions of dollars of savings from elimination of passenger screening at small US airports could be used to fund advanced security measures at major US airports like Atlanta International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, O’Hare International Airport, or New York JFK.

Most of the small airports in the US are a short flight away from major airports with topnotch passenger-screening systems and other security measures. Travelers and their luggage arriving from small airports to major airports would undergo screening only at major airports, once the proposal is implemented.

To say precisely, if you are flying from Daytona Beach and your destination or layover for the connecting flight to go out of the country happens to be Orlando or Miami in Florida, both you and your luggage would be screened at Orlando or Miami International Airport.

The Transportation Security Admiration’s proposal seeking to cut passenger screening at small US airports has been eliciting flaks from all quarters. The idea is ‘so dangerous’, according to an unidentified TSA field officer.

A Retired FBI agent and security expert, Rick Smith found the idea to get more funding for safety of major US airports unfair, in the context of gun violence and mass shootings in the United States. He opined, “The US aviation security infrastructure consists of both small and large airports. If you open up a hole anywhere in the infrastructure, you compromise the entire system.”

‘The idea of withdrawing passenger screening from small airports involves serious security concerns, which may cause loopholes in the system for miscreants,” opined the chief technical officer of IndianEagle.com, a leading air ticketing portal booking flights to India from regional US airports.

It’s not the first time that the idea to cut the cost of screening at small and medium airports has been pitched to the US Department of Homeland Security. But the proposal is being considered on a serious note this time, based on the latest rick and cost analysis by a TSA working group of 20 officers.

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Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is known not only for its enhanced global connectivity but also its world-class traveler-friendly infrastructure. Early this year (2018), Hyderabad RGI Airport installed a wheelchair lift ensuring convenience for senior citizens and travelers with reduced mobility (PRM) under the signature program, ‘Passenger is Prime.’

Hyderabad Airport became the first Indian airport to have installed seven Cardiac Emergency Resuscitation Stations to facilitate on-time assistance to passengers in the event of sudden cardiac arrest, is the latest news about the GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. The new facility too, is part of the airport’s #PassengerisPrime program.

The Cardiac Emergency Resuscitation Stations (ERS) have been set up in different parts of the airport’s Passenger Terminal Building, including the domestic Security Hold area, the airport village, check-in areas, international arrivals, domestic arrivals, and international SHA. The airport’s ground staffs are undergoing a regular training to operate the Cardiac Emergency Resuscitation Stations without any mistake or delay.

Till date, more than 100 volunteers from Hyderabad RGI Airport’s stakeholders have been imparted trainings in operating Automated External Defibrillator (AED) devices which are used to diagnose life-threatening cardiac conditions caused by irregular heartbeats. They have also been trained in providing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), chest compressions with artificial intelligence in case of a medical emergency at the airport.  

The Cardiac Emergency Resuscitation Stations (ERS) at Hyderabad International Airport are equipped with complete first-aid kits, oxygen cylinders, Automated External Defibrillator devices, stretchers and emergency bags containing essential equipment like intubation. The trained airport community members can access the nearest ERS cabinet to provide immediate assistance in case of a cardiac emergency.

Among the new facilities at Rajiv Gandhi Airport Hyderabad is a crash cart loaded with essential life-saving tools to address passengers’ sudden medical needs. The crash card has been installed near a baggage conveyor belt in the domestic arrivals.

“Hyderabad International Airport was the first Indian airport to launch the ‘Express Security Check’ facility for domestic passengers without check-in baggage. RGIA received the Carbon Neutrality Certificate from the Airports Council International for having achieved 100% carbon neutrality. In December 2017, Professor Lalji Singh, the father of DNA fingerprinting in India, died of a sudden heart attack while waiting to board his flight at Varanasi Airport. He could have been saved if he were given oxygen supply immediately. The incident brought to the fore the need of what Hyderabad Airport has installed to save passengers during a cardiac emergency,” said the chief communication officer of Indian Eagle, a leading international travel booking firm.

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) has a dedicated medical facility consisting of a 17-bed emergency treatment unit which Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited. The medical facility remains open 24 hours a day, and it is attended by qualified doctors and well-trained paramedics round the clock. Three ambulances equipped with advanced life-saving equipment are deployed in the airport complex.

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Your face is your new boarding pass for Lufthansa international flights from the United States. The successful trial of Lufthansa’s biometric boarding procedure at Los Angeles International Airport will soon eliminate the need to present a boarding pass and a passport at all the US departure points of Lufthansa’s international flights. Lufthansa’s self-boarding biometric system using advanced facial recognition technology makes it possible to board a full Airbus A380 within a few minutes (not even half an hour).

Lufthansa’s biometric boarding program heightens security, promises ease of use and ensures seamless passenger experience. In order to board Lufthansa flights from Los Angeles and other US airports (in the near future), travelers are required to walk through the self-boarding gate at the boarding point and pause for a while. The hi-tech cameras integrated to the biometric boarding gate click travelers’ facial images in a split of a second. The facial scans are sent to the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency and uploaded to the CBP database for a quick verification in real time.

On successful matching of a traveler’s facial features and his existing facial scans in the CBP database, the biometric boarding system recognizes the traveler as boarded and lets him walk down the jet bridge to the aircraft cabin. Thus, Lufthansa’s A380 aircraft was fully boarded in less than 20 minutes during the trial of biometric boarding at Los Angeles Airport (LAX). The future of air travel and airport security, biometric boarding technology makes manual scanning of boarding passes a thing of the past.

Dubai International Airport is far ahead of other major airports on the globe in terms of using facial recognition technology. Previously, we at Indian Eagle wrote about Dubai Airport’s plan to install on-ground tunnels with facial scanning virtual aquariums as security checkpoints for all travelers, departing and transit, on the way to the boarding areas.

Lufthansa Airlines’ biometric boarding system is a series of automated kiosks integrating facial recognition technology, which was developed in collaboration with the LAX airport authority, the US Customs and Border Protection, and Amadeus that powers Lufthansa’s ticketing system. Besides facilitating automated boarding, the biometric system automatically doubles check passengers’ itineraries so that the passengers get onto the right plane.

Other major international airlines including British Airways and Delta Air Lines have already jumped onto the bandwagon, in compliance with the US Department of Homeland Security. The passengers of Delta flights from US airports including Regan Washington National Airport (DCA) can use their fingerprints as biometric boarding passes. Biometric boarding of British Airways flights is already in place at Los Angeles, New York JFK, Orlando and Miami airports.

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The walled city of Ahmedabad is on cloud nine. After Ahmedabad was recognized as India’s first UNESCO World Heritage city in 2017, Ahmedabad International Airport is declared the Most Improved Airport in the Asia Pacific region.

The Airport Council International’s Airport Service Quality Awards 2017 named Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport as the Most Improved Airport for scoring high on the index of service to passengers at the airport. The ‘Most Improved Airport’ award is Ahmedabad’s first international achievement in aviation, giving testimony to the airport’s continuous growth and improvement.

The eighth busiest Indian airport in terms of annual air traffic volume, Ahmedabad Airport (AMD) has been connected with many parts of the world, including the United States, the Middle East and the United Kingdom by major international airlines over the past few years. Newark to Ahmedabad is one of the busiest routes for US to India flights at Indian Eagle, a leading air ticketing agency.

India’s Most Improved Airport, Sardar Vallabhbhai Int. Airport handles over 200 flight movements daily, whereas the world’s number 1 airport for the fourth time, Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi Airport records over 400 flight operations every day. A metro rail is currently under construction to link the airport with Ahmedabad City and Gandhinagar for smooth commute.

Since Sardar Vallabhbhai Airport (AMD) is just a short flight away from Delhi and Mumbai, those traveling to Ahmedabad prefer Air India’s nonstop flights to Mumbai and Delhi from the USA as per the stats of Indian Eagle’s booking of cheap flights to Ahmedabad in economy and business. Besides, Air India connects Ahmedabad with New York JFK and Newark Liberty (EWR) airports via London Heathrow.

Ahmedabad is a prime destination for the Gujarati diaspora and global business communities. Being a thriving business and tourism hub in West India, Ahmedabad has been witnessing a steadily increasing number of inbound and outbound air travelers. Hence, Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport is likely to be replaced by Dholera International Airport with passenger-handling capacity for over 10 million a year.

Currently Ahmedabad Airport (AMD) has four terminals including a domestic one (T1) and an international one (T2). The infrastructure of T2 is modeled on that of Singapore Changi Airport’s international terminal. It has four aerobridges and a half-kilometer-long moving walkway. It has got a premium lounge for those taking business flights to Ahmedabad, India.

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