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By Aaryan Panwar April 25, 2022 2 years 454 words

Singapore Airlines Increases India Capacity

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Singapore is now lifting almost all the Covid restrictions from Tuesday, which also includes ease in travel restrictions for the passengers. The ease in travel restrictions will make travel easier for fully vaccinated passengers. With no testing required, Singapore Airlines is once again all set to target the Indian markets with the help of the Singapore Airlines Airbus A380. Let us know more about it in this article.

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About Singapore Airlines Airbus A380s

Singapore Airlines started flying again to Indian destinations from mid-March. The airline is flying to Mumbai and Delhi with the help of Singapore Airlines Airbus A380. Singapore Airlines flew mumbai for the first time after two years and almost after a gap of one year to New Delhi. It was a great sight for the aviation spotters on both the airports to see the massive superjumbo Airbus A380 back.

Singapore Government has been working on reducing the Covid restrictions from last three months, following which the government has also decided to remove multiple covid tests which were needed on arrival for the passengers from 26th April. Fully vaccinated passengers will not have to undergo any covid tests on arrival in Singapore. SIA sees this as a great opportunity to focus on the Indian markets and is hence planning to use the superjumbo Airbus A380 on multiple Indian destinations.

SIA will be majorly focusing on New Delhi and Mumbai and is also collaborating with the low-cost carrier Scoot to increase its presence in the Indian aviation market after the pandemic.

SIA will be flying to 13 cities across India

SIA and scoot will be flying to 13 cities across India just like Qatar Airways. Singapore Airline will be flying to major Indian cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahemdabad, Hyderabad and Kochi focusing on premium customers. On the other side, Scoot will be flying to destinations like Amritsar, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Trivandrum, and Visakhapatnam where demand for a low cost carrier is more.

Singapore also works as a transit destination for passengers. Since the Indian covid restriction for connecting travel has been lifted, SIA just like before the pandemic is aiming to connect the Indian passengers to Australia and West Coast.

Singapore Airlines Airbus A380

Singapore Airlines is trying hard to recover in the Indian market and is keeping the fares low. Tourism travel is expected to increase with the covid restrictions being lifted in Singapore. Dubai and Maldives have been the most travelled destinations by the Indian passengers as they were open to travel through the pandemic.

Let us know your views in the comment section below!

By Aaryan Panwar April 24, 2022 2 years 683 words

Your Rights As A Passenger On A Canceled Flight

It is not a very good news for any passenger to know that their flight is cancelled. However, there is nothing to worry about for any passenger if their flight is …

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It is not a very good news for any passenger to know that their flight is cancelled. However, there is nothing to worry about for any passenger if their flight is cancelled because airlines across the world offer passengers with refunds and options like flight transfer. Different countries have different laws and provide the passengers rights in case of a flight cancel. In this article, we will give you a detailed explanation about your rights as a passenger on a cancelled flight.

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Flight Cancelation Rights In Europe and US

Flight cancellation rights around the world differ from each other in some way or another. In this article, we will consider the Flight Cancellation Rights of the European Union and US as it will explain most of the rights of a passenger on a cancelled flight.

If we look at the rights provided in the US, there are no such law that requires airlines to provide the passenger with any compensation other than a refund. Even though there is no such law, Airlines in United States have been providing passengers with compensations like food vouchers, hotel bookings, new flight ticket, etc. Passengers in US can only claim these compensations if they are not able to fly due to an oversold flight.

In case of the European Union and UK, the compensation policies are a lot better for the passengers on a cancelled flight. The benefits vary on different airline routes and are according to the airline’s cancellation notifications. The passenger’s rights are codified in the EU Directive 261/2004 (EU261). The airlines must follow these rules in case any flight is cancelled due to any of the mentioned reasons.

EU261 Conditions

EU261 have different conditions that need to be fulfilled, let us have a look at what benefits and compensations a passenger can claim if their flight is cancelled.

ALL flights departing from an EU airport;
Any flights arriving at an EU airport that are operated by EU airlines only.

Compensation also depends upon when the notification for cancellation was rolled out by the airline.

14 days or more: no compensation (only refund or rebooking)
7 to 14 days: Compensation granted if the airline cannot offer an alternate flight that leaves two hours before the original flight and lands less than four hours later.
Under 7 days: Compensation granted if the airline cannot offer a new route that leaves less than an hour before the original flight and lands less than two hours later.

Compensation depending upon the distance of the flight

If your flight is cancelled less than before 14 days of departure or if there is no rerouting available, the airline company will either provide you a monetary refund of the flight ticket amount or else provide you with any other benefits like the once mentioned above. Here’s how much you may get refunded depending on the distance of the flight.

Flights under 1,500 kilometers: €250
Over 1,501 kilometers (within the EU) and between 1,501 and 3,500 kilometers (outside the EU): €400
Over 3,500 kilometers (outside the EU): €600

As per the EU261 policies, these monetary compensations are quite a good deal for any passenger travelling on a cheap EU airline ticket. If the passenger is not provided with a monetary refund, he/she will be provided with other benefits which are called as “Duty of Care” as per EU261. Here are some of the Duty of care which airline will have to adhere:

Provide vouchers for meals with the value depending on the length of delays
Hotel rooms for overnight connections
Reimbursement for communication-related expenses such as a SIM card or phone calls.

In case of ‘Extraordinary Events’ like lightning strikes or bad weather, the airline is not bound to provide a monetary refund but will have to offer a duty if care for the passengers travelling on a cancelled flight.

We hope this will be very informative for you, have you ever got any compensations? let us know in the comment section below.

By Aaryan Panwar April 21, 2022 2 years 576 words

Emirates Has No Plans To Stop Russia Flights

Emirates president Sir Tim Clark has once more said that the airline has no such plans of not flying to Russia. Sir Tim says that such steps will not be taken …

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Emirates president Sir Tim Clark has once more said that the airline has no such plans of not flying to Russia. Sir Tim says that such steps will not be taken by the airline until it is instructed to do so. The Emirates president says that the airline plays an important role in keeping Russia well connected to the world and thinks that the passengers flying on the Dubai – Moscow route have nothing to do with the current situation in Ukraine and they should not be penalised for it.

In a recent interview with BBC’s Middle East business correspondent Sameer Hashmi, The Emirates president said that the airline will not stop operations on the Russian routes until the owner of the airline which is the Government of Dubai directs him to do so.

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Emirates president Sir Tim Clark said,

If we are told to stop we will stop, unless we are told otherwise, we will continue,” Sir Tim said. This message from Emirates isn’t new. Rather, it is a line Sir Tim has repeated since other airlines began pausing their Moscow flights and banning Russia-based airlines from their airspace two months ago.

Emirates continues operating daily flights to Moscow

Emirates continues to fly on the Dubai-Moscow route daily through its flagship aircraft Airbus A380-800. The airline operates one or two flights everyday between Dubai and Moscow. FlyDubai which is another low-cost airline owned by the Government of Dubai also flies on the Dubai-Moscow route twice a day.

The Emirates president says that it is not his decision if the airline will operate on the Russian route or not. The airline carries humanitarian supplies on the flight for Russia into Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. “We are catering to people who are on the periphery of the main issue here, and that is probably the way the government looks at it,” he told the BBC.

Previously, the Emirates boss has highlighted the importance of facilitating NGO and diplomatic passenger traffic in and out of Moscow. He added as far as cargo goes, Sir Tim says Emirates doesn’t carry goods subject to sanctions. “All we’re doing is being an enabler, facilitator, without taking a political position on this for the time being,” the Emirates President said in March.

The west may not approve the airline’s decision pf still flying on the Russian route but the airline has no such plans. The Emirates president says that the airline is making good profits, most of the Emirates Airbus A380s are in service and only a few Emirates Boeing 777 are parked. The President says that we are short of crew members which is the reason the airline is not able to operate fully. He also said that Emirates is not facing any kind of demand shortage.

“If we can have all our aircraft flying today, 270 of them then we would. I can’t because I am just short of crew,” Sir Tim told the BBC. The pandemic saw Emirates lay off thousands of workers, but now Sir Tim wants to hire 3,000 to 4,000 cabin crew and pilots to cater to that roaring demand and get those parked planes back in the air.

We hope you enjoyed reading the article, let us know in the comment section below.

By Aaryan Panwar November 19, 2021 2 years 494 words

United Airlines Resumes Sales Of Alcohol Onboard

United Airlines has resumed sales of alcohol on its flights this week. Passengers in economy class on flights over 300 miles can now purchase hard liquor. The decision comes after United …

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United Airlines has resumed sales of alcohol on its flights this week. Passengers in economy class on flights over 300 miles can now purchase hard liquor. The decision comes after United assessed feedback from customers and crew and decided that restarting alcohol sales would be safe. United is one of the first airlines to resume alcohol sales following a spate of violent incidents onboard flights.

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Available again

From Monday, 15th November, United resumed the sale of hard liquor on domestic economy class flights. The policy applies to all US, Canada, and Latin American flights over 300 miles, where travellers can now purchase miniature bottles of their alcohol of choice. Due to the pandemic, payments can only be made from contactless readers and not cash.

United is one of the first carriers to begin selling alcohol since violent incidents spiked in the last year. With the safety of passengers and crew at serious risk, airlines like Southwest and American suspended alcohol sales until at least 2022. United had paused all alcohol offerings last year and had only resumed beer, wine, and seltzers in November 2020. The rise in violence was likely the reason hard liquor did not make a return until now.

In a statement to Simple Flying, a United spokesperson said,

“In response to the feedback we’ve received from both customers and flight attendants, as of November 15, liquor miniatures will be available for sale through contactless payment…The ability to offer a complete food and beverage menu is something that we know is important to our customers and we’re excited to continue to enhance our onboard service while keeping the safety of our employees and customers at the forefront of all we do.”

Part of the service

While the decision to bring back alcohol might raise some eyebrows given the recent tensions onboard, airlines do have a reason. For better or worse, liquor has been part of the flying experience for millions of passengers every year. While this was first removed due to the pandemic, as travel returns to normal, travellers are demanding a return to normal services.

Alcohol sales are also major revenue generators for airlines, bringing in tens of thousands of dollars every day. However, safety is always the focus, and there has been some progress made here too.

The FAA has seen a sharp fall in unruly passenger incidents since January. The case rate has fallen from 13 cases per 10,000 flights in the early months of the year to just 5.6 cases per 10,000 flights this week. While this is still substantially higher than before, these are encouraging signs that huge fines and enforcement are keeping passengers in check.

Do you think onboard alcohol sales should resume in economy? Let us know in the comments!

By Aaryan Panwar November 18, 2021 2 years 854 words

United Airlines Plans Singapore Relaunch In January

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United Airlines will relaunch flights to Singapore in January. Flights will initially resume four times per week as the carrier plots its first flights to the destination since the crisis started. United will connect San Francisco and Singapore using a Boeing 787-9 offering the airline’s latest Polaris cabin and a dedicated premium economy offering. Until flights from Houston to Sydney resume, this will be United’s longest route.

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United Airlines to resume Singapore flights

United announced that its flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) will resume from January 5th, 2022. The first flight back to San Francisco from Singapore will operate on January 9th. Flights will initially operate four times per week with a Boeing 787-9 operating the route. United plans on flying the following schedule to Singapore:

UA001 departs SFO at 22:30 and arrives two days later in SIN at 07:40
UA002 departs SIN at 10:10 and arrives in SFO at 08:50 the same day

Flights to Singapore will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The return flight will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. United offered the following statement on the relaunch:

“United looks forward to resuming flights between San Francisco and Singapore beginning January 5 in accordance with the Singapore Government’s Vaccinated Travel Lane program (VTL), which requires all passengers traveling to Singapore to be vaccinated against COVID-19. United is the only U.S. carrier to serve Singapore and will operate four weekly flights with a Boeing 787-9 equipped with Polaris and United Premium Plus cabins. Tickets for these flights will be available for sale this evening on united.com and United’s mobile app.”

United’s Boeing 787-9

United will be using retrofitted Boeing 787-9 aircraft to operate the route. These planes seat 257 passengers in a three-class configuration. At the front of the plane are 48 Polaris business class seats. This is the airline’s latest hard product offering a lie-flat product with direct aisle access from every seat.

Following this are 21 premium economy seats branded as Premium Plus. This cabin offers a hard product that is similar to a domestic first class seat. These seats are wider and offer a more generous recline than standard economy seats. This cabin is in a 2-3-2 configuration.

United Airlines Plans Singapore Relaunch In January

Following this are 39 extra-legroom economy seats. These seats offer about three extra inches of pitch compared to economy class seats, but the overall seat itself remains the same. Lastly, there are 149 standard economy seats. These two cabins are in a 3-3-3 configuration.

All passengers onboard will have access to entertainment via seatback screens. Power outlets and USB ports are also available throughout the cabin. WiFi is available for purchase in all cabin classes.

United’s historical Singapore service

United has served Singapore for many years. However, until 2016, United Airlines served Singapore via a stop in either Hong Kong or Tokyo. While this allowed the airline to serve the destination, it did not allow it to be competitive, given that there is no shortage of one-stop options between the West Coast and Singapore. Data from Cirium shows that United has flown both Boeing 777 and Boeing 747s to Singapore via a stop in one of those two Asian cities, flying up to two daily flights via one stop to Singapore.

However, in 2016, things changed. United Airlines finally had a plane that could make the hop nonstop: the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The first nonstop route to Singapore from the West Coast on United Airlines launched in 2016, with service between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Singapore (SIN). It discontinued service to Singapore via Tokyo then.

In 2017, it made another big announcement. United Airlines discontinued its last one-stop service to Singapore in favour of a new daily nonstop flight between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and SIN, also using a Boeing 787-9. It maintained two daily operations to Singapore, though now both operate nonstop from the US.

In 2018, United shook up its service to Singapore again. With Singapore Airlines announcing plans to relaunch nonstop service to Los Angeles using an Airbus A350-900ULR, United Airlines decided to discontinue its service. It wanted to maintain two daily flights to Singapore, so it bulked up its flights from San Francisco, offering two flights per day using a Boeing 787-9.

When the crisis hit, United shut down the route, waiting for conditions to improve to relaunch these flights. With Singapore now reopened under specific protocols, United has announced its return on the route. While its four weekly flights are a far cry from the two daily operations pre-crisis, it will take time for demand to recover. A route like this relies heavily on business travel from large corporate customers, which have been slower to return. As demand comes back and restrictions continue to ease and assuming it has the planes to do it, United will likely look to get back to two daily operations to Singapore.

By Aaryan Panwar November 3, 2021 2 years 769 words

Europe’s Second Largest Airport By Size: Madrid Airport

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Madrid Barajas Airport is the main airport serving the Spanish capital of Madrid. Size-wise, Madrid Airport is Europe’s second largest airport after France’s Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Madrid Airport handled 61.8 million passengers, making it the busiest airport in Spain and the sixth busiest globally.

Deriving its name from the adjacent Barajas neighbourhood , Madrid Airport is located eight miles northeast of the historic Puerta del Sol. Easily accessed from all parts of the city by metro, Madrid Airport is considered the Latin American gateway to Europe. Comprising five terminals, Madrid Airport is the primary hub for Spanish national flag carrier Iberia and fellow IAG-owned airline Air Europa.

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History of Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD)

Constructed in 1927 on 815 acres of barren land, Madrid Airport which is now Europe’s second largest airport provided pilots with an alternative to Getafe and Carabanchel airfields. The airport’s location was chosen because of the excellent road links into the city and the fact that it was close to the main highway linking Spain with France. A large white circle in the center of the airfield with the word Madrid was written to help guide pilots.

On May 15, 1933, the airport officially opened to civilian traffic when a three-engine Fokker VII/3M belonging to Lineas Aéreas Postales Españolas (LAPE) arrived carrying mail from Barcelona. Up until 1940, Madrid Airport was nothing more than a grass field with a small terminal. The first paved runway, which became operational in 1944, was just under 4,600 feet long and 147 feet wide. By the end of the decade, Madrid Airport had three paved runways, none of which are still there. The 1940s also saw the first regularly scheduled flights between Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines.

By the 1950s, Madrid Airport continued to grow with two additional runways built to support over half a million passengers and a new commercial air service to New York City. A new terminal which is today referred to as Terminal 2, was constructed in 1954.

During the 1960s, Madrid Airport continued to grow in importance, but it was not until the 1970s, and the increase in tourism forced the airport to expand further. With the arrival of large passenger planes like the Boeing 747, Madrid decided to build a new international terminal which today operates as Terminal 1.

Iberia started its no-reservation flights between Madrid and Barcelona

In 1974 Iberia introduced frequent daily airbridge flights between Madrid and Barcelona that operated like a bus service with no prior reservation. Expansion of Madrid Airport and the modernisation of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 happened again in 1982 to accommodate the FIFA World Cup.

Europe's Second Largest airport

In November 1998, Madrid started operations on runway 18R-36L which at 14,435 feet was one of the longest runways in Europe. While growing in passenger numbers, Madrid Airport began constructing two new terminals T4 and a satellite terminal called T4S.

In terms of size, Terminal 4 is one of the largest airport terminals in the world, consisting of the main terminal and a satellite terminal that is primarily used for connecting domestic flights. Through careful use of illumination and glass panels rather than walls, Terminal 4 was designed to give passengers a stress-free start to their journey. Along with the two terminals, two additional runways were added for a total of four, allowing the airport to handle one takeoff or landing every 30 seconds.

Madrid terminals one, two, and three are home to SkyTeam and Star Alliance airlines, while Terminal 4 and Terminal 4S is exclusively used by Iberia and its fellow oneworld alliance partner airlines.

Madrid is looking towards South America

More recently, Spanish airport operator Aena announced that it wants to expand Madrid Airport’s capacity to handle 80 million passengers a year. To achieve this, they have allocated 750 million euros to bridge the gaps between terminal T1, T2, T3, and the much newer Terminal 4. The project is expected to be finished in 2026.

As we mentioned earlier, Madrid Airport has always been a gateway for Central and South American passengers arriving in Europe. The plan is to continue down the same road with Iberia and its partner airlines using Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) as a significant European hub that is a stepping stone to other destinations.

Have you traveled through Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD)? If so please tell us what you think of the airport in the comments.

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