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Myanmar Army Plane Crashes At Mizoram’s Lengpui Airport

By LokMarg 23rd January 2024

A Myanmar Army plane with 14 people on board crash landed at the Lengpui airport in Mizoram on Tuesday morning.

According to the information received from the Mizoram Director General of Police, the plane was small and 14 people were on board with the pilot.

Six people sustained injuries in the crash while eight are safe, according to the DGP.

The injured individuals were rushed to Lengpui Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.

As per the received information, the army plane crashed while landing. (ANI)

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Baku-Bound IndiGo Takes Off Without ATC Clearances, Pilot Grounded

Flights Disrupted At Delhi Airport As Visibility Drops To Zero

By LokMarg 26th December 2023

Flight operations were severely affected at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi as visibility dropped to 50 meters on Tuesday.

According to airport sources, the 50-meter visibility is considered zero visibility. There was a slight improvement in visibility at 8.30 am when visibility was 75 meters, but it again dropped to 50 meters.

“Flight operations have been affected as many flights got delayed due to weather conditions. There might be certain diversions,” according to airport sources.

As of now five flights got diverted to Jaipur since 8.30 – 10 am due to weather conditions at Delhi airport, the sources said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Airport again issued a passenger advisory on the second consecutive day.

“While landings and take-offs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted,” reads the advisory issued by Delhi Airport.

The airport authorities initiated the anti-fog landing system, technically called the CAT-lll Instrument Landing System (ILS). The CAT IlI system helps with a precision approach and landing when the runway visibility level is low.

Meanwhile, the winter chill continues to grip North India, as cities such as Prayagraj, Ghaziabad and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and Moga in Punjab faced cold waves, engulfed in dense fog on Tuesday morning.

The IMD on Tuesday morning released satellite images showing a layer of fog spreading over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

The Delhi-NCR region was also covered with a dense layer of fog on Tuesday morning, as the temperature dropped to almost 7 degrees in the national capital, according to the India Meteorological Department.

The IMD also warned of possible health impacts on people due to the dense fog in the national capital.

“Dense fog contains particulate matter and other pollutants and in case exposed it gets lodged in the lungs, clogging them and decreasing their functional capacity which increases episodes of wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath,” IMD said in a release on Monday.

The IMD release further stated that the fog conditions may tend to irritate the membranes of the eye causing various infections leading to redness or swelling of the eye. (ANI)

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Nine Flights Diverted Due To Bad Weather In Delhi

By LokMarg 27th November 2023

At least nine flights were diverted from Delhi after operations were impacted at the capital’s airport because of heavy rain and lightning.

According to airport sources, due to bad weather in Delhi, nine flights were diverted to Jaipur, Lucknow and Ahmedabad.

“Six flights have been diverted to Jaipur, two to Lucknow and one to Ahmedabad between 1800hrs-1900hrs,” said the source.

Vistara Flight UK778 from Kolkata to Delhi (CCU-DEL) has been diverted to Lucknow (LKO) and another flight UK742 from Guwahati to Delhi (GAU-DEL) has been diverted to Jaipur (JAI) due to bad weather and air traffic congestion at Delhi airport.

IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Delhi 6E2327 was delayed by more than 50 minutes and was later diverted. (ANI)

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Air India Pilot Succumbs To Heartattack

By LokMarg 16th November 2023

An Air India pilot died after suffering a cardiac arrest at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport on Thursday.

The emergency unfolded at the Air India office’s Level 3, where CPR was administered to the captain, Himanil Kumar, by fellow staff. He was later taken to a hospital, but he could not be saved.

According to the incident report, “At about 11.35 hrs on 16.11.23 Air India Airlines Commander Himanil Kumar age about 37 years felt by cardio arrest at level 3 Air India office.”

“CPR was provided by Co-staff and immediately shifted to Medanta Medical Centre domestic arrival. Despite receiving CPR and first aid from a doctor, he remained in an unconscious condition. Later, Dr. Naveen declared him dead,” the report further read.

As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Air India pilot was deemed medically fit according to their medical report, showing no signs of fatigue.

It is noteworthy to mention that the pilot returned to duty after the Diwali vacation.

“Captain Himanil Kumar, underwent his medical on 23rd August, 2023 and was declared fit, with his medical validity until 30th Aug’24. Further, there is no fatigue-related issue w.r.t flying duties. The pilot was undergoing his B777 full type transition, ground technical course from 03rd Oct, 2023, converting from A320 type of aircraft,” official sources said.

This is the third such incident where a young pilot lost his life to a cardiac arrest.

In August, an IndiGo pilot collapsed at a Nagpur Airport boarding gate while preparing to board a flight to Pune. Despite receiving first aid and being promptly taken to a hospital, he could not be saved.

The day before, an ex-SpiceJet captain, now with Qatar Airways, passed away while traveling as a passenger from Delhi to Doha. (ANI)

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Multiple Flights Diverted From Mumbai After Aircraft Skids Off

By LokMarg 14th September 2023

Multiple flights were diverted on Thursday after a VSR Ventures Learjet 45 aircraft VT-DBL on a flight from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai was involved in runway excursion (veer off) while landing on runway 27 at Mumbai airport leading to a temporary closure of runway, an official statement said.

According to officials, Two Vistara and one Akasa Airlines flight were diverted towards Bangalore airport. An Air India flight coming from Dubai was diverted towards Ahmedabad. Also a Vistara flight from Dehradun to Mumbai (DED-BOM) has been diverted to Goa Airport.

A total of 5 aircrafts have landed at Surat airport and two flights are still hovering in the airspace.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) Spokesperson confirmed that it was not a crash and a aircraft had veered off the runway at Mumbai airport.

DGCA said that there were 6 passengers and 2 crew members on board however no casualties have been reported.

According to officials, three people were injured and taken to hospital. (ANI)

Modi Holds Delegation-Level Talks With French PM Borne

By LokMarg 13th July 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held delegation-level talks with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in Paris.

The Prime Minister, who arrived in Paris earlier in the day on a two-day official visit, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport.
He was welcomed by French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne at the airport.

PM Modi was also given a rousing welcome by members of the Indian diaspora in Paris.

He also met President of the French Senate Gerard Larcher at the Senate building.

PM Modi will join French President Emmanuel Macron for the French National Day in Paris as the Guest of Honour on April 14.

An Indian tri-services contingent will be part of the Bastille Day Parade, while Indian Air Force aircraft will perform a fly-past on the occasion.

PM Modi’s France visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the “strategic partnership” between the two countries. (ANI)

India May See Surge In COVID In Mid-Jan: Sources

By LokMarg 28th December 2022

The next 40 days will be crucial as India may see a surge of COVID cases in mid of January, said Union Health Ministry sources on Wednesday.

The sources said the assessment had been made after analysing the previous trends of the COVID surge the country experienced.
As there have been reports of a surge in COVID cases in some countries, the operational readiness of health facilities is being reviewed in all States and Union Territories in case of another wave.

Notably, two passengers coming from Dubai tested positive for the COVID infection at Chennai airport on Wednesday.

“Two passengers who arrived from Dubai tested positive at the Chennai airport today. Both of them hailed from the Alangudi district of Tamil Nadu’s Pudukkottai. Their test samples have been sent to State Public Health Laboratory,” said Tamil Nadu Health Department said.

At least 39 international travelers have tested positive for COVID infection between December 24-26 as the random testing of international passengers arriving at the airports is being done

“The total number of international flights screened in the last three days ie December 24, December 25, and December 26 is 498. The number of samples collected for COVID-19 testing is 1,780. The cumulative number of samples collected is 3,994. The cumulative number of samples testing positive is 39 and the cumulative number of samples sent for whole genome sequencing is 39,” sources told ANI on Tuesday.

In light of the surge in COVID in some countries, hospitals across India conducted a Mock drill for COVID. The purpose of the mock drill was to evaluate COVID preparedness in terms of resources, protocol, and personnel.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya went to the Safdarjung Hospital to observe the Mock drill on Tuesday.

“To make sure there is not a COVID surge in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked us to be careful. The government is also preparing if the Covid cases increase. Today mock drills are conducted across Covid hospitals in the country to make sure people get proper treatment,” the Union Health Minister said at Safdarjung hospital.

This came after four international travelers from Myanmar tested positive for COVID infection at the Delhi airport.

Meanwhile, India recorded 188 new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.

India’s active caseload currently stands at 3,468 which accounts for 0.01 percent of the total cases. The recovery rate currently is at 98.8 percent. As many as 141 recoveries were made in the last 24 hours, thereby taking the total recoveries to 4,41,43,483

The daily positivity rate stood at 0.14 percent, while the weekly positivity rate is at 0.18 percent.

A total of 90,529 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours.

On the COVID-19 vaccination front, the government data informed that over 220.07 crore vaccine doses had been administered so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive. (ANI)

2270 Flights Cancelled In US Due To Heavy Snow

By LokMarg 23rd December 2022

Ahead of the Christmas holidays, more than 2,270 US flights were cancelled on Thursday (local time) due to heavy snow and freezing temperatures, reported CNN.

Snow, rain, ice, wind and frigid temperatures are disrupting air travel plans across the United States and bus and Amtrak passenger train service.
Airlines cancelled just over 2,270 US flights by 6 ET pm Thursday and proactively cancelled almost 1,000 flights for Friday, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware.

Eighty-five flights were already cancelled for Saturday. Delays were even more extensive on Thursday: More than 7,400 as of 6 pm, reported CNN.

The impacts are being felt hardest in Chicago and Denver, where around a quarter of arrivals and departures — hundreds of flights at each airport — were cancelled on Thursday, FlightAware data show.

At one point on Thursday, at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, delays averaging 159 minutes — almost three hours — were being caused by snow and ice, according to a notice from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Temperatures at the O’Hare dropped to 9 degrees Fahrenheit (-13 Celsius) around 5 p.m. local time. The National Weather Service reported snow and freezing fog.

The FAA said departing aircraft at Dallas Love, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver and Minneapolis airports require spraying of de-icing fluid for safe travel, reported CNN.

Meanwhile, many airlines have issued weather waivers allowing travellers to change their itineraries without penalty during a short window.

For those whose flights are still scheduled to depart, the Transportation Security Administration is recommending that passengers arrive at the airport earlier than usual, reported CNN.

It’s not just flights that are being affected by the bomb cyclone. Greyhound issued a service alert on Thursday warning customers that those travelling in the Midwest over the next two days may have their trips delayed or cancelled altogether.

Greyhound, the largest provider of intercity bus service, listed more than a dozen cities from West Virginia to Minnesota that are among those impacted, reported CNN.

Amtrak has also been forced to delay or cancel passenger service for some lines in the Midwest and Northeast.

In its notice, Amtrak said “customers with reservations on trains that are being modified will typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or another day”, reported CNN.

“Amtrak will waive additional charges for customers looking to change their reservation during the modified schedule by calling our reservation centre at 1-800-USA-RAIL,” it reported further. (ANI)

Delhi Home Secy To Chair Meeting On Delhi Airport Congestion

By LokMarg 15th December 2022

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla will chair a high-level meeting on airport rush in the national capital on Thursday morning.

The meeting is likely to be held after 11 am in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Senior officers in the MHA, officials in the Minister of Civil Aviation, and others concerned with the matter, including those in Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), will attend the meeting.

The meeting is being held considering the complaints on social media by irate passengers about missed flights and serpentine pre-boarding lines at India’s busiest airport in Delhi.

The pictures posted on Twitter showed overcrowding at Delhi International Airport. There were reports of passengers grumbling about long waits for security checks and mismanagement by the airport staff.

The government has even stepped in to help ease the congestion, with India’s Civil Aviation Ministry earlier saying in a statement that it’s working with airlines to reduce flight departures to 14 during peak hours. It did not disclose data for normal traffic.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also visited one of the terminals earlier this week and said that he will look into concerns around the management of security checks at Delhi’s T3 Indira Gandhi (IGI) airport in response to a complaint by a passenger on social media. The minister has ordered airport officials to resolve the issues on priority.

Additionally, the Delhi airport is adding baggage screening systems at the security checks and increasing traffic marshals to avoid vehicles clogging the departure.

Delhi airport has deployed 26 additional staffers to help passengers in the entry forecourt and security area and is working with the security agency Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to have full manning through Flexi shift from 5 am to avoid queue build-up. (ANI)

Plans Afoot To Decongest IGI Airport, After Scindia’s Surprise Visit

By LokMarg 12th December 2022

An action plan has been put in place by authorities to reduce peak hour congestion at Terminal 3 of IGI airport in New Delhi with Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia paying a surprise visit on Monday. He had taken stock of the situation on Wednesday last as well.

Officials said that changes have taken place at DIAL airport T3 in the last four days and these pertain to several areas including entry, security, and immigration process. They said real-time updates on wait time will be posted on social media.

Traffic marshals have been posted at the departure forecourt to avoid vehicular congestion, officials said.

The officials said there were 16 entry gates at T3 (14 for passengers and two for crew). Two additional gates have been opened up and now there is a total of 18 gates (16 for passengers + 2 for crew).

Awareness posters have been put up at the entry gate for passengers to be ready with boarding cards beforehand to save time during the check. Dedicated resources have been deployed at the entry gate to usher passengers.

In terms of security, an additional X-ray machine has been installed in T3’s domestic terminal. Additional manpower has been deployed in the ATRS (Automatic Tray Retrieval System) area to help passengers with tray preparation and congestion management.

Apart from awareness posters, mobile announcements are being undertaken to inform passengers about dos and don’ts.

In terms of the immigration process, incoming international passengers are being encouraged to complete the Immigration Paper Landing Cards while onboard.

Manpower has been deployed at the disembarkation point to facilitate passengers who have not filled the papers onboard for speedy completion before they reach the immigration counter.

About entry, officials also said that there are digital display boards showing wait time at each entry gate and one least wait time board at the terminal checkpoint. A Command Centre will monitor crowding at the gates in real-time.

Crowd managers and ushers will guide travelers.

The officials said airlines to be notified of the crowd numbers so that check-in points can be made congestion-free. “Real-time updates on wait time will be posted on social media,” an official said.

Referring to check-in points, officials said all airlines will keep their counters completely manned, especially during peak hours.

For security checks at the T3 domestic terminal, additional ATRS machines for baggage checks will be deployed. Pre-Covid-19, there were 13 such machines.

ATRS machines have been installed on the ground (11 for passengers + 2 for crew and the specially-abled). This number has been increased to 16 (10 ATRS + 6 conventional x-ray machines ) in the last few days. This will be increased further to 17 soon and subsequently to 20, they said.

Officials said an analysis of the manpower requirements at immigration counters will be undertaken immediately, and if need be, additional manpower will be deployed.

Besides these steps, flights during peak hours will be reduced between 5 am to 9 am.

The authorities will also explore moving some flights to T1 and T2 or non-peak hours at T3.

Scindia on Monday paid a surprise visit to the airport and inspected all the suspected congested areas and interacted with the airport staff.

Scindia in an exclusive interview with ANI noted that steps were being taken to ensure ease of travel for air passengers. There have been complaints on social media by air passengers experiencing overcrowding at the key terminus.

“Today we’ve increased the number of entry gates from 14 to 16. There was a meeting with officials inside the airport where we’ve decided that a signboard should be placed at every entry gate displaying the waiting time before entry,” Jyotiraditya Scindia told ANI.

“This will help people reach the gate where there is minimum waiting time,” he added.

The minister said a key decision was taken regarding the security process.

Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal was also present.

Scindia met officials regarding the airport congestion complaints and discussed steps to sort out the issue on December 7.

“The aviation industry was suffering massively due to Covid restrictions. Because of the recovery from this period, there is a lot of congestion at the airports,” he said. (ANI)