Cleared To Approach: The Aviation Blog

Terminal 2 at Indira Gandhi Airport Revamped: Terminal 2 at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL / VIDP) has been closed since April for renovation. It was inaugurated yesterday (Saturday, 25th of October) by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and operations have resumed today (Sunday, 26th of October. The terminal is said to handle 120 daily domestic flights. Improvements include electrical and mechanical upgrades, more aerobridges, self-baggage drop facilities, etc. Saudia Flight 340 Bird Strike: Saudia Flight SV340 was hit by a massive bird strike on Saturday. The aircraft, a Boeing 777-300 ER, registered HZ-AK31 was on approach to Jeddah when it suffered the strike, leaving marks on the fuselage and a dent on the nose. The aircraft continued its approach and landed safely. This is not an isolated incident, with Akasa Air, Air India Express and Delta Airlines flights all facing similar bird strikes earlier this year. PIA Return to the UK: Pakistan International Airlines was...

 After spending some time in Noida, I've noticed that almost all Indigo aircraft flying into Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL / VIDP) fly over Noida (right above Sector 39). However, this is limited to only indigo aircraft. The only exception I've seen so far is Air India flight AI2548 on Thursday, 16th October, operated by an A320neo- VT-EXG. The answer to why this happens lies in Delhi Airport's layout and indigo's terminal operations. Terminal 2 and 1D of IGI are used mainly by Indigo. These terminals are the closest to Runway 27/09 and Runway 28/10. Therefore, Indigo aircraft land on these runways (mainly the prior). They have to pass over Noida for the approach to this runway.  Runway 27 is an east-west runway. When the wind favours Runway 27 operations, aircraft approach from the east, lining up perfectly over Noida. In contrast, most other airlines, mainly full-service carriers (FSCs), like Air India use Runway 29/11 (L & R). That's why the Noida ...

  Dhaka Airport Fire: On Saturday, 19 October, a fire broke out at Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC / VGHS). The fire erupted near the Cargo Terminal at around 2:15 PM, leading to the airport suspending operations temporarily.  Fire services were deployed from the local Fire Department, Air Force, and the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority. Air China Fire-Onboard: On Saturday, 18 October, a fire broke out midair on Air China flight CA139. The fire was due to a lithium-ion battery. The A321 registered B-8583 was en route to Seoul (ICN / RSKI) from Hangzhou (HGH / ZSHC).  The pilots contacted ATC and declared an emergency, diverting to Shanghai (PVG / ZSPD). The crew were able to contain the fire caused by the power bank, which was stored in an overhead compartment. Sprit Airlines Layoffs: Spirit, a low-cost carrier (LCC) in the States is placing another 270 pilots, after their initial 330, on unpaid leave. This comes after financial troubles for their air...

  FIP urges Ministry of Civil Aviation to Ground AI787s: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged the Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to ground all Boeing 787s operated by Air India. They wrote a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to ground these aircraft for safety checks on their electrical systems. The body has also requested for an audit on the airline's maintenance practices after two technical failures in the past week (AI117 and AI154). Navi Mumbai Airport Opening: Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI / VANM) was inaugurated on the 8th of October. The airport is to handle up to 90 million passengers per year. It aims to ease congestion in the area and reduce the load of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM / VABB).

  Beyond the Runway is a new series which aims to induce more information and knowledge about the industry as a whole, exploring a plethora of topics that go beyond the headlines. Today's topic- the Airspeed Indicator. The Airspeed Indicator (ASI) is a flight instrument which measures the aircraft’s speed relative to the surrounding air. Its main function is to provide the pilots an accurate and real-time airspeed reading. This helps in avoiding unsafe predicaments such as a stall or overspeed. It also assists in navigation and calculations, as it enables the pilots to calculate fuel consumption and climb rate. The types of airspeed measured by the ASI include Indicated Airspeed, which is a direct reading, Calibrated Airspeed, which is correct for instrument errors, and True Airspeed, which is correct for altitude and air density. Groundspeed is the speed over the ground, as the name suggests, but is not calculated by the ASI. Moving on to how ASIs work, the pitot tube measures...

  MiG-21 Retirement: The Indian Air Force retired the MiG-21 on Friday. The MiG-21 Bison aircraft with callsign Badal 3 was decommissioned at Chandigarh Airbase. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh explained the deep attachment to the aircraft and notable members of the IAF were present on the occasion. DGCA Wins ICAO Award: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has received the prestigious International Civil Aviation Organisation Council President Certificate. The award was presented to the president of India's aviation regulator, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai on Tuesday, at the opening of the ICAO Assembly in Montreal. This has pushed India into the top 50 countries in ICAO's audit. Russian Military Aircraft Intercepted: Over the past month, a plethora of Russian fighters and defence aircraft have been spotted and intercepted, mainly over Europe. On Wednesday, US fighter jets intercepted 4 Russian military aircraft near Alaska, according to the North American Aerospace Defence Command (N...

  Noida Jewar Airport to Open Soon: Noida's Jewar Airport (NIA / VIND) is set to be inaugurated on the 30th of October; and operations should begin about 45 days thereafter.  In its first phase, it will have 1 runway and 1 terminal, with the capacity to handle 12 million passengers annually. Upon completion, it will be India's largest airport with the capacity to handle 70 million passengers annually. It will reduce congestion at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL / VIDP), and augment economic growth in Noida and Uttar Pradesh. Apart from improving connectivity, it is being built with modern technology to focus on sustainability.  Routes Expansion: Indigo is to inaugurate their use of the A321-XLR aircraft with flights to Athens. This comes after Aegean Airlines have expanded to India from Athens of A321-XLRs. Indigo is also flying directly from Mumbai to Copenhagen, Denmark.  Etihad is expected to resume flights to Damascus, Syria by 2026. Cyberattack Affects ...