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Hurricane Irma destroys one of the most famous airports in the world St Marteen

Juliana International Airport

AN AIRPORT famous for its spectacular plane landings has been destroyed by strong winds as Hurricane Irma moves across the Caribbean.

Pictures have emerged of a flattened Princess Juliana International Airport after winds of up to 297km/h tore through St Martin, a divided island in the Caribbean split between French and Dutch rule.

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The airport sits remarkably close to Maho beach in Dutch-controlled Sint Maarten, which has become a popular site for beachgoers to watch planes swoop perilously close to their heads while coming in for landing.

Irma caused huge rocks to smash into planes, at least one of the jet bridges to collapse and sand and debris from Maho beach to be swept onto the runway.

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Pictures in the aftermath of the hurricane also showed severe damage to the airport terminal. Inside the airport, the check-in hall had flooded.

Princess Juliana International airport suspended all operations on Tuesday, local time, as Irma approached the island.

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Sand was blown onto the tarmac. Picture: bondtehond/Twitter Inside the terminal. Picture: bondtehond/Twitter

“We regret any inconvenience this will cause, but must stress that the safety and security of all is priority number one at SXM Airport,” the airport’s chief operating officer Michel Hyman said.

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The nation of St Martin, which is close to Anguilla in the Caribbean, is divided between the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten and the French territory of Saint-Martin.

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Image result for Hurricane impact st maarten Airport

Image result for Hurricane impact st maarten Airport

 

At least six people have been killed in the French part of the island at the time of publication.

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Another person has been killed in the popular tourist island of St Barts, France said.

“The situation in St Martin and St Barts is dramatic — there is no drinking water, electricity, public buildings are unusable, houses have been destroyed,” Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire said.

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In Saint Martin, the prefecture building has been destroyed, and the fire station is out of order. Several roofs have also been blown off at the police station.

Irma first hit Antigua and Barbuda which locals described as “sounding like angry people banging on the shutter and roof while a freight train roared overhead.” Nevertheless, the damage in Antigua wasn’t as devastating.

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After moving through Sint Maarten/Saint Martin and St. Barts, Irma is now headed to the Virgin Islands, where Virgin’s Richard Branson is planning on hiding in his Necker Island wine cellar. After passing through Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Orma with then hit Florida over the weekend; Key West is currently being evacuated per a mandatory evacuation.

 

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He is an aviation journalist and the founder of Jetline Marvel. Dawal gained a comprehensive understanding of the commercial aviation industry.  He has worked in a range of roles for more than 9 years in the aviation and aerospace industry. He has written more than 1700 articles in the aerospace industry. When he was 19 years old, he received a national award for his general innovations and holds the patent. He completed two postgraduate degrees simultaneously, one in Aerospace and the other in Management. Additionally, he authored nearly six textbooks on aviation and aerospace tailored for students in various educational institutions. jetlinem4(at)gmail.com

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Airport

This airport maintains a 30-year record of no lost luggage

This airport maintains a 30-year record of no lost luggage

Step into world of seamless travel, where every journey begins and ends with peace of mind. For three decades, this airport has upheld a remarkable record: not a single piece of luggage lost.

In the fast-paced world of air travel, where delays and mishaps can cause frustration and inconvenience, Kansai Airport in Japan stands out as a beacon of efficiency and reliability.

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Recently crowned the best airport for baggage handling in the prestigious 2024 Skytrax World Airport Awards, Kansai Airport has achieved a remarkable feat – maintaining a flawless record of zero lost luggage since its inauguration in 1994.

Kansai Airport’s baggage handling operations can be attributed to its meticulous and streamlined processes. Upon the arrival of a flight, luggage is swiftly sorted in the airport’s state-of-the-art sorting room. Each piece is then carefully placed on the conveyor belt in the precise order dictated by luggage tags.

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Crucially, airport staff meticulously check each item to ensure nothing is left behind in the transport box. Remarkably, this entire process is completed within a mere 12 minutes of the plane touching down.

In addition to its remarkable efficiency, Kansai Airport prides itself on its commitment to innovation and continuous improvement. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and implementing best practices in baggage handling, the airport has consistently raised the bar for industry standards.

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While Singapore Changi Airport and Bahrain International Airport secured second and third place, respectively, demonstrating their own commitment to excellence in customer service. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, ranked eighth in the survey, further highlights the Asian region’s dominance in providing exceptional baggage handling services.

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Airport

Dubai Initiates ‘World’s Largest’ Airport Terminal Project

Dubai Initiates 'World's Largest' Airport Terminal Project
Image:HH Sheikh Mohammed

Dubai, known for its audacious projects and visionary ambitions, has set its sights on yet another groundbreaking endeavor.

On a Sunday announcement, the Gulf emirate revealed the commencement of construction on a colossal new terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport. With an estimated cost soaring close to $35 billion, this undertaking signals Dubai’s unwavering commitment to spearheading innovation and redefining the global aviation landscape.

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The visionary behind this monumental project, His Highness, proclaimed that this future hub will surpass all precedents, becoming “the world’s largest” airport. Envisioned to dwarf the current Dubai International Airport by fivefold, it will boast a staggering 400 aircraft gates and feature a constellation of five parallel runways.

But more than just sheer size, the new terminal will serve as a crucible for pioneering aviation technologies, heralding a new era of efficiency and connectivity in air transport. Dubai’s ambitions extend beyond mere infrastructure.

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As His Highness elaborated, the airport will catalyze the emergence of an entire city, a bustling metropolis in Dubai South. Anticipated to accommodate housing for a million residents, this urban nexus will magnetize leading companies in logistics and air transport, cementing Dubai’s status as a global economic powerhouse.

The master plan for the Airport of the Future unfolds across an expansive canvas, spanning a sprawling area of 70 square kilometers. With an ultimate capacity surpassing 260 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo per annum, it charts a trajectory for sustained growth and prosperity in Dubai’s aviation sector over the next four decades.

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This visionary project is not just a testament to Dubai’s ambition; it is a cornerstone of its economic agenda. Integral to Dubai’s economic fabric, the new airport will fuel job creation and residential demand, with projections estimating requirements for over a million individuals living and working in Dubai South.

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Aerospace

India is set to build a central command for the Air Traffic Control system, called ISHAN

India is set to build a central command for the Air Traffic Control system, called ISHAN
Coutresy : Boeing planes

India’s air traffic growth has led to increased responsibilities for air traffic control. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is considering centralizing air traffic control for aircraft, dividing the country into four regions. The goal is to consolidate India’s segmented airspace into a single entity to improve air traffic management (ATM) efficiency, safety, and smoothness.

Recently, the AAI invited expressions of interest to develop a detailed project report for the Indian Single Sky Harmonized Air Traffic Management (ISHAN) initiative in Nagpur. Under this plan, air traffic controllers in Nagpur would handle domestic flights flying above 25,000 feet, eliminating the need for coordination among controllers in different regions.

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For domestic regional flights operating above 25,000 feet, control would shift to the central command in Nagpur. This consolidation aims to enhance airline operations, increase flight handling capacity, and reduce congestion and flight times for passengers.

Currently, the AAI provides ATM services over Indian airspace and adjoining oceanic areas, covering over 2.8 million square nautical miles. This airspace is divided into four flight information regions (FIRs) in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, along with a sub-FIR in Guwahati.

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FIRs are responsible for providing air traffic services, including weather information, visibility, and search and rescue assistance. The proposed unification under the ISHAN initiative aligns with the projected growth of the aviation industry, which anticipates a doubling of domestic passenger traffic by 2030.

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