Airport
5 things you need to know about Pan Am hero Neerja Bhanot..!
1. Pan Am Flight 73 landed in Karachi
On the morning of September 5, 1986, Pan Am Flight 73 landed in Karachi. It had arrived from Mumbai and, had nothing gone wrong, would have departed for Frankfurt and onward to New York City. The flight was carrying, among members of other nationalities, Indians, Germans, Americans, and Pakistanis. Unfortunately, the flight was hijacked while it was parked on the tarmac at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.
2.”The heroine of the hijack”
According to a citation released by the airline after her death, Ms. Bhanot’s “gallant actions were nothing less than heroic” as she along with nearly 400 other passengers and crew members were held hostage for over 16 hours. Twenty passengers, including two Americans were killed during the hijacking. She gave her own life while shielding 3 children from a hail of bullets. Neerja was recognised internationally as “the heroine of the hijack” and is the youngest recipient of the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest civilian award for. The attackers were later arrested by Pakistani security forces.
She was the “captain”, who believed that she had to be the last person to quit – alive or dead.
According to Mrs. Malti Krishnaswamy and other eyewitnesses, Neerja was caught by the leader of the terrorists and shot point blank. In the dead body I saw bullets had hit her in the abdomen, on the shoulder near the neck and in the arm. When she opened the emergency exit, she could have herself been the first to slide down the chute. But she was the “captain”, who believed that she had to be the last person to quit – alive or dead.
https://twitter.com/sonamakapoor/status/594930797909561344/photo/1
3. She applied for a flight attendant’s job with Pam Am. There were nearly 10,000 applications but Neerja Harish easily found place among the top 80.
Before the marriage, it was made clear that it would be a dowry less marriage. But when she reached the “ordained home” she was told that even a “very poor man gives something to his daughter in marriage”. She came back to Bombay to honour a modelling contract. An ugly letter followed, listing terms for her return, which no person with self-respect could accept. The letter listed a straight formula: accept the humiliating terms without a whimper and return at your own cost or “we will separate”. The worst was that the letter asked her as to what was she? “You are just a graduate”. The young girl could not pocket this. She applied for a flight attendant’s job with Pam Am. There were nearly 10,000 applications but Neerja Harish easily found place among the top 80. Some of her close friends in Pan Am knew of her marriage mishap. They say that Neerja had been clearly stating that if one day something happened to her, please see that even “his” shadow did not fall on her dead body. The girl with sinews of steel accepted the challenge “what are you” and has told “what she was”.
Guys : have you seen the stamp that the government of India made in the honour of #Neerja … https://t.co/ML5ooLiUrx pic.twitter.com/qZYGy2JUXM
— Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamakapoor) February 17, 2016
4. She was also a hardworking model.
According to the piece, Neerja, who was only 25 hours shy of her 23rd birthday when she was killed by the hijackers, was a “vivacious” and “valiant” girl who also dabbled in modelling. Her father describes her as being “highly duty-conscious”. Just three days before her death, she had returned from Frankfurt late at night. Yet, she spent the next two ‘off’ days shooting from morning to night, catching only a few hours of sleep before her ill-fated flight. Her mother even asked her to “excuse herself” from the flight, but Neerja refused to do so.
5.Known as ‘Lado’ at home, her family doted upon her.
Born in Chandigarh on September 7, 1962, Neerja was the first daughter born to her parents, who were already raising two sons at the time: Akhil and Aneesh. Her father wrote, “The maternity ward matron rang up to inform me that we had been blessed with a baby-girl. I was very happy to hear this and gave her a ‘double thanks’. She thought I had got her wrong and so she repeated “It is a daughter”. I explained to her the daughter had already 2 brothers and that is why it was an occasion for ‘double thanks’.” He added that Neerja, who attended Sacred Heart School in Chandigarh during her childhood, was almost never referred to by any other name at home than ‘Lado’.
‘Neerja’ – A Glorious Tribute to the Braveheart
The Movie based on Pan Am Flight 73 Hijacked.
Neerja is a 2016 Hindi biographical thriller drama film written by Saiwyn Quadras, and directed by Ram Madhvani starring Sonam Kapoor in titular role of “Head Purser” Neerja Bhanot, while Shabana Azmi and Shekhar Ravjiani played supporting roles. The film was produced by Atul Kasbekar under the banner of Fox Star Studios. The film revolves around the Libya backed Abu Nidal Organization’s hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan on 5 September 1986, specifically focusing on flight attendantNeerja Bhanot who ensured the failure of the hijacking by preventing the plane from getting off the ground, she also saved the lives of 359 hostages in those long hours of incarceration.
Source : Wikipedia , Neerjabhanot.org.
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Airport
IndiGo Eyes Widebody Jets, Ramping Up Air India Competition
IndiGo, Asia’s largest budget carrier, is edging closer to a significant strategic move as it explores the purchase of widebody aircraft, according to Bloomberg.
This potential decision not only signifies the airline’s ambition to expand its international reach but also sets the stage for heightened competition with established players like Air India Ltd.
While IndiGo is still in the process of evaluating various options, insiders suggest that an order for approximately 30 Airbus SE A350s is emerging as the frontrunner. However, these sources, preferring anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information, stress that the airline has yet to make a final announcement. They caution that factors such as timing and the final number of planes could still influence IndiGo’s decision.
indigo airlines booking contemplation of acquiring widebody jets is not a spontaneous move. The airline has long pondered the idea of venturing into long-haul services to cater to the increasing demand from affluent Indian travelers seeking destinations like the UK and Europe.
IndiGo’s already substantial relationship with Airbus, underscored by a monumental order for 500 A320neo family aircraft last year, further underscores its position as a major player in the aviation industry. With a backlog of around 1,000 aircraft, indigo manage booking
stands poised to make a strategic leap forward in its operational scope.
Recently, Under the terms of its extended codeshare arrangement with Qantas Airways, the national airline of Australia, IndiGo, the preferred carrier of India, has announced the addition of 11 new routes, effective March 31, 2024.
Customers of indigo flight can now travel across popular tourist destinations with ticket sales beginning on March 12, 2024. indigo flight booking Australia’s major cities, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne.
Airport
Gateway to UAE: Visa-On-Arrival Now Access for 87 Countries
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates has announced an amendment to its visa exemption policy, which is a significant step towards improving tourism and making travel easier.
Now, residents of 87 nations will be able to visit the United Arab Emirates without having to worry about securing a pre-entry visa.
The visa process has been made more open and accessible, even though nationals of 110 countries still need one to enter the UAE. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ official website makes it simple for interested parties to see the list of exempt countries and visa requirements.
For citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the entry process is even smoother, as no visa or sponsorship is required. Simply presenting a GCC state passport or identity card upon arrival at UAE ports of entry is sufficient for entry.
Notably, visas on arrival are available to Indian individuals with passports, US visit visas or green cards, and UK or EU residency permits good for at least six months. Travellers from these areas will have flexibility because they can stay for an additional 14 days after their initial 14-day stay.
The list of countries now eligible for visa-on-arrival privileges encompasses a diverse array of nations, including Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany.
Hungary, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Bahamas, The Netherlands, UK, Ukraine, Uruguay, US, Vatican, Hellenic, Bosnia, and Kosovo.
Airlines
Top 10 best airports in the world for food
A satisfying pre-flight meal can ensure that your international trip gets off to the best possible start. Numerous studies have demonstrated that eating well does improve mood.
According to a study conducted by radical storage, which examined what eateries were available, how passengers evaluated them from over 1.2 million reviews, what options were available for persons with dietary restrictions, and the typical amount customers would pay for a main meal or lunch item.
The best airports in the world for food
Rank | Airport | Country | Number of Eateries | Average Rating of Eateries | Average Food Cost($) | Vegan/Vegetarian Options | Gluten-Free Options |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Incheon International Airport | South Korea | 270 | 3.2 | 8.18 | 3 | 0 |
2 | Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport | United States | 138 | 3.4 | 11.07 | 14 | 36 |
3 | Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport | Taiwan | 29 | 3.7 | 5.65 | 1 | 0 |
4 | Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport | United States | 125 | 3.7 | 8.62 | 13 | 22 |
5 | Jeju International Airport | South Korea | 28 | 3.7 | 10.86 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Narita International Airport | Japan | 28 | 3.8 | 7.86 | 2 | 0 |
7 | Haneda Airport | Japan | 146 | 3.5 | 12.15 | 16 | 2 |
8 | O’Hare International Airport | United States | 130 | 3.4 | 12.78 | 16 | 12 |
9 | Los Angeles International Airport | United States | 112 | 3 | 11.4 | 11 | 19 |
10 | Singapore Changi Airport | Singapore | 194 | 3.6 | 20.39 | 20 | 2 |
The Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea, is the best airport in the world for food. There are a whopping 270 selections to pick from, and a normal main menu or lunch dish there costs $8.18 on average.
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which has 138 restaurants there and received an overall rating of 3.4 out of 5, came in second. There are 36 options registered online, the most of any airport in this survey, which is what makes this airport stand out in terms of its gluten-free food offerings.
The busiest airport in Taiwan, located just west of Taipei, was Taoyuan International Airport, which came in third place. Even though there are just 29 restaurants at this airport, they are rated higher (3.7 out of 5) and have a low average dish price of $5.65, making them ideal for travelers searching for a cheap pre-flight meal.
Airlines
Qantas Retains Top Spot as Most Punctual Major Domestic Airline
Amidst storms, a shortage of air traffic control staff, and high holiday demand, Qantas emerged as the most punctual major domestic airline once again in December.
According to the most recent government data, which was made public today, Qantas (Qantas and QantasLink combined) departed on time 69.5 percent of the time in December, compared to 56.5 percent for its main domestic competitor. Although Qantas has been the most punctual major domestic airline for 16 months running, there is still a lot of room for improvement.
Overall, Qantas’ cancellation rate was about half that of its main rival, at 3.7% as opposed to 7.5%. In December, 5.5% of Jetstar’s flights were canceled, leaving just over 62% of flights to depart on schedule.
Uncontrollable factors, primarily weather and air traffic control issues, contributed 8.2 percentage points and 7.9 percentage points, respectively, to Qantas’ and Jetstar’s on-time performance in December. Roughly half of all Qantas and Jetstar cancellations for the month were caused by uncontrollable factors (1.8 and 3 percentage points, respectively).
More than 75 percent of Qantas flights have departed on time so far in January. Following a September 2023 announcement and gradual rollout, more investments in operational reliability and customer experience are beginning to enhance millions of passengers‘ travel experiences. More backup aircraft are kept on standby, catering is enhanced, baggage tracking is enabled through the Qantas app, and customer recovery procedures are modified if flights are severely disrupted, among other investments.
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