Latest news with #DevanshMittal
Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Flying out of Delhi Airport? Here's when full-body scanners will be in use
Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has expanded trials of its full-body scanners to include passengers as well, sources said. Originally scheduled to begin in May, the trials started on June 16 and have now been underway for over a month. 'Initially, only airport staff were part of the trials. Now, passengers have also been included,' a source said. The trials will go on for three to four months, after which 'a Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)-led committee will evaluate the findings and establish a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for full-scale implementation,' according to an earlier press statement by airport operator, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). The airport operator had procured four scanners, with two installed at Terminal 1, and another two set up at Terminal 3. These scanners are designed to improve security while expediting passenger movement. It can detect both metallic as well as non-metallic threats, including explosives. 'To address privacy concerns, the scanners generate a standardised 2D image on a preset human avatar, ensuring no personal images are stored. They are equipped with four touchscreen monitors for image evaluation and passenger guidance, and can scan individuals between 3.3 ft to 6.7 ft in height,' the press statement had stated. Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, DIAL CEO, had earlier said, 'The Delhi Airport remains committed to deploying the latest technology to enhance security while ensuring a seamless passenger experience. The introduction of these body scanners is a game-changer in security screening, allowing for faster and more effective checks without compromising privacy.' Each scan takes approximately three seconds, with a maximum capacity of 1,200 scans per hour. The scanners will use millimeter-wave technology operating between 70 to 80 GHz, DIAL had said. Unlike conventional X-ray scanners, they do not emit radiation, making them safe for all travellers, including pregnant women and those with medical implants. The technology is already in use at major international airports in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Devansh Mittal is a trainee correspondent with The Indian Express. He studied political science at Ashoka University. He can be reached at ... Read More
Indian Express
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Air India crash: 9 flights from Delhi airport to Gujarat cancelled
A total of nine flights from Delhi to Gujarat were cancelled on Thursday due to the Ahmedabad airport suspending all flight operations after an Air India flight crashed soon after take-off on Thursday afternoon. Four Indigo flights and five Air India flights from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) were cancelled, according to sources. Air India flight AI 171, heading to London from Ahmedabad, crashed soon after take-off at 1.38 pm. It was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals. The injured were being taken to nearby hospitals, according to Air India. It is currently not known how many passengers have been killed in the incident. 'Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident,' the airline said. 'Following the incident near Ahmedabad Airport and the resulting runway restrictions, flight operations are impacted,' airline Indigo said in a post on social media. 'Our thoughts are with the families of those affected. We seek your kind understanding, as these are truly challenging times for everyone,' the travel advisory also said. According to an Ahmedabad airport spokesperson, 'Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, is currently not operational. All flight operations are temporarily suspended until further notice.' 'Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines for the latest updates before proceeding to the airport. We request your cooperation and patience as authorities manage this evolving situation. Further updates will be provided as soon as available,' the spokesperson added. Several leaders expressed their condolences following the incident. 'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. Devansh Mittal is a trainee correspondent with The Indian Express. He studied political science at Ashoka University. He can be reached at ... Read More
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Delhi Assembly just passed a single Bill in all of 2024: Report
The Delhi Assembly passed only a single Bill in 2024 — the least number of Bills passed by any state or union territory Assembly in India. This finding is from a report released on Monday by non-profit organisation PRS Legislative Research on the functioning of state legislatures. Delhi only passed one Bill — The Delhi Goods and Services Tax (Third Amendment) Act, 2024 — while states, on average, passed 17 Bills throughout the year. This GST Bill was also passed on the same day it was introduced in the Assembly, making Delhi one of the eight states that passed all Bills on the same day they were introduced into the Assembly. The seven other states were Bihar, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Puducherry, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. In 2024, 62 out of the 70 legislators in the Delhi Assembly were from the AAP, and the remaining eight were from the BJP. The report, titled Annual Review of State Laws 2024, also points out that last year, the national capital's Assembly session, along with Tamil Nadu's, lasted the longest without the session being prorogued. Proroguing refers to ending a session of the Assembly. Delhi's Assembly session continued from February to December last year. The Delhi Assembly met for 25 days in 2024, higher than the national average of 20. Odisha met for the highest number of days (42), followed by Kerala (38). The average sitting days of Assemblies across the country also fell from a high of 28 in 2017 to 20 in 2024. As per the report, Delhi's amendment to the GST Bill was among 60% of Bills across the country that received the Governor's assent within a month. Of the Bills passed in 2024, 18% got assent after more than three months (this includes Bills awaiting assent as of April 2025). States where a high proportion of Bills got assent after more than three months include Himachal Pradesh (72% of Bills passed), Sikkim (56%) and West Bengal (38%). Devansh Mittal is a trainee correspondent with The Indian Express. He studied political science at Ashoka University. He can be reached at ... Read More
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Uber-Ola rides from Delhi Airport are now costlier. Here's why
Travellers booking an Uber or an Ola from the Delhi Airport will now have to pay more for a ride. This is because the airport operator, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), has raised the pick-up fee charged on each app-based cab ride to Rs 280 — a nearly 40% hike — starting Tuesday. This additional charge applies to Ola and Uber rides originating from all three terminals of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The Delhi Airport did not respond to queries sent by The Indian Express. The new pick-up fee, after the revision, is Rs 245 plus 18% GST — totaling to Rs 289. Invoices reviewed by The Indian Express show that riders were already paying Rs 173 per trip as 'transport hub charge' in Ola's billing system. For context, Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport charges Uber between Rs 230 and Rs 260, while Ola pays a charge of Rs 215 per ride from the airport. A source said, 'The move is expected to impact nearly 4 lakh trips a month — rides that constitute 70% of all commercial vehicular movement from the airport. With the recent suspension of services by BluSmart, which earlier offered EV rides from the airport, the demand has shifted back almost entirely to Ola and Uber.' An Uber spokesperson confirmed the development, saying pickup fees for Uber rides have been revised by the airport operator. 'For all airport trips taken on Uber, a pickup fee is charged as part of our commercial agreements with airports. This fee is passed on to the airport — Uber does not retain these charges. As part of the recent contract renewal with the Delhi Airport, the pickup fee for Uber trips from the airport has been revised by the airport operator,' the spokesperson said. 'We want to clarify that there has been no increase in fares by Uber; the updated fare reflects only the revised airport pickup fee charged by the airport operator,' the spokesperson added. A source said the airport pickup fee is part of its non-aeronautical revenue, which is unregulated. 'Unlike aeronautical charges — such as user development fee or landing and parking charges — these fees are not subject to approval by regulatory authorities,' the source added. Devansh Mittal is a trainee correspondent with The Indian Express. He studied political science at Ashoka University. He can be reached at ... Read More
