Amid a turbulent season of delays and cancellations impacting air travel, airline passengers are reporting a higher level of satisfaction with the overall airport experience itself. The findings come from the new J.D. Power 2023 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, which surveyed 27,147 travelers between August 2022 and July 2023 to find that overall satisfaction with airports is up three percent. Airports in the Midwest took most of the top spots, while passengers traveling through coastal airports reported lower satisfaction. The Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) was ranked highest overall amongst “mega” airports for the second year in a row. The airport provides air travel for 36.7 million travelers per year and operates over 1,000 daily flights. (J.D. Power defines a mega airport as one with 33 million or more passengers annually.) “We are always looking to raise the bar for customer service as we take Detroit to the world and bring the world to Detroit,” Chad Newton, Wayne County Airport Authority's CEO, said in a statement on the airport’s Facebook page. Detroit’s airport features a variety of amenities, dining, and shopping including Be Relax Spas, Illy Coffee Cafe, Gordon Biersch, P.F. Chang's, Pandora, and more. The airport also has a Westin hotel attached to it, with a dedicated TSA security entrance that connects the hotel to the airport for travelers on a tight layover to save time. The top-ranked mega airports, after DTW, are Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) and Harry Reid International Airport in Paradise, Nevada. The lowest-ranked mega airports are Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), and New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
Indigo, Air India to Address Pilot Fatigue With New Tech Tools
19.09.2023 - 11:33 / skift.com / Amrita Ghosh / Air India
IndiGo is developing a wrist device designed to gauge pilot fatigue and alertness levels before and after flights, according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters The budget carrier will work in partnership with the French aerospace conglomerate, Thales Group, and also intends to appoint a consultant to improve its fatigue risk management procedures.
Additionally, Tata Group-owned Air India said it would introduce two digital tools — the Pilot Sector Report (PSR) app and DocuNet — to address flight operations and pilot satisfaction.
The moves come after an IndiGo pilot fell unconscious and died before his scheduled flight. The incident sparked complaints from some pilots, who expressed concerns about work conditions.
How Will the Devices Work? Calling it a “proof-of-concept trial,” IndiGo in a statement said the fatigue detection model will offer detailed insights into data, including routes, pairings, crew profiles, and more, going beyond traditional scheduling-focused models.
Air India’s PSR app streamlines post-flight reporting, and DocuNet simplifies document distribution, ensuring up-to-date and synchronized information.
Monitoring Fatigue Data: Meanwhile, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation is conducting a review of pilot fatigue data collected through spot checks and airline surveillance to determine if changes are needed in flight duty time regulations or fatigue management protocols.
Santiniketan, a town located in the eastern state of West Bengal set up by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, made it to the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
When? The international agency made the announcement in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee is being held till September 25.
Other UNESCO Sites: Santiniketan becomes the 41st UNESCO World Heritage Site in India and the third in West Bengal, after the Sundarbans National Park and the Darjeeling Mountain Railways. Last year, the state’s Durga Puja got space in “Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity” under UNESCO.
History of the Town: Santiniketan, a university town over 100 miles from Kolkata, is home to the prestigious Visva-Bharati University, offering degree courses in humanities, social science, science, fine arts, music, performing arts, education, agricultural science and rural reconstruction.
Tata Group-owned Indian Hotels Company said it has signed a Taj Hotel in Frankfurt, Germany under an operating lease arrangement.
Opening: The company said the Taj Hotel Hessischer Hof will re-open in 2025 after refurbishment with a new design.
Location: The 134-room Taj Hotel Hessischer Hof is centrally located in close proximity to the Frankfurt trade fair grounds – one of the largest
Inbound Travel Is Inching Towards Pre-Pandemic Levels
While India has been making its way up as a top source country for outbound travel, the country’s inbound tourism has still not been able to touch the almost 11-million foreign arrivals of 2019. According to the Ministry of Tourism, India received 6.2 million foreign tourists in 2022.
Cathay Pacific's Plan to Profit From India's Aviation Boom
Last week, Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific announced the resumption of three non-stop weekly flights from Chennai.
Breeze Airways adds 2 routes and a new state to its map
Cue "The Simpsons" theme.
MakeMyTrip’s Corporate Travel Offering MyBiz Gains Traction
One of the segments that has started showing results for MakeMyTrip is its corporate travel platform, MyBiz.
Southwest Flights Are Now Available to Book Through May 2024 — With New Routes to Washington D.C. and Phoenix
Southwest Airlines will add new flights between Washington D.C. and Phoenix next year and resume several other seasonal routes as the airline extended its flight schedule into June 2024.
JetBlue Pilots Back Spirit Airlines Merger
Pilots at JetBlue Airways are the latest to back the carrier’s proposed $3.8 billion merger with Spirit Airlines. The combination, if it wins antitrust approval, would create the fifth largest airline in the U.S.
Wheels Up Flies South To Regain Altitude With New CEO
Wheels Up is again turning to Delta Air Lines for C-suite leadership. After appointing the Atlanta-based airline’s CFO Dan Janki as Chairman last month, the New York-based private jet flight provider is tapping Delta Board Member George Mattson as CEO.
Airbnb Loses Three Quarters of its New York City Listings
Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, September 14. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Boeing Sees No Signs of Slowdown Citing Strong Aviation Metrics
We are thrilled to announce a new event coming next year, the Skift India Summit in Delhi-NCR, happening March 20-21, 2024. This follows the successful launch of our India newsletter, Skift India Report, the Skift India Travel Podcast, with more features to come.
Announcing the Skift India Summit, March 20-21, New Delhi
India is having a moment. And Skift has been there documenting it for the last few years as it is ready to shape the future of the global travel industry. The India outbound traveler is poised to become the biggest global force in coming years, and the Indian domestic market is one every major global brand is now clamoring to be part of.
Marriott Continues Saudi Arabia Development with New AlUla Hotel Marriott Continues Giga-Project Development with New AlUla Hotel
Marriott continues to be a go-to choice for Saudi Arabia when it comes to operators for hotels within the giga-project portfolio. The U.S. hotel giant will be involved in every government-backed tourism project – the latest is an AlUla hotel.