flight

Coronavirus news Australia: evacuation flights for stranded citizens in India as some states ease Covid-19 restrictions – as it happened

The Australian government has arranged four additional Qantas flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in the coming fortnight. This blog has now closed

To recap, this afternoon there were 6,929 Covid-19 cases in Australia, with the death toll at 97.

There had been 16 new cases in the last 24 hours, four of which were related to the Cedar Meats cluster in Victoria.

Related: Coronavirus Australia latest: at a glance

There are just two people in South Australia considered to be active cases of Covid-19.

No further cases were recorded when the state health department released updated statistics on Saturday, with South Australia’s total tally remaining at 439.

We want people to get out and explore our fabulous regions. It is safe for regional travel in South Australia.

Continue reading...




flight

'Aviation Without Borders': NGO provides free domestic flights to French medical personnel

Since the start of the Covid-19 epidemic, there has been no shortage of solidarity with those on the frontline on the pandemic. One such example comes from the French NGO Aviation Sans Frontières ("Aviation Without Borders"), which has brought together key players in the aviation sector to allow medical professionals to travel by plane free of charge from one French region to another. These flights help take some of the pressure off overwhelmed hospital staff. Our reporters Benoît Perrochais and Natalia Ruiz Giraldo went on board.




flight

Biting passengers on flight is no reason for cash compensation delay: EU court adviser

Air travelers cannot receive cash compensation if their flight is delayed by a passenger biting others and assaulting crew members, an adviser at the Court of Justice of the European Union said on Thursday.




flight

SpaceX mission control to do social distancing for first crewed flight

SpaceX’s first crewed launch is planned for 27 May and will be run from a mission control with desks set six feet apart to comply with social distancing protocols




flight

Coronavirus: Aer Lingus flight had 'no social distancing' says passenger

Sean Mallon's photos of an Aer Lingus Belfast-Heathrow flight showed passengers sitting close together.




flight

Experience flight of poetry with this Bengaluru psychaedelic rock band

Parvaaz, a four-member outfit, believes in spreading the message of peace through their progressive rock music with guitar-driven compositions. With their Urdu lyrics and the familiar sound of chimes, the soundscape is a refreshing change. Now, they are back in the city for a gig that promises to be about the coming together of western guitar techniques and Indian elements, making them one among a handful of true-blue fusion indie bands today.

Parvaaz, which translates to "flight", came together in 2010 when childhood friends Khalid Ahmed and Mir Kashif Iqbal (both on vocals and guitar), reconnected in Bengaluru over their shared love for blues rock melodies, and were joined by Sachin Banandur (drums and percussions) and Fidel D'Souza (bass). But they only started developing their own sound two years later. "We were playing at competitions and winning, which was a great boost. We felt confident enough to make original music, and our sound shifted towards progressive and classic rock of the '60s and '70s," says Ahmed, quoting Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, and Indian Ocean and Avial, as their influences.

It was a process of trial and error till they found the best way to let all their individual influences flow while jamming, which is when the Urdu lyrics also came in, the natural form of communication for two members at least. "Hindi and Urdu come naturally to us. Singing in English would have just not flowed with the music. Besides, the sound of the fusion that comes out of a merging of different styles of music is what our goal has been. It is the sound that guides most of our writing," says Ahmed.

Their lyrics primarily talk about the human nature and comprise metaphorical poetry, like their song Beparwah, which talks about man's dependence on materialistic objects, and Shaad, which is about loss and regret.


Khalid Ahmed

But lyrics are the last thing that get added onto their music, and that too if they deem it necessary. "A lot of our jams just end up being instrumental, and hence our seven minute-long songs," reasons Ahmed.

They will also be playing some new songs from their upcoming album that they have been putting together for four years, and will be releasing later this year. For fans who like to sing along, they will also perform songs from their first EP and debut album, including Ziyankar and the achingly serene Itne Arse Ke Baad, which echoes a longing to go back home. Home, for Ahmed and Iqbal, is a sensitive issue now, since both hail from Kashmir, which is still trying to heal from the Pulwama attack. Both were reluctant to comment, and as they say, prefer to let their music do the talking.

ON February 21, 9 pm
AT FLEA Bazaar Cafe, first floor, Oasis Complex, PB Marg, Lower Parel 
Call 24970740

LOG ON TO insider.in
COST Rs 499 onwards

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates





flight

Ghatkopar plane crash: Aircraft was on first test flight after repairs

The eight-seater charter King C90 was on its first airworthiness test profile when it suddenly developed a major technical snag and crashed at an under-construction building in Ghatkopar West on Thursday afternoon. The aircraft was owned by the UP government and after it was involved in an accident some time ago, it was bought by UY Aviation (Pvt) Ltd, a three-year-old company, which rents out aircraft to ferry patients from all over the country, an insider told mid-day. The company had got the King C90 repaired by Indamer Aviation Private Ltd and, on Thursday, it was being taken on its first test flight.

"Around 1.08 pm, the ATC towers at Mumbai and Juhu both lost contact with the pilot and suddenly an SOS alert was sent out by the Air Traffic Control. Finally, it was learnt that the plane had crashed," said Juhu Aerodrome Director Ashok Kumar Verma. Verma said the aircraft took off from the Juhu runway a little after 12.20 pm as per ATC Juhu records. Pilot, Captain Pradeep Rajput, and co-pilot, Maria Zuberi (who had joined UY Aviation barely a month ago), were in constant touch with the Juhu ATC and later with the Mumbai main ATC as it passed through their radar. The charter was barely a mile from Juhu aerodrome, on its way back after completing the test flight, when it crashed. When asked if the aircraft was on a wrong flying line, as usually passenger flights pass through the airway used by the charter, Verma replied in the negative, stating that there was no air space violation and that the charter was on its own scheduled air space."

The investigating team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will be recording the statements of the ATC officers who were in dialogue with the pilots of the charter, which will be compared with the black box that has been recovered. Speaking to mid-day soon after landing in Mumbai from Delhi on Thursday evening, Captain Vinod MRSK, a former air force pilot, who is the Chief of Flight Safety at UY Aviation (Pvt) Ltd, clarified that the charter was still with Indamer Aviation Private Ltd (an aviation repair and maintenance organisation), and two of their engineers Manish Pandey and Surbhi, along with Rajput and Zuberi were to conduct the airworthiness test profile and had obtained necessary permissions from DGCA.

"The air profile testing was crucial as only then could UY Aviation have approached DGCA to complete other formalities to officially take the charter into its inventory. The charter was flying on a Non-Scheduled Operator's Permit (NSOP) for testing. At present UY Aviation has four charters, two in Mumbai and two in Delhi, and this eight-seater King C90, would have made it to its inventory in Mumbai," the insider said. Captain Vinod said, "I am here to assist Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team under DGCA to understand the circumstances under which the accident happened. It is learnt that the crew was insured."

Also Read: Ghatkopar plane crash: Pilot's presence of mind saves hundreds

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates





flight

The Mile High Club: Why some people have sex during flights


Pictures for representational purposes

The popular slang term, 'Mile High Club', which is the act of indulging in sexual intercourse while on board a flying aircraft has been the subject of numerous studies and researches over the years.

Some experts opine that the vibration of the plane may speed or improve sexual arousal of some commuters, who would then be motivated to engage in on-flight sexual activity. Other researchers have deduced that it may be occur due to a simple need of acting out a sexual fantasy or fetish about planes themselves. Most 'mile-high club' members reveal that the thrill of doing something taboo and the risk of being discovered excites them.

A recently conducted survey by a UK travel website found that the most common saucy act involved couples entering the lavatory together followed by “lots of banging and squealing,” although sneakier activities underneath a blanket were also quite popular.

Much debate still surrounds the legality of the practice of joining the mile-high club, although research indicates there’s a dependence on individual country laws and also just how visible the act is to other passengers which can fall under “public sex” laws.

Two respondents said they watched couples being escorted by police from flights in Australia as a results of their raunchy mile-high antics.





flight

Coronavirus outbreak: Civil Aviation Ministry suspend all domestic and international flights till May 3

Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of lockdown, the Ministry of Civil Aviation informed that airline operations of all domestic and international flights will remain suspended till May 3.

"All domestic and international scheduled airline operations shall remain suspended till 11.59 pm, 3rd May," the Ministry said. Earlier today in his address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi announced that the country will remain under lockdown till May 3 to contain COVID-19 cases. The 21-day lockdown, which was announced by the Prime Minister last month, was slated to end today.

Odisha, Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have already announced the extension of lockdown. India's total number of coronavirus positive cases has climbed to 10,363 including 8,988 active cases, 1,035 cured/discharged/migrated and 339 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said today.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever




flight

Now you can book hotels with Google Flights



Google has introduced updates to its existing "Google Flights" service that will now let users book a hotel at their travel destination directly from Search. Earlier, the service helped users predict flight delays and find the cheapest fare by using machine learning capabilities.

According to Engadget, the company might introduce more integration to help users with the entire travel process.

According to Google, it also added improved price filtering, easier to find information on amenities, along with the new booking feature.

"There are some new interface features that help you check travel options on your mobile phone, too. Over the next few days, you'll see a 'Hotels' option to tap at the top of a 'Google Flight' search page," the report said.

If users want to search for hotels first, they could flip over to the 'Flights' tab as well to check prices and book air travel.

In addition, one could search by destination, then look up flights and hotels from there.

A simple tap on "More Destinations" at the top left of the search results and see more places to go.

"If you've booked travel via Google or have reservations in your Gmail, you'll be able to see it all in the new private 'Your Trips' section," the company said.

A user could also e-mail these details directly from "Your Trips". In case of offline access, the information would show up in the "Google Trips" app.





flight

Coronavirus Outbreak: Australia's Qantas extends flight cancellations

Australian flag carrier, Qantas on Tuesday extended international flight cancellations till the end of July, but said that it was in a strong position to endure disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company said that domestic flights would be cancelled till the end of June and international services until the end of July, adding that domestic and trans-Tasman services could be quickly reinstated should restrictions ease in coming weeks, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Australia has done an amazing job of flattening the curve and we're optimistic that domestic travel will start returning earlier than first thought, but we clearly won't be back to pre-coronavirus levels anytime soon," Group CEO Alan Joyce said.

"With the possible exception of New Zealand, international travel demand could take years to return to what it was."

The company, which includes budget branch Jetstar, also revealed it had secured a further A$550 million ($354 million) in debt funding, placing it in a stronger position to endure the COVID-19 crisis.

According to Qantas, by reducing expenditure and borrowing against its fleet of aircraft, the company could survive several recovery scenarios, including one where current travel restrictions persisted until December 2021.

The reduction in expenditure is largely due to the standing down of more than 25,000 staff who were forced to use leave entitlements before receiving delayed financial assistance from the government.

"The impact of this stand down is deeply regrettable but has been greatly softened by the Australian Government's JobKeeper program, which the Group commenced paying several weeks ahead of the official payment start date," the airline said in a statement.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever




flight

Tax-News.com: UK May Lower Air Duty On Northern Ireland Flights

The UK Conservative Party has agreed to consider reducing the rate of Air Passenger Duty for airports in Northern Ireland after agreeing a coalition government with the Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party party.




flight

Tax-News.com: Sweden Introduces Flight Tax

An environmental tax on air travel was introduced in Sweden on April 1, 2018.




flight

Tax-News.com: Ireland Updates Guidance On EU Exit Tax On IP Flight

The Irish Revenue has updated its guidance on Irish exit tax legislation to reflect changes introduced by Finance Act 2019.




flight

Doctor Saves Man's Life by Sucking Urine from His Bladder Mid-flight to NYC

When an elderly plane passenger fell ill mid-flight, a heroic doctor saved the man's life by sucking his urine out of his blocked bladder. When the




flight

Spaceflight may Cause Blood Clots in Female Astronauts

Female astronauts can be affected with the risk of blood clots associated with spaceflight. The study, published in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance,




flight

Gut Can Be Constantly Affected During The Spaceflight

Space flight has found to have a consistent effect on the gut microbes. A new Northwestern University study discovered that spaceflight -- both aboard




flight

Vande Bharat Mission: First two flights from UAE land in Kerala with 363 stranded Indians

All the passengers in the flights were provided of two masks, sanitiser, snacks box with two cheese sandwiches and a fruit cake slice along with water.




flight

US and UK race to arrange flights for stranded citizens

Thousands affected as many flights cancelled and airports closed because of coronavirus pandemic




flight

Mrs Moneypenny’s Question Time — resist skipping post-flight shower

Everything from what you wear to your posture plays a role in how impressions are formed




flight

US regulator grants exemption for drone flight during lockdown

Oil and gas company in Texas given approval to use unmanned aircraft to inspect vital infrastructure




flight

BA warns Gatwick staff it may not resume flights there

Airline’s operations at London’s second biggest airport face brunt of 12,000 job cuts




flight

South African Airways suspends some flights to save cash

State-backed carrier starts cancelling flights as vital government funding is delayed




flight

Qantas shelves ‘Project Sunrise’ plan for world’s longest flights

Australian carrier reviews operations and fleet due to coronavirus travel collapse





flight

Prince William and Kate Middleton seen getting off budget flight to Scotland

Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children took the 8.45am economy FlyBe flight from Norwich to Aberdeen this morning.




flight

Kate and William catch budget flight back from Scottish holiday with their children

Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children flew back from Aberdeen to Norwich today, again choosing a budget airline.




flight

Golfer Thorbjorn Olesen denies drunkenly groping a female flight attendant

The Ryder Cup winner, a Danish national, was arrested on July 29 after a flight from Nashville to London.




flight

How to be a travelling Tree Angel: Can carbon offset schemes make up for your holiday flights?

We examine what carbon offsetting organisations across the world say they do - and compare results from their 'carbon calculators', where you work out how much to pay to offset emissions.




flight

Senator Rand Paul's son arrested for disorderly conduct and drunken behaviour at airport after 10 a.m. flight

William Hilton Paul, 19, (pictured) the son of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul was arrested last night at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and charged with disorderly conduct and being intoxicated and disruptive.




flight

Gigi and Bella Hadid flash smiles as they head to LAX for red-eye flight to NY after Halloween party

Gigi and Bella Hadid were spotted in high spirits and makeup free on Friday evening ahead of their flight from LA back home to NYC.




flight

Amber Heard cuts a sleek figure in a black dress as she catches a flight out of Los Angeles

Amber Heard looked carefree and relaxed as she caught a plain at LAX airport near Los Angeles. The Aquaman actress cut a stylish figure in a minimalist black dress and boots.




flight

Sean Bean 'hurled a glass at his wife after she poured wine in his lap during BA flight'

The actor is said to have become enraged with his partner Ashley Moore, 33, after the pair downed free alcohol on a nine-hour flight from Vancouver to Heathrow over the weekend.




flight

Brisbane couple Jacqui Becker and Scott Sutherland's flights to Fiji cancelled for their wedding

Brisbane couple Jacqui Becker and her fiancé, Scott Sutherland are due to wed on New Year's Day on the Fiji's Coral Coast after a year of planning the event.




flight

This weekend marks 40 years since Sir Alex Ferguson lifted his first top-flight trophy as a manager

BRIAN MAJORIBANKS: On a magical afternoon in Leith exactly 40 years ago, unfancied Aberdeen confounded the odds - and their critics - to break the spell cast over the land by the Glasgow giants.




flight

Premier League clubs plan talks with reluctant stars about resumption of the top-flight season

Premier League clubs will hold urgent talks with their players this week amid major concerns from footballers over proposals to restart the season. 




flight

Flights from Wuhan to Australia to be screened for Coronavirus

Staff from New South Wales Health will help federal biosecurity staff to monitor travellers following an outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus which is believed to have spread from Wuhan.




flight

Fears passenger on last Wuhan-Sydney flight has coronavirus

Health officials are investigating if a person has caught the deadly new coronavirus in New South Wales.




flight

Premier League stars 'ready to revolt' amid potential top-flight fixture pile-up

A host of stars believe that top flight chiefs are determined to complete the current campaign in the summer and then rush into next season, according to The Sun.




flight

Pilot on Boeing 757 dies of heart attack mid-flight with 239 passengers on board

A pilot onboard a plane flying from Bangkok to Novosibirsk in western Siberia died from a heart attack, transportation prosecutors said Friday.




flight

President Jean Michel Aulas confirms Lyon will begin actions against the French top-flight

Lyon president Jean Michel Aulas has confirmed that the Ligue 1 club plans to launch two legal fights after the season was ended early.




flight

I was just sobbing': Woman is escorted off a Qantas flight over a chicken dinner

An Australian couple have called for airlines to manage food allergies better after they were escorted off a Qantas plane over a chicken dinner. 




flight

Why do you feel so dreadful after a long-haul flight?

EVE SIMMONS boarded the world's longest scheduled passenger flight this week with a host of electronic devices to measure the impact flying non-stop between New York and Singapore.




flight

Time to book a holiday? Budget airline Scoot launches sale with $329 flights to Europe

The Singapore-based budget carrier has launched its 'Silly Season Sale' to mark the start of 2020 with international flights from Australia from as little as $135




flight

Girl arrives in Australia on board a Qantas flight from Singapore with measles 

The girl and her parents were unaware she had the highly contagious virus when they arrived in Australia on Qantas flight 52 early on January 17.




flight

Emergency flights carrying Australian seafood will fly to China - and return with medical supplies

Two hundred flights will leave for China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates in the next six months under the deal as borders globally are shut to slow the spread of the virus.




flight

Pregnant woman REFUSED refund for flights to a Zika-infested Caribbean island

Alice Rowland, 28, from Northampton, attempted to cancel her and 26-year-old partner Jefferson George’s flights to Dominica after her doctor advised her against travelling.




flight

MH370: French investigators discover 'mystery 200lb load' added to flight list

Ghyslain Wattrelos, who lost his wife and two children on the Malaysia Airlines flight, said the cargo was revealed in a new report. It could add evidence to the theory a stowaway hijacked the jet.




flight

Malaysia Airlines flight stops just seconds before take-off twice in two days

Travellers were boarding a Malaysia Airlines flight on New Year's Day from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland when their journey came to a sudden halt.




flight

Malaysia Airlines has apologised after giving 'gross' snacks to passengers on flight to Auckland

Flight MH145 from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland was cancelled about 8.45pm on New Year's Day after passengers sat in the plane on the tarmac for hours.