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ameya · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:09 am Post subject: PNQ -> IDR on 9W today

Background

Sometime last month, I made a statement that this has been the longest period since May 2009 that I have not taken a flight. From June end to Oct, about 4 months. I was already feeling restless, partly cursing myself and being very impatient.

It went to such an extent that I logged into clear trip and my bank account at the same time only to realize I cannot afford a trip. Either secret worked or God is kind when it comes to flying, company got a project and I got deputed on it, which meant I had to travel to Bhopal for work. More than the work, I was excited about the trip. Quickly glanced at cleartrip, makemytrip and every available option.

Source: PNQ, Destination: BHO

Options
1.Drive to BOM, fly BOM-BHO on 9W in the evening and return BHO-BOM in the morning 2 days later and drive down to PNQ
2.Depart PNQ @ 6:05 on 9W to HYD and connect to HYD-BHO and return the same way, via HYD reaching PNQ @ 23:05

The second option had all 4 flights on ATR, but who cares, its 4 flights instead of 2. Besides for long I have wanted to explore the HYD airport and have not been able to. Other people had other ideas and the BOM option was selected over the HYD connection, obviously because it was cheaper.

This still meant, that I land at a new airport for me – BHO !! Elated !

Finally at the time of booking, we realize that the flight from BOM, is now routed via NAG and leaves at 17:40 on few days and 18:20 on few other days and reached BHO very late. This option quickly fizzles out. So what is the next option?

Fly PNQ-IDR and a road trip to BHO and return the same way.

History of PNQ-IDR and this flight:

This flight originally operated as CCU-BOM-PNQ-BOM-IDR-BOM-PNQ-BOM-CCU, giving a double daily BOM-PNQ-BOM. Then came the expressway between the two cities and so on which led to reduced traffic flow.
As the slot constraint increased at BOM, the less lucrative arrival from PNQ and dep to PNQ was used up to start some other flights in the network by 9W and the aircraft was rotated as CCU-BOM-PNQ-NAG-IDR and v.v. At this point in time, 9W was the only other carrier on PNQ-NAG, with 6E was then and now a double daily product.

IT was the sole operator on IDR-PNQ sector, while it used to operate the IT 2011/2012, later IT 2021/2022 HYD-NAG-IDR-PNQ-GOI and v.v on AT72

Two seasons ago, 9W shifted to PNQ-IDR-DEL and v.v for its leg out of PNQ and into PNQ. Currently 9W is the sole operator on PNQ_IDR-PNQ and to my utter surprise upgraded this flight to a FSC product in the WS-12.

A day before:

Two seasons ago, the CCU-BOM-PNQ and v.v leg was converted to FSC from Konnect and that was a fair indication that the aircraft would be a better one and not a typical 10 year old plane. A quick check and it shows B738 with winglet.
Exactly at 11:10 I log in and go a web checkin, selecting the emergency exit row seats. As expected later in the day, I get an email requesting me to web check-in. Also a quick check is done for NOTAMs at alternate airports as well as origin and destination, along with the METAR.
No active NOTAMS for IDR, PNQ, BHO, NAG, BDQ. Wow, probably one of the first times that this is happening. The weather at BHO is 23C max, 9C min. Time to pack some warm clothes.

Airports:
Pune – has always been close to my heart and no matter how small and crowded the building gets, I always have patience for it but a rush to move to the security hold and see some Sukhois. The building can be as stupid as it can, many a times, because they tell you that the departure is from 1st floor only to be led downstairs and being asked to walk to the aircraft.
However, for a 11:00 departure you see the entire Indian aviation there.
9W- Arr DEL/Dep MAA, Arr BOM/ Dep IDR
IT – Arr DEL/Dep DEL
G8 – Arr DEL/Dep DEL
SG – Arr DEL/ Dep COK
6E – Arr BLR/Dep DEL and soon arr DEL/Dep BLR as well.
AI – Arr HYD/Dep GOI

For a small and congested airport like PNQ, this is the most difficult time of the day from the terminal and ramp perspective
Also a quick glance at the AAI site. PNQ has 4 domestic and 1 international gates. Its peak hour capacity is 450 pax for departure and arrival. No. of bays – 07
A quick look at arrivals, all 07 are full once everybody is operating on time and at full strength.
At average 150 pax per plane, the capacity is 1050, which if operates at 75% = approx. 800, nearly double of the capacity of the building
On the other hand, IDR has even lower capacity of 250 pax per hour but 12 bays

Today !

As it can be expected, I start very early from my place and reach the airport at 9:45. The airport is still in the old era of manual screening and then proceeding for check-in. Check-in is quick because web-check-in is already done. But security hasn’t started as yet. So I stand in line, looking at the CISF chaps often to see if they would start the security soon and they do start it my 10:05. Security is brisk but already there is a heavy built-up of passengers in the line behind.
I also decide to do a quick check on weather at source and destination

METARS
VAID 070300Z 07004KT 2000 HZ NSC 17/07
VAID 070400Z 09006KT 3000 HZ NSC 22/09
VAID 070500Z 09006KT 3800 HZ NSC 25/10

VAPO 070230Z 00000KT 4000 HZ SCT090 SCT250 21/16
VAPO 070330Z 03003KT 5000 HZ BKN090 SCT250 25/12
VAPO 070430 08003kt 6000 BKN090 27/12
VAPO 070530 07004kt 6000 BKN090 28/12
All Looks fine !

As we await the arrival of first sets of flights into Pune, a couple of Sukhois and a dornier land on rwy10 which is generally active from Oct – Jan. Then lands the 1st 9W bird VT-JNG, which is without winglets at 1035, following it is a G8 flight from DEL at 1040 – VT-WAL ( Brown ). Soon behind is VT-SGB a B739 Oregano again arriving from DEL and going to COK, a flight which they re-instated instead of discontinuing this winter.
Quickly behind that is the next 9W bird, VT- JBP lands, without the Konnect titles. Its 1050. By now its pretty clear that we are not going to have an on-time departure. Meanwhile, Go Air had announced its departure – which is from the other half of the building and Jet airways was boarding for Chennai, which looked like a fairly full flight. Also, the AI 319, VT-SCU operating AI 517 landed from HYD and would go to GOI. Today also marks the start of the direct flight from MAA to PNQ by AI.
After 11:05, 9W announced the flight to IDR and it certainly looked like a full flight then, which the FA confirmed was a full flight in Y and 6/8 seats in J. Boarding was complete by 11:20 which was, again, go down the stairs and walk up to the aircraft boarding.

Settled in the comfortable emergency exit row and awaiting departure. Soon, the fancy Van heusen plane docked next to us, it had arrived from BLR.

We pushed back at 11:25 when the 6E plane had already landed from BLR and would be heading to DEL in another 25 mins, taxied to rwy 10 and after a brief take off roll, were in air. A couple of turns later I suddenly saw the coast, we were actually taking the route via BOM. I have asked a couple of my friends to help me out with the route and hopefully I should let you know soon.

Service

Well this was a FSC and I was looking forward to food and it came ! Veg or Non Veg Sir ? I said Non veg and came a small baby tray in front of me. Something covered in a brown paper with a red dot sticker, a cup with sugar packet and creamer and a small slice of cake, that’s it. As I started eating the chicken pattice wrapped in the brown paper cover, I realized it was a mistake to order non-veg, it was pathetic in taste and I couldn’t eat it. So I hoped that tea/coffee would be good. But surprise, the trays were collected, Sorry, there is no tea or coffee, I wonder why the cups were placed then !

Capt. Ali came on P/A and said that we would be landing in IDR soon, Ohh what a relief, none of us knew where we are headed to. Atleast he could have given some details !

The descent started at 12:15 and we touched IDR at 12:40, quickly taxing to the new terminal at Ahilya Devi Holkar International Airport.
There was a small Cessna, VT-ACT on the ramp, and everything else was obviously empty.

The baggage took 25 mins to come, and was a total disappointment. As I headed out, I saw that Ventura air has two arrivals, one from Jabalpur and another from Bhopal in the next 4 hours or so.
I shall write about the IDR airport in the return TR.
Came down by a fantastic Volvo service to BHO in 3.5hrs flat with a good pit stop in between.

Another interesting noting of the journey was that 4 J class pax were going onwards to DEL and so was the case with many others in Y. What surprises me is that a whole lot of flights leave PNQ around 11:00/11:30 for DEL, which are direct, but why fly via IDR ? !

FlightNo: 9W 796
STD: 11:05
ATD: 11:35
STA: 12:10
ATD: 12:40

Load:
Y: 100%
J: 75%

shivendrashukla · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 7:18 am Post subject:

Nice TR there Ameya. As regards to Pune airport, I have learned from sources that IAF was planning to modernise it in a big way but few disgrunted citizens has blocked the expansion by way of court cases. IAF, as told to me, is furious at this and may take matters into their own hands.

Cheers
Shivendra

ameya · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 9:58 am Post subject:

Are you talking about the MAFI project or the runway extension or the enchroachments around the airport ?

shivendrashukla · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:02 pm Post subject:

ameya · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:09 pm Post subject:

Nimish · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:57 pm Post subject:

Ameya - sounds like this should have a LCC style flight - at least the disappointment would have been lower. Inedible chicken-patty for a snack and no tea/coffee - not very appetizing at all.

To help me visualize your routing, I went to the friendly gcmap site. Here's the route - with the 2nd leg being on a Volvo bus.

Again - 25 minutes for bags to come out - completely unacceptable IMO. At a small airport at that. Clearly they were waiting to unload the last bag at the a/c, probably load the next set, and then only bring the bags to the belt. Otherwise there's no reason for it to take 25 minutes at Indore Airport (which does not look too large http://goo.gl/maps/UKYeq).

The good thing about this report is that the trip was a nice long day trip - and hopefully you managed to snooze during the 3 hour Volvo ride.

And Ventura Air? I had forgotten about them - despite there being multiple threads on this forum. Good to see they exist. From their website:

Pretty impressive and focused route map. Perhaps you could have flown to BHO instead Smile

?

When on their website and trying to make a booking, I found it funny that the flight timings are not shown. Is this the wonky "Charter airline" story?
_________________
We miss you Nalini!

shivendrashukla · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:07 pm Post subject:

ameya · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:45 pm Post subject:

Nimish - Yes, I agree. Strangely the aircraft had menu card as well. I am sure Jet themselves do not know when which aircraft would be routed to do a Konnect flight and hence this system !

I did try convince my co-pax about Air Ventura and went to the website only to see that the ticket was priced between 1500 and 3500 depending on the day we chose, however lack of timings meant that everybody decided against using this service.

Would have been great for sure to use this Air Ventura shuttle. I think "VA" its code as per FIDS at IDR, is classified even lower than the regional airline, something like air charter I suppose

ameya · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:47 pm Post subject:

shivendrashukla · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:03 pm Post subject:

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Reading an Ameya trip report from a +3.5 hours time zone after some 2*3.5 days, has its delights. Yes, the usual absolutely vivid description warmed the heart, coming after such a long time. It was, as always, like being with you are you described the situation in person. I find the new terminal at PNQ quite nice, and for one, actually like the 1st floor gate with the stairs leading down to the tarmac. Every time, I wish to see a Su-30MKI, but am disappointed each time. I have seen an An-32 and a Mi-8, both on the threshold of the runway, but never a Su-30 that close, as our plane landed. The Jet description was interesting - how coincidental that on my last trip with Jet (reported on this forum), I had the same beverage experience (or rather, did not - like you!). I like the new terminal at IDR quite a lot. Aren't we all waiting for a Diwali treat - the return trip report?
Cheers, Sumantra.

ameya · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:29 pm Post subject:

Thanks Sir for the kind words

The return TR - tomorrow !

And more on the IDR terminal...

Infact, I have been tracking this flight 9W 796 2 days prior to my journey and everyday since then. It is getting delayed everyday so far and in PNQ, which clearly is an indication that they cannot handle the turnaround of 2 planes in PNQ

ameya · Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:21 am Post subject:

Another thing I saw while taking off at Pune was the wrekage of the King Air plane which had crashed upon landing in Oct. Hardly reported by the media. One small local news had come

ameya · Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:37 am Post subject:

Found the link as well

Finolex King Air Crash

avbuff · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 5031

Thanks for sharing your TR ... I enjoyed reading it. Truly enlightening.

jasepl · Member Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 4257 Location: bund-bay

Thanks for sharing. Seems like a predictably underwhelming Jet flight.

ameya · Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 2:00 pm Post subject:

As I was telling to someone on the forum today, eventually IndiGO is going to be the dominant player. They have kept peoples expectation at the right level and match them.

I know I have to buy on every route, every season unlike 9W

With this in mind, clean plane, on time service, what else do I want ?

Interestingly, as they say, " Eat Spice, Drink Beer, FLy IndiGo"

completely ignoring Jet Very Happy

me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

Nice report, thanks for sharing!

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Nice pictures, Rishul. I note the last one, too: with two Jet ladies and one Air India Maharaja Smile

Cheers, Sumantra.

ameya · Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 4:29 pm Post subject:

I have missed BHO airport. Hopefully I have one more trip lined up and I dont know how but I will try to convince to land in BHO

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi