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My flight was delayed by over 3 hours. The carrier did not compensate for it. Here's how it unfolded

<ul><li>A TaxiBot is a semi-robotic machine controlled by a pilot which will be used at the <keyword id="47045" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-Airport">Delhi airport</keyword> to lift the planes slightly and carry them to the runway, with the engine off. </li><li><keyword id="6704588" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="dial">DIAL</keyword> officials note that during the trial runs, the cost of fuel used during the taxiing was reduced by 85%. It is also expected to decrease the noise pollution, emission of carbon dioxide, risks of jet blasts and the congestion at boarding gates. </li><li>In September, another three-month-long trial of the <keyword id="6732716" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="TaxiBots">TaxiBots</keyword> will begin. </li></ul>In order to curb air pollution and save fuel, the <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/semi-robotic-taxibots-will-tow-aircraft-at-delhi-airport-cut-pollution/story-x8KnwklZofINuNA6pGXTBL.html">Delhi airport operator</a> is all set to buy TaxiBots to tow aircrafts from the parking bay to the runway, without the use of the aircraft’s engines. A TaxiBot is a semi-robotic machine controlled by a pilot that will hold the planes, stationed at the apron area, by their nose wheel and lift them slightly. The plane’s pilot will then, transport the plane from the terminal gate to the runway without switching on the aircraft’s engine before take-off to enable warm-ups and technical checks. The TaxiBot can attain a maximum speed of 23 knots. IIT Kanpur has reported that aircrafts contribute to the air pollution and the institution’s 2016 study of <keyword id="66" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi">Delhi</keyword>’s air pollution stated that at least 2% of the city’s pollution comes from aircrafts and that most of the emission from aircraft is during the LTO (landing and take-off) cycle. The electric wheels of TaxiBot are expected to decrease this pollution. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) officials note that during the certificate trials, the cost of fuel used during the taxiing was reduced by 85%. The bot will also reduce damage to the plane’s brakes. Whenever a plane applies its brakes, the nose wheel receives the entire pressure of all its weight. However, now the pressure will be on the TaxiBots, leading to lesser damage. The Delhi airport is expected to benefit in many different ways if the plan is implemented well. It will reduce the congestion at boarding gates and it will also reduce the risks of jet blasts. The air quality of the places around the airport is expected to improve as the emission of harmful gases like carbon dioxide will decrease. The noise pollution in these areas might also reduce by a significant margin. At present, the plane engines get switched on after passengers board and fuel is wasted by keeping engines on as the plane taxis to the runway. A trial of the TaxiBots will begin in September, which will last for three months ans is in association with KSU Aviation Pvt Ltd. This company will provide DIAL with the TaxiBots that have already been developed by <keyword id="621699" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Israel-Aerospace-Industries">Israel Aerospace Industries</keyword> (IAI).

Hitching a ride: TaxiBots to take aircrafts to runway with engine off

<ul><li>There are approximately 470 aeroplanes in the country as of 2017. </li><li>This number is projected to triple by the next decade. </li><li>The country is lagging behind on infrastructural growth that can accommodate new flights and aircrafts. </li></ul>The Indian aviation industry has <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/indian-carriers-are-all-fuelled-up-but-have-nowhere-to-land/articleshow/64641622.cms">hit a snag</a>, the airports are running out of preferred slots and parking space. The lack of flying slots and spaces to park aircrafts is due to the the fact that the airports are super busy and working overtime. What this has lead to, besides flight operators having to fight out for slots and space, is a bottleneck for the country’s growth in aviation. And this issue is mostly affecting newer airline carriers like Vistara and AirAsia which are rapidly expanding its business but have to deal with ‘undesirable’ slots for their operations. Since its inception Indian aviation industry has grown significantly. From 381 airplanes in 2008 to approximately 480 in 2017 along with <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/india-set-to-become-third-largest-buyer-of-passenger-planes/articleshow/58937405.cms">plans</a> to buy more aircrafts to deal with increasing flight demands, the industry’s growth in on an upward curve. The country is looking at nearly 1080 aeroplanes, out of which, more than 700 are scheduled for delivery within the next decade, and 400 within the next five years. As of June last year, a total of 880 aircrafts were on order, with most of them being placed by low-cost carriers such as IndiGo and SpiceJet. And this bulk demand as left <keyword id="6355752" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="airport">airport</keyword> authorities concerned. 
 
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 While more aircrafts mean more flights and therefore more money coming in for these airline operators, the airports are not adequately equipped to accommodate all the airplanes at the same time. And this leads to the airports only being able to offer slots at ‘undesirable’ hours, time slots that are not very popular with travellers, for newer flights. The Mumbai and Delhi airports, which are among the busiest in the world, are so packed with flights that they are only offering new slots between 11PM and 5AM. Airports in Goa and Pune are also offering only night slots. Airports in Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata also don't have any slots open during peak timings. What is making matters worse for domestic carriers is that even smaller airports like Jaipur, Jammu, Srinagar and Patna and many more are facing similar issues and can offer time slots that aren’t popular. Currently, 97% of the slots on the Mumbai airport are with the older airline carriers. In Delhi and Bengaluru, 89% and 86% are with older airlines respectively. At Chennai and Pune, the share is about 93% and 91% respectively. 
 
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 Airport congestion is a world-wide phenomenon. But the situation is worse in <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>. The government has big plans of linking smaller, less-served areas to bigger airports under its regional connectivity programme - and this would just mean more congestion. Parking space in airports is also a major concern, but the country has already started to address this problem. All airports, excluding Mumbai, have started building parking bays. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been set in action and plans to add 273 parking bays at 24 airports to help resolve parking issues. AAI is also trying to increase airside capacity by increasing work efficiency to address this congestion problem.

Indian aviation hits a snag: Parking space, flight slots are scarce across airports

<ul><li>In Delhi alone, up to 22,369 acres of space can be saved by adopting rideshare (assuming rideshare substitutes for private cars), which is almost 4 times the size of <keyword id="184708" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indira-Gandhi-Airport">Indira Gandhi Airport</keyword>. </li><li>Substituting <keyword id="6425768" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ridesharing">ridesharing</keyword> for private cars could eliminate between 33%-68% of the total cars on the road and in-turn reduces congestion by 17%-31% across these cities. </li><li>Commuters take 1.5 times longer to travel a given distance during peak hours, compared to travel time during non-peak hours.</li></ul> The Indian government is doing away with the mandate that people require a commercial <keyword id="6361020" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Licence">licence</keyword> to drive taxis, autos, e-rickshaws and two-wheelers (for delivery). This would be good news for many and may also help reduce corruption in the issuance of commercial licenses. Up till now, people had to first get a private licence and then wait one year to get the commercial licence. This roundabout way has been done away with, however, the commercial driving licence remains mandatory for those driving trucks, buses and other heavy commercial vehicles. That said, there are some inhibitions that this move will increase congestion on the roads. Anil Chikkara, an expert on transport issues, told <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/commercial-driving-licence-not-needed-for-taxis-autos/articleshow/63822859.cms">The Times Of India</a>, “In an ideal condition, one cab replaces at least six private cars and an autorickshaw substitutes over a dozen cars since these are on the move and need little parking space.” And by that logic, this move will help ease the problem. Chikkara’s comment is echoed in a study by <keyword id="136162" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Boston-Consulting-Group">Boston Consulting Group</keyword> commissioned by <keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword>, which says ridesharing could help deal with a mammoth problem - parking. If embraced, 760 to 22,000 acres of parking space in four primary cities -- Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore -- could be used for other purposes. In Delhi alone, up to 22,369 acres of space can be saved by adopting rideshare (assuming rideshare substitutes for private cars), which is almost 4 times the size of Indira Gandhi Airport. According to the report, peak congestion in cities averages 149% which is substantially higher than other comparable cities around Asia. Commuters take 1.5 times longer to travel a given distance during peak hours, compared to travel time during non-peak hours. This is currently estimated to cost a whopping $22 billion per year - and that is only in the four primary cities. Substituting ridesharing for private cars could eliminate between 33%-68% of the total cars on the road and in-turn reduces congestion by 17%-31% across these cities. According to Barney Harford, COO of Uber, "If car ownership trends continue, Indian cities risk coming to a complete standstill in only a few years”. He goes on to say, “Ridesharing can be part of the solution to traffic congestion because it uses technology to get more people into fewer cars. We can unlock our cities and their full potential, but we have to do it together.” A few years back, an average city dweller would baulk at the idea of sharing their taxi with anyone. Cut to 2017-2018, not only is ridesharing becoming acceptable, many in fact consider it to be a preferred way to travel. According to the report, over 79% of the respondents from the four primary cities -- Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore -- who plan to buy a car in the next five years said that they would reconsider the move, should the affordability and convenience of ridesharing match or exceed that of owning a car. The move will, of course, help Uber and <keyword id="6354720" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola">Ola</keyword>, who have been trying to push ridesharing in the countries. Not requiring a commercial license will likely help the companies ramp up the number of drivers who sign up for their services.

India just made it easier for people to become Uber/Ola drivers

<div class="KonaFilter image-container no-rightrail"><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee</div></div>Located in northwestern India, Jaisalmer Airport was completed more than two years ago at a cost of $17 million. At a time when the spanking new facility should be welcoming hundreds of thousands of passengers per year, it sits abandoned. In fact, the airport has yet to operate a single day.According to <a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/08/19/india-airport-idINKCN0QN2BV20150819" target="_blank">Reuters</a>, Jaisalmer is one of more than 200 no-frills airports planned by India's previous government. They were meant to encourage <keyword id="6354692" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> and commerce in far-flung parts of the Indian sub-continent. However, in many cases, local political greed won out over reason and airports were placed in locations where there simply isn't enough demand for air travel to warrant a full-scale airport. In fact, Jaisalmer is one of eight airports the Indian Government has constructed over the past decade at a cost of more than $50 million to have never entered service, Reuters reports. Why aren't airports such Jaisalmer in business? According to <a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/08/19/india-airport-idINKCN0QN2BV20150819" target="_blank">Reuters</a>, one reason is because airlines can't open routes to these small under-developed areas. The domestic Indian market is incredibly competitive and for a route to have any chance of profitability, it has to either fly to or from one of the country's mega cities. This means that in order for an airline to open a route to Jaisalmer, it has to originate in a major hub such as Delhi or Mumbai. However, airports in these cities are incredibly congested and the precious space there is at these facilities are prioritized for more profitable destinations. As a result, the less populated locales remain perpetually underserved. Here's closer look at India's brand new ghost airport.

This abandoned ghost airport in India cost $17 million to build

In order to control traffic and resulting pollution, the <keyword id="67999" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Central-Pollution-Control-Board">Central Pollution Control Board</keyword> (<keyword id="68804" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="CPCB">CPCB</keyword>) has directed governments of Delhi-NCR cities to consider introducing flexible office timings, so that peak-hour traffic can be reduced. 
 
The Centre has informed about CPCB's directions before the Supreme Court, to a bench headed by CJI TS Thakur. 
 
The motive behind this step is to ensure that the SC knows about the anti-pollution measures that the centre is taking, so that it can reconsider the ban and tax imposed in Delhi-NCR on diesel cars of engine capacity of more than 2000 cc. 
 
Coming back to the proposal, the CPCB is of the opinion that flexible office hours will contribute a lot in the reduction of peak-time traffic to and from Delhi-NCR destinations, especially considering the number of people travelling to and from Noida and Gurgaon. This results in regular morning and evening snail-like traffic on roads connecting Delhi to other NCR cities. 
 
Talking of Gurgaon, the road connecting Delhi and Gurgaon also leads to the Delhi Airport, which results in further traffic and delays. 
 
While the governments are yet to decide on flexi office timings, other measures include adding particulate filters to diesel vehicles, introducing early alarm system for probable traffic congestions, route diversion, decongesting pathways, prevention of parking on roadsides and non-designated spaces and impounding of visibly polluting vehicles, as reported by <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/have-flexible-office-timings-to-reduce-peak-traffic-central-pollution-control-board/articleshow/53109485.cms">ET</a>. 
 
Other than this, CPCB has set a 30-day deadline, by when state governments will need to start synchronising traffic lights, install vapour recovery system in fuel stations, introduce mechanised vacuum sweeping of roads, and close unauthorised brick kilns. 
 
<a href="http://thewire.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/traffice-pti1.jpg">Image source</a>

Central Pollution Control Board suggests flexible office timings for reduction in traffic

<keyword id="6354552" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="hyderabad">Hyderabad</keyword> has emerged as the best city in terms of living standards among Indian cities three years in a row, while Vienna has been ranked at the top globally in a list by consultancy firm Mercer. The National Capital for the second straight year hit the lowest score among Indian cities for living standards, as per the Mercer's Quality of Living rankings 2017. Both Hyderabad and Pune ranked higher for quality of living than the country's traditional business centres Mumbai and <keyword id="6358777" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Delhi">New Delhi</keyword>, which have been ranked at 154 and 161, respectively, by the report. However, Hyderabad fell by five places to 144 in this year's rankings from 139th rank last year due to decreased power supply and water availability. While New Delhi scored well on account of its airport facility, availability of international schools and low probability of natural disasters, these positives were offset by a variety of negatives including a 'notorious' crime rate, air pollution and water availability, the report said. "Delhi continues to be challenged with increasing air pollution, owing to growing traffic and industrialisation. Delhi's air is the worst among world megacities, even the World Health Organisation confirmed recently. Unfortunately, there has been no improvement in air quality," Ruchika Pal, Principal and <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> Practice Leader, Global Mobility, said. Over time, cities like Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai have emerged as cities of choice due to factors such as relatively lower crime rate, lesser air pollution and improved options for international and reputable English speaking schools. Pal noted that Indian cities that have been part of the survey have not made much progress on the quality of living scale since last year. The only exception is Chennai, whose score has marginally improved mainly on account of public transport, including buses and a recently expanded two¬line metro system, and improved availability of expat housing. Globally, Vienna remained at the top for overall quality of living for the eighth year running, with the rest of the top-ten list mostly filled by European cities. European cities in the top ten list are: Zurich (2) Munich (4), Dusseldorf (6), Frankfurt (7), Geneva (8), Copenhagen (9) and Basel ¬¬ a newcomer ¬¬ at 10th place. The only non¬European cities in the top ten are Auckland (3) and Vancouver (5). The highest ranking cities in Asia and Latin America are Singapore (25) and Montevideo (79), respectively, it said. Mercer's survey also includes a city infrastructure ranking that assesses each city's supply of electricity, drinking water, telephone and mail services, and public transportation as well as traffic congestion and the range of international flights available from local airports. Singapore topped the city infrastructure ranking, followed by Frankfurt and Munich both in 2nd place, while on the other hand Baghdad (230) and Port au Prince (231) ranked at the bottom for city infrastructure. Amongst Indian cities, Mumbai is ranked the highest at 141, followed by Kolkata (149) and Pune (151), while Bangalore was rated the lowest (177) by the report. 
 
<a href="http://New Delhi rated worst and Hyderabad rated best city in India in terms of living standards">Image credit</a>

New Delhi rated worst and Hyderabad rated best city in India in terms of living standards

<ul><li>Indian billionaire <keyword id="3820" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani">Mukesh Ambani</keyword> has upped the stakes with an investment of $25.76 million in <keyword id="2392602" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="skytran">skyTran</keyword>, acquiring a majority stake.</li><li>skyTran, not unlike <keyword id="6355315" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="elon-musk">Elon Musk</keyword>’s <keyword id="6396317" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyperloop">Hyperloop</keyword>, used the power of magnets to offer a carbon emissions-free of travelling faster within urban cities.</li><li>Hyperloop already has three projects going in India — Mumbai to Pune, Bengaluru Airport connectivity, and Delhi to Chandigarh.</li></ul>A battle of the billionaires is unfolding in India between Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani and founder of <keyword id="6360701" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="spacex">SpaceX</keyword> and <keyword id="107096" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tesla">Tesla</keyword>, Elon Musk. Ambani’s <keyword id="6355199" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="reliance-industries">Reliance Industries</keyword> has acquired a US-based transportation company developing pod taxis, that the conglomerate initially invested in three years ago, through its subsidiary Reliance Strategic Business Ventures. Both skyTran and Musk’s Hyperloop are in the business of making pod taxis. Also called personal rapid transit (PRT), these are a type of small public transport facility that feature small automated vehicles that operate within a network of specially built tracks. <div type="image" title="skytran pod_edited" msid="81267236" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;SkyTran&amp;#39;s pod taxis for intra-city transport&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Hyperloop and skyTran taxis use the power of magnets to move around at speeds that can theoretically reach upto <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/virgin-hyperloop-one-has-hired-on-one-of-the-worlds-most-experienced-transit-executives-as-its-new-ceo/articleshow/66549678.cms">240 kilometres per hour.</a> Hyperloop, already, has three projects in the works within India. One connecting Mumbai to Pune, another increasing the connectivity to the Bangalore International Airport and the latest endeavour to connect Chandigarh to India’s capital city, New Delhi. <div type="image" title="virgin hyperloop india_edited" msid="81267192" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Elon Musk-owned Virgin Hyperloop One&amp;#39;s pod for the Mumbai-Pune connectivity project&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> “skyTran has developed breakthrough passive magnetic levitation and propulsion technology for implementing personal transportation systems aimed at solving the problem of traffic congestion globally,” said Reliance in its <a href="https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachLive/352332a8-a32a-49d5-a45d-6ae3c68b2da1.pdf">regulatory filing</a>. This comes within days of Ambani announcing that he will <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/mukesh-ambani-says-he-will-make-batteries-ahead-of-a-boom-in-electric-vehicles/articleshow/81166590.cms">make batteries</a> for electric vehicles ahead of the boom resonating with Musk’s plans with Tesla. While Tesla makes its lionshare of revenue from the actual cars, Musk has invested in energy generation and storage in a big way. Musk had earlier revealed that his company may set up a <a href="https://www.electrive.com/2020/12/29/tesla-makes-headway-in-germany-and-india/">Gigafactory within India</a> once it starts manufacturing electrical vehicles in India. Its office is already set up in Bangalore with plans for a manufacturing plant soon to follow, according to <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/tesla-to-set-up-electric-car-manufacturing-unit-in-karnataka/articleshow/80900006.cms">reports</a>. skyTran vs Hyperloop The idea to introduce pod taxis in India was led by Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, in 2016. A year later, in 2017, a panel headed by Indian government’s policy think tank NITI Aayog cleared the ministry’s proposal to test three rapid transport systems using pod taxis. The short-listed candidates were New Zealand’s Metrino Personal Rapid Transit, UK’s Ultra Global PRT and US-based skyTran. Ultra Global uses rubber tyres that run on specially made tracks and Metrino’s pods are suspended from overhead rails. Of the three, skyTran is the only one that uses magnetic levitation to move pod taxis from point to point, making it the only competitor to Hyperloop’s hopes in India. Rather than typing up with the central government, Hyperloop chose to work on projects with state governments. It has been working with the Maharashtra government to build the world’s first commercial Hyperloop corridor running between Pune and Mumbai. The Musk-owned enterprise is also working on increasing connectivity to the Bangalore Airport. In November last year, Hyperloop had a major breakthrough. It successfully <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hyperloop-pod-carries-two-humans-through-a-tube-at-over-160-kmph-for-the-first-time-ever/articleshow/79121765.cms">carried two humans</a> through a tube in one of its magnetically levitated pods at 160 kilometers per hour. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> Both of these companies may use magnetically levitating taxis to bet on the future but there is a key difference in the application of their respective technologies. Hyperloop is great for travelling longer distances, more between cities than within the city itself. skyTran, on the other hand, is focused on intra-city transport. Reliance started out by acquiring 12.7% of skyTran in October 2018. Next year, in November 2019, ir raised its stake to 17.37%,. By April 2020, Reliance put in a third tranche of investment to bring its stake up <a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/ril-raises-stake-in-us-based-skytran-to-26-3-11588157023518.html">to 26.3%</a>. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/mukesh-ambani-ratan-tata-and-anand-mahindra-might-come-together-for-indias-new-national-hydrogen-mission/articleshow/80645570.cms">Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata, and Anand Mahindra might come together for India’s new National Hydrogen Mission</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/mukesh-ambani-says-he-will-make-batteries-ahead-of-a-boom-in-electric-vehicles/articleshow/81166590.cms">Mukesh Ambani says he will make batteries ahead of a boom in electric vehicles⁠</a>

You Searched For "delhi airport congestion" and got 8 results

My flight was delayed by over 3 hours. The carrier did not compensate for it. Here's how it unfolded

Ira Alok Puranik

Hitching a ride: TaxiBots to take aircrafts to runway with engine off

BI India Bureau

Indian aviation hits a snag: Parking space, flight slots are scarce across airports

BI India Bureau

India just made it easier for people to become Uber/Ola drivers

Kavita Majumdar

This abandoned ghost airport in India cost $17 million to build

Benjamin Zhang

Central Pollution Control Board suggests flexible office timings for reduction in traffic

BI India Bureau

New Delhi rated worst and Hyderabad rated best city in India in terms of living standards

BI India Bureau

Elon Musk is facing a challenge from Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani in India⁠— both in energy and transportation

Prabhjote Gill

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