Adani Airports Holdings Limited (AAHL) has announced the onboarding of Mangaluru International Airport and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport into the DigiYatra initiative of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). With this, all seven operational airports of AAHL now offer passengers access to use DigiYatra to access the airports. This significant step aligns with AAHL’s commitment to enhance passenger experience through seamless and contactless travel. Jeet Adani, Director, AAHL, stated, “Since its launch on 15 August 2023, DigiYatra took flight at five of our airports: Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Guwahati. Offering the DigiYatra experience to our passengers in Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram…
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Riyadh Air has appointed Bird Travels as its exclusive distribution and sales partner in India. Riyadh Air CEO, Tony Douglas, is currently leading a delegation to India for a series of discussions that will explore potential partnerships in the key market for the airline. Bird Travels, renowned for its extensive connectivity and deep understanding of the Indian travel landscape, will play a crucial role in enhancing Riyadh Air’s brand visibility and promoting its range of flights across the country. Gaurav Bhatia, Executive Director of Bird Group, said, “We are honoured to be Riyadh Air’s exclusive distribution and sales partner in…
Recognising the opportunity with significant surge in outbound travel from India, Thomas Cook (India) Limited – India’s leading omnichannel foreign exchange services provider, has launched the Borderless Travel Card. This product is designed to empower leisure travellers with smooth and secure international travel transactions – with multi-currency support, worldwide acceptance and exclusive travel benefits. This initiative reiterates Thomas Cook’s position as India ka Forex Specialist – highlighting the company’s sustained focus on innovation and elevated customer experience. Thomas Cook Borderless Travel Card benefits* • Supports 12 global currencies for seamless international transactions and access to over 70 million Mastercard and…
EaseMyTrip.com has announced a strategic partnership with Sukoon Unlimited, a premium senior care service provider, to offer exclusive benefits tailored for senior citizens. This collaboration is aimed at making travel more accessible, comfortable, and stress-free for elderly travellers booking flights through EaseMyTrip. As part of this partnership, senior citizens can enjoy a seamless travel experience with specially designed services. EaseMyTrip will provide personalized assistance to make booking flights effortless, ensuring that elderly travellers receive the necessary support at every stage of their journey. Additionally, exclusive discounts will be offered to senior travellers, making their trips more affordable while maintaining the…
Vietnam Airlines will expand its India network with direct flights from Bengaluru and Hyderabad to Hanoi starting May 2025. The airline will operate four weekly flights from Bengaluru, and three from Hyderabad using Airbus A321 aircraft. With this expansion, Vietnam Airlines will now serve four Indian cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, offering seamless connectivity to Japan, Korea, China, Australia, and ASEAN nations. Nguyen Trung Hieu, Country Manager India, stated, “India is a key market, and South India has seen growing demand for travel to Vietnam. We are excited to enhance connectivity and world-class service for Indian travellers.”
The Union government yesterday introduced the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, to consolidate existing immigration laws and introduce provisions to deny entry to foreigners deemed a “threat to national security.” Tabling the bill, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said its objective was not to prevent anyone from coming to India but to ensure national security and sovereignty. “Tourists are welcome, but it is the government’s responsibility to maintain peace and sovereignty,” Rai said, dismissing concerns over the legislative competence to enact the law. He asserted that the Centre has the necessary authority…
India will require around 30,000 pilots over the next 15 to 20 years as airlines continue to expand their fleets, Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu said on Tuesday. He highlighted that domestic airlines have placed orders for more than 1,700 aircraft, adding to the current fleet of over 800 planes. Speaking at an event for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 200 trainer aircraft, the Minister stressed the importance of strengthening pilot training in the country. “There are currently 6,000 to 7,000 working pilots, and with the growing demand, India should aim to become a hub for…
The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has reiterated its demand to delink the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on Food & Beverage (F&B) services from accommodation charges in hotels. Citing multiple representations made to the authorities, FHRAI has emphasized that the current practice of linking F&B taxation to hotel room tariffs is both unfair and operationally challenging for the hospitality industry. Under the prevailing GST framework, restaurants within hotels charging Rs. 7,500 or more per room per day are subject to 18% GST on F&B services with input tax credit (ITC) benefits, while those in hotels…
The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), in collaboration with Starscapes, is set to host the Astro-Tourism and Dark Sky Conclave at Corbett, Ramnagar, from March 21-23, 2025. This three-day event, part of the Nakshatra Sabha astro-tourism campaign, will bring together astronomers, astrophotographers, researchers, industry professionals, and night sky enthusiasts to promote dark sky conservation and sustainable astro-tourism. The conclave will feature expert-led discussions, technical training, policy deliberations, and practical workshops aimed at equipping participants as Dark Sky Conservation Ambassadors. Sessions will cover topics such as night sky preservation, telescope handling, astrophotography, and the development of astro-tourism as a sustainable industry.…
The Indian government is making significant strides towards self-reliance in the global aviation industry. Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu announced that the government is establishing a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to manufacture regional transport aircraft. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, he emphasised that India can now design, manufacture, and maintain aircraft, with policies already in place to support this vision. With domestic airlines ordering over 1,500 aircraft to meet rising demand, the government aims to develop a local manufacturing ecosystem. The SPV, planned for a five-year timeline, will bring together key stakeholders, assess the current landscape,…