Tag Archives: Mumbai

Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) saw a 10 per cent increase in overall air traffic movement as compared to the previous reporting periodm, according to GVK MIAL’s recently-published fourth biennial Sustainability Report 2018. The report also said that there was 22 per cent increase in domestic passengers and 13 per cent increase in international passengers during the reporting period as compared to the previous reporting period. The report is based on the theme – ‘Coming Together for a Sustainable Tomorrow’, showcases performance and achievements for FY 2016–17 and FY 2017–18. Through this report, MIAL aims to keep its stakeholders informed regarding progress on vital sustainability issues such as climate change, safety & security, environment & health and others to create value in short, medium and long term. MIAL is the first and only airport operator in India to publish Sustainability Report in public domain. Through the report, MIAL has demonstrated its commitment towards meaningful participation for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report has been developed ‘In accordance’ – Comprehensive option of the latest Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI) Standards. Based on GRI database MIAL is the first airport operator in Asia to release the sustainability report in accordance with GRI Standards – comprehensive option. The report is externally assured by Bureau Veritas (India) in line with requirements of the AccountAbility 1000 Assurance Standard (AA1000AS) (2008) – Type 2 Moderate level.

According to a latest report titled ‘Hospitality insights from the Indian CEO’s desk’ by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and PWC, more than one-third of the respondents indicate a willingness to invest in Tier II towns to capitalise on the growth of domestic travel. However, the survey also shows that Tier I cities, primarily Mumbai and Delhi, continue to be the most preferred locations for hotel expansion. Although most players are not looking for international locations actively, some (especially the larger Indian chains) are open to expanding internationally, provided an opportunity is available.  

India ranks 12th of all Asian cruise destinations with just 2 per cent of Asia’s total calls, according to a latest report titled ‘Asia Cruise Trends’ commissioned by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). India hosted 120 calls at its various ports in 2018, a 6 per cent decline from 2017. 88 of those calls are Transit, or 73 per cent of the total. Mumbai sees the most calls at 48, followed by 32 in Cochin. India’s five year CAGR and five-year growth are 6 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively.

Preferred Hotels & Resorts has announced 23 new properties scheduled to be launched across the globe in 2019 of which one will be The Chedi, Mumbai, housing 312 rooms and suites. Breathtaking views over the Powai Lake to Mumbai’s dramatic cityscape, this hotel will be a game-changing luxury in India’s City of Dreams. The Chedi, Mumbai welcomes business travellers with sophisticated meeting facilities, state-of-the-art equipment and communication technology.

AirAsia India has said it will commence flight operations to Mumbai from January 2019. Sunil Bhaskaran, MD and CEO, AirAsia India, said, “We are pleased to make the much-awaited announcement of adding Mumbai to our network. This is a great way to end 2018, and is in line with our ultimate vision to focus on revolutionising air travel in the markets that we operate in. We’re also happy to welcome our 20th Airbus A320 aircraft to our fleet.” Source: IANS

India has decided to offer visa on arrival to South Korean nationals, a home ministry official said. Like the Japanese nationals (who have been getting the privilege since March 2016), the facility to South Korean citizens include double entry visit for a period not exceeding 60 days for business, tourism, conference and medical purposes for entry through six designated international airports – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. According to an estimate, around 2 lakh Indian visas are issued to South Korean nationals every year, of which 80 per cent are tourists. On an average, 600 South Korean nationals arrive in Delhi daily. Though visa-on-arrival facility was earlier offered to citizens of 12 countries — Cambodia, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Luxembourg, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and South Korea — it was discontinued in November 2014 after the launch of e-Tourist Visa scheme. The e-visa facility now covers practically all the countries of the world, 166 as of now, and foreigners can arrive at any of the designated 26 airports and five seaports in India without interacting with any official before checking in at the immigration counter. Under the e-visa scheme, an applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a printout of this authorisation. On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then allow entry into the country. Source: PTI

Air Italy has inaugurated its first non-stop flight from New Delhi to Milan recently. Apart from it, the airline will start three-times weekly direct operations from to the city from Mumbai from December 14. India is the fourth international addition to the airline’s expanding network, following the successful commencement of operations to New York (JFK), Miami (MIA) and Bangkok (BKK) earlier this year. Offering 24 fully reclining flatbed seats in Business Class and 228 seats in Economy Class, Air Italy’s new Delhi service offers connections to New York and Miami as well as domestically across Italy. Italy is the second European destination for Indians travelling to Europe in terms of tourism, as compared to other countries, and this route has been a long-standing request from local authorities, leisure travellers and various trade organisations. Speaking at a press conference, Rossen Dimitrov, Chief Operating Officer, Air Italy, stated, “The launch of our India-Italy sector represents another major step forward for Air Italy and reinforces our commitment to our network expansion plans in Asia. Our average load factor on both routes for the first month is already at around 70 per cent, which is well within our business plan expectations and will only continue to grow now that operations have commenced. “India is a fascinating and dynamic destination and is a significant base for business and tourism. We are delighted to welcome Delhi as a part of our global network and look forward to providing more flexibility of travel choices to our customers, contributing to this ongoing growth.”  

In its endeavour to recognise the fast growth of the aviation sector, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), has announced the Global Aviation Summit, with an overarching theme of ‘Flying for all – especially for the next 6 billion’. Supported by ICAO, IATA, ACI and CANSO, the Summit will be held on January 15 and 16, 2019 at The Grand Hyatt in Mumbai. It aims to focus on the celebration of ‘Flying for All’ and to provide a platform to the aviation fraternity to highlight the challenges of the sector in the newly-developing growth spots. The Summit provides a platform to the stakeholders to brainstorm over the future of the aviation industry and identify the growth areas. Speaking at the announcement of the Global Aviation Summit, Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Civil Aviation and Commerce & Industry said, “The reason behind hosting the Global Aviation Summit here is because India is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world. This Summit will provide a platform to the global aviation fraternity to display the challenges of the sector in the newly-developing growth spots and understand how technology-driven innovation will shape the air travel industry in India.” More than 1,000 delegates, 80 plus speakers, 50 plus CEOs of airports and airlines, 30 plus exhibitors, transport ministers from 35 countries and 35 regulators (DGCAs/Civil aviation authorities from different countries) from the global aviation fraternity are going to participate.

Jazeera Airways has announced the launch of its services to New Delhi from December 15. The airline, which commenced operations in India last year, currently flies to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kochi and Ahmedabad from the Gulf nation. The airline has also announced special one-way fare starting from Rs 10,599 for an Economy Class journey and Rs 19,146 for Business Class travel on the new route. Rohit Ramachandran, Chief Executive Officer, Jazeera Airways, said, “The introduction of services to New Delhi and the expansion of network will bring more choice to travellers to and from India, connecting them to Kuwait and other cities in the Gulf and the Middle East that are served within the airline’s network.” Source: PTI

Beginning December 2018, Jet Airways will introduce 18 additional flights on select destinations such as Bangkok, Kathmandu and Singapore in ASEAN as well as Doha and Dubai in the Gulf. Further, it will soon add a third daily frequency to Bangkok and Singapore each from Delhi and a third daily service to Singapore from Mumbai. Additional frequencies will also be introduced to the Gulf, strengthening the airline’s status as one of the largest carriers to/ from the region. December will see the introduction of second daily services connecting Mumbai and Delhi with Doha respectively. The addition of a seventh daily frequency between Mumbai and Dubai will also make Jet Airways the only airline to offer unparalleled 24-hour connectivity to the Gulf’s favourite destination with maximum number of daily services. Apart from it, the carrier will offer a fourth daily frequency between Delhi and Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Jet Airways also continues to augment its domestic connectivity at these hubs, and will increase operations between Mumbai and Amritsar to daily frequencies, and add a fourth daily frequency on the Delhi-Amritsar route in December. These steps are in addition to new services already introduced at the beginning of winter schedule, including new flights on the Delhi & Bangalore-Vadodara routes, increased frequencies in the Mumbai-Guwahati and Mumbai-Patna markets and an enhancement of capacity from ATR to 737 operations on the Delhi-Jodhpur route. Raj Sivakumar, Senior Vice President – Worldwide Sales & Distribution, Jet Airways, said, “The strategy will enable Jet Airways to offer extensive connectivity via Mumbai to most of its network in south and west India. Similarly, new services to Delhi will offer seamless connectivity to the north and east of …