Former Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer (CSCO) at Vistara, Sanjiv Kapoor has joined GoAir as Advisor. Kapoor’s career spans for over two decades with airlines in Asia, Europe, and the US as the investment advisor, portfolio manager, and management consultant. He will advise GoAir on important business and government matters. Before Vistara, Kapoor has also worked with SpiceJet as its Chief Operating Officer. Commenting on his appointment, Vinay Dube, Chief Executive Officer, GoAir said, “I welcome Sanjiv to the ever-growing GoAir family. His strong domain knowledge and deep expertise in the aviation sector will help GoAir in multiple ways.” Kapoor has an MBA in Strategic Management from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College, Hanover. The other companies he worked with include Northwest Airlines, Bain and Company, Temasek Holdings (Singapore), and BCG (the Boston Consulting Group), among others.

On 24th March 2020, the Hon Secretary of IATO called an emergency EC meeting to discuss the IATO election process in light of the COVID-19 epidemic.  Where the date of withdrawal of nominations of 24th March by 3 pm was postponed. Withdrawal of nominations received so far stands invalid. Also, it was decided that the returning officer shall call a meeting on the 6th of April, 2020 to take stock of the situation on ground and decide upon possible dates for withdrawal of nominations and elections or if need arises, to further defer or cancel the elections for the time being.  

Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot has written to PM Modi demanding a relief package for those affected by the economic impact of COVID-19 on the tourism and hospitality industry. In a statement, Gehlot said that there is an unemployment crisis for 29 lakh families and demanded for a unemployment allowance as well. He also sought GST payment waiver or postponement for tourism & hospitality industry and MSMEs. The Rajasthan government has already announced the reimbursement of SGST for the state’s tourism and hospitality industry. The CM has also written a letter to the Finance Minister and urged to address the crisis being faced by the state’s tourism & hospitality industry.

InterContinental Hotels Group provides a business update in light of the rapidly evolving situation regarding Covid-19.Keith Barr, Chief Executive Officer, IHG, said: “At this unprecedented time, our top priority remains the health and wellbeing of our guests, colleagues and partners, and ensuring that in light of such a significant impact on the global economy and, in particular, on the travel industry, we take the right steps to protect the long-term health of our business. Demand for hotels is currently at the lowest levels we’ve ever seen. IHG has a robust business model and the measures we are announcing today to reduce costs and preserve cash give us the capacity to manage the business through this unique environment and to support our owners during this incredibly difficult time. These were not easy choices and we are mindful of the impact these decisions will have on our colleagues and shareholders. However, we believe that these are essential to ensuring that we come out of this as strong as we possibly can and ready to capitalise on what remains an industry with excellent long-term growth potential.”

Korea Tourism Organization is excited to host a webinar for the travel trade today at 3pm. The webinar will be a refresher course on South Korea as an overall tourism destination from the Indian customer perspective. For more information and to register, please contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com. It will cover all the basic destination information and highlight the popular places along with ideas on how to create a better South Korea tour product for the Indian consumer. The webinar will cover FIT and leisure travel but will also have valuable inputs for MICE groups. Jong Sool Kwon, Director – Korea Tourism Organization, New Delhi office, says, “As we are all aware of the business slowdown due to the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak globally, I think it is best for the travel industry to utilise this time to better update itself with as much destination knowledge as possible. On that note, I have initiated the South Korea product webinar campaign so that travel agents can benefit themselves and be better prepared once the demand rises again.”

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation has formed a Global Tourism Crisis Committee in response to the global outburst of COVID-19 and several countries announcing lockdown. In the coming days, UNWTO will release a set of recommendations for recovery. The document will highlight the steps governments and other authorities need to take to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector and to then accelerate recovery. The UNWTO-led Committee will hold regular virtual meetings, reflecting the need for coordinated and efficient action by the private and public sectors, governments and  international financing institutions. The world tourism body further emphasise the call for international cooperation to underscore a united response based on latest public health recommendations and reflecting the deep economic ripple effect and social cost of the pandemic.  

Vistara is constantly working to maintain the highest standards of safety and is taking all necessary precautions and measures to fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the efforts, the airline had set up a Specialized Task Force in January 2020 to orchestrate various preventive, containment and decontamination measures. Vistara has adopted the WHO guidelines, stepped up safety measures on its aircraft, in offices and airport areas. The airline is reviewing this regularly as the situation continues to evolve. AIRCRAFT CLEANING: Vistara is now cleaning its aircraft at the turnaround of every single flight with disinfectants recommended by aircraft manufacturers and as prescribed by the authorities. This means all cabins of Vistara’s aircraft, including seats, tray tables, latches, galley, seatbelt buckles, all lavatories and flight deck etc. are being disinfected after every flight. Additionally, thorough deep cleaning of all aircraft in Vistara’s fleet is being carried out every 24 hours using approved higher concentration of disinfectant cleaner. Callington 2200 (CH2200) is being used as the disinfectant cleaner, and the cleaning procedures are carried out by teams equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as body suits, hand gloves, face masks, as required. OTHER PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: Vistara is continuously monitoring flights across its network for risks. If a suspected case comes to the airline’s attention, either voluntarily or reported/observed by our crew (i.e. passengers exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19), Vistara’s operations and maintenance control centers are immediately informed for necessary action. This includes immediate sanitization of the affected row including three rows ahead and behind of it, lavatory, sidewalls, tray tables, overhead compartments and carpets by approved cleaners. If any confirmed cases are reported, Vistara will immediately carry …

Doing its bit to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, Vistara today announced temporary fleet-wide removal of all reading material from seatback pockets, including the Vistara in-flight magazine, newspapers and other magazines of passengers’ interest. The step has been taken to prevent the spread of the virus.   Vistara is also proactively cleaning all aircraft in its fleet at the turnaround of every single flight. Disinfectant cleaners approved by aircraft manufacturers are being used for the purpose. This means all cabins of all of Vistara’s aircraft, including seats, tray tables, latches, galley, seatbelt buckles, all lavatories and flight deck etc. are being disinfected after every flight. Additionally, Vistara is carrying out thorough deep cleaning of all aircraft every 24 hours using approved higher concentration of disinfectant cleaner, Callington 2200 (CH2200). The airline’s teams wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as hand gloves and face masks, as required, to perform the cleaning procedures.   OTHER PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES:   Vistara is continuously monitoring flights across its network for risks. If a suspected case (passengers exhibiting any symptoms of Covid-19) comes to the airline’s attention, either voluntarily or reported/observed by the crew, the airline’s operations and maintenance control centers are immediately informed for necessary action. The subsequent action includes immediate sanitization of the affected row including three rows ahead and behind, lavatory, sidewalls, tray tables, overhead compartments and carpets by approved disinfectant cleaners. If any confirmed cases are reported, Vistara will immediately carry out complete sanitization of the entire aircraft. Vistara’s cabin crew practice a high level of personal hygiene and wear disposable gloves during processes such as clearance of trays. Vistara’s fleet is equipped with the HEPA (High Efficiency-Particulate Arrestors) air recirculation filters that …

Aeroflot has adjusted its schedule of flights from Moscow. Aeroflot will continue to operate flights from Moscow to the following destinations in Europe: Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Dublin, Geneva, London, Madrid, Paris and Rome. Following the decision by Russian authorities to halt flights between Moscow and Dubai, from 23 March one flight will operate daily on this route. From 29 March, Aeroflot will continue to operate flights to the US only between Moscow and New York. Aeroflot is working hard to help Russian citizens return home. We ask all passengers holding tickets for cancelled flights to regularly check the email associated with the booking, or check the booking on the Aeroflot website, or contact the airline directly to make changes. Passengers (Russian citizens) holding tickets for later dates on routes where service is being suspended are requested to contact the airline as soon as possible to rebook their flight on the earliest operated regular or charter flight. Aeroflot has temporarily suspended flights between Moscow and the following cities: — Aktau (23 March to 23 April) — Aktobe (23 March to 23 April) — Almaty (23 March to 23 April) — Athens (24 March to 18 April) — Atyrau (24 March to 23 April) — Baku (29 March to 30 April) — Barcelona (21 March to 23 April) — Beirut (18 March to 29 March) — Belgrade (21 March to 23 April) — Budapest (23 March to 30 April) — Bukhara (16 March to 15 April) — Cairo (19 March to 31 March) — Chisinau (16 March to 31 March) — Copenhagen (21 March to 23 April) — Delhi (22 March to 28 March) — Frankfurt (19 March to 23 April) — Helsinki (24 March to 2 April) — Karagandy (19 March to 23 April) — Kostanay (21 March to 22 April) …

Etihad Airways will temporarily suspend all flights to, from, and via Abu Dhabi following a decision by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), to suspend all inbound, outbound, and transit passenger flights in the UAE. This decision has been made to limit the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus and to protect citizens, residents, and international travellers. The suspension of flights to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport will commence at 23:59 (UAE local time) on Wednesday 25 March, and will last for an initial 14 days, subject to further directives by the relevant authorities. Cargo and emergency evacuation flights are exempt and will continue. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “These are unprecedented times and unprecedented decisions are being made by governments, authorities and companies, including Etihad, to contain the spread of the coronavirus and to help minimise its effects around the world. “We stand with our loyal customers, who are having to endure disruption and inconvenience to their travel and their daily lives, and we dedicate all our efforts and resources to ensuring we do all we can to assist them with their travel planning during this challenging period. “As the national airline, we stand in full support of the UAE government’s decision, and are confident that we’re well prepared to weather the commercial and operational impact this suspension will have on our services.” Guests will be notified if their flight is cancelled. However, prior to proceeding to the airport, all guests should still check the status of their flights, using the Etihad Airways Flight Tracker at: https://www.etihad.com/en/manage/flight-tracker Etihad Airways continues to follow UAE and international …