Twenty14 Holdings has announced plans to launch Port Muziris – South Asia’s first Tribute Portfolio hotel, part of Marriott International, near Cochin International Airport. The 55-room property is all set to be opened to the public in April. “We are thrilled to debut the first Tribute Portfolio in South Asia. At Twenty14 Holdings, we share the vision of offering a unique experience for guests,” said Adeeb Ahamed, Managing Director, Twenty14 Holdings. “Kerala has long been one of the most sought-after destinations worldwide, and we are excited to be part of the state’s flourishing tourism sector. We look forward to extending our legacy of providing outstanding hospitality to guests across Kerala and India through our bespoke properties,” he said. Tribute Portfolio, launched by Marriott, is a collection of independent hotels around the globe with a focus on expressive design moments, vibrant public spaces, and a flexible food and beverage model. “We are delighted to announce the first Tribute Portfolio hotel in India with the opening of Port Muziris hotel in Kochi. This will also mark the debut of our 16th brand to join the Marriott International portfolio in India,” said Neeraj Govil, Area Vice President — South Asia, Marriott International. He added, “We are honoured to partner with Twenty14 Holdings for their first hotel in India. With its unique design and vibrant social spaces, we are sure this hotel will become a preference for leisure travellers.” Port Muziris which includes 55-keys, 2 F&B outlets and a 150-pax capacity ballroom is Twenty14 Holdings’ first property in India. Currently, the hospitality investment firm has over $750 million portfolio of properties around the world, including the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – the Caledonian in Scotland, Sheraton …

Amadeus has agreed to acquire ICM Airport Technics, a global leader in passenger automation and self-service bag drop solutions for airports and airlines, for an undisclosed sum. Following this deal, Amadeus is now in a stronger position in this sector to drive future growth. Amadeus’ airport customers will now be able to enhance and improve their existing services to passengers whilst continuing to ensure passenger safety and security. ICM, headquartered in Sydney, specialises in the provision of passenger automation and self-service bag drop solutions for customers principally in APAC and Europe. Bruno Spada, Head of Airport IT, Amadeus says, “Often the passenger experience in airports is not a good one – long queues to check bags in and disparate services and technologies that do not always speak to each other. In essence, airports are crying out for open self-service solutions to help take the friction and hassle out of the airport experience for passengers. By combining Amadeus’ and ICM’s software and hardware capabilities, by accelerating and introducing more self-service options, and by using the power of biometrics, this deal announced today will ensure that together we can deliver better journeys for passengers in the future.” Richard Dinkelmann, CEO, ICM says, “By combining ICM’s market-leading self-service and passenger processing solutions with Amadeus’ global reach and complementary product offering, we are now in a unique position to offer even better technical solutions to our airline and airport customers.  We are excited about the future, as we share similar values such as strong innovation, reliability, and an uncompromising commitment to improving airport efficiency as well as passenger safety and security.” As part of the acquisition, approximately 150 ICM employees are expected to join Amadeus. ICM …

Japan Airlines and Travelport have agreed to form a joint venture to take ownership of Travelport Japan K K (Travelport Japan) and JAL’s 100 per cent owned subsidiary, Axess International Network. Under the unified Travelport Axess brand, the joint venture will operate a Global Distribution System (GDS) tailored to the needs of the Japanese travel industry. The proposed joint venture, which will operate under the brand name Travelport Axess, will combine Axess’ expertise in Japan and Travelport’s global technology leadership. Yoriyuki Kashiwagi, Executive Officer of International Passenger Sales, Japan Airlines, said, “We believe that the future of travel will be transformed by technological innovation. I am confident that Travelport Axess will be able to help Japanese travel agents to respond to growing global demands by offering services based on state-of-the-art technology.” Travelport Axess will continue to offer travel agents services through Axess’ GDS platform, and enable access to Travelport’s GDS platforms, Apollo and Galileo. The proposed joint venture will provide online, mobile and corporate travel propositions including global booking and expense management tools as well as access to New Distribution Capability (NDC) content, offering Japanese travel agencies and their customers the best of locally developed products with best-in-class global connectivity and capabilities. Gordon Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Travelport, commented, “This announcement and our ongoing partnership with Japan Airlines is a significant advance in the provision of state-of-the-art technology for the Japanese travel industry.” Under the planned agreement, Travelport will hold a majority stake in Travelport Axess, with JAL controlling the remaining stake and playing an active role in the joint venture. Following the signing of a definitive agreement between Travelport and JAL, the new joint venture is expected to …

Launching its flight on the Delhi-Istanbul sector, IndiGo has announced to use its expanding fleet of A320neo and A321neo aircraft to connect more Indian cities to China, Vietnam, England, Myanmar and Saudi Arabia. William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo said, “We are looking very seriously into other points in South East Asia, notably the obvious ones of Vietnam and Myanmar. We also want to operate shortly to Saudi Arabia on the west side. We are seriously interested in getting in China as soon as we can. We are still selecting precise destinations.” The airline plans to add 125 A321neo aircraft in its fleet over number of years. In 2019, it will receive 20-25 of these aircraft from Airbus, he said. While Delhi-Istanbul flight is being operated in A321neo aircraft having 222 seats, Boulter clarified that the flights to China would be based on A320neos. The Delhi-Istanbul flight plans to connect 20 forward destinations using the codeshare pact that was signed between India’s largest airline and Turkish Airlines on December 21 last year. Codeshare pact allows passengers to travel on a single ticket on flights operated by the partner carrier. Source: PTI

The Indian trade delegation that is currently in France to attend the annual show Rendezvous en France 2019 organised by Atout France has been exploring the potential of regions yet unfamiliar to the Indian travellers. The 32-member delegation hosted by Atout France India includes tour operators from Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bengaluru. The regions that the Indian delegates found appealing for their clients include Provence and the Rhône-Alpes. The two-day show is being held in Marseille this year to promote the region in the international markets. About 915 tour operators from 73 different countries are attending this B2B travel show, one of the biggest trade events in France.

On the occasion of Goût de France/Good France 2019, a French culinary event is set to take place in 70 restaurants in India, among 5000 worldwide on March 21. Mme Sonia Barbry, Consul General of France in Bombay and Sheetal Munshaw, Director, Atout France jointly launched a special buffet featuring signature French dishes prepared by chefs who participated at the event held recently at the Residence of France in Mumbai. This year, each restaurateur will freely interpret his own version of a French menu, using his local and seasonal produce. Each menu will showcase a more responsible cuisine, more respectful of the planet’s resources and of the diners’ health. The guests opting for the set Goût De France/ Good France menu for the evening, will also stand a chance to win a 3 night/4 day sojourn in Northern France.  

Singapore Airlines is all set to merge Silk Air into the parent airline by 2022, and would eventually scale back all Silk Air services in the next three years. The move is being made to remain profitable in line with increasing competition with Chinese and Middle Eastern airlines. The aircraft under SilkAir would undergo the required refurbishments to match the quality and product offerings of Singapore Airlines. This three year transformation programme is designed to boost revenue and trim back costs.

Virgin Atlantic recently hosted a dinner and cocktail party for its top 50 travel trade partners in Amritsar at Hyatt Regency. The airline shared an update about its latest product and services with agents.  

The new civil terminal at Hindon Airbase, Ghaziabad, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently is likely to start operations by April-end. Hindon Airbase is located at a distance of 40 kms from Indira Gandhi International Airport. Hindon Airport has been developed for the operation of RCS flights at the cost of Rs. 40 Crores. This Civil Enclave will be connected to Jamnagar, Shimla, Kalaburgi, Kannur, Faizabad, Nasik, Hubli and Pithoragarh under RCS – UDAN. The development of new civil enclave at Hindon Airport will take the load off from Delhi`s IGI Airport and will also serve the passengers from Delhi NCR and Uttar Pradesh. Development of Civil Enclave at Airforce Station Hindon has been planned for the operation of RCS flights in two parcels of land measuring 5.6 acres for Civil Enclave and 4.8 acres for construction of approach road from Sikandarpur Marg. Airport Infrastructure has been developed by AAI and the approach road has been constructed by Govt. of Uttar Pradesh. A terminal building has been constructed on an area of 5425sqm. With 8 check-in Counters, the terminal building will be able to handle 300 passengers during peak hours.

Fortune Hotels has opened Fortune Select Cedar Trail in Mashobra, Shimla with the inaugural fare of Rs 9999 plus taxes. This rate is valid for bookings made till April 12. The hotel offers a range of accommodation options in a crescendo of views, panoramas, balconies and terraces. The rooms, filled with natural light, are spacious with large bay windows and private balconies. Tantalise your taste buds against the backdrop of majestic Himalayas with a lavish menu at Zodiac – the all-day diner or relax with family and friends at Neptune bar and lounge.The hotel is located amidst a lush oak, cedar and pine tree forest and at an altitude of 2100 metres above sea level with sweeping views of the majestic Himalayan range. This beautiful hotel is ideally located at a distance of 33 km from the Shimla airport while the Chandigarh Airport is 130 km away. All the popular tourist attractions of the Shimla hills are at a close driving distance from the hotel — Kufri (12 km), Mall Road (16 km), Jakhoo Temple (10 km), Tatapani (44 km), Lakkar Bazar (12 km) and the Ridge (13 km). Spanning two floors, the hotel’s meeting and event space can house up to 300 guests and are ideal for corporate events and meets. The hotel is fully geared for spectacular destination weddings that are sure to look right out of a fairy-tale. Additional hotel highlights include high speed Wi-Fi connectivity, round the clock dining, activity zone, and a fitness centre equipped with state-of-the-art exercise equipment designed for guests committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle even on holidays.