On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Air India is all set to ply 40 of its domestic and 12 international flights with an all-women crew. “Air India is set to fly 12 all-women crew flights on its medium and long-haul international routes and over 40 return domestic and short-haul flights all over India to celebrate the International Women’s Day on March 8 this year,” Air India said in a statement. Air India will deploy its B787 Dreamliners and B777s aircraft to operate the aforementioned 12 international flights. Women pilots and cabin crew will be operating Airbus family aircraft as well as dreamliners to over 40 domestic destinations and back to commemorate the occasion,” the airline added. On the ocassion, Ashwini Lohani, Chairman and Managing Director, Air India said, “I would like to congratulate our women crew for operating so many flights on various international and domestic routes fuelled by their indomitable ”nari shakti” (women power).” (With inputs from PTI)

According to The International Air Transport Association, air transport makes a significant economic contribution to India. In 2010, 79 million people travelled to/from/or within India. By 2017 that doubled to 158 million. That number is expected to treble to 520 million by 2037. Aviation in India supports 7.5 million jobs: 390,000 directly, 570,000 in the value chain, and 6.2 million in tourism. Aviation contributes some US$30 billion annually to India’s GDP.

Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels has opened Zone by The Park, Jammu. This 51-room hotel will have one of city’s largest banquet spaces with 7500 sq. ft. party hall with an open lawn of 1800 sq. ft. making it ideal for weddings and large conferences. The hotel also has two large party halls for high powered meetings and events. Bazaar, the signature restaurant of Zone, is inspired by multi-hued charismatic native markets. The 24-hour restaurant with interactive service formats and LIVE cooking stations will give guests an unrivalled experience. Liquiteria at the lobby level will serve quick bites and health drinks to the guests. Z Bar will offer a wide selection of refreshing beverages. An open lobby that can be re-arranged for private events; a bulletin that connects the guests with the city’s action; gaming consoles and the coolest Zone Auto, are few attractions of this new hotel. Speaking about the launch, Vijay Dewan, Managing Director, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. said, “Jammu is an all season destination for tourists with great weather and unmatched history. Popularly known as the winter capital of Jammu & Kashmir, the city attracts immense traffic because of temples and shrines. Drawing from The Park’s design spirit, Zone by The Park envisions an interactive series of buzzing spaces using the best of contemporary design, with playful interiors and vibrant nightlife. We will cater to the needs of design-conscious, price-conscious guests, who are visiting the city to explore prevalent natural beauty, history and spirituality.”

WelcomHeritage (WH) has opened its new property in Coorg, Karnataka— WelcomHeritage Ayatana, which offers picturesque location and breathtaking views. The 53 cottage property is spread over 100 acres of endless lush greens amidst the gentle rolling hills WH Ayatana is a perfect location where you can breathe in fresh, clean air, take lazy walks or simply enjoy the natural surroundings. The magnificently designed individual cottages offer a spectacular view of the valley. Sanjeev Nayar, GM, WelcomHeritage shared, “This is the 33rd property of WelcomHeritage and we are extremely happy to share that we are experiencing good occupancy from month it flagged off. WelcomHeritage is determined to promote the country’s cultural heritage as well as the natural beauty and with WH Ayatana, it is our sincere effort to bring forward the untamed beauty of South India to the world. WH Ayatana is a perfect blend of natural beauty with seamless hospitality services. It has everything to offer to a discerning traveler be it close to nature experience or sumptuous cuisine, rejuvenating holiday or business trip. That is the reason, the property has picked up extremely well.”

Embassy of Vietnam signs BLS International for its visa applications in India and has also been authorised as the only company to handle the ‘Attestation and Legalisation Services’ for the Embassy of Vietnam. Shikhar Agarwal, Jt. Managing Director said, “We are honoured by the confidence and trust the Embassy has reposed in us for ensuring a smooth, efficient and delightful experience for the applicants. To ensure this, we are opening 15 centres across India, covering the major hubs as well as the growing regional cities. Our 15 centres will also facilitate the attestation and legalisation services for the Embassy of Vietnam, exclusively.” BLS International will accept visa applications for travel to Vietnam at 15 centres including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Goa, Kochi, Lucknow, Raipur, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Trivandrum. In recent months, BLS International has been gearing up to provide innovative solutions to Governments and Citizens across the globe and had engaged global consulting firm EY to review structures and processes. The company is now implementing their recommendations that will enable it to re-engineer and transform the business, and has strengthened the Leadership Team with professionals who are respected in the industry for their expertise.

The focus on LCC model is expected to only get sharper in the coming years, according to a report on Indian aviation commissioned by FICCI and Deloitte. It is expected that few airlines would even try out the newer Ultra-Low Cost Carrier (ULCC) model that has seen some traction in USA, the biggest domestic market of the world. They could offer absolute stripped-down travel, itemising ticket prices to the services included. Industry experts are even talking about Hybrid and Low-Cost Long-Haul (LCLH) business models. With lower cost of operations due to the waiving off of most airport charges on RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme) routes, the ULCC model may be the newest paradigm for the industry in India. This would indeed help make air travel more affordable to the country’s millions.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed an MoU with the Uttar Pradesh government for taking over the development and operation of Kushinagar Airport. The MoU was signed by Surya Pal Gangwar, Special Secretary, Civil Aviation, Government of Uttar Pradesh and GD Gupta, ED (Planning), AAI in New Delhi in the presence of Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman, AAI and senior officials of AAI. Kushinagar Airport is located at a distance of 50 Kms from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. It is an important destination on the Buddhist Circuit for devotees visiting from all over the world. AAI has agreed to take over the existing non-operational airport at Kushinagar spread over an area of 589 acres along with existing infrastructure like the runway, apron etc. for its development and operationalisation to enhance air connectivity in the region. Bids have been received for the operation of flights to Lucknow and Gaya from Kushinagar under UDAN-3.

Indian visitors and tourist numbers saw strong growth in 2018. Visit visas increased by 10% to almost 477,000. More than 1 in 5 (22%) of all UK visit visas in 2018 were granted to Indian nationals. The number of student visas issued to Indians has also reached the highest level since 2011, according to the latest quarterly report on Immigration Statistics published by the UK Home Office. Just over 19,500 Indian nationals were granted a tier 4 student visa in the year ending December 2018. This was a 35 per cent increase on the previous year – the highest total in a single year since 2011. 2018 was a second year of significant increases in this category – meaning Indian student numbers are now over 70 per cent higher as compared to just two years earlier in 2016. Indian workers continue to receive more skilled work visas than the rest of the world combined – India is responsible for 54% of all skilled work visas granted globally. Over 55,000 skilled work visas were granted to Indian nationals last year – more than six per cent higher than in 2017 and the largest increase in numbers for any country. The British High Commissioner to India, Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG, said, “These latest figures show yet another major increase in the number of visas granted to Indian nationals. I particularly welcome the strong increases in work and student visas for Indian nationals in 2018. Almost 19,500 Indian students received a Tier 4 visa last year – a 35% increase and follows a 27% increase in 2017. Likewise, skilled workers from India in 2018 increased at the fastest rate for any country, showing …

The Indian civil aviation industry is set to attract an additional $250 billion by 2040, according to a latest report by CAPA India. The industry has attracted cumulative investments of $48 billion during the last 15 years. Over 90 per cent of incremental investments are expected on aircraft acquisition and airport development. By FY2040, India is expected to see its fleet increase by around 2500 aircraft and the construction of more than 50 new airports. Combined with investment in ancillary services such as ground handling, MRO and training, Indian aviation will require up over USD250 billion of capital expenditure over this period.

India once again earned the distinction of being the fastest growing inbound market for Australia, according to a report by Tourism Australia (TA). Arrivals for the year-ended November 2018 stood at 352,500 – a growth of 18 per cent over the previous year. During October 2017 to September 2018, Indian tourists spent $1.6 billion on their Australia trip, a growth of 10 per cent over the previous year. India is now on track to achieve fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth in arrivals, as well as spend. Over the past few months, TA executed few marketing activities to raise Australia’s appeal and attractiveness among the Indian high value travellers: launch of #UnDiscover Australia campaign on television and digital media, showcasing unusual and unfamiliar experiences that Australia has to offer; partnership with ESPN cricinfo with television presenter and model, Shibani Dandekar, visiting five Australian states, and interacting with five Australian cricketing talents, showcased their hometowns and Australia as a holiday destination to their Indian fans and followers through a series of 22 destination videos; leveraged the popularity of our Friend of Australia — Parineeti Chopra and Harsha Bhogle, and Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, who showcased why there’s truly nothing like Australia among their followers; launched the fifth iteration of the Airline Marketplace campaign that delivered over 16,400 bookings in just 3 weeks; Strengthened relationship with the travel industry through the launch of the Premier Aussie Specialist Program, online webinars and face-to-face training initiatives.