Etihad Airways has announced the suspension of its Abu Dhabi-Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) route effective March 25, 2018, as it will become commercially unsustainable following American Airlines’ unilateral decision to terminate its codeshare agreement with the airline. Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said, “The unfortunate decision by American Airlines to terminate a commercial relationship that benefited both carriers has left Etihad with no choice but to suspend flights between our Abu Dhabi home and Dallas/Fort Worth. “We are open to American Airlines reversing its decision to cancel our codeshare agreement so that Etihad Airways can continue the route and together protect and support American national interests and global connectivity while driving commercial value for both airlines.” Etihad Airways has invested heavily in the DFW route since its launch in December 2014. The route commenced with three flights a week and was upgraded to a daily service in February 2017, providing travellers in the US and across the airline’s network with access to more US cities through American Airlines’ primary hub. More than 235,000 travellers have flown on the route since its launch. Almost half of Etihad Airways’ DFW customers connect on US codeshare flights operated by American Airlines. Baumgartner added, “The cancellation of the Dallas route is one of several adjustments that we are making to our US network in 2018 in order to improve system profitability. Further changes are possible as we monitor the full impact of the American Airlines codeshare cancellation on summer 2018 bookings. Etihad Airways currently operates 42 non-stop flights a week to five US gateways – Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York and Washington. Additionally, Etihad Cargo operates twice weekly Boeing 777F freighter …

Ethiopian Airlines is all set to launch Africa’s first and the airline’s youngest and modern operating fleet B787-9 Dreamliner operation in to Mumbai. The aircraft made its debut flight to India’s capital city of Delhi on October 28, 2017. The Dreamliner fleet which is an integration of design and technology with unique features of biggest windows in the sky, high ceiling, less noise, distinctive lighting, and higher air humidity, has further redefined passengers’ travel experience on board Ethiopian. Tadesse Tilahun, Regional Director, Indian Sub-continent, Ethiopian Airlines, remarked, “Ethiopian was the first airline to introduce Dreamliner 787-8 to India in 2012 and Airbus A350 -900 XWB in April 2017. Once again, we are proud to celebrate yet another first with the introduction of the cutting-edge Africa’s first 787-9 into Indian market. India is a strategic market for Ethiopian that has been served for more than 46 years and in line with our expansion strategy in Indian market, we are pleased to deploy our latest fleet and adding capacity on the existing route to better serve our esteemed customers and to further strengthen the growing trade and commercial ties between the booming economies of India and Africa.”

As an annual ritual, Trafalgar has launched its new 2018 brochure that will include some new itineraries and elements. Nicholas Lim, President for Trafalgar Asia, who is in India for the launch, says, “The new brochure has over 100 itineraries across Europe which also has some new itineraries such as Best of Norway and Berlin Explorer because of demand from the India market. This year, we have also added our ‘Be My Guest’ element to all our itineraries as against just a few chosen ones these last few years. It is a signature program that we have weaved into all our itineraries this year due to high demand. This is an exclusive dining experience at a local’s home.” Trafalgar launched this brochure in key markets across India including Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune. Lim adds, “This year too we are guaranteeing all confirmed departures under our ‘Discoveries’ series for itineraries starting from April to October 2018. That means travel agents can book with confidence and don’t have to worry about whether a tour will be cancelled or not. This is also extended to some of the itineraries in our ‘Best of’ series but not all as of now. So they need to check this on our website before making the bookings.” It has also kept the early bird deal that it is giving out till the end of February 2018 that offers 10 per cent off on all itineraries unless they are already full.

Ebix, Inc, international supplier of on-demand software and e-commerce services to the insurance, financial, e-governance and healthcare industries, has announced that one of its Singapore subsidiaries has entered into an agreement to acquire Bengaluru-based Via.com, an omni-channel online travel and assisted e-commerce exchange. The acquisition of Via expands on Ebix’s distribution network to over 224,000 distribution outlets in the South East of Asia, besides offering significant cross selling opportunities for Ebix’s EbixCash Financial Exchange portfolio of products. Under the terms of the agreement, Via was valued at a total enterprise value of approximately $74.9 million. The closing of the transaction is expected over the next few days. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to Ebix earnings immediately. Via has shown growth at a CAGR of 45 per cent over the last three years with over 110,000 distribution outlets and 8000 corporate clients. Its distribution network encompasses over 85,000 agents in India, 14,700 agents in Indonesia, 9,900 agents in Philippines, 600 agents in Singapore and 350 agents in UAE and Oman. Ebix intends to consolidate this acquisition into its Financial Exchange – EbixCash while bringing significant synergies and redundancies to the combined operation. The acquisition of the Omni-channel Business, would further strengthen Ebix’s position in the Financial Exchange market in India, as travel transactions can be one of the key areas of any leading financial exchange, with an estimated user base of 600 million in India alone. Vani Kola, Managing Director, Kalaari Capital said, “Ebix is a logical home for Via, as it complements EbixCash’s financial exchange portfolio perfectly, opening up tremendous cross-selling opportunities on both sides. We are excited about the possibilities this offers for both our customers and …

SriLankan Airlines extended its route network with the launch of daily non-stop services to Melbourne on October 29, 2017. Ajith Dias, Chairman of Sri Lanka’s national carrier, said: “We at SriLankan Airlines are delighted to launch this new service, which we have no doubt would be of great convenience to all segments of travelers, including the large number of Sri Lankans domiciled in Australia, the many Australians who love to travel overseas and people throughout Asia who visit Down Under.” Sri Lankan expatriates and students form a large and significant community in Australia, and frequently travel back to their native land. Many of them reside in Melbourne, and other cities in the state of Victoria and neighbouring New South Wales, with smaller numbers throughout the rest of Australia and New Zealand. Captain Suren Ratwatte, CEO of SriLankan Airlines, said: “We have been extending our route network in a systematic manner throughout Asia – from the Middle East to the Far East – and can now provide Australian travelers excellent options in connectivity, with one-stop journeys to the most popular destinations via Colombo.” A member of the prestigious oneworld global airline alliance, SriLankan offers convenient connections to 14 cities throughout India, nine in the Middle East and other destinations such as Male and Gan Island in the Maldives, and Seychelles. SriLankan also operates one-stop twice-daily services between Sri Lanka and Australia with its codeshare partners Qantas and Malaysia Airlines. Passengers will enjoy the comforts of the airline’s modern Airbus A330 aircraft between Melbourne and Colombo, with flatbeds in Business Class, sophisticated in-flight entertainment and world class service provided by SriLankan’s award winning cabin crew.

Global hospitality group Carlson Rezidor announced the entry of Radisson in Mumbai with the signing of a 112-key property called Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC. The hotel is being developed in partnership with GHV Hospitality India and will be managed by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, South Asia, said, “We are delighted to sign the management agreement for Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC, which is significant to us in many ways. Radisson is a firmly established global brand with over 200 hotels in operation and development throughout the world.” Source: PTI

The Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) will kick-start in Kochi on September 27, 2018 with Malabar Tourism promotion as its main theme. The three-day conclave, organised by KTM Society in partnership with Kerala Tourism, will be held from September 28-30. Pre-registration of buyers will commence in January 2018. “The 10th edition of KTM will be inaugurated coinciding with World Tourism Day (September 27) in Kochi. The inauguration will be followed by three-day business to business meetings. There is huge scope for tourism growth in Malabar with the inauguration of Kannur airport next year,” he said. The minister said the Responsible Tourism Mission has already started activities to spread its objectives to more places and make it a state-wide project, instead of concentrating it in a few places. Kerala Tourism Principal Secretary Dr Venu V said, “There is more to KTM than trade exchanges. The mart will feature 400 stalls showcasing a range of products, packages and services offered by businesses and entrepreneurs.” Source: PTI

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL), Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) and Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) signed an MoA with a strategic vision to promote tourism from the catchment area of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad to Malaysia. This tri-partite MoA involves collaborative market research, strategy development, promotional campaigns and marketing efforts with an aim to enhance the visibility of ‘Destination Malaysia’ in Hyderabad. The trend shows that over 100,000 passengers travel between Hyderabad and Malaysia every year; and this traffic has grown by 28 per cent CAGR in the last five years. SGK Kishore, CEO, GHIAL, said, “We are happy to sign this first of its kind MoA between airport operators – GHIAL and MAHB and Malaysia Tourism. This is a strategic initiative, which we have taken up to enhance the outbound tourism from our catchment region to key international destinations to enhance RGIA’s International connectivity and traffic growth.” Datuk Mohd Badlisham Ghazali, Managing Director, MAHB, said, “We are delighted to partner MTPB and GHIAL in this unique endeavour. This mutually beneficial three-way partnership will enhance the visibility of Malaysia’s tourism attractions in Hyderabad and surrounding areas.”  

VFS Global recently received authorisation from the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi and its Consulates in Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai to process Thailand Visa Application Centres across India. In order to provide convenience to the travellers from across East, West, North and South India, VFS Global has expanded its network of Thailand Visa Application Centres to 13 cities. VFS Global has already been servicing Thailand visas in East, North and South India, with centres in the cities of Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Gurugram, Kochi and Chandigarh. With the addition of operations in Western India, travellers can now also apply for a Thailand visa at any one of the VFS Global Thailand Visa Application Centres in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa. Vinay Malhotra, Chief Operating Officer – Middle East and South Asia, VFS Global, says, “Thailand has long been a popular destinati0n for Indian travellers, and a long-standing partner of VFS Global. For well over a decade, we have proudly served The Royal Thai Embassy and The Royal Thai Consulate General in India, with nine centres. It is therefore an honour to announce that VFS Global has been authorised to expand its Thailand visa services across India through its network of visa centres in 13 cities.” With Thailand emerging as one of the top destinations for Indian travellers, VFS Global’s appointment as a service provider will greatly benefit the growing volumes of applicants from India. When applying through VFS Global, applicants will be able to avail of the additional benefits on offer across VFS Global’s Visa Application Centres including services such as SMS updates, courier services, online tracking services, among others.

The Tourism Department of Kerala has launched a marketing campaign “#GoKerala” in association with HolidayIQ, India’s largest travel community, in order to promote state tourism. Under this campaign, five couples will get a chance to win a 10 days, all-expense paid trip to Kerala. Speaking about the campaign, P. Bala Kiran, IAS, Director, Kerala Tourism and Managing Director, Kannur International Airport said, “Kerala Tourism has always sought new and innovative marketing avenues to build Kerala as the top tourism brand and destination. Hence, we are excited to partner with Holiday where they have provided an innovative concept to invite real travellers with varying preferences from their vast travel community to experience the beauty and hospitality of Kerala and Kerala Tourism department.” #GoKerala campaign is a content-led, multiple-platform campaign with a dedicated microsite, integrated touchpoints and targeted reach. The experiential campaign, unlike traditional marketing campaigns, is completely powered by the holiday experiences and reviews of travellers across the country. “A holiday itinerary, specially curated by Kerala Tourism and HolidayIQ, will show these travellers a Kerala beyond its backwaters and mere honeymoon destination to being a wholesome family destination – a true taste of God’s own country!” P. Bala Kiran further added. The campaign has been live on all social platforms and receiving overwhelming response from travellers across the country, looking for the perfect destination to holiday this winter season. The idea is to promote and showcase unexplored destinations of Kerala and position Kerala as a family holiday destination across the country. Speaking on the occasion, Rohit Rawal, Head of Brand Solutions, Holiday said, “As India’s first and largest travel community, HolidayIQ has always been a pioneer in bringing experiential marketing to the …