Air India’s pilots’ union, the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) has threatened that they will stop work if Air India does not arrange Pan-India vaccination camps for all flying crew above the age of 18 years on priority. The pilots body has also written to Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri seeking restoration of their pre-COVID-19 monthly pay.

Former Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and Former Union Minister for Urban Development and Tourism, Jag Mohan has passed away in Delhi at the age of 94. A man of ethics and values, Jagmohan will forever be remembered for his service to the nation as a civil servant and an administrator. He was the designer of the ‘Incredible India’ slogan as tourism minister.

In its India Aviation Outlook FY2022 report, CAPA India has said that it has once again urged the Ministry of Civil Aviation to create a new National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP). “Post-COVID, there is a need for NCAP 2.0 – possibly as an interim measure – to support sectoral emergence from the crisis through the stages of survival, stabilisation, recovery and eventually expansion,” it said.

Boeing announced a $10 million emergency assistance package for India to support the country’s response to the current surge in COVID-19 cases. The assistance from Boeing will be directed to organizations providing relief, including medical supplies and emergency healthcare for communities and families battling COVID-19. Boeing will partner with local and international relief organizations to deploy the $10 million to the areas of greatest need.

Nepal has suspended all domestic flights from 3rd May midnight and all international flights from 6th May midnight until May 14 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. “The decision on flight restrictions are in place until May 14. However, charter flights will be allowed,” said the Himalayan nation’s Health Minister, Hridayesh Tripathi. Nepal has also made quarantine mandatory for everyone arriving in the country.

Google has recently added a new function that lets users see specific restrictions, like whether they will need to quarantine when arriving at a certain destination or if they need proof of testing. The new tool lets users get updates about travel restriction changes. When users look up flights or hotels in a certain area using Google Search, the site will inform them if there are travel restrictions or advisories.

Osaka Group, Travel and Tour Management company based out of Kerala have opened their new branch, Osaka Connect.com in Bengaluru. The inauguration ceremony was conducted virtually by J Alexander, Former tourism minister and former Chief Secretary, Karnataka. PB Boss, Founder and Chairman, Osaka Group and Bissy Boss, Director, Osaka Group and expressed gratitude to the valuable clients and staff. Jayaraj P S, Business Development Manager, Osaka group, explained the company’s 2025 vision. E M Najeeb, Senior Vice President IATO, expatiated the special message. Felicitations of the day were given by Adv.K V Sabu – (National General Secretary, Indian Christian Movement), Anup Manjeshwar Bhat – (Head – Sales & Distribution, Air Asia India), Amish Desai – (Chairman, TAAI Karnataka Chapter) and K Reji Kumar – (President, Air Passengers Association, Kerala)

While remaining confined to their homes for months, all people can do is dream about travelling to different exciting destinations across the globe. The outbreak of the pandemic has transformed the outlook of the people and way they look at travel. Considering the need of the hour, putting safety measures in place, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi’s premier leisure and entertainment hub, has geared up to welcome tourists with Safe Travel Protocols. The harmonization, coordination and digitalization of COVID-19 travel-related risk reduction measures, including testing, tracing and travel health certificates, are essential foundations to promote safe travel. Safety Measures Undertaken For Safe Travel Over the past year, Yas Island has introduced comprehensive measures on health and safety protocol following UAE authorities’ guidance to ensure visitors feel confident to return to the destination like nowhere else. To ensure that the guests feel safe and secure while travelling to Yas Island, the authorities at Yas Island have undertaken extraordinary safety measures to make sure that island sanitization, physical distancing, and capacity guidelines are up to global standards. Thermal scanners at entry points will monitor guest temperatures and the island will take extra precautions high-traffic areas and frequent touch points with increased cleaning and disinfection practices. Yas Island awarded coveted WTTC ‘Safe Travels’ stamp In recognition of its advanced safety efforts, Yas Island has received the coveted WTTC ‘Safe Travels’ stamp, marking it the first destination in Abu Dhabi to receive the international honor, providing additional reassurance to visitors looking forward to experiencing Yas Island and its many offerings – all safe in the knowledge that the island is maintaining the highest standards of public health and safety. Vaccination Drive Demonstrating its commitment to …

IATO Executive Committee has relooked and restructured its Regional and State Chapters to expand its wings and strengthen its membership basis. IATO Kerala Chapter Chairman, Sejoe Jose, Managing Director, Marvel Tours will be the new Chairman of the IATO Southern region. He will replace EM Najeeb, who has been the Chairman of the Southern Region and has immensely contributed to the growth of IATO in the Southern Region. James Kodianthara, Managing Director, Concord Exotic Voyages (I) will take reigns in Kerala from Jose. Jitendra Kejriwal, Chairman, Arika Tour & Travels will lead the Maharashtra Chapter in place of Vasuki Sundaram. Separate Chapters have been announced for Uttarakhand and Ladakh, where Nidhish Sharma,  Managing Director, Garhwal Adventure, Dehradun and Tsering Namgyal, Managing Director, Windhorse Expeditions India, Ladakh being appointed as Chairman for Uttarakhand and Ladakh respectively. Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO while welcoming the new regional/state chapters mentioned that he is sure that this will help strengthen IATO membership base pan India and especially in Uttarakhand and Ladakh as there was no separate Chapter Chairman in these two states. With having State Chairman located at those places,  besides increasing membership base,  IATO will have better coordination and interaction with the state governments and the local trade

AVIAREPS, the India representative for Budget Rent A Car, will conduct its first-ever presentation for the Indian travel trade on Tuesday, 27 April at 11 am IST. Khushbu Vora, its Account Manager, will highlight Budget’s offerings to the trade and stand a chance to win exciting prizes. To sign up, contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com.