As a continuation of its globally recognised ‘Time for’ campaign, Malaysia Airlines unveiled ‘Time for Premium Leisure,’ a campaign that redefines Business Class travel by showcasing its unparalleled comfort, personalised service, and worldclass amenities. From spacious seating and bespoke in-flight experiences to exclusive access to award-winning lounges and gourmet dining, travellers can indulge in a seamless and luxurious journey. Running until 20 February 2025, this exclusive Business Class campaign offers special fares across its network. In addition, members of the airline’s award-winning Enrich programme can also enjoy an additional five per cent off fares, while non-members are encouraged to sign up for free to unlock this exclusive benefit. Whether it is a dream escape to the Maldives, a romantic getaway to Paris, or a coastal retreat in Da Nang, now is the perfect time to experience premium travel at exceptional value. Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer, Airlines from Malaysia Aviation Group, said, “At Malaysia Airlines, we continuously elevate the premium travel experience, ensuring that every journey is defined by comfort, exclusivity, and our signature Malaysian Hospitality. This commitment is exemplified in the introduction of our next-generation A330neo, setting a new benchmark in business class travel. Designed for discerning travellers who seek more than just a seat, our Business Class offers spacious suites with privacy doors, direct aisle access, and our state-of-the-art elevation seat, designed for ultimate relaxation. Whether traveling for business or leisure, our goal is to ensure that every moment onboard is an indulgence in premium comfort.” As part of this journey, Business Class passengers can enjoy an elevated end-to-end travel experience from the moment they arrive at the airport, including personalised Meet and Greet assistance, access to the …

Ethiopian Airlines announced the launch of a new thrice-weekly passenger service to Hyderabad, India, starting from 16 June, 2025. This new route exemplifies Ethiopian Airlines’ commitment to expanding its global network and enhancing connectivity between Africa and Asia, providing passengers with convenient travel options. The new flight will commence operations with three mid-day departures from Addis Ababa to Hyderabad and morning arrivals on the return leg as per the details below: ET 682 Addis Ababa (ADD) to Hyderabad (HYD) – Mon, Wed, Sat ET 683 Hyderabad (HYD) to Addis Ababa (ADD) – Tue, Thu, Sat Regarding the launch of the new service Mesfin Tasew, Group CEO, Ethiopian Airlines, remarked, “We are delighted to commence a new passenger service to Hyderabad. Since our first flight to Mumbai, India, in 1971, we have expanded our footprint throughout the country, offering convenient passenger and cargo transportation services. This new service will not only enhance travel options for our esteemed passengers but also strengthen trade and tourism ties between the two countries and beyond. Additionally, it is also a testament to Ethiopian’s commitment to enhancing its position as the continent’s top carrier with wide connectivity and world-class service.” Currently, Ethiopian Airlines offers over fifty weekly dedicated passenger and cargo flights to five Indian cities; Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Chennai, With the opening of this new passenger route to Hyderabad, Ethiopian will solidify its presence in India and enhance flight alternatives for passengers travelling between and outside the region.

Leverages on Thomas Cook India’s leadership position and its diversity of segments across Leisure and MICE In a strategic initiative to boost travel to Georgia from the high-potential India market, Thomas Cook (India), India’s leading omnichannel travel services company, has signed an MOU with Georgia National Tourism Administration (GNTA). This powerful collaboration focuses on building awareness and inspiring demand towards driving increased visitations to Georgia. Thomas Cook India’s internal data reveals strong travel appetite from Indian consumers for fresh, new destinations and easy visa regimes. This partnership aims to showcase Georgia along three key axes: attractiveness, accessibility and affordability. To inspire Indian travellers and catalyse demand, Thomas Cook India’s partnership with GNTA will focus on key objectives, including – Creating strong awareness for Georgia in the India market Building inspirational content for the destination Promoting MICE to Georgia Joint marketing collaboration to promote Georgia in the India market Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India), said, “From the charming streets of Tbilisi, rich in history and culture, the majestic landscapes of the Caucasus mountains, the ancient cave cities of Uplistsikhe, and globally renowned wine culture with its neolithic grape wine cultivation dating back to almost 8000 years, Georgia offers a wealth of unforgettable experiences, and at great value for the discerning Indian traveller. We are delighted to collaborate with the Georgia National Tourism Administration to jointly promote Georgia as a go-to destination across our customer segments. To inspire demand, our strategic intent will focus on education and training, familiarisation trips and joint marketing collaborations to target India’s high-potential segments including millennials/young working professionals, families, couples, solo travellers, B-Leisure and corporate MICE groups. Our efforts will …

Egyptair is pushing India’s MICE traffic to Egypt by offering competitive fares. Amr Aly, Country Manager, India, Vietnam & Hongkong, Egyptair, said, “For Cairo, we have an offer till March end, 40 per cent discount on economic class, 30 per cent on business class. Due to high demand, we may extend it till July.”

As BIT Milan 2025 enters its last day, the Italian outbound travel market is proving to be a major force in global tourism. With a 12 per cent increase in revenue for the 2024-25 holiday season, Italy’s travellers are booking earlier than ever – 60 per cent securing trips at least 90 days in advance.

At the IATO Annual Day (Carnival), Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, emphasised the need to boost tourism circuits, noting that 50 circuits have been announced. “If even 10 circuits attract visitors, it will be a big win. Our goal is to urge the government to implement its plans and turn vision into reality,” he said.

Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) opened this year’s edition with record breaking number of attendees. In 3 days, AIME will host 640+ buyers, 4500+ attendees and 675 exhibitors. There will be over 200 new exhibitors with 2 new internatioal pavilions, Singapore and Thailand, joining 30 nations.

SriLankan Airlines is presenting a game-changer with the introduction of ‘Yaana,’ an AI-powered chatbot. Yaana is set to transform customer support and the way passengers interact with the airline by leveraging advanced AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies to intelligently assist with a wide range of passenger inquiries. Developed in collaboration with CodeGen International, Yaana is now live on SriLankan Airlines’ corporate website. Chamara Perera, Group Head of Information Technology, SriLankan Airlines, commented on this latest advancement in customer engagement technology stating, “Yaana features a generative AI virtual assistant powered by GPT-4 technology and is equipped with sophisticated retrieval capabilities to enhance customer interactions and efficiently address inquiries. The system also utilises a conversational AI framework and custom AI algorithms to deliver rapid, accurate, empathetic and contextually relevant responses. By cross-referencing multiple policy documents, real-time data sets, including flight schedules, Yaana ensures that passengers receive reliable, tailored information.” Dimuthu Tennakoon, Head of Worldwide Sales and Distribution, SriLankan Airlines, expressed his enthusiasm about Yaana’s potential, stating, “Since going live, Yaana has handled close to 12,000 inquiries with remarkable efficiency, autonomously resolving 88 per cent of them. Furthermore, with its scalability, we anticipate Yaana will manage five times the current volume. By providing 24/7 assistance, including real-time updates during disruptions, streamlined booking guidance and personalised support for complex queries, Yaana will significantly enhance customer service every step of the way.” The chatbot will prove especially indispensable during unplanned flight disruptions, a common occurrence in the airline industry, by assisting passengers in swiftly finding alternative travel options. Available globally, Yaana also has multilingual capabilities, making it accessible to SriLankan Airlines’ diverse, global customer base. For SriLankan Airlines, an airline committed to using …

Signs contract for one Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft Will explore further opportunities with Norse Atlantic Airways for contracting more aircraft IndiGo has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways for damp lease of one Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The aircraft will be arriving in India in the next few weeks and is expected to start operations in March 2025. This partnership underscores IndiGo’s strategic efforts to expand its geographic reach and provide its customers with more options for international travel. The initial term of the agreement is six months, extendable to up to 18 months, subject to regulatory approvals. Both parties remain committed to exploring opportunities to further extend this period, subject to regulatory approvals. IndiGo and Norse will continue exploring opportunities to contract additional aircraft and increase their collaboration further. IndiGo is committed to providing an exceptional travel experience to its customers and expanding its international footprint to cater to the growing demand for international travel to and from India. To support and accelerate its long-haul expansion, IndiGo has placed a firm order for 30 Airbus 350-900 wide-body aircraft with an option for an additional 70 aircraft, with deliveries expected to commence from 2027. Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo, said, “As part of our broader strategy to significantly expand our international network, we are pleased to confirm this damp lease of one Boeing 787-9 aircraft from Norse Atlantic Airways. Our vision is to transform into a global player by 2030 while having strong roots and continuous expansion in India, and we are strategically moving ahead in that direction.”  

Prateek Hira, President & CEO, Tornos shared his comments on Union Budget 2025. “The Indian government has unveiled the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026. Within the positive announcements by the Finance Ministry that include relaxation in visas for some countries, a focus on 50 tourist destinations, an infrastructure push and a few other initiatives, there is also a deep wound that has been inflicted on the tourism industry, particularly the inbound sector. The budget includes only a slight increase of 4 per cent in the allocation for tourism, which is less than India’s inflation rate, but the worst part, which will have a ramification on the already bleeding inbound sector, is that the international marketing budget for tourism has been reduced to ₹30 million, a reduction of 97 per cent of the already minuscule budget that India had for international tourism marketing. Interestingly, ₹30 million is the budget of many mid-size and large companies for their own marketing and promotions. This move of the Indian government is beyond anyone’s understanding and only points to the fact that India does not want inbound tourists or wants to earn foreign exchange through tourism. The move is in stark contrast to what the government of India speaks at different forums regarding making India a global hub and doubling its foreign tourist arrivals. In this budget, there was no mention of the tourism board, which is an incomplete exercise and could have set many issues right. After the closure of international tourism offices and with no proper marketing strategy in place, the tourism board could have been a saviour. The granting of industry status to tourism and incentivising foreign exchange earnings through …