Ashwini Vaishnaw has retained the Railways Ministry and IT Ministry besides getting one heavyweight portfolio – Information and Broadcasting. Vaishnaw held the Railway Ministry since July 2021. He had replaced Piyush Goyal, who led the ministry from September 2017 to July 2021.

First-time MP from Pune and BJP leader Murlidhar Mohol has been inducted as Minister of State for Civil Aviation in the Narendra Modi government. He is an MP from Pune Lok Sabha constituency and was elected Mayor of Pune in November 2019 replacing Mukta Tilak.

Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi, BJP’s first Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, became the MoS of Tourism in the NDA Cabinet 3.0. Gopi, who recorded an unprecedented win for NDA from Thrissur constituency, has been made the Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas as well.

Telugu Desam Party MP Ram Mohan Naidu has become the 34th Union Minister of Civil Aviation as part of the new Council of Ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led cabinets, replacing Jyotiraditya Scindia. Naidu took oath as part of the new Council of Ministers on June 9. He contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Srikakulam constituency, a seat he has now won three times in a row.

Paramprit Singh Bakshi, Vice-President, CAPA India, said, “Amid strong demand and “unprecedented investment in aircraft orders, product, brand, technology, the Indian airport industry’s profit before tax (PBT) is expected to grow by 35 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to Rs 10,370 crore in the financial year 2024-25 (FY25)”. The industry, in FY24, is estimated to have had a PBT of Rs 7,680 crore, which was 134.1 per cent more Y-o-Y as the airport sector recovered after Covid-19.

At the CAPA India Aviation Summit 2024, Arun Bansal, CEO, Adani Airport Holding, said, “We are preparing NMIA to meet travellers aspirations from day one. The Navi Mumbai airport will be the most digitised airport from day one. We are actively working with airlines for slot allocation between CSMIA and NMIA for fair play.”

Campbell Wilson, CEO, Air India said they have finalised the start of their retrofit program for new aircraft. “More than 100 aircraft will be refitted with new interiors, including more than 40 wide-body aircraft. We have purchased more than 25,000 seats to support this refit program which will be installed in the coming months,” he added.

Mauritius Tourism invites the Indian outbound travel trade to attend an exclusive webinar on the destination and get valuable insights and updates for your clients on June 13 at 11:30 am. Join the webinar and stand a chance to win a fam trip! For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

Holiday Moods Adventures Pvt Ltd, a DMC for Scandinavia, Arctic Circle Countries and Antarctica, based out of New Delhi, India, is thrilled to announce the launch of its newest offering from the Pure Northern Collection: “The Norway Summer FlyCruise Arctic Adventure”. Holiday Moods Adventures Pvt Ltd is the distributor in India for Havila Voyages. Experience the Arctic Like Never Before: Guaranteed fixed departures are being offered from June till September 2024. The Norway Summer FlyCruise Arctic Adventure begins with a seamless morning flight from Oslo to Kirkenes. Upon arrival, guests will be warmly welcomed and transferred to the luxurious Kirkenes Snowhotel, where they will check into cozy Gamme Cabins. The first day includes a unique Arctic adventure of king crab fishing, followed by a sumptuous feast of the day’s catch. Guests can also enjoy interactions with friendly huskies, explore the surroundings, or relax in a traditional sauna.. Throughout the journey, guests will be treated to full-board á la carte dining, stunning sea views from superior cabins, and numerous opportunities for unforgettable excursions. Highlights include a visit to the North Cape, the majestic landscapes of Vesterålen and Lofoten, and crossing the Arctic Circle. The Norway Summer FlyCruise Arctic Adventure is meticulously planned including air transfers, accommodations, and meals with prices starting at EUR 1926.00 per person (twin share). Managing Director, Mr. Tejbir Singh Anand of Holiday Moods Adventures Pvt Ltd says- This exclusive 6-day journey will take travellers from the enchanting Arctic wonderland of Kirkenes to the historic city of Trondheim, showcasing the unparalleled beauty of Norway’s northern coast. Director, Holiday Moods Adventures Pvt Ltd, Ms. Arshdeep Anand commented – The adventure begins with a morning flight included in the package …

Sailing on the high waves of success of its small ship river cruising experiences – Avalon Waterways recently hosted a residential River Cruise symposium at a luxury resort near Mumbai. An august group of 35 travel companies attended this 3-day conference which had one of Avalon’s highly experienced & senior Cruise Director fly-in all the way from Budapest – Hungary as a primary speaker and educator. At this “special invite” conference, hand-picked leisure travel leaders got a unique opportunity to gain insider insights and deepen their understanding of what makes Avalon the leader in River Cruising and why it is also becoming the unrivalled choice for experienced cruisers looking for boutique luxury experiences on the legendary European rivers and even beyond. “We are committed to working with the travel trade and completely invested in our mission to provide agents the most updated knowledge and trends on the River Cruising space. We believe Avalon waterways has influenced the river cruising space for the better and forever and with its emphasis on “Relaxed Luxury” and our truly one of a kind “Suites with a view” – we have set the bar really high. This conference was a perfect setting as not only a grand thank-you event for our supporters but also another step towards our hard-core training commitments towards the travel trade. The travel agents got over a year’s worth of education, in just a short period of time, through the meticulously planned educational sessions as well as their one-to-one interactions with our Cruise Director and the entire Avalon waterways team, said Varesh Chopra – Managing Director, Avalon Waterways, South Asia & Middle East. “The first-hand product knowledge the agents received, will …