Category Archives: Aviation

The number of operational airports in the country has increased from 74 in 2014 to 157 in 2024, said the Ministry of Civil Aviation, with plans to expand this number to 350-400 by 2047. Meanwhile, the domestic air passengers have more than doubled, making India the third-largest domestic aviation market. The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS-UDAN) launched in 2016 has significantly contributed to this growth.

Winner of ‘Best Airport’ at the recent India Travel Awards 2024, GMR Hyderabad International Airport is developing India’s first Airport City (Aerotropolis) spread across 1,500 acres in its vicinity. Ashish Kumar, Chief Commercial Officer – Aero & Cargo, GMR Hyderabad International Airport, said that GMR leverages technology extensively and is one of the most innovative airports in India.

Drukair, Royal Bhutan Airlines, is pleased to announce the expansion of its international network with the introduction of twice-weekly flights from Dubai to Paro, starting on 28 October, 2024. This new route will strengthen Drukair’s global connectivity, offering seamless travel options for passengers from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, North and South America, and other Western regions. It also underscores Drukair’s commitment to promoting tourism, trade, and diplomatic ties between Bhutan and the UAE. As a major global hub, Dubai opens up exciting opportunities for travellers from the UAE and beyond, whether for business, leisure, or cultural exchanges. Key Details: Inaugural Flight Date: 28 October, 2024 Route: Paro (PBH) – Dubai (DXB) v.v. Frequency: Twice Weekly As Bhutan’s national carrier, Drukair remains committed to providing safe, comfortable, and reliable air travel. The new route offers passengers the unique experience of flying ‘On the Wings of the Dragon’ between Bhutan and the vibrant city of Dubai. “Launching services to Dubai is a proud moment for Drukair. It reflects our expanding international presence and our dedication to connecting Bhutan to the world,” said Tandi Wangchuk, Chief Executive Officer, Drukair. This route is expected to boost tourism in Bhutan, attracting visitors from the Middle East and beyond, while also providing convenient travel options for Bhutanese residents and expatriates in the UAE and neighbouring regions.  

DreamFolks has announced the launch of its newest service – highway dining for travellers. This service will be available at over 600 outlets along key highways across the country.  This new offering marks DreamFolks’ expansion beyond airports and railway stations to provide enhanced convenience for highway travellers. DreamFolks members can now enjoy specially designed meals at popular restaurants on more than 60 key highway routes emanating from major cities,      including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata. The service offers travellers a seamless, hassle-free dining experience while on the road. Commenting on the launch, Liberatha Kallat, Founder and CMD of DreamFolks, said,“At DreamFolks, we are committed to delivering premium experiences to travellers. With this launch, we’re excited to extend our services to highway travellers, providing them with access to quality dining options throughout their journeys. As we continue to identify opportunities to enhance the travel experience across multiple touchpoints, expanding our offerings to highways is a natural progression. This new service reflects our vision of creating seamless and elevated travel experiences at every mode of the journey.” The DreamFolks highway dining service offers travellers an exclusive range of thoughtfully crafted meals, combining gourmet flavours with unparalleled convenience. Designed to elevate the dining experience for discerning road travellers, this service ensures that every meal reflects our commitment to quality and sophistication. As highway networks continue to grow and road travel gains popularity, DreamFolks is proud to extend its premium hospitality to ensure travellers enjoy exceptional dining at every stop along their journey. With this latest offering, DreamFolks reinforces its commitment to delivering a seamless travel experience and expanding its footprint in India’s growing travel ecosystem. From airports and railway stations to …

SriLankan Airlines bagged a Gold Award in the category of “Marketing-Carrier” at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Awards 2024, held in Bangkok on 28 August 2024, reaffirming the global appeal of its marketing communication endeavours. The campaign, “Colours of Jaffna,” is the first marketing campaign by any Sri Lankan entity to exclusively spotlight the island’s vibrant north. The timeliness of the campaign is further reinstated with CNN naming Jaffna as one of Asia’s most underrated places recently. This year, PATA honoured 24 travel and tourism entities out of 100 entries from around the world, as judged by a panel of 23 industry experts. One of the most successful campaigns ever to have been executed in the airline’s history, ‘Colours of Jaffna’ garnered a reach of over 14,000,000 across social media platforms with over 500,000 engagements. SriLankan Airlines, Head of Marketing, Saminda Perera, said, “I take this opportunity to thank the encouragement and support extended to us by the management, our valued partners and my team, without whom this will never be a possibility. Time after time, we have endeavoured to present Sri Lanka in novel perspectives, and it gives us great pleasure to be affirmed that our efforts are recognized by the industry fraternity and the travellers alike.” Staying true to the campaign title ‘Colours of Jaffna,’ the visuals — both the imagery and videography — highlight the plethora of colours that define Jaffna. From its waterfronts, and historic fort to the colourful temple interiors, festivities and cuisine, the visual tonality emphasizes the contrasting yet striking colours, capturing the city’s novelty, excitement and vivacity. The video is enhanced by a rhythmic soundtrack, with tempos reflecting the natural ebb and flow of …

“Indian Civil Aviation Ministry is monitoring airfares daily as the festive season approaches”, said Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Minister Civil Aviation, Govt of India. He said that the government has been in contact with airport operators, asking them to keep airfares reasonable and not exploit the increase in demand during the season, adding that no unreasonable fare surges have been observed yet, and the ministry will take appropriate actions if necessary.

New features enable aviation organisations to digitally transform M&E and MRO operations with AI-driven predictive management, advanced automation, and real-time insights. Chennai, India; Miami, Fla., – Ramco Systems (BSE-532370, NSE-RAMCOSYS), a global enterprise software company offering next-generation SaaS-enabled platforms and products, announced today the release of its Aviation Maintenance Software 6.0, which leverages AI and machine learning for smarter, predictive aviation management. The latest product launch includes new AI-driven features that enable organisations to digitally transform their Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) and engineering operations. These features also streamline workflows from resource planning to purchase orders and improve management of flight safety and compliance. “The latest version of Ramco Aviation Software 6.0 is a significant milestone in our journey of continuous innovation and commitment to excellence,” said Sundar Subramanian, CEO, Ramco Systems. “Along with the advanced capabilities, our specialised Engine MRO solution is a key part of this release, addressing the critical challenges of engine maintenance. By harnessing advanced technology and our domain expertise, Ramco Aviation Software 6.0 will enable aviation organisations to meet their growing customer demands and stay competitive. We look forward to empowering organisations to drive transformation with this game-changing release.” New features provide a seamless MRO experience that optimises supply chains, cuts costs and increases productivity. Powered by robust AI algorithms, Ramco Aviation Software 6.0 introduces: Advanced Engine MRO Management System – Ramco’s specialised Engine MRO software manages the entire engine lifecycle through advanced configuration tracking, LLP management, and automated work-scoping to simplify complex MRO processes and improve turnaround times. Maintenance Control Centre (MCC) Hub for Complex Engine Assemblies – Ensure safe and efficient operation with digital task cards, hierarchical configuration views, and real-time updates. The …

Global aviation software specialist, Ramco Systems announced the release of version 6.0 of its Aviation Software – a revolutionary product release designed to transform M&E and MRO operations with AI-driven insights, advanced automation, and seamless integration. An integrated solution with modules for Contracts, Engineering, Planning, Maintenance, Supply Chain Management, Finance, ePUBS and advanced mobility capabilities, Ramco Aviation Software 6.0 is built to handle the challenges of tomorrow. The release introduces many unparalleled features that enable organizations to digitally transform their maintenance execution processes, as well as their management of flight safety, materials and commercials, with some of the key features and modules including: Engine MRO Module: A cutting-edge module designed exclusively for Aviation Engine Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) operations, providing unparalleled precision and efficiency in engine maintenance management Maintenance Control Centre (MCC) Hub: To facilitate seamless operations, and provide MCC personnels with the capability to review aircraft readiness for upcoming schedules Aviation Material Requirements Planning (MRP) Module: A proprietary module to enhance organization’s planning and optimization capabilities through optimization of resource allocation and scheduling Graphical Quote Comparison Tool: To streamline decision-making process for purchases, and enable organizations with useful insights that help determine the best option Purchase Automation Framework: A robust framework that streamlines purchase order management with a one-time setup of automation rules Enhanced Pricing Solutions: The addition of enhanced capabilities to its pricing solutions, to enable organizations streamline billing and invoicing Sundar Subramanian, Chief Executive Officer, Ramco Systems, said, “The latest version of Ramco Aviation Software 6.0 is a significant milestone in our journey of continuous innovation and commitment to excellence. Along with the advanced capabilities, our specialized Engine MRO solution is a key part of this …

The Swiss experience starts onboard Swiss International Air Lines where travellers can enjoy their holiday booked by their travel agent via TourFox. Attend all webinars for a chance to win a trip to Switzerland in 2025! For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

SriLankan Airlines and flydubai, the Dubai-based carrier, have announced today an interline agreement commencing from 09 September 2024, introducing more travel opportunities between Sri Lanka, the UAE and beyond on select routes on the carriers’ networks. This interline agreement will enable passengers travelling with SriLankan Airlines to seamlessly connect via Dubai’s aviation hub to more than 30 destinations that flydubai operates to in Africa, Central Asia, Central and Southeast Europe as well as the Middle East. This includes unique holiday destinations such as Bucharest, Istanbul, Krakow, Mombasa, Naples, Sofia, Tashkent and Zanzibar. In addition, the interline will offer flydubai passengers’ access to 16 destinations on SriLankan’s robust network spanning Southern and East Asia, the Middle East and Australia – including Melbourne, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo. “We are excited to partner with flydubai to provide our passengers seamless connections and greater convenience. This partnership reinforces our strategy to broaden our network and global reach, presenting customers with more travel choices and flexibility. We look forward to collaborating with flydubai and welcoming their passengers aboard our flights to experience an authentic SriLankan journey,” said Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines. SriLankan Airlines and flydubai are committed to delivering convenient and reliable travel options for their valued customers. Passengers can expect the signature hospitality and onboard services that both airlines are renowned for when travelling with SriLankan and flydubai. Commenting on the interline agreement, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said, “we’re excited about our new interline agreement with SriLankan Airlines that will further strengthen trade and tourism relations between the UAE and Sri Lanka. Since the start of operations to Sri Lanka in 2010, we have seen consistent …