Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Several Northern India Airports are closed for civil flight operations with immediate effect, hours after India struck terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) under ‘Operation Sindoor’. NOTAM action is underway. On 30 April, India issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), prohibiting all Pakistan-registered and military planes from flying into Indian airspace. The ban, from 30 April to 23 May, 2025, came on the heels of increased border tensions and ceasefire breaches following the recent terror attack at Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. List of airports to remain closed: 1. Leh (IXL) 2. Thois (THW) 3. Srinagar (SXR) 4. Jammu (IXJ) 5. Amritsar (ATQ) 6. Pathankot (IXP) 7. Chandigarh (IXC) 8. JodhPur (JDH) 9. Jaisalmer (JSA) 10. Jamnagar (JGA) 11. Bhatinda (BUP) 12. Bhuj (BHJ) 13. Dharamshala (DHM) 14. Shimla (SLV) 15. Rajkot (RAJ) 16. Porbandar (PBD)

Amid the spike in tension between India and Pakistan, several global carriers—including Air France and Lufthansa—have been rerouting flights to avoid Pakistani airspace, as air traffic between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours becomes increasingly restricted. Thai Airways has also suspended use of the airstrip following Pakistan’s directive to close its airspace. Additionally, Korean Air has been avoiding Pakistani airspace for its flights operating between South Korea’s Incheon and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Meanwhile, Taiwan’s EVA Air announced it will adjust its flights to and from Europe to avoid airspace affected by the India-Pakistan tension for safety reasons. One flight from Vienna will be diverted back to that city, while a flight from Taipei to Milan will be diverted to Vienna for refuelling before continuing on its destination.  

In the wake of the prevailing situation between India and Pakistan, IndiGo issued a travel advisory stating that flights to/from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, and Jodhpur are cancelled for the day. The airline is anticipating changes in flight schedules across its network and advises all its customers to stay updated on their flight status before heading to the airport.

In a landmark move, the Walt Disney Company is set to open its first theme park in the Middle East, with a new project planned for Abu Dhabi. The entertainment giant has signed an agreement with Miral, the leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, to bring a world-class Disney theme park and resort to Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates. This will be Disney’s seventh global theme park resort and will be fully developed and built by Miral, marking a significant expansion of Disney’s presence in the international tourism market.

Posting a latest update on X, Air India Express said that due to notification from the airport authorities, flights to and from Amritsar, Gwalior, Jammu, Srinagar and Hindon are cancelled till 05:30 hrs on 10 May. Thus, the airline is offering a full refund or free rescheduling for its customers of these flights.

VFS Global has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in CiX Citizen Experience, a leading provider of digital and physical citizen services based in Brazil. This strategic acquisition marks a pivotal step in VFS Global’s expansion journey—particularly across Latin America (LATAM)—as it continues to broaden its capabilities and deepen its impact in the public service delivery space. With nearly two decades of pioneering innovation in citizen services, CiX has established a strong presence in Brazil. This success will be further scaled across LATAM and other global markets, leveraging VFS Global’s international reach and operational excellence. This acquisition is centred on driving transformation through advanced digital technologies, including AI and data-driven platforms. By uniting CiX’s cutting-edge digital capabilities with VFS Global’s extensive global infrastructure and expertise in managing complex service ecosystems, we are positioned to deliver next-generation, integrated solutions to public and private sector clients around the world. For both companies’ client governments and partners, this will lead to enhanced, tailored solutions that improve citizen engagement, access, and satisfaction. Sergio Rodrigues, CEO of CiX Citizen Services, said, “Partnering with VFS Global will supercharge our growth. With access to their capital, technology, talent, and global reach, we can rapidly expand across Latin America, and beyond. This collaboration is about scaling CiX Citizen Experience, delivering even more intuitive, efficient, and accessible government services. Our goal is to simplify citizens’ lives with a combination of physical and digital solutions that also bring agility, and savings for governments worldwide.”   Zubin Karkaria, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global, added, “We are very pleased to have concluded this strategically important acquisition which will be value accretive for both companies – for CiX Citizen Experience …

– Strategic Partnership with Navi Mumbai International Airport and Leading Indian and International Players like Digiyatra, Dormakaba, Diamond Engineering, Waisl and Cognitec – India is poised to become one of the world’s top three global aviation markets by 2030 In line with the Government of India’s commitment to bring India among the top three aviation markets globally, the upcoming Inter Passenger Terminal Show 2025 (IPTS 2025) has signed on key partners including Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIAL) as the Airport Partner. The event, scheduled for June 11-12, 2025, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai will serve as a premier platform to showcase next-generation airport solutions, cutting edge AI/ML driven technologies and innovative passenger experiences and foster high-level industry collaboration. Key industry participants already confirmed include: Dormakaba, a global leader in access solutions and Digi Yatra, a pioneer in facial recognition-based airport entry. Other confirmed names are Diamond Engineering, Waisl, HHG Industries, Kimoha, Cognitech, Leonardo, Inprocorp and Duo Decimal. This is a pivotal time for India’s aviation sector, which is witnessing unprecedented growth. Investment in airport infrastructure is projected to exceed Rs. 60,000 crore during 2025-2027, driven by increased passenger traffic and tariff adjustments. The number of passengers at Indian airports is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8-9% across 2025-2027, with domestic traffic being the major contributor. According to ICRA, air traffic is projected to increase 8-11% year-on-year, reaching 407-418 million passengers this fiscal year. Domestic passenger traffic in January 2025 alone surged 14.5% year-on-year, exceeding pre-COVID levels by 17.9%. With India poised to become one of the world’s top three aviation markets in passenger traffic by 2052, the need for cutting-edge airport infrastructure and seamless passenger experiences has …

Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), at the forefront of digital innovation and operational excellence has inaugurated a revamped, new-gen AOCC at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Jeet Adani, Director, Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) unveiled the state-of-the-art facility, which has undergone a transformation over the past nine months, in the presence of the teams from the stakeholder community, Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) and MIAL. The airport’s nerve centre, the AOCC, has received significant upgrades to its infrastructure and technology. The new gen AOCC is designed to enhance efficiency by bringing together key airport stakeholders for improved coordination. Enhanced visuals, real-time data, and advanced communication systems empower the team from CSMIA to proactively manage both routine operations and emergencies with unprecedented efficiency. Apart from introduction of cutting-edge technology to support with high-definition interface, the Mumbai Airport AOCC takes digital innovation to the next level with the introduction of aviio – Adani Airports’ pioneering digital platform for airport stakeholders. With aviio, the AOCC at CSMIA will evolve into a digitally mature mobile-first, data-driven platform, ensuring real-time situational awareness and decision-making capabilities for better planning, utilisation and optimisation—anytime, anywhere. With aviio’s advanced digital capabilities, airport teams and stakeholders can now manage operations on the go, making the AOCC more agile, responsive, and efficient than ever before. The aviio platform has been meticulously designed to meet AAHL’s unique requirements for managing airports at scale, considering a wide range of decision makers. Leveraging advanced AI and ML technologies, this platform aims to set a global benchmark for airport operations as the backbone of all digital transformation initiatives. Speaking on the occasion, Jeet Adani commented: “In today’s fast-evolving air travel landscape, maintaining leadership in technology …

Oman’s leading tourism stakeholder, Travel Point Group LLC (Tour Oman), is keen to develop Oman’s destination profile and appeal and attractiveness as a wedding and incentive destination. Following close on heels of the announcement of Oman’s Ministry of Heritage & Tourism of a series of incentives, schemes and facilities aimed at enhancing Oman’s appeal as one of the best wedding and incentives tourism destinations for India, Tour Oman is keen to make its own investment in the Indian market in order to spur growth in the country’s burgeoning wedding and incentives travel segments. Reinforcing its long-term commitment to the Indian market, Tour Oman has recently appointed Captivating Experiences as its Sales and Marketing Representative. Soumava Mukherjee, General Manager of Travel Point Group LLC, stated, “Given India’s population, an estimated 10 million weddings are taking place in India every year. And now, with a growing and prosperous middle class, increasing disposable income and a dream of living their once-in-a-lifetime wedding experience in the most exotic way possible, India has emerged as a leading source market for destination weddings. And Oman with its geographical proximity, its range of breathtaking and surreal destinations and luxury products and our ability to create bespoke once-in-a-lifetime experiences, makes us a great wedding destination.” Oman’s repertoire of bespoke luxury and exotic products, combined with beachside venues with rugged hills and ocean serving as the backdrop, picturesque landscapes and natural beauty make it one of the most alluring and exotic wedding destinations. Oman boasts some of the top brands like St. Regis Muscat, Shangri La Oman, Mandarin Oriental Oman, the iconic Al Bustan Palace, Ritz Carlton Hotel, and other idyllic and luxurious properties like Six Senses Zighy Bay, …

Pride Hotels Group signed three new properties in North India – Pride Resort Jodhpur, Pride Premier Noida, and Pride Elite Alwar. These signings add strategic depth to the Group’s northern portfolio and reaffirm its vision to deliver high-quality hospitality across key leisure and business destinations.