Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

IndiGo has recently opened reservation for its expanded service to Kathmandu, where the airline has scheduled 2nd daily Delhi–Kathmandu flight. From 20 June, the new flight will operate in the afternoon hours, with Airbus A320.

In a bid to fast track its efforts to fly international, Vistara Airlines is reportedly planning to acquire 16 aircraft from now-grounded Jet Airways for using the aircraft for long-haul flights to Europe. The 16 planes, which the Tata-Singapore Airlines joint venture is looking to acquire include 10 Boeing 777, three Boeing 737 and three Airbus A330 wide-body planes, reported Business Standard. The report said that Vistara is likely to use the new aircraft for international long haul flights to Europe and North America. Earlier, the airline was looking to induct the aircraft for short-haul (less than five hours) international flights but the plans seem to have changed, the report added.   Under its fleet expansion plans, Vistara has already ordered six Boeing 787 Dreamliners for international routes, which the airline is expecting to start receiving by January 2020.

SpiceJet has introduced business class on its flights post acquiring 737-800 aircraft from grounded Jet Airways’ fleet, allowing passengers to book business class with fares at 30-40% less expensive than its competitors. Starting May 11, the airline will offer business class tickets on domestic routes between major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. It is believed that average business class fares would moderate in the coming days since Jet Airways, the largest provider of business class seats, shut operations last month. SpiceJet has inducted around eight Jet Airways’ aircraft with unchanged seat configuration including the business class cabin. For instance, SpiceJet is offering fares at Rs 32,000 for return journey on the Delhi-Mumbai route, as compared to around Rs 46,000 offered by other full-service carriers like Vistara and Air India. On the Delhi-Bengaluru route, SpiceJet is charging return fare at Rs 40,000 for a two-way travel, compared to Rs 53,000 offered by both Air India and Vistara.

Global Hospitality Conclave will now take place on 12 October at The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel. The conclave is a strong platform for participants to project their capabilities and opportunities to the industry elite from across the global hospitality spectrum. The trends and opportunities in the current hospitality landscape of the country and the world at large.

HRANI’s next conclave has been scheduled for Monday, May 27, 2019 in Ludhiana, Punjab at 1800 hrs onwards. The conclave will be inaugurated by Chief Guest, Pawan Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The conclaves are planned and organised by HRANI in all nine state of North India on rotation basis. The last conclave held in Uttar Pradesh’s capital, Lucknow, themed on the Environmental Concerns of Hospitality Industry witnessed participation in good numbers. The sessions captivated the audience and a Guide for Waste Management in Hospitality Industry was launched during the last HRANI Conclave. This time, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI) in collaboration with Hotel & Restaurant Association of Punjab (HRAP) has planned to introduce ‘HRANI Awards – Ludhiana Edition’. The awards have been instituted by HRANI to encourage industry professionals and recognize excellence, in the hospitality industry. More information can be found on HRANI’s website about the awards. The session on Hygiene Rating is planned with the aim to sensitize hoteliers and restaurateurs about the various benefits of the rating system. Apart from that, knowledge drive presentation on re-purposing used cooking oil into bio-diesel and FSSAI’s Hygiene Rating initiative are planned in the interest of the hotel and restaurant members. Start-ups such as BioD have initiated the repurposing of used cooking oil with the objective to create sustainable solutions for a greener environment and a healthier society. The knowledge will highlight the harmful effects of consuming cooking oil which is used and re-used.  

Sri Lanka‘s Tourism Development Authority has reported that Indian visitor arrivals to Sri Lanka has declined by 21.5% in the month of Apr-2019. Sri Lanka witnessed a series of blasts on April 21, which has led to the decline in tourism in the country. There has been a decline of total 8% in tourist arrivals in the country.   (Source: CAPA)

Ginger has signed a new property in Dwarka, Gujarat, taking its count to 11 hotels in the state. The 99-rooms property will have an all-day diner, a meeting room and a fitness centre offering a truly seamless stay experience to its guests. The hotel is a management contract agreement with Bluerock Hospitality Ventures Pvt. Ltd and is slated to commence operations by the end of May 2019. Deepika Rao, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ginger said, “We are happy to partner with Blue Rock Hospitality Ventures in the pilgrimage city of Dwarka. With this hotel, we will expand our footprint to 795 keys in the vibrant state of Gujarat.” Dwarka is an ancient city and is well known for its many temples. The city also has a beautiful beach overlooking the vast expanses of the Arabian Sea, a wildlife sanctuary and many more tourist attractions.  

Asiana Airlines, South Korea’s second-biggest carrier, will be shutting its India operations from July 8 along with two routes in Russia.  The airline will also suspend its first-class service in a move to improve profitability and enhance safety. Asiana Airlines website says that it is now only taking bookings until July 7 from Delhi to Incheon. 

Marriott International has opened the Port Muziris, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel in Kochi, the first ever Tribute Portfolio hotel in South Asia. The hotel marks the fifth Marriott International property in Kochi located at just 300 meters away from the Cochin International Airport. Commenting on this launch, Neeraj Govil, Area Vice President, South Asia- Marriott International, says, “The addition of the Tribute Portfolio in Marriott International’s brand footprint for South Asia reinforces our continued focus on providing a diverse collection of prime, distinctive properties across high potential markets in the region. Port Muziris, a Tribute Portfolio hotel is set to exemplify the brand’s vision, offering travelers a unique blend of old-world charm and contemporary amenities, topped off with signature Indian hospitality. The hotel presents guests with the opportunity to spark connections and experience the taste of surrounding communities in the state of Kerala.” “Port Muziris is going to add to the efforts to make Kerala a world-class tourism destination. I believe that it is where Kerala starts. The property’s uniqueness is visible through the soulful art spread across the property, the homely local food and the untypical rooms that bring out the vibrancy, vigor, and life of Kerala. At Twenty14 Holdings, we strive to keep our peerless hospitality growing by ensuring that each of our hotels is unique in its identity, intent, and immersion,” said Adeeb Ahamed, Managing Director of Twenty14 Holdings. Port Muziris, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel features 54 artistically designed rooms, including three Executive Suites. The hotel design evokes grandeur and is reminiscent of the heritage residences found in Kerala. The hotel offers an exciting range of dining options, each with its own unique flavours and identity. With …

SpiceJet has announced the launch of 12 new domestic flights connecting the key metros of Mumbai and Delhi with a host of cities on its domestic network. SpiceJet has introduced new flights on the Delhi-Vishakhapatnam-Delhi and Delhi-Kochi-Delhi sectors. The airline will also enhance its operations on the Mumbai-Bengaluru-Mumbai (5th frequency), Mumbai-Gorakhpur-Mumbai (2nd frequency), Mumbai-Chennai-Mumbai (5th frequency) and Delhi-Srinagar-Delhi (3rd frequency) sectors.